Ultimate Exploring a Career as a Pharmacy Technician Online Bundle, 10 Certificate Courses

There are 12 units of study

What Is a Pharmacy Technician?
In this first lesson, you’ll discover what it is that pharmacy technicians actually do. You’ll explore the various types of pharmacies a technician can work in—there is so much more than retail stores and hospitals. We’ll talk about the education and skills pharmacists expect to see in a good technician. By the end of this lesson, you’ll realize the many different paths that a technician can take for a successful and rewarding career in the profession of pharmacy.

Let’s Talk Pharmacology
In our second lesson, I'll give you an overview of the science called pharmacology. We'll discuss the variety of ways drugs enter the human body, and we'll explore how those drugs work once they get inside. You’ll also learn how drugs can cause a positive or negative effect. A pharmacy technician who has this basic knowledge is a great asset to the pharmacist.
 
Understanding Pharmacy Rules and Regulations
In today's lesson, we'll walk through the major laws that dictate how pharmacies operate. I know this topic might sound like it could be a little dry, but it's more interesting than you think, and it's important that pharmacy technicians understand their boundaries. We'll only cover federal laws in this course, even though some states may have different statutes. We'll review the difference between the various narcotic classes, along with some examples for each one. We’ll also discuss the importance of confidentiality and the penalties for violating this very important law. By the end of this third lesson, you should have an even bigger picture of what pharmacy is about and how important it is to be a very conscientious, detail-oriented person.

A Look Inside a Working Pharmacy
In this lesson, we'll go through a typical day in both a retail pharmacy and a hospital pharmacy, identifying both their similarities and their differences. When you finish this lesson, you might already have a good idea about which type of pharmacy technician you'd like to become.
 
What Do All These Medical Words Mean?
Medical terminology seems like a foreign language. But, by learning about each part of the word, you can better figure out its meaning. In today's lesson, we’ll explore the meanings of the root words, prefixes, and suffixes that make up most medical terms, and then we'll practice using our knowledge of the smaller components to determine what the whole word means. Abbreviations are also a big part of medical terminology, so we’ll spend some time reviewing some of the more common ones used in our profession.

Anti-Infectives: The Drugs That Kill the Bugs
Today, we'll venture through some of the most common antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals, and for each category, I'll give you an example or two of a patient taking that drug so that we can discuss what it is and gain a better understanding of why the doctor prescribed it.
 
Your Core: Heart, Lungs, and Stomach
In this lesson, we'll discuss some of the common drugs that doctors prescribe for high blood pressure and prevention of heart attacks. We'll also go over respiratory drugs, including asthma medicines and a variety of cough and cold agents. And, we'll discuss some of the drugs you might use to help with various stomach discomforts, like heartburn, diarrhea, and constipation.

The Central Nervous System: Pain and Brain Drugs
Today, we'll take a look at some drugs that control pain. We'll explore some of the narcotic drugs, migraine medications, and the common pain relievers that customers can buy over the counter or obtain through a prescription. We'll also spend some time going over drugs that doctors prescribe for seizures, ADD/ADHD, and Alzheimer's disease.
 
Hormones, Eyes, and Ears
In this lesson, we'll dive into the world of hormones. We'll discuss drugs that doctors prescribe to treat the thyroid, control diabetes, and provide birth control. We'll also look at some common drugs that patients use for eye infections—things like eye drops and ointments. Ear infections also require medications, so we'll talk about some of those, too.

Let's Do a Little Maths
Next, we'll take a journey through the metric and apothecary systems of measurements as we discuss how we use math in the world of pharmacy. We'll begin by practicing some common conversions and calculating some dosages for prescriptions. We'll also venture into some hospital math to learn how to determine IV flow rates. The last thing we'll cover will be a little business math. It'll be helpful for you to know how to calculate the prescription price and how to figure out how much money an insurance company will reimburse the pharmacy.
 
Communication
Today, we'll discuss the many ways we communicate in pharmacy. We'll talk about how to communicate with our fellow employees and other professionals, and we'll go over all the dos and don'ts of talking with customers.

Future of Pharmacy Technicians
In this lesson, we'll explore the outlook for a career as a pharmacy technician. We'll also revisit the key points you've studied on this journey toward becoming a pharmacy technician, and I'll share with you the next steps to take after you complete this course.

