The Blue Vanguard Vol.6

Yonsei Student Pharmacist

THE

BLUE

VANGUARD 2014

Fall

Vol. 6 10 COVER STORY Understanding Opioid Abuse 18 PUBLIC SECTOR Interview with a Pharmacist at the Ministry of Health and Welfare 22 COLLEGE LIFE Daily Life of Undergraduate Research Student

Editor-in-Chief Yunkyung Heo Vice Editor-in-Chief Byeonghun Lee

YUNKYUNG HEO The two semesters as the editor-in-chief of the Blue Vanguard gave me an invaluable experience. I had enough time to reflect upon myself and deliberate on my future. Moreover, it is such a pleasure to introduce our new junior journalists to our readers. I am sure our junior journalists will do much better than what I have done, to provide a better magazine to our readers.

These days, being smart seems to be more important than being morally upright among students. However, we no longer can assume that good grades will equate to good people. Society has to stop creating the social mood for children to think that being smart is the most crucial part of successful life. Smart equals smart. Smart will not necessarily equal a morally centered pharmacist capable of caring patients with sincerity. I hope all of our pharmacy students are aware of this and become a good pharmacist.

Yunkyung Heo Editor-in-Chief

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Journalists Seniors Juniors Bokyung Kim Ahyoung Kim Heejo Lee Eunnie Kim Hyuna Lee Hosung Jang Songhee Min Yoojin Choi Sungkyung Lee Woohyuk Choi Designed by The Blue Vanguard Hyunji Park English Advisors 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 UK Health Care Pharmacy: A Consultant for Your Healthy Life National Issue ● 06 Trading Medicines among Pharmacies National Issue ● 08 Complete Your Military Service as a Pharmacist Cover Story ● 10

ISSUE

International Issue ● 04

Pharmacy ● 14 A Special Meeting with Pharmacist Jung of Vitamin Pharmacy Pharmaceuticals ● 16 Pharma-pia; an Emerging API Market Public Sector ● 18 Interview with a Pharmacist at the Ministry of Health and Welfare

CAREER

Understanding Opioid Abuse

Professor ● 20 Interview with Professor Hye-Young Kang

Daily Life of Undergraduate Research Student Campus Issue ● 24 What Yonsei Pharmacy Students Did in 2014 Campus Issue ● 26 Voice from the Field of Practical Training Club Activities ● 28 KNAPS, in Alliance with College of Pharmacy Visitor’s Page ● 30 A Message from Our Reader, Seungyeop Han

COLLEGE

College Life ● 22

Epilogue ● 31

2014 VOL.6

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INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

UK Health Care Pharmacy : a Consultant for Your Healthy Life

Hyuna Lee

The Role of UK Pharmacies UK pharmacies serve as a health adviser to the British community. They offer health care services such as smoking cessation counseling, obesity management, and a Healthy Hearts Program. For example, If you are a smoker and want to quit smoking, you can conveniently consult a pharmacist in England. Health care through pharmacy is so common that about 90 percent of the British people use these services. Thus, the pharmacy plays a key role in improving people’s health in UK.

Pharmacy healthcare is a part of the health policy proposed by the Department of Health, which promotes general health. According to this policy, the ministry has suggested implementation of the Public Service Agreement (PSA). The PSA mainly targets cardiac cerebrovascular diseases, which is the major cause of immature death, mental diseases, and sexual diseases, such as AIDS/HIV, and unwanted pregnancy of teenagers under 18. Based on their targets, the Department of Health provides the community pharmacist with a guideline for the role they should play in promoting health.

The role of reducing the smoking rate has been a priority over all other roles of pharmacists listed in the table above.

British people will agree that community pharmacist providing antismoking services is common. Pharmacists can also provide proper advice to patients experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

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THE BLUE VANGUARD

liana93@yonsei.ac.kr

The UK pharmacy’s role ranked by its importance.

Priority 1. Smoking

Role of Pharmacy Antismoking campaign, Alternative remedy of nicotine 2. Cardiac Disease, Stroke, Providing an informative Cancer guide for healthy life habits, monitoring risk factors of the disease.

3. Teenage Pregnancy Consultant of sexual health, providing emergency hormone contraceptive method.

4. Child Obesity Providing information on eating habits and physical activities, furnishing drugs used to prevent obesity 5. Health Inequity Improvement of eating habits, antismoking program for low income groups.

6. Suicide and Unexpected Counseling Accident 7. Others`

Promoting safe and effective usage of drugs.

Managing drug abuse.

Management of patients with asthma.

Vaccination services.

INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

According to some studies, patients who had consulted a trained pharmacist to quit smoking had a higher probability of successfully quitting smoking after 9 months, than patients who had consulted an untrained pharmacist.

Therefore, the British government is trying to provide systematic training for pharmacists and technicians who work at a pharmacy. For example, the North West Anglia Health Authorities requires pharmacists and technicians to take part in mandatory training for promoting general health, managing patients with cardiovascular disease, and cooperating with general practitioners (GP).

Benefits of Health Care Pharmacy First, the accessibility of pharmacies is better than that of hospital. In England, general practitioners are very busy, so patients need to make an appointment in advance to receive care. Sometimes they have to wait for days to make an appointment. Since patients get designated a GP, people need to go to the specific hospital where their GP is. But there are no restrictions when visiting pharmacies Therefore, people can just walk in whenever they need advice about their health.

