September: Extra Blog:

For this month, I haven't gone to my mentorship due to a variety of unexpected events. There were moments I have accidently forgotten to go to my mentorship, then there were times with family parties that must be celebrated, and most of time the when I am about to go there my mentor, Andrew, is gone. It is one of those moments that irritated me the most during this month. I have gone or was about to head at the pharmacy three times with an unexpected notice that Andrew has left and yes, I did called the pharmacy the last two times I was about to head there. I did went to my mentorship at least two times this month, the first time was for the first interview and the second time was just recently last weekend for doing the second interview and just for more discussion time with Andrew. For my first meeting with my mentorship for the interview, I had caught a cold on that day which strained my voice, so I had a difficult time asking Andrew questions and going thru the discussion. But luckily we made it thru the entire interview and I fulfilled all my required answers I needed. After the interview, Andrew had given me cough drops for my sore throat. It was so exciting because I joked about that these were my first prescribed medication for an actually pharmacist. Andrew and I laugh about that silly joke that became a fun, expressive discussion about his line of work an beyond.

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

Label: Independent Component

Due Date:  Thursday, 10/2 by 8AM

What is it?  Independent Component 1 is an opportunity for you to add a dimension of creativity and/or an additional outlet for research.  The goal of the component is for you to explore your topic in more depth with this component.  On February 6, 2015, you will be turning in the following to your blog to prove completion of this component:

• Log of time taken to complete assignment Senior Project Hours spreadsheet.

• Evidence of the 30 hours of work (e.g. transcript, essays, tests, art work, photographs) as digital artifacts.
• LIA explanation of what you did.

    To get your idea approved now, please answer the following questions:

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

For my independent component, I plan to be a volunteer worker at any open-pharmacy or medical facility. My plan is to work in an environment that requires me to communicate with patients during my working hours. I plan to work at is a small facility that is near by my hometown. Yet I hope that these facility can accepts young minors like me to work in their industry.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

My valid proof of my 30 hours independent component work is that I plan to attend at the facility for at least 1-2 times a week with the possible results of  14 hours hours per week. I hope to schedule my work hours every other day such as Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. By this, I am able to take the advantage of half days off to focus on other necessary iPoly work able to keep a balance of time as a volunteer and a student. All evidences of my independent component will be all photos of the facility.

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

My topic is patient compliance, it involves an act of socializing and behavioral situations with patients. I want to experience patent's life on what they have to deal with everyday for medical attention. If I am accepted as a volunteer then I am able to start my practice of communicating with patients. By this ideal process, I can experience the act of communicating able to give them the correct information or assistance. I can relate this to a pharmacists because need talk to every patients everyday, especially those who are noncompliance and need their attention when they explain about the instructions for their medication. This is my practice to focus and speak confidential towards the patients in person and to be sure that they received as much help for their satisfaction.

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

Recent Update of Mentorship Hours

Your answers to the questions should be supported with details and examples for the senior team to understand what you plan to do.   

Next steps: Once we review your blog post, your house teacher will discuss with you the approval of your plan either face-to-face or as a comment on this post. If your idea is approved, please start working on it.  If it is not approved, your house teacher will explain why.  It is your job to address the concerns so you can get your component approved. 

Blog 6 - Second Interview Preparation

Label: Interviews

Due Date: Friday, 9/19 by 8AM

 The purpose of the second interview is to justify your mentor as an expert in the field.  Thus, you will be asking them at least 5 questions about their background and/or the background of the organization or company where they work.

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

 My mentor is Andrew Kest, who has been a pharmacist for about four years in America. He is originally from Egypt, which he had more experience of pharmacy in that country longer than in the US. Andrew works in Del's Pharmacy 1 (closed pharmacy) for his four years in the US and had recently started to work at Kaiser Hospital (open pharmacy) since last year.  

 2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

1. Could you describe one of your typical workdays for me?
2. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis? 
3. What are the positive and negative parts in your career?
4. Has this industry change dramatically in the past couple of years than before? What have you seen from inside your company? Where do you think the changes will happen in the next years to come? 
5. Are too many or too few people entering this profession? If many, then how frequently do layoffs occur? How does it affect the morale of employees?

The interview is due 10/25 by 8AM in Q&A format to turnitin.com.

Blog 5 - Mentorship and Research Reflection

Label: Research

Due Date:  Thursday September 11 by 8AM

Based on what you have done for your senior project so far, answer the following questions (be specific and use examples).

1. Mentorship question: Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship?  If you haven't found one yet, describe your experience so far in the search of a mentor.

