8 answers
Lee
Student
Greenacres, Florida
2
Questions
Updated
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Do pharmacist use alot of math
What counseling degree is best for a Pharmacist ?
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8 answers
Anthony Petrello
Pharmacist
49
Answers
Medford, New York
Updated
Anthony’s Answer
During dispensing pharmacists do a lot of math to calculate day supply, number of tablets daily, converting mg to mL etc. They also do a lot of math in compounding. Pharmacy school also does involve a good amount of math. With that being said the math is not very high level and is unit conversions and algebra.
Bhavna Sheth
107
Answers
Collinsville, Virginia
Updated
Bhavna’s Answer
Yes, pharmacists use math, particularly basic arithmetic and algebra, to accurately measure and weigh drugs. In addition to measuring drugs, many pharmacists also use mathematics in other tasks, such as calculating drug dosages, evaluating the cost of drugs and preparing financial spreadsheets.
I hope this helps. Good luck
I hope this helps. Good luck
Bella McClane
Certified Medical Assistant
8
Answers
Jacksonville, Florida
Updated
Bella’s Answer
Hi there,
If you are interested in becoming a licensed pharmacist, you would first have to go through a lot of college. In your undergraduate college education I would suggest a major in any one of the following: Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Health Science, or some schools even have a pre-pharmacy tract. Undergraduate education is 4 years. After your undergraduate degree, you would then have to apply to a Doctorate in Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program in graduate school. Pharm.D. school is typically 4 years long. After graduating the Pharm.D program you could choose to do post-graduate training in a pharmacy residency program, which could be about 2 years.
In regards to your other question if pharmacists use a lot of math . . . sometimes/sometimes not -- it depends on their role. Not all pharmacists are in a clinical role where they physically deal with medications. But if you are a clinical pharmacist you may have to do medication conversions which is the most important type of "math" to know. Knowing how to do medication conversions ensures that the patient is getting the correct dose of medication, which is soooo important! You really have to be a detail-oriented person to be a clinical pharmacist, because you need to make sure that the patient is getting the right prescription, the right dose of medication, the right instructions on their prescription order, the right quantity of medication to fill. Overall, being a pharmacist takes a lot of education, but it can be a rewarding career, helping provide the correct treatment for patients that need it.
Blessings to you and all you accomplish!
If you are interested in becoming a licensed pharmacist, you would first have to go through a lot of college. In your undergraduate college education I would suggest a major in any one of the following: Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Health Science, or some schools even have a pre-pharmacy tract. Undergraduate education is 4 years. After your undergraduate degree, you would then have to apply to a Doctorate in Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program in graduate school. Pharm.D. school is typically 4 years long. After graduating the Pharm.D program you could choose to do post-graduate training in a pharmacy residency program, which could be about 2 years.
In regards to your other question if pharmacists use a lot of math . . . sometimes/sometimes not -- it depends on their role. Not all pharmacists are in a clinical role where they physically deal with medications. But if you are a clinical pharmacist you may have to do medication conversions which is the most important type of "math" to know. Knowing how to do medication conversions ensures that the patient is getting the correct dose of medication, which is soooo important! You really have to be a detail-oriented person to be a clinical pharmacist, because you need to make sure that the patient is getting the right prescription, the right dose of medication, the right instructions on their prescription order, the right quantity of medication to fill. Overall, being a pharmacist takes a lot of education, but it can be a rewarding career, helping provide the correct treatment for patients that need it.
Blessings to you and all you accomplish!
Joshua Hauns
Pharmacist
1
Answer
Glendale, Arizona
Updated
Joshua’s Answer
I’m regards to the math aspect to pharmacy - in my experience it’s not doing math consistently, but knowing what calculations to use to find your answers as soon as possible.
Just this week - I partnered with an anesthesia colleague to determine the max dose of a local anesthetic used in a particular type of anesthesia. There was not a lot of literature on the topic, thus this took understanding percentages, concentrations, and dilutions & “does this make sense” - to ensure safety and efficacy for the patient.
Also, when administering medications peripherally it also important to have an idea of how to calculate or understand osmolarity - so you prevent any adverse reactions related to infusions.
When reviewing medications for elderly or kidney patients it’s important to calculate there kidney function to ensure clearance of the drug from the body. In the event s the drug does not get cleared it stay in the body and cause severe adverse reactions. Thus the ability to calculate kidney function allows myself to understand - is this the right drug, dose, frequency etc.
