The Daily Medicine Bottle

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Message From The Creators

Mission: To educate those considering the Pharmacy profession of what will be expected of them in their continued schooling and future public service career in their community

 Vision: To help build up the quality character traits needed in upcoming Pharmacy students that will allow them to thrive within the Pharmacy profession and innovate the industry

 The Daily Medicine Bottle was inspired by an in-class assignment for a course in our Pharmacy Graduate Program. Through our articles we wanted to each take a different perspective on the student pharmacist experience, not only as entering P1 students, but as students entering a healthcare field in a time of a worldwide pandemic, an extremely polarized political scene over the validity of vaccine science, and as the first students in the school to be going online for both semesters of their first year of Pharmacy School. In addition to this, we also wanted to express the importance of community involvement within the Pharmacy community in a time where it is needed the most. We hope that future Pharmacy students will realize the amount of hard work and education that is needed to be successful in Pharmacy School, as well as the impact they will have in the community through patient education and quality service of medications, vaccines, and pandemic protection.

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My Experience As A Pharmacy Student So Far

                                                              By: Cesar Primo

As a first semester Pharmacy student entering into the school, I have found the experience to both challenging and fun. I am not going to lie in saying that the amount of studying and completion of assignments isn’t time consuming, but it should also be taken into consideration that the first semester is a total of 18 credit hours. The key to get A’s in all the courses is ‘’time management’’. If you attend the lectures, check the calendar for exams and due dates, and study a little every day you can get good grades. I am the living embodiment that is possible to survive pharmacy school while having a full-time job.

The best memories I have from my first semester is all the friends that I made so far. This is something that I am glad about because everybody is very friendly and helpful. At first, I thought everybody was only going to very serious, seeing as this is a graduate program, but everybody has ended up being very relaxed and open about their studying techniques and group work. Whenever I get lost, or I forget if we have any assignments due for the week, I just ask one of my classmates and they help remind me what is due and when. Also, the professors are very helpful and professional. They always have time for us and are very flexible and understanding whenever we are having technical difficulties.

This semester everything has been virtual, and we are actually the first class in the school that is going to be online for both semesters. Virtual school has its pros and cons. One of the benefits is that if you miss a lecture the professor can upload the lecture online and you can watch it on your own time. However, one of the things that I do not like about online learning is that sometimes you might have technical difficulties and it can take some time to fix them. This is especially inconvenient if it happens happen during exams because we need to go through a very specific process in calling customer service for help. I personally prefer to be in the actual classroom. Being on the computer at home provides more opportunities to be distracted and stop paying attention to the professor. When am in the classroom I feel like there is a more active environment and I am more focused on the material we are learning. Also, it is easier to build relationships with classmates in person than simply talking over a screen.

One challenge that we had to face during this pandemic are rotations. This semester we had very few rotations. We live in one of the cities with the most active cases in the US, and there was a time that we were ranked #2 city in the entire country with the most cases. In one of our classes they gave us a rotation throughout the end of the semester, that was not in the schedule. In my opinion, due to the dangers the Covid-19 growth rate presented, that rotation should have been canceled. We should not be out interacting with the public until things get better. I do not only say this in the interest of my own safety, but also in the interest of keeping my own family safe and the many people who are at a high risk for infection.

I hope that by the summer of 2021 everything will be under better control. I am looking forward to meeting all my classmates in person and be more involved with the community. I am excited for the future because we are going to be pharmacy interns. Next year we are going to be able to give immunizations which we can use in our upcoming rotations to help our preceptors. I hope that next semester would be as good as this one.

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Ready, Set, Go!

                                      By: Samantha Ramirez

Going through a pharmacy graduate program can be very intimidating at times, especially in the beginning as you are getting accustomed to the fast-paced environment of pharmacy school. During the first few months you may have a few pressing concerns such as, “Will I be able to handle the curriculum of pharmacy school?”, “Will I be able to join extracurricular organizations and still manage my time effectively?” or “How will I fit in with my peers and within the program?”. Experiencing these concerns as an incoming first year pharmacy student is normal and does get easier as you begin to develop a graduate student mindset and become familiar with the expectations of pharmacy school and your professors. A frequent piece of advice that I received at the beginning of my first year of pharmacy school was to get involved. Now if you are a little confused about what this means, don’t worry. This article will break down a few of the different options you will see while in pharmacy school and hopefully help you decide what the best option is for you when it comes to being involved.

