I arrived at the pharmacy before 10 a.m. and immediately went through the "employees only" door. I was so excited and couldn't wait to see what I would be doing first. I was introduced to the people who were working there, specifically three clerks, around eight technicians, and two pharmacists. I was greeted so warmly by everyone and felt right at home in the first five minutes. Dr. Yermian also took me on a tour of the pharmacy, which included a compounding lab, the retail area, mailing room, and lunchroom, all of which left me speechless.
After the tour, I went back to the compounding lab, where I got to watch Dr. Yermian doing what I hope to do in the future. Today she happened to be doing compounding, which I learned is a field in pharmacy where the pharmacist creates drugs specifically for each patient. I followed Dr. Yermian as she checked the work of the pharmacy technicians, making sure their calculations were correct so they could continue making drugs. She also showed me different sized capsules where drugs are placed, and how some people take veggie capsules. She directed me to the location where creams are mixed and stored. She even showed me how she labels pill bottles and ointments, and where she inputs data on the computer for the creation of new drugs. I noticed that Dr. Yermian worked on many drugs having to do with hormone replacement therapy.
I was fascinated by the compounding room and by all the work that was completed through the teamwork between Dr. Yermian, the head pharmacist, and the three technicians she was overseeing. Dr. Yermian taught me the importance of triple checking everything, because if a technician makes a mistake that isn't caught, the blame goes on the pharmacist. She also talked about multi tasking, communication, and organization, which I realized are three important skills one needs to have to be a successful pharmacist. Luckily with my superhuman multi tasking abilities and great communication skills, not to mention by borderline OCD when it comes to cleanliness, I will someday make a great pharmacist. I also think that compounding can be compared to baking, except instead of creating delicious goods that may not be so healthy, you are creating medicine that is helping people live better lives!
My experience was truly a priceless one that taught me a lot about the field of compounding. I absolutely loved every moment of being in the pharmacy and can't wait to somebody be apart of this field.
[Image from Central Pharmacy]
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