CAPSules

Issue 24
September-October Edition

In this Issue:

American Pharmacist Month
Women's Health Events
Diabetes Jeopardy: Operation Diabetes
Upcoming Events
Diary of a Rotation: Los Angeles

 

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American Pharmacist Month

American Pharmacists Month (APhM) is a nationally recognized program sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) that occurs annually during the month of October.  During this month, our overall goals include raising awareness among the community (our patients) and among other health care professions about what pharmacists do and what we bring to the table as members of the health care team.  We also try to recognize our colleagues for the services they continue to provide.

This year, an APhM Core Committee was formed to lead APhM activities, and have planned several events throughout the month of October.  Events this October range from Pit Sits on campus that will incorporate the patient care projects into the education of UNC undergraduate students about what pharmacists do, to APhM bus signs that will be seen on every Chapel Hill Transit bus during the month, to the hanging of an APhM banner on the entrance of Kerr Hall.

We will be hosting a "PharmaSweets" fundraiser on October 6th at noon in the Kerr lobby.  Students and faculty (Dr. Persky!) will be baking delectable desserts and other students can purchase tickets to taste and vote on their favorite.  Lastly, we will be having a PharmFLIX competition between the classes.  We are having a PharmFLIX viewing party on November 1st with a panel of judges, and the best 90 second movie will be sent to APhA nationals on behalf of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.  This year's theme is: "Share your Story",

Look out for students in RED American Pharmacists Month t-shirts and RED APhM pens at your local pharmacy.  We will be distributing them to local pharmacies at the beginning of October.  Overall, we have a lot planned for October and our ultimate goal is to raise awareness of the value and capabilities of pharmacists and getting people excited about pharmacy!

 

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Women's Health Events

Sexual Health Day occurred on Friday, September 30^th this year, an initiative on the undergraduate campus that  included multiple educational programs. Women’s Health provided a seminar on birth control options, proper use, drug interactions, and risks/benefits of various birth control methods.  Members of Women's Health can educate peers and women on campus about the safe use of birth control.  If you are interested in any future Women's Health event, contact Amanda Woods or Courtney Slough.  Even students with minimal experience can help because there are training sessions to help!

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer was a collaborative event with Kappa Epsilon held at the North Hills Mall on Saturday, October 1^st in Raleigh. All proceeds went to the American Cancer Society.  There was a great turnout this year and the event was a success.

 

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Diabetes Jeopardy: Operation Diabetes

Operation Diabetes had their first annual Diabetes Jeopardy Review event on September 22, 2011.  Eight four-person teams competed against each other while reviewing facts about diabetes.  The questions were challenging and helped the PY2 class prepare for their therapeutics exam that was upcoming.  There were PY1s, PY2s, and PY3s who all participated.  Congratulations to Dia-try-a-beatus who won the competition.  Special thanks to the ever-entertaining and intelligent Dr. Adam Persky, our resident Alex Trebek.

Operation Diabetes will be participating in two national walks coming up this month (October). The first is American Diabetes Association’s Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes. We will be participating as walkers for this event and anyone is encouraged to sign up to join our team. Our goal as a team is to raise $1,500. The event is Saturday, October 15^th at the North Hills Mall, Raleigh, NC. The second walk is with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on Saturday, October 29^th. We have a great number of volunteers who are going to help do various different activities to make the walk a success. Anyone also is welcome to participate in the walk. If you need more information contact either Sharon or Courtney.

 

 

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Upcoming Events

Monday, October 3

Pit Sits (APhM): Please sign-up and volunteer to promote American Pharmacist Month with CAPS! We will have a table set up in The Pit with a poster, an interactive game for students, and fliers to hand out with pharmacy-related information! This is a great way to promote the profession of pharmacy and earn your CAPS points. Also, we will be featuring various Patient Care Projects on each date to show off our skills! We will have 2 shifts (one from 10:00am to 11:30am and another from 11:30am to 1:00pm) and we need 5 volunteers per shift. Please use the Wiki-tool on Blackboard to sign-up! Contact Brittany Loy (brittany_loy@unc.edu) or Danielle Schlafer (danielle_schlafer@unc.edu) with any questions! 1 shift =2 CAPS points

Tuesday, October 4

Pit Sits (APhM): Please sign-up and volunteer to promote American Pharmacist Month with CAPS! We will have a table set up in The Pit with a poster, an interactive game for students, and fliers to hand out with pharmacy-related information! This is a great way to promote the profession of pharmacy and earn your CAPS points. Also, we will be featuring various Patient Care Projects on each date to show off our skills! We will have 2 shifts (one from 10:00am-11:30am and another from 11:30am-1:00pm) and we need 5 volunteers per shift. Please use the Wiki-tool on Blackboard to sign-up! Contact Brittany Loy (brittany_loy@unc.edu or Danielle Schlafer (danielle_schlafer@unc.edu) with any questions! 1 shift =2 CAPS points

