A closer look at the field of pharmacy, Part I
Julia Yubeta,
WBAMC Public Affairs:
National Pharmacy Month is a time to recognize pharmacists for the vital contributions they make to healthcare and promote pharmacists as the medication experts. Pharmacists advise patients and health care providers on the selection, dosages, interactions and side effects of medications. If you have a question about your medication, ask your pharmacist.
William Beaumont Army Medical Center’s Department of Pharmacy staff answered some questions about the pharmacy profession focusing on their passions for the field and a strong commitment to patient safety.
Monica C. Arbogast, PharmD. Clinical coordinator
Monica C. Arbogast, PharmD.
Clinical coordinator
Q: What is one aspect of your profession that you feel is often misunderstood?
A: That our medical background only pertains to drugs. In school, there is emphasis on physiology and pathophysiology. We understand how the body works, how disease affects the body, how medication affects the body, and how the body affects medication. If we don’t have this knowledge, we can’t understand how drugs work.
Q: If you were to be a drug, what drug would you be?
A: I would be a combination, once-a-day product that could tackle multiple problems with one pill, once a day.
SSG H.J. Hill Pharmacy technician, Noncommissioned officer in charge of department services
SSG H.J. Hill
Pharmacy technician, Noncommissioned officer in charge of department services
Q: Did you always want to be a pharmacy professional?
A: No. Originally I wanted to go into the computer industry. But after talking to a career counselor, she suggested becoming a pharmacy technician. I was looking for a new direction – I had had a lot of warehouse jobs. I was just interested in getting a job that would keep me inside. So I got my certification and became a tech. Then, I had always thought about getting into the Army. (Hill has been a pharmacy technician for 12 years and has been in the Army for nine years.)
Q: What is one aspect of your profession that you feel is often misunderstood?
A: The mental exertion it takes to make sure everything is accurate and precise for our patients. Think about it. One patient after another comes with four or five medications to be filled. This goes on for eight hours. It’s important to stay focused. If you make a mistake on a medication, it can be costly to the person you give it to. Precision is important.
Naomi Lawless, RPh Inpatient pharmacy supervisor
Naomi Lawless, RPh
Inpatient pharmacy supervisor
Q: Did you always want to be a pharmacy professional?
A: Yes, I was a pharmacy technician right out of high school and decided to go to pharmacy school two years later. Pharmacy is a family affair – my father, uncle and cousin are pharmacists. My father worked at ‘Beaumont’ (William Beaumont Army Medical Center) in the early 70’s. I retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2009, and returned to El Paso (my home) to work at ‘Beaumont’.
Q: Describe a typical day in your pharmacy section.
A: Inpatient pharmacy is dedicated to getting the right medication to the patient on time. We intervene on dosing and therapy – answering provider’s questions and making therapeutic recommendations. My staff interacts with other services, providing pharmacy services and establishing and maintaining their Omnicell stock. After hours we provide outpatient pharmacy service. We are a 24/7 operation.
Short URL: http://fbmonitor.com/?p=16166
