HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What I am Always Thankful for:

1. My health...would be nowhere without it
2. My family...my rock of support and love
3. My friends...make me who I am
4. My soon to be niece/nephew...someone new to spoil
6. My education...all of the knowledge and opportunities
7. My blessings...skills and abilities that make me who I am

Could have fooled anyone with that one!

I was giving flu shots the other day at a local pharmacy and overheard a conversation that made me laugh so hard and I nearly ended up with an accident in my pants.

A man walks into the pharmacy and requests to get a refill on his Vicodin (a pain medication whose dispensing to patient's is controlled because it can be easily abused and sold on the black market).

Pharmacist: "I am sorry sir, the doctor denied the request for refills. He said you should still have pills left from last week."
Patient: "You called the wrong doctor; he cut me off of Vicodin - call this other guy, he'll get me those refills. "

So we may look dorky in our white coats, but pharmacists are not that dumb. Good try though!

Some more funny excuses:
~I need to get my Vicodin filled early because Saturday is my birthday.
~My sister's dog died and I need my Vicodin refilled early so that I can go to the funeral.
~My house burned down and I was able to get all of my meds out except for my Oxycontin.
~I don’t care if both yours and the pharmacies records show it’s ten days early for my refill, one of you is lying.
~My truck was stolen and my Morphine was in it.
~I left the trunk open when I brought my groceries in. My vicodin was in one of the bags and someone stole that bag out of my trunk. No, I don’t need any of my other meds, they were in a different bag.
~I opened my Opana bottle in the driveway, dropped it and the pills spilled everywhere. It was raining, and they melted, so I guess I need a new prescription.

Join a "Cool" Club!

Just like any profession, pharmacy has an abundance of professional pharmacy organizations. Each one is a little different in that some focus on retail pharmacy, some focus on clinical pharmacy, some focus on student pharmacists, some focus on pharmacy management, some focus on independent pharmacy, you get my point.

Previously I thought joining these organizations was like joining some secret society or paying for friends, or just paying to put something else on your resume. But if you get involved and are interested in your profession the organizations become more than just an annual bill you have to pay to be accepted by others. Membership in the professional organizations are a great idea for any pharmacy because they offer you opportunities to become more involved in your profession, such as taking part in clinical screenings, attending conferences, and keeping you up to date on changes within your profession, through newsletters and meetings. The organizations also provide you with amazing networking opportunities through networking nights, conferences, interviews, mentorships, etc. As I have learned networking is one of the most important activities as you grow up and start your career. In our world today, who you know or who knows you is almost more important than most other things. From getting a job, getting into a bar, getting a discount, or finding help, networking is the foundation.

Through all these realizations I joined NCPA or National Community Pharmacy Association. It focuses on independent pharmacy and personal ownership/management within the profession. Somewhat random with why I ended up choosing this organization but it has been a good thing since I did join. The organization, like most others offers conferences, midyear meetings, annual meetings, etc. I have been happy with my membership as they have helped sponsor me to attend a conference already this year.

Whatever your career, hobbies or age, find a group that shares your interests. The group will help expand your interests, help you network with others, and help you learn more about other people’s views. People like to feel apart of something…so find your ‘secret’ society, facebook group, professional organization, or reading club...BECOME APART OF IT!

Serves Me Right

I was not able to eat, sleep, focus or do much of anything for the last few days. The only position that was comfortable was a motionless fetal position while I every sight or smell or food made me nauseous. I was cold but could not stop sweating and my body ached all over. Yeah, I was sick with what I believed to be something of a stomach flu. I absolutely HATE being sick. When your little at least you get to stay home and have people wait on you but as you get older being sick just means feeling crappy and not being able to do what you need or want to do.

I do most everything to avoid sickness, workout, eat well, wash my hands constantly, stray away from the ill, and take my vitamins. I guess being a college student that gets minimal sleep and is close to so many other students and being a health care professional around sick people, sickness it inevitable.

I am feeling much better physical thanks to some sleep, doing better mentally thanks to my sister answering her phone at 2:30am to listen to me vent, and a lot less stressed thanks to a wonderful professor who was very understanding of mysituation.

Well I guess it serves me right, since throughout the past two months I have been urging everyone to get their flu shots and have been administering the shots yet have not gotten one myself, I was doomed to catch something sooner or later. Stay healthy and hope YOU are feeling well!

Weekend In Drew Carey's Home

While it snowed and dropped about 30 degrees in Des Moines, I was lucky enough to spend my weekend in Cleveland, Ohio. I had never been to Cleveland but even better the entire weekend was free.