Second, health care pharmacies can fulfill the needs of the disadvantaged and low income group. It is hard for them to go to a hospital because it is too far from their homes and they do not have enough time. Pharmacies near their home or workplace can be a good alternative. So community pharmacies can contribute to decreasing health inequity.

Why Not Korea?

What allows the pharmacists in England to have a broader scope for practice compared to pharmacists in Korea?

The answer lies in efficiency of role allocation among healthcare providers. General practitioners, or doctors in England, cannot cover every single aspect of health care services. There are too many patients designated to each GP. Therefore the government has efficiently divided the roles among physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers through a health care system, the NHS (National Health Service). The system allows pharmacies to take part in healthcare duties by defining the role of pharmacist as a healthcare provider, while pharmacists in Korea are not yet acknowledged as a health care provider. Due to the difference in institutional background, UK pharmacies are different from Korean pharmacies. B

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NATIONAL ISSUE

Trading Medicines among Pharmacies Heejo Lee

lhjo1990@yonsei.ac.kr

P

harmacies carry many different kinds of medicines. By any chance, have you ever wondered if all these drugs could be sold out? In general, unsold drugs keep piling because not all get sold. To fix this problem, many pharmacists have

disposed of their excess stock by trading durgs with other pharmacies. Under the current law, trading medicines between pharmacies to dispose a superfluous stock is illegal; however, drugs have conventionally been traded among pharmacies.

Why is This Becoming a Hot Topic In a business report released by the National Assembly of Health and Welfare Committee in April, MFDS noticfied that they would monitor the trading of drugs between pharmacies beginning August. Due to a variety of factors such as the strict restriction on medicine-trading websites, pharmacists now have difficulty in disposing of stock. In July, a pharmacist wrote a long letter emphasizing that the absence of the policy that would solve the problem of overstock piled drugs. Through this letter, the problem of trading drugs has become an issue.

*MFDS : Ministry of Food and Drug Safty

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THE BLUE VANGUARD

The Root of the Problem The separation of Prescribing and Dispencing drugs Act has been enforced as of July 2000. Since then, pharmacies have to carry many different kinds of drugs, because physicians often vary about the drugs they prescribe. Therefore, pharmacies usually have more drugs than they need in stock. Generally, pharmacies

NATIONAL ISSUE

pay in advance when they purchase drugs, which is a financial burden to them. This was what led to drug trading among pharmacies to resolve the stock problem. Hovever, as briefly mentioned before, according to Article 32 of the Pharmaceutical Law Enforcement Ordinance, trading drugs among pharmacies to dispose of excess of stock is illegal, but pharmacies are allowed to buy drugs from shutting down pharmacies and to exchange drugs that are urgent.

The fact that exchanging of drugs under these specific circumstances is permitted, shows that the major cause of illegal drug exchanges is due to the lax implementation of the law illegalizing drug exchanges.

already is a legislation stating that physicians must to do so; however, because the legislation does not outline the punishment for not submitting the list, most physicians do not abide by it. Second, pharmacists say that wasting medicines can be minimized if pharmaceutical companies were obliged to provide smaller packaging of medicines and recollect unused medicines. Ultimately, pharmacists insist that physicians prescribe drugs by the chemical name, not the brand name, to resolve the stock problem.

by the pharmacist. The purpose of Article 32 of the Pharmaceutical Law Enforcement Ordinance is to maintain public health by blocking the inflow and distribution of troublesome medicines by managing the entire process of production, distribution and usage of medicines.

Since MFDS does not allow the trading of medicines except policy exclusion, revision of the law will not be easy. In addition, the MFDS said it would be difficult to accept any civil petitions at the moment, because social consensus among interest groups are a priority.

Conclusion Both the standpoints of the government and pharmacists are not wrong. There is a need to quickly make improvements if there is a problem, but it is also important to take plenty of time to do so. However, it is a shame that interested groups are unaware of the depths of the problem and do not have any specific plans for changing the system. Hopefully, a compromise among interest groups, government, and pharmacists can soon be reached. B

From the Pharmacists’ Standpoints Many pharmacists assert that institutional improvements should be made and that the government should establish a system to effectively manage the drug overstock problem.

First, doctors should submit a list of prescription drugs they commonly precribe to prevent them from changing prescription drugs frequently. There

From the Government’s Standpoints From the government perspective, it is necessary to improve and regulated related systems at the government level.

However, the MFDS rejected the demand made 2014 VOL.6

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NATIONAL ISSUE

complete your military service as a pharmacist Woohyuk Choi

A

08choi31@naver.com

re you a male pharmacy student looking ahead to the military service duty? If you are, here is one great

option. You can apply as a Military Pharmaceutical Officer. There is no doubt that your experience as the

Pharmaceutical Officer will provide you with practical knowledge in addition to a satisfactory wage level. Despite the three-year obligatory term of service that commissioned officers must complete, it is still an attractive offer, given that the officers would confront much less hardship compared to those in the regular army.

To become a Pharmaceutical Officer, you first need to know about the diverse admission procedures for the different military departments. The Navy and Air Force recruit pharmacists under the title of Haksa Officers biennially. If the applicant has a pharmacist license, the Navy asks for a simple interview while the Air Force requires both interview and written examination. (Those who have more than a year experience in a secondary hospital can be exempt from the written exam.) Meanwhile, the Army recruits Pharmaceutical Officers separately from other officers, once a year. Thus, there is no extra advantage in being a licensed pharmacist. Applicants are fist selected based on their documents, and then interviews are conducted. If you are finally chosen as a Pharmaceutical Officer, your workplace will be assigned to one of the following locations.

