RPhLink.com  The Pharmaceutical Care Network! The Pharmacy Profession: Making a Difference by: M. B.   From Rutgers University 02/18/2004 When I was 17 years old, I began working in an independent pharmacy near my home in southwestern Pennsylvania. I never realized the tremendous impact that job would have on me. I remember in the interview, my soon-to-be boss asked me why I wanted to work there, and before I could answer, he cut in hoping that it was not because I wanted to be become a pharmacist. I assured him that was not the reason, and proudly told him that I wanted to become an astronomer. Despite being the most knowledgeable pharmacist I have ever known, and being passionate about pharmaceutical compounding, he disliked pharmacy because of the greatly exaggerated aspect of dispensing as a result of third parties. Nevertheless, during my two years of working there before going off to college, I realized that I truly loved the profession. Everyday that I worked, I saw first-hand the impact and positive influence that a good, caring pharmacist could have on the lives of his/her patients. My boss spent the majority of his time counseling patients, rather than dispensing, and left his technicians to work at the computers. His patients trusted him without fail, held him in very high regard, and had an incredible amount of respect for him. I was in awe of how much he made a difference in his patients' lives. I could see myself fitting into the profession as I learned from listening to him counsel, and from asking him questions about the drugs we were dispensing. Once I made the decision to go into pharmacy, I never looked back, and I certainly never question it. This profession was made for me. I decided to go into pharmacy because I wanted to make a difference in the people's lives and I saw just how much one pharmacist could really accomplish. Now I work in a chain drug store, and the atmosphere is quite different. There is not as much counseling, and the counseling that is done is not nearly as involved as it was in the independent store. Just yesterday at work, I realized why. An old high school classmate of mine came in to pick up a prescription. He asked how much more school I had to go through, and when I told him I still had three-and-a half years, he responded in amazement asking what else we have to do besides give people their drugs. After I briefly explained that, among other things, pharmacists have to know about drug interactions, disease state management, and how to design optimal individualized drug therapies, I realized that many people do not truly understand the role that pharmacists play, and therefore they do not take full advantage of the many services that pharmacists provide. Patients at that particular chain drug store ask fewer questions, not because they know more, but because they know less. They do not know how much a pharmacist's knowledge and professional counseling can improve their quality of life. I will make a positive impact on both my patients and my profession by educating the public about the roles that pharmacists play in the health care team. When people know how much we can do for them, they will allow us to help them, and they will trust us to do more. This will open the doors for the profession of pharmacy, and it will also improve the quality of the lives of those patients who believe we can help them. Advancements in medicine, health care technology, and education have helped people to live longer and healthier lives. Ironically, as people live to older ages because of medicine, the necessity for even more medications grows. This is an opportunity for pharmacists to use their knowledge and their training to show their patients how much they can help. Strangely, when pharmacists help their patients, they are also helping themselves and their profession by strengthening their position in the health care team and building a strong bond with the community. By counseling my patients to the best of my ability, whether I decide to go into retail or clinical pharmacy, I will improve the quality of my patient's lives, and I will advance the profession of pharmacy one patient at a time.   RPhLink.com  The Pharmaceutical Care Network!

"What contribution will I make to my profession when I graduate?"       12/17/04 From: C Q Washington State University PharmD candidate 2006 My contribution to my future profession is a gift that stems from my family and my experience from different pharmacy related fields. The experience began three years ago when pharmacy school began to challenge and expand my horizons. When I first entertained the idea of applying to pharmacy school I was a technician at a local independent retail/compounding/infusion pharmacy. After working there for only a few months, I realized the massive potential that the career held. My store not only consisted of retail and compounded bio-identical hormones; they had cornered every pharmacy related niche including: durable medical equipment, oxygen therapies, CPAP and BIPAP therapies, and motorized wheelchairs. I realized that t there was a whole lot more to pharmacy than counting pills by five and counseling on antibiotics. I soon took a pharmacology class at the local university to augment my pharmacy interest; I began applying to pharmacy schools and was soon accepted at Washington State University. The first summer back from school I immediately found a job at the local hospital learning about the acute care setting. I went on rounds with pharmacists and learned even more about the diverse roles of a clinical pharmacist. I interacted with patients and learned about specific drug related protocols. In one specific case I was running an errand in the hospital and this man approached me. He was contemplating suicide and needed to talk to someone. I asked my supervisor if I could take my break early. I bought the man a candy bar and simply listened to him and his story. That day I realized the importance of becoming a healthcare professional. The second year of school was exciting. The classes became more saturated with useful and practical knowledge. January of that year I had applied for an internship at Biogen-idec Inc. Spring came soon enough and finals were just around the corner, I didn't think I would hear from Biogen-idec but sure enough the phone rang. The lady said, "I am offering you the internship, how would you like to work in Cambridge:. I was enthused about the job and immediately thought about working in England! After talking to the lady from Biogen-idec she informed me that there job was not at their UK site, but rather in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Nonetheless, I was still excited and within a week after finals my bags were packed and I traveled 3,000 miles away to Cambridge. I was eager to learn about the pharmaceutical industry. I reported tot he Regulatory Affairs department and I was handed a number of projects to accomplish and present before the summers end. I went through training on the drug development process from discovery to FDA approval. I learned the ins and outs of the companies' drugs and what the extensive regulations were when developing a drug. Our group worked on the drug Tysabri, also then known as Antigen. It was undergoing phase III trials at the time and it was very exciting times for the company and the world of Multiple Sclerosis. As of today the FDA has approved Tysabri and it will soon begin to reshape the current therapy for Multiple Sclerosis. After my fascinating and educational summer, my brother was unfortunately diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The news impacted our family and we naturally formed a support network to embrace the impact of the illness. In many ways it has made our family grow stronger. Professionally, it also helped me grow as now I can better appreciate and relate to the impact of disease on a more personal level. My brother will be one of the first patients in our area to receive Tysabri. He will receive the drug at the infusion center I once worked for. The beginning of my third year in pharmacy school I looked at my career path with a whole new light. I decided to volunteer at the Spokane hospice. I have been assigned to a patient and help out whenever I am available. I also make pharmacy recommendations with the guidance of a hospice nurse on general health and wellness. My peers and even my professors were skeptical of my new outlook on volunteering and always wondered what was influencing me. I respond to these people, "I do it, simply because I care and have the ability to help out". I have realized through my experience what the great potential and rewards this career has to offer. One of the greatest rewards, however, comes from the satisfaction received from caring, My pharmacy experience has taught me that whatever pharmacy setting I choose I can make a difference by caring. When I graduate and become a pharmacist I will continue to care for my patients in the same fashion as I do for my brother and family. Hopefully others, including my fellow colleagues, will realize their greater potential and together we will enhance the care-giving potential of our profession. Caring, in my eyes, makes us better people and is the greatest powerful contribution anyone can make.