Question

Katrina recently graduated from her program and has begun working in a pharmacy. She wants to become more involved in helping the pharmacist with dosing calculations and earn a promotion to lead pharmacy technician. While in her program, Katrina learned that there are different ways to perform pharmacy calculations and she chose the methods of calculation that work best for her. She is excited to show the pharmacist her work and receive feedback.

1. What have you learned about yourself that helps you understand pharmacy dosing calculations?
2. Working within a measuring system, such as the household system, came easily to Katrina, but converting between two measuring systems like household and metric was much more difficult for her to understand. Share some study tips that help you with conversions.
3. Describe a time when you had to take or give a liquid dose of medication, such as cough syrup, and how you measured out the dose.

Answer 1

From Katrina's experience, we can learn that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to performing pharmacy calculations. Some people may find it easier to work within certain measuring systems, while others may struggle with conversions between systems. It's important to identify your strengths and weaknesses and work to improve your skills in areas where you may be weaker.

Some study tips that can help with conversions include using mnemonic devices or tricks to remember conversion factors, practicing with sample problems and checking your work, and creating flashcards or cheat sheets to reference when needed. It's also helpful to understand the underlying concepts behind the conversions, such as how to convert between units of measurement or how to use dimensional analysis.

A time when someone may need to measure out a liquid dose of medication could be when giving cough syrup to a child. To measure out the dose, the caregiver should first read the label on the bottle to determine the recommended dose based on the child's age and weight. They should then use a calibrated measuring device, such as a dosing spoon or syringe, to accurately measure out the correct amount of medication. The caregiver should double-check the measurement and make sure the child takes the medication as directed. It's important to always follow the label instructions and consult with a healthcare provider if there are any questions or concerns.

Step-by-step explanation: