The Blue Vanguard Vol.5

Yonsei Student Pharmacist

THE

BLUE

VANGUARD 2014

Spring

Vol. 5 14 COVER STORY The Corporatization of Pharmacies 17 GLOBAL NETWORK Meet a Friend on the Street - 5th Stop, Indonesia 32 INTERVIEW MSD-Korea: Director Taeyoun Jo of GCTO

THE

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hi everyone. With so much sincere happiness, welcome to our pages. After more than half a year of exciting deliberation, it trills me that the Blue Vanguard finally has something to show our readers.

Indeed, we had few difficulties this semester. The CETS that has helped us edit our writings for two years could no longer give us help due to lack of time, which we totally understand. Therefore, we tried to make up by increasing the frequency of peer-editing among us.

This gave us the opportunity to go through writings of our fellow writers more thoroughly.

Editor-in-Chief Yunkyung Heo Vice Editor-in-Chief Byeonghun Lee Journalists Seniors Juniors Gayeong Heo Gyehee Yi Ahyoung Kim Harin Lee Eunnie Kim Hyungmi Yoon Hosung Jang Seolkyung Kim Yoojin Choi Yongjung Jang

FROM

EDITOR YUNKYUNG HEO

The entire country is in grief over the Sewol ferry disaster. The death of hundreds of young victims has given us a lot of lessons. One of them is that we need to know and think about the society we live in. In order to avoid any harm from social irregularities, we need to be aware of them. If we are to change the society, we need to know thoroughly what is wrong and what is right.

As pharmacy students, we will soon come up against the harsh reality of life once we go out the society after graduation. In order to survive, we should be prepared.

I hope the Blue Vanguard can give other pharmacy students the chance to think ahead about our future. Our future surely depends on how much attention we put into it.

Yunkyung Heo Editor-in-Chief

2

THE BLUE VANGUARD

Designed by Onyoo Kang The Blue Vanguard English Advisors Prof. Roy Burlew Eunnie Kim

Editorial Office Room#30, Floor B1, Underwood Memorial Library, International Campus of Yonsei University, Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon city, Republic of Korea

CONTENTS

Contents

Yonsei University International Campus

Editor’s Note ● 02 Contents ● 03 International Issue ● 04 Brazil as an Emerging Pharmaceutical Market International Issue ● 06 Compounding Pharmacies in the U.S. National Issue ● 09 Evolution of Prescription of Input QR Code National Issue ● 10 South Korea : Pioneering in the Biosimilar Market National Issue ● 12 Pharm-Tong’s Generation Cover Story ● 13 The Corporatization of Pharmacies Global Network ● 17 Meet a Friend on the Street - 5th Stop, Indonesia Global Network ● 20 This Uprising Design Generation

Column ● 22 Q&A for Considering Graduate School Survey ● 24 What Freshmen Aim to Achieve Through Pharmacy School?

Campus Issue ● 26 A Typical Day of a ‘YonYakIn’ Campus Issue ● 28 Inpatient Care Practice Experience-I Interview ● 30 Meeting at National Forensic Service Interview ● 32 MSD-Korea: Director Taeyoun Jo of GCTO Book Review ● 35 The Book that Will Train Your Tongue to Better Deal with Conflict Epilogue ● 36 Feedback ● 38 2014 VOL.5

3

INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

Brazil as an emerging pharmaceutical market

Byeonghun Lee

bhleegen@yonsei.ac.kr

Thanks to the overall rise in income improvement in Brazil, it is becoming more concerned with health issues, making it one of the biggest growing pharmaceutical markets. The Blue Vanguard investigated the growing power of Brazil.

razil is one of the BRICS and has Bachieved rapid economic growth in the 21st century. Along with the growth, its pharmaceutical product sales have steadily increased since the early 21st century. In fact, Brazil has even more potential for growth.

According to the Pharmaceutical Market Analysis Report of the Brazil Sao Paulo Trade Center Investigators in the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the pharmaceutical market in Brazil achieved a 13 percent growth rate

last year and recorded 56 billion Brazilian Real (about 25 billion dollars). Surprisingly the cumulative sales of pharmaceutical products from January to October in 2013 was 48.3 billion Real, which has grown 17% bigger over the same period last year. As a result, cumulative sales were already close-up to 49.6 billion Real which is the sales of last year.

Brazil maintained a high growth rate of the pharmaceutical market even in the slowdown of GDP growth. It is expected that the growth rate of the pharmaceutical market alone in Brazil this year will be approximately five times the GDP growth rate.

*BRICS : The acronym for an association of the five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. *Real : a momentary unit of Brazi

4

THE BLUE VANGUARD

INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

1

What helped the market to grow?

First, the sales of off-patent medicine called generic drugs have increased. Sales of generic drugs account for 24 percent of pharmaceutical sales overall and has recorded 11.3 billion Real. Indeed, according to the report by Brazil Generic Drug Association, generic drugs have appeared in the Brazilian market. This innovative approach has saved the costs of medicines up to a total of 40.8 billion Real.

2

What helped the market to grow?

As a second factor, an increase in overall income has helped. This phenomenon led Brazilians to become more interested in their health, and made more health care expenditures such as nutritional supplements and generic medicines. An index showing changes in the spending habits of Brazilians is the increase of pharmaceutical consumption.

Present condition of expansion of pharmaceutical companies Under the influence of the upcoming 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, many companies are vying for market expansion to Brazil.

Especially, Donga Pharmaceutical Company established its Brazilian branch in 2013 and this has spurred the development of new business and investment plans of the locals. The corporation takes charge of marketing, business licensing, and registration to export products to Brazil.

Other pharmaceutical companies are also perceiving the great opportunity of the pharmaceutical market expansion in Latin America, including Brazil. Along with the expansion, the demand for health-related products are also increasing significantly. Therefore, for pharmacy students interested in working at pharmaceutical companies and who are dreaming of practicing globally, the Brazilian market may be the Blue Ocean. So why not prepare ahead? B

2014 VOL.5

5

INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

compounding pharmacies in the u.s. “one-size-fits-all” doesn’t always fit your needs

1. What is compounding?

Compounding is the art or practice of making custom-made prescription drugs specifically for each individual patient. Customized medication is made by compounding pharmacists who specialize in formulation drugs.

Every patient is treated uniquely, and the strength or dosage form of a specific drug is specifically tailored to fit them.

2. What are compounded drugs made from?

Compounded drugs are typically made by mixing ingredients together to mix a formulation that is not readily available.

3. A compounded drug is not: - A “generic” drug. A generic drug is identical or bioequivalent to the original patent in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, performance characteristics and intended use, marketed after the expiry date of the patent. Generic drugs are usually provided at lower costs than the branded drugs.

- A cost-saving measure.

Because pharmacists must make the compounded drugs from the FDAapproved product if one exists, a compounded drug should cost equally or more than the original product.

6

THE BLUE VANGUARD

D

Yunkyung Heo

ykheo107@yonsei.ac.kr

espite the medical breakthroughs over half a decade, uniqueness of each human body is not considered enough. Every day patients are prescribed medication by a physician based on a three-minutetreatment, and pharmacists dispense medicine accordingly, in standard doses. Three minutes is insufficient for patients to be treated properly, and “one-size-fits-all” medications do not fit individual needs. Now, in come the compounding pharmacies, where pharmacists attempt to provide very specific medication for a patient’s individual needs. Compounding pharmacies know that everyone is different. They represent a kind of “back to the future” approach. Up until the 1950s, all pharmacies in the U.S. were compounding pharmacies, but when mass-produced drugs in standard doses became widely used, compounding pharmacies faded away. These days, only 3% of the pharmacies in the United States are compounding pharmacies.

INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

Strength Allows medications to be personalized for an

individual patient whom mass-produced medication does not fit right.

Enables prescription refills anytime from anywhere through a web account or mobile app.

Offers a number of patient-centered services including diabetes, long term care, nutrition, etc.

Weakness Lack of public awareness Strong perception about side effects after the

Opportunity Increased awareness of pharmaceutical options

S O

W T

deadly outbreak of meningitis

INTRODUCING A LEADING COMPOUNDING PHARMACY According to the industry research published in 2012 by IBISWorld, one of the world’s leading publishers of business intelligence, the industry of compounding pharmacies in the United States is expected to grow.

