Orientation to Pharmacy

1. Orientation to Pharmacy
Dr. Basavaraj K. NanjwadeM. Pharm., Ph. D
Department of Pharmaceutics
Faculty of Pharmacy
Omer Al-Mukhtar University
Tobruk, Libya.
E-mail: nanjwadebk@gmail.com
15/04/2015 1
Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.

2. CONTENTS
1. Definition, scope of pharmacy practice.
2. Prescription.
3. Components of prescriptions.
4. Handing of prescriptions.
5. Compounding, Finishing and Delivering.
6. Pharmaceutical calculations (concentration
expressions, percentage strength, incompatibilities).
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.

3. 1. Definition of Pharmacy
Practice
• Definition: Pharmacy is the art and science of
preparing and dispensing medication, the provision of
drug information, interpretation of prescription
orders, the compounding, labeling, drug product
selection and drug utilization reviews, patient
monitoring and intervention.
• Synthesis of drugs, development of drug, extraction
of drug, action of drug, marketing of drugs,
management of drugs, manufacturing of drugs,
research of drugs and so on.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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4. Scope of pharmacy practice
• Scope of pharmacy practice: Pharmacists expected
to grow in opportunities, due to the increased
pharmaceutical needs of a larger and older
population. Other factors likely to increased demand
for pharmacists include the likelihood of scientific
advances that will provide more drug products for the
prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, new
development in administering medications; and
increasingly well-informed consumers who
sophisticated about health care and eager for more
detailed information about and their effects.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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5. Scope of pharmacy practice
• Community pharmacy
• Hospital Pharmacy
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Industrial Pharmacy
• Nuclear Pharmacy
• Pharmaceutical education
• Pharmaceutical journalism
• Organizational management
• Government services
• Clinical trials and Information technology (IT)
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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6. Community Pharmacy
• Community Pharmacy: is the practice of pharmacy
in the community setting. It required professional
skills and in many cases management abilities. In
addition to dispensing pharmaceuticals, community
pharmacists answer questions about prescription and
over the counter (OTC) drugs and give advice on
health care supplies and durable medical equipment.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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7. Hospital Pharmacy
• Hospital Pharmacy: is the practice of pharmacy
mainly in the hospital setting, and in clinics or
nursing homes. In these settings, pharmacists
dispense medications, prepare sterile preparations,
advise other health care professionals and patients on
the use of drugs, monitor drug regimen and evaluate
drug use.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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8. Clinical pharmacy
• Clinical pharmacy: is the practice of pharmacy at
the bedside of the patient. Pharmacists closely work
with doctors and other health care professionals.
Clinical pharmacists reviews drug therapy, participate
in ward rounds, provide drug information, identify,
resolve and prevent drug related problems, provide
patient counseling to optimize therapeutic outcomes.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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9. Nuclear pharmacy
• Nuclear pharmacy applies the principles and
practice of pharmacy and nuclear chemistry to
produce radioactive drugs and used for diagnosis and
therapy.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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10. Industrial pharmacy
• Industrial pharmacy: the largest number of
pharmacists is involved in marketing and
administration. Majority of pharmaceutical industries
employ pharmacist as their professional service
representatives (sales), who educate physicians and
pharmacists about the manufacturer’s products.
Multinational companies employ higher degree
pharmacy professionals in research and development,
production and quality control as supervisor and
trainee at the initial stage.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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11. Government service
• Government service: offers opportunities to
pharmacist in various capacities. They serve as
officer in the Army, Navy and Air Force and Coast
Guard. Also in Public Health Service (Food and Drug
Administration), Bureau of Prisons, and Health
service, Institutes of Health, the Health Care
Financing Administration, the Health services, and
Resources Administration.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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12. Pharmaceutical education
• Pharmaceutical education: offers opportunities to
pharmacists with advanced degrees in any of the
professional specialties. Masters, doctorate, and
postdoctoral degrees are available for pharmacists to
pursue advanced education in specialty to make
teaching attractive.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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13. Pharmaceutical Journalism
• Pharmaceutical Journalism: offers rewarding
experience for a limited number of pharmacists with
writing and editing skills.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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14. Organization management
• Organization management careers are available for
those with pharmacy education who wish to serve
associations and on boards of pharmacy. Pharmacist’s
responsibility is to expand health and welfare
agencies in health care system of society.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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15. Clinical trials and
information technology
• Clinical trials and information technology: offers
opportunities for pharmacists work as Clinical
research associate in the clinical trials and
development of software in IT companies.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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16. 2. Prescription
• Definition: A prescription is a written order from a
registered physician, a dentist, or a veterinarian or a
surgeon or any other person licenced by law to
prescribe drugs, containing instructions for
preparation and dispensing to the pharmacist along
with mode of administration for the patient.
• Pharmacist may accept a prescription on telephone in
emergency and it needs to be followed by a regular
written prescription.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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17. Sample of Prescription
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar
University, Tobruk, Libya.
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18. Importance of prescription
1. Should be written in ink
2. There should not be over writing
3. It should be legible
4. It should have only official abbreviations of weights
and measures.
5. As far as possible only generic names of the drugs
be used in the prescription.
6. Full names of medicaments be used and no
abbreviations.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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19. • The legal prescription should contain prescriber’s
details such as name, address, telephone number and
registration number. Patient details include name,
age, sex and weight. Date, medicine details such as
name of the drug in generic or brand, dosage form,
dose and dosage regimen. Total amount and treatment
length and direction for use of the medication should
contain in the prescription. Prescriber’s signature at
the bottom of the prescription.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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3. Components of prescription

