Pharmacy Laws and Regulations in Texas: Recent Updates to the Texas Pharmacy Act and the Texas Board of Pharmacy Rules

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Texas must understand laws and regulations relating to the practice of pharmacy. This module will address recent updates to the Texas Pharmacy Act and the Texas Board of Pharmacy Rules that impact the pharmacy profession, interprofessional collaboration, and patient care.

Selecting and Compounding Medications for Ophthalmic Use

To review the components and delivery systems of sterile compounded ophthalmic medications and how to properly prepare them according to United States Pharmacopeia standards.

Module 5: Understanding Insulin Therapy for Pharmacy Technicians

To provide pharmacy technicians with knowledge of the types of insulin products available and how these products are used to manage diabetes mellitus.

Update on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and SGLT2 Inhibitors

Update pharmacy technicians on recent updates to treatment recommendations for the use of glucose lowering agents in people with type 2 diabetes.

Module 7. Exercise for Better Health: Physical Activity Recommendations in Diabetes

The goal of this CE module is to educate pharmacists on how exercise impacts diabetes control, and to familiarize themselves with different types and levels of exercise therapy that may be appropriate for patients with diabetes.

Safe and Responsible Disposal of Medication: Why it’s Important

To educate pharmacy technicians about safe and responsible disposal of medication, the laws regarding medication disposal and how they can assist patients in the pharmacy setting.

2018 Update: The Utility of Root Cause Analysis and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis in the Hospital Setting

Identifying and preventing medication errors is a significant challenge in all healthcare settings. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must understand common methodologies for detecting sources of risk in order to participate in error and risk investigations and to implement changes in pharmacy practice.

Medication Safety in Patients with Diabetes

To review updates on the medication use process and identifying vulnerabilities for unsafe practices focusing on the patient with diabetes.

Regulatory and Ethical Issues in Veterinary Pharmacy

The goal of this activity is to educate pharmacy technicians about important concepts in veterinary drug law and aspects of ethical professional behavior by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians when dispensing drugs for use in non-human species.

Managing Pain in Older Adults

This on-demand webinar is aimed to review pain assessment and pain management in the older adult population.

Update on the Drug Overdose Crisis: More Than Prescription Opioids

Module 4. To improve the pharmacist's and technician's understanding of the problem and scope of non-medical use of prescription and illicit controlled substances, and the approaches to and consequences of regulatory and public health efforts to minimize misuse.

2018-2019 Influenza Season: A Review for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

To provide information on historical and new trends in influenza immunization that impact patient care, including updated recommendations provided by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the 2018-2019 influenza season.

DEA Enforcement Actions

The goal of this on-demand webinar activity is to review recent DEA enforcement actions surrounding manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies.

HIV/AIDS: A Review for Pharmacy Technicians

The goal of this activity is to educate pharmacy technicians about HIV/AIDS, including epidemiology, modes of transmission, infection control procedures, clinical management, and Florida-specific legislation related to HIV testing requirements. This course is approved by the Florida Board of Pharmacy, provider number 50-17869.

Questions, Questions, Question: Influenza Takes the Nation by Storm

This activity aims to inform and educate pharmacy technicians about the 2017-2018 influenza season, treatment and preventative measures.

2017-2018 Influenza Season: A Review for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

This activity provides information on historical and new trends in influenza immunization that impact patient care, including updated recommendations provided by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the 2017-2018 influenza season.

Pharmacy Calculations for Pharmacy Technicians: Concentrations, Dilutions and Drug Dosing

This activity provides a review of pharmacy calculations that is aimed at increasing the technician's ability to solve math problems related to drug concentrations, dilutions, and individualized drug dosing to ensure that doses of medications are appropriate for each individual patient.

USP General Chapter <800>: A Pharmacy Professional’s Guide to Handling and Compounding Hazardous Drugs

This compounding CE activity presents information on the practice issues, standards, and regulatory framework related to the handling of and compounding hazardous drugs.