The industry has benefited from increased awareness of pharmaceutical options among patients and a increasing number of senior citizens. During the past five years, the number of prescription drug shortages has increased; therefore, a growing number of doctors and patients will likely turn to compounding pharmacies for medications with alternate doses and strengths.

Let’s take a look at one of the leading compounding pharmacies in the United States, the Central Drugs Compounding Pharmacy. The La Harba Journal introduces Central Drugs as a place where patients can compound their needs. “Any pharmacist can give you a lollipop when you pick up your prescription, but we can make your prescription into a lollipop. Or a popsicle, a syrup, a gel, or just about any form that works best for you,” says the Central Drugs Marketing Manger, Leonard. Central Drugs prepares customized prescription medication for both humans and animals.

among customers Necessity of long term care for increasing senior citizens Drug shortage for discontinued medication Increased demand on tailored medication

Threat Strengthened regulation by the FDA Establishment fee to register as “outsourcing facility,” with $15,000 as the initial base.

Increasing the shut down of independent compounding pharmacies

THE CENTRAL DRUGS

“At Central Drugs Compounding Pharmacy, our mission is to provide the utmost expert advice, friendly service, and custom solutions to help patients live healthy lives.”

2014 VOL.5

7

INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

THE ROLE OF PHARMACISTS

Compounding is not allowed in South Korea. But will it be allowed in the future? Perhaps not. The role of pharmacists is very limited in Korea. After prescribing and dispensing of drugs were separated by law, a tense competitive composition has been formed between physicians and pharmacists. The role division between them has strained the relationship, and any attempt to extend the role of pharmacists might further strain its already fragile state. The crucial issue is not whether or not pharmacists should be able to compound. Indeed, compounding pharmacy may not be the best answer for pharmacists. In response to the fungal meningitis outbreak linked to unsanitary conditions at a compounding pharmacy in 2012, the regulation by FDA on compounding pharmacies has been reinforced. The current act of strengthening the regulation indicates that systematic improvements are needed in compounding pharmacies.

The crucial point is that pharmacists possess sufficient

knowledge and skills that cannot be duplicated by any other profession. Therefore, they should have the ability and the right to formulate patient-specific medication as a means for providing pharmaceutical care.

KNOW YOUR PHARMACIST This is what patients should have on their minds to better know what pharmaceutical care entails. People look closely at the educational background of doctors and choose their doctor accordingly, while they just conveniently enter any pharmacy close by. Now, pharmacy schools have changed to a six-year curriculum. Pharmacists are more educated, and they are not there to merely tell patients whether to take medicine before or after a meal. Pharmacy students are looking forward to schemes that combine traditional dispensing services with greater levels of pharmaceutical care. The individualization of individual prescription by pharmacists of higher education and actual skills is the actualization of providing total pharmaceutical care. B

Everyone is different.

8

THE BLUE VANGUARD

NATIONAL ISSUE

Evolution of Prescription of input QR codes Byeonghun Lee

bhleegen@yonsei.ac.kr

T

hanks to the wide usage of smartphones, hospitals and pharmacies now offer a variety of services. One of the services are QR codes. If you look carefully at hospital prescriptions, there is a QR code stamped in the corner. The usage of QR codes has expanded its uses from an automatic input system to a provider of various drug-related information to patients.

QR codes stamped on hospital prescriptions expand a means for an automatical input system into a means for providing various drug-related information to patients. Prescription QR Code developed by EDB Corporation is representative. If patients install QR service applications on their smartphones (available at both iPhone App Store and Android Market), they can obtain access to the useful information associated with the QR code.

Through the app, patients can check out not only the total drug costs for each prescription in advance, but also its effects and safety precautions.

In addition, this application offers many other services, such as the prescription authentication system, which can guarantee security and reliability of the prescription by the ability of the system to sufficiently store data and detect any dosage errors. Because QR codes are also printed on the receipt made out by pharmacies, patients can check necessary information anytime, anywhere, even after they hand in the prescription to the pharmacist.

From the hospital’s point of view, this application keeps prescription from being modulated and is capable of preventing any mismatches in billing between hospitals and pharmacies.

Also from the pharmacist’s point of view, it has a positive effect on patient communication. It means that patients use this application to know more about the medications that they are taking and to prevent drug abuse, so they can ask pharmacists how they should take medicines.

Unfortunately, most people do not know about the prescription QR codes. Due to lack of advertisement, the value of its practical use has not been widely spread. Moreover, there are some limits to the utilization of the service. For instance, not all prescriptions can be converted into QR codes.

This is because most pharmacies use a software that does not allow EDB QR codes.

Despite the merits of QR codes, the service is not widely utilized. In order to prove its real worth, it first needs the interest of people. As pharmacy students, why don’t we set an example and make use of this application first? B

2014 VOL.5

9

NATIONAL ISSUE

South Korea : Pioneering in the Biosimilar Market Yoojin Choi

* Biomedicine

Biomedicines are biologic medical products whose active drug substance is made by a living organism or derived from a living organism by means of recombinant DNA or controlled gene expression methods. As producing new drugs through chemical synthesis has been exhausted, biomedicine draws the attention of many researchers. Biomedicines provide patient specific treatments, and have fewer side effects, and are more effective for chronic diseases or cancers than chemically made drugs.

* Biosimilar

Biosimilars also known as follow-on biologics are a generic version of biomedicines.

T

he biosimilar market is in the limelight. As the patent of many biomedicines are expiring, it is a great opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to make biosimilars. Moreover, because activating the usage of biosimilars can reduce medical costs, the demand for biosimilar is increasing. As generic drugs are provided at a lower cost than branded medicines are, biosimilar medicines could also be more affordable. Unlike biomedicines, biosimilar drugs can be made in a relatively short period of time.

A Korean pharmaceutical company, CELLTRION, has become a leading figure in the biosimilar market, since they developed Remsima, the first biosimilar drug worldwide, and went on to create Herzuma. Remsima, a biosimilar version of Remicade, is a monoclonal antibody product effective for rheumatoid

10

THE BLUE VANGUARD

yoojin6a@yonsei.ac.kr

arthritis. Herzuma, a biosimilar version of Herceptin, is a biosimilar monoclonal antibody drug developed to treat breast cancer and stomach cancer. Both Remsima and Herzuma are approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (formerly KFDA) and EMA (European Medicines Agency).

Celltrion is also in the process of developing a biosimilar of Mabther. It is now undergoing phase1 of clinical trials. Celltrion’s competitor, Samsung Bioepis is in phase3 of clinical trials of the biosimilar version of Enbrel and Remicade. Many other South Korea companies are vying for an opportunity to jump into the competition for the development of biosimilar drugs. (Refer to the table at bottom.)

The South Korean biosimilar market has many strengths. Celltrion has the second-largest manufacturing operations in the world, making them highly

* Biosimilar clinical test permission status Company

Biosimilar of

Celltrion

Mabthera (Rituximab)

Samsung Bioepis

Enbreal (Etanercept)

Samsung Electronics

Mabthera (Rituximab)

Daewoong Pharmaceutical

Samsung Bioepis LG Life Sciences

Schnell Biopharmaceuticals PanGen Biotech

Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical

Hanwha Chemical

Enbreal (Etanercept)

Remicade (Infliximab) Enbreal (Etanercept)

Remicade (Infliximab) Eprex (Epoetin alfa)

NESP (Darbepoetin alfa) Enbreal (Etanercept)

NATIONAL ISSUE

Celltrion’s Remsima

Celltrion’s Herzuma

competitive in the international market. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) are actively supporting the pharmaceutical companies by implementing new laws and revising current ones to promote further biosimilar drug production. MFDS has also organized a consultative group, ‘Dynamic BIO’, where collaborators from the industrial world and academic worlds come together to advance the biosimilar field.

