Library Research Assignment
Victoria Taylor
Lambton College
October 6th, 2018
Abstract
When reading this Research Essay, new hard copy and online research resources will be presented, which can be put to use in the Pharmacy Technician Program and in future pharmaceutical practice. Using the Lambton College website I had access to their online database which has thousands of online and hard copy resources associated with each program. Throughout this research assignment I discovered five websites and three books that can be used to further my study experience. Every book and website has its own benefit to each of my courses. These resources will also be beneficial in the near future when pursuing a career in Pharmacy. The findings of this research have the ability to make me a knowledgeable student, as well as a competent first time Pharmacy Technician. Each resource has the ability to further my knowledge as a student, and give me resources to relay to during assignments and possible in lab experiences. In the field many of these websites can be beneficial for legislature, as well as policies regarding practice. Overall the resources cited can help you follow through with your profession and help make your Pharmacy Technician experience a rewarding one.
Throughout the duration of time spent in the Pharmacy Technician program we will come across many moments where research will become extremely handy. Assignments like these will cross our paths, as will moments where we could just use a little bit more knowledge to help us understand a concept more thoroughly. The following online and hard copy resources, being explored in this essay, will help you not only during the Pharmacy Technician program, but also in the field later down the road. Online sources that are available to you by a click of a button and hard copies which you can keep on hand for times in which you need them most.
RxTx is an online database for drug and therapeutic information. It can be found as an app or a URL. This database has an abundance of information including advisories, conditions (minor ailments & therapeutic choices), acronyms, manufacturers and a calculator which can be used to calculate Body Surface Area and the Crockfort-Gault equation. There are many different ways we could incorporate this source into our learning experience, such as researching different drug names to get a better understanding of what each individual drug does. Another use for this resource could be to find information about any new released medications and we could also use the product identification tool for important drug information. Throughout the website some examples of information that can be found are “Allernix and Allernix Extra Strength was discontinued on Oct 2nd, 2018” and “Dimenhydrinate, 50mg in tablet form has various manufacturers”. This information may not only be helpful in this program but it could also be beneficial to those in practice as a Pharmacy Technician. The app is useful for information that you may need at the last minute. On the website you have access to new items released, helpful advisories, and items that have shortages. You can also find information on discontinued products as well as information on public drug programs depending on the province.
Science Direct College Edition is a website that provides full text of thousands of journals for many different subjects, dating back to as far as 1995. This website is used to make finding reliable research information easy, while helping researchers find what they need in an efficient and timely manner. This site consists of articles, patents, data, reviews, etc. You have access to 37,000 books and 3,800 journals which can specifically be used for research projects in this program. Some examples of articles found on the site are “Capillary collapse-resistant micro-porous material” (2001) and “The use of social media in pharmacy practice education” (2015). During practice it is important to be up to date on both new and old information regarding your field, using this resource you can obtain knowledge back to 1995, and into 2019. It is important to know about all important events; past, present, and future.
The Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP) website is used to regulate all pharmacies and professionals in Ontario. The Ontario College of Pharmacists goal is to provide safe and quality care to patients around the province. This site is accessible not only to pharmacy professionals, but also to the public. You have access to useful things like up to date information on recalls, discipline processes, federal and provincial acts and regulations, codes of conduct, and a library consisting of news, videos, and useful links. Some examples of information found are Standards of Operations with a most recent September 2018 link. You can also find information about opening and operating a pharmacy, which gives you a breakdown of the fees in which you would be responsible to pay.
In my time spent in the Pharmacy Technician program I will use the OCP website to study, as it is a good source of information for classes like Pharmacy Fundamentals. The online e-learning modules are filled with information that can help me succeed in the class. In the “Continuing Education” section there is access to a number of tools to assist Pharmacy Technicians. These tools consist of rules for proper communication, information about live events and conferences, and many online learning modules to help further your knowledge. You also have access to fees and timelines for Pharmacy Technician applicants for when it comes time to write your exams. It is also crucial to keep up with information when you are done college and in practice. This site gives access to changes on policies and legislature. You also have the ability to look up different pharmacies, their staff, Pharmacists and their certifications.
The NAPRA (National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities) website is used to provide a platform for its members to discuss issues and approaches in the practice of Pharmaceuticals in Canada. Their goal is to provide leadership that enhances patient care and public protection. This site is accessible to the public and pharmacy professionals. You have access to National Drug Schedules, Practice and Regulatory Standards, Programs and Services, as well as News and Notices. Some examples of information found are Practice Standards for a Pharmacy Technician, and National Statistics. There are 8,185 licensed Pharmacy Technicians and 41,661 licensed Pharmacists in Canada. During the Pharmacy Technician program NAPRA can be used for statistics that could be applied in Pharmacy Fundamentals, and the national drug schedule as a study tool for drug names and which schedules they are on. When you are out in practice this website could be used to keep up to date on Practice and Regulatory Standards, along with news and notices.