Army The Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, or other army hospitals Navy Naval Medical Center in Jinhae, Pohang, or Daegu Air Force Aerospace Medical Center in Cheongju, Seongnam, or Suwon

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Army

Officer Title Pharmaceutical

Navy Air Force

Haksa Haksa (Special)

THE BLUE VANGUARD

Admission Process 1st : GPA(15)+Education(20)+Career(15) 2nd : Interview(50) Interview(100) Written Exam(60)+Interview(40)

Recruitment biennially annually annually

NATIONAL ISSUE

Actually, some of our senior pharmacists do not recommend this option reasoning that we might waste our time performing tasks which require no professional knowledge in pharmacy. Kim Daewon, the vice-president of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association, said, “Medical Officers of the pharmacy profession are assigned to a wide variety of military occupational specialties, from administrations to logistics. This discourages pharmacists from applying for the place since there is no guarantee of being assigned to the position of their expertise.� From August 20th 2014 onwards; however, Pharmaceutical Officers will be commissioned as lieutenants just like the Army Doctors, since the four-year curriculum in college of pharmacy has been extended to the six-year curriculum. Pharmacists will be able to concentrate more on their area of expertise, which is increasing expectations that the amendment would encourage more pharmacists to apply for the Pharmaceutical Officer position and improve the poor military medical conditions especially regarding the situation of unlicensed soldiers in charge of drugs and medical supplies.

Unfortunately, due to the shortage of job openings, there are a few cases when none of the applicants for the Pharmaceutical Officer were selected. Most recently in 2013 for example, the Army did not recruit any Pharmaceutical Officer. Therefore, I strongly recommend you to contact the military departments beforehand if you have decided to apply for the position. If you have any inquiries about the Pharmaceutical Officer, contact information for each department has been provided below. Good luck!

Army 042-550-7142 Navy 042-553-1311 Air Force 042-552-1421

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COVER STORY

Understanding Opioid Abuse Eunnie Kim

“Among the remedies which it has pleased Almighty God to give to man to relieve his sufferings, none is so universal and so efficacious as opium�

(Sydenham, 1680)

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eunniekim@yonsei.ac.kr

COVER STORY

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recently stated that the abuse of opioids, such as morphine and other prescription pain relievers, was becoming a serious global problem.

According to statistics, an estimate of 26.4 million and 36 million people are abusing opioids worldwide.

Instances of abuse are increasing at an alarmingly rate, and the consequences, such as unintentional overdose deaths, of this abuse have been devastating. Thus, it is becoming more and more important recognize the issue at hand and to reexamine the role prescription opioid pain killers play in reducing human suffering, and in producing adverse effects.

It is imperative to see if there are alternative drugs for the prescription opioid pain killers that are currently in use and to see if there are ways to control the abuse of these drugs.

How Do Opioids Affect the Brain?

Opioids bind to opioid receptors in the brain, spinal cord, and other organs of the body, and they reduce the sending of pain messages to the brain. Opioids bind to specific opioid receptors in the nervous system and other tissues. There are three principal classes of opioid receptors: mu, kappa, and delta. The pharmacodynamic response to an opioid depends upon the receptor to which it binds, its affinity for that receptor, and whether the opioid is an agonist or an antagonist.

When opioids bind to these receptors, the same biochemical brain processes that reward people with feelings of pleasure when they engage in activities, such as eating, is triggered.

However, when opioids activate these reward processes in the absence of significant pain, they can motivate repeated use of the drug simply for pleasure.

Such practice can bring about feelings of intense feelings of euphoria, which can lead to addiction after long-term abuse.

What Are Opioids?

Opioids are a powerful narcotic agent that is prescribed to relieve moderate to severe pain that is long lasting. They may be prescribed by doctors to treat pain related to post-surgery or injuries sustained from a car accident. Opioids help to control the pain, and they have been used for this purpose for thousands of years.

Some commonly prescribed opioids are morphine (Kadian and Avinza), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and oxycodone (OxyContin).

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COVER STORY

How are Opioids Abused?

Those unfamiliar with or inexperienced with prescription painkillers may wonder why there are so many instances of opioid-related deaths, when access to these pills can only be obtained by a prescription from a licensed medical practitioner. Though that may be true, opioid drugs are widely sold on the streets illegally and they have usually been obtained through illegal means. They may have been stolen from people who were prescribed the drugs for legitimate purposes or they may have been stolen from pharmacies. People who were prescribed opioid medication may abuse opioids as well if they take them in a way other than prescribed. These people can increase their risk of becoming addicted to opioids by taking more of the drug than the prescribed amount, by combining it with alcohol or other drugs, or by crushing the pills into powder to snort or inject it.

In whichever way they were obtained, non-medical use of prescription opioids have been increasing in recent years, where abusers use them for the recreational purpose of getting high.

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What is Opioid Addiction?

When opioids are used repeatedly over time, they have the tendency to induce tolerance, dependence and addiction. The NIDA provides the following definitions for these terms: “Physical dependence occurs because of normal adaptations to chronic exposure to a drug and is not the same as addiction.

Addiction, which can include physical dependence, is distinguished by compulsive drug seeking and use despite sometimes devastating consequences.

Someone who is physically dependent on a medication will experience withdrawal symptoms when use of the drug is abruptly reduced or stopped.

These symptoms can be mild or severe and can usually be managed medically or avoided by using a slow drug taper. Dependence is often accompanied by tolerance, or the need to take higher doses of a medication to get the same effect.� In short, people who are prescribed opioids for a long period of time may develop physical dependence on the drug, which can evolve into addiction.

When opioid abusers stop using opioids, they

COVER STORY

may undergo withdrawal. Withdrawal from opioids can produce symptoms of restlessness, muscle and bone pain, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goosebumps, and involuntary leg movements.

Fortunately, people who are dealing prescription opioid medication addiction can be treated.

Are There Alternative Drugs For Pain Relief?

As the number of abusers continue to increase, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking on the major public health challenge in hopes of curbing its effects. The FDA has been making interventions with policies or regulations pertaining to prescription opioids in hopes of reducing the abuse and misuse of them, by encouraging the development of opioids specifically formulated to deter abuse.

Recently, Targiniq ER, a drug designed to deter abuse but not totally prevent it, has been introduced

by Purdue Pharma, and it is already showing much promise. Targiniq ER (oyxcodone hydrochloride and

naloxone hydrochloride extended-release tablets) is an extended-release/long-acting opioid analgesic. It is designed to make abuse by snorting or injecting difficult. When crushed and snorted, or crushed, dissolved, and injected, the naloxone in Targiniq ER blocks the euphoric effects of oxycodone, making it less attractive by abusers than when using oxycodone alone. The key here is naloxone, a specific opioid receptor antagonist, which was included to trim the effects of opioids and to reverse an opioid overdose.

However, it should still be taken with precaution as Targiniq ER can still be abused when taken orally or at a high dosage.

There are other options to prevent the abuse of prescription opioids aside from taking a different form of the drug. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), programs should be implemented where patients prescribed these prescription opioids, especially those who are at high risk for abuse, are closely monitored. One such program is the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) which are state-run electronic databases used to track the prescribing and dispensing of controlled prescription drugs to patients. They are designed to monitor this information for suspected abuse and can give a prescriber or pharmacist critical information regarding a patient’s controlled substance prescription history. This information can help prescribers and pharmacists identify high-risk patients who could benefit from early interventions. B

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PHARMACY

A special meeting WITH PHARMACIST JUNG OF vitamin pharmacy Yoojin Choi Pharmacist Jung’s Vitamin Pharmacy is a Health Counseling Drug Store.

Patient-Counseling Pharmacy Allows Time for Extracurricular Activities

Pharmacist Jung’s Vitamin Pharmacy is a small drug store located on the third floor of a building in the Yeongtong-gu, Suwon. Unlike general pharmacies that only dispense prescriptions and sell OTC drugs, Pharmacist Jung’s Vitamin Pharmacy is a drug store that focuses on health consultation. It is run by the pharmacist, Hyejin Jung. She offers health counseling to her customers by providing nutritional treatment and recommending health functional foods. Her philosophy for counseling is based on objectivity and universality. She tries to give advice that other health care professionals can agree with. She wants to be a pharmacist who can give advice whenever her customers have questions about health problems or need help making health-related decisions. She provides online counseling through her website(cafe.naver.com/ vitaminyakkuk) and her Facebook account, and also does phone counseling. Furthermore, she manages her own blog, which she started 5 years ago. Originally, she started out by running a prescription-dispensing pharmacy. But as the clinic near her pharmacy started focusing more on aesthetics and obesity, prescriptions decreased significantly.

This gave her spare time for studying and posting what she studied on her blog. People who saw the posts, especially mothers, began to ask her health-related questions about their babies. This served as the momentum to began operating a counseling pharmacy. These days, she uses the blog to introduce what she does.

There were other reasons for pharmacist Jung to start the counseling pharmacy. In 2012, the law allowing OTC drug sales at supermarkets and convenience stores was enforced.

It was said that the role of pharmacists was descending, and it made her think that she had to make some changes. She reflected upon the pharmacists’ role and why pharmacists were needed in this country. She reached the conclusion that pharmacists should be the professionals who gave health-related advice for customers, and she was just the person to do it. In addition, as her son entered elementary school, she had to take care of him more than before.

Taking all these factors into consideration, she started the counseling pharmacy. Compared to pharmacies that mainly dispense prescriptions, the counseling pharmacy frees pharmacist Jung from time constraints. Due to appointment-based counseling sessions, her website, and SNS account, pharmacist Jung is able to manage her time more easily. Being unrestricted to her duty at the pharmacy, she could participate in many other activities. She has taken part in the drug abuse education for the public at the Gyeonggi-do Anti-drug Campaign Center. She also encourages her fellow pharmacists to join her. She believes that pharmacists can better convey the information people need, because pharmacists interact with many patients and talk with them a lot. More importantly, she has written columns about infant health care on the Korea Green Cross Corporation’s SNS account about “Novalac” dry milk. She also gives lectures on health maintenance of mother and child at maternity classes. She has worked at Pharmbrain, a company that provides medication counseling system. She arranged the contents of the prescription-only medicines with other pharmacists, while acting as the director of the academic team at Pharmbrain.

“Pharmacist Jung’s Vitamin

Pharmacy is a drug store that focuses on health consultation.

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yoojin6a@yonsei.ac.kr

THE BLUE VANGUARD

”

PHARMACY

What Should Be the Role of Pharmacist?

Currently, the role of the pharmacist is restricted to dispensing action, which makes the public look down on pharmacists. Pharmacist Jung believes that pharmacists should be the professional who makes decisions about health problems instead of just dispensing prescriptions.