20. • Prescriptions are generally written on a typical format which
are usually kept as pads. A typical prescription consists of
following parts
1. Date
2. Name, age, sex and address of the patient
3. Superscription
4. Inscription
5. Subscription
6. Signatura
7. Renewal instructions
8. Signature, address, and registration number of the prescriber
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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3. Components of prescription

21. Superscription
• It consist of name, qualification and address of the
physician, date, name, age and address of the patient.
The physician’s name qualification and address are
essential for the Identity of the prescriber, particularly
for a narcotic prescription.
• Date helps in judging the interval between the issue
of prescription and that of dispensing it. It is
important to know the date of prescription
particularly when the drugs like narcotics and
cummulative drugs like digitalis, santonin, arsenic
etc. are prescribed.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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22. Superscription
• The name, sex and address of the patient are important
to facilitate proper handling. It helps to avoid confusion
among prescriptions meant for some other patient.
These are especially required for prescriptions of drugs
like narcotics. The age of the patient is important
particularly in case of children. From the age, the
pharmacist can recheck the correctness of the dose.
• It consists of the ℞. R stands for Latin word Recipe
meaning, ‘take thou of, the oblique dash after R is
considered as an ancient invocation of physician to
Jupiter.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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23. Inscription
• This is the main body of the prescription and within
its frame-work are listed, the names and quantities of
each medicines prescribed. A pharmacist must
correctly interpret the name of each drug and the
corresponding quantity in order to avoid an error. An
error in name or quantity will result in a fatal accident
to the patient. In case of doubt, a pharmacist must
refer back prescription to the prescriber.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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24. Subscription
• This comprises direction to the pharmacist for
preparing the prescription and number of doses to be
dispensed. These days, the prescribers are omitting
the specific instructions to the pharmacist because the
majority of the prescriptions are not compounded and
dispensed.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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25. 4. Handing of prescriptions
• Receiving checking, compounding, finishing and
delivering it to the patient is part and parcel of the
duty of a pharmacist. While receiving a prescription,
never show carelessness. In an hospital, it is wise to
have a method at hand to see that the prescription
goes to the right person. A suitable method would be
to give prescription number on three slips. One slip is
given to the patient, the second is attached to the
prescription and third is fixed to the final container.
This will ensure identification.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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26. 4. Handling of Prescription
• The following procedure should be adopted by the
pharmacist while handling the prescription for
compound and dispensing:
1. Receiving
2. Reading and checking
3. Collecting and weighting the materials
4. Compounding, labeling and packaging.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.

27. Receiving
• The prescription should be received from the patient
by the pharmacist himself. While receiving a
prescription, a pharmacist should not change his
facial expressing which gives an impression to the
patient that he is surprised or confused after seeing
the prescription.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.

28. Reading and checking
• On receiving the prescription, always check it that it
is written in a proper format that is doctors pad or
outpatient department slip of the
hospital/nursing/clinic and signed by the prescriber
along with date.
• A prescription should always be screened behind the
counter. In case of any difficulty in reading or any
doubt regarding the prescription ingredients or
directions, the pharmacist should consult the other
pharmacist or the prescriber.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.

29. Collecting and weighing the
material
• Before compounding the prescription, all the
materials required for it, should be collected on the
left side of the balance. After weighing the material it
should be shifted to right hand side of the balance.
This gives a check of ingredients which have been
weighed. While compounding the label of every stock
bottle should be read at least three times in order to
avoid any error.
a. When taken from the shelf or drawer.
b. When the contents are removed for weighing and measuring.
c. When the containers are returned back to its proper place.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.

30. Compounding, labeling and
packaging
• Compounding should be carried out in a neat place.
All the equipment etc. required should be thoroughly
cleaned and dried. Only one prescription should be
compounded at one time. All the ingredients should
be compounded according to the directions of the
prescriber or according to pharmaceutical art. The
compounded medicaments should be filled in suitable
containers depending on its quantity and use.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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31. • The size of the label should be proportional to the
size of the container which is written or typed, giving
all the desired information.
• The label should be fixed with a good quality of
adhesive, almost in the centre leaving equal space
from the bottom and top of the container.
• The container is polished so as to remove the finger
prints. While delivering the prescription to the
patient, the pharmacist should explain the mode of
administration, direction for use, and storage.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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Compounding, labeling and
packaging