First thing’s first. There are a TON of ways that you can be involved during your four years of pharmacy school so try not to put too much pressure on yourself to know exactly what it is you want to do or if you are choosing the “right” organization. Knowing from the very beginning which pharmacy student organizations are the best fit for you or if they will align with what you want to do with your career is not very realistic for many P1 pharmacy students. A few helpful tips to consider before you weigh your options are:

Know what interest you. Are you interested in conducting research, being more involved in the community or career development opportunities like competing in national level competitions?

Do your research. Look into the different organizations or options your school has to offer and take note of which ones may align with your interest. You may even consider attending a few introductory meetings where they give presentations on what they are about and their membership requirements.

Ask around. Ask current members, upper-class pharmacy students or even mentors what organizations they are/were a part of so that you could get a sense of what you could take away from these organizations and vice versa.

Pace yourself. Although it’s recommended that you join 3-5 organizations, it’s not a requirement and may even result in you spreading yourself too thin. If this is the case, then just join 1-2 organizations at first so that you are able to devote sufficient time to each. Remember quality over quantity.

As you explore all the different possibilities that are available to you as a pharmacy student just remember even if you think an organization may look great on your CV, do not join unless you know you are going to enjoy it. As you will come to find out with every organization, you will get out what you put in so follow your gut instinct. Listed below are a few of the most common organizations and the benefits accompanied with being one of their members so that you may familiarize yourself with them. Relax, have fun and make the most of these opportunities!

American Pharmacists Association or APhA helps prepare members for their role as the medication expert in team-based, patient-centered care. They have a student chapter known as APhA-ASP which provide benefits such as:

Networking and career development opportunities which include the APhA-ASP Annual Meeting and Exposition and activities like their patient counseling competition.

Patient care activities like Operation Heart, Operation Immunization and Operation Diabetes allow members to go into the community and educate individuals on these topics

Scholarships and awards made available to members.

Informational resources like discounted textbooks, NAPLEX Review Study Guide, APPE Pocket guide and so many more.

Membership benefits.

Membership fees include a $45 National APhA due and a $15 APhA chapter fee.1

Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists or SSHP can be the perfect fit for those student pharmacist who aspire to practice in a health-system pharmacy setting. This organization also has a student chapter and also local chapters (depending on your city) which can offer even more community outreach opportunities. Some benefits that this organization offers are:

Exposure to careers in health-system pharmacy

Education on residencies and fellowships

Networking opportunities through local, state and national conferences and events such as TSHP Annual Seminar.

Scholarship opportunities

Also offer career development opportunities such as their clinical skills and disease state competitions

Community outreach opportunities such as volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House and Child Crisis Center

Membership fee: $45.  2

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists or AAPS are for those students who have a strong interest in the discovery, development and manufacturing of pharmaceutical products. In this organization you will be able to apply your knowledge in pharmaceutical sciences to develop products and therapies that will improve global health. The student chapter for AAPS provides many benefits such as:

Career development opportunities

Access to all chapter events

Access to webinars (like their annual meeting PharmSci 360), newsletters and magazines

Networking with local and international professionals in pharmaceutical sciences

Volunteer opportunities to give back to the community

Membership fee: $40.  3

The Student National Pharmaceutical Association or SNPhA is composed of pharmacy students who through their efforts serve the profession of pharmacy by addressing healthcare issues and the poor minority representation in their community. SNPhA coordinates programs geared towards the improvement of the health, educational and social environment of minority communities. SNPhA offers benefits such as:

Opportunities to develop leadership and professional skills.

Opportunities to participate in national healthcare issues.

Scholarships

Access to professional consultation services and mentorship opportunities

Volunteer opportunities to educate communities on better health practices and increase their awareness and understanding of diseases.

Membership Fee: $35.  4

Pharmacy Student Council is an organization found within every school of pharmacy program and is the student governance body. They serve to provide an official voice through which student opinion may be expressed and a structured organization for student involvement within the program. Serving on the board of Pharmacy Student Council can be a very rewarding experience and provides the following benefits:

Professional and leadership development

Being able to be involved in enhancing the quality and scope of your program’s education.