Unfortunately, though Korea’s domestic companies has been invested a lot into the biosimilar market, it is still far behind international companies. The South Korean biosimilar industry neither has the long-term funding from the government nor from the public. On the contrary, the United States and most of the European countries have already acknowleged that the biosimilar industry is promising for the future of pharmaceutics, actively investing into the field. These countries also have policies set to promote public investments. For example, in the United States, there is a biocluster, through which companies, universities, researchers, institutes and government are collaborating on the research. The US government has actively supported this biocluster for a long time. They introduced ‘SBIR(Small Business Innovation Research) program, and has given subsidies to the small biomedicine companies and has offered loans free of interest.

At present, South Korea companies is leading figure in the biosimilar market, due to its earlier breakthroughs with their antibody products. It is expected that ten years from now, the biosimilar market will grow and the entry barrier to the market will rise. Big pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, are already trying to enter and dominate the market. The biosimlar market needs the long-term funding and support from the government and major corporations to maintain its positions in the international biosimilar market. Without it, it most likely to lose it the rising companies from the bigger countries. Looking to the semiconductor industry as an example, it still dominates the world market thanks to the steady government and public investment for the past thirty years. Korea should now look ahead in order not to lose its stance and take every opportunity to expand.

B

2014 VOL.5

11

NATIONAL ISSUE

PHARM-TONG’S GENERATION

PHARMACIST’S COMMUNICATION APPLICATION LAUNCHED Gayeong Heo

GYHeo@yonsei.ac.kr

These days, people communicate with each other through a Social Network System(SNS). This makes it possible for

people to communicate anytime and anywhere. Therefore, many groups are starting to use SNS as their private commu-

nication square. The Korean Pharmacist Society is also trying to fall into step with this trend. One of the representative service is Pharm-Tong. Pharmacists in Korea are expecting Pharm-Tong to be the social outlet where the voices of pharmacists will be united.

Pharm-Tong services have began Pharm-Tong, the Korean Pharmacist’s mobile phone application, was created by the Korean Pharmaceutical Association(KPA). KPA always contemplated how to gather the voices of Korean Pharmacists more efficiently.

They took action and finally Pharm-

12

Tong’s beta was introduced on January 20th, 2014. In April of this year, Pharm-Tong’s main service will be available to all members of the KPA. Currently, about one thousand members are using Pharm-Tong and this number is continuously increasing.

What kinds of services does Pharm-Tong offer?

Pharm-Tong mainly offers seven different types of services.

First of all, there is the notification page of the KPA. On this page, official notifications, pharmaceutical news, political news, and events are notified.

Second, this service gives information on store hours of all pharmacies. With this page, we can easily know the location of the nearest 24 hour pharmacy around.

It also provides KPA members the opportunity to talk with fellow members one on one. Also, there is a message board where employers can post job openings and all members can see the prospective employment announcements. Furthermore, PharmTong has a survey page which allows us to know the different opinions of other members. These services can be

local branch

member also used to give feedback about drug disorders.

Pharm-Tong’s new service for pharmacy students will begin Only KPA members can log in to Pharm-Tong now. However, pharmacy students will be able to use this application in the near future. KPA and the National Council of College of Pharmacy Students had a discussion about this issue in January 2014.

The features that will be offered to students have been decided with only a few minor details remain left to be worked out.

Along with the KPA’s advertisement department, services for students will give an opportunity for them to talk with pharmacists in the field about life and pharmaceutical issues. B

THE BLUE VANGUARD Korean Pharmaceutial Association

COVER STORY

The Corporatization of Independent Community Pharmacies Eunnie Kim

eunniekim@yonsei.ac.kr

2014 VOL.5

13

COVER STORY

The Current State of Matters The Pharmaceutical Affairs Act states that only licensed pharmacists are able to establish independent community pharmacies limiting one pharmacy operation to one pharmacist. Since the early 1980s, South Korea has steadily institutionalized its health care, bringing to question whether or not to corporatize its independent community pharmacies.

In 2002, a corporate entity established and operated an independent pharmacy, which outraged the practicing pharmacists and the Department of Ministry of Health.

The issue was taken up to the courts on the grounds that it was unconstitutional for a corporation to establish an independent community pharmacy according to Article 20 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. The Constitutional Court ruled it to be a constitutional nonconformity and gave the corporation a warning. The corporate entity submitted a constitutional petition on the grounds that the corporate body was composed of a group of licensed pharmacists.

However, the Constitutional Court overruled it for the time being, and kept the law open for debate.

In 2014, the court revisited the case in an effort to set a precedent ruling on the corporatization of pharmacies. The court asserted that it did not have any justifiable means to give pharmacists special treatment, since other professions have already been corporatized. Those who question the law that states that only licensed pharmacists are permitted to operate a pharmacy, give as an example, that one does not have to be a licensed lawyer or doctor in order to found a hospital or a law firm. Consequently, the government is advocating the corporatization of pharmacies to keep up with the trend of institutionalizing health care.

The Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) spoke up saying if that were to be the case, then only non-profit corporations should be allowed to establish a corporate pharmacy. This ongoing, heated debate over the constitutionality of a corporate entity to operate a pharmacy is increasing the tension between the government and the KPA. (Please note that a corporate pharmacy is more commonly referred to as a retail pharmacy in the United States, and that is how we will refer to it from henceforward.)

14

THE BLUE VANGUARD

According to the Government The government is currently pushing for the corporatization of pharmacies, under the premise that it will inevitably happen in the future, as it did in other capitalistic countries like the United States of America. Currently, the pharmacy sector in Korea has much room for improvement in the way they are managed by these self-employed pharmacists.

The majority of these pharmacists lack the skills and the funds needed to efficiently manage their pharmacies.

Consequently, these pharmacies are smaller in size and have inconsistent availability and pricing. Retail pharmacies will be expertly managed and due to high competition amongst pharmacists, it will be unlikely for prices to rise.

In fact, patients may more likely receive better quality service and better prices for their medications.

More importantly, it is alarmingly difficult for the government to keep track of who is employed at these small independent pharmacies. In order to cut back on labor expenses, pharmacists hire unlicensed family members or part-time employees to dispense and sell drugs, both of which are illegal. However, the pharmacists employed by these retail pharmacies will be properly licensed, assuring patients their medications would be dispensed by professionals.

Furthermore, there is the problem with accessibility.

Many of these independent pharmacies are inaccessible to

COVER STORY

patients past working hours and holidays, but most retail pharmacies will have the means to stay open around the clock every day of the week. Additionally, the financial power brought on by the large corporations would help, potentially, to boost Korea’s economy.

According to the KPA Pharmacists and KPA members are standing up to the government and corporations. Historically, these small independent pharmacies have been an important part of their respective communities. There are usually several situated on the main streets and in the residential areas, making them highly accessible to patients. The rise of retail pharmacies is likely to decrease accessibility to patients, since many of the independently owned pharmacies located at the heart of residential areas would be forced to close down due to lowered competing power against retail pharmacies.

Pharmacies are small in size, but that does not determine how efficiently they are run. Many of the pharmacists who run them are highly experiences and some even have a long lineage of pharmacists in their families. Though they have a smaller variety of medications than retail pharmacies, they carry the medications that are most commonly sought out. The corporatization of pharmacies is inevitable, but

the KPA believes that the government should take measures to permit only non-profit retail pharmacies to operate as a meant of protecting the interests of independent pharmacies.

Looking at the UK Model of Retail Pharmacies Korea is not alone in its journey towards the corporatization of its pharmacies. It has been a continuous trend for countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom to industrialize and corporatize pharmacies, leading to a growth spurt of retail chain pharmacies. A close look at the UK community pharmacy sector was taken to gauge what Korea could learn from its counterpart to facilitate the transition from independent community pharmacies to retail pharmacy chains.

The UK has corporatized community pharmacies since the late 1970s. In the UK, community pharmacists are recognized as one of the most accessible healthcare professionals. This recognition can be attributed to the community pharmacists who are employed at retail chain pharmacies. Prior to this transition, self-employed community pharmacists have predominantly operated UK pharmacies. Currently, large pharmacy chains own approximately 66% of the pharmacies in England. The

2014 VOL.5

15

COVER STORY

change is the result of several factors: massive increase in prescription volumes, the automation of tasks within pharmacies due to transference of responsibility for drug manufacture from pharmacists to the pharmaceutical industry, and the wide availability of drugs from non-pharmacy outlets, which allowed patients to purchase these drugs without the supervision or advice from their local pharmacists. These factors led to trouble for independent community pharmacies in the UK, as did increasing competitive pressure they faced against the retail pharmacies, forcing many of them into closure.

