This has been such a fun and exciting time for me as a pharmacist!
Along with reviewing medications for individual clients, I have been able to enter a new frontier (for me) of being a pharmacist in a physicians’ office. The synergy is magical!
I do not dispense any medication in this role. I see the patients with, or prior to, the physician and make recommendations based on the doctor’s assessment and listening to the patient’s needs. When a new medication is prescribed, I educate them about proper use and expected results.
For example, one patient was recently started on a stimulant medication for ADHD. She was having trouble remembering to take the medication and also complained of difficulty sleeping. She stated some days she forgot to take the medication and some days she accidentally took it more than once. I suggested that she set the alarm on her phone as a reminder to take the medicine and turn it off once she takes it. I recommended to the doctor to switch her from the long acting formulation to the immediate release to help resolve her sleep issues, which he did. I look forward to hearing how she is doing at her visit next month.
Working in the nursing homes, pharmacists make recommendations to eliminate unnecessary medications and review for appropriate dosing, side effects, and drug interactions. Last month I discovered an error that, although not fatal, had caused the patient to begin vomiting. The error occurred upon admission. Both the generic name and the brand name of the medication were being given during the 2 weeks between his arrival and the pharmacist chart review. In other words, the patient was receiving twice as much of the medicine as he had been prescribed. The patient is non verbal. Once the error was identified, orders were given to hold the medication, obtain a blood level, and restart the medication at the dose he had been taking prior to arrival.
Working in a local drugstore 10 hours a week dispensing and educating about medications. I enjoy answering drug questions, educating the patients about their medications, and conducting medication reviews with the patients. I am blessed to work with a great team who are there to serve the patient.