There are 12 units of study

The Medical Office and Administrative Medical Assistant
Looking for a fun, challenging job that’s always in demand? If so, AMA (administrative medical assisting) may be just the field for you! In this lesson, we’ll look at the exciting job opportunities for AMAs, the variety of careers they can choose from, and the different settings where they can work.
 
Ethics, the Law, and HIPAA
The law and medicine go hand-in-hand—so today we’ll look at the laws you’ll want to know if you become an AMA. We’ll cover everything from contracts to malpractice, and delve into HIPAA (a federal act that affects everyone in the health care field). In addition, we’ll take a quick peek at ethics and medical office etiquette.
 
Computers and Office Equipment
Today we’ll explore the office equipment and computer hardware you’re likely to use as an AMA. In addition, we’ll delve into software—both standard office programs and the specialized software we use in the field of medical information management.

Filing Processes and Equipment
If you think filing is a bore, this lesson will change your mind. You’ll discover what the rainbow of colored stickers on a medical file means, and you’ll even practice creating a patient chart yourself. You’ll also find out why medical offices love lateral files, and you’ll master the tricky rules of alphabetizing. (Yes, it’s more challenging than it looks!)
 
Records Management
Now that you’re an expert on the outside of a patient chart, it’s time to look inside. Today you’ll find out which forms go in a medical record, and just where you’ll put each one. In addition, you’ll learn about two styles of note-taking: SOAP and CHEDDAR. And finally, you’ll delve into the topic of medical record audits and find out the legal way to correct a patient’s chart.

Appointment Scheduling, Check-In, and Check-Out
It’s time to introduce the star of our show: the patient. Today you’ll learn everything about what we call a patient encounter. We’ll start by talking about the phone skills you can use to make appointments, handle questions, and soothe angry callers. Next, we’ll flip open the appointment book and explore the tricks for scheduling patients easily and efficiently. And finally, we’ll follow a patient’s visit from start to finish, and see how many tasks an AMA does during that appointment.
 
Reception Area Tasks and Communication Skills
We’ll start this lesson in the waiting room, where you’ll learn more about the tasks a receptionist handles—from opening and closing a medical office to keeping the reception area ship-shape. After that, we’ll talk about some barriers to communicating effectively with patients, and you’ll discover ways to overcome them. We’ll end our lesson by looking at one of the fun and creative jobs that AMAs do: creating informational brochures and teaching aids.

Medical Insurance Basics
Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, commercial insurance—what does it all mean? In today’s lesson, you’ll find out! First, you’ll learn the meaning of terms like managed care, capitation, and fee-for-service.  Next, we’ll explore government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Workers’ Compensation, and TRICARE. By the time you’re done, you’ll have a good feel for the many types of insurance an AMA handles every day.
 
The Medical Insurance Claim Form
Did you ever study an insurance claim form? If so, you know it contains dozens of mysterious questions and checkboxes. Well, today you’ll come face-to-face with one of these claim forms—and conquer it. By the end of our lesson, you’ll know how to fill in each field of the CMS-1500 claim form. In fact, you’ll even get to try it yourself!

Diagnostic Coding
Medical coding is a hot field for AMAs, so it’s a great specialty if you’re looking for job security. In today’s lesson, we’ll take a quick look at diagnostic coding and see why it’s both fun and challenging. We’ll take a tour through the ICD-9-CM, talk about the detective work involved in abstracting a diagnostic statement, and explore the steps of coding a diagnosis.

Procedural Coding
We’ll finish up our tour of medical coding today with an overview of procedural coding. First, you’ll learn all about a manual called the CPT and discover how to use it to code everything from surgeries to X-rays to acupuncture. After that, we’ll examine a second manual called the HCPCS (“hix-pix”), which contains codes for ambulances, root canals, and much more. We’ll also delve into anesthesia coding, a tricky but rewarding sub-specialty.

The Business Office
In our final lesson, we’ll visit the business office and talk about how AMAs keep track of the money coming in and going out. In addition, we’ll look at inventory control and supply ordering—two crucial jobs that help keep a medical office running smoothly. Finally, we’ll talk about managing a payroll and investigate several jobs that fall under the umbrella of human resources.