Still, not all independent pharmacies have been forced out; there are still some that remain, especially in the rural areas. Many patients, who had frequented these independent pharmacies prior to the growth of retail pharmacies, still frequent the former. Most of them are highly satisfied with the quality of care they receive from their pharmacists and the trust they have built with them cannot be replaced. B

Frequently Asked Questions 1) Is it legal to prohibit a group of pharmacists from establishing a retail pharmacy?

No. In 2002, the Constitutional Court announced that according to Article 20 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, it was a constitutional nonconformity to prohibit the corporatization of community pharmacies. They stated that it would be unfair to other professions that have already been corporatized, such as doctors and lawyers. Since there are no justifiable grounds for not corporatizing pharmacies, it is necessary, on the court’s part, to accelerate the process of enacting the bill into a law.

2) If the corporatization of pharmacies is permitted, will the independent community pharmacies disappear?

No. There are many different types of business entities including corporations, partnerships, sole traders, limited liability companies, etc, and depending on the type, the way they are structured and operated can vary. The government will meticulously scrutinize the pros and cons of retail pharmacies and make provisions in the bill that would protect independent community pharmacies.

3) If pharmacies are corporatized, won’t retail pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies succumb to price-fixing, raising the cost of medication?

No. Even if the corporatization of pharmacies is permitted, the number of pharmacists and the number of non-pharmacist members in the corporate body will be limited, so price-fixing will not occur. On the contrary, the rise of retail pharmacies will increase the competition amongst all pharmacies (independent and corporate) so raising the cost of medication would be very unlikely. To avoid any harmful consequences the increased competition may bring, provisions will be placed in the bill and will be regulated by the government.

16

THE BLUE VANGUARD

GLOBAL NETWORK

Meet a Friend on the Street

– 5th Stop, Indonesia Hyungmi Yoon

hmyoon@yonsei.ac.kr

On January 2014, I went to Jakarta, Indonesia for winter vacation. Because I had lived in Indonesia in the

past, Jakarta is like my second hometown. Almost everything was the same as the past, except now, I had strong

interests in the pharmacies of Indonesia. It might be because I am a student majoring pharmacy, and it was my first time visiting Indonesia after I entered pharmacy school. Based on my interest, I decided to interview a pharmacist here and introduce the Indonesian pharmacy to our Blue Vanguard readers.

Pharmacies in Indonesia are called Apotik, and can easily be found in large shopping malls scattered through-

out Jakarta. The main pharmacy chains include Century Healthcare, Guardian, and Apotik Melawai. I visited Century Healthcare at the shopping mall called Cilandak Town Square, where they sold a wide range of prescrip-

tion, over-the-counter medications and toiletries. On staff, there was a graduate student named Felisia Dini, a

pharmacy major, who filled prescriptions and assisted customers with drug-related questions. I interviewed her and asked several questions.

These pictures show the inside of Century Pharmacy. There are different aisles for beauty and health.

2014 VOL.5

17

GLOBAL NETWORK

Q1

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

A : Hi. My name is Felisia Dini. I am twenty-two years old, twenty-three years old in Korea. I have been working at Apotik Century as a store manager for almost five months. I graduated from pharmacy school, and now I am planning to resume my studies to become an Apoteker. Apoteker means pharmacist.

A : No, it is not. Pharmacists are the only ones who can open up a pharmacy. However, it is possible to sell drugs if you are a college of pharmacy graduate who has a S1 degree. Therefore, the pharmacist comes every few days and oversees how the pharmacy is run rather than staying for the entire business hours.

Q2

Q4

I know that many countries have different curriculum for pharmacy schools, and different requirements to become a pharmacist. Can you explain what Indonesia’s system is like?

A : To major in pharmacy, there are two different curriculums. First, at an institute, students who finished the study of pharmacy for three years can get a D3 degree.

The letter D stands for diploma in Indonesia and it is equivalent to a certificate. The second curriculum is at the university. To major pharmacy at a university, students have to study for four to five years, towards a S1 degree.

The letter S indicates Sarjana in Indonesian, and it is equivalent to a Bachelor’s. During that period, students have six months of practice research.

To become an Apoteker, students have to get a S1 degree, and afterward study one more year at a professional university to become an Apoteker. These are the requirements to get licensed as an Apoteker.

The place where pharmacists distribute drugs and give consultations

18

Q3

There does not seem to be a pharmacist here now. Is it not mandatory for a pharmacist to stay at all times at the pharmacy?

THE BLUE VANGUARD

I saw the delivery sign at the counter.

Are the Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs and prescription drugs both available for delivery?

A : Although we don’t deliver that many prescription drugs, both are possible for delivery. Most of the prescription drugs are drugs for chronic disease patients such as those suffering from hypertension. Because we already know the patients’ disease and have the prescription from the doctor, it is possible to deliver the prescription drugs to patients. This system can reduce the cost and time of patients visiting the doctor and pharmacy! Of course, if the drug is strong or should be taken with caution, double check with a general physician (GP) about the patient’s prescription. The medicine consultation is done over the phone.

Felisia Dini is standing at the right. The delivery sign is hung behind the counter.

GLOBAL NETWORK

Q5

I heard that in Indonesia, there is a variety of natural drugs. Can you introduce the natural drugs in Indonesia?

A : There are three categories for the natural drugs in Indonesia : Jamu, Obat Herbal Testandar(OHT), and Fitofarmaka. First of all, Jamu is the traditional drug in Indonesia.

Because of the accepted usage, Jamu can become a commercial drug without pre-clinical trials and clinical trials.

Jamu shown as the example is for symptoms of feeling cold and fatigued. Secondly, OHT is a drug that went through pre-clinical testing, and the ingredients are all standardized.

This drug is also used for colds. Lastly, Fitofarmaka is a natural drug that has passed both pre-clinical and clinical trials. This drug is a syrup for enhancing the immune system of a child.

Q6

A : With the implementation of universal health care coverage, Indonesia’s prescription drug market will thrive.

The enactment of the plan will open up a previously untapped market for those who shielded away from visiting medical professionals due to the cost. The increasing demand for prescription drugs naturally opens up opportunities for pharmaceutical companies. That means pharmaceutical companies have to begin a new competition to get into the new market, which will lead to improvement of drugs. Above all, in 2019, when the universal healthcare coverage will fully be in place, the biggest gain from this implementation will be the fact that Indonesians will no longer need to worry that their savings or livelihoods will be depleted by sudden illness.

Q7 The left drug is Fitofarmaka. The right drug is Obat Herbal Testandar.

This drug is Jamu. The mark on the upper left corner of the package is different based on the catergory of the drug.

The implementation of the universal healthcare coverage plan started in Indonesia in January 2014. What are some effects of this implementation?

I think you can learn many lessons by working as a store manager. For my last question, what do you think is an important trait necessary for working as a pharmacist?

A : I think the most important quality is attitude. Even if a person is clever, if his or her attitude is negative, he or she will have difficulties adapting to working as a pharmacist. Pharmacists need to be well-rounded and maintain a positive attitude. That positive attitude not only influences pharmacists, ourselves, but also the patients because we are the people who take care of them and cheer them up. The treatment outcome of patients can be differ based on the kind of relationship they share with their pharmacist. A smiling faces and a positive mindset are the fundametal attributes of a pharmcist.

When I lived in Indonesia, I frequently visited pharmacies to get medicine or toiletries. However, I simply

bought the things I needed and left the pharmacy rather than showing an interest and taking a closer look into the system. Therefore, I had difficulty answering questions from my colleagues about the pharmacy system or

how to become a pharmacist in Indonesia. I hope this interview could be of an answer for the previous questions that I had received. Lastly, thank you Dini for granting an interview. B

2014 VOL.5

19

GLOBAL NETWORK

THIS UPRISING DESIGN GENERATION Hosung Jang

yourself28@yonsei.ac.kr

These days, design is a major part of our lives. No matter how nice the function of product, consumers do not buy it if it is poorly designed. No matter how great the food tastes, consumers will not eat at that if it had tasteless interior design.

