Semester Reflection

Semester Reflection

First Semester of Pharmacy School

I can officially say that the first semester of pharmacy school has been successfully completed! At the start of the semester, I found the tests really difficult.  I realized though that as long as I worked hard, I could handle it. Now I anxiously wait for final grades that come out next week.  Having participated in IPPE1 this semester, I realized that the areas of pharmacy that I am especially interested in include hospital inpatient pharmacy, hospital administration, research, international pharmacy, and drug information. I look forward to exploring these and many more areas in the coming years.  For now, I am looking forward to a well-earned winter break! Happy Holidays to everyone!

Rotation - IPPE1 Westlawn Student Health Pharmacy

Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience

The University of Iowa – Westlawn Student Health Pharmacy (9/21/2012)

 

My fourth shadowing experience was with Westlawn Student Health Center on The University of Iowa Campus.  It was interesting to learn about a different kind of community pharmacy setting. I found it very similar to a retail community pharmacy and the pharmacist was very receptive to having me shadow her. The focus of the pharmacy is college students so there is a different focus of medications.  I did like the smaller nature of the practice site and the fact that even though it was a community setting, the pharmacist could interact with doctors and nurses in the same building.  I am really glad I did my IPPE1 shadowing this semester because it has really helped me to start thinking about which areas of pharmacy I am most interested in and how I can prepare myself throughout pharmacy school to practice at the type of site that most interests me. 

Speaker – Keith W. Johnson

ENSURING ACCESS TO MEDICINES

Speaker – Keith W. Johnson (11-29-2012)

 At today’s special speaker event we had Pharmacist Keith W. Johnson talk about his work at the Management Sciences for Health. The organization works in underdeveloped countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, and Liberia to ensure that the people there have access to medications. Before the organization’s work in Tanzania, the people there had very limited access to medications. The nearest pharmacy could be 25 km away which is especially far when patients do not have transportation means. Essentially the organization worked to convert ‘cold pharmacies’ which sold over the counter medications and accredited them so that proper medication storage and counseling was taking place.  The picture above shows an accredited Duka La Dawa Muhimu (pharmacy).  The program has been successful because of active partnership with the government and the local people. The organization allows for the local people to take ownership of the project to ensure that it continues to be carried out for years to come.  Attending this speaker helped me realize that I would like to spend two or three weeks working in developing countries sometime.  It would be a great opportunity to learn about health care from another perspective and learn about a new culture at the same time. 

Community Engagement - KATY’S KIDS

KATY’S KIDS

Volunteering (11-15-2012)

Volunteering for Katy’s Kids at Weber Elementary school was a really fun experience. Katy’s kids is a poison and drug abuse prevention programmed aimed at elementary school kids.  Katy is a kangaroo and the key concepts she teaches the kids are:

·         Medicine can be dangerous if not taken correctly

·         Pharmacists are medication experts and are available to answer any medication questions

·         Medicine is not candy

·         Never take medicine meant for someone else

·         Medicine should be taken only when you are sick or to keep you well

·         Only your parents or adults you know should give you medicine

First the kids watched an interactive video which I presented and talked throughout as needed.  I also prompted the kids to say hi to Katy the Kangaroo in the video and prompted the kids to interact as needed throughout the video.  The kids were really receptive to the video and the presentation.  After the presentation I told them that they had been such good listeners that Katy has come to visit them.  Another student pharmacist was in a Katy suit and she gave the kids high fives and hugs.  Overall the kids really enjoyed it and I loved interacting with the kids.  It was a lot of fun!

Speaker - Dr. Dabney Evans

CUBAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Speaker - Dr. Dabney Evans (11-12-2012)

 

I had the opportunity to attend Dr. Dabney Evans presentation on the Cuban health care system. Before this presentation I did not know anything about the Cuban health care system.  Cuban health care is actually very unique because even though Cuba is a low income country, it is able to provide health care that is comparable to more developed countries. The health challenges Cuba faces are different than those of developed countries.  In developed countries the top causes of death are coronary heart disease and lung cancer.  In developing countries the top causes are lower respiratory infections and HIV/AIDS, in addition to coronary heart disease.  It is important to note that there are several social determinants of health in Cuba that influences the health care. First of all, health is classified as a human right under the constitution which creates a culture of Cubans who care about their health and expect good health care. Secondly, Cuba has more than double the amount of doctors per 1000 people compared to the United States and doctors do more than only diagnosing the disease. Doctors take on additional roles such as those that would be done by health educators to help patients understand health issues. Finally, since Cuba is a lower income country, more of the health costs are focused towards preventative care rather than treating diseases. It was a very interesting talk and I learned quite a bit about Cuba. I hope I can visit someday and see this model of health care at work!

