Assessment of Mathematical Calculation Skills Needed for Pharmacy Technicians

Chapter 1


Assessment of Mathematical Calculation Skills Needed for Pharmacy Technicians



Objectives



• Explain why proficiency in basic mathematical skills is essential for pharmacy technicians and other health occupations


• Use medical and pharmaceutical abbreviations


• Assess basic mathematical skills needed to proficiently perform calculations in a pharmaceutical setting



Key Words















Pretest


Interpret the following abbreviations.



1. #, lb _____________________


2. ↓_____________________


3. npo _____________________


4. ↑_____________________


5. gtt _____________________


6. qid _____________________


7. q4h _____________________


8. mL _____________________


9. hs _____________________


10. fl _____________________


11. tbsp, T _____________________


12. mcg _____________________


*13. U _____________________


    *These abbreviations are found on the TJC Do Not Use List and ISMP’s List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations due to medication safety issues. They should not be used. You are being tested on them here because these abbreviations may still appear in the pharmacy setting.


14. cap(s) _____________________


15. gr _____________________


16. noc _____________________


17. OTC _____________________


18. non rep _____________________


19. bid _____________________


20. qh _____________________


21. q2h _____________________


22. kg _____________________


23. IM _____________________


24. IV _____________________


25. ad lib _____________________


26. image _____________________


27. tid _____________________


*28. qod _____________________


29. rep _____________________


30. qs _____________________


31. prn _____________________


32. tab _____________________


33. ung _____________________


34. syr _____________________


35. inj _____________________


36. supp _____________________


37. elix _____________________


38. image _____________________


39. image _____________________


40. image _____________________


41. qam _____________________


42. tsp, t _____________________


43. po _____________________


44. image _____________________


45. image _____________________


46. qpm _____________________


47. stat _____________________


48. q12h _____________________


49. qd _____________________


50. image _____________________


51. TO _____________________


52. q _____________________


53. image _____________________


54. image _____________________


After completing this exercise, note the abbreviations that you missed and start learning them. You will use these daily in your duties as a pharmacy technician and you must be proficient using these abbreviations.




The Need for a Pharmacy Technician to Have Mathematical Skills


Pharmacology is the study of medications and their uses. It is a science that draws from many disciplines such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, and psychology. Medications are powerful in treating conditions and diseases when prepared and used appropriately. When a drug is not prepared accurately, it may become a potentially deadly chemical. With many conditions and prescriptions, the difference between toxic and curative may only be the careful calculation of the correct dose or dosage of the drug.


All chemicals used as medications, or drugs, are the basis of pharmacology. Different chemical preparation does not contain the same concentration of active ingredients in solid or liquid form. Rather, each drug has its own distinct concentration of active ingredient in a dose. This safe amount of medication has been tested and given acceptable limits by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is also responsible for the U.S. Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary—manuals that provide the exact ingredients found in medications and the strengths of medications that may be prescribed in the United States. Therefore each prescription has its own dose, and each time a prescription is written the dose must be calculated for that prescription on the basis of the patient’s age, medical condition, weight, and gender.


Pharmacy technicians must calculate the amount of medication necessary to provide each dose. Pharmacy technicians must also ensure that there are sufficient numbers of doses for the desired length of time as prescribed by the physician. Although math is not a basic pharmacology science, it is used daily in preparation of medications whether in an inpatient setting or an ambulatory care setting, such as a pharmacy where the prescription is prepared for the person to take at home. Math is used on a daily basis in all calculations of doses, dosages, and the administration of medications.


This mathematical responsibility that accompanies the preparation of medications is one that must be taken seriously so that dangerous drug levels are not reached. Ethically, you, as a pharmacy technician, must know your level of mathematical skills and must understand the language of the profession by using abbreviations that accompany prescriptions. You must be familiar with acceptable limits—both minimum and maximum—of medications that you are preparing to dispense. Legally, you are responsible for the medications you prepare, although a pharmacist double-checks the medications. Therefore legally, ethically, and morally, you are responsible for your actions, which are heavily dependent on mathematical skills. The course of pharmacology covers the skills required to master acceptable dosages and the expected results of the medication. This text deals with the mathematical skills necessary for the safe administration of the amount of medication prescribed for the patient. The effects of medications on the body are found in another course.


Then why is calculation so important? It does not matter if the correct medication is prescribed or ordered if calculations of medicine to be given for the weight, age, and route of administration are not correct. Calculations are the important steps that you as a pharmacy technician check and recheck for the correct dosage so that patient safety is maintained. To perform pharmaceutical calculations, you must have the math skills covered in this text.


Basic fundamental math skills are necessary in dosage calculation. Fractions, decimals, and whole numbers are used to obtain the correct amount of medication to be given. These skills are used for dosage calculation in the three measurement systems—household measures such as drops, teaspoons, and tablespoons, which are used almost daily because these measurements are easily understood in the United States; metric system measures such as grams, liters, and meters, which are used throughout the world for common measures; and the apothecary system such as grains, drams, and ounces, which has been the basis of pharmacology since Greek and Roman times but is now used less often. You must understand all systems of measurement and be able to convert among these systems to prepare prescriptions for administration.


Special mathematical conversions that are not directly related to medication dosage are also necessary. The conversion between 24-hour time and military time is a necessary skill, because military time is often used in an inpatient setting for medication administration. The standard 24-hour time is used in most ambulatory care situations, so the ability to give the correct time in either place is necessary. Conversions between Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures and the use of Arabic versus Roman numerals are also important in prescription reading. Clearly, many factors are necessary to be sure the math for pharmacology is accurate and used correctly.

< div class='tao-gold-member'>

Related posts:

  1. Business Math for Pharmacy Technicians
  2. Interpretation of Medication Labels and Orders
  3. Calculation of Mixtures from Stock Medications
  4. Review of Basic Mathematical Skills

Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Tags:
Jun 24, 2016 | Posted by in PHARMACY | Comments Off on Assessment of Mathematical Calculation Skills Needed for Pharmacy Technicians

Full access? Get Clinical Tree
Get Clinical Tree app for offline access