Pharmacy Calculations for Pharmacy Technicians: Units of Measurement and Methods of Calculation

This activity is designed to improve the pharmacy technician's ability to solve math problems using dimensional analysis and ratio-proportion methods of calculation, converting between units of measurement, and determining the day's supply of medications.

USP General Chapter <797>: A Guide to Sterile Compounding for Pharmacy Personnel

To present requirements for establishing and maintaining policies, facilities, and personnel needed for production of sterile compounded preparations in accordance with laws, regulations, and standards in the United States.

Keeping up with Supply and Demand: Pharmacy Inventory Management

This activity is aimed to educate pharmacy technicians about effective and efficient inventory control practices in order to limit spoilage and improve patient care.

The Expanding Role of the Pharmacy Technician-MTM and Vaccination Support

Having an increased pharmacist concentration on clinically-oriented activities is vital to improving patient care and may be key to preventing medication errors and rising health care costs. This activity reviews the expanding role of pharmacy technicians to support pharmacy's professional engagement in direct patient care initiatives such as medication therapy management and vaccine administration.

Maximizing Patient Interaction at the Pharmacy Counter: OTC Medications for Allergic Rhinitis and the Common Cold

Considering the pharmacy technician is often the first point of contact for patients who have questions about OTC drug products related to allergic rhinitis and the common cold, they are in a perfect position to collect and communicate patient-related self-care issues to pharmacists. This activity provides a review of commonly used OTC products for allergic rhinitis and the common cold.

Medication Safety: The Role of the Technician in Preventing Medication Errors

This activity reviews common medication errors in pharmacy practice and explains the role of the technician in improving patient safety. By having a greater understanding of medication safety issues that lead to mistakes, pharmacy technicians will be more prepared to identify and lessen the risk of medication errors in daily practice.

Why Do Drugs Affect People Differently? Understanding Factors That Influence Drug Responses

Pharmacy technicians should have a greater understanding of factors that affect the way a drug acts in the body, including human variability, disease states, and drug-drug interactions, seeing they are often prompted with patient safety alerts during the order entry process. This activity aims to enhance the pharmacy technician's awareness of the multiple factors that influence individual responses to medications.

Appropriate Use of Self-Monitoring Devices: The Pharmacy Technician's Role

Pharmacy technicians may help raise awareness that pharmacists are a good source of information regarding medical devices and home monitoring equipment, including thermometers, glucose meters, breathing devices, and blood pressure monitors. This activity addresses the relationship between the pathophysiology of chronic disease, the appropriate use of home health monitoring equipment, and the role of the pharmacy technician in patient management.

Knowing Where to Find Key Drug Information-Understanding Drug Resources

Responding to drug information questions accurately and efficiently is an important part of pharmacy practice, underscoring the importance of pharmacy technicians becoming more familiar with key drug references. This activity enhances the pharmacy technician's ability to locate and utilize appropriate drug information resources in pharmacy practice in order to help the pharmacist respond to questions from consumers and other health care professionals in an effective, efficient manner.

Common Childhood Illnesses: Considerations for the Pharmacy Technician

Drug dosages for children differ greatly from those for adults because of the physiological differences between the two. As a result, small miscalculations may lead to either subtherapeutic doses or significant toxicity. This activity enhances the pharmacy technician's understanding of common illnesses in pediatric patients, as well as the unique physiological characteristics of this population, in order to improve patient safety and overall quality of care.

Zika Virus and Its Effects in Pregnancy

This course is designed to educate pharmacy technicians about the effect of Zika infection during pregnancy, modes of transmission, signs and symptoms of infection, and preventive measures.

The Drug Supply Chain Security Act: Improving the Integrity of Drug Distribution—2018 Update

The goal of this activity is to provide relevant education to pharmacy technicians about the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) to improve the integrity of the drug supply distribution chain, while learning methods to identify suspect product.

Updates on Non-flu Vaccines/Delivering Series Vaccines in the Pharmacy Setting

To review updates on non-flu vaccines and delivering series vaccines in the pharmacy setting.

2017 Update: Module 1. Introduction to Medication Therapy Management (MTM)

This module provides pharmacy technicians with a basic understanding of medication therapy management (MTM) and how technicians can contribute to the process of MTM.

