In the modern era of digital healthcare, pharmacists and pharmacy students must understand the basics of web technologies because most medical records, drug databases, and hospital management systems operate on web-based platforms. This unit introduces HTML, XML, CSS, programming languages, web servers, and databases, all of which form the backbone of today’s healthcare and pharmaceutical software.
Introduction to Web Technologies
Web technologies are the tools and methods used to create, manage, and operate applications on the internet. For pharmacy students, learning these technologies is useful because hospital management systems, e-prescriptions, drug inventory platforms, and online medical portals all rely on them.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
Definition: HTML is the standard language used to design web pages.
- Role in Pharmacy Applications: HTML is used to create online forms where patients enter prescription details, and pharmacists access information about available drugs.
- Example: An online pharmacy website that shows medicine details like name, dosage, and manufacturer uses HTML to structure the data.
XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
Definition: XML is a markup language designed to store and transport data in a structured format.
- Importance in Pharmacy: XML allows different healthcare applications to exchange data smoothly. For example, prescription details can be sent from a doctor’s system to a pharmacy database using XML.
- Practical Use: Storing drug details, patient reports, and lab results in a universal format that any software can read.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Definition: CSS is used to style and design HTML pages by controlling colors, fonts, and layouts.
- Pharmaceutical Relevance: CSS helps create user-friendly pharmacy portals where doctors, pharmacists, and patients can easily navigate and read drug-related information.
Programming Languages in Web Technologies
Programming languages are essential for making web pages interactive and functional.
- JavaScript: Adds interactive features to online pharmacy systems such as real-time drug availability checking.
- PHP / Python: Commonly used for server-side programming, useful in building healthcare databases and management software.
- Relevance in Pharmacy: Programming languages ensure that pharmacy software responds correctly when a user searches for drugs, checks dosage instructions, or updates patient records.
Introduction to Web Servers and Server Products
Web servers are specialized software and hardware that deliver web pages to users when requested.
Definition: A web server stores, processes, and delivers website content to a browser.
- Examples of Server Products:
- Apache HTTP Server – Widely used open-source web server.
- Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services) – A server product from Microsoft.
- Nginx – Lightweight server used in high-performance healthcare systems.
- Pharmaceutical Relevance: Web servers host online pharmacy platforms, e-health portals, and hospital information systems so that data can be accessed securely by multiple users.
Introduction to Databases in Pharmacy
A database is a structured collection of information stored electronically. In the pharmaceutical field, databases play a key role in maintaining patient history, prescription details, and drug inventories.
MySQL
Definition: MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS).
- Pharmacy Applications:
- Managing large-scale drug inventories.
- Storing patient prescription records.
- Linking laboratory reports with pharmacy systems.
MS Access
Definition: Microsoft Access is a desktop database system with a user-friendly interface.
- Pharmacy Applications:
- Useful for small pharmacies to track daily prescriptions, stock levels, and billing details.
- Allows quick creation of pharmacy databases without advanced technical knowledge.
Pharmacy Drug Database
A Pharmacy Drug Database is a specialized collection of drug-related information stored for quick retrieval and safe usage.
- Contents of Drug Database:
- Drug name, chemical composition, manufacturer details.
- Dosage information and therapeutic uses.
- Side effects, interactions, and storage conditions.
- Use in Pharmacy Practice:
- Ensures accurate dispensing of medicines.
- Helps avoid drug interaction errors.
- Facilitates online pharmacy services where patients can search for medicine availability.