Speaker – Cindy Marek

APHA-ASP CHAPTER MEETING

Speaker – Cindy Marek (11-5-2012)

This week I had the opportunity to hear compounding pharmacist Cindy Marek from the College of Dentistry speak about the role of pharmacists in compounding practice and discuss the recent meningitis outbreak. Dr. Marek discussed that the reason for compounding drugs is that the patient cannot tolerate the manufactured product due to a particular characteristic of the drug such as dyes, preservatives, ethanol, flavor, or the dose or dosage form.  Another reason for compounding medications is that the commercial product is no longer available perhaps due to safety issues or loss of market share.  The most common compounded medications are for pain, dermatology, or hormone treatment. An essential component of compounding is the triad consisting of the doctor, pharmacists, and patient.  This triad helps to serve as a safety mechanism in providing healthcare to the patient. In the case of the meningitis outbreak where the New England Compounding Center was shipping large quantities of drug across the United States, this triad safety system was broken. The meningitis outbreak was caused by several different fungal species and has led to numerous deaths.  It has also negatively affected the field of compounding.  Pharmacists will have to work to inform the public that with sterile techniques compounding is a safe and effective option of drug preparation.

Community Engagement - Lunch and Learn

Lunch and Learn

University of Iowa Campus Recreation and Wellness Center (10-25-2012)

One of the best events I have participated in so far has been the Lunch and Learn presentation at the University of Iowa Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The presentation focused on the differences between prescriptions and over-the-counter medications and included basic information about vitamins and supplements. Some information that we discussed  in the presentation was as follows. Brand name medication and generic pills work exactly the same way and spending more does not mean that it is a better drug. Generic drugs also tend to be safer because they have been on the market longer and many more people have taken them. One key over-the-counter medication we talked about was acetaminophen, also known as APAP.  The reason APAP is so important is because it is found in so many over-the-counter medications that it is very easy to accidentally overdose on it when taking multiple medications. Overdosing on acetaminophen has serious effects on the liver and can also cause death. The part I especially loved about the presentation was when I had the opportunity to use my nutrition knowledge from attending graduate school at Iowa State University.  I discussed some basic legislation about nutritional supplements and talked about vitamins A, B6, C, and D. One of the best ways to learn is to teach the information to others and I appreciate that I was able to teach and learn at the same time!

Conferences & Meetings - Iowa Pharmacy Association College Night

Iowa Pharmacy Association

College Night (9-12-2012)

 

Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA) college night was an event that I attended at the beginning of the semester. I remembered how great of an event it was and decided to share. The event was held at the Coralville Marriot and had both students and faculty from the college of pharmacy. The event was aimed for students to learn about the Iowa Pharmacy Association and how to be involved with the organization. IPA offers several ways for students to be involved.  These include volunteering for the house of delegates, policy committees, advisory board, board of trustees, pharmacy recovery network, and katy’s kids. Students can also apply to attend the student leadership conference, do an IPPE4 rotation, or do a summer internship with IPA.  IPA also has annual meetings and legislative day.  For legislative day, students go to the Iowa State capitol in Des Moines to interact with their government representatives.  I enjoyed learning about all these great opportunities but I especially liked the event because it gave me to the chance to interact with classmates I haven’t talked to yet. I still continue to meet people I haven’t seen before in my class but hopefully by the end of the semester as I continue to stay involved in the pharmacy organizations, I will have had a chance to interact with everyone in my pharmacy class.  I feel fortunate to be attending pharmacy school at the University of Iowa and to be in a state with such a great pharmacy association. 