Self-Help Health Fair: Kerr Health in Chapel Hill is sponsoring the Self-Help Health Fair in Durham on Monday, October 3 from 10:00am to 1:00pm and they need your help! They will be performing blood glucose and blood pressure screenings and need 4 students to help facilitate these screenings (2 for BG and 2 for BP). Please visit the OH Community Blood Pressure Screening Wiki-tool on our page to sign-up! Email Amanda Peters or Jesse Fletcher with questions at UNCheart@gmail.com. 3 CAPS points

Wednesday, October 5

CAPS General Meeting: Kerr 1001 and Beard 102 at 12:00 pm
Please join us for our second general meeting! We are excited to have 2 guest speakers, Sarah Johannes and Dan Crona, current and former members of the ASHP Pharmacy Student Forum National Executive Committee. They will be talking to us about what you can do to make the most out of your ASHP membership! 1 hour = 1 CAPS point.

SHAC Clinic Immunizations
Interested in working with other health professionals while practicing your immunization skills? If so, then head over to Carrboro on Wednesday night and interact with patients and other health professions students. All patients at SHAC clinic are now being offered flu vaccines as part of their care and volunteers will get to administer the immunizations. Volunteer using the Sign-Up Genius located on Blackboard under the Wiki Tool. Please wear lab attire and bring your name tag. No white coat necessary! Shift will run from 5:30pm to 9:30 pm. Email Whitney Davis (whitney_davis@unc.edu) with any questions! 1 shift= 5 CAPS points.

Thursday, October 6

Kroger Pharmacy is looking for 2-4 students to assist with blood glucose and blood pressure screenings from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Kroger Store #332. Visit the Wiki Sign-Up page to volunteer! 1 hour = 1
CAPS point

Campus Health Flu Immunizations: Volunteer at Campus Health's pharmacy to immunize patients against the flu! You will have the opportunity to ADVOCATE immunization to patients waiting at the pharmacy, COUNSEL consenting patients for their immunization, and finally IMMUNIZE patients with the flu vaccine. The majority of vaccines there are state-sponsored and thus free, and no appointment is needed! There will be pharmacist supervision, and brief training will be provided for new volunteers. Email Oyshik Banerjee (obanerje@email.unc.edu) with a copy of your CPR and Immunization certifications at least 2 days prior to your shift. 1 hour = 1 CAPS point

PharmaSweets: Kerr Lobby from 12:00pm to 1:00pm
In order to kick off American Pharmacists Month, we will be having a “PharmaSweets” event today (similar to the Chili Cook-off held in the spring)! You can enter your favorite dessert item (made by you) or pay to taste the items and vote on your favorite! Contact Jenelle Hall (jenelle_hall@unc.edu) for more information. 2 CAPS points for baking an item, 1 CAPS points for tasting/voting.

Friday, October 7

Campus Health Flu Immunizations: Volunteer at Campus Health's pharmacy to immunize patients against the flu! You will have the opportunity to ADVOCATE immunization to patients waiting at the pharmacy, COUNSEL consenting patients for their immunization, and finally IMMUNIZE patients with the flu vaccine. The majority of vaccines there are state-sponsored and thus free, and no appointment is needed! There will be pharmacist supervision, and brief training will be provided for new volunteers. Email Oyshik Banerjee (obanerje@email.unc.edu) with a copy of your CPR and Immunization certifications at least 2 days prior to your shift. 1 hour = 1 CAPS point

Saturday, October 8

Football Concessions: Looking for an exciting way to help fundraise for CAPS? Sign-up for Football Concessions at the Louisville game this Saturday! This is a great way to meet your peers, raise money for CAPS, and be a part of the football madness! Sign-ups for shift 1 and shift 2 are available through the Wiki tab on Blackboard or at http://tinyurl.com/CAPSFootballSignup. Contact Brianna Glynn at brianna_glynn@unc.edu for more information. 1 shift = 4 CAPS points

Heartburn Awareness Tailgate: We will go out 2 hours before the football game to talk with members of the community about their heartburn. Why not talk to fans who are chowing down on their greasy foods and beverages about the heartburn they may be facing right then? Please meet us in front of Kerr Hall. We will help you prepare and feel comfortable before talking to tailgaters. We are excited about this opportunity and hope you can join us! Contact Taryn Shelley (taryn_shelley@unc.edu) or Lisa Feagin (lisa_feagin@unc.edu) for more information. 1 hour = 1 CAPS point

NCPA Annual Convention: Nashville, TN (Saturday-Sunday)
Register for the National Community Pharmacists Association Annual Convention Hosted in Nashville, TN! Come learn about business, politics, residency, and networking. Register by September 30, 2011 at www.ncpanet.org to reserve your spot! Cost is $200.00 to register. Mike Huckabee will be the keynote speaker and there will be a special performance by Sara Evans! This is an event you don't want to miss! Contact Amanda Naujelis (amanda_naujelis@unc.edu) for more information. 10 CAPS points

