Worried about on the job memorization part

[Guest guest]

So I'm retaking pharmacology I this spring semester and then (if I financially

can) I'll be taking some externship classes at my local community college. In

this time frame I'll be trying to decide when to take my PTCE.

My question is in a retail and clinical pharmacy as a pharmacy technician

(regardless of certification), do you heavily depend on your pharmacology

knowledge of drugs? As in, are you expected to know the top 200 drugs followed

by the side effects, their purpose, their classification, how they interact with

the human body, and the method of delivery of each 200 drugs?

My pharmacology teacher (she's a registered pharmacist fresh from the pharmacy

work force) told us that yeah we would be expected to know such things COMING

from a formal education background, which is the program I'm currently in (a

pharmacy technician program accredited by the ASHP). However, she also said that

it's on-the-job experience too, and that the knowledge would come with the job

as time goes on.

I'm already having a tough time trying to remember most of the top 200 drugs. I

haven't even begun to remember the other things besides some of the common names

(brand and generic) and the classes of those drugs.

[Guest guest]

Dear fujikajitsu,

Your educator is 100% correct! But I will add whether you are formally educated

or trained on the job you MUST know Trade/generic/classification/pharmacology.

It takes a LOT more time while being trained on the job, to learn this and many

never did, but in today's world the pharmacists do not have the time to wait for

you to learn on the job like they once did. We are a fast paced fast information

society, with many, many, many more drugs now available and less full time techs

to assist per pharmacist, with pharmacists doing more and more clinical work the

tech is doing more and more dispensing work. Pharmacists rely more on techs to

do the dispensing and to KNOW more than they once did.

I have answered this question in detail so many times that in February I posted

the final answer to be placed in an FAQ file that I never created. Your question

begged me to find again it and to post it.

You fill find my complete discussion of WHY one needs to know

Trade/generics/Classifications/Pharmacology in order to be a technician at the

following location:

/files/5- Tutorial-1

%26 Study Information/S - 0 FAQ%27s/

OR you may also get to it by following this directory:

Files > 5- Tutorial-1 & Study Information > S - 0 FAQ's

Why do I have to know Trade-generics and Pharmacology .doc Perhaps you REALLY

do not know what the job duties and responsibilities of a pharm technician

really are! Before you jump into this career you MUST read this!

PLEASE read it. I have highlighted the most important reasons!

Thank you for asking this question.

If you have other questions or more questions regarding this topic after you

read my FAQ in File 5 S-0 I will be glad to help you.

Respectfully,

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Founder/Owner

>

> So I'm retaking pharmacology I this spring semester and then (if I financially

can) I'll be taking some externship classes at my local community college. In

this time frame I'll be trying to decide when to take my PTCE.

>

> My question is in a retail and clinical pharmacy as a pharmacy technician

(regardless of certification), do you heavily depend on your pharmacology

knowledge of drugs? As in, are you expected to know the top 200 drugs followed

by the side effects, their purpose, their classification, how they interact with

the human body, and the method of delivery of each 200 drugs?

>

> My pharmacology teacher (she's a registered pharmacist fresh from the pharmacy

work force) told us that yeah we would be expected to know such things COMING

from a formal education background, which is the program I'm currently in (a

pharmacy technician program accredited by the ASHP). However, she also said that

it's on-the-job experience too, and that the knowledge would come with the job

as time goes on.

>

> I'm already having a tough time trying to remember most of the top 200 drugs.

I haven't even begun to remember the other things besides some of the common

names (brand and generic) and the classes of those drugs.

>

[Guest guest]

Ah, I see. Thank you! Yeah, it only makes sense that we must know how to do some

of the things that overlap into the scope of practice of a pharmacist so that we

can free up more time for the pharmacist (while they counsel and whatnot). :< I

just needed to hear that directly from a CPht I guess. xD

But anyways, the file you uploaded is broken I think. When I click on it, it

says that " this file is not accessible " or something like that.

> >

> > So I'm retaking pharmacology I this spring semester and then (if I

financially can) I'll be taking some externship classes at my local community

college. In this time frame I'll be trying to decide when to take my PTCE.

> >

> > My question is in a retail and clinical pharmacy as a pharmacy technician

(regardless of certification), do you heavily depend on your pharmacology

knowledge of drugs? As in, are you expected to know the top 200 drugs followed

by the side effects, their purpose, their classification, how they interact with

the human body, and the method of delivery of each 200 drugs?

