Pharmacy Technician Lecture Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering controlled substances, regulatory forms, pharmacology basics, dosage forms, compounding, pharmacokinetics, references, insurance, and common drug classes/suffixes.

Schedule II Drug Record Retention

Records must be kept for 7 years.

Other Pharmacy Record Retention

All non-Schedule II records must be kept for 2 years.

Controlled-Substance Schedules

There are five federal schedules (I–V).

Schedule I Drugs

High abuse potential and no accepted medical use in the U.S.

Schedule II Drugs

High abuse potential, accepted medical use; may lead to severe dependence (e.g., amphetamines, cocaine).

Schedule III Drugs

Moderate abuse potential; accepted medical use; may lead to moderate/low physical or high psychological dependence (e.g., anabolic steroids).

Schedule IV Drugs

Low abuse potential relative to C-III (e.g., phenobarbital).

Schedule V Drugs

Lowest abuse potential; limited amounts of narcotics such as codeine.

DEA Form 222

Used to order Schedule I and II substances.

DEA Form 106

Report of theft or loss of controlled substances.

MedWatch

FDA program for reporting adverse drug events.

Adverse Effect

Unintended, harmful side effect of a medication.

Recall

Removal of a drug from the market and return to manufacturer.

Class I Recall

Product likely to cause serious adverse effects or death.

Class II Recall

Product may cause temporary or reversible effects; unlikely to cause serious harm.

Class III Recall

Product not likely to cause adverse effects.

JCAHO (Joint Commission)

Independent body that sets healthcare standards in the U.S.

Protocol

Specific guideline for practice.

FDA Approval Time

Often exceeds 10 years before marketing.

Digitalis

Drug from foxglove plant used to treat heart disease.

Human Genome Project

International effort to map the entire human DNA sequence.

Pharmacology

Study of drugs, their properties, uses, and effects.

Pharmacognosy

Study of drugs derived from natural sources.

Pharmacopeia

Authoritative listing of drugs and their uses.

Panacea

A supposed cure-all.

Antibiotic

Substance that kills or inhibits microorganisms.

Hormone

Body-produced chemical regulating functions and processes.

1970 Controlled Substance Act (CSA)

Classifies five drug schedules and restricts distribution.

1970 Poison Prevention Packaging Act

Requires child-resistant packaging for most prescriptions.

1938 Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act

Mandated proof of drug safety before marketing.

1951 Durham-Humphrey Amendment

Defined legend (prescription-only) drugs and labeling.

Legend Drug

Drug requiring prescription and “Rx only” legend.

Phase I Trial

20-100 subjects; focus on safety (months).

Phase II Trial

Up to several hundred patients; effectiveness & short-term safety (months-2 yrs).

Phase III Trial

Hundreds-thousands; safety, dosage, efficacy (1-4 yrs).

Drug Patent Length

17 years from discovery date (before extensions).

Hatch-Waxman Act (1984)

Allows up to 5-year patent extensions for FDA review time.

Pharmaceutical Equivalent

Same active ingredients, strength, dosage form.

Therapeutic Equivalent

Pharmaceutical equivalents producing same clinical effect.

Product Labeling

Supplemental information provided with a drug (package insert).

Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act

Limits retail sales to 3.6 g/day or 7.5 g/month of pseudoephedrine, etc.

Exempt Narcotics

Habit-forming meds sold without Rx to ≥18-year-olds.

National Drug Code (NDC)

10-digit code: manufacturer—product—package size.

Controlled Substance Mark

Symbol indicating a drug’s schedule (C-II, C-III, etc.).

Systolic Pressure

Blood pressure during heart contraction.

Diastolic Pressure

Blood pressure between beats (relaxation).

Endocrine System

Glands that secrete hormones into bloodstream.

Axial Skeleton

Comprises skull and vertebral column.

Alveoli

Air sacs in lungs for gas exchange.

Nephron

Kidney’s functional unit producing urine.

Extemporaneous Compounding

On-demand preparation of medication per prescription.

Unit-Dose Package

Single-dose package labeled with drug, strength, lot, and expiry.

Local Effect

Drug action at site of administration.

Systemic Effect

Drug reaches bloodstream and acts throughout body.

Enteral Route

Administration via alimentary tract (oral, sublingual, buccal, rectal).

Parenteral Route

Administration outside alimentary tract (IV, IM, etc.).

Disintegration

Tablet breaking into smaller pieces.

Dissolution

Drug particles dissolving in solution.

Solution

Clear liquid with ingredients dissolved in solvent.

Emulsion

Mixture of two immiscible liquids stabilized by emulsifier.

Suspension

Formulation with undissolved drug particles in liquid.

Sterile

Free of all microorganisms.

Buffer System

Ingredients controlling solution pH.

Diluent

Liquid added to dissolve or dilute a drug.

Biocompatibility

Not irritating; does not cause infection.

Percutaneous Absorption

Drug absorption through the skin.

MDI (Metered-Dose Inhaler)

Device delivering aerosolized medication to lungs.

Intradermal Injection

Injection into skin for testing or immunization.

Subcutaneous Route

Injection into fatty tissue beneath skin (e.g., insulin).

Intramuscular Injection

Injection into muscle; slower, prolonged absorption.

Aseptic Technique

Methods to maintain sterility.

Pyrogen

Microbial product causing fever.

Isotonic Solution

Same osmolarity as blood.

Hypertonic Solution

Higher osmolarity than blood.

Hypotonic Solution

Lower osmolarity than blood.

Large-Volume Parenteral (LVP)

IV solution ≥100 mL.

Compound Sterile Preparation (CSP)

Sterile compounded product for parenteral use.

USP

Standards for compounding sterile preparations.

Small-Volume Parenteral (SVP)

Packaged parenteral ≤100 mL for direct use or admixture.

Additive

Drug added to a parenteral solution.

Admixture

Resulting solution after drug added to parenteral fluid.

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)

IV nutrition with amino acids, dextrose, micronutrients.

Total Nutrient Admixture (TNA)

TPN that includes IV fat emulsion (3-in-1).

Irrigation Solution

Large-volume sterile fluid for surgical rinsing.

Needle Gauge

Diameter size; higher number = smaller lumen.

Membrane Filter

Filters solution as expelled from syringe.

Final Filter

Placed just before solution enters patient’s vein.

Flow Rate

Speed of IV administration.

Piggyback

Small-volume IV connected to primary LVP.

Formulation Record

Master recipe and procedure for compounding.

Compounding Record

Documentation of actual compounding event.

Beyond-Use Date (BUD)

Expiry assigned to compounded preparations.

Class A Balance

Prescription balance: 120 mg minimum, 60 g maximum.

Aliquot

Portion / part of a mixture.

Geometric Dilution

Technique for mixing unequal powder quantities.

Levigation

Grinding powder with insoluble solvent to reduce size.

Flocculating Agent

Electrolyte promoting easy redispersion in suspensions.

Immiscible

Liquids that cannot mix.

Continental (Dry Gum) Method

Emulsion prep with oil + water + gum (4:2:1) dry mixing.

Compression Molding

Making suppositories by compressing base in mold.