PHTC 103 - Pharmacy Technician II – Theory

CRN 30321, SEC 548

Term: Spring 2023

Credit Hours: 9 Units

Pre-requisite: PHTC 101

Co-requisite: PHTC 104A and PHTC 104B

 

Name of Instructor/email:

• Maggie Ching, PharmD, BCPS = mching@ccsf.edu
• Audrey Jai, PharmD = ajai@ccsf.edu
• Ronda Lowe, PharmD = rlowe@ccsf.edu

 

Instructor Office Hours: 

1. Maggie Ching = Make appointment through Canvas Inbox or by Appointments 
2. Audrey Jai = Make appointment through Canvas Inbox
3. Ronda Lowe = Make appointment through Canvas Inbox

 

Day(s), Time, and Location of Class:

• January 17, 2023 to May 24,2023
• Fully online

 

Course Description

The Pharmacy Technician Program trains students in the administrative and clinical skills necessary for entry-level employment as a pharmacy technician in an institutional, community based or hospital pharmacy.

During the program, students will gain practical experience in a retail or hospital pharmacy practice setting in the San Francisco Bay Area. Students will have the opportunity to complete their clinical experience during the course of the program under the direction of a licensed pharmacist.

Students may obtain the Certificate of Achievement in Pharmacy Technician by successfully completing the 30 units of instruction consisting of didactic and practical experience in a community or hospital pharmacy. Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible to apply for a license as a Pharmacy Technician to the California State Board of Pharmacy.

 

Required Text and Other Materials Needed

• Textbook for Maggie’s section: William A Hopkins, Complete Math Review for the Pharmacy Technician- 4th or 5th edition, ISBN 978-1-58212-197-0
• Textbook for Ronda’s section: Bruce Colbert, Ruth Woodrow, Adam James and Elizabeth Katrancha, Essentials of Pharmacology for Health Professions - 8th edition, ISBN 978-1337395892
• Textbook for Audrey's section:
  •  The Pharmacy Technician, 6th or 7th edition by APhA/Morton Publishing, ISBN 978-1-64043-138-6
  • Mosby's Pharmacy Technician Exam Review, 4th edition by James J. Mizner, ISBN: 978-0-323-49724-4 

 

Course Goals

Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to

• • Perform the administrative and clinical skills necessary for entry-level employment as a pharmacy technician in a hospital, retail pharmacy, or other institutional setting.
  • Provide professional customer service to patients and clients in a pharmacy setting.
  • Apply for a license as a Pharmacy Technician to the California State Board of Pharmacy.
  • Apply to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board National examination.

 

 

Competency Expectation

The education and training program develops the competencies that reflect current and future pharmacy technician functions and responsibilities at the entry-level and the advanced level.

The program prepares students for practice as entry-level pharmacy technicians in a variety of contemporary settings (e.g., community, hospital, home care, long-term care) and has students acquire knowledge, skills, behaviors, and abilities needed for such practice.

 

Evaluation

The assessment and grading of student performance in this course is based on the following activities:

• Weekly Quiz
• Weekly Assignment/Discussion
• Group Project
• Sectional Tests
• Midterm exam
• Final exam

Students must successfully achieve 70% or better to pass PHTC 103. 

 

Grading Scale

Students need to achieve a minimum grade of C to pass the course. Each instruction's section contributes one-third to the midterm and final grade. 

• A = 90 - 100%
• B = 80 - 89%
• C = 70 - 79%
• D = 60 - 69%
• F = below 60%

Extra credits are available throughout the course to boost final grade.

 

Maggie's Section Grading:

• There are 4 tests throughout the Spring semester. Each test contributes 20% to the overall grade in Maggie's section. 
  • No accumulative final.
  • No make-up test without approval. All make-up tests have to be completed within 1 week after approval.
• Weekly assignments, discussion and or quiz contribute 20% to the overall grade.
• Overall performance will be used to adjust borderline grade, ex. pumping up from and C- to C, or B+ to A.

 

Audrey's Section Grading:

• Exam 1                                             30% of grade
• Exam 2                                             30% of grade
• Project                                              30% of grade
• Discussions and Assignments        10% of grade

 

Course Policies

Course Communication Policy

Our class has several methods/mechanisms supporting communication.

1. Canvas Inbox(in the Global Navigation menu): preferred method of contact
   • I will make all efforts to respond to messages in Canvas and email within 24 – 48 hours. If you do not hear back within that time frame, please message again.
2. Q&A Discussion(home page): instructor and students, among students
   • Post anytime 24/7, for any course-related questions. Instructors or fellow students can help each other.
3. Office Hours/One-on-One Support:
   • Instructor Maggie= Tuesday by Appointments
     • 30 minute each between 8am and 4:30pm on Tuesday
     • Instructor Maggie will respond to Canvas Inbox message, actively read and respond to your posts in the Q&A discussions each week except Saturday and Sunday.
   • Instructor Audrey
     • Make appointment with Audrey via Canvas Inbox
   • Instructor Ronda
     • Make appointment with Ronda via Canvas Inbox

 

 Instructor's Role in Discussion/Assignment

1. Instructors will post to individual student's response to provide feedback and chime into the discussion thread. 
2. Instructors will provide feedback by including comments while grading each assignment.

