Medication Management Program

I remember when I first started pharmacy school and quickly realized that unlike some of my classmates, I knew very little about many of the common drugs used in community pharmacy. I wanted to get a job in pharmacy because I knew this would go a long way in helping me be a successful pharmacy student. Although getting a job in the first year of pharmacy isn’t the right move for everyone, it greatly helped me to put into practice the material I learned in the classroom.

My first Job in pharmacy was at the Medication Management Program  (MMP) here at The Ohio State University. I worked as a pharmacy intern. The Medication Management Program is a very unique first exposure to pharmacy. At this site, I was granted the opportunity to telephonically provide medication reconciliation services for patients.  As a first year student, it gave me a chance to better familiarize myself with commonly prescribed medications used in the geriatric population.

A typical work shift at MMP consisted of calling the patient, reviewing their medication list and updating the medication list with any changes either to the medications or to background information such as identifiers or the patient’s allergy profile.  After this medication reconciliation process, I was able to draft a letter with important pointers or reminders for the patient I spoke to. A pharmacist would then review my notes and approve a copy of the letter to be sent to the patient in addition to the electronic record kept on the patient’s profile.

I am so grateful that my first job was through the MMP as it gave me a great and flexibly paced way to learn the medications and their most common uses. Although I have now moved on to other opportunities, I will continue to sing the praises of the Medication Management Program at the Ohio State University. I am proud of the work the entire pharmacy team include the Technicians, Interns and Pharmacists do for our patient population.

As the field of pharmacy expands, I am certain in my evaluation that the MMP will also continue to grow and provide more opportunities for students.

One for All and All for One: A Spotlight on Kappa Psi

Hello everyone!

It’s hard to believe that this year is winding down and my time as a P3 is coming to a close. In a few short weeks I will have finished my finals and will be moving on to Capstone. June seems so far away right now but before I know it will be day one of my first rotation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. But, before I get caught up in the nervous excitement of becoming a P4 I wanted to take a few moments to tell you about one of my favorite student organizations, Kappa Psi.

It is no secret that our college has a plethora of student organizations and each one offers something unique and valuable to its members. I myself have been a member of all 3 of our large organizations, APhA, SSHP, and SNPhA. But, my favorite organization here at Ohio State is by far Kappa Psi. The large organizations are fabulous for hearing about different opportunities and careers within the profession and ways that you can make an impact, but I have truly found a home within Kappa Psi.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, what makes Kappa Psi so special?  I won’t lie to you, it’s hard to put into words why Kappa Psi means so much to me, but I am going to do my best. One of my favorite things is that our chapter is extremely active in both our community and at school. This year we organized fundraisers for assisting the victims of Hurricane Harvey and raised funds for a virtual book drive for Reach out and Read. Here within Central Ohio we constantly volunteer for the free clinic Helping Hands and we made Valentines for the kids at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. But in order for us to be successful in our projects and initiatives we have to strong as a group. My brothers are some of my best friends and are always there for me when I need help with my classwork or time away from pharmacy school. Perhaps the best thing about Kappa Psi is that I feel connected to each class within the college and even with recent graduates. I have brothers in each class and Columbus has a graduate chapter and together we all support each other through the triumphs and challenges that arise in school. I honestly don’t think I would be the intern or student that I am today without my brothers. But, Kappa Psi is more than our chapter, Kappa Psi is the world’s largest pharmaceutical fraternity and our brotherhood goes beyond the city limits of Columbus.

This past weekend our Xi chapter journeyed down to Louisville, KY for our Spring Province meeting with the rest of our brothers from the Great Lakes Province. Our province includes chapters from local graduate chapters and schools including University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, Sullivan University, Ohio Northern University, Northeast Ohio Medical University, University of Toledo, Wayne State University, and Ferris State University. Going to Province is such an enjoyable experience for me because I love having the opportunity to network with fellow brothers from local schools (and sometimes brothers across the country!) and work on building strong relationships with them. While we may not see each other more than a few times a year, each time I meet up with a fellow brother we instantly pick up where we left off the last time and have a great time. I know that no matter what, I can always reach out to my fellow brothers to assist me in any way that I need.

ΚΨ Class of 2019 Brothers in Louisville, KY

Province offers many things to those who attend including continuing education credits, leadership discussions, financial planning sessions, and many more. But, one of my favorite parts of Province is the award ceremony where we honor the hardwork and triumphs of our local chapters for the year. I am happy to announce that the Great Lakes Province has been the most philanthropic province within Kappa Psi this year donating $4, 510 to our national charity Reach Out and Read! As an entire province we raised over $14,000 for various charities across the country to give back to our communities. Even more exciting news is that myself and the other brothers of Xi were the most charitable chapter within our province this year with our campaigns for Hurricane Harvey and Reach Out and Read! All in all, it was a great a weekend with my brothers and I left feeling inspired by the profession and my colleagues knowing that we truly do make a difference in people’s lives.

Xi Chapter posing with our Philanthropy Challenge Trophy

As my time within Parks Hall comes to an end, I have a sea full of memories about my time in the didactic portion of my PharmD, but almost all of them were made with my brothers of Kappa Psi. If there is any advice I could give to you as someone who is about to start their journey as a PharmD student, it would be to get involved and get involved early. Find your home within one of our many organizations and give it your all. Every employer or residency program is looking for leadership skills and those are things that can’t be entirely taught in the classroom. Also, take the time to go to the regional or national meetings because the networking opportunities associated with them are priceless. If you have any questions about our organizations or if you want more information about my experiences with Kappa Psi or other student organizations, feel free to reach out and email me.

It has been an absolute pleasure to share my thoughts and experiences as a student here at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your journey to becoming a PharmD!

Sincerely,

Chelsea

ΚΨ Family: L-R my twin’s little, one of my littles, my big, me, and my twin

Hospital Inpatient Internship

I would like to share a little about my hospital inpatient internship.

I began my internship with Riverside Methodist Hospital inpatient pharmacy the summer before starting pharmacy school.  I had previous work experience in a community pharmacy but thought hospital would be a better fit and wanted to gain more insight.  I spent the summer training in various positions such as unit dose dispensing, IV preparations, and medication reconciliation.  When autumn semester began, I started a regular schedule working 8 hour shifts on Saturday/Sunday every other weekend and one 4 hour shift on a weekday evening, which averages 8-12 hours per week. I gained experience working both first (6:30am-3:00pm) and second (2:30pm-11:00pm) shifts.  While this schedule continued throughout the year, I had more time in the summer to pick up extra work shifts, get trained in new positions and shadow pharmacists in different specialties.  Through this internship I have been able to learn the differences between community and inpatient hospital pharmacy workflow.  I have also explored pharmacists’ roles in formulary management, administration, responding to codes, clinical research, and multi-disciplinary teams.  This past summer I was involved in more clinical tasks such as evaluating patient cases and dosing medications like vancomycin and warfarin.  These clinical experiences complement my learning in the classroom as I have been able to directly apply skills to real patient cases.  My internship has also encouraged me to get involved with protocol development and clinical research.  I am currently collecting data for a project focused on anticoagulant reversal agents.  Over the past three years, I have learned a lot about pharmacy and myself, including the career I wish to pursue.  So my recommendations are to explore and keep an open mind about your career. 

 -TaLeitha