Should torsion balance technique continue to be taught to pharmacy students?

To determine the types of balances used in compounding pharmacies: torsion or digital. A survey was mailed to the pharmacist-in-charge at 698 pharmacies, representing 47% of the pharmacies in Missouri as of July 2013. The pharmacies were randomly selected and stratified by region into eight regions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of pharmaceutical education Vol. 81; no. 5; p. 1
Main Authors Bilger, Rhonda, Chereson, Rasma, Salama, Noha Nabil
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Alexandria American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 01.06.2017
Elsevier Limited
Subjects
Accuracy
Agricultural Skills
Agriculture
Analysis
Consumer Education
Curricula
Drug compounding
Drug stores
Education
Health education
Laboratories
Laboratory Training
Medical students
Pharmaceutical Education
Pharmaceutical sciences
Pharmacy
Pharmacy management
Prescriptions
Quality Control
Schools
Skills
Students
Study and teaching
Surveys
Task forces
Teaching Methods
United States
United States > US
Missouri
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Summary:To determine the types of balances used in compounding pharmacies: torsion or digital. A survey was mailed to the pharmacist-in-charge at 698 pharmacies, representing 47% of the pharmacies in Missouri as of July 2013. The pharmacies were randomly selected and stratified by region into eight regions to ensure a representative sample. Information was gathered regarding the type and use of balances and pharmacists' perspectives on the need to teach torsion balance technique to pharmacy students. The response rate for the survey was 53.3%. Out of the total responses received, those pharmacies having a torsion balance, digital balance or both were 46.8%, 27.4% and 11.8%, respectively. About 68.3% of respondents compound prescriptions. The study showed that 52% of compounding pharmacies use torsion balances in their practice. Of those with a balance in their pharmacy, 65.6% favored continuation of torsion balance instruction. Digital balances have become increasingly popular and have replaced torsion balances in some pharmacies, especially those that compound a significant number of prescriptions. The results of this study indicate that torsion balances remain integral to compounding practice. Therefore, students should continue being taught torsion balance technique at the college.
ISSN:0002-9459
1553-6467