When it comes time to study for your pharmacy technician exam it may not automatically be obvious which pharmacy technician books are better to use than others. There are, after all, so many different study guides and textbooks available out there that it becomes very difficult to make a decision about which book you should use in order to prepare for the exam. The important thing to remember here is that all students study in a different way, so the best guide to use when studying depends largely on your personal study habits and characteristics. Considering all of the different options and choosing a book or two that are best for you at a personal level is the best method.
Buying Books For The Pharmacy Technician Exam
Because there are so many different pharmacy technician books out there to choose from you need to develop a fairly good idea f what sources for pharmacy technician books are reliable and which are not. For example it is better to choose books which are provided by:
- The PTCB
- The American Pharmacists Association
That is not to say that books form other publishers and sources are not just as good – the chances are merely higher that you will receive something that is of good quality and, more importantly, that is guaranteed to prepare you for your particular examination.
The vast choice that you have in this regard is bound to make you feel a little uncertain at times and you may begin to think that you will never be able to find the best pharmacy technician study guide for you. However all it takes is a little research and you will be well on your way to studying in a manner that is productive and that increases your chances of success on the examination.
There are two main resource material types that you will need to make a success of your exam:
- Books covering pharmacy procedures and practice, pharmacy math, and pharmacology (the study of medications).
- Two sets of flashcards, one set with common brand name medications and their corresponding generic drug name, and the other set with sig codes (medical abbreviations used on prescriptions and physician’s orders).
Books Available From The PTCB
The first place to begin looking for pharmacy technician books that will help you prepare for the examination is at the website of the PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board). The books that are mentioned here are guaranteed to be excellent as the board itself is well aware of what will be on the exam and is therefore uniquely positioned to provide you with appropriate materials. The list of books that the board offers can be found here. It must be noted that you will not be required to buy all of the books listed on this site as many of them cover the same work, just in different ways. Most students will buy no more than two actual books as well as supplementary materials like flash cards and CDs. Often books include these additional resources in the price. The two best books that the PTCB has on offer are the following:
- Manual for Pharmacy Technicians, Certification Review, and Workbook – by Bonnie S. Bachenheimer, Barbara Lacher, and Mary McHugh.
- Pharmacy Certified Technician Calculations Workbook and CD-ROM – by the Michigan Pharmacists Association.
It is highly recommended that you start your search at the PTCB.
American Pharmacists Association
In addition to the PTCB the American Pharmacists Association (APA) also has many excellent books on offer that will help you prepare for the exam. Again this is a trusted source of information regarding what the best books are. The books that are offered on the APAs website include:
- The Pharmacy Technician’s Pocket Drug Reference, 6th Edition by Joyce A. Generali
- The APhA Pharmacy Technician Certification Training Series SET
- Complete Review for the Pharmacy Technician, 2nd Edition by L. Michael Posey
- Complete Math Review for the Pharmacy Technician, 2nd Edition by William A. Hopkins
- Pharmacy Technician Certification Quick-Study Guide, 3rd Edition by Susan Moss Marks and William A. Hopkins, Jr.
- The Pharmacy Technician’s Pocket Drug Reference, 6th Edition by Joyce A. Generali
- The Pharmacy Technician Skills-Building Manual by Karen Snipe
- Communication & Management Skills for the Pharmacy Technician by Jody Jacobson Wedret
- The Pharmacy Technician’s Introduction to Pharmacy by L. Michael Posey
Again you will not be required to buy all of the books listed on this website as they tend to cover the same work. The important thing for you to determine before you begin searching for the best pharmacy technician books is what kind of study habits you have and what kind of learning methods suit you best.
Pharmacy Technician eBooks
In the modern world it is no longer necessary for you to buy a hardcopy of a book and carry it around with you. Technological advancements allow you to read books on devices such as the kindle offered by Amazon.com. This allows you to have numerous books with you at the same time as you will not have to limit the number of study guides you keep with based on the amount of space that you have in your bag. In addition you will, after a bit of research, come to realize that these eBooks can be substantially cheaper than actual books, although this is not always the case as you are, after all, paying for the intellectual property rather than for the paper. Like textbooks for many other subjects there are a number of pharmacy technician books available in eBook format that you will be able to take advantage of if you want to order multiple publications. Again you must consider whether or not you are a student that will learn better from an eBook or from a hardcopy.
