SECTION ONE Pharmacy Practice
1 History of Medicine and
Pharmacy
History of Medicine
Advances in Drug Therapy and Vaccinations
History of Pharmacy
2 Pharmacy Law, Ethics, and
Regulatory Agencies
US Food and Drug Administration History
Description of Laws
Controlled Substances
Drug Monographs
Prescription Regulation
Special Prescribing Programs
Pharmacy Sites
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The Joint Commission
Legal Standards
3 Competencies, Associations,
and Settings for Technicians
Historical Data
Competencies
Nondiscretionary Duties
National Certification for Technicians
Professionalism in the Workplace
The Future of Pharmacy Technicians Is Bright!
4 Communication and Role of the
Technician With the Customer/
Patient
Communication
Conclusion
5 Dosage Forms and Routes of
Administration
Where Did Pharmacy Abbreviations Originate?
“Do Not Use” List
Dosing Instructions
Classifications of Medications
Classifications of Drug Sales
Dosage Forms
Routes of Administration
Other Considerations: Form and Function
The Use of Excipients
Manufactured Products
Packaging and Storage Requirements
Medical Terminology
6 Conversions and Calculations
History of Pharmacy Calculations
Roman Numerals
International Time (Military Time)
Temperature Conversion Between Fahrenheit and
Celsius
Basic Math Skills
Measurement Systems
Calculations With Liquid Medication
Business Calculations
7 Drug Information References
Researching a Drug
References Used in Pharmacy
Pocket-Sized Reference Books
Electronic Referencing
The Internet
Journals and News Magazines
Additional Types of Information
Considerations When Choosing a Reference
8 Community Pharmacy Practice
Role of the Pharmacy Technician
Prescription
Prescription Processing
Prescription Preparation
Other Pharmacy Technician Duties
Pharmacy Layout
Communication
Elderly Patients
Other Pharmacy Services
9 Institutional Pharmacy Practice
Types of Hospitals
Hospital Pharmacy Standards and Procedures
Pharmacy and Nursing Staff Relationship
Hospital Orders
Institutional Pharmacy Technicians
The Future of the US Health Care System
10 Additional Pharmacy Practice
Settings and Advanced Roles for
Technicians
Advanced or Specialized Pharmacy Technician
Opportunities
11 Bulk Repackaging and Nonsterile
Compounding
Bulk Repackaging
Nonsterile Compounding
Packaging
Documentation
Safety
Compounding Professionalism
Regulatory and Quality Control
Veterinary Medications
Personnel Training
Compounding Calculations
12 Aseptic Technique and Sterile
Compounding
Terminology Used in Pharmacy
Standard Precautions for a Health Care Worker
Supplies
Routes of Administration
Medication Delivery Systems
United States Pharmacopeia <797>
Aseptic Technique
Hand Placement
Use of Ampules to Prepare Medications
Education and Training
13 Pharmacy Billing and Inventory
Management
Formulary and Drug Utilization
Generic Versus Trade Name Drugs
Types of Private and Group Medical Insurance
Plans
Government-Managed Insurance Programs
Current Use of Medicare and Medicaid Insurance
Third-Party Billing
Other Methods of Payment
Inventory Management
14 Medication Safety and Error
Prevention
Overview
Five Rights of Medication Safety
What Constitutes an Error?
Types of Medication Errors
Responsibility for Errors
Where Errors Are Made
Why Errors Occur
Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies
Drug Interactions as a Source of Error
Errors in the Pharmacy
Errors Related to Patient Care
Age-Related Errors
Necessity of Reporting Errors
Common Pharmacy Technology
Patient Dose-Specific Orders
United States Pharmacopeia <797> Regulations
Medication Reconciliation
Quality Assurance Practices and Risk Management
Other Considerations
Training and Education
Conclusion
15 Pharmacy Operations
Management and Workflow
Overview
Community Pharmacy
Institutional Pharmacy
Improving Efficiency Techniques
Getting Started

SECTION TWO Pharmacology
and Medications
16 Drug Classifications
Classifying Drugs
Brand Versus Generic Versus Chemical Names
Tall Man Lettering in Brand and Generic Medications
Versus the Use of Generic Prefixes, Suffixes, and
Infixes
Medication Characteristics
Drug Trials
Four Phases of Drug Testing
Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology,
Pharmacodynamics, and Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacokinetics: ADME
Pharmacodynamics
Drugs and Receptors
Agonists and Antagonists
Therapeutic Index
Drug Interactions
Other Drug Effects
Drug Classifications by Drug Enforcement
Administration Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V
17 Therapeutic Agents for
the Nervous System
Nervous System Introduction
Central Nervous System
Peripheral Nervous System
Conditions of the Nervous System and Their
Treatments
18 Therapeutic Agents for the
Endocrine System
Anatomy of the Endocrine System
Description of Hormones and Glands
Functions of the Endocrine Glands
Conditions of the Endocrine System and Their
Treatments
19 Therapeutic Agents for the
Musculoskeletal System
Anatomy and Physiology of the Skeletal System
Anatomy and Physiology of Skeletal Muscle
Common Conditions Affecting the Musculoskeletal
System
Other Select Medication Classes That Affect the
Musculoskeletal System
20 Therapeutic Agents for the
Cardiovascular System
Anatomy of the Heart and Vasculature System
Regulation of the Heart and Vasculature
Common Medication Classes Used to Treat Cardiac
Conditions
Conditions Affecting the Cardiovascular System
21 Therapeutic Agents for the
Respiratory System
Structure and Function of the Respiratory System
Disorders and Conditions of the Respiratory System
22 Therapeutic Agents for the
Gastrointestinal System
Form and Role of the Gastrointestinal System
Anatomy and Physiology of the Gastrointestinal
System
Conditions Affecting the Gastrointestinal System
23 Therapeutic Agents for the
Renal System
Anatomy and Physiology of the Renal and Urologic
Systems
Conditions Affecting the Renal and Urologic
Systems
24 Therapeutic Agents for the
Reproductive System
Female Reproductive System
Conditions Affecting the Female Reproductive
System
Male Reproductive System
Conditions Affecting the Male Reproductive
System
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Hepatitis C
25 Therapeutic Agents for the
Immune System
Anatomy and Physiology of the Immune System
Autoimmune Disorders
Transplant Rejection
Immunizations
26 Therapeutic Agents for Eyes, Ears,
Nose, and Throat
The Eyes (Ophthalmic System)
Conditions That Affect the Eye
The Ears (Auditory System)
Nose and Sinuses
The Throat
27 Therapeutic Agents for the
Dermatologic System
Anatomy and Physiology of the Dermatologic
System
Common Conditions Affecting the Dermatologic
System
28 Therapeutic Agents for the
Hematologic System
Anatomy and Physiology of the Hematologic
System
Conditions Affecting the Hematologic System
29 Over-the-Counter Medications
US Food and Drug Administration Regulations
How a Prescription Drug Becomes an Over-the-Counter
Drug
Patient Perceptions and Safety of OTC Medications and
Herbal Supplements
Common Routes of Administration for Over-the-Counter
Drugs
Considerations for Special Populations
Restricted Over-the-Counter Products
Urinary Incontinence (Overactive Bladder)
30 Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?
FDA Regulation of Dietary Supplements
Medical Food
Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

APPENDIX A Top 200 Prescription Drugs
APPENDIX B Top Herbal Remedies
Glossary
Index