Jennifer Whartenby, Senior Managing Editor

McKaya Schmit guided patients through a natural disaster.

Mckaya Schmit, a 2013 PharmD candidate at North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences, learned firsthand during pharmacy school how different the controlled classroom setting can be from real-world patient care situations.

When her hometown experienced a massive flood in the summer of 2011, Schmit discovered that pharmacy practice can be an exercise in problem solving and quick thinking. Working as a pharmacy intern at the time, Schmit helped move the inventory of one local pharmacy location to another. The staff went from filling 300 prescriptions per day to 600 per day overnight.

“We were able to serve the community by keeping our doors open and providing emergency fills for those affected by the flood,” Schmit said. “It was a very busy time in the pharmacy and required us to quickly reorganize our normal routine to help keep up with the needs of our patients. It was definitely a learning opportunity and, hopefully, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Thankfully, February’s RESPy winner has had many other rich learning experiences that were not nearly as stressful. Because of her interest in public health, Schmit has participated in a variety of community-based initiatives to promote wellness. She founded the “Health Hearts for Valentine’s Day” event to provide blood pressure screenings and cardiac health information to the local community, and participated in “The Great Health Care Adventure,” a program designed to teach healthy habits and provide medication safety tips to third graders.

Schmit also spearheaded a medication therapy management (MTM) program at a rural pharmacy practice, an experience that she told

 has changed the direction of her career.

 Why did you decide to become a pharmacist?

 Growing up, I had always been interested in and excelled in math and science, and knew that I wanted a career involving both. I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle blood and guts, and decided that being a physician would not be the right choice, so I went with pharmacy. It wasn’t until after my freshman year of college when I was able to work as an intern at White Drug Pharmacy that I knew that I had made the right decision. I loved watching the pharmacist counsel patients on their prescriptions, answer physician questions, and help patients with OTC medications. I couldn’t wait for the day that I would be a pharmacist and have the opportunity to share my knowledge with patients, peers, and students.

 What has been your most rewarding extracurricular activity?

 My most rewarding extracurricular activity was being president of Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International. When I became president my P3 year, a large majority of the group graduated, leaving us with a very small group. We made it our goal to grow the group in both number and service activities. By the end of the year, we tripled our members and initiated many new programs. Some of our largest programs included preparation for a medical mission trip to Guatemala and designing OTC booklets for pregnant mothers and children. These projects were both so rewarding, because we were able to serve not only in our own community but also in another country. I was so proud of the accomplishments that this group was able to achieve in just 1 year.

 Tell us about your experience setting up MTM in a small town pharmacy.

During my first rotation at Trumm Drug in Glenwood, Minnesota, I was given the wonderful opportunity to work with pharmacists there to initiate medic ation therapy management (MTM) services for their patients. I was able to meet with the first set of MTM patients and also provide home visits. Meeting with these patients has been my favorite part of rotations. It was so rewarding to be able to work hand in hand with patients to improve their health care. This experience also taught me how to document and charge for the services provided. Being a part of this project is what led me to pursue an ambulatory care residency to help promote this new avenue of primary pharmacy care.

North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences includes the departments of pharmaceutical science and pharmacy practice, which was established in 1902. In addition to a traditional PharmD, the school offers dual degrees leading to a PharmD/MBA and PharmD/PhD, as well as a new joint PharmD/MPH degree.

Articles

Putting Classroom Learning to the Test

When Brinda Dave graduates with her PharmD from The University of Findlay (UF) later this year, she will enter the workforce with medication expertise as well as an understanding that each patient comes to the pharmacy counter with unique needs.

In addition to maintaining standing on the dean’s list since the fall of 2007, Dave has volunteered her time at health fairs, worked in the local school system to deter medication abuse among middle schoolers, and raised money for charities that support the underserved. Her experiences inside and outside of the classroom certainly demonstrate her dedication to pharmacy.

The balance between scientific expertise and patient empathy that pharmacists strike every day became even more clear for Dave during a study abroad experience in the United Arab Emirates in May 2012. In her time at Obaidullah General Hospital, for example, Dave observed that culture can have a major impact on the appropriate treatment of patients.

“I saw that men and women come for dialysis on alternating days in order to preserve modesty, as Islam preaches,” she said. “Because of this experience, I understand that accommodating patients in a similar manner will allow me to gain their compliance and better treat them.”

During her trip, Dave also spent time observing and working with pharmacists at the largest drug manufacturing company in the Middle East, Julphar Pharmaceuticals. That portion of her experience reminded her of the role that pharmacists can play in every step of the medication process, from developing and manufacturing new treatments to dispensing and ensuring best outcomes. Armed with an understanding of the many roles that pharmacists can play, including scientist, teacher, counselor, and even cultural ambassador, Brinda Dave will be ready to meet the challenges of her chosen field—and the needs of her patients.