> >

> > My pharmacology teacher (she's a registered pharmacist fresh from the

pharmacy work force) told us that yeah we would be expected to know such things

COMING from a formal education background, which is the program I'm currently in

(a pharmacy technician program accredited by the ASHP). However, she also said

that it's on-the-job experience too, and that the knowledge would come with the

job as time goes on.

> >

> > I'm already having a tough time trying to remember most of the top 200

drugs. I haven't even begun to remember the other things besides some of the

common names (brand and generic) and the classes of those drugs.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Dear fujikajitsu,

If the link I posted does not work, then go directly to the File section located

in the yellow menu box at the left of the home page:

Then follow this directory:

Files > 5- Tutorial-1 & Study Information > S - 0 FAQ's

It just opened up for me!

Try it again,

Thanks

Jeanetta

> > >

> > > So I'm retaking pharmacology I this spring semester and then (if I

financially can) I'll be taking some externship classes at my local community

college. In this time frame I'll be trying to decide when to take my PTCE.

> > >

> > > My question is in a retail and clinical pharmacy as a pharmacy technician

(regardless of certification), do you heavily depend on your pharmacology

knowledge of drugs? As in, are you expected to know the top 200 drugs followed

by the side effects, their purpose, their classification, how they interact with

the human body, and the method of delivery of each 200 drugs?

> > >

> > > My pharmacology teacher (she's a registered pharmacist fresh from the

pharmacy work force) told us that yeah we would be expected to know such things

COMING from a formal education background, which is the program I'm currently in

(a pharmacy technician program accredited by the ASHP). However, she also said

that it's on-the-job experience too, and that the knowledge would come with the

job as time goes on.

> > >

> > > I'm already having a tough time trying to remember most of the top 200

drugs. I haven't even begun to remember the other things besides some of the

common names (brand and generic) and the classes of those drugs.

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Dear fujikajitsu,

Glad you asked. And it is good to 'go against' a teacher or to ask outside the

classroom, to find out if the teacher is correct.

Challenging a teacher was once considered disrespectful. However, no one person

can know everything. Unfortunately there are teachers who have a personality

flaw that does not allow them to admit " I am wrong " , or " I do not know " or " I

will look it up " .

I have the internet at my fingertips as I teach, along with a Tabers Medical

Dictionary and text books. There is no reason for me as a teacher to say that

what I know is the only possibly answer or the absolute answer. My students

would look it up to check in a heart beat! I tell them to challenge me all the

time just so I can stay on top of things! Information changes daily! What?

You didn't know that there are traces of water on Planet X?

So while your instructor and I share the same idea about memorization of

Trade/generics and learning of pharmacology, there may be others that do not. So

allow me to say that while I believe it to be a necessity and fact, it really is

just my/an 'opinion'....and one that others would and do dissagree with.

When it comes time, when the US government will require education for

technicians, it is more than likely we will not all agree on what should be

taught and how 'in depth' it should be taught.

You will find that I will go for as much " in depth " as possible.

Patient Saftey Comes First!

Good luck to you!

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Founder/Owner

> > >

> > > So I'm retaking pharmacology I this spring semester and then (if I

financially can) I'll be taking some externship classes at my local community

college. In this time frame I'll be trying to decide when to take my PTCE.

> > >

> > > My question is in a retail and clinical pharmacy as a pharmacy technician

(regardless of certification), do you heavily depend on your pharmacology

knowledge of drugs? As in, are you expected to know the top 200 drugs followed

by the side effects, their purpose, their classification, how they interact with

the human body, and the method of delivery of each 200 drugs?

> > >

> > > My pharmacology teacher (she's a registered pharmacist fresh from the

pharmacy work force) told us that yeah we would be expected to know such things

COMING from a formal education background, which is the program I'm currently in

(a pharmacy technician program accredited by the ASHP). However, she also said

that it's on-the-job experience too, and that the knowledge would come with the

job as time goes on.

> > >

> > > I'm already having a tough time trying to remember most of the top 200

drugs. I haven't even begun to remember the other things besides some of the

common names (brand and generic) and the classes of those drugs.

> > >

> >

>