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- Aug 15, 2003
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For anyone interested in alternative pharmacy volunteer opportunities?this is what I do. I just got home a little bit ago, and I thought I?d tell you about my day.
There is a free clinic downtown, where all people who don?t have any health insurance or Medicaid are welcome every Satuday. All of the patients speak Spanish. For a small donation of $1, they get a free lunch, a doctor?s exam, and all meds prescribed by the doctor for free. Unfortunately, however, we don?t have all of the meds. Most of the name brand drugs that we have are donated, and the rest (mostly generics) are bought with the small budget.
The pharmacy is a very small room in the back of the clinic. It?s about the size of my master bedroom. I can only count pills because I don?t speak Spanish. I understand it very well, but for the life of me, I can?t put the words back together to form one proper sentence. There?s usually 2 pill counters, someone on the computer printing labels (with the instructions in Spanish), someone handing out the meds to the patients and giving instructions on how to take it and answering any questions the patients have (in Spanish), and there?s a person in charge of the pharmacy, usually an RN. For some reason we hardly ever have any pharmacists who want to donate their time; In the nine months I?ve been going there, I?ve only met two. Anyway, it?s a pretty tight space. But everyone?s really great there, so we don?t mind bumping into each other all day.
The patients start lining up around 8AM. The clinic opens at 10. There are usually 4-5 doctors, and 3 nurses seeing patients and many pre-med volunteers shadowing the doctors and also translating for the doctors that don?t speak Spanish. When the exam?s done, the pre-med brings the patient?s chart back to the pharmacy. The person on the computer reads the chart and prints labels for the meds and gives it to the counters. We pull the meds from the shelves. Sometimes the Dr. has ordered something we don?t have, so we have to call their pre-med assistant and ask them to ask the doctor if it?s ok to substitute something else (and sometimes we read the chart and say OMG WTF does that say?...headache..ouch...ibuprofen please), and send the assistant to ask the Dr. Then I count by fives, stick the labels on the vials, re-read the chart to make sure I counted the right thing, and pass them to the person in charge for double checking. After he/she verifies everything, the meds are finally passed out to the patient.
Even though it?s nontraditional, it?s pretty good training for pharmacy. Time flies. We go home long after the doctors and their assistants go home. We stay until the very last patient gets their meds, usually until 8-9PM. We usually don?t get a chance to eat. Oh but today, one of the nurses made us ham and cheese sandwiches with miracle whip. Mmmmmm?miracle whip. That was the best sandwich I?ve had in a long time bc I was so hungry. I really had to pee too, but I just couldn?t get a break. (even though it?s free, people still complain that we?re taking too long). Some patients get as many as 10 meds! I;ve become familiar with the diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol drugs. It?s cool when I can help the new RN in charge by telling her that glucophage is metformin, and glucotrol is glipizide, and diabeta is glyburide and lisinopril=zestril=prinivil, etc.
I love my experience! I?ll still volunteer there when I come back home to visit.
There is a free clinic downtown, where all people who don?t have any health insurance or Medicaid are welcome every Satuday. All of the patients speak Spanish. For a small donation of $1, they get a free lunch, a doctor?s exam, and all meds prescribed by the doctor for free. Unfortunately, however, we don?t have all of the meds. Most of the name brand drugs that we have are donated, and the rest (mostly generics) are bought with the small budget.
The pharmacy is a very small room in the back of the clinic. It?s about the size of my master bedroom. I can only count pills because I don?t speak Spanish. I understand it very well, but for the life of me, I can?t put the words back together to form one proper sentence. There?s usually 2 pill counters, someone on the computer printing labels (with the instructions in Spanish), someone handing out the meds to the patients and giving instructions on how to take it and answering any questions the patients have (in Spanish), and there?s a person in charge of the pharmacy, usually an RN. For some reason we hardly ever have any pharmacists who want to donate their time; In the nine months I?ve been going there, I?ve only met two. Anyway, it?s a pretty tight space. But everyone?s really great there, so we don?t mind bumping into each other all day.
The patients start lining up around 8AM. The clinic opens at 10. There are usually 4-5 doctors, and 3 nurses seeing patients and many pre-med volunteers shadowing the doctors and also translating for the doctors that don?t speak Spanish. When the exam?s done, the pre-med brings the patient?s chart back to the pharmacy. The person on the computer reads the chart and prints labels for the meds and gives it to the counters. We pull the meds from the shelves. Sometimes the Dr. has ordered something we don?t have, so we have to call their pre-med assistant and ask them to ask the doctor if it?s ok to substitute something else (and sometimes we read the chart and say OMG WTF does that say?...headache..ouch...ibuprofen please), and send the assistant to ask the Dr. Then I count by fives, stick the labels on the vials, re-read the chart to make sure I counted the right thing, and pass them to the person in charge for double checking. After he/she verifies everything, the meds are finally passed out to the patient.
Even though it?s nontraditional, it?s pretty good training for pharmacy. Time flies. We go home long after the doctors and their assistants go home. We stay until the very last patient gets their meds, usually until 8-9PM. We usually don?t get a chance to eat. Oh but today, one of the nurses made us ham and cheese sandwiches with miracle whip. Mmmmmm?miracle whip. That was the best sandwich I?ve had in a long time bc I was so hungry. I really had to pee too, but I just couldn?t get a break. (even though it?s free, people still complain that we?re taking too long). Some patients get as many as 10 meds! I;ve become familiar with the diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol drugs. It?s cool when I can help the new RN in charge by telling her that glucophage is metformin, and glucotrol is glipizide, and diabeta is glyburide and lisinopril=zestril=prinivil, etc.
I love my experience! I?ll still volunteer there when I come back home to visit.
Just kidding 