Keeping up with the trend, pharmacies are not free from the need for design. Through this page, I would like to introduce to our readers how some pharmacies have been given a new look in different parts of the world.

This is the new brand and pharmacy concept created by MARKETING-JAZZ for the Elsa.

Acosta Licensed Pharmacy in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The pharmacy is divided into areas, according to the products being sold, the desired shopping experience and the brand positioning. Special care has been taken to -

20

THE BLUE VANGUARD

ensure that customer traffic flows and covers the whole pharmacy. There are waiting areas for the elderly next to the counters, where they can be served without having to get out of their seat, with the SantaCruz pharmacy staff doing their “health shop� for them.

Farmacia SantaCruz, a healthy world.

GLOBAL NETWORK

This spectacularly simple pharmacy is located in Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium along a lush road where the simplicity and stark grey brick stand out amongst nature. Built and designed by CAAN Architects,

Apotheek is hopefully a new wave in pharmacy design. When open, the front window turns into a big green pharmacy symbol as the giant sliding door transforms the space from open to closed.

The Farmacia de los Austrias (De los Austrias Chemist) is placed in one of the most emblematic areas of historical Madrid. The initial idea was to create a new space typology, in which tradition and vanguard merge in such a subtle

way that originate a slow and deliberate dialogue in which no element stands out of the rest, creating an almost musical harmony. This interior embraces consumers in a warm and close atmosphere. B

2014 VOL.5

21

COLUMN

Q&A for considering graduate school Harin Lee

hrlee102@yonsei.ac.kr

M

ost university students may have, at least once during their campus lives, thought about going to graduate school. Pharmacy students are not exceptions. Thus, in this article, the Blue Vanguard has inquired into some common questions students considering graduate school will find valuable. I asked these questions to a professor, a Ph.D student doctorate social pharmacy and a employee fulfilling his military obligations

Can I receive graduate school tuition benefits?

If you undergo the five year bachelor’s and masters joint program at Yonsei University, you can receive a full tuition benefit from the school. If you enter graduate school after receiving your bachelor’s degree, you can also receive full tuition most of the time. It is different though, in that it is usually the labs that provide tuition, not the school. Some think that graduate students, who study in dry labs*, have difficulty receiving tuition assistance. However, students in the dray labs are also eligible to receive tuition assistance, so prospective students do not need to worry.

Is it possible to study while caring for an infant?

Frankly, it is not easy to balance school work and family. Honestly, it would be easier to raise a baby after graduate school, especially if you plan on entering a wet lab. But if you were to start a family while in graduate school, you would need extensive support from you family. Perhaps it would be best to lower your expectations and face reality.

If you were to pursue both at the same time, it would be nearly impossible to find absolute success in both.

Footnote* Wet Lab: a lab that conducts experiments . For example: a biochemistry lab or a manufacturing pharmacy lab Dry Lab: a lab that does not conduct experiments. For example: a social pharmacy lab or a clinical pharmacology lab.

22

THE BLUE VANGUARD

COLUMN

What factors should I consider when selecting a lab?

First and most importantly, you should select a lab that is studying the subject you are most interested in. Second, I advice that you do not choose a lab based on recent fads because the latest hot issues attract many researchers, so you will encounter keen competition. Furthermore, your interest may begin to wane when you finish your doctoral course. However, as stated earlier, if you find your own unique special interest, you should achieve adequate results, even through the cutthroat competition. Hence, I hope that you will discover a field in which you feel passionate!

What do you think about studying abroad? Is it better than studying in Korea?

If you want to get a job in Korea, I recommend that you study in Korea for two reasons. First, you can prove your ability within Korean research conditions. In fact, the research conditions between Korea and America differ, such as the scale of research funds. If you obtain excellent results in Korea, with relatively limited support, you will be able to prove that you can conduct quality research even under Korea’s unique conditions. Second, many Korean labs now have an excellent research environment. In the past, many students, who wanted to study at graduate school, went abroad because most labs in Korea were inadequately suited for studies. However, Korea’s labs are currently well-equipped and well-staffed.

Although I recommend that you study in Korea for these reasons, it is also good to choose a lab abroad if the lab is the best one in the field in which you are interested.

Is it better to enter graduate school right away and get

a job later, or work first and then enter graduate school if I feel the need continue my education?

It will be different depending upon what you want to do.

The conclusion is that, whether you are pursuing a masters degree or not, the most important thing is to have a clear vision on what you want to be and your ultimate career goal.

If you want to work in a development division or research division in a pharmaceutical company, enter graduate school. If you want to work in a marketing division within a pharmaceutical company or work in a drugstore, further studying is not recommended. If you are considering becoming a government employee, it will be better to go to graduate school after finishing your military service if you are male. If you want to conduct research at a lab or pharmaceutical company, I recommend that you earn a doctorate and then subsequently perform your military service.

If you have not decided yet, think about what you want to be in ten years and then make your decision accordingly.

The interview was too short to cover all the subjects that students will be wondering about in this limited amount of space. However, I wish that students who are considering graduate school learned valuable tips regarding their future plans. Finally, I recommend that you ask questions about graduate school to current graduate students or people who hold masters/doctorate degrees and are already employed.

I would like to personally thank the people who helped me write this article. B 2014 VOL.5

23

SURVEY

What freshmen aim to achieve through Pharmacy school?

Ahyoung Kim

Pharmay@yonsei.ac.kr

The campus life all freshmen are dreaming of is coming along with the warm spring breeze. This year’s most exciting

news for the freshmen would have been the acceptance to their desired university. With great respect for students’ pas-

sion towards studying, the Blue Vanguard wish them all the best in their studies as well as some fun in their college career.

The Blue vanguard has researched on what freshmen aim to achieve through pharmacy school.

This online survey was carried out for 10 days from the 3rd of March, targeting the freshmen of seven different phar-

macy schools. The participating schools were Catholic, Chungang, Dongguk, Ewha, Gachon, Sookmyung and Yonsei

University. Over 110 freshmen participated in the survey, yielding a response rate of 25%. The survey had four different

categories which were: enrollment admission, life at university, academic learning, and social/colleague relationships.

The results for each question are represented in bar graphs.

*Enrollment Admission* Q. What do you want to achieve through pharmacy school?

Receiving a scholarship

37

Personal(romantic) relationship

26

Going abroad to study

16

Participating in volunteer activities

11

Other

11

Workout- working on body building

7

One-on-one tutoring, working

3

*Life at university*

Q. What are you concerned about the most as being a student in pharmacy school?

GPA, Exams 32

Interpersonal relationship

28

Tertiary fees

7

Personal(romantic) relationship

24

THE BLUE VANGUARD

Q. To which part of university life are you looking forward to the most?

34

Curriculum of pharmacy major

Other

It is shown that a high percentage of freshmen wish to obtain a scholarship, and that the most considerable issue for all freshmen is to do well on exams to obtain a high GPA. This result conveys a message that the freshmen are more interested in their studies and their learning process.

Although tuition for this particular major is more expensive compared to other majors, only 6% responded that it is a considerable issue. Responses to interpersonal relationships or personal relationships also took a big part under this category.

6 3

Club activities

53

Meeting new classmates

34

Pharmacy practice internship

15

Interaction with senior students Other

7 2

SURVEY

Q. To which event are you looking forward to the most?

JeonYakHyeob

58

Festival

27

College of Pharmacy union events

14

Athletics Day

6

Freshmen Orientation

3

Other

3

*Academic Learning*

Q. What would you like to learn the most throughout the curriculum of pharmacy?

Pharmacology

40

Clinical pharmacy 21

Anatomy 6

Other

1

Q. What is your expected GPA in your first semester?

4.0~4.5

below 2.5

74 18 16

Buying food

2

Other

1

Encouragement for motivation and passion to study

3.5~4.0

44 32

2.5~3.0

Positive and warm relationship

Q. What are your expectations from the professors?

27

3.0~3.5

Q. What are your expectations from the senior students?

Exam Question Bank

8

Cosmetoloy

*Relationships*

Helpful advice about academic learning

35

Pharmaceutics

According to the result, many freshmen has chosen club activities for what they look forward to the most. It is good to see them excited about participating and contributing to the clubs, because most of them probably have only focused on academics and the entrance examination before acceptance to pharmacy school. Also, a large proportion has chosen the Junyakhyub, as the event that they would like to take part in. One of the students from Chungang University showed interest in the labaratory class.

