Pharmacy Technician - PHT 127

Course Description

The primary focus of this experiential rotation will be on the role of the pharmacy technician in the institutional (hospital) setting. It will provide students with actual experience in this setting in which they may work as a pharmacy technician. The student will focus on those specific activities of a pharmacy technician that are used in a hospital environment, such as aseptic compounding techniques for intravenous admixtures, including calculations required for accurate medication compounding. All students in the Pharmacy Technician programs must meet the requirements of a criminal background check and drug screen before completing the required practical experiences.

Prerequisites

(A requirement that must be completed before taking this course.)

Course Competencies

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Verify medication orders for completeness, accuracy and authenticity in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Process prescriptions in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Apply basic mathematical skills in the medication compounding process.
• Calculate parenteral medication dosages based on patient age and weight.
• Determine accurate ingredients amounts for a compounded product.
• Interchange brand names and generic names for parenteral medications.
• Prepare a completed parenteral medication order in an electronic medical record.
• Validate a compounded medication order in a prescription processing program.
• Fill hospital automated drug storage and dispensing system.
• Maintain pharmacy facilities in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Maintain inventory control of medications in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Use procedures and communication channels in the event of a product recall or shortage, a medication error or identification of another problem in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Implement the investigational drug process, medications being used in off-label indications and emerging drug therapies in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Manage hazardous medications and materials in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Utilize basic safety and emergency preparedness procedures applicable to pharmacy services in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Utilize the process for receiving, handling, storing and distributing controlled substances in a hospital setting.
• Employ management methods of drug product inventory stored in equipment or devices in a hospital or institutional setting.
• Utilize aseptic techniques for preparing intravenous admixture products.
• Use effective infection control procedures.
• Classify levels of engineering controls for preparation of parenteral compounds.
• Use aseptic testing methods.
• Verify Beyond Use Dating (BUD) for compounded products.
• Employ current United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards in hood cleaning techniques.
• Employ current United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards in aseptic gowning techniques.
• Prepare medications requiring moderate and high level non-sterile compounding methods.
• Prepare chemotherapy/hazardous drug preparations.
• Prepare solutions using varying materials, including sterile powders, capsules, ampules and tablets.
• Confirm measurements, preparations and/or packaging of medications produced by other healthcare professionals (e.g., tech-check-tech).

Course Schedule