2017 Update: Module 2. Medication Therapy Management Procedures and Documents

This section explains MTM steps and procedures that are most relevant to pharmacy technicians, including the technician's role in generating and updating key MTM documents.

2017 Update: Module 3. Medication Reconciliation—Steps for the Pharmacy Technician

Through this module, pharmacy technicians will acquire skills needed to perform and support medication reconciliation procedures and develop a Personal Medication List (PML).

2017 Update: Module 4. How Can Technicians Help to Maximize Medication Safety?

Module 4 identifies ways in which the pharmacy technician can help reduce medication errors and maximize medication safety.

2017 Update: Module 5. Helping Patients with Drug Benefits and Coverage

Pharmacy technicians will be provided with necessary background and useful tools to assist patients in their decision-making about medication benefits and coverage.

2017 Update: Module 6. The Importance of Chronic Disease Management in MTM

This module reviews core chronic disease states targeted in MTM and explains why chronic disease management is a critical goal in MTM.

2017 Update: Module 7. Polypharmacy and MTM

A comprehensive review of polypharmacy, this module identifies for pharmacy technicians how reducing and/or managing multiple medications as a primary goal of MTM.

2017 Update: Module 8. Medication Use Among Older Adults

To participate in MTM, pharmacy technicians need to understand aspects of medication use applicable to older adults, including differing response to medications and risks of therapies.

2017 Update: Module 9. Generic Drugs and Therapeutic Equivalence

This module identifies for pharmacy technicians the principles of generic substitution and therapeutic equivalence and the role of these concepts in MTM.

2017 Update: Module 10. Controlled Substances and Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategies (REMS)

Some medications have specific restrictions due to controlled substance schedules or REMS programs. This module teaches pharmacy technicians about these programs affect the MTM process.

2017 Update: Module 11. Arranging for Reimbursement of MTM Services

This Module identifies the systems by which pharmacists can obtain reimbursement for provision of MTM services and the role of technicians in processing these documents.

Module 1: Diabetes Defined: Pathophysiology

This module provides pharmacy technicians with the foundation to understand the pathophysiology of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), focusing on Type 1 DM and Type 2 DM. Diabetes is one of the most frequently encountered chronic health conditions in the pharmacy setting.

Module 2. Identifying Oral Agents Used to Treat Diabetes

To educate pharmacy technicians about oral agents used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Module 3. Overview of Non-Insulin Injectable Glucose-Lowering Agents

The goal of this CE module is to educate pharmacy technicians on the available non-insulin injectable medications for the management of diabetes.

Module 4. Blood Glucose Monitoring

This module covers an essential piece to understanding how to achieve good diabetes control; self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG). SMBG is the basis for any diabetes program that is established in the pharmacy. Interpretation of data will be discussed as well as accuracy of meters and the proper way to use home blood glucose meters.

Module 6. Staying Alert for Insulin Safety: Promoting Safe Practices to Protect Patients

To educate pharmacy technicians about insulin safety.

Module 8. Diabetes and Nutrition 101

The goal of this CE module is to educate pharmacy technicians about what constitutes a healthy diet for patients with diabetes and how different food choices affect blood glucose control.

Module 9. The Role of the Pharmacy Technician in Medication Therapy Management Services and the Importance of the Complete Medication Review

To provide pharmacy technicians with information on how medication therapy management services can be provided at the pharmacy level and describe how technicians can be directly involved in the medication review process.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA: PHARMACOLOGIC CONSIDERATIONS AND REGULATORY UPDATE

To provide an understanding of the pharmacology, and potential clinical uses of marijuana and its constituents and to provide a basis for appreciation of the controversy and legal issues surrounding evolving state and federal programs that attempt to regulate the availability of marijuana for medical and non-medical use.

Insomnia 101: Dreaming of a Good Night’s Sleep

To review the epidemiology, pathogenesis and adverse consequences of chronic insomnia and review interventions including non-pharmacological and pharmacological used for insomnia.