7 1

A large number of people chose pharmacology and clinical pharmacy for what they would like to learn the most. However, there is a possibility for this to be changed as they haven’t had any chance to actually learn other subjects yet. Also, more than 70% of students assumed that they would achieve a GPA of 3.5 or more and 92% predicted a GPA of 3.0. We hope that they would study really hard to receive better grades than what they hoped for, as professors do not easily give good grades.

56

Building good rapport with students

39

Understandabble lecutre

13

Research Results

2

Other

1

The result shows that a vast number of students expect or want to build positive interpersonal relationship with the senior students. On the other hand, students prefer getting motivation and building passion about studying by building rapport with the professors. This may be the result of the challenging studies of the pharmacy major. There were also some interesting responses about their expectations for the senior students, such as going out to have drinks with them. B 2014 VOL.5

25

CAMPUS ISSUE

Inpatient Care Practice Experience-I

How was it Last Year? How about This Year?

Gyehee Yi

gyehee@yonsei.ac.kr

Since the new Pharmaceutical Affairs Law was enacted in 2000, dispensing and prescribing of medicine has been separated, and pharmacy practice in Korea has changed significantly since then. Pharmacists are required to perform a drug use evaluation and

medication counseling for patients prior to dispensing. However, pharmacists’ incompliance to the regulation was due to disorganization of the pharmacy education and training system necessary to train pharmacists to better interact with their patients.

With the implementation of the Pharmacy Education Reform Program in 2009, the existing pharmacy educational system expand-

ed to a 6-year (2+4) program. The new curriculum has increased the number of required courses in clinical pharmacy and ensured

students to fulfill sufficient practical hours and complete an internship period that will adequately train them to perform their tasks.

E

ver since the 2+4 year curriculum started, the class of 2009(‘09) at Yonsei University became the first pharmacy students nationwide to experience working at hospital pharmacies, community pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies. Their practical training at pharmaceutical companies had been introduced in the fourth issue of The Blue Vanguard; for this issue, the main focus will be on the experiences in the hospital pharmacy practice. Before the next group of students begins their practice, The Blue Vanguard attempts to report some details of the program, whether the practical training was systematically organized to train students, whether the education quality was satisfactory, and to find out which parts of it should be complemented or improved for this year.

We searched the reference for clinical practice review, and also inter-

26

THE BLUE VANGUARD

viewed some senior pharmacy students who experienced the Inpatient Care Practice Experience (ICPE-I), at Sinchon Severance Hospital.

T

he hospital pharmacy practice covers two core curriculums, ICPE-I, and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE). In ICPE-I, students were put in a real pharmacy practice environments within the hospital ward, under appropriate supervision of preceptors in various professions. Currently, only ICPE-I is underway; accordingly the APPE will be introduced in the forthcoming issue of The Blue Vanguard.

Amid many concerns regarding the new curriculum, the first ICPE-I commenced in July 2013, at Yonsei College of Pharmacy. Yonsei Pharmacy students could choose to go to Sinchon Severance Hospital or Gangnam Severance Hospital. Stu-

dents did an 8-week pharmacy rotation at Severance Hospital or Gangnam Severance Hospital in addition to a 4-week pharmacy rotation at the National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital. Students also did a weekly presentation on their clinical cases back at the Songdo International Campus. The student rotations were arranged in accordance with Sinchon Severance hospital schedule, and are as follows. For the first ten days, the students were trained in IV drug administration,

The TPN practice at Gangnam Hospital.

CAMPUS ISSUE

medication information teaching, and medication error monitoring. For the next eleven days, they practiced in depth-inpatient pharmacy with parenteral admixture and total parenteral nutrition(TPN), and patient counseling was carried out with cancer patients about warfarin. In the last eleven days they experienced outpatient pharmacy and carried out patient counseling on pediatric ER, inhaler usage, and transplantation(TDM) patients. The schedule at Gangnam Severance Hospital was similar.

T

he schedule at Ilsan Hospital for student practice was as follows; for the first week, every student was acquainted with drug administration, inpatient pharmacy, and patient counseling about warfarin, inhalers, and chemotherapy. For weeks 2, and 3, they learned how to fill the parenteral admixtures, and to perform investigational drug administration. They also experienced outpatient pharmacy and optionally they could learn clinical pharmacokinetics. They even had the chance to join the Nutrition Service Team (NST) as part of the pharmacy rotation program. After students completed ICPE-I, they took a survey on how their rotations went at the hospitals. Students were asked to evaluate by answering twelve questions which were about school education, curriculum understanding, and the efficacy of the student rotation at the hospital. Students marked 5 if they strongly agreed, 4- agreed; 3- neither agree nor disagree; 2disagreed; 1- strongly disagreed. Twenty-five students surveyed and the researcher averaged each score. As the results show, clinical practice provided students the opportunities to utilize their theoretical knowledge in clinical approach and also helped them in planning their career after graduation significantly. To assist in structuring their career path, providing the appropriate opportunities for vocational experiences are essential, and Yonsei College of Pharmacy’s first trial was successfully in doing so, as reflected by the survey results.

I

n the future, the personal ID will be provided so students can gain an access to patient information while they are practicing on each of their case studies.

Thus Yonsei should focus on the reinforcing the importance of patient privacy and patient care service. Education on patient privacy and care services were done online at an orientation so the students might not have been aware of the importance of it. Thorough patient privacy control and care service are expected to be practiced in the next ICPE-I rotations. B

The hospital ward at Sinchon Severance Hospital.

The hospital ward at Ilsan Hospital.

Survey on ICPE-I, 2013 Questions

Score

1.

Were the learning resources provided in class adequate to support the rotation?

3.64

2.

Were the weekly presentations/ discussions helpful for 3.64 the rotation?

3.

Were you able to understand the on-site orientation clearly?

4.04

4.

Were you able to acquire the skill needed to appropriately prepare and dispense mediations?

4.20

5.

Did you effectively and efficiently educate and counsel 3.20 patients on their medications?

6.

Did you use various reference materials to provide drug information accurately and promptly to patients and/ or other health care professionals?

4.08

7.

Were you able to perform the drug utilization review specific to the characterstics and needs of the patients?

3.52

8.

Overall, was the hospital rotation a good practice experience?

4.36

9.

Was the duration of the hospital rotation appropriate?

4.20

10.

Was the number of students per preceptor appropriate?

4.32

11.

Was the hospital rotation helpful in planning your career after graduation?

4.25

12.

Was the student practice as a whole, helpful in planning your career after graduation?

4.36

Minjung Jang, Janik Lee “Construction and Evaluation of the Student Practice Program�

2014 VOL.5

27

CAMPUS ISSUE

A typical day of a

‘YonYakIn’ Ahyoung Kim

1

pharmcy@yonsei.ac.kr

For those people who have not yet experienced the life at Songdo campus and would like to know more about it, we found out about some important information on what Songdo has and how campus life is in Songdo. With SungKyung Lee, a student from the college of pharmacy at Yonsei university, we looked into the life at songdo.

1 Our daily lives start from the boarding house. About 2~3 people share each room and there are bathrooms with shower booth. Pharmacy students often are arranged with roommates from other majors.

2

This is ‘veritas D,’ where pharmacy students take lectures. It takes about ten minutes by walk from the boarding house, and is located at the right end of the international campus.

2

↑ Freshmen are studying in ‘veritas D’

3 This is the Underwood memorial library. There are study rooms for students to work on their group assignments, and they can also borrow books to read. The chair in the picture is called the “pang-se”, which means chair of meditation.

28

THE BLUE VANGUARD

3

CAMPUS ISSUE

5

This is the cafeteria. Students can eat a variety of foods here. There are many cafeterias in Songdo campus, including RaonSam, Underwood memorial library cafetria, Dormitory cafeteria.