I am a fairly new member of NCPA, National Community Pharmacy Association, a professional pharmacy organization but glad to be a member. A few weeks ago the organization asked the Dean’s from a few Midwest pharmacy college to nominate/seek applications from students interested in attending a pharmacy management conference. At first I was not interested learning that the conference cost upwards of $700. As a college student that is a ton of ramen, gas, and weekends out. However, I found out that NCPA along with some drug distributors were willing to provide scholarships that would pay for registration and lodging ($700+) for select applicants. My tune changed and it became HECK YES, Dorothy is applying! Even if I did not get the scholarship it was worth a try, I never turn down opportunities like these. It was free money for a conference where I could network, learn about my profession, and get away for the weekend. I turned in an application 1 hour before the deadline thinking I did not have a chance to get a scholarship considering this opportunity was open to hundreds of pharmacy students throughout the Midwest. A few days later I got a call offering me the scholarship…WOOHOO! Wait….I forgot I still had to get to Cleveland. Flying out of Des Moines is never cheap ($460 for my round trip, with layovers included), but thanks to another pharmacy organization at Drake that I took part in (I know I am involved in too many things…but it pays off eventually), I had another scholarship to help pay for traveling expenses.

So I traveled to Cleveland where I spent two and half days learning about pharmacy ownership and management. There was only one other pharmacy student, otherwise the other attendees were all pharmacist to become pharmacy owners or current pharmacy owners (owning one or a few pharmacies). As a student I felt a little intimidated by a lot of what some of these people were accomplishing but at the same time they were interested in what I was doing as a student. It was great to network and learn from these fellow professionals as well as be inspired by their success. Sounds nerdy I know, but I really took away a lot of information and am interested in the topics presented. What was even better was that I got great meals all weekend, compared to the can meals most college students try to fake “gourmet”, got to watch tons of channels, compared to the 5 channel access in my apartment, and got an entire king size bed to myself, compared to my short twin bed. I had always shared hotel rooms with my family or friends for cost or convenience reasons so this was the first time I got a room to myself. I felt spoiled and guilty but at the same time took advantage by fully enjoying it.

This weekend not only did I visit 3 different states, learned a great deal of life applicable information, networked with some successful people, and relaxed, but I got to do it all on other people’s tab. I could do this more often!

True Meaning of a Wedding!

This past Sunday I attended the wedding for an international friend of mine where I realized the true meaning of wedding celebrations. I have always been to big weddings that people have spent lots of money on, but this wedding was different because my friend was on a very tight budget but it did not seem to matter...

The small but intimate ceremony took place in an old church that required little decoration because it was so full of character. The pastor performed, who performed the marriage ceremony, was a very good friend of the bride and groom, almost like their father. There were not many people in attendance due to the fact that the married couple are both originally from a different country so they have no family here. However the friends that were there, some with such close relationships to the couple that they were practically family and others with just great friendships that the couple felt right at home. I did not know some of the people in the church that afternoon but still felt connected to them through our joy for this bride and groom.

The bride wore a used dress given to her by a close friend yet she looked so beautiful as if the dress were made especially for her. The groom was handsomely dressed in a new suit he had bought himself for this occasion and many more to come. The simple gold rings still represented the eternal love the couple had for each other even if they were not full of diamonds and rubies. The vows included the struggles and stories of the bride and groom which became tearful as the pastor and couple began to cry.

The ceremony was followed by a welcoming reception of cake and coffee in a humbly decorated church hall. Friends served coffee and a neighbor had baked a magnificent wedding cake with three tiers of chocolate cake decorated to a T as if it were a cake from a catalog. A professional photographer that happened to be a friend took pictures of the couple and their guests throughout the afternoon celebration. The small party of friends and closeness felt among the guests made the event feel as if everyone was apart of this big family. Everyone helped in their own way making the celebration one created by those enjoying it.

Weddings do not have to be big, extravagant parties that cost thousands of dollars and host hundreds of guests in order to mean something. The simplicity and genuine feelings of the wedding this past Sunday was not muddled up in the materialistic nature of most weddings; therefore, it conveyed the true meaning of marriage and love. Rather than focusing on the color scheme picked out, the age of the couple, or the sound of the orchestra, the focus of the entire day was on the coming together of these two people that wanted to spend their lives together making it all the more special. I now can say I have a better sense, not complete but better sense, of what marriage is all about and why people make that big leap into the next chapter of their lives.

Congratulations Alejandro and Liedy! May you live a happy life together, Always!