Pharmacists ought to manage disorders and life style of people, and guide patients to take different doses based on their health state. She believes that when pharmacists take on these roles, they can gain the trust of the public.

Pharmacist Jung wants to be a pharmacist who is trusted by her customers rather than merely selling products. So she tries not to be conscious of how many products are being sold. She said, “The counseling role of pharmacists would be broadened if public needs exist. Recently, several Pharmaceutical Associations visited some underprivileged towns and gave medication to the residents and helped maintain their health. These activities will affect the public opinion, and if policies are changed, the counseling role of the pharmacist would expand.”

Pharmacist Jung’s Vitamin Pharmacy is a small drug store located on the third floorof a building in the Yeongtong-gu, Suwon.

Find Out What You are Good At Pharmacist Jung would like to tell pharmacist students, “Many pharmacy students think that they will open a pharmacy or work at a pharmacy. Obviously, now it is impossible to make a lot of money or be treated well as a pharmacist. This trend will continue because the role of professionals, including pharmacists is diminishing. This means that you should get creative and do what only you can do. You must discard the thinking that you will make a lot of money and get respect at all times as a pharmacist.

Instead, you need think about your own strengths and how to take advantage of them. Doing so, pharmacists create a synergy effect. There are so many things can do when you are passionate and sincere. Of course, there are many things you will have to endure. Even though you do what you love, you may feel a tinge of regret if fellow pharmacists working in different fields earn more money.

But remember there are more important values aside from money, and other opportunities will come. If you find a job that suits you, it is important to continue what you are doing. I like lecturing in the front of people. I am happy to say that I have found something I love to do. Find yourself and do what you love.” B

Pharmacist Jung’s Vitamin Pharmacy is run by the pharmacist, Hyejin Jung.

She gives lectures health maintenance of mother and child.

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PHARMACEUTICALS

; A I P A T E K R A PHARM G API M N I G R E M AN E

A

Yunkyung Heo

ykheo107@yonsei.ac.kr

nyone who hears the word, pharmaceutical company, will first think of a company that produces drugs that people actually take, such as Tylenol from Janssen. But does Janssen actually manufactures drugs from beginning to end by itself? Most companies buy raw materials from a different company instead of manufacturing the ingredients by themselves. For instance, Morning Glory, a famous stationery manufacturer, produces a notebook from paper supplied by a different paper-making company. Similarly, the drugs we take are usually produced by mixing several raw materials that have pharmacological activity, but these raw materials are manufactured from a different pharmaceutical company.

These raw materials are called Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). Pharma-pia is a company that imports API from foreign companies and supplies them to domestic pharmaceutical companies.

A Message from Pharma-pia Welcome to Pharma-pia, True to our slogan of “small but strong,� we do our best to approach customers with a solution to their health problems, as the distributor of raw materials of drugs and health foods. Keeping in mind that the slow and steady turtle wins the race, we will put our heart and soul into our work to gain loyalty and trust. We really appreciate all your support for our company. Thank you.

Shin, Yong-Hee Moon, Gyu-Youen President & Chief Executive Office

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To give an overview of what Pharma-pia does, it brings in medical raw materials from abroad and distributes them to domestic pharmaceutical companies that need these materials. They are more than just a distributor. They discover potential foreign products that would be needed in the Korean pharmaceutical industry, and then distribute the product. The Korean pharmaceutical industry is mostly focused on the production of generic drugs, which can only be produced once the patent of the original drug has expired. Pharma-pia traces the list of active pharmaceutical ingredients whose patents are about to expire, for import.

Pharma-pia submits the information of the imported raw materials to KFDA, and if the product is of high quality, it is uploaded on the Drug Master File (DMF). Pharma-pia possesses more than 50 products registered in DMF.

PHARMACEUTICALS

MEETING PEOPLE AT PHARMA-PIA

THE API MARKET IN KOREA

Pharma-pia definitely seemed to be a “small but strong� company. People at Pharma-pia were very friendly and welcoming. Their modest attitude of treating pharmaceutical students as their future customer gave a clear picture of how Pharma-pia was able to grow this far when they started off with so little. Teddy Chang, an International Marketing Assistant Manager, said that the merit of working at Pharma-pia was that his hard work could be seen through the growth of the company.

Moreover, he had great opportunities to take part in international businesses, which would have been difficult to come across if he were at a major pharmaceutical company.

There are two types of pharmaceutical companies that deal with APIs in Korea. One imports APIs from abroad, and supplies them to local companies just like Pharma-pia. The other is the manufacturers that actually produce the APIs and supply them to FPP-producing companies. According to the Global API Market Outlook 2018 from ReportLinker, an award-winning market research solution, the Global API industry is expected to grow from 2013-2018. Moreover, it mentions that South Korea is one of the top countries that will be responsible for a majority of API related activities.

WHAT IS AN ACTIVE PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENT? Also known as API, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients are biologically active chemicals used to manufacture pharmaceutical drugs. These active substances are the specific component of a drug responsible for the desired effect on the individual taking it. Any drug or medication is composed of two components. The first is the API, which is the central ingredient. The second is known as the excipient, which is the inactive substance that increase the efficacy of the drug in any way. Mixture of one or more excipient and the active ingredient produces the Finished Pharmaceutical Product (FPP). In other words, as the WHO defines it, API is a substance used in a FPP, intended to furnish pharmacological activity. For instance, Tylenol is the FPP that we intake, and acetaminophen is the API included in Tylenol.

