Today was another wonderful day at Central Pharmacy. I had the chance to observe Marjan Yermian doing retail pharmacy. She is so lucky because she gets to not only do compounding, but also retail pharmacy!
I learned how to identify drugs through the NDC (National Drug Code) system. I also learned that all patients picking up drugs must go through consult unless they sign a waiver stating that they don't want to. Consult is just when the pharmacist directs the patient on how to take the drugs. I watched as Dr. Yermian explained to the patient what drugs she needed to take at what time and how much of each. I also watched as Dr. Yermian talked to patients on the phone, patiently answering their questions about different drugs. I watched as Marjan and her team of technicians packed drugs to be shipped to patients. Today, I also learned about different ways pharmacists have cheated the system in order to make money. I was shocked by the stories I heard regarding the measures some pharmacists take to make a little extra money, even if it means harming a person.
At the end of the shadowing, I was so sad to leave! Given the little time I had spent with the people who work at Central Pharmacy, I feel so attached to them because they are all so sweet! I wish that I could start working there tomorrow, but I know I have 6 more years to go! I'm looking forward to my first day of work at a pharmacy in the future. This experience has taught me so much, from the different fields, to different drugs, biology, and communication in pharmacy.
Blogger:
- Yasminadl
- I'm a third year Berkeley student studying Molecular Toxicology. I'm very interested in environmental toxins and chemicals, the pharmaceutical industry, and nutritional science. My goal is to complete my bachelors degree from Cal, go on to a 4 year pharmacy school, and someday work in either a compounding, industrial, or retail pharmacy setting. As a pharmacist, I hope to educate as many people as possible on healthcare and also to find an absolute cure for psoriasis.
Showing posts with label shadowing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shadowing. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Shadowing A Pharmacist
Today I had the wonderful opportunity of shadowing Dr. Marjan Yermian, a pharmacist who works at Central Pharmacy in Santa Monica. Central Pharmacy is a well known compounding pharmacy that has been featured on shows like Oprah!
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]
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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