Pharmaceutical Calculations 13th Ansel Pdf 70

Methods. A mathematics skills assessment was administered to 2 cohorts of pharmacy students (class of 2013 and 2014) before and after completing a pharmaceutical calculations course. The posttest was administered to the second cohort 6 months after completing the course to assess knowledge retention.

Recognizing the importance of performing pharmaceutical calculations with accuracy, the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) blueprint contains 6 competency statements that specifically address pharmaceutical calculations.4 In addition, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) includes dosage form preparation calculations in their list of curricular topics critical to the foundation and delivery of effective patient care. Moreover, they recently included performing pharmaceutical calculations accurately as a core domain competency for students beginning their introductory pharmacy practice experiences and advanced pharmacy practice experiences.5

Eight students from cohort 1 were out of phase from their classmates because of previous course failures and were not enrolled in the pharmaceutical calculations course. These students took the posttest only. The mean score on the posttest was 58.1% ± 11.7%, with a high and low score of 73% and 37.8%, respectively. The students who completed the pharmaceutical calculations course scored significantly higher on the posttest than the out-of-phase students.

Surprisingly, students in cohort 1 scored significantly lower in basic mathematics on the posttest. This is not encouraging and was not observed among cohort 2. The basic mathematics category only consisted of 2 questions. Because the focus of the course was pharmaceutical calculations, a review of basic mathematics was not provided.

Despite the expectation that students achieve 90% competency to pass the course, mean scores on the posttest were considerably lower than this. There are several possible reasons. The apothecary system of measurement was not taught in the course, and 1 question on this topic was included on the pretest and posttest. As expected, students performed poorly in this content area. The assessment was low stakes and students were not provided with an incentive for doing well, which may have impacted performance. Also, students were given the opportunity to achieve nominal bonus points in the pharmaceutical calculations course, which resulted in more students achieving 90% competency.

This study has limitations. The mathematics skills test used was not a validated assessment instrument. Several content areas only had 1-3 representative questions, which may not have provided a thorough enough assessment of student ability in that particular content area. Also, the selected content areas did not encompass the full scope of pharmaceutical calculations in practice. For example, milliosmoles were taught in the course but not assessed on the mathematics skills test. Another limitation is that not all students in each cohort completed both the pretest and posttest.

PHA 5104 Dosage Forms & Contemporary Pharmacy Practice 2 Semester Credit Hours Course Purpose: Teaching Assistants Xuan Liu liuxuan@ufl.edu Xuyang Song SongXuyanng@ufl.edu Upon completion of this course the student will understand sterile products, and their preparation. The student will also understand non-sterile products especially those prepared extemporaneously. The student will also be capable of performing pharmaceutical calculations with ease. Course Faculty and Office Hours Course Coordinator: Anthony Palmieri III, R.Ph., Ph.D. Email: palmieri@cop.ufl.edu Office P 4-31 Phone: (352) 273-7868 Office Hours By appointment Place and Time of Class Sessions Classes meet Tuesday and Thursday 9:35-10:25 in HPNP 1404 How This Course Relates to the Learning Outcomes You Will Achieve in the Pharm.D. Program: Upon completion of this course, the student will: 1. Apply relevant standards of practice (including USP guidelines, FDA regulations, and ethical guidelines) to prepare safe and effective sterile dosage forms. 1

Exams will not be strictly cumulative but it is difficult to cover material without reference to material covered earlier, even last semester. Also each regular exam will contain some questions which will cover pharmaceutical calculations which are always cumulative.

One of the most important areas of study for a pharmacy technician is pharmacy calculations. Pharmacy technicians must be capable of performing a variety of calculations to effectively contribute to the daily practice of pharmacy, including dilutions, conversions between units of measurement, and a day's supply of medications. These calculations should always be checked and/or verified by another individual. Moreover, an increasing number of State Boards of Pharmacy have recognized the integral role of pharmacy technicians and have revised practice regulations to allow an increase in their responsibilities.1 For example, pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists with the technical aspects of dispensing prescriptions, such as computer order entry and medication preparation, which requires a firm understanding of pharmaceutical calculations.1 As new opportunities for pharmacy technicians continue to emerge, post-licensure credentials, education, and training are likely to expand to ensure the competence of all pharmacy technicians and to support their continuing professional development.1,12 One specific area of study in which pharmacy technicians must remain proficient is everyday pharmacy math problems, considering an error in a dosage calculation or dilution can pose significant harm to a patient. 2b1af7f3a8