ProQuest is a library resource centre research database to find information about many fields of study and many different topics. In the depths of this site you can find scholarly journals, audio, videos, theses, magazines, books and reports dated back to 1857. You are able to do basic searches which consist of only key terms, or you can do an advanced search where they ask about age group, source types, document types, and the language in the article. This could be beneficial during our program for a research project when you need to find a certain article or if you’ve forgotten a link for a citation during a project. Some examples of information found on this website are articles such as “Impact of radiation- induced nausea and vomiting on quality of life” and “Intravenous lipid emulsions and liver function in adult chronic intestinal failure patients; results from a randomized clinical trial”. During practice this site can be used to have up to date pharmacy information. There are also blogs and journals which give insight about health care and drug benefits so you can keep up with information changing within the field. You could also use the blog and journal section to be aware of any back lash going on in the pharmacy field and how it could affect your time in practice.
Herbal Medicine is a textbook that was published in 2013, it is used to give knowledge about herbal medicine which can sometimes be used as an alternative to popular medicine. In this book you can find information on the 180 most common herbal/alternative medicines that are arranged alphabetically by herb or plant, along with side effects, toxicity, contradictions, and warnings. In the Pharmacy Technician program it may be beneficial to have some knowledge of herbal medicine because medicinal plants are important sources for pharmaceutical manufacturing. It would also be extremely important to understand the potential dangers of herbal medicine. Herbal supplements shouldn’t be used with drugs to treat depression, anti-seizure drugs, blood thinners, high blood pressure medication, or drugs to treat diabetes. They also shouldn’t be taken if you have a variety of certain conditions. You always have to remember that the health of the patient is most important. The more information you know about the patient and methods of medicating the better, both for your career and the patients well being.
Applied Pharmaceutics in Contemporary Compounding published in 2001 is a textbook designed to help understand the principles/practices in development and production of compounding dosage forms. Throughout the chapters of this book you will find information like Flavouring, Sweetening and Colouring Oral Preparations, Medicated Powder Preparation and Devices, Equipment, and Techniques along with other examples like Dermatological Preparation of Ointments and Pastes, and Modified Release Drug Delivery Systems. The information throughout these chapters can be used for our second semester compounding class and help us to understand proper development and production of compounding dosage forms. During practice compounding is extremely important, there are patients that don’t respond to traditional forms of medication and need an alternative dosage form. Compounding can customize a solution for this patients individual needs. Compounding can also be important when a medication is discontinued, you can recreate pharmaceutical based ingredients to make sure each patient gets the care they require to stay healthy. Compounding can be beneficial to many and can offer treatment that sometimes traditional cannot.
Pharmacology for Canadian Pharmacy Technicians published in 2016 is used to give a better understanding of concepts of anatomy, physiology and pathology to help make drug therapy better understood. In this book you will find principles of pharmacology, drugs for many different conditions and the way drugs work within each body system. Throughout my time in the Pharmacy Technician program I would use this textbook to understand patient scenarios and how to properly handle certain situations, basic anatomy and physiology refreshers, and detailed study of certain drugs with pill photo’s. This textbook doesn’t assume that you have all the prior knowledge for natural and applied science, all prerequisites in science are covered in each chapter so you can learn material as you proceed. During your time in practice you could refer back to this textbook for refreshers on how to properly handle different situations with a customer, you can also just get basic anatomy and physiology refreshers when you feel like they could be beneficial to you and your practice.
Overall, there are many additional resources that can be used to further educate Pharmacy Technician students whilst being an excellent reference tool for those already in practice. Many of these resources are used to help students study for important tests, while also learning how they would be expected to greet a customer in the future. Each website is a building block created to help you learn important knowledge and skills now, so you have the ability to utilize them later.
References
RxTx. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from https://www-myrxtx-ca.eztest.ocls.ca/search
Science Direct College Edition. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from https://www-sciencedirect-com.eztest.ocls.ca/search/advanced
Ontario College of Pharmacists. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from http://www.ocpinfo.com/
Home | NAPRA. Retrieved October 6, 2018, from https://napra.ca/
ProQuest | Databases, EBooks and Technology for Research. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2018, from https://www.proquest.com/
Veitch, N. C. (2012). Herbal Medicines. S.l.: Pharmaceutical Press.
Shrewsbury, R. P. (2015). Applied Pharmaceutics in Contemporary Compounding. Englewood, CO: Morton Publishing.
Holland, L. N., Adams, M., Brice, J., & LeBlanc, H. V. (2017). Pharmacology for Canadian Pharmacy Technicians. Toronto: Pearson.