Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Do you know what it takes to become a pharmaceutical tech?

Also known by other names like pharmaceutical technicians, pharmacy Tech, pharmacy technicians are the trained professionals who assist licensed pharmacists provide medicines and other health care products to patients.
They presence in hospitals, clinics, grocery stores, health insurance companies, and retail pharmacies and drugstores ensures the smooth functioning of drug distribution activities in the related place.
  • Duties & responsibilities: Duties of pharmaceutical technicians vary according to the type of the work location such as hospital, retail environment, or nursing home medical store. Some state rules and regulations also govern what pharmacy techs can do. In a retail environment, Pharma techs receive prescription slips from doctor’s office, customers, and check them for accuracy. According to the information written on prescription order, they prepare the orders by measuring medication quantities, mixing liquid medications, counting out pills, packaging and labeling of medicines etc. It is the duty of the technician to re-check the order according to the prescription. Once the prescription order is fulfilled, they make calculations for price and file the prescription.
    These professionals also responsible for behind-the-scenes tasks such as ordering inventory, handling insurance claims, maintaining patient records, and keeping the shelves of the store stocked.
How to become a pharmaceutical tech:


If you are wondering how to become a pharmaceutical tech, pharmacy technician training program can help you step-in this competitive industry that is challenging, stimulating, and important to society.
  • Pharma TechTraining: Degrees and Coursework: Once you decide to pursue a career as a pharmaceutical aide, you can join training programs offered by: community colleges, hospital, the military and vocational schools. Most technicians learn the skills to perform duties through on-the-job training. Another widely accepted and flexible option of completing the course is an online training program which allows students to attend online lectures as per their schedules and easiness.
  • The coursework of the training program: is wide-ranging, including science, math, medicine, communications, law and administration. Some of the most common subjects in the coursework include: Pharmacy calculations, Handling controlled substances, Medical and pharmaceutical terminology, Pharmacy law and ethics, Recordkeeping, Communication, Insurance and inventory procedures and others.
During the pharmacy technician training, a student will learn about:
  • Law and Ethics
  • Pharmacology
  • Systems/Anatomy
  • Medical/Pharmacological Terminology
  • Pharmacy Technology
  • Receiving and Interpreting Medication Orders
  • Pharmaceutical Calculations
  • Filling and Distributing Medication Orders
  • Inventory, Purchasing and Reimbursement Packaging
  • Over the Counter Medications
  • Aseptic IV preparation
  • Prescription study skills
  • Professionalism and the Workplace, and others.
Essential Skills: Being a pharma aide requires the strong customer service, teamwork skills, the ability to be on one’s feet for the whole day, climbing ladders to retrieve stocks, good communication skills, ability to handle heavy workload, and others.

Sources : - http://www.slideshare.net/SamuelSmih/do-you-know-what-it-takes-to-become-a-pharmaceutical-tech  

Monday, June 10, 2013

Types and benefits of going through pharmacy assistant training

Pharmacy technicians, or more commonly known by the name of pharmacy assistants, majorly work in pharmacists to help them out in their routine medical jobs, such as filling up of prescriptions and ensuring that all patient information is correct.

Undergoing pharmacy assistant training, would not only prepare the aspiring candidates to explore opportunities in pharmacy, but also in hospitals, pharmacists' office and nursing homes.

Types of training
Almost all the professional pharmacists would give their pharmacy technician, training session during their jobs where they have to follow the instructions given by them. Such training sessions are more formal in nature. On the other hand, if you choose to undergo professional training, there are many medical institutes, colleges and schools that offer such programs. The time frame of the programs can range from eight months training to a year almost. Different institutes offer prefer different types of degrees such as diploma, etc. One can also choose online training or class room sessions as well.

Curriculum for training
The curriculum an intern will have to study would include a variety of subjects. Some of the pharmacy assistant courses would include dosage calculations, CPR and first aid, and courses related to computer technology. An assistant may also have to learn about the laws and ethics related to pharmacy industry. The course would include understanding the work structure of a pharmacist, human anatomy, career development and pharmacology. Additionally, the curriculum of a pharmacy assistant training may also include additional courses explaining medical abbreviations, about compounding and about building healthy relations with your pharmacist.

Benefits of training
Undergoing training session would prepare you mentally and technically about the job you are going to perform. For instance, the valuable skills you learn during training can be applied on the entry level jobs. After example, after the completion of training, you would know how to weigh and mix pills, liquids and other medications. The candidates would be aware of writing and interpreting prescriptions and communicating the instructions clearly with others. Additionally, the training session would help build improved interpersonal and communication skills as well as organizational and project management skills. These skills are essential, because in addition to pharmaceutical knowledge, pharmacy assistants also have to document the information related to monitoring and packing of inventories, filing up documents and recording keeping, etc.

As evident by all the above-mentioned fact, one would know that the benefits of undergoing training are countless. So for any individual who wishes to become a part of pharmacy industry, getting hands on a fruitful training session, via a reputed institute should be the first priority.

Read more about pharmacy technician training school and courses and the best institute for medical career.

Friday, June 7, 2013

CNA: Work description and training requirements

A nursing assistant is an important member of a medical team who performs jobs under the direct supervision of a physician or licensed nurses. They support nurses by providing direct practical care to the patients.

Some routine tasks of their work activities include helping patients to eat, bathe, and dress, serving meals, tidying up rooms, making beds, delivering messages, answering calls. Some medical tasks of their job profile are taking a patient’s temperature, blood pressure, measuring of pulse and respiration rate, guiding a patient to operating and examining rooms, setting up machines for use, cleaning and sterilizing medical equipment before and after use, and others.

One of the most in-demand medical careers, nursing assistants is the right choice if you want to step-in the medical profession. To work efficiently and to ensure best quality services, having training is of utmost importance.

In addition to excellent practical patient care, NAs must have good communication skills and patience. All suck skills can be gained through training. Certified nurse training is an advanced education programs that authorize your abilities and skills to work in this profession. To become a CNA, an applicant must have, at least high school diploma or equivalent, positive qualities in helping people, ability to work as a team, and others.

Moreover, employers give preferences to those applicants who have specialized theoretical as well as practical training to work in this field. There are number of accredited schools and community colleges that offer students online training. Some programs can be completed in two months while other can last up to 1 year. The length of the training depend upon the rules and regulations of the state board, the type of the curriculum, and the number of hours each day offered by the program.

Students enrolled in nursing assistant training programs participate in lectures, laboratory and clinical experiences. Subjects of the coursework include Patient care ethics and legalities, Anatomy and physiology, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Medical vocabulary, Infection control techniques, Automated external defibrillator (AED) practices, Nutrition basics, Patient vital signs, Range of motion exercises, Patient hygiene etc.

During training, students will provided the opportunity to work in medical offices so that they have real world experience before actually work in hospitals. Apart from MA training, there are many other training programs like pharmacy assistant course, medical assistant training, EKG technician course to name a few, that offer you choice your work in the medical field.

Certified nurse assistant training mostly known as CNA training can make you job-ready in as little as 10 Weeks!

Friday, May 31, 2013

The medical arena awaits your arrival!

The field of medicine is fascinating to a host of people. However being able to make a stable career out of it is not something everyone can do. There goes in a lot of training and hard work and determination to achieve vocational success in the field. However with changing times, there are now a number of options to choose from, making it possible for many people to join this industry, without having to stick to the cliché options such as becoming a doctor or a nurse.
Pharmacy assistant course is one of those training programs that are offered by a number of medical colleges across the vicinity. Here are the highpoints of this training:

  • Not only does this course supply a profound knowledge about the technical aspects of becoming a pharmacist
  • It gives the students a firm base to build a stable career on. It makes one aware of the general antics of a professional atmosphere, which is obviously going to be beneficial to them in the time to come
  • It helps the students fetch good jobs, because only proper vocational training can help them withstand the pressures of the actual industry
When you start hunting for a college you will find a number of small and big institutes offering pharmacy training, nurse assistant training, and E.R room training and so on. Education plays a major role in helping to build a good pharmacy technician. This is why; it needs to be understood by people that even the slightest mistake while selecting an institute for the same might lead to problems for them in the future.
When choosing a training centre, one needs to bear in mind the below mentioned aspects:
  • Ample practical experience in the field, in order to be able to deal with the challenges that the real job shall offer
  • Certified programs because they are the ones that will help you get jobs later
  • Look for courses with colleges that offer education at affordable prices, you may compare various options. However, the quality of education should not be compromised and you should be ready to spend a little extra as well in case the best education is at stake
  • Check the genuineness of the institutes offering education, so that you can make sure that you are learning from only those institutes that are trustworthy and certified
Some institutes offer campus placements as well. You need to choose one according to what your priorities are. You need to research well so that you can choose the best possible options, so that you study well and become a properly learned pharmacy technician in the end.

Apply online for your certified nurse assistant training at Manhattan Institute

Friday, May 17, 2013

Career overview of EKG profile

As the count of specialized hospitals, medical offices, and other health care institutions in medical industry are increasing, so are the availability of job opportunities. EKG specialists can pursue their career in different areas: electrocardiography, cardiovascular technology, and invasive cardiology procedures. They are responsible to perform various tests to monitor the normal activity of the heart.

EKG technicians are the professionals who know the functionality of the holter monitor (a machine that records the rhythms of the heart) and other machines related to measure the functioning and current conditions of the heart. These measuring tasks involve the high-tech mechanical equipment operated by highly trained and certified professionals before they enter into this medical field.

Job descriptions:

The key role of the EKG professional is to administer several cardio tests at hospitals, and other medical centers. When a patient comes at the related medical office complaining of chest pains, problem in breathing, or simply needs a routine examination, EKG specialists attached electrodes from an electrocardiogram to the different parts, including arms, legs, and chest, of the patient’s body an adjust the settings of the machine to obtain reading. As a result of the test, machine prints out the heart condition called, an electrocardiograph. The technicians then pass the report to the cardiologist for interpretation. Besides reporting the current heart conditions, electrocardiographs help diagnosing various heart diseases like atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and angina. Other responsibilities of ECG techs include:
  • Prepare room for EKG testing and reading
  • Record and understand patients’ medical history
  • Set EKG machines
  • Explain the whole procedure to the patient
  • Identify any deformities (in case if any are present) in normal functioning of the heart
  • Sterilize and maintain the equipment
  • Perform treadmill tests and EKG stress checks examination
Education requirements:
To work as an EKG tech does not require any specialized degree like many other medical positions. Those who interested to pursue their career in this medical field can join courses offered by community colleges, or schools that provide training in various medical programs like pharmacist, EKG and phlebotomy training programs.
 
The main goal of EKG tech training is to prepare and polish skills of students to efficiently and effectively perform intended tasks including record patient data, administer EKG tests, and more. Most training programs cover following subjects in their coursework: Human physiology and anatomy, CPR and first aid, Operating EKG equipment, Medical terminology, and others.

Read more about Career guidance of EKG technician .


Monday, May 13, 2013

Know the nature of EKG technician jobs

Are you one of the candidates who want to become an electrocardiograph technician? If yes, then you have made a promising career choice. This is a profession that can never fade out of demand, because these experts will always be required in every medical facility, be it a small clinic or a big hospital.
Several new professions have been introduced in the health care field due to the ever evolving medical technologies such as profession of medical assistant. EKG professionals are one of them. Let us read more to know the details of this job profile and the responsibilities involved.

What is EKG?
EKG stands for electrocardiogram. It is a machine which is used to monitor and measure the patient’s cardiac activities. The machine is used on patient suffering with heart disease or just to perform a cardiac test. The test can be performed within five minutes and involves setting up the machines and attaching electrodes to the patient’s chest to monitor the readings on the machine.

Roles and responsibilities of EKG experts:
There are multiple duties and responsibilities that EKG technicians perform. It involves preparing the room where test will be conducted and setting up the EKG machines. They explain what the need of this procedure to the patients and what it is meant for. After the EKG has been set up, they observe the reading on the machine. After that, they take out the print of the readings for further analysis by senior doctors and physicians. Once the test has been conducted, they clean up the room.

Where can you find these professionals?
You can easily find a job as an EKG expert at a number of medical facilities. You can choose to work in a hospital to do outpatient and inpatient care. Cardiology clinics always have these professionals. These professionals can also be found in a doctor’s clinic. Almost every health care organization and facilities require these professionals.

What is the future of career in EKG technology?
Just like most of the other medical professions and technologies, EKG technology is a fast growing field. The statistics offered by bureau of labor shows a projected increase of around 20% in the coming ten years. So the individuals pursuing this as a career option do not have to worry about job placements.
These were some of the important aspect of EKG technology and the technician performing EKG. Undergoing medical training would provide you practical knowledge about the EKG technology and performing tests. Earning a bachelor’s degree would offer a wider scope for higher position and better salary.

Read  more about EKG technicians and its benefits as a medical career

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Role of medical assistants in modern health practices

Also known as patient-care technicians or CMA, or administrative medical aide (AMA), medical assistants job role vary from one medical office to another. Depending upon the size and location of the health practice, sometimes it requires number of people to handle clinical and administrative tasks individually or sometimes a single person can control both clinical and administrative activates.

No matter what type of job role they perform, the main goal of their services offered is to ensure the smooth running of several types of activities in the medical facility they are associated with. With the significant rise in medical science and technology, many students are heading toward opt this field as a career. As medical practices are growing rapidly, so the demand of skillful patient care technicians and administrative medical aide are increasing equally.

A clinical medical assistant is responsible for smooth running of the various clinical tasks such as recording vital signs, draw blood, completing patient medical histories, sterilizing and arranging examining room equipment, collect relevant information for charting, give injections to patients and perform several laboratory tests for their doctors, and more.

On the other hand, clerical or administrative responsibilities of a medical assistant include greet patients on their arrival at the related medical practice, direct them to appropriate health department, answering phone calls, record and update of patient’s personal information, collect information about their treatment and record it in the record-keeping system, completing insurance forms, making appointments according to the doctors’ availability and more.
From aforementioned clinical and clerical responsibilities, one can easily estimate the challenging role of health and administrative technicians. For successful handling of all such activities, multi-tasking and effective organization skills are essential in the person. Basic knowledge of human anatomy, computer, medical terminology, communication ethics, and business mathematics are important to work in this profession.

Many medical offices or employers in this competitive and challenging industry prefer to hire for professionals having certification from accredited medical assistant training school or vocational college. The certification or training in this medical field exhibits your knowledge and skills of working in the field. There are numerous vocational colleges and schools that offer online training for various job roles like MA, EKG technician training, primacy assistant training etc. one more thing, certification helps you to qualify for jobs in reputed hospitals and at good salary scales.

Read more about successful medical career and what role has medical assistants to play .