Being an advocate for all the student pharmacy body.

Community involvement opportunities by supporting and assisting with projects related to the profession of pharmacy.

No membership fee. Voted onto the board.

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Virtual Learning Is A Whole New World

                                By: Jacqueline Rose Schwartz

In a little over a decade technology has managed to completely assimilate itself into the foundations of our daily living. Whether it be the alarm clock that wakes us up in the morning, the coffee maker that energizes us for the day, or our phones that allow us to connect with the people that we love. Technology is everywhere. And with the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic not allowing us to gather together in the convential person-to-person way, we are relying on the advances of technology more than ever. Virtual learning has become common-place for many children in America and around the world still in their primary and secondary education as the rising growth rate of those infected from the virus is still trying to be controlled. Many college and graduate students are also experiencing this trend with the university system advancing much faster in trying to bring students back to campus due to the ease of the already present scattered schedules. However, while this change is taking place, many Pharmacy student degrees have had to suffer from the lack of person-to-person contact in the classroom. Health professional degrees rely heavily on the ability for the healthcare provider to be able to directly interact with their collegues and patients in order to learn how to communicate important medical information correctly. With virtual learning there is less of an oppurtunity for these interactions to take place before having to put into practice theoretical skill in real-life rotations. In addition to this, many healthcare professional students may be unfamiliar with the changes that need to be made from a real-life environment to a virtual one in order to be successful. In this article, I will provide tips for how to survive the transition from in-classroom learning to a virtual platform through two sets of practical DO’s and DON’Ts that will help health professional students have a head start in this new season of their lives.

DO’s:

DO make a weekly schedule of all your classes and assignments

Before the semester starts, students should make sure to access all syllabi for all classes and make a calendar with all relevant class times, assignments, rotations, exams, and projects so you have proper time to plan and study ahead. It can be easy to forget a deadline when they’re aren’t constant in-person reminders being given out.

DO assignments as close to the date when they were first assigned as possible

When taking a large amount of credit hours, it can be quite easy to be overwhelmed with the assignments that need to be completed for each class. By completing assignments as quickly as possible you give yourself time to focus on larger group projects or studying for exams and finals.

DO make sure to exercise regularly away from the computer screen

For those students who have experience relying on the caffeine rushes that come from energy drinks, you also have experience with the mid-day crashes that drain you of the energy you need when you need it. Instead, trying finding time in the day to do cardio exercise (running, bicycling, dancing, etc.) away from the screen once or twice daily to help reduce stress levels and remove fatigue. A study conducted by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that workers that had participated in this type of exercise showed objectively better performances, gave higher job performance ratings, and completed a greater amount of work. This shows that if exercise has helped improve the performance of workers that have a 9-5 day job, it can also help students who are going to school during the day and work on assignments in the evenings.1

DO make sure you are aware of all resources and tools available to you

It’s important more than ever in times when you are not able to directly interact with your professors that you make sure that you are aware of all studying (tutoring or review programs) and connecting tools(email, Microsoft teams, technology help desks) that are available to you if there ever any questions you may have about assignments/projects, technical difficulties during exams, need to reschedule rotations, or need extra-help understanding topics covered in class.

DON’T’S:

DON’T pull an all-nighter the day before an exam

It can difficult sometimes not to be tempted to pull an all-nighter to study the day before an exam with all the assignments and projects that can come up in-between the new cycle of topics before an exam and the idea that online learning provides more time. But this is highly unrecommended not only because you’ll become incapacitated by the time your exam arrives, but you’re also less likely to remember everything you crammed into your brain. Studies from the University of Harvard Medical School have shown that proper sleep actually allows the brain to process, store, and retain what was learned executing tasks at a higher performance rate. However, if the situation becomes unavoidable, then make sure to take time to take a nap that is around 90 minutes allowing your body to awake from a full sleep cycle and boost your energy.2

DON’T take on too many stressors

Any professional healthcare degree will come with its barrage of stress related to deadlines for assignments, projects, rotations, or exams. However, in addition to the stress that going to graduate school provides, many students also have to manage stress from financial burdens, employer demands if they’re working, relationship issues, or personal or familial illnesses, etc. It is important for students to feel they have a comfortable handle on the stressors in their life before entering Pharmacy School or any other health-related profession, otherwise they will begin to bleed into each other and negatively impact overall performance. Implementing time management skills will an important asset moving forward in online-learning because procrastination until the last minute is even easier to fall into than with in-person learning.