Community Engagement - Heartburn Awareness

CVS – HEALTH FAIR

Heartburn Awareness (10/14/2012)

Last week I volunteered at the heartburn awareness booth at the CVS grand opening health fair. It was a really great event since we had several students from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. In addition to the heartburn awareness booth, there was the smoking cessation, blood pressure, diabetes, and flu shot booths.  Herky, the University of Iowa mascot, and the cheerleaders were also there making it a very fun and educational event for everyone. Our booth had a spinning wheel which the people could spin and then answer a question about heartburn awareness. If they answered the question correctly then they won a small prize. The kids loved spinning the wheel and trying to answer a question and the adults found the information useful. The adults especially liked the brochures such as the stop & select pocket guide.  The guide includes a list of foods that do and do not cause heartburn. The red code warns patients to stop and reconsider the food choice, yellow code advises patients to consume with discretion and the green foods are a go with little potential to cause heartburn. Below is a link to the stop and select food guide.  It was great learning experience to educate the people about heartburn and how to prevent it. My favorite moment of the event was when Herky spun the wheel and tried to answer a heartburn question!

http://balancedconcepts.net/Heartburn_Alliance_chart.pdf 

Speaker – David Zilz

ASHP UI-SHP CHAPTER MEETING

Speaker – David Zilz (10/8/2012)

 

The University of Iowa student club leaders have been really great at having speakers come and spend time with the pharmacy students. This week we had the past president of ASHP, David Zilz, speak to us about health-systems pharmacy and advancing pharmacy practice. I really liked the presentation because it was well researched and presented good resources that I plan to explore. Even though I have a lot to learn about my career in pharmacy, events such as these allow for the development of the skill of life-long learning. To continually attend new events and have new experiences that may present me with an idea or opinion that I might not have considered earlier.  Events such as these spark my desire to think about the direction I would like to lead my career and the actions and experiences I can engage in during pharmacy school. I look forward to continue to hear from engaging speakers as I go through pharmacy school. 

Speakers - Tom Temple and Bill Wimmer

APhA-ASP CHAPTER MEETING

Speakers - Tom Temple and Bill Wimmer (10/1/2012)

Earlier this week, the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy hosted Mr. Tom Temple and Bill Wimmer. Mr. Temple is the former CEO of the Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA) and Mr. Bill Wimmer is a legislative consultant for the Iowa Pharmacy association. I found it interesting to hear Mr. Temple describe his role in leading the Iowa Pharmacy Association and the reason why Mr. Wimmer was contracted as a legislative consultant.  The reason is that often the general public, including legislators, do not know the job of the pharmacist and it is important to educate them. This education allows legislators to better understand how the legislations they pass actually affect pharmacists. Most often pharmacists are seen in a community setting but in actuality there are a myriad of settings that a pharmacist practices in. It is important to represent all the pharmacists and to build a relationship with our legislators to continually have a positive impact on the profession.  Building relationships with legislators was especially stressed by Mr. Wimmer because it allows for continually teaching legislators about pharmacy and to ensure that legislation that needs to be passed is done accordingly.  By attending this APhA-ASP chapter meeting, I have been able to recognize the importance of being aware of pharmacy legislation and to also work on knowing my legislators. I plan on researching about my legislators and I look forward to attending the IPA legislative day in February at the Iowa State Capitol. 

Rotation - IPPE1 Nuclear Pharmacy

Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience

Nuclear Pharmacy (9/21/2012)

My most recent new experience has been shadowing at a nuclear pharmacy. It was wildly different than I expected it to be. For starters, the building had no signs advertising the business name. As soon as I walked in I heard a background beeping noise, a lab area, and an office area. I began with getting an introductory overview to nuclear pharmacy from the pharmacist followed by watching the pharmacist work in the lab. There are few practicing nuclear pharmacists in the United States and typically a nuclear pharmacy is not associated with a hospital but rather serves an area of many hospitals.  This is because the nuclear pharmacy equipment is very expensive and it saves the hospital money to contract out the medications they need instead of doing it at the hospital.  Also a nuclear pharmacy tends to serve an area fairly close to them because with further distances, more of a drug has to be dispensed to take into account the half-life of the medication.  For further distances, it would not be cost effective to send medications.  Also, a nuclear pharmacist works with much fewer drugs than one would see at a hospital or community pharmacy.  The coolest part of the experience was to hear the Giger counter beep really fast when the radioactive component of the medication was taken out of the thick shielding container.  Overall I became comfortable with the idea of nuclear pharmacy.  I understood that the business name was not advertised because the general population is not knowledgeable about nuclear pharmacy and it would make people unnecessarily worried.  In just a few hours I learned so much about nuclear pharmacy and I left feeling that it was an absolutely amazing experience! 

