Learn Practical Skills At Home

Your comprehensive lessons are clear and well-organized; easy to follow, yet challenging and engaging at the same time. Each lesson begins with an introductory note from your instructor, plus a preview outlining the subject matter and study objectives.

Next comes the reading assignment from your beautifully illustrated textbook, lesson book or supplemental references. Practice exercises help you check and review the key concepts you've learned. Then, turn in your open-book exam (available online) for the lesson, whenever YOU are ready.

Enroll online or call 1-800-535-1613 to speak with an Admission Advisor!

Meet Your Instructor

Tina Boyd Stacy is the chief instructor of The Professional Pharmacy Assistant Program. She is a Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist with many years of experience in the clinical and educational side of the profession.

We will make sure you progress smoothly through your studies. If you need help or have questions along the way, just write, call fax, or E-mail us 24 hours a day. Our staff of courteous, knowledgeable career tutors will give you prompt, personal guidance.

What You’ll Learn Lesson By Lesson in this Course

Lesson l: THE PHARMACY ASSISTANT'S ROLE. The distinct duties and responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants; types of pharmacies; work environments; legal and ethical issues.

Lesson 2: PHARMACY TERMINOLOGY. Common Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes used in medicine and pharmacy; abbreviations and symbols for weights and measures.

Lesson 3: DRUGS, DOSAGE FORMS, AND DELIVERY SYSTEMS. NDC numbers; therapeutic, pharmacodynamic, diagnostic, prophylactic, and destructive uses of drugs; the major dosage forms; drug delivery systems.

Lesson 4: DRUG ADMINISTRATION. The 14 routes of drug administration; key pharmacological and pharmaceutical reference materials; keeping informed. Supplement: TIME MANAGEMENT GUIDE. How to study more effectively and increase your productivity.

Lesson 5: PHARMACEUTICAL MEASUREMENTS. Measuring techniques; calculating dosages, compounds, IV rate, and administrations; preparing and measuring infusions and solutions; metric conversions; using fractions, proportions, ratios, and percentages.

Lesson 6: DISPENSING, BILLING, AND MANAGING INVENTORY. Procedures for dispensing OTC drugs and prescriptions; prescription elements; the label; the patient profile; alternatives to third-party administration; purchasing; receiving.

Lesson 7: COMPOUNDING DRUGS; HUMAN RELATIONS SKILLS. Weighing, measuring, reducing, compounding, and blending ingredients for ointments, creams, powders, suppositories, and capsules; developing customer service skills in a retail operation.

Lesson 8: HOSPITAL AND INSTITUTIONAL PHARMACY PRACTICE. The hospital formulary; sterilization and aseptic technique; preparing parenterals; handling hazardous agents; understanding unit-dose, floor stock, and repackaging systems.

Lesson 9: THE SCIENCE OF PHARMACOLOGY. Key medical terms; drug marketing; pharmokinetics; patient rights; drug interaction; body and age factors affecting the metabolism and effectiveness of drugs.

Lesson 10: ANTIBIOTICS. The major types of antibiotics; therapeutic and side effects; administration routes; using proper antibiotic and drug terminology.

Lesson 11: ANTIVIRALS, ANTIFUNGALS, ANTIHISTAMINES, ANTITUSSIVES, AND DECONGESTANTS. Indications, side effects, dosages, and administration of antivirals, antifungals, antihistamines, decongestants, antitussives, and expectorants.

Lesson 12: ANESTHETICS, ANALGESICS, AND NARCOTICS. Functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems and how they relate to drugs; how drugs affect body systems; general and local anesthesia; narcotic and non-narcotic analgesia; agents for migraine headaches.

Supplement: YOUR FUTURE IN PHARMACY. Improving your career skills; certification; ten steps for organizing your search; the interview; trends in pharmacy today.

Lesson 13: DRUGS FOR CNS DISORDERS. Uses and side affects of antidepressants, antipsychotics, antianxiety agents, and anticonvulsants; treating panic disorders, insomnia, alcoholism, seizures, and epilepsy; drugs prescribed for treating ParkinsonÕs Disease; ALS, ADD, AlzheimerÕs, and multiple sclerosis.

Lesson 14: RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGS. Understanding and treating asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, respiratory distress syndrome, and tuberculosis; arrhythmia; congestive heart failure; angina; hypertension; drugs for heart disease and strokes; anticoagulants; antiplatelets.

Lesson 15: GASTROINTESTINAL AND URINARY SYSTEM DRUGS. Gastrointestinal physiology; the chemotrigger zone and its role in nausea; laxatives; antidiarrheals; antiflatulants; calculating ideal body weight; the renal system; urinary tract infections; diuretics.

Lesson 16: MUSCLE RELAXANTS, ANALGESICS, AND HORMONES. How muscle relaxants and non-narcotic analgesics work; agents for treating rheumatoid arthritis and gout; adrenal sex hormones; male dysfunction; estrogen replacement therapy; oral contraceptives; STDs; corticosteroids; caring for patients with diabetes.

Lesson 17: TOPICALS, OPHTHALMICS, AND OTICS. Skin physiology; antiseptics and disinfectants; parasites; topical drugs and the conditions they treat; indications for using ophthalmic and otic agents.

Lesson 18: RECOMBINANT DRUGS, CHEMOTHERAPY, AND MORE. Recombinant DNA medications; colony-stimulating factors; the immune system; neoplastic diseases and drug treatments; ingredients, stability, and complications associated with parenteral nutrition; electrolyte levels; herbs; emergencies.

Lesson 19: PHARMACY MATH, PART I. The Roman and Arabic measurement systems; using fractions and decimals to calculate dosages; ratios and percentages in dosage equations; applying metric measurements in ratios and proportions; converting household and metric measurements.

Lesson 20: PHARMACY MATH, PART II. How to convert measurements between the metric and apothecary system; measuring fluids; converting between the Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature systems; preparing solutions; determining intravenous flow rates; essential business math concepts. Supplement:

CAREER SEARCH GUIDE. Finding desirable pharmacy assistant career options; tips on preparing for and doing your best at the interview.