Q: Why did you decide to become a pharmacist? 

 I experienced a mental transformation about my career choice during pharmacy school. Like most parents, mine wished for something better for me; my family suggested that I choose pharmacy for its ease of lifestyle. As I was exposed to the field’s various facets, I continued to pursue pharmacy because it was a means to develop myself as a person, pharmacist, and a contributing member of society.

I blossomed when I interacted with others and solved problems to benefit others. It has become my goal to share my knowledge about promoting a healthy lifestyle with others. By studying a science that provides opportunities to reach out to the community, I will be able to use my skill set to improve others’ quality of life.

Q: What has been your most rewarding extracurricular activity?

 I am most proud of being the founding chair of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association’s Project Youth Educational Services Committee. Through this committee, I created a talk to give to local middle schools and high schools about “pharming parties” and the dangers of prescription medication abuse. My goal when I assembled the team was to increase awareness about such abuse and challenge my audience to aid in stopping it. I created a web page on my college’s website with resources, anonymous anecdote submissions, my contact information, videos, and other information pertaining to prescription drug abuse. I also helped initiate an interview of someone who was addicted to prescription drugs that aired on UF’s TV channel.

Q: What drew you to help teach compounding as an assistant in the Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratory? 

 Compounding is a very delicate art because slight miscalculations may severely alter patients’ health. I had done Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience hours in a compounding pharmacy, and was attracted to the creativity that pharmacists can offer to patients through compounding. I decided the best way to excel in the field was to help teach it.

I wanted to be creative in the impression I left on students about compounding. After students had made their preparations, they were to counsel a teaching assistant, who was acting as a patient. Each week, I acted as a realistically challenging patient for students; I acted as a rude and frustrated patient, a patient who could not speak English, and even an illiterate patient. These are actual scenarios that all pharmacists will encounter in their career, and the students should be prepared to handle such patients.

Located in Findlay, Ohio, The University of Findlay College of Pharmacy emphasizes collaborative practice with related health care disciplines, critical thinking, evidencebased medicine, research, and service to the community. In addition to a traditional PharmD, the school offers dual PharmD/MBA and PharmD/Master of Science in Health Informatics degrees.

Becoming a Compassionate Scientist

Hsiao-Ting Wang learned compassion from hospice work. 

Hsiao-Ting Wang’s unique public service experiences outside of the classroom have led this student pharmacist to develop some of the qualities that characterize a true leader in the field: patience, compassion, and self-reflection.

A 2014 PharmD candidate at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Wang stood out to the 

/Walmart RESPy judges in part because of her work with hospice patients in San Diego and a project she recently completed with underserved elderly patients in Baltimore.

As formative as it is proving to be in her career, Wang says that her involvement with hospice was accidental. A friend who volunteered at San Diego Hospice suggested it as an option when Wang was looking for volunteer opportunities. After completing training and becoming certified as a volunteer, Wang actively volunteered for a year before she began pharmacy school. In her interview with 

, Wang spoke at length about the impact that experience has had on her approach to pharmacy and patient care (see below).

Along with 2 fellow student pharmacists, Wang recently completed a prestigious Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, during which they created and implemented a program with patients in a nursing home in downtown Baltimore. Called “Own Your Happy: Aging with Vigor,” the project’s goal was to reach out to an elderly population that did not have access to resources and quality health care.

Wang and her colleagues hosted a series of health classes and lectures geared toward improving the lifestyle of the elders by addressing the specific health concerns and issues that most affect them. The topics they addressed included skin and foot care with diabetes, personalized medication records, medication safety, osteoarthritis, immunizations, and living with chronic diseases. The classes were interactive, incorporating active learning, talks, and demonstrations.

Despite some communication and cultural barriers, Wang says, “The experience was remarkable, and every interaction with the elderly present at the sessions touched the group in an indelible way.”

From her practical approach to patient education to the compassionate way that she delivers care, Wang exemplifies the way that pharmacists are increasingly providing holistic, expert care that no other health care professional can deliver.

Q: Can you describe your most rewarding extracurricular activity? 

 San Diego Hospice has had the greatest impact on me both personally and professionally.

Joe was my first elderly patient; he made me aware of the potential of my influence on the lives of people in my care. His deteriorating condition with dementia taxed him daily, and with each of my visits I learned to appreciate his struggle to live normally. When simple acts such as feeding him took over an hour, I found patience in me that I never knew existed.

The biggest reward for my service came from Joe’s smiles. Sadness cannot be cured by medicine, but pain can be eased by its compassionate application. Comfort and dignity can be maintained with tactical and judicious use of medications.

My hospice experience strengthened my belief that pharmacists working in direct patient care can improve the physical condition of patients; more importantly, they can contribute to their emotional and psychological well-being.

Q: What role do pharmacists play in end-of-life care?

