Typical Training Curriculum

Typical Training Curriculum...


The need for trained medical assistants remains at an all-time high! At any given moment thousands of job offers for medical assistants and other healthcare professionals open and close! Most require knowledge of certain medical office procedures and basic principles of pharmacology.

Typical Training Curriculum

Within a typical pharmacology course for the medical assistant the student will acquire an understanding of basic pharmacology. Instruction will include the uses, sources, forms, and delivery routes of drugs. Knowledge will be gained in the area of drug classifications and actions, along with the legal implementation regarding controlled substances and other medications.

Current technology will be utilized to master course standards and classes are taught either in a typical classroom, the clinical lab, or the computer lab. Students are expected to be active and attentive participants in the classroom and demonstrate team membership skills, such as cooperation and leadership in all areas of their education.

Consider the following:

The main differences between Roman and Arabic numerals are that Roman numerals lack a symbol for zero, and that numeral placement within a number can sometimes indicate subtraction rather than addition.

Below is an example of a typical course and course goals!

Introduction Objectives

Students will:

Define drugs and discuss their origin and use

Compare the three types of drug names

List four sources of drugs and give examples

List the forms in which drugs are prepared, give examples and discuss the route of administration of each

Drug References

Students will understand the history and source of drugs

Students will use the PDR and other reference sources

Drug References Objectives

Students will:

Discuss the types of drug reference books.

Examine and discuss the sections in a PDR

Describe the format of the PDR's product information section

Demonstrate the procedure for using a PDR

Agencies and Safety Guidelines

Students will identify the legal and ethical implication of medication administration

Agencies and Safety Guidelines Objectives

Students will:

Discuss the role of the FDA

Describe the drug approval process

Explain the “New Drug” list

Discuss the function of the Drug Enforcement Administration

Discuss the purpose of the Controlled Substance Act

Define controlled substance, list the five categories, and give examples of each

Summarize the proper method for storing and dispensing a controlled substance

Discuss the documentation associated with controlled substances

Examine the legal considerations associated with controlled substances and prescription pads

Identify the professions that can legally prescribe medication

Medication Orders and Prescriptions

Students will interpret and document medication orders, including the parts of a prescription

Medication Orders and Prescriptions

Students will:

Define pharmacology terminology

Identify the information found on a prescription form

Define prescription abbreviation terms

Correctly interpret medication orders

Demonstrate the proper technique to document verbal medication orders

Demonstrate the proper procedure for phoning in prescription orders.

Drug Classification and Actions

Students will identify classification of drugs, factors that affect drug action and the undesirable actions of given drugs

Drug Classification and Actions Objectives

Students will:

Summarize how drugs are classified

Determine the classification of specific drugs using reference books

Explain the therapeutic action of specific classifications of drugs

Compare the therapeutic action and side effects of specific drugs

Identify common contraindications

Discuss precautions and adverse reaction of specific drugs

Identify the classification, action, and side effects of OTC drugs

Discuss alternative medication and their action

Describe drug interactions and their consequences

Pharmacology Measurement

Students will understand both the apothecary and metric systems of measurement by the calculation of drug doses requiring the use of decimals, fractions, ratios and proportions

Pharmacology Measurement Objectives

Students will:

Compare the two systems of measure commonly used in pharmacology

Identify metric units of measure

Correctly read and write metric abbreviations

Identify apothecary units of measure

Correctly read and write apothecary abbreviations

Convert quantities between the systems of measure

Discuss standardized units of measure and give examples of when these are used

Demonstrate the ability to use decimals, fractions, ratios and proportions.

Demonstrate the ability to solve for x

Dosage Calculations

Students will calculate drug dosages for both adults and children

Dosage Calculations Objectives

Students will:

List the steps to follow when calculating drug doses

Correctly read and interpret medication labels

Compare medication label information to medication order

Correctly convert to the same units of measure

State the proportion method and the formula method for calculating drug doses

Correctly calculate drug doses using the proportion method and the formula method

Discuss the methods for calculating pediatric drug doses

Technology

Students will apply knowledge of computers and their use within the health care system

Technology Objectives

Students will:

Integrate the use of software, hardware, and the Internet to practice and master standards identified in the course

Utilize the Internet as a resource/research tool

Student Organizations Objectives

Students will be encouraged to:

Join career and technical student organizations

Take part in local, state, and national health care and education projects