Pharm Yaks
A hybrid podcast for pharmacy technicians and future pharmacists. Each week, human producer and lifelong learner Adam Snetiker brings you a new conversation that takes place between two AI hosts, provided by Google’s NotebookLM. Please excuse any pronunciation errors; artificial voices aren’t perfect.
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 28, 2024
Preparing Medication
Wednesday Aug 28, 2024
Wednesday Aug 28, 2024
This conversation is about the essential role of pharmacy technicians in the medication preparation process. The lessons highlight their primary function in interpreting prescriptions and preparing medications while working collaboratively with pharmacists.
The hosts also detail specific tasks, such as prescription processing, inventory management, compounding, and patient interaction. Importantly, they differentiate between discretionary duties, where technicians can exercise judgment, and non-discretionary duties, which require pharmacist oversight.
Finally, they discuss examples of scenarios that technicians may encounter, such as look-alike/sound-alike medications and prescription discrepancies, along with recommended practices for handling them.
Monday Aug 26, 2024
Liquid Forms
Monday Aug 26, 2024
Monday Aug 26, 2024
This conversation is about liquid forms of medication, specifically solutions, suspensions, and emulsions. The hosts talk about the different properties of each type and the importance of emulsifiers in creating stable mixtures.
The lessons also detail the pharmacy technician's role in reconstituting oral antibiotics, a process that involves mixing a powdered medication with water to create a usable liquid. The hosts then outline the steps involved in reconstitution, including the importance of accurate measurements and shaking to ensure proper dispersion.
Finally, the discussion concludes with a demonstration of how to prepare different oral liquid medications, highlighting the unique procedures required for each formulation.
Friday Aug 23, 2024
Tablets and Capsules
Friday Aug 23, 2024
Friday Aug 23, 2024
This conversation is about the process of filling prescriptions for tablets and capsules. The lessons cover essential aspects such as prescription interpretation, understanding various tablet and capsule forms, using different filling machines and bottles, and demonstrating the proper steps of preparing, counting, pouring, and labeling medications. The objective is to prepare pharmacy students for the tasks involved in accurately and safely dispensing these common medication forms.
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
Dosage Calculations
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
Wednesday Aug 21, 2024
This conversation is about dosage calculations for medication administration. The lessons outline three basic methods: the formula method, dimensional analysis, and the ratio-proportion method.
The hosts also discuss various formulas for calculating pediatric dosages, including Clark's Rule, Young's Rule, and Fried's Rule. Finally, they explain infusion calculations for flow rate and drip rate, providing the formulas for determining the appropriate values.
Monday Aug 19, 2024
Pharmacy Equipment
Monday Aug 19, 2024
Monday Aug 19, 2024
This conversation is about the equipment and software used in a pharmacy setting. The lessons cover the tools for weighing, mixing, counting, and dispensing medications, including balances, volumetric glassware, spatulas, and automated dispensing machines. The hosts explain the differences between non-sterile and sterile compounding, highlighting the importance of a sterile environment for intravenous solutions and injections.
They also outline the functions of pharmacy software programs, focusing on prescription management, inventory tracking, patient records, compliance, and reporting, including activity summaries and prescription logs.
Friday Aug 16, 2024
Common Drugs
Friday Aug 16, 2024
Friday Aug 16, 2024
This conversation is about the development, classification, dosage forms, administration routes, and therapeutic uses of drugs. The lessons emphasize drug naming conventions, outline key reference books used in pharmacy practice, and provide examples of common medications and their applications in treating various ailments.
Wednesday Aug 14, 2024
The Pharmacy Technician
Wednesday Aug 14, 2024
Wednesday Aug 14, 2024
This conversation is a deep dive into the role of the pharmacy technician. The lessons provide an overview of the pharmacy technician profession, outlining the necessary skills and attributes, daily responsibilities in both retail and hospital settings, and the training and certification requirements. The hosts also explores common medical terminology, drug classifications, abbreviations used in the pharmacy, and the types of disorders treated with medication, emphasizing the importance of accuracy, patient safety, and communication in this vital role within the healthcare system.
Monday Aug 12, 2024
Pharmacy Settings
Monday Aug 12, 2024
Monday Aug 12, 2024
This conversation is about the different settings in which pharmacists practice. The lessons compare and contrast their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages as they examine three main types of pharmacy settings: community pharmacies, hospital/institutional pharmacies, and mail-order pharmacies.Each type of pharmacy plays a distinct role in the healthcare system and caters to different patient needs, ranging from providing personalized service and counseling to dispensing medications directly to patients through the mail. The hosts help you to understand the unique features and challenges faced by pharmacists working in each setting.
Friday Aug 09, 2024
Pathology Overview
Friday Aug 09, 2024
Friday Aug 09, 2024
This conversation offers an overview of human anatomy and physiology, focusing on important concepts like homeostasis and pathology of diseases. The lessons explain how the body is organized into regions, quadrants, and cavities, and discuss pathological conditions related to nutrition, hydration, and body temperature.The hosts also discuss the functions of the eleven organ systems: skin, bones, muscles, nerves, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, lymphatic system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, and reproductive system.