During summer, I did not stress to find my mentor. I have simply asked my mom if she knows any pharmacists, then she called up Andrew. Andrew is one of the few pharmacists my mom knows due to the fact she goes to that pharmacy to drop off the medication from her work place. I do recall going to that clinic, Del's Pharmacy 1, a couple times, but didn't step foot inside the place. After my mother called Andrew, I was allowed to come by the pharmacy to start my mentorship. But I could only go on weekends because they are less busier than the weekdays. Since it is a closed-pharmacy that means no interaction with customers, so the atmosphere there is very relaxed and quiet. Andrew is very kind, he said that I am allowed to come as much as I wish t observe more of his work and to ask as many questions I have for him. I have only been at the pharmacy a few times and the description on my view of that clinic is an expansion of the back f a regular pharmacy clinic except twice as big in every station.

2. Research question: What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

The one article I have been fond of was "When the Patient is 'Noncompliant'" by Danielle Ofri, M.D. This article explains the opposite of patient compliance, noncompliance, is when a patient is not following all direct orders from doctor, pharmacist, or medical officer on how to take their medication. Once a patient has been known as 'noncompliant' then all medical officers will have to make sure that specific patient knows how to their medication exactly.

I admire this article by how it explains a positive side of the patient compliance issue, the noncompliance. Those who were known as a noncompliant patient have been helped by their medical officer. Some had been improve to know their daily routine for taking their medication and there were some who were still in the process of practicing. These patients had more support from their medical officer to change their lifestyle and daily habits. But for patient compliance, they seem to fall in depth of taking in their own self care; thinking they know what they are doing if they change their tactics when taking their medications. By patient compliance issue it causes great consequences. At the end of this article, the author tells a personal story of her experience with someone who had a patient noncompliance. She refers to her story towards the audience as the sad truth.

August: Extra Blog:

During my summer mentorship, I have plan to settle in Del's Pharmacy 1. My experience in that particular clinic is at an ease area, due to the fact that it's an closed pharmacy. Closed pharmacy are regular pharmacy clinics, except it doesn't involve the interaction with patients or customers. Consider the image of this pharmacy just an expanded version of the back of a regular pharmacy. This clinic involves a larger station for filling new medications, computer stations, and half of the place is surrounded by bottles and boxes of prescriptive drugs. Since I am only a minor, I am unable to do a lot of physical work because I do not have a license for medication or a as a pharmacist technician, yet I am able to explore and ask as many questions I want as my curiosity expands. Since my topic is about patient compliance, it would be challenging to receive my answers of observation within the clinic, but luckily my mentor, Andrew Kest, had experienced that situation because he also works in a regular pharmacy clinic. By Andrew's experience, I am able to have his view of  his response towards patient compliance issue. Another fact was that Andrew is the one who suggested this topic for me because he says it was a issue that relates to everyone. Since I have only been there twice, I wasn't able to take pictures, but my mother has because she goes there to drop off expired medications from other companies. In the right hand corner, there is a picture the labels the pharmacy use for the prescription drugs. As you can see that the information needs to be cleared up for various reasons to prevent the medical information of the patient to be shared with anyone.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation
Label:  Interview
Due Date:  Thursday August 28 by 8AM


Content:

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  Why?

For the first interview, I plan to meet with my mentor, Andrew Kest. Andrew is the one who helped me find my topic for the senior project. He is a pharmacist, who had experienced in both close-pharmacy, which doesn't involve patients, and open-pharmacy, which includes the interaction with patients. By his experience of the topic, patient compliance, I am able to have more of his personal opinions, ideas, and answers of what he will response towards my questions.

  2.  You have to ask 5 questions.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  Ask open-ended questions.  What are open-ended questions? 

1.      Since you were originally from Egypt, was there any patient compliance occurred there and if so, how was that situation different than here in America?

2.       How do you think pharmacists can enforce patient compliance?

3.      What are some ways to tell that this particular person is a patient noncompliance or compliance?

4.      Do you think it is right for any medical officer or pharmacists to have control on those who are patients compliance? If so, then why?

5.      What do you think is the best solution to solve this patient compliance issue that the government or medical companies can help fund or support? 

Open-ended questions: questions that have an answer in a form of sentences or to have a more in depth, detail answer.

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

Label:  Research
Due Date: Friday August 22, 2014 by 8AM

1.  List your topic here:

My topic will be based on patience compliance issue.

 2.  Write a question that helps to focus your research this month.

What are some ways to enforce patience compliance in pharmacy clinics?

 3.  Post the working bibliography (WB) on the right hand side of the blog and share it so anybody can view it.

My Working Bibliography is posted on the right side of my blog and the link is also right here.