A DAY IN THE LIFE of Winona Maratita
Learning the ropes at the pharmacy by GEMMA Q. CASAS
W
inona-Rebekah B. Maratita was born and raised on Tinian. The daughter of Board of Education Chairwoman Lucia BlancoMaratita and the late David Maratita, this young woman aspires to become the first local licensed pharmacist. Coming from an island where access to medical service and medicine is difficult, Maratita hopes to change things when she gets her degree in pharmacy. This 19-year-old sophomore at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, spent her summer as intern at Brabu Pharmacy. She shares with Beach Road Magazine her insights working as a pharmaceutical intern. BRM: What is a typical day like for you at Brabu Pharmacy? Maratita: I usually fill prescriptions, count tablets, measure liquids, or type out prescription labels. Aside from that, I also help customers find the right overthe-counter products or advise them about certain medications (with the help of the
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pharmacist, Ted Parker, of course). At the end of the day, it slows down and we have the chance to talk with one another, allowing me to gain more knowledge and advice from the pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. We then clean up and leave satisfied from a job well done. BRM: What are some of your memorable experiences at the pharmacy? Maratita: Brabu Pharmacy has such a welcoming environment. The second day on the job, I already had a nickname and I felt like part of the Brabu staff. So I would say that the bond I made with the staff would be the most memorable experience that I will take with me. I felt comfortable asking them questions about certain drugs or advice for Pharmacy School. We all had a lot of good laughs. I also appreciated my little pizza party we had on my last day at Brabu pharmacy. Each member of the Brabu staff treated me like one of their own, and I will leave back to school content and grateful for such an incredible opportunity. BRM: Why do you want to become a
pharmacist? Who influenced you to seek this field? Maratita: I was never interested in becoming a pharmacist. I was actually aspiring to become a teacher. However, the summer before my senior year, I decided to join the Summer Health Careers Program (a program developed by PSS intended to explore student’s career options in the health field). During that program, we had (Continued on page 20)