4

4

Laboratory is the place where we need to go whenever we have experiment class. This week, there was an experiment on synthesis of chemical compound.

5 6

6

These are some of the facilities at the boarding house.

Convenient stores such as CU, bakery, and cafés are opened till late.

6 8

This is the Central park which is very close to our campus. It takes about 5~10 minutes drive and is a nice place to walk. Night view of Central park is very amazing.

7

7

8 This is a shopping mall called the “canal walk”, located in Songdo. This is a nice place to hang out or to go shopping with friends after class. B

2014 VOL.5

29

INTERVIEW

Meeting at National Forensic Service Seolkyung Kim

kimsk90@yonsei.ac.kr

D

o you know ‘CSI’ which is an American TV show about crime scene investigation? Most of you have ever watched it once before, and some of you might have a dream that ‘what if I work in there?’. In America, there is the Crime Scene Investigation, called CSI, then in Korea, there is the National Forensic Service, called NFS. Public pharmacists who work for the NFS feel pride in their jobs and they work hard with a sense of responsibility.

On February 13th, the Blue Vanguard visited the Seoul Institute of National Forensic Service interviewing pharmacist SeungKyung Baeak who is the Head of the Narcotics, Forensic Toxicology & Chemistry Division.

1. Why did you enter the National Forensic Service? What is your position?

I entered the southern branch of the National Forensic Service (NFS) through my professor. Now I am the Head of the Narcotics, Forensic Toxicology & Chemistry Division.

2. Which one of your cases is the most memorable?

Of all the cases I have solved successfully, my first investigation

30

THE BLUE VANGUARD

case remains in my memory. It was the first case. I completed at the NFS. An 8-year-old girl who was the same age as my daughter went missing after she left home to walk to an English academy. Later, she was found in the trunk of the suspect’s car.

When I analyzed her stomach tissues and blood samples, I detected high concentration of sedatives.

Based on that evidence, the suspect was prosecuted and a confession was obtained within a month after the girl had gone missing.

3. When do you find your job most worthwhile and most difficult?

When criminal investigators cannot find clues, they request to NFS. I find clues for them by scientific analysis. Sometimes I take charge in the events which become big issues and I help to solve those mysteries.

I feel my work meaningful during those times. However, when cases go unresolved or the results are inadequate to conclude a conviction, I feel remorse. I feel so sorry for these rare instances. In interview addition, I

INTERVIEW

Recently, there are many opportunities for overseas training, like at foreign forensic laboratories, so it is helpful to be proficient in English.

Many experts work together in the organization and each of them has majored in a variety of specialties such as medicine, pharmacy, chemistry, physics, life science, engineering, psychology and administration.

Therefore, pharmacists should respect the other experts and socialize with them, in order to work in harmony.

often find myself giving less attention to my family because of my NFS’s duties. This also makes me feel bad, personally.

4. What is the meaning of scientific investigation in terms of crime detection?

Previously, most judgments of courts were based on confident beliefs.

However, recent judgments of courts have become evidence-based. This evidence must be proven, in order to resolve any reasonable doubts.

In other words, the role of scientific investigation has become more and more important.

6. What is the most important attribute you look for in potential employees?

When interviewing, interviewers assess applicants regarding many sidedness. For example, they assess whether the applicant has analytical experience, as well as whether one’s tendency to work effectively at the NFS. Having a strong sense of duty and an exemplary personality is vital for all applicants.

7. What requirements and attitudes are needed to become part of the NFS?

8. Please give pharmacy students a piece of advice.

Most pharmacy students will get a job at drug stores, hospitals or pharmaceutical companies. Surely it is important, however, there are lots of public sector positions such as the National Forensic Service and the Korea Food and Drug Administration, where pharmacists can provide professionalism and can advance those fields. I hope that young competent pharmacists are interested in forensic Science area and are willing to enter governmental organizations, in order to expand the scope of these forensic toxicologic fields. B

5. How many pharmacists work at the NFS? To which departments do they belong?

There are eleven pharmacists in Wonju (our main center), twelve in Seoul, seven in Busan, and two to three each in Gwangju, Daejeon and Daegu. In total, there are thirty five pharmacists now serving at the NFS. However, an additional five pharmacists will be recruited, so there will soon be forty pharmacists in total.

2014 VOL.5

31

INTERVIEW

MSD

Director of Global Clinical Trial Operations

TAEYOUN JO Yunkyung Heo

32

THE BLUE VANGUARD

ykheo107@yonsei.ac.kr

INTERVIEW

MSD

“From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we’re committed to improving health and well-being around the world.”

Introducing the Career Life at MSD Q. What kind of institutional supports are there in the Employee Development Programs? Which support especially helped you the most?

MSD believes that having the right people with talent is the most important asset of the company. Providing employees an environment that allows them to work with confidence will lead to company growth. Therefore, the company has set up various programs for training its employees.

The Performance Management Plan (PMP) helped me a lot to develop my career life. PMP is a program in which individual employees fill out a Personal Development Plan with their manager every year. Then, the next year, they go over the previous year's plan, and their manager provides feedback on whether the individual obtained their goals, and then come up with a new annual plan. This becomes the work performance indicator of individual employees.

Through this program, employees can make specific plans and become aware of the support they can receive from the company to reach their goal.

Other than PMP, since MSD is a multinational company, we provide opportunities to those with great potential to work abroad. Moreover, the "Work & Life Balance" part of the employee welfare system assists working moms to work without difficulty.

Q. How often are opportunities given to Korean employees to work abroad?

We have a lot of good opportunities to work abroad.

Thirteen employees from MSD-Korea are now working abroad in the United States and Asian-Pacific countries.

Moreover, employees based in MSD-Korea have substantial opportunities to collaborate with their counterparts from MSD branches in other Asian-Pacific countries. Since each country specializes in different areas, these collaborations provide our employees with an understanding of all aspects of the various sectors. There are some executives from MSD-Korea who have been acknowledged for their success in their respective field of work. One of them is the MSD executive Kim JungHun, the Business Unit Director of the local Specialty Care Business. Kim played an active role in releasing a new drug sucessively in Korea, and is now leading the attempt to release these drugs in Indonesia.

Since the Korean branch is one of the “Top 10” markets, and its employees are receiving high praise for their talents from the Headquarters of MSD, there will be more opportunities for Korean employees to work abroad.

Q. A great proportion of MSD executives are female.

How are female employees treated at MSD? MSD-Korea supports every employee without any gender discrimination. In our company, there is no such word as "because she is a woman." Therefore, MSD has a large proportion of female employees not only among board members, but also among middle managers. It is well-known that from the time MSD came into Korea, MSD employed many female workers. Among 610 employees, 280 are females, which is almost half of the total number of employees. Moreover, the institutional support given by the company allows women to maintain the work and life balance, which has helped female leaders to perform brilliantly in the business. The support and welcoming culture at MSD have created a nondiscriminatory working atmosphere.

Q. When it comes to multinational companies, it seems that students feel overwhelmed by the pressure of learning English. How important is it to be proficient in English?

English is very important. Since MSD is a foreign company, English is required when communicating with colleague workers from other nations. We communicate 2014 VOL.5

33

INTERVIEW

with them through conference calls and presentations in English.

To clarify, communication skills are essential, not the score of English ability tests written on the resume. While we share our ideas with both native and non-native English speakers in English, the crucial part is how well we deliver and understand the contents and context of the messages.

What I recommend to students is to consider how effectively they can communicate with foreigners. Along with good English speaking ability, students should develop a global mind-set; understanding the culture of the foreigners will help students to communicate with them effectively.

Q. In which departments are pharmacists enrolled in?

What kind of work do they do?

Pharmacists are not limited to a specific department.

Many of the pharmacy majors are enrolled in various departments, including the GCTO (Global Clinical Trial Operations), which I am in charge of, GMA (Global Medical Affairs), and RA (Regulatory Affairs). Roles are not restricted by major. One of the advantages of MSD is that we can develop our career plan through experiencing office work of other departments. Indeed, a number of pharmacists are also enrolled in the Marketing Department.

