In a hospital setting, the process for handling a medication order starts after it has been verified by the pharmacist. When the medication label is printed the technician will review it and begin preparing the order for the patient. This means selecting the correct medication from stock, performing dose calculations, and, for oral medication, preparing a unit dose at the processing counter. For sterile intravenous solutions, the technician will mix the solution in a clean room, and finally, making sure it is delivered to the correct nursing unit medication room and placed in the proper area for the nurses to retrieve. In almost every pharmacy, the technician plays a vital role in preparing medications. Proper performance of each of the steps to prepare a medication is enhanced by a knowledge of pharmacology.
Why is it so important to have an understanding of pharmacology? The answer seems straightforward, yet many technicians will simply state that it is the responsibility of the pharmacist, not the technician, to know why and how the medications are used. In reality, knowing the basics of pharmacology will allow a pharmacy technician the opportunity to provide a better quality of care to patients, become a vital asset to the pharmacist, and advance his or her career opportunities.
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Within pharmacology is a branch called pharmacokinetics. This is the study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of medications within the body. Pharmacokinetics can influence several aspects of a prescription. Medications being administered orally by a tablet or via injection of a solution have different pathways and even different mechanisms for how they work in the body. An experienced and educated technician is able to discern what routes of administration are most effective for each medication. For example, vancomycin is not absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, if a systemic course of vancomycin is needed, it will be administered intravenously (IV),1 while if it is being used to treat an intestinal infection, it may be given orally. Knowing this can give insight into the disease state that a patient has, and can be applied to better meet the needs of the patient.
With pharmacists spending more and more time meeting the clinical needs of patients, the daily operations of the pharmacy have transitioned to become the obligation of the technician. All across the country pharmacists administer flu vaccines (and many other immunizations), and it is common for the technician to prepare the patient and ask appropriate screening questions. While the technician assists with the vaccination record, a pharmacist will counsel a patient seeking a cold remedy. In a hospital setting this concept is no different. Relying on a technician to complete an order can allow the pharmacist to step away and discuss the needs of the patient with other healthcare providers.
As technicians assume additional responsibilities, expectations will shift regarding what a technician is required to do and know. This shift in focus is nothing new to pharmacy. In the early twentieth century, for example, Abraham Flexner, a renowned educator at the time, was asked by the American Medical Association to evaluate the state of medical colleges.3 In his report, he noted that being a pharmacist was not a professional occupation because the pharmacist simply submitted to the wishes of the physician. In response to those remarks, the Association of Colleges of Pharmacy altered educational practices and required a more rigorous curriculum for pharmacy students. This reform led to pharmacists becoming more autonomous and taking additional roles not traditionally considered. As technicians begin to take on new skills and new knowledge, their autonomy will increase just as it did with pharmacists. Technicians will be asked to do more because they know more.
Understanding Pharmacology for Pharmacy Technicians, 2nd Edition, is one of the most comprehensive books on the market related to pharmacology for technicians. The material contained in this text has been written specifically for pharmacy technicians, with their backgrounds and duties as guides for both breadth and depth, and with full respect for its importance to them, their careers, and the patients they serve.
Mary Ann Stuhan has been Pharmacy Program Manager at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, OH, since 2002, where she directed an ASHP-accredited Technician Training Program and advised pre-pharmacy students. She retired in September 2022. Dr. Stuhan received her BS in Pharmacy (Summa Cum Laude) at Duquesne University and her PharmD at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She began her pharmacy career as a technician, and has practiced professionally in a variety of settings, including retail, government, behavioral health, and teaching hospital. She was Director of Pharmacy at St. Michael Hospital in Cleveland, and continued to practice in long-term acute care at Kindred Hospital, Cleveland. She was a lecturer for the University of Colorado Denver School of Pharmacy NonTraditional PharmD Program.
Dr. Stuhan is past president of the PTCB Certification Council and has held office on the executive board of the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council, which honored her with their Pharmacy Technician Educator of the Year Award in 2007. She is also an active member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Cleveland Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Ohio Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Ohio Pharmacists Association. She has been a peer reviewer and written numerous articles and book reviews for the Journal of Pharmacy Technology. Her practice focuses were adverse drug reactions, anemia therapy, and antimicrobial stewardship.
The Pharmacy Technician Program at Cal State LA Downtown is a comprehensive 10-week test preparation accelerated program that will prepare students to work as pharmacy technicians in retail or other pharmacy settings. This program examines the knowledge areas critical to the pharmacy technician practice. Pharmacology for technicians, laws, and regulations, compounding, medication safety, quality assurance, order entry and fill process, inventory management, billing and reimbursement, information systems usage, and the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) will be explored. Taught by experts in the pharmaceutical field, the curriculum focuses on three core areas including pharmacology, law, and practical wisdom. Students will benefit from engaging lectures and discussions paired with interactive learning activities. Cal State LA's Pharmacy Technician Program is recognized by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, the only nonprofit pharmacy credentialing organization in the United States.
This comprehensive 50-hour Pharmacy Technician Program teaches the fundamental practices of the pharmacy technician field. It explores the knowledge domains and areas listed in the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) Blueprint published by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).
Since California law requires a pharmacy technician license to work in a pharmacy, students who complete this program should next take the PTCE to become certified by PTCB, and then apply for the pharmacy technician license from the California State Board of Pharmacy.
Cal State LA and the local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) are working together to ensure that our state has a well-trained and sustainable workforce. If you have been laid off due to poor economic conditions, company closure, or mass layoff, you may be eligible to receive free career development training.
To find out if you qualify for paid training, contact your local American Job Center (formerly One-Stop Center) to have them determine your eligibility to receive free training. Be sure to mention that you want to take classes through the College Professional and Global Education at Cal State LA. Visit CareerOneStop to find your nearest American Job Center or call 1-877-US2-JOBS (1-877-872-5627) for more information. Important: You must contact your local American Job Center for application and approval first. Free enrollment in our WIB-approved programs is not available without prior written approval.
The Summer 2024 Pharmacy Technician Program will meet virtually via Zoom on the listed dates above. The instructor and participants will actively engage in live discussions and lectures. Login information will be emailed to registered participants a week before the program begins.
Emille Gonzalez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. She also received her certification as a Pharmacy Technician from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). She has been in the pharmacy field since 1998 and worked with sterile and non-sterile compounding in the pharmacy, dispensing, and pharmacy billing as a technician supervisor and administrator in a variety of hospital pharmacy settings, including LA Metro Medical Center, Midway Medical Center, East LA Doctors Medical Center, Brotman Medical Center, and others. She started her career as an educator with Bryman College in 2004 as a Program Chair for their Pharmacy Technician Department and helped train many students to pass their PTCB exams and become Certified Pharmacy Technicians in the healthcare field. She continues to serve and teach in the pharmacy education profession and is currently pursuing her MBA degree in Healthcare Administration at Ashworth College to strengthen her skills as an administrator and educator.
Registration for the Summer 2024 Pharmacy Technician Program is now open. To register for the program, please submit payment here. It is required that all participants register by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, to ensure they receive all crucial information prior to the start of the program. Our Program Office team will reach out to you a week before the program begins to provide you with details including Canvas access, syllabus, Zoom meeting link, etc.
The Summer 2024 program will meet virtually via live synchronous Zoom sessions during the listed dates and times as noted in the program schedule. The instructor and participants will actively engage in live discussions, and lectures, and utilize a learning management system (Canvas). Login information will be emailed to registered participants a week before the program begins. 152ee80cbc
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