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
Cell Basics
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
This conversation is about the fundamental building blocks of life: cells. The lessons delve into the pathology of cells, examining how changes in their structure and function can lead to various diseases.The hosts have centered their discussion around different types of cell growth, including benign and malignant neoplasms, as well as the various types of cells and tissues found throughout the body, each specialized to perform specific functions.
Monday Aug 05, 2024
The Human Body
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Monday Aug 05, 2024
This conversation is all about the human body, including its structure (anatomy) and function (physiology). The lessons outline various medical treatments and therapies, including curative, supportive, abortive, combination, pharmacotherapy, and preventative approaches.The hosts further explore pathology, the study of diseases, their structural and functional changes, and diagnostic techniques. They also define key directional terms used to describe body regions relative to each other and introduce anatomical planes for visualizing body sections.Finally, the discussion concludes by emphasizing the interconnectedness of structure and function through the Principle of Complementarity, highlighting the importance of understanding these fundamental concepts in healthcare.
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Medical Terminology
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Friday Aug 02, 2024
This conversation provides an introduction to medical terminology and fundamentals of anatomy. The lessons emphasize the importance of understanding how word parts combine to form complex terms.The hosts define and explain the three key components of medical terms: prefixes, word roots, and suffixes, demonstrating how these parts contribute to the overall meaning of a term. Furthermore, they discuss the use of combining forms, which are word roots joined with a vowel to facilitate pronunciation. The section then guides the student on how to analyze medical terms by breaking them down into their constituent parts, ultimately enabling better comprehension of medical vocabulary.
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
Professional Behavior
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
Wednesday Jul 31, 2024
This conversation is about professional behavior for allied health careers, emphasizing key aspects like critical thinking, accountability, and adherence to rules and regulations. It stresses the importance of maintaining confidentiality and upholding professional attire and personal hygiene standards.
This lesson also explores the significance of modeling professional behavior through respectful communication, punctuality, and a positive attitude to foster a collaborative and supportive work environment.
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Communication Skills
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Monday Jul 29, 2024
This conversation is about the importance of professional communication in healthcare. The lessons emphasize how effective communication contributes to a positive work environment, efficient workflows, and improved patient outcomes.
The hosts outline specific communication skills such as verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening, and clear written communication, which are crucial for problem-solving and building strong patient-provider relationships.
Furthermore, they underscore the significance of teamwork, emphasizing how collaboration among healthcare professionals ensures coordinated and responsive care, ultimately leading to enhanced patient satisfaction.
Friday Jul 26, 2024
Interpersonal Relationships
Friday Jul 26, 2024
Friday Jul 26, 2024
This conversation is about building strong interpersonal relationships in a work setting. The lessons outline strategies for reframing and eliminating conflict through communication, empathy, and understanding different perspectives.
Five conflict management styles are defined - accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, competing, and compromising – and the hosts discuss conflict resolution skills like clear communication, empathy, and patience.
The discussion also emphasizes the importance of cultural competence, which includes understanding and respecting diverse backgrounds, adapting communication styles, and continuously learning.
Finally, the hosts examine the key skills needed to build trusting relationships with coworkers and patients, emphasizing the roles of integrity, reliability, communication, empathy and compassion, and commitment.
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Emotional Intelligence
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
Wednesday Jul 24, 2024
This conversation is about building self-esteem and emotional strength in healthcare professionals. The lessons highlight the importance of optimism and the challenges of managing emotions in a high-pressure workplace.
The hosts also discuss the positive impact of emotional intelligence on patients, including improved communication, personalized care, and better clinical outcomes.
Monday Jul 22, 2024
Boosting Performance
Monday Jul 22, 2024
Monday Jul 22, 2024
This conversation is about the key skills and attributes essential for healthcare professionals. It focuses on how self-talk, positive expectations, and effective time management contribute to optimal patient care and a positive work environment.
The lessons define self-talk and its impact on performance and patient experience, emphasizing the importance of positive self-talk for fostering confidence and professionalism. The hosts then explores how positive expectations from healthcare providers influence patient outcomes, highlighting the significance of a welcoming environment and effective communication.
Successful time management techniques, including prioritization, organization, delegation, and avoiding procrastination, are discussed to ensure efficient workflow and patient satisfaction.
Lastly, they talk about desired attributes such as empathy, communication skills, adaptability, attention to detail, and ethical conduct as crucial for healthcare professionals. Strategies for demonstrating a positive attitude and managing change, such as cultivating a positive mindset, accepting change, and continuous learning, are presented to promote a supportive and adaptable work environment.
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Meet Your Curator
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Friday Jul 19, 2024
The hosts introduce Adam Snetiker, the human creator of Pharm Yaks, and discuss his journey towards becoming a pharmacy technician and possibly a pharmacist.