Introducing Director Taeyoun Jo of the GCTO Q. What is the GCTO? GCTO (Global Clinical Trial Operation) performs the clinical trials during drug development. In order to bring a new drug to the market once a lead compound has been identified, all pharmaceutical companies must follow the same pathway to approval. The process of drug development includes pre-clinical research and clinical trials. GCTO handles everything that has to do with clinical trials.

While pre-clinical research is done on microorganisms or animals, clinical trials involve giving certain drug therapy to humans. We explore and confirm the effectiveness of the lead compound that has been proven through pre-clinical research. Clinical trials are overseen by medical doctors at hospitals. Therefore, we must select a hospital in which our clinical trials take place. Then, we support, coordinate, supervise, and control the research to ensure that the trials are done well at the selected hospital. At last, we collect and analyze the clinical data.

34

THE BLUE VANGUARD

Q. What do you think was the key to your success?

I started my career as a CRA (Clinical Research Associate), a clinical monitor. When I was in my twenties, I also did not have a clear goal. However, the driving force that helped me to stand up right was doing my best on my daily work. Not only did I just do my given work, I tried to do more than what was required to do. While I was in charge of the clinical research on breast cancer, I attended most of the colloquiums about breast cancer. Moreover, I made a persistent effort on improving my English. Instead of sending emails to my colleagues in other countries, I picked up the phone and talked with them. If I was unsure of what they were saying, I asked them and learned from them. Native speakers are always willing to help. Making use of nearby resources is important. To conclude, I would say that doing my best everyday and steadily studying English were the two key factors that brought me to where I am.

Words to Students of 6-Year Pharmacy School Q. Pharmacy school has been converted from a 4-year to 6-year under-graduate program. What do you expect from students graduating from the 6-year pharmacy school?

Two more years of education should have given students the time to study science in more depth. I expect students to have a better understanding of the science. In order to carry out a clinical trial with a certain drug, the one who is in charge must know about the compound thoroughly.

In addition to understanding the educational materials that students learn from school, I suggest students who wish to work at a pharmaceutical company keep an eye on the ongoing issues of the pharmaceutical industry. These days, the pharmaceutical industry is rapidly changing.

Students should be aware of how the industry is changing and what makes these changes. Moreover, understanding government policies, such as those on drug prices and new drug approval systems is essential as well. For now, it might be hard to understand, but paying attention to these issues will definitely help in the future.

Enjoy your college life. Give some thought about your career. Pay attention to how the world, especially the field you are interested in, is changing. B

BOOK REVIEW

The Book that will Train Your Tongue to Better Deal with Conflict Tongue Fu! How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defense Any Verbal Conflict written By Sam Horn Yongjung Jang

T F U AG M ?

!

yjjang323@yonsei.ac.kr

Suppose you get a call while at work. As soon as you answer it, an ear-pitching complaint starts unravelling into your ears, “I asked for a catalogue three weeks ago but I still have not received it. What’s taking so long?” Frankly, some of your colleagues have gotten a terrible flu and are off work. In this situation, how will people normally reply? Simply, “Some of our employees have gotten the flu, so everything is being delayed.”? Wrong move. This will be the answer that will open the gate to a long, long day of fighting. What you need now are communication skills, Tongue Fu.

<Tongue Fu> is a book that teaches the proper way of communication necessary to elegantly win over the opponent’s mind and lead the conversation the way one wishes.

It deals with a variety of topics such as: things that should not be said while pointing-out someone’s mistake, skills to refuse a request without ruining a relationship, and the perfect solution for each topic. The situation introduced at the beginning of this article is an example from the book. The customer’s main aim for the call is to receive the catalogue as soon as possible. Therefore, even if it is true, elaborating on the reason for the delay will make the customer think that you are providing a lame excuse. Thus, <Tongue Fu> recommends a 3A method as a solution.

However, it is impossible and unnecessary to deal with every complaint with the 3A method. In order to learn more, dig into this book. <Tongue Fu> illustrates in detail, which tactic to use in various situations. This book not only teaches the right or wrong of communication techniques, but also explains the mindset behind your disputant, and what it takes to have a successful relationship with the people around you. It is beyond just a technique. It is about having the heart to truly trying to understand your opponents.

D”

O “3A METH

Agree “You are right.

We should have sent you the catalogue” Apologize “We are terribly sorry for keeping you waiting. Some of our workers’ absences caused the delay.”

Act “I will do what I can do to make sure you get your catalogue as soon as possible. I’m very sorry. I hope you will understand.”

As a future pharmacist, if considering a job where you encounter many patients, it is far more important to master communication skills. However, how many people are actually getting ready by practicing their communication skills? How much do you know about your own skill sets?

Have you ever tried to improve them or even thought them over? Now is your time to do so. As the famous quote says, “Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today” B

2014 VOL.5

35

EPILOGUE

THE BLUE VANGUARD

Yunkyung Heo

Eunnie Kim

Yoojin Choi

It was quite challenging to be a chief, but I am sure it will be a tough, but great experience. Thanks to my fellow writers and I appreciate their efforts. Thanks for reading!

It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the easiest of journeys to publish the fifth issue of The Blue Vanguard, but it was definitely worthwhile. Thanks for all the support!

Though it was not easy, I was able to write and design my article. Thanks to our BlueVanguard members.

I hope pharmacy students would enjoy our fifth issue!!!

Byeonghun Lee

Ahyoung Kim

Hosung Jang

I am proud of the Blue Vanguard members and thank you for reading our articles.

36

THE BLUE VANGUARD

I am so honored to be a Blue I want to thank the Blue Vanguard Vangardian and release this fifth for giving me a great opportunity to issue. Hope many pharmacy work for our readers. students can get much useful information through this issue.

EPILOGUE

SAY GOODBYE TO OUR SENIOR JOURNALISTS Gayeong Heo

Gyehee Yi

The two years I spent with the Blue Vanguard was amazing. Thanks to all the Blue Vanguard members who made these special memories with me. Long live the Blue Vanguard!

I will not forget the memories I shared with the Bluevanguardians for the last two years. We could come this far by supporting each other.

Thanks to all members and the readers!!

Yongjung Jang

Seolkyung Kim

I want to thank all of our supporters. You have helped us to experience a very valuable time. I will never forget this.

This is the last time to contribute to our magazine. Thanks to all of you!

Hyungmi Yoon

Harin Lee

Being a member of Blue Vanguard was a wonderful experience in my undergraduate life.

I am so glad to release the fifth issue and hope the Blue Vanguard will keep evolving!

As a student who considers entering the graduate school, I could get much information about the graduate school while writing my article. Thanks to Professor Namgung Wan, Hankil Lee, and Minsang Yoo. Despite their busy schedule, they willingly helped me and Onyoo Kang tried to tell as much information as they could.

It is always wonderful Thank you so much!! to see how our members bring the Blue Vanguard together. Thanks to the readers and the Blue Vanguard.

2014 VOL.5

37

FEEDBACK

Monitoring THE BLUE VANGUARD I have read all of the Blue Vanguards, from the first to the fourth issues. I could feel how much each members of the Blue Vanguard puts efforts in selecting the topic of each issues. Moreover, as I was reading through the articles, I was glad that I could feel the passion of them for sharing pharmaceutical issues with other pharmacy students. I am so proud that these people are whom I know very well. I would like to thank all of the members of the Blue Vanguard. Long live Blue Vanguard!

Minjun Lee, Yonsei University,

College of Pharmacy Junior

MEET US AT ISSUU.COM http://issuu.com/bluevanguard

38

THE BLUE VANGUARD

FEEDBACK

FOLLOW US, and ENJOY A FREE STARBUCKS It is the first issue of The Blue Vanguard to be shown on an E-Book so, to celebrate, we are offering you the exclusive chance to enjoy a FREE Starbucks Iced Coffee on us. It will be perfectly chilled for a classic hot day.

1

Go to our FACEBOOK page to see the offer.

2

Check out our SPECIAL OFFER

3

FOLLOW us at ISSUU.COM

4

Give us any comments on our fifth issue.

2014 VOL.5

39

Taken from our lives, but never from our hearts.

THE BLUE VANGUARD