 The first thing I learned during volunteer training was to understand that death is not a failure, but a natural course of a healthy, full life. I further learned that the goal of care for terminally ill patients is symptom management and relief of suffering physically, mentally, and spiritually. Through achieving these goals, we can preserve patients’ rights to comfort and dignity during their last stage of life.

Hospice and palliative care employs an interdisciplinary approach to deliver end-of-life care. Each professional provides expertise to manage patients from a “whole person” point of view rather than a single disease state. The pharmacist’s role at end-of-life boils down to provision of pharmaceuticals, optimizing medication regimens, and administration/formulary management. It is relatively difficult to practice evidence-based medicine at the end of life, largely because studies on terminally ill patients are not the spotlight of health care.

Palliative care pharmacists are then charged with flexibility and creativity to develop alternative treatment options tailored to this patient population. The complex nature of dosage titration also requires endless education to nursing staff and family members of ensure better delivery of pharmaceutical care.

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy was established in 1841, making it the fourth oldest school of pharmacy in the United States. The school comprises 3 departments: pharmacy practice and science, pharmaceutical sciences, and pharmaceutical health services research.

Hsiao-Ting Wang learned compassion from hospice work.

Fostering a Holistic Approach

/Walmart RESPy winner, a good pharmacy practice is built on a foundation of compassion.

“Without compassion, a pharmacist’s knowledge means nothing,” Clark says. “In practice, compassion will create trusting relationships with patients, and in the end, patient care and satisfaction are the bottom line.”

Clark, a 2014 PharmD candidate from the University of Montana College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, is taking advantage of every opportunity to develop this philosophy during her tenure as a student pharmacist.

In honor of American Pharmacists Month, for example, Clark coordinated her school’s most comprehensive health fair to date to benefit the Missoula, Montana, community. Lasting 6 hours, the health fair comprised 9 different screening and information tables, including some nontraditional offerings. In addition to smoking cessation information, flu vaccination, and hypertension screening, Clark and her colleagues offered bone marrow registry sign-up and ran a table that helped children distinguish between medicine and candy.

Raising awareness about medications in the home and prescription drug abuse has been a focus for Clark in her role as coordinator of Generation Rx. An initiative supported by the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), Generation Rx encourages collaboration between health care professionals and the public to address the growing problem of prescription drug abuse.

In addition to her work with APhA-ASP, Clark also serves as a member of Rho Chi Scholastic Honor Society and as regent of Kappa Psi, a professional pharmacy fraternity. She has also participated in fund-raising for the American Heart Association, JDRF, and in support of breast cancer awareness.

Despite the many hours she gives to volunteer work, Clark excels academically, and has earned a 4.0 grade point average in her professional coursework. Pharmacy is fortunate to have students such as Clark as its future, for her dedication to academics, activities, and patients exemplifies a combination of talent and commitment that bodes well for the profession.

Q: Why did you decide to become a pharmacist?

 In high school working with the elderly, I became fascinated with medications and their chemical interactions with the body. I was intrigued how specific medications have different effects on diverse demographics.

I also watched a pharmacist intervene on a patient’s “sleeping issue,” in which a simple change in her routine cured her sleep enigma. His intervention intrigued me, and spurred a curiosity to dig deeper to learn about drugs and their effects on the human body.

 The most rewarding extracurricular activity I have participated in was the health fair I cofounded and codirected in recognition of American Pharmacists Month. Although a challenging endeavor, showing the community the numerous services pharmacists can provide was worth it. Providing bone density screenings, medication therapy management, vaccinations, blood pressure checks, and many other services all in 1 location was an astonishing demonstration of how pharmacy is evolving to provide patient care. I am excited to watch this project progress and am proud to have helped develop such a positive event for our community.

Q: What is the most important issue in the field of pharmacy today?

It seems that today the hot topic in pharmacy is reimbursement. Through the growth of our profession, the benefit our medication knowledge has in the multidisciplinary team has been proved. Coumadin clinics or medication therapy management interventions are a few of the services pharmacists provide that strengthen patient care and should be addressed in regard to reimbursement to recognize the value pharmacists have.

Who has inspired you to become a better pharmacist?

 One of the most motivational pharmacists I have worked with is Ken Chatriand. He has taught me that humor and enthusiasm creates a positive connection with patients and coworkers. He challenges me every time I step in his pharmacy and has made me go out of my comfort zone to make me a better pharmacist.

Student group advisors Donna and Howard Beall have helped guide me through pharmacy school by always supporting every event our student organizations coordinate. They have shown me what dedication and compassion truly are.

The Skaggs School of Pharmacy was established in 1907 at Montana State College and was transferred to the University of Montana College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences in 1913. The pharmacy program consists of 2 departments, Pharmacy Practice and Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and offers a 6-year program leading to the PharmD degree.