The Pharmacy Technician: Foundations and Practices

For introductory pharmacy technician courses.

Filling the need for a comprehensive pharmacy technician resource
The Pharmacy Technician: Foundations and Practices addresses today's comprehensive educational needs for one of the fastest growing jobs in the US: the pharmacy technician. Aspiring pharmacy technicians learn all the content they need to meet professional regulations and requirements, from pharmacy law and insurance mandates to dosage calculations, pharmacology, and basic anatomy & physiology. Step-by-step guidance in essential pharmacy tasks, combined with extensive review, reinforces practical knowledge. With nearly 500 updates and revisions, the 3rd edition addresses the most current pharmacy technician practices and fully aligns with the 2019--20 Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).

Mike Johnston is one of the most recognized and influential pharmacy technician leaders in the world. In 1999, Mike founded the National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA) and led the association from three members to more than 20,000 in less than two years, and now to more than 90,000 members. Today, as chairman/CEO of NPTA and publisher of Today's Technician magazine, he spends the majority of his time meeting with and speaking to employers, manufacturers, industry leaders, and elected officials on issues related to pharmacy technicians, both across the United States and internationally.

Mike serves as the sole pharmacy technician delegate to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and is the only North American representative member of the European Association of Pharmacy Technicians (EAPT). He is also a CPE administrator and field reviewer approved by the Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

Mike's background includes experience in community-based pharmacy practice, health-system pharmacy practice, extemporaneous compounding, and as a pharmacy technician instructor. He has been nationally certified since 1997 (CPhT) and is also certified in IV/sterile products, chemotherapy, and extemporaneous compounding.

In 2013, Mike opened his own pharmacy -- SCRIPTS Compounding Pharmacy -- located in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. Mike holds a BS with honors in business management and ethics from Dallas Christian College. He is the author of eight previous textbooks on pharmacy technician education and Rx for Success--A Career Enhancement Guide for Pharmacy Technicians.

About NPTA
The NPTA is the world's largest professional organization specifically for pharmacy technicians. The association is dedicated to advancing the value of pharmacy technicians and the vital roles they play in pharmaceutical care. In a society of countless associations, we believe that it takes much more than just a mission statement to meet the professional needs of and provide the necessary leadership for the pharmacy technician profession - it takes action and results.

The organization is composed of pharmacy technicians practicing in a variety of practice settings, such as retail, independent, hospital, mail-order, home care, long-term care, nuclear, military, correctional facilities, formal education, training, management, sales, and many more. NPTA is a reflection of this diverse profession and provides unparalleled support and resources to members.

NPTA is the foundation of the pharmacy technician profession; we have an unprecedented past, a strong presence, and a promising future. We are dedicated to improving our profession while remaining focused on our members.

Pharmacy technician students are welcome to join more than 60,000 practicing pharmacy technicians as members of NPTA.