API

Excipient

FPP

ROLE OF PHARMACISTS IN API MARKET API suppliers must employ pharmacists who administer the Quality Control(QC). The main tasks of a Quality Control pharmacist are to implement the quality system in the company in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices, to guarantee the quality of the products. To do so, the pharmacist should have an extensive knowledge in the production of pharmaceutical products and a wide range of knowledge in drug use. Other than managing the quality of pharmaceutical products, pharmacists are expected to actively participate in developing new pharmaceutical products, not only FPP, but also API. As the days of the blockbuster drugs start waning, more flexible manufacturing focused on personalized medicines can be seen as the future of the pharmaceutical business.

Mr. Moon, the CEO of Pharma-pia, says that pharmacy students should be aware of what is happening in their field of study. Paying attention to their field of study and understanding the trends will definitely help them in the future, as it did for Mr. Moon. B

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PUBLIC SECTOR

Interview with a Pharmacist at the Ministry of Health and Welfare Hosung Jang

yourself28@yonsei.ac.kr

How did you come to work for the public sector?

I found my job at the pharmaceutical company to be repetitive and tedious. I wanted to work in a field where I could really make a difference. During this time, an old schoolmate from my days at Seoul National University, working for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, suggested that perhaps I would be more interested in working for the public sector where I could serve my country. At that momnet I knew then that was what I wanted to do. It just so happened that the Ministry of Health and Welfare had a temporary job opening and I applied for that position.

Are there any adavntages for a licensed pharmacist when applying to a position at the Ministry of Health and Welfare?

It is important to note that pharmacists can play diverse roles in both private and public sectors. Currently, pharmacy school graduates are active in various sectors of the government including HO-YOUNG the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, The MAENG Legislative Office, Ministry of Defuty Director Commerce, Industry, and Energy, and at Ministry of Health the Korean Intellectual Property Office. & Welfare None of these positions require one to be a licensed pharmacist. All those who

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PUBLIC SECTOR

than it has previously when pharmacy school was only four years. This will create even more competition amongst pharmacists. To thrive in this competition, pharmacists must make themselves more competitive by furthering their education and professionalism.

How can pharmacists extend their career to the public sector? have passed the civil service examination are welcome to apply for any of these spots.

The only position, in the public sector, that actually requires a pharmacy license is in the Division of Pharmaceutics at the community hospital operated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Usually, after applying for a position, the applicants are referred to the proper department by the Minister or Vice Minister, in charge of personnel matters. Though being a licensed pharmacist is not a requirement, it can be beneficial to be one especially if one applied to a department related to pharmacology.

What are the benefits for a pharmacist working for the public sector?

At first, the transition of working for a private company to working for the government is difficult because of the difference in pay. However, one comes to appreciate the benefits, such as pension and retirement welfare, that come with being a public official when looking at the long run.

Since the central government headquarters have moved to Sejong City, inconveniences may follow; however, funding will become more readily available for the departments dealing with the law and policies.

What should pharmacists nowadays do in order to improve their capacity?

The only positions that hire periodically are only available for those who have passed the High Civil Service Examination. The doors are widely open for those who have received a level 9 or level 7 on their civil service examination; however, there is very little room for vertical growth. Most are restricted by the roles they take on within their respective governments. If you are more ambitious, it would be advisable to invest two years of your time to prepare for the High Civil Service Examination.

Wise for Students in the Six-year Pharmacy School program Since the six-year curriculum has been implemented to all pharmacy schools nationwide, students of this program need to prove that the extra two years of schooling had been worthwhile in order to be acknowledged as a true professional. Graduates need to be able to fulfill the expectations placed on them by society. They should strive to cultivate and nourish their professionalism, yet they should never lose sight of the dreams they first held at the start of the journey to becoming a pharmacist. It is crucial to have the will to find yourself and increase your self-esteem. It is also essential to be humble and to be considerate of others. Though life may be difficult at the moment, it is important to endure and persist to make yourself stronger. B

Due to the advancements made in the field of information technology, consumers can easily access a wide range of information on the internet. Consequently, having a license alone does not mean one is entitled to be treated as a professional. Furthermore, the newly implemented six-year pharmacy schools will produce far more graduates 2014 VOL.6

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PROFESSOR

Interview with professor Hye-Young Kang Freeing Humankind from Disease and Suffering through Health Political Science Songhee Min

songheemin@yonsei.ac.kr

Career

1987-1987 Pharmacist at Konkuk University Hospital 2000-2011 Research Professor of Public Health at Yonsei University 2003-2009 Director of Korean Society of Quality Assurance in Health Care 2005-2010 ISPOR(International Society of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research) Asia-Pacific Consortium Advisory Committee 2006-now Director of Korea Association of Health Technology Accessment 2011-now Professor at the College of Pharmacy at Yonsei Univ

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THE BLUE VANGUARD

1. What are Some Special Memories You Have about Pharmacy School?

A long time has passed, but I remember that I studied in one classroom from morning to night. There were more than 120 students in a class and I had to go to school early to get a seat in the front. I regret not participating in school activities. My college life was very similar to high school.

I was not always interested in pharmacy, but I remember that political science was very attractive.

2. How Did You Decide to Become a Professor? Why did You Choose Health political science?

“I never dreamt of becoming a professor until fell in love with health politics science.”