DON’T skip attending online class lectures

It can be easy to fall into the habit of relying on recordings for online lectures but it can actually be detrimental to your work ethic and possible exam scores. By not attending lectures at the time they are held you are sacrificing the small opportunities you have to ask your professors questions about confusing topics or questions clarifying due dates or instructions for assignments. It also doesn’t allow you the chance to interact with your other classmates in team problem-solving, expanding your viewpoints on certain cultural issues, or developing your professional skills through class patient simulations. Watching the recorded online lecture time should mainly be used as a review of the material, not as a learning substitute, or in the event of a medical emergency that conflicts with the online class time.

DON’T forget to make all technology is running efficiently before an online final or exam

Computers or tablets are the main connecting resource between a student and their finishing an exam without any problems. Before you prepare to take any exam, it is a general rule that if you are taking any assessment online you want to first check that you have good internet connection to avoid being kicked out your exam while you are still in the middle of answering questions. Another important thing to remember is that if you are using a special exam distributor to download your exams well before the test date, as some professors require this to help prevent any type of cheating and can deduct points for late downloads from the final exam score. For those students who are being monitored live as they take their exam, make sure that you have a properly working webcam and that you show your surroundings before starting any exam to show that there are no reference materials nearby. Lastly, make sure to periodically update your software or schedule updates that are not on exam dates not avoid random restarts in the middle of a test.

These DO’s and DON’T’s only scratch the surface of what guidelines can be used in order to be successful in an online platform, but they are a good starting place for those entering students that don’t have much experience with this drastic change in learning environment. In addition to implementing this advice, Pharmacy students should also do their own research to find more advice that is better personalized to their unique learning style and professional identity. In the future if Pharmacy and other healthcare students are able to return to in-person classes, these tips will still hold useful in that environment or in future career paths that utilize more virtual tools and resources.

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The Important Role of a Pharmacist During a Worldwide Pandemic

                                            By: Karina Jasso

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, was first discovered in 2019 in the city of Wuhan, China. It is similar to an already existing virus called SARS-CoV. This virus is transferred via respiratory droplets excreted from the infected human host into the environment, which are then absorbed by another human host through the mouth, nose, or eyes.4 COVID-19 infects the lungs and causes shortness of breath, congestion, runny nose, and other symptoms. In some instances, patients with underlying health conditions are at greater risk of infection and possible death. Because this virus was just recently discovered in late 2019, research is still under way as well as a vaccine to treat the virus.

Although availability of pharmacies varies depending on the area, between 2007 and 2015, community pharmacies had a 6.3% increase.1  A vast majority of the total percentage comes from independent and retail pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens that can be practically found at every other corner in urban or suburban areas.1 After receiving a prescription from a physician, most patients drop off their prescription at the pharmacy and within a couple of hours have their medication handed to them. However, community pharmacies play an even greater role than just filling prescriptions. At times, pharmacists or pharmacy technicians are the last health care professionals a patient will encounter before taking their medication. Pharmacists are in charge of providing vital counseling information for the patient, making sure the medication is working properly for them and answering any concerns patients might have. As well as providing over-the-counter alternatives for patients with concerns, contacting health care providers with medication clarifications, reviewing patient medications and verifying there are no contraindications, immunizing the community and much, much more.

As the pandemic continued to expand worldwide and the number of cases and deaths grew in the United States, the role of the pharmacists expanded with it. Although many people do not consider a pharmacists or pharmacy technicians as front-line workers, they are in fact an essential business that encounters sick patients every day. The main reason patients go to a pharmacy is to obtain medications that will make them feel better, and although pharmacists are not placed in COVID-19 restricted areas, upon being released COVID positive patients go to the pharmacy to pick up their medications. Additionally, retail stores like Walgreens have opened COVID-19 testing sites where the professionals testing individuals and collecting specimens are in fact pharmacists. Just like nurses and doctors, the role pharmacists and their staff play to provide essential healthcare to communities is vital.