SHAC Vitals Clinic Orientation: Operation Heart is teaming up with the Student Health Action Coalition’s weekly clinic to provide students with opportunities to put their vitals skills to use! SHAC will be hosting 2 orientation days on Saturday, October 1st and 8th at the clinic in Carrboro beginning around 1:30PM. This is not only a great opportunity to get certified for volunteering, but also for learning how SHAC operates each night before your first volunteer shift (as vitals or just with SHAC). We will be covering medication histories, counseling, the electronic medical record program (Practice Fusion), vitals assessment, and patient interaction. An agenda will be sent out this week. Please visit the OH Community Blood Pressure Screening Wiki-tool on our page to sign-up! Email Amanda Peters or Jesse Fletcher with questions at UNCheart@gmail.com. 1 hour = 1 CAPS point

Sunday, October 9

Aging in Stride 5K: UNC Bell Tower at 9:00am
Come join us for the 7th ANNUAL Aging in Stride 5k! Proceeds will go to the Frail Elderly Fund of Orange County. Your participation can make a difference! Come out on a beautiful North Carolina October morning and run or walk with a group of your friends, and help this great cause. There will be prizes for top finishers and other random racers! Register online at: http://aginginstride.weebly.com/. *If you don't want to pay the online processing fee, feel free to fill out a paper registration form and make a check payable to Carolina Association of Pharmacy Students. You can drop them in Pete Graham or Cassandra Baker's folders (both Class of 2013)* Contact Cassandra Baker or Pete Graham at aginginstride@gmail.com . Hope to see you there! 3 CAPS points

 

Monday, October 10

Blood Pressure/Blood Glucose Screening: Kroger Store #336 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Wednesday, October 12

• Medicare Part D Training: Beard 102 at 12:00pm
• Campus Health Flu Immunizations: James A. Taylor Building from 2:00pm to 5:00pm
• SHAC Clinic Immunizations: 301 Lloyd Street, Carrboro from 5:30pm to 9:30pm

 

Satellite Student Weekend: October 14-15

 

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Diary of a Rotation: LA

Student Name: Divya Chandiramani

Site: West Los Angeles Medical Center - Veterans Affair Hospital
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Rotation Type: Neurology

Description of Average day of rotation:
A typical day started around 7 am in the morning. I spent the morning catching up on existing patients and any new admissions. I was responsible for reconciling medications, monitoring critical medications, and making sure our basic inpatient medications for prophylaxis were covered.

Rounds began at 8:30 am. On the inpatient side we saw patients who had ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. We also got to see some very interesting cases including Marchiafava-Bignami, Korsakoff’s dementia, and an extremely rare case of vanishing white matter disease.

The team consisted of the attending physician, two neurology residents, one psychology resident, a medical student, and a pharmacy student/pharmacy resident. The team always had good questions for pharmacy during rounds.

After rounds I was responsible for writing up pharmacy interventions and notes in the computerized patient record system. I met with my preceptor to go over the patients and medication changes.

In the afternoons I was responsible for counseling patients who had their first stroke on ‘stroke prevention’. I also counseled them on their stroke prevention medications before discharge.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I spent the afternoons in the seizure clinic that was run by my preceptor. I was responsible for taking a thorough history of seizure semiology and triggers. We also asked the patient for a very detailed anti-seizure medication history. The pharmacist worked very closely with the medical team in determining the right anti-seizure medication and dose for the patient. We always counseled the patient on their medications and what to expect before they left the clinic.

My preceptor also took part in Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) rounds and helped make decisions revolving around which anti-seizure drugs to taper off.

Favorite things about rotation:
The involvement that pharmacy had on making therapeutic decisions regarding anti-seizure medications.
I also enjoyed the mix between acute care and the ambulatory care clinic services.

Patient Population:
Since this is a veteran affairs hospital we mostly had male patients.
Many of our seizure patients had history of traumatic brain injury before or had post-traumatic seizures.

What do you do for fun at your site?

Weekdays were very busy at the hospital and I had a lot of reading to do at home. I got to do a lot of sightseeing on the weekends -Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Universal Studios, Griffith Observatory.
Santa Monica was just a 10-minute drive away from the Veteran Affairs Hospital. We went to the beach for dinner on a couple of Fridays. I also got some friends to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II with me.
I attended a concert by A.R. Rahman (my favorite Indian music composer) at Hollywood Bowl. It was amazing!

Traveled to San Francisco one weekend to visit friends. CA also has a lot of national parks that you should visit.There is a lot to do and many fun places to visit so it was a good idea to arrive before my rotation started.

Advice to the younger students:
Make the most out of your out of state rotations. Pharmacy is a small world and this is a great way to network.
Read read read! There is so much you can learn on this rotation but you have to cover all your neurology basics and anatomy well if you want to understand what is going on.