After I graduated from pharmacy school, I worked as a pharmacist at a hospital and a small drug store. I had a hard time dealing with patients at the hospital. I did not have any particular carrier plan, but a classmate from Ehwa University recommended me to further my studies. Then I was given the chance to study in the USA, and I decided to study Pharmacy Administration at the University of North Carolina. Pharmacy Administration was a master program at the pharmacy school, and it combined the concepts of pharmacy and social science. Pharmacy Administration was not yet introduced in Korea at that time. I completed my masters degree in Pharmacy Administration and received a doctorate in Health Policy & Administration. This was difficult since I had not studied Pharmacy Administration in Korea previously. I had to learn Pharmacy Administration as it applied to America first, and then apply it to Korea’s situation.

3. How Did You Forecast the Job Market of Pharmacy Administration?

“I think that Pharmacy Administration is a very promising field.”

When I came back to Korea after studying pharmacy administration in America, I noticed that numerous pharmacy graduates from Seoul University and Ehwa University had already completed their masters in the same

PROFESSOR

field. This proved that this field was growing in Korea. In Korea, people are now more concerned about their health.

This means that rational utilization of health resources and health care services begin to draw great attention.

Therefore, there is a considerable increase in demand for experts in pharmacy administration. A lot of alternative medicines have been developed. Patients should make a rational decision among the variety of medicines. To offer help in rational decision making, experts in pharmacy administration will be needed in different fields of healthcare.

For instance, experts in pharmacy administration will be needed in government laboratories, the HIRA (Health Insurance Review Agency), NECA (National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency), Korean Institute of Drug Safety & Risk Management, and KFDA(Korea Food and Drug Administration).

Few of these organizations were established 2~3 years ago.

In pharmaceutical companies, there are a few unconventional positions for pharmacist in departments such as, RA (Regulatory Affair), MA (Market Access) and PV (Pharmacy Vigilance). With knowledge in pharmacy administration (assessment of economic viability and health policy), you can be clearly differentiated from other pharmacists when working at hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, or drug stores.

Studying pharmacy administration is necessary to provide excellent medical service.

4. What are You Working on Now? There are three fields I am focusing on. First is analyzing of medical supply policies. When a new policy regarding medical supplies is developed, I evaluate the policy. Second is to analyze the economical efficiency of medical products.

When a new medicine is imported to Korea, it is necessary to analyze the effects of the medicine prior to registering it for insurance coverage.

Usually, pharmaceutical companies ask researchers to provide evidence of the effectiveness of a drug.

Third, I am planning to ways to increase the quality of pharmaceutical care. I want to apply the discipline from a graduate school of public health to local drug stores, and increase the quality of their medical services.

5. What Do You Expect from Pharmacy Students? “Language is very important.�

Studying English is mandatory and Chinese will also be helpful. I will tell you a story. There were some students who worked at the NECA(National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency). They had to make a presentation in English every week. After the presentation, they received feedback about their presentation and English pronunciation. This is an example of the importance of English in our field. Moreover, even if you stand out in your field, if you lack foreign language skills, you would rarely be given the chance to work abroad. You will definitely have more opportunities to advance to the global stage, if you are fluent in English. B

2014 VOL.6

21

COLLEGE LIFE

Daily Life of Undergraduate Research Student Byeonghun Lee

bhleegen@yonsei.ac.kr

D

uring the hot summer of 2014, for a month in July, I spent my days as an undergraduate research student. At the lab where I performed my research, I was given the opportunity to perform experiments related to investigate organic chemistry reactions. Through these experiments, I learned how complex compounds were made by many different materials. Under the guidance of Professor Ikyon Kim, I learned basic experimental skills to create an organic chemistry reaction.

In general, undergraduate research students work at the laboratory of graduate school. They learn how to research from a professor who runs the laboratory, and conduct experiments alongside graduate students. At the laboratories, students can study more in depth than they do in a classroom setting; therefore, through this experience, they can get an idea of whether pursuing a higher education is an option for them or not. It applied to me as well. Thanks to this experience, I had the opportunity to deliberate on my future career. I an sure this will give me great help later when I have to decide what to do after graduation. Now, let me give you an insight into my daily routine at the laboratory.

As soon as I arrive in the laboratory, I organize my work area and get ready for the day’s experiment.

But first, I check if there are ongoing experiments that I should complete. For example, If I started an experiment the day before, I must finish that reaction first before moving on. To check haw far the reaction had progressed, I use the TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) method. It identifies the different compounds present in the mixture and determines the purity of a substance. If the final compound gained is relatively high in purity, I then move on to the next step or to a new experiment.

09:00 AM

10:00 AM

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THE BLUE VANGUARD

The professor usually comes to the laboratory around this time of the day. In advance, I prepare reports about proceeding experiments and organize any questions. There are some complex experiments that are hard to do by myself; therefore, I had to ask Professor Kim and the graduate students for help. Although I usually do one simple experiment at a time, the graduate students generally perform several organic chemical reactions simultaneously.

Thus, they have to meticulously keep track of the experiments to avoid making mistakes.

COLLEGE LIFE

By this time, I do my best to successfully complete my experiment. Although many of the experiments have similar procedures, it takes time for me to completely understand each procedure.

At first I had trouble handling the tools used for experiments. If it had not been for the graduate students’ help, I would not have been able to complete experiments successfully.

Finally, it is time for lunch. Because students work without breaks, lunch is a very special time.

In my case, since I do not usually eat breakfast, I am hungry every morning. After working hard all morning, graduate students look forward to lunch, too.