From personal experience, this year has been the highest number of flu shot vaccines that my pharmacy has ever administered and ‘flu-season’ has just begun. It is amazing to see the community protect themselves and their loved ones, but it has brought an immense workload to both pharmacists and technicians. As researchers continue to work on a COVID-19 vaccine, the American Pharmacists Association announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has authorized for pharmacists to administer FDA approved COVID-19 vaccines.2 As well as pharmacy interns under the supervision of a pharmacists. This news came about in September as researchers are getting closer and closer to a vaccine. It is amazing to see the role of pharmacists and future pharmacists expand to serve the community. As first stated in the Oath of a Pharmacist, “I promise to devote myself to a lifetime of service to others through the profession of pharmacy,” and this pandemic has truly exploited that requirement.3

It is important to highlight the substantial role that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are performing throughout this worldwide pandemic. Providing exceptional healthcare all while risking their own lives and those of their loved ones is no easy task and it does not go unnoticed. With that said, I would like to personally thank all pharmacists and pharmacy staff that have been nothing but beneficial to helping control this pandemic. Thank you for your endless commitment in serving communities.

CVS vs. Walgreens in the US: each CVS store has, on average, 7.5 Walgreens within 5 miles [OC]5

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The Anti-Vaccine Movement In The Modern Pandemic

                                                By: Jesus Aguirre

Well, now that you know that we have been completing our first semester of pharmacy school online due to a pandemic, it is time we talked about vaccines. As we near the end of our semester we near the end of the pandemic now that a cure has been found for COVID-19. Vaccines keep us healthy; they keep us safe, but there is a small subset of the population that does not follow the same trains of thought, instead they choose to believe in a dogma consisting of a conspiracy set in motion to harm us through the means of vaccines. This “anti-vax” movement is a serious threat to a future without coronavirus, and much more importantly, a serious threat to a world without disease.

In my personal case I have had the displeasure of receiving several “anti-vax” centered images, one of which was sent to me from one of the persons that helped guide me towards this career path. To tell you the truth at first I was enraged: this image was in particular about COVID-19, and how various of the components in the vaccine were acquired through certain practices that most religious denominations would be against, fetal stem cells. However all semblance of respect was lost once the image began making claims with no scientific backing, such as how the vaccine eradicates all semblance of a higher power from within our DNA and how that “erasure” will lead only to suffering. Devastated is a word that is used often without thinking of its true meaning, I was overcome by severe and overwhelming grief, however, instead of blaming or scolding people it is our jobs to win their hearts and minds through the sheer power of explanation.

I think it is important to catch this sort of behavior quickly before it becomes an issue, and most of the time, people seem to fall into these conspiracies because of a lack of a better understanding regarding the main topic. In our case vaccines are the main topic and happen to be one of the most difficult and time-consuming things that humanity can work together for to physically achieve. We must not ask why it seems that people want to oversimplify an incredibly difficult and thorough process, but instead we must try and inform them of what is truly the case. A lot of the times people are unaware of what cell lines are, and these propaganda type images would have you believe that there is a factory line constantly committing the worst of actions in order to prepare this vaccine. Well, what I like to say is: that because of one good soul, which happened to be here with us 50 years ago, we now have what is called a cell line, and because of that cell line, from a single organism, we can now save millions of human lives that are in danger of contracting a serious disease today.

As a pharmacist, you will be partially responsible for the education of your community regarding their medicine. You must also be aware that you are responsible for respecting the autonomy and beliefs of your patients and the line between education and respect must always be acknowledged, no matter how frustrating or soul-crushing it may be to see a patient not receive the proper care they need. As a pharmacist one of your main jobs will also in-fact be to vaccinate members of your community. Pharmacists are here to keep the community healthy, and away from disease, whilst also being one of the many ways for your community members to receive information about any medical or medication related information, we must accomplish all of this peacefully and respectfully, and only then (I personally think) will the world become a much better place.

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References

My Experience as a Pharmacy Student So Far

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Ready, Set, Go!

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The Important Role of a Pharmacist During a Worldwide Pandemic

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The Anti-vaccine Movement In The Modern Pandemic

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