Overview
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In this foundational Pharmacy Technician Career Training Specialization, students will take four courses to master the fundamentals of a career in pharmacy. The first two courses teach how to communicate and engage professionally in any healthcare setting and the necessary knowledge of human anatomy and physiology required for any medical role. Next, students dive into two pharmacy-related courses - Pharmacy Technician Essentials and Pharmacy Dosages & Prescriptions Essentials - to round out their entry-level pharmacy education.
IMPORTANT: This specialization is not designed to prepare students for national certification. Enrollees will gain the foundational/fundamental knowledge on subject matter relevant to the profession. However, to gain industry certification, a more comprehensive program must be completed through enrollment via approved/eligible schools such as MedCerts.
Syllabus
- Course 1: Professionalism in Allied Health
- Course 2: Medical Terminology and the Human Body Fundamentals
- Course 3: Pharmacy Technician Essentials
- Course 4: Pharmacy Dosages and Prescriptions Essentials
Courses
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This course will benefit anyone considering a career in allied health, as well as those already working the field. Allied Health Professionals must be committed to the key attributes of professionalism and strive to reflect this within the delivery of patient-centered, safe, and effective care. “Professionalism” is a broad term which reflects many different skills and abilities. For an individual to exhibit professionalism, they must be armed with specific skills and abilities that do not always show up within certification requirements, or even within career training curriculum. Soft skills are hard to measure and are typically less well-defined than hard skills. However, soft skills are what set many job candidates apart. Professionalism is not just what one knows. It is how one does their job, how one behaves, and how one comes across as they interact with others. The purpose of this course is to support students with soft skills training that will provide the tools needed to demonstrate a higher level of professionalism on the job. Key components of the course focus on patient interaction, proper office behavior, medical ethics, diversity and cultural bias, emotional strength, professional appearance, and communication. The course maintains a focus on the key attributes that are true markers of professionalism. This course was created with input from healthcare professionals working in the field, healthcare employers that hire our graduates, professional educators, and even former MedCerts students. The end-result is a collection of modules that touch on the soft skills that are truly important in the real world of allied healthcare. In this course, students are engaged through scenario-based learning that allows for real interaction with virtual coworkers and patients. Additionally, game-based activities keep students engaged and entertained throughout their learning journey.
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In this Introduction to Medical Terminology and the Human Body course, you will learn about the medical language that is used to describe the human body. Throughout each Lesson, the roots of terms are explained to help students understand how medical terminology works in healthcare and to increase their knowledge and understanding of the material discussed. This course will provide you with a better understanding and working knowledge of medicine that is required for understanding of medical records used for multiple purposes and job duties in the medical field. Lessons include: Introduction to Medical Terminology, Introduction to Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, Cells – The Foundation of Life, and The Human Body.
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In the Pharmacy Dosages and Prescriptions Essentials course, students will learn the language of medicine, using pharmacy nomenclature and the skills necessary to measure different types of prescriptions through four lessons. This includes understanding the dosage calculation methods, mathematical conversions, and formulas most commonly used within the pharmacy. Students will also learn how to prepare and measure tablet and capsule medications, liquid prescriptions, and other considerations, including parenteral and enteral, and insulin and syringes. It is essential to understand the patient and medication safety practices necessary for the role, such as handling and disposing of hazardous material. Additionally, this course provides insight into the various roles a pharmacy technician is expected to perform, how to properly handle these tasks, and a variety of other real-world scenarios a pharmacy technician will encounter in the pharmacy. After completion of this course, students will have a solid base knowledge of prescriptions, dosages, calculations, and the overall tasks of the role. Course objectives include: - Verify medication orders, calculate and measure dosage, and prepare and package medications - Apply knowledge of pharmacology, documentation, and inventory management in the pharmacy - Practice basic calculation methods related to pharmacy, including fractions, decimals, percentages, the metric system, ratios, and proportions
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The Pharmacy Technician Essentials course provides an in-depth look at what a career in a pharmacy will look like. Through several lessons, students learn the ins and outs of a pharmacy setting and the meaning of the terminology used daily within a pharmacy environment. This course also provides a deep dive into the purpose of the top 200 most commonly prescribed medications and drug routes and formulations. Students will be able to demonstrate correct processing of medication orders, preparation, storage, and distribution of medications, by the end of the course. On top of knowing the medications being prescribed, students must also learn how to use pharmacy equipment, including management software and reading of prescriptions. At the completion of this course, students should have a solid understanding of what their day-to-day tasks will be within a pharmacy environment and how to use the necessary tools to excel in their new career. Course objectives include: - Identify the primary functions of different pharmacy organizations - Discuss the different roles of the pharmacy technician - Describe the common drugs and their uses, drug routes and formulations, and factor affecting drug activity - Understand pharmacy management software, as well as reading and interpreting prescriptions
Taught by
Dr. Sherrie B. Moore and Jennifer Zabel