THANK YOU Dora!!Re: Techs and calculations

September 4, 2006

this only proves that you guys did not clearly read what i wrote, you take

simple phases then twist them into your own words until they fit...Im not

a fool, I know techs do math, I did math on performing TPNs... at no

time did i ever say a tech did not do any calculations... maybe you should

read more carefully before passing judgement.

What I am MOST scared about is that your teacher may have instilled this idea

in you (that techs do not do calcs) . And I have to wonder why. If there is

anything I can do other or in addition to this posting to change your mind, or

that of your teachers, please just say the word.

Jeanetta Mastron <rxjm2002@...> wrote:

Dear Dora, and All,

I LOVE Dora's " Dorasims " ! That is what I have always called them. My favorite is

'it just chaps my hide'. But I got to tell ya folks this one " Absolutely floors

me " is sooooooooooooooo apropos!!!!

THANK YOU Dora! Cuz I was just having heart attack with 's statement!

While I am an educator, many people will say I teach for a living and therefore

do not know the real world. That is the biggest LOAD of Crap I would ever hear.

ALL:

TRUST me CALCULATIONS ARE a big part of teching. This is HOW teching " should " be

done! Some and many pharmacists just don't trust techs to do the calcs. And so

many do not. But equally (or more ) are the number of techs who have pharmacists

who do trust them. Also EVERY state, employer and pharmacy is DIFFERENT!!

NOTHING has changed about teching since I last teched in 1995! NOT even how

TPN's are made! With one exception! They did it by gravity and TPN pumps back

then too! ONE exception is Automated dispensing machines, used in place of

cassettes. And I learned of them and how to utilize them via my graduates. But

enev they are NOT the norm in US, not yet!

IF I hear one more non-Californian say to me that techs don't do math, I

challenge them to a tour of pharmacies across the USA!!! One can not judge the

world by their back yard!

EVERY pharmacy is different. And when a student is on externship or internship

they are not always trusted to do the same things that the paid techs are doing.

TRUE story: I personally had two internships back in l988/89. The first hospital

would not allow the techs to make IV''s . BUT when I got done with them I PROVED

to them that I and Their techs of 10 years had the intelligence and ability to

make them. What surprised me was that one of my school tech lab teachers was the

lead tech and even she was not allowed to make them. But when I left they were

training the tech staff to do IV's!!! I SHOWED them that they could trust them!

They offered me a job. I turned them down, without a job to go to in order to

work at a larger hospital. Why? Because that hospital did not use their techs to

the best of their ability and in accordance with the law. The job I eventually

accepted allowed their techs to make IV's. TPN's, transcribed written orders,

make pediatric dosage forms including the math, look for med errors: dups,

interactions, allergies etc etc. It was not until 6 yrs later that the orders

were entered by pharmacists in

the computer. Now the techs are doing it. MATH was done by techs and checked by

RPh's. STill is to this day at that hospital!

YOU CAN BET that your experience was just that " YOURS " . No one can own it

but YOU! HOWEVER it does NOT depict middle America! NOT at all!

So to all of you READING this - Calcs ARE done by techs! Whether YOU do them or

not, they ARE being done by techs. Whether RPh check them or do them first or if

they are done by a computer, they are still and always will be done by techs

'some where'; even if the pharmacy has RPh's do them or computers do them.

So , this may sound like I am coming down hard on you. But in reality I am

just as 'floored' by your statement as Dora is. And I can not allow you or

others to believe this is so, and therefore to slack off of their study and

commitment.

Medication Errors are oftentimes made because some one depended upon a computer

or someone elses computations. I OWE the American public, JOHN Q PUBLIC, it is

MY duty to PROTECT them ANY WAY I know how and CAN. And IF this means that you

have your feelings hurt by my pointint this out, that this way of thinking is

incorrect, the I do appologize to you. BUT I do not regret for one moment THIS

posting, IF it will spare another human's life.

I do hope that you will continue to post and to HELP others to study questions,

explore philosophies, work ethics, concepts and ideas. It is from postings like

yours that we learn that we do not know everything, that what we believe may not

be true, or true 100% of the time. From this we can begin to unlearn and relearn

continually.

What I am MOST scared about is that your teacher may have instilled this idea in

you (that techs do not do calcs) . And I have to wonder why. If there is

anything I can do other or in addition to this posting to change your mind, or

that of your teachers, please just say the word.

By the way I don't know it all! I learn something about pharmacy everyday. It is

the day that I stop learning or having the desire to learn more that I should

hang up my hat and call it a day.

I do not know what AART or RAD is. But IF you leave pharmacy, I wish you well.

But if you stay , I hope that you will stay here on this site and continue to

learn and teach me too! Because you just did. You taught me there is a

'misconception about tech duties and responsibilities' and that I MUST do all

that I can to change and to protect the public, by changing that misconception

if others on my site believe the same.

