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!