These are just three instances where the pharmacist play a role in helping the care team using math.
There are many other instances where the pharmacist math skills are needed. Again - although you may not use these skills for every patient, the expectation from your provider and nursing colleagues - is that you know how to figure out these issues in the quickest manner possible.
Just this week - I partnered with an anesthesia colleague to determine the max dose of a local anesthetic used in a particular type of anesthesia. There was not a lot of literature on the topic, thus this took understanding percentages, concentrations, and dilutions & “does this make sense” - to ensure safety and efficacy for the patient.
Also, when administering medications peripherally it also important to have an idea of how to calculate or understand osmolarity - so you prevent any adverse reactions related to infusions.
When reviewing medications for elderly or kidney patients it’s important to calculate there kidney function to ensure clearance of the drug from the body. In the event s the drug does not get cleared it stay in the body and cause severe adverse reactions. Thus the ability to calculate kidney function allows myself to understand - is this the right drug, dose, frequency etc.
These are just three instances where the pharmacist play a role in helping the care team using math.
There are many other instances where the pharmacist math skills are needed. Again - although you may not use these skills for every patient, the expectation from your provider and nursing colleagues - is that you know how to figure out these issues in the quickest manner possible.
Parixit Modi, Pharm.D., MBA
Clinical Pharmacist
24
Answers
Tucson, Arizona
Updated
Parixit’s Answer
Yes, pharmacists use a lot of math in their work. Math is essential in the field of pharmacy because pharmacists need to make accurate calculations and measurements when preparing and dispensing medications.
Some of the ways pharmacists use math include:
Dosage Calculations: Pharmacists need to calculate the correct dosage of medication for each patient based on factors such as age, weight, and medical condition.
Medication Compounding: Pharmacists sometimes need to compound or mix medications in specific dosages and concentrations, which requires precise measurements and calculations.
IV Fluid Calculations: When preparing intravenous (IV) fluids for patients, pharmacists need to calculate the correct volume and concentration of the medication to be infused.
Drug Interactions: Pharmacists need to understand the mathematical principles involved in drug interactions, such as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Inventory Management: Pharmacists need to manage inventory levels and ensure that they have the appropriate amount of medication on hand, which requires knowledge of basic math concepts such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
In summary, math is a critical skill for pharmacists, and they use it extensively in their daily work.
Some of the ways pharmacists use math include:
Dosage Calculations: Pharmacists need to calculate the correct dosage of medication for each patient based on factors such as age, weight, and medical condition.
Medication Compounding: Pharmacists sometimes need to compound or mix medications in specific dosages and concentrations, which requires precise measurements and calculations.
IV Fluid Calculations: When preparing intravenous (IV) fluids for patients, pharmacists need to calculate the correct volume and concentration of the medication to be infused.
Drug Interactions: Pharmacists need to understand the mathematical principles involved in drug interactions, such as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Inventory Management: Pharmacists need to manage inventory levels and ensure that they have the appropriate amount of medication on hand, which requires knowledge of basic math concepts such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
In summary, math is a critical skill for pharmacists, and they use it extensively in their daily work.
Kathy Morlock
Clinical pharmacist, Generalist
1
Answer
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Updated
Kathy’s Answer
Pharmacokinetic dosing for narrow-therapeutic index drugs (e.g. vancomycin, aminoglycoside antibiotics) is calculus-based. So pretty much all colleges of Pharmacy in the US require a semester of college calculus or a score of 4 or above on the high school AP calculus exam as part of the pre-pharmacy curriculum. A 200-level (or higher) college biostatistics class is also needed for drug literature evaluation. This can be substituted with high schools AP statistics with a score of 4 or above on the exam. These requirements were in place even before all colleges of pharmacy transitioned from the 5-year BSPharm to the PharmD program in 2006.
Corey Conduff, Licensed Pharmacist, MBA
Licensed Pharmacist, MBA
4
Answers
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Updated
Corey’s Answer
I would say I do. I think it depends on what sort of pharmacist you are. My primary background is in retail pharmacy, so filling, verifying prescriptions and dosages all require math.
Toni Oringer
Clinical Pharmacist
5
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Toni’s Answer
HI Lee,
Yes you will do a lot of math both in pharmacy school and daily throughout your career. Once you learn it you will be fine. Study hard. Good luck to you.
Toni
Yes you will do a lot of math both in pharmacy school and daily throughout your career. Once you learn it you will be fine. Study hard. Good luck to you.
Toni