There are 13 units of study

• Cultural Competence in Health Care
• Traditional Healing Systems
• Manual Bodywork Healing Therapies
• Understanding Chiropractic Care
• Yoga: An Integrative Practice for Life
• Acupuncture
• Natural Products: Nutraceuticals, Probiotics, Herbs, and Botanicals
• Aromatherapy: The Healing Power of Scent
• Naturopathy: A Natural System of Healing
• Animal-Assisted Therapy
• The Chakra System
• Legal Issues in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
• Ethical Issues in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

There are 12 units of study

Common Root and Musculoskeletal Terms

Welcome to the first lesson of medical terminology! We'll begin the course by exploring root terms, which represent the main meaning of a combined medical term. A combined medical term consists of a root, a prefix, and/or a suffix. As we progress through each lesson of this course, you'll see that we proceed by "body system," and in this first lesson, we'll go over root terms that are associated with the musculoskeletal system, so we'll be talking a lot about the muscles, bones, joints, and tendons of the body in this lesson.

Integumentary and Digestive Terms

In today's lesson, you'll learn a variety of terminology relating to the integumentary and digestive systems. The integumentary system includes the skin, connective tissues, and some loosely associated structures such as nails and teeth. When we discuss the digestive system, you'll learn medical terminology relating to the digestive tract from the mouth, to the pharynx, to the esophagus, and so on, all the way out to the exterior of the body.

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Terms

In this lesson, we'll go over terminology related to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The cardiovascular system includes the heart, arteries, veins, and blood, while the respiratory system includes the lungs and assorted chest structures.

Urinary and Reproductive Terms

Today's topic areas are the urinary and reproductive systems. When we go over the urinary system, you'll learn terminology related to the kidneys, bladder, urine, and even some chemistry terms. When we go over the reproductive system, you'll learn root terms that refer to both male and female anatomical structures.

Neurosensory Terms and Root-Term Review

In this lesson, we'll finish up our discussion about root terms. You'll learn root terms that are associated with the neurosensory system, including nerves, the eyes, ears, brain, and spinal cord. Then we'll begin doing something a little different—at the end of the lesson, we'll do a little review session to help you remember all of the root terms that you've learned up to this point.

Prefixes and Suffixes A through H

In today's lesson, you'll learn about prefixes and suffixes that are common in medicine and start with the letters A through H. Starting today, we won't be going through the word associations that we did in previous lessons. By now, you'll find that you can recognize many of these terms as they're used in our normal, everyday language.

Prefixes and Suffixes I through O

In this lesson, we'll continue to progress through the prefixes and suffixes commonly used in medical terminology. Our objective for today is to identify the common medical prefixes and suffixes that begin with the letters I through O.

Prefixes and Suffixes P through Z

Today, we'll complete our tour through the alphabetical listings of the most common prefixes and suffixes used in medical terminology by focusing on prefixes and suffixes that begin with the letters P through Z. You'll find that there are many more terms that medical professionals use less often, and you'll even discover that sometimes a root that you already know is used as a prefix or suffix.

Color Prefixes and Suffixes and Abbreviated Titles

In previous lessons, you learned about common prefixes and suffixes. In today's lesson, we'll study specific prefixes and suffixes that pertain to color. Color is used quite a bit in the medical field because it helps everyone to describe various signs and symptoms. In this lesson, we'll also go over medical abbreviations that are specific to the various occupations and titles of the medical industry. Your assignment in this lesson will change a little as your research becomes a bit more challenging.

Common Abbreviations A through R

The medical community uses an abundance of abbreviations. Some medical facilities don't allow them, but you should still learn the meanings of the most common abbreviations so you'll know them when you see them. For this lesson, we'll study the abbreviations that start with the letters A through R. Your assignment for this lesson will be a bit different—you're going to find words in a medical note that you can replace with the abbreviations that you learned in the lesson.

Common Abbreviations S through W and Specialized Abbreviations

In this lesson, we'll finish our study of medical abbreviations as we explore the abbreviations that begin with letters S through Z. We'll also go over specific abbreviations that refer to hospital areas, laboratory tests, chemistries, and medical symbols. In today's assignment, it's up to you to find the abbreviations that correctly relate to each sentence in a medical note.

Directional Terms and Word Combinations

Here in our final lesson, it's time to put everything you've learned together. We'll look at our roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and see how they create combined medical terms from body system to body system. You'll also learn some directional terms that are commonly used in medicine. You'll find that your assignment for this lesson provides you the opportunity to decipher a complete medical note.