32. 5. Compounding, Finishing
and Delivering
• All the ingredients should be compounding according
to the directions of the prescriber. The compounded
medicaments should be filled in suitable container
depending on its quantity and use.
• When the product is finished, choose a suitable
container, label it, see that it is presentable and then
deliver it to the patient.
• While delivering the prescription to the patient, the
pharmacist should explain the mode of
administration, direction for use and storage.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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33. 6. Pharmaceutical calculations
(concentration expressions, percentage
strength, incompatibilities)
• Pharmacy students and pharmacists must know the
weights and measures, their conversion into different
system and a mastery of the mathematics involved.
• The pharmaceutical calculations used at dispensing,
manufacturing and pharmaceutical preparations. The
various system of weights and measures used in both
medical and pharmacy practice. Pharmacist
continuously using calculations and must be familiar
with convertion into different system of weights’ and
measures.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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34. Expressions of Concentration
• The metric system is the International System of
Units (SI Units) for weight, volume, and length.
• The basic unit for weight is the kilogram (kg) while
the basic unit for volume is the litre (L) and basic unit
of length is the metre (m).
• The prefix ‘milli’ indicates one-thousandth (10-3
) and
‘micro’ one-millionth (10-6
)
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar
University, Tobruk, Libya.
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35. Weights and measure
• 1000 millilitres (mL) = 1 litre (L)
• 1000 microgram (µg) = 1 milligram (mg)
• 1000 milligram (mg) = 1 gram (g)
• 1000 grams (g) = 1 kilogram (kg)
• 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 pounds (lb)
• 1 teaspoonful (tsp) = 5 mL
• 1 tablespoonful = 15 mL ( 3 teaspoonful)
• 1 grain (Avoirdupois or Apothecaries System) = 64.8 mg
• 1 pint (pt) = 473 mL
• 1 gallon (gal) = 3785 mL
• 1 fluid ounce (oz) = 29.57 mL (30 mL)
• 1 fluid ounce (oz) = 480 minims
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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36. Expression of strength
• Ratio is the relative magnitude of two like quantities.
Thus:
1:10 = 1 part in 10 parts or 1 g in 10 g
• If 1 g of sucrose is in 10 g of solution, the ratio is 1:10.
• Therefore, 10 g of sucrose is in 100 g of solution. This
can be expressed as a percentage, so it is equivalent to a
10% w/w (weight in weight) solution.
• Ratio strength is the expression of a concentration by
means of a ratio, e.g. 1:10. Percentage strength is a
ratio of parts per hundred, e.g. 10%.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar
University, Tobruk, Libya.
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37. Expression of strength
1. Percentage weight in weight (w/w): Percentage weight in
weight (w/w) is the number of grams of an active ingredient
in 100 grams (solid or liquids).
2. Percentage weight in volume (w/v): Percentage weight in
volume (w/v) is the number of grams of an active ingredient
in 100 mL of liquid.
3. Percentage volume in volume (v/v): Percentage volume in
volume (v/v) indicates the number of millilitres (mL) of an
active ingredient in 100 mL.
4. Percentage volume in weight (v/w): Percentage of volume
in weight (v/w) indicates number of millilitres (mL) of an
active ingredient in 100 grams.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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38. Incompatibilities
• The undesired change, taking place in the physical,
chemical or therapeutic properties of the medicament, when
two or more ingredients of a prescription are mixed together
is termed as incompatibility.
• While handling a prescription containing combinations,
many a times, problems associated with therapeutic,
physical and chemical properties of the drugs arise.
• Incompatibilities are, therefore, grouped into three classes:
1. Therapeutic Incompatibility
2. Physical Incompatibility
3. Chemical Incompatibility
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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39. Therapeutic Incompatibility
• In this type, problems arise by combining drugs or
doses prescribed.
• Many times examples of therapeutic incompatibility
are reported in the prescriptions, such as over dosing,
drug interaction, prescribing antagonistic drugs
together, etc. and in all these cases it becomes binding
on the part of the pharmacist to refer back such
prescriptions to the physician and as such these
prescriptions can not be filled in hence there is no
questions of utilizing skill of the pharmacist to
dispense these prescriptions.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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40. Physical Incompatibility
• In this type, mixing or combination of drugs produce a
preparation unacceptable in appearance or inaccuracy in
doses or immiscibility problems.
• For example, combination of oil and water presents a
problem of immiscibility and this defect is corrected by
emulsification. Eutectic mixture of powders is another
example of physical incompatibility.
• Oil and water do not mix. Emulsification corrects the
incompatibility. Dispense by making an emulsion.
• The combination of forms a eutectic mixture. To avoid, to
each ingredient add equal quantity of starch, triturate
separately and then mix at the end.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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41. Chemical Incompatibility
• In this type, two or more drugs react to give new
compounds which may be toxic or inactive. Remedy
lies in replacing one or more ingredients of the same
medical usefulness, yet inert.
• Chemical interaction between the drugs of
prescription lead to chemical incompatibility. These
incompatibilities include effervescence, precipitation,
colour changes and at times formation of toxic
substances. It is the duty of the pharmacist to correct
the incompatibilities with of course, the consent of
the prescriber.
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.
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42. THANK YOUE-mail: nanjwadebk@gmail.com
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Faculty of Pharmacy, Omer Al-Mukhtar University,
Tobruk, Libya.