The following eBooks are available from Amazon.com:
- The Pharmacy Technician: A Comprehensive Approach, Second Edition by Jahangir Moini. Download for $66.93
- Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam Review, 3rd Edition by Lorraine C. Zentz. Download for $50.75
- Math for the Pharmacy Technician: Concepts and Calculations by Kathryn A. Booth and Lynn Egler. Download for $49.94
Used Text Books
If money6 is the problem you will be interested in hearing that there are many places where you can get your hands on used pharmacy technician books, which will, of course, be cheaper. Online websites such as eBay and Amazon.com frequently have such books available and you should be able to find them relatively easily. In addition you can also look for second hand book stores in your area as these may also contain pharmacy technician study guides. However you may not find exactly what you are looking for. The best place to find used pharmacy technician books is through other students who have already passed the examinations and no longer require the work. This is also something that you can do once you have written and passed the exam. However it must be noted that these books often come in handy when seeking recertification by writing the recertification examination, so this is also something that you may want to keep in mind.
There are a number of sources that you can turn to for finding the best pharmacy technician books. However there are still a large number to choose from, so a list of some of the bestselling and most helpful options is included below.
List Of Pharmacy Technician Books
When looking for the best guide to use when studying for your pharmacy technician exam, you have a lot of options to choose from, each of which is good for a different reason. Those listed here are considered to be bestsellers in terms of pharmacy technician preparation guides. There is also no reason to stick to only one book as some of them act as excellent complements to each other. Remember that these books are aimed at preparing you for the exam and already assume that you have developed some basic knowledge of the concepts involved in being a pharmacy technician.
PharmacyTrainer: Pharmacy Technician Certification Review Book
Pages: 350
Review: This is one of the most popular and comprehensive options that you could choose in order to prepare for the exam as it contains information in its 45 chapters that will cover all of the work you could possibly be tested on in the examination.
PharmacyTrainer: Pharmacy Technician Certification Interactive CDROM
Pages: N/A
Review: This contains that same information as the book listed above, but is better suited for those students who find it easier to learn through a computerized format than from a book.
Mizner: Mosby’s Review for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination Book + CDROM
Pages: 279
Review: Another comprehensive pharmacy technician book, this one also includes handy outlines and helpful electronic flash cards as well as a CD ROM for students who learn in different ways. This is one of the better pharmacy technician books available.
Thomson Learning: Comprehensive Exam Review for the Pharmacy Technician
Pages: unknown
Review: This book includes essential materials, comprehensive summaries of all of the relevant topics for the exam, quizzes and tests, as well as a CD ROM that provides a number of review questions and other materials to improve your chances on the exam.
Delmar: Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam Review
Pages: 599
Review: As one of the best selling pharmacy technician books, this one, especially the most recent version thereof, comes highly recommended as a resource for studying for the pharmacy technician examination.
Posey: Complete Review for the Pharmacy Technician
Pages: 232
Review: This is a review book for those preparing for the exam and includes topics related to pharmacy calculations and contains more than 750 practice problems and a 101-question post-test. Hard work combined with this study guide will ensure success on the exam.
Aiken: Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam Review
Pages: 142
Review: This is listed as one of the bestselling books for pharmacy technician students who would like to do their best on the pharmacy technician examination.
ASHP: Manual for Pharmacy Technicians
Pages: 596
Review: This pharmacy technician book offers practical skills and foundational knowledge for pharmacy technicians and it contains several additional chapters not contained in previous versions or other similar books including specialty pharmacy practice, communication and teamwork, billing and reimbursement, and durable and nondurable medical equipment and devices.
ASHP: Pharmacy Technician Certification Review and Practice Exam
Pages: 170
Review: This is a good option for those looking at taking the recertification exam as well as the initial certification exam. The current version has been modernized to include new content that aligns with the latest certification competencies, new and updated self-assessment questions, a chapter on test-taking tips, and a practice exam.
APhA: Pharmacy Technician Certification Quick Study Guide
Pages: 162
Review: This is known as one of the better pharmacy technician books offering many opportunities for students to practice their skills and check their understanding. It includes 457 sample questions with an answer key, key terms and concepts, chapter summary, and questions for discussion among other things.
Pharmacy Tech Series: Certification Exam Review
Pages: 196
Review: This is a resource that will help you feel fully prepared for the actual exam situation as it includes 5 certification practice exams, each consisting of 90 multiple-choice questions which are weighted according to PTCB content guidelines.
The books listed here are general considered to be some of the best pharmacy technician books currently available on the market and therefore are a good place to start with your search for the best guide to use when studying. It is important that you consider each book form your personal learning perspective and that you take the time, when possible, to flip through each book and determine whether or not it is the kind of book that you are likely to be able to study from with ease. This is a very personal decision for you to make.