Now regarding taking the PTCB. AT this time there is NO maximum number of times

one can take the exam as far as PTCB is concerned. HOWEVER in the state of

Texas, while one is in an on the job training program approved by the state one

may take the exam only three times. I believe that one must be able to pass

within 1 year of the date of hire (or with in 3 test dates). Please check with

your state board of pharmacy. IF there is any one out there that knows the Texas

law with regards to this PLEASE post here.

Thank you DAVID for your brave posting of what you think is true and for

accepting this very hard-ass honest response in the positive spirit of which it

is given. The spirit of hope!. Hope to change your concept of techs across the

USA.

Most Respectfully,

And in hopes that you will begin to understand that your statement is

incorrect nationally and globally.

Best Wishes,

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Pharmacy Tech Educator

Founder/Owner of this site

doracpht <doracpht@...> wrote: -

Your statement, " Its not really a techs job to do the calculations... "

absolutely floors me!

All of the techs I know--both retail and institutional-- regularly

perform calculation throughout their work day.

True, a pharmacist is responsible for the final checks, but its

frequently up to the tech to correctly get the product to the final

checking stage. The tech must be able to do the math!

I spend much of my day performing various calculations. Calculations

include but are not limited to:

*determining the medication volume needed for a given dose

*rescheduling LVP intervals when the infusion rates have changed

*mark ups and discounts

*determining doses based patient weight(includes conversions)

*determining amount of drug needed based on final concentrations

*double checking chemo doses against orders before preparing the

product, and aleting pharmacists of variances.

Math is VERY much a part of the pharmacy tech's everyday world.

Sincerely,

Dora

>

> Its not really a techs job to do the calculations, after

> all, the pharmacist is the one that spent 6 years

> going to college, I did very little basic math for

> TPN and IV, and other stuff, it was done by the pharmacist

> and sent to the pharmacy and the order is filled by the PT,

> a pharmacy tech would not even have time to do complex

> calculations along with filling daily orders.

>

> I will look over what you have sent me. maybe I will get

> lucky and pass, maybe I wont. Is there a certain amount

> of times you can take the exam? I know with the AART (RAD)

> exam, you are limited to 3 times and thats it, your out.

>

September 4, 2006

CAN'T agree with you more! As I have written after this post on the very

subject.

Jeanetta

david scurlock <dvdscurlock@...> wrote:

this only proves that you guys did not clearly read what i wrote, you take

simple phases then twist them into your own words until they fit...Im not

a fool, I know techs do math, I did math on performing TPNs... at no

time did i ever say a tech did not do any calculations... maybe you should

read more carefully before passing judgement.

What I am MOST scared about is that your teacher may have instilled this idea

in you (that techs do not do calcs) . And I have to wonder why. If there is

anything I can do other or in addition to this posting to change your mind, or

that of your teachers, please just say the word.

Jeanetta Mastron <rxjm2002@...> wrote:

Dear Dora, and All,

I LOVE Dora's " Dorasims " ! That is what I have always called them. My favorite

is 'it just chaps my hide'. But I got to tell ya folks this one " Absolutely

floors me " is sooooooooooooooo apropos!!!!

THANK YOU Dora! Cuz I was just having heart attack with 's statement!

While I am an educator, many people will say I teach for a living and therefore

do not know the real world. That is the biggest LOAD of Crap I would ever hear.

ALL:

TRUST me CALCULATIONS ARE a big part of teching. This is HOW teching " should "

be done! Some and many pharmacists just don't trust techs to do the calcs. And

so many do not. But equally (or more ) are the number of techs who have

pharmacists who do trust them. Also EVERY state, employer and pharmacy is

DIFFERENT!!

NOTHING has changed about teching since I last teched in 1995! NOT even how

TPN's are made! With one exception! They did it by gravity and TPN pumps back

then too! ONE exception is Automated dispensing machines, used in place of

cassettes. And I learned of them and how to utilize them via my graduates. But

enev they are NOT the norm in US, not yet!

IF I hear one more non-Californian say to me that techs don't do math, I

challenge them to a tour of pharmacies across the USA!!! One can not judge the

world by their back yard!

EVERY pharmacy is different. And when a student is on externship or internship

they are not always trusted to do the same things that the paid techs are doing.

TRUE story: I personally had two internships back in l988/89. The first

hospital would not allow the techs to make IV''s . BUT when I got done with them

I PROVED to them that I and Their techs of 10 years had the intelligence and

ability to make them. What surprised me was that one of my school tech lab

teachers was the lead tech and even she was not allowed to make them. But when I

left they were training the tech staff to do IV's!!! I SHOWED them that they

could trust them! They offered me a job. I turned them down, without a job to go

to in order to work at a larger hospital. Why? Because that hospital did not use

their techs to the best of their ability and in accordance with the law. The job

I eventually accepted allowed their techs to make IV's. TPN's, transcribed

written orders, make pediatric dosage forms including the math, look for med

errors: dups, interactions, allergies etc etc. It was not until 6 yrs later that

the orders were entered by pharmacists in