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.