Rotation - IPPE1 Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (9/6/2012)

Last week I shadowed on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit which was really an eye-opening experience into the world of hospital pharmacy.  There are two main areas of hospital pharmacy which include ambulatory care and acute care. Ambulatory care refers to patients who are able to ambulate or 'walk'. Patients usually go here when they are leaving the hospital. Acute care includes areas such as oncology, hematology, pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, etc. The pediatric floor has a satellite pharmacy on the floor to focus specifically on the needs of the pediatric patients. I really enjoyed this experience because I learned about how the healthcare team works together to provide the best care for the patients. During rounds, the medical doctors, medical residents, medical fellows, nurses, social health worker, and pharmacy resident walked to each patient's door to discuss the most recent update on the patient and how to improve the patient's health.  Rounding was really collaborative. At the beginning of my visit I found it tough to see kids being so sick but towards the end of the visit I saw how rewarding it was to see when some of the patients had improved outcomes. I look forward to continue learning more about this area in the coming years. 

Pharmacy Organizations

Pharmacy Organizations

Which to Join?

Four weeks of pharmacy school have already passed and now I am trying to get a navigate all the numerous and wonderful pharmacy organizations I have the opportunity to join. Let’s go through a few of the here: American Pharmacist Association (APhA), American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), Student National Pharmacist Association (SNPhA), Iowa Pharmacy Association, Johnson County Pharmacy Association (JCPA).  Both the ApHA and the ASHP have student organizations which are called the American Pharmacist Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and the University of Iowa-Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists (UI-SHP).  APhA is the first and largest national pharmacy organization that serves as a collective voice of pharmacists.  ASHP is a 35,000 member organization that focuses on pharmacists who practice in more of a clinical setting such as hospitals, health maintenance organizations, and long-term care facilities. The student level organization of the national organizations such as the APhA-ASP and APhA provide great opportunities to attend national and local meetings, to network, and to do service projects.  The Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA) and the Johnson County Pharmacy Association (JCPA) are good ways to be involved and learn about pharmacy issues that are closer to home. Here is a site that lists many more national organizations: http://www.accp.com/stunet/compass/organizations.aspx Good luck exploring all these organizations. Keep learning and keep growing!

Welcome to the Profession Ceremony

Welcome to the Profession Ceremony 

University of Iowa - College of Pharmacy (8/18/2012)

 The Welcome to the Profession Ceremony is also known as the White Coat Ceremony.  We had ours just prior to the beginning of classes.  The ceremony included a welcome from the dean of the college of pharmacy and other leaders from the Iowa Board of Pharmacy.  As part of the ceremony, other pharmacists, family, and friends were invited to support the students.  Following the speeches, each student is called on the stage and their professional mentor put the white coat on the student. Next, the whole class stood up and read the oath of the pharmacist.  

The white coat ceremony helps to emphasize the importance of choosing the pharmacy profession as career. It helps students to understand the seriousness of that choice and the importance of professionalism. The white coat to me means that when someone sees me wearing it, they expect professional behavior.  The ceremony formalizes the entrance into to pharmacy school which is important because the knowledge we learn in the coming years will have a real impact on the health of their patients.

  Following the ceremony, I definitely feel more serious and focused about attending pharmacy school because I know that the knowledge that I learn will be very important in the future. Having our peer mentor put the white coat on us is important because it shows that not only do we have support in the coming years but that we also are truly being welcomed into the pharmacy profession.  Also, in a few short years we will eventually end up working with these mentors.  One point that was emphasized was that we should be involved and reach out to have a deeper understanding of the profession and I look forward to the coming years to do just that!