 

 Drop Policy

As an online class, attendance is reflected by participation. Simply logging in to the course without engagement does not count as attendance or participation. In order to maintain active status and avoid being dropped, students will need to

1. Actively engage in the first week of class and successfully complete Module 1 assignment, discussion and as well as passing Quiz 1 with 70% or better by the scheduled due dates.
2. Successfully complete and submit all work every week except in emergencies where instructor determines reasonable accommodation can be made.

 

Late Work Policy

Compared to the traditional face-to-face courses, online courses require similar or even more time in order to succeed. It is highly recommended to block out a regular time in your schedule each week for this course. Get into a routine by dedicating appropriate amount of time (ex. at least 10 hours for a 3-unit class) to complete all required work by the deadlines.

There are two standard due dates during the week.

1. Initial assignments such as reading the material and initial forum posts are due as early as possible in the week, no later than Wednesday at 11:59 pm.
2. Secondary assignments (ex. forum replies) and major assignments are due at the close of the week, before 11:59pm on Sunday.

For assignments, students will need to communicate to instructor in advance if you have problems meeting the deadline by submitting a written request for extension. Please include a plan for completing your work and requested due date for up to 50% of credit. No late work will be accepted for discussion. No make-up for quiz or exam, except for emergencies (ex. unforeseen physical or medical events), where instructor determines reasonable accommodation will be appropriate.

 

Important Dates

• Day Class Begins: January 17, 2023
• Day Class Ends:May 24, 2023
• Check CCSF website for important deadlines:
  • Last Day to Enroll
  • Last Day to Drop with refund
  • Last Day to Drop without a 'W'
  • Last Day to Drop with a W or apply for leave of absence
  • Last Day to Select for Pass/No Pass

 

Respect and Collegiality

Please extend collegial respect to all participants--including instructors! We know you are juggling work and family on top of this professional development, so we want to be as supportive as possible. At the same time, we're juggling our teaching loads, work/life balance, and this course as well, and late work adds to the workload, while possibly detracting from your learning. So please try to stay ahead of the due dates. 

 

Spring 2023 Schedule 

Module #	Week #	Ronda’s Section	Maggie’s Section	Audrey’s      Section
1	1/17/2022 to 1/22/2022	Antihistamines, Respiratory System Drugs	Introduction to Sterile Parenteral Preparation, Infection Control Standards, USP 797	Hospital Pharmacy versus Retail Pharmacy, Discuss OTC project
2	1/23/2022 to 1/29/2022	Diuretics	Aseptic Techniques & Handling (Safe Injectable Med Preparation), Waste Disposal	Automated Dispensing Cabinets, Floor Stock, Inventory Control
3	1/30/2022 to 2/5/2022	Quiz # 1 Autonomic System	Documentation (Batch preparation, compounding record) & Determining Product Stability (BUD, Signs of Incompatibility)	Unit Dose, Automated Packaging Machines, Manual Packaging, Filling cassettes, Presentation Preparation
4	2/6/2022 to 2/12/2022	Anti-Hypertensives	Test I	Hospital Medication Orders, Medication Administration Records, Physician Orders, Military Time, Medication List and History, Medication Reconciliation, Presentation Preparation
5	2/13/2022 to 2/19/2022	Cardiovascular	Pharmacology of Antimicrobials with Focus on Calculation and Compounding, Part I	Emergency Medications and Codes
6	2/20/2022 to 2/26/2022	Quiz #2	Pharmacology of Antimicrobials with Focus on Calculation and Compounding, Part II	Formularies, Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee, Therapeutic Interchanges, Drug Review Recommendations, Medications Therapy Management
7	2/27/2022 to 3/5/2022	Dermatology	IVPB & Drip Rate Calculation (Chapter 7) & Electrolyte Solution (Chapter 10)	Exam 1
8	3/6/2022 to 3/12/2022	Parkinson's, Alzheimer, Dementia	Flex Day (NO Office Hours) Review for Test II	PTCE Review Practice #2
9	3/13/2022 to 3/19/2022	Psychotropics	Test II	Dietary Supplements, Drugs Used During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
10	3/20/2022 to 3/26/2022	Anticonvulsants	USP 800, Hazardous Meds in the Healthcare Setting, Handling and Disposal	Other Types of Pharmacy Environments
	3/27/2022 to 4/2/2022	SPRING BREAK (NO CLASS)
11	4/3/2022 to 4/9/2022	Quiz #3 Analgesics	Pharmacology of Antineoplastic with focus on Calculation (QS rules), Part I	Factors Affecting Drug Activity
12	4/10/2022 to 4/16/2022	Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs	Pharmacology of Antineoplastic with focus on Calculation (QS rules), Part II	Long Term Care
13	4/17/2022 to 4/23/2022	Eyes, Ears, and Misc Agents	Test III	E-Cigarettes and Vaping
14	4/24/2022 to 4/30/2022	GI	Pharmacy Technicians' Roles in Medication Safety	Marijuana, CBD, THC
15	5/1/2022 to 5/7/2022	Reproduction Medications	Total Parenteral Nutrition	Exam 2
16	5/8/2022 to 5/14/2022	Quiz # 4 Endocrine System Medications	Pharmacology of Analgesics, Scheduled Drugs & Patient Controlled Analgesics (PCA)	Practice PTCE # 3
17	5/15/2022 to 5/21/2022	Pharmacology Review	Test IV	PTCE Practice #3 Review, Discuss next steps to take after course is completed
18	5/22/2022 to 5/24/2022	CA Pharmacy Technician License, PTCB Certification CCSF Certificate	Spring 2023 Recap and Feedback from Students	TBA