There are 12 units of study 

Module 1: What Optical Assistants Do

In this first lesson, you'll get an overview of the world of optical assisting. You'll find out how you can land a great job even if you don't have experience. You'll discover the wide range of opportunities this field offers—from retail sales to assisting in a health care setting. We'll talk about how a career as an optical assistant can lead you to own your own business, get a high-paying job as a manager, or teach at a college or university. By the end of the lesson, you'll have a sense of whether this fun and in-demand career is right for you!

Module 2: Our Amazing Eyes

Optical assisting is all about vision, and today we'll begin our in-depth exploration of the profession at the logical starting point: the eye. How does this remarkable little biological machine help create a vivid, constantly-moving picture of the world around you? We'll take a tour of the parts of the eye, and you'll find out how they work together to create the miracle of vision. The basic eye anatomy you'll master in this lesson will give you a big head start on the path to becoming an optical assistant.

Module 3: Common Eye Problems

The eyes are amazing, but they don't always work perfectly—and that's why optical professionals are always in demand. In this lesson, you'll learn about the focusing problems that cause millions of people to need glasses, contact lenses, vision therapy, or low vision aids. In addition, we'll talk about common eye disorders (everything from cataracts to sties), and you'll discover how medical conditions like diabetes and allergies can affect the eyes. I'll also share several of the important tips we give patients for protecting their eyes—tips that can protect youreyesight as well!

Module 4: Other Eye Conditions and Terms

Did you ever wonder how a person who's color-blind sees the world? Today you'll find out—and learn why there's more than one type of color-blindness. In addition, you'll discover what "lazy eye" is, and how it's treated. We'll also explore what it means to be legally blind (and why many people who think they're legally blind really aren't!).

Module 5: Front Office Skills for Success

In this lesson, we look at front office optical assisting—a wonderful career opportunity if you're a "people" person and a multi-tasker. We'll start by talking about the front office assistant's key role as a goodwill ambassador for a medical practice or business. Next, we'll discuss triage, a skill that's crucial to good patient care. Finally, we'll explore the ins and outs of scheduling patients efficiently in order to keep an office running smoothly and happily. With this new knowledge, you'll be ready to make a good impression if you step into a front office job.

Module 6: Back Office Basics

If you love helping people and you're good at mastering new technology, back office assisting can be a great job for you. Today you'll get the scoop on a very important back office skill: taking a patient's medical history. We'll also talk about pre-testing, and you'll learn about some of the tests used to gather preliminary vision data about patients. In addition, we'll take a peek at two specialty areas in back office assisting: contact lens fitting and surgical assisting. You'll find this lesson particularly interesting if you're seeking a medical career that involves lots of action and hands-on patient care.

Module 7: The Prescription

In this lesson, you'll gain the power to understand a new language: the language of optical prescriptions! You'll learn how those numbers and symbols on an eye doctor's prescription translate into just the right lenses for a patient who's farsighted, nearsighted, or astigmatic. In addition, you'll find out the differences between soft and rigid contact lens prescriptions, and learn how to read each one. We'll also explore the job of a bench optician—the all-important person who turns a doctor's prescription into the perfect eyewear to suit a patient's needs.

Module 8: Glasses: Function and Fashion

Did your last pair of sunglasses make you look like a movie star or like a bug? Do your family members' glasses flatter their faces or emphasize their facial flaws? Picking frame styles that make people look attractive and feel confident takes skill, and it's one of the favorite jobs of most optical assistants. Today you'll learn the insider secrets of eyeglass styling—and as a result, you'll know how to pick great glasses for a customer or patient . . . or for yourself!

Module 9: All About Contact Lenses

These days, contact lenses don't just correct vision problems but often make a fashion statement as well. They allow you to do things like change your eye color from green to brown or even create "tiger eyes" for a costume party! In this lesson, we'll discuss how contact lenses help correct vision, and we'll cover the fun subject of contact lens fads and fashions. In addition, you'll find out how optical assistants fit contact lenses so they're just right for each person's eyes and how they educate patients about using their lenses correctly.

Module 10: Essential Customer Service Skills

Great customer service keeps people coming back to a business time after time. Today we'll look at the best ways to make people feel welcome, respected, and well treated at every step of their visit to a doctor's office or retail optical store. You'll also get great tips for smoothing the waters if problems arise—something that can happen even in the best of businesses. In addition, you'll learn how to tailor your customer service to people's individual needs so every visitor feels like a VIP. What we cover won't just help you be a better optical assistant—it will help you shine in any situation where "peopleskills" are key.

Module 11: Specialties: Something for Everyone!