11:00 AM

12:00 AM

01:00 PM

I gradually finish up my experiments. I start to write down the content of my experiment in a notebook. I check to see if there are any errors or mistakes that may hinder me from continuing the next day. Before I can end my due, I have to clean all the glassware I used for my experiments, because of the possibility of chemical interactions occuring between substance residues which impose a health hazard. B

The main purpose of organic chemical reactions is to extract pure product. After learning about chemical reactions in textbooks or research paper, students replicate them. Therefore, it is very important to perform the experiment precisely.

Based on my some experimental skills, I can increase or decrease yield values. I usually make use of the column, TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography), and NMR to keep track of my experiment.

Professor Kim sometimes comes to the laboratory to give students a project. Because he wants the students to learn as many professional techniques as possible, he tends to require us to take on various projects and provides us with strict instruction.

Through this experience, I got to see how charismatic Professor Kim was when interacting with graduate students.

05:00 PM

2014 VOL.6

23

CAMPUS ISSUE

What Yonsei Pharmacy Students did in 2014 Bokyung Kim

kimbk9512@yonsei.ac.kr

Freshmen Orientation

▶ On February 14th - 16th, the freshmen of Yonsei

University Pharmacy School went to Daewoong Pharm. Co., Ltd Training Institute located in Yongin for freshmen orientation. Students had the chance to introduce themselves and forge closer relationships with each other through various activities.

◀ The highlight of this gathering was the drinking of

the colorful cocktails called Yeonyakju, a tradition that freshmen have been following since the beginning.

Teacher’s Day

▶ In celebration of Teacher’s Day, students took some

time to thank and show their appreciation for the professors at Yonsei University at Varitas Hall A on May 15th. Students read letters to the professors, created video clips, and presented them with plants that symbolized students’ gratefulness.

◀ Some of the freshmen sang an a cappella song in the celebration.

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THE BLUE VANGUARD

CAMPUS ISSUE

AKARAKA

▶ AKARAKA,

the most anticipated Yonsei University festival, was held at the Yonsei University Amphitheater on June 22nd. Many singers including IU and YB were invited to spice up the festival. After the performance, all of the students at the amphitheater sang along to the Yonsei University cheers.

The 1st Yonsei University School of Pharmacy Graduation Ceremony

◀ On

August 28th, the first Yonsei University Pharmacy School graduation ceremony was held at Libertas Hall A. Professors and students gathered to congratulate the three early graduating seniors.

National Pharmacy Student Festival

▶The National Korean Pharmacy Students Association

held a festival at Chosun University from September 12th to the 13th. All freshmen pharmacy students nationwide had the opportunity to socialize through a variety of events, including a sports meet. They also recited the Dioscorides Oath, a vow taken by pharmacists in unison.

Membership Training Workshop

◀ Students went to Kanghwa Island on September

19th - 20th for a Membership Training workshop. An outdoor barbecue was held and students played with fireworks afterwards. B

2014 VOL.6

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CAMPUS ISSUE

Voice From the Field of Practical training Ahyoung Kim pharmay@yonsei.ac.kr The Student Practical Training Program is one of the most important parts of the school curriculum for pharmacy school students. Some students might consider practical training to be one of the most important selection criteria when choosing which school to apply to, and some might regard it as one of the most exciting programs to look forward to after they enter school. In this article, the required practical training program for different schools will be viewed in detail.

Required practical training is for 20 weeks at places such as local pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, and hospitals. Students who entered pharmacy school in 2009 and 2010 are completing or already have completed their practical training. Since the student practical program is for more than one semester, students have great interest in where they will be trained and how their groups will be formed.

Seoul National University - Daejin Noh

A1. First members were educated at the training place of pharmaceutical firm located at the Pharmacy School of Seoul National University, but from the second member, the practical training program was substituted for a video lecture. Students worked in pairs and did their local pharmacy practical training at pharmacies where the school alumni works and their hospital training was done at Seoul National University Hospital located in Bun-dang, Boramae, and Hyehwa.

A2. The preferences of students were considered, but if too many students applied for a particular place, group was decided by drawing lots.

A3.

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Training at the Pharmaceutical firm company

THE BLUE VANGUARD

We interviewed 3 students from 3 different pharmacy school to focus on comparing the required practical training program at the different pharmacy schools.

Interview questions are as below.

Q1. Place of practical training (Industry/ pharmaceutical firm/ hospital/ pharmacy) of each school.

Q2. How students are grouped Q3. Which semester the students complete their training Q4. Merits of the internship of each school

is done during winter vacation during the 4th year for students, and the local pharmacy training is done during winter vacation of students’ 5th year, and hospital training is done for 10 weeks during the first semester of the 6th year. After that, advanced training is on hold for 15weeks.

In most cases, the Practical Training period is pretty similar for most of the students, but taking class schedules into consideration, it is left to students’ discretion as long as all required hours are fulfilled

A4.

Professors at the Seoul National University Pharmacy School are not only large in number but also have outstanding performance. Therefore, students can learn a lot under the educational goal of a university that focuses on research. Also, students are educated in favorable conditions since a university hospital is located within the university. One drawback is the absence of an industrial pharmacy track in the advanced practical training program.

CAMPUS ISSUE

Dankook University

Sungkyunkwan University

- Myungjin Ho

- Sujin Kim

A1. Practical training at a factory

was held at various pharmaceutical companies such as CJ, KyungDong Pharmaceutical, ChