Abstract

Using language and organization aimed directly at pharmacy technicians, Understanding Pharmacology for Pharmacy Technicians offers more than 700 pages of practical applications, safety issues and error prevention, and illustrative cases that not only explain how but why. Throughout the book, anatomy and physiology are discussed in relation to
various disorders and associated pharmacotherapies to give the pharmacy technician students a context for how drugs work.

Students using this book will learn the therapeutic effects of prescription medications, nonprescription medications, and alternative therapies commonly used to treat diseases affecting that system, and their adverse effects. An emphasis is placed on practical applications for the technician. What types of issues will technicians encounter at work? What is their role in patient education? How do they work with the pharmacist?

Key features throughout the book:

• 77 case studies, including 249 case study questions
• More than 1,200 drugs discussed
• Pronunciations for difficult terms or words such as disease names
• Numerous figures and illustrations
• Alerts that point out areas of potential dangers or errors, including look-alike/sound-alike drugs.
• 335 practice points, including mention of any FDA-required patient medication guides, and any “special” drug storage and dispensing considerations, including beyond-use dating of open multi-use products.
• 110 commonly used and comprehensive drug tables.
• Chapter review questions

Mary Ann Stuhan, PharmD, RPh

Mary Ann Stuhan, PharmD, has been Pharmacy Program Manager at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio since 2002, where she directs an ASHP-accredited Technician Training Program and advises pre-pharmacy students.  She received her BS in Pharmacy (Summa Cum Laude) at Duquesne University, and her PharmD at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Dr. Stuhan began her pharmacy career as a technician, and has practiced professionally in a variety of settings, including retail, government, behavioral health, and teaching hospital.  She was Director of Pharmacy at St. Michael Hospital in Cleveland, and continues to practice in long-term acute care at Kindred Hospital, Cleveland.  She is a lecturer for the University of Colorado Denver School of Pharmacy NonTraditional PharmD Program.

Dr. Stuhan is past president of the PTCB Certification Council and has held office on the executive board of the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council, which honored her with their Pharmacy Technician Educator of the Year Award in 2007.  She is also an active member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Cleveland Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Ohio Society of Health-System Pharamacists, and Ohio Pharmacists Association.  She has been a peer-reviewer and written numerous articles and book reviews for the Journal of Pharmacy Technology.  Her practice focuses are adverse drug reactions, anemia therapy, and antimicrobial stewardship.