Optical assisting offers you many different settings and specialties to choose from, and in this lesson, we'll look at three of the most interesting specialties. First, you'll learn about low vision clinics, where optical assistants help people with limited eyesight regain the ability to enjoy many of their favorite activities including cooking and reading (and often even driving!). Next, we'll talk about vision therapy, a great choice if you love working with children. And finally, we'll talk about the booming field of refractive surgery, in which optical assistants play a key role.

Module 12: Certification and Licensing

If you're entering optical assisting with your eye on career advancement (no pun intended!), then you should consider becoming certified. Certification puts you in line for promotions and management positions. In addition, certification can be the first step to teaching at a college or university, or even running your own business. Today we'll look at the different types of certification you can achieve in the optical assisting field. We'll cover how to prepare for a certification test and the kinds of questions you can expect if you take one. With that information in hand, you'll be prepared to decide if certification is the right route for you.

There are 12 units of study

Introduction to the Living Processes
Our first lesson will introduce you to the fascinating subject of human anatomy and physiology. Since chemical reactions drive all of our bodies' functions, we'll start by reviewing some basic chemistry. Then we'll discuss how the human body is organized and the four main types of molecules it contains. We'll even touch on a little history because humans used to have some pretty funny ideas about living organisms. Later, you'll learn why a living human being is so different from one who's died. Finally, we'll discuss homeostasis—that drive we have to keep many different variables (like temperature and blood pressure) within a narrow range. By the time you're done with this lesson, you'll be ready to learn more about the structure and function of our bodies.

The Human Cell
The smallest living unit of the body is the cell, and it's so amazing, it deserves a lesson of its own. Even though almost all cells are microscopic, they're jam-packed with many different kinds of organelles and surrounded by complex membranes. I think you'll be amazed at their complexity as we discuss their different functions. We'll also talk about how cells reproduce, and we'll finish up with a discussion on cancer—which is cell reproduction gone amok. 

Understanding Heredity
In this lesson, we'll tackle the subject of heredity. It's probably the most technical of all the lessons because we'll be exploring genetics. You'll learn how genes determine your physical and mental characteristics, and how your parents' genetic material determine these traits. You'll learn the important differences between reproductive cells and all of the other cells in the body. Then we'll spend some time talking about a man who lived in the 1800's—Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics—because his insights paved the way for our modern understanding of heredity. After that, we'll discuss some different genetic disorders as you learn about specific mutations in the genetic code that can cause problems. 

The Nervous System
We'll move on to the organ systems in today's lesson. We'll start with the one I find most interesting—the nervous system. You'll learn how it's organized, its different jobs, and the structures that make thinking, feeling, and moving possible. You'll also learn how the nervous system works when we think we're in danger or we've suddenly been affected by physical pain. We'll use our knowledge about chemistry in this chapter, too, as we talk about how nervous impulses are transmitted. Finally, we'll talk about some disorders of the nervous system—what causes them and their effects.

The Skeletal System
Our bones have several functions, and some aren't so obvious. For example, did you know that red blood cells are made in your bones? Or that bones store minerals that are essential for the function of your nerves and muscles? In today's lesson on the skeletal system, we'll explore the structure and function of bones, and then we'll talk about different types of joints and the amazing structure of your spinal column. You'll learn about some common disorders of this system and what you can do to keep your bones strong. 

The Muscular System
Like the skeletal system, the muscular system is crucial for movement, but it has other functions, too. We'll discuss them in detail in today's lesson. Muscles are also a lot more complicated than they appear, so we'll spend some time talking about both the structures that we can see and the structures that we can't see without a microscope. We'll go over some of the specific muscles in the body and how they work together to perform specific movements. You'll also learn why even simple movements involve chemical reactions and a close coordination between this system and the nervous system. In the last chapter, we'll look at several common injuries to different parts of the muscular system. 

The Respiratory System
We'll focus on the respiratory system in this lesson. As you're probably aware, it's the group of organs that allow you to get that crucial substance—oxygen—to all the cells in our body. But your respiratory system has some other functions that we'll touch on in this lesson. You'll learn about the anatomy of your respiratory organs and which muscles are crucial for breathing. You'll also become aware of the differences between ventilation, external respiration, internal respiration, and cellular respiration. And we'll talk about some illnesses that could affect your respiratory system, compromising your ability to breathe. 

The Circulatory System
There's so much to learn about the circulatory system! In this lesson, we'll explore the composition