Hospital placement~~

Woke up about 7am and got ready for the one day placement in Sunderland Royal Hospital, i never know it only takes 7min to walk from Precinct to the hospital. Met up with Darryl and another gurl at the entrance there, then we waited for about few minutes time. There came the Clinical Pharmacist, Amina Ali introduced herself and brought us walk around, especially to the ward which the patients receiving logn term medications care. Shes a band 6 clinical pharmacist, freshly graduated lasy July from Manchester Univeristy.

First we put our coat in the lockers before we head to the ward. I was wearing a white top with a black stripes vest, i do look smart and professional today. *as after the placement, i went back for lectures, all my classmates were looking at me, i felt like a shinning star, happy~~*

After that, we went to the Aseptic department, but we din manage to get into it. Just a brief introduction by one of the staffs, she told us theres the place where they prepare the dextrose, IV injections, all those sterile preparations. I had aseptic lab before on my 214 microbiology lab, it was so damn cool. i was dressed up in a proper white gown, exactly looked like an alien!

She brought us to the dispensary, Oh! theres like 15++ staff inside. Pharmacists, technicians, dispensers....The medication shelves are just messy. She introduced another pharmacist named Paul to us too. i forgot wats hes doing? something related with patients drug history i guess....Next, we went to the stock room, where all the drugs are kept.

Then only we went to another building, to the wards. The pharmacist is not doing out patient wards today, so what we can see is only those old people, sleeping or eating slowly on their bed. walking slowly....sitting on a wheel chair. Honestly, i dun like the working environment in that ward, feeling dirty and no energy at all. i shouldnt feel that way, too mean! She then showed us the patient drug history, as theres new patients came in everyday. Basically she need to review their drugs before they can be supplied. Each one of them taking more than 10++ medications daily. Horrible isit? SHe explain to us what sort of role of a pharmacist, basically what she does everyday!

In the end, we spent another 1 hour inside the office, to do 3 case study:
A woman pregnant with 15weeks, is given Ranitidine(ulcers treating) for her indigestion. Is this drug safe for her?
A patient is non-compliant with a current medication on risperidone(treating chronic psychoses), what advide should i give if the consultant wish to swtich it to long-acting depot injection?
Lastly, can ganciclovir(Anti-viral drugs) cause seizures(convulsions)?

Thats all for this placement and i wil have my community placement tomorow together with Darryl again at Seaton, Northumberland. 45min drive from Sunderland, pretty far away. Luckily, hes driving so we dun need to ride a metro till Haymarket, then another an hour bus there.

After the placement in the afternoon, might go to newcastle have fun or maybe come bk again. As he will reach Newcastle around 10pm.....we shall have fun for 4days.

Anyway, im totally exhausted today. Placement in the morning, lecture at 12pm, find A.Husband, 2pm seminar, bk Library discuss reports and then collect boxes out of bridges afterwards.


-StrawberryGurl-

Real patients interviewing

Today is just so cool! developing a lot consulting skills which i never had before...we have 4 patients and all of them having different illness, we're trying to sort out what problems they have and advicing some treatments.

The first patient i have is a guy with itchy and red eyes. I know i ruined the first interview, dont really know what to ask as i missed the previous practice session. I just asked him to refer to his GP and let him go home with the same problem, i should prscribe some eye drops to ease his redness and itchness.

Second one: i have an old man, taking 10different tablets everyday and he felt so sick of taking all those drugs. He has Alzheimer's disease and heart problems. He cant rmb wat other drugs hes taking, other than aspirin. As usual, i asked his drug history, family history and social history. In the end, i told him that i will sort this problem for him by discussing with his GP, see anything the GP can do to reduce the quantity of the tablets. He seem statisfy in the end. im so pleased!!!

Third one: an old man taking loads of medications as well, somehow the coughing problems troubled him for few days dy and he really want to get rid of that. i forgot to ask his family history as hes quite scary and fuzzy.

Fourth one: a middle-aged man named Paul, his ear is buzzing and ringing, affects his working and his colleagues need to shout at him. i asked him when this condition happen, how often, which ear? hes quite co=operative at first but then i found out that his condition quie serious, i suggested him to refer to GP but he refuse. No way for him to see the doctor, hes not ill or dear, he said only sick patients go to see doctor. So i prescribed him ear drops and asked him to come bk pharmacy after 2-3days if his condition worsen. But still i suggest him to see the GP as this has affect his working performance.

Overall, i think i did much more better than i expected myself. i was nervous and worry about my performance as all these are video-taped! A good experience and i feel that i gain some skills today. learning bit by bit and few more years, i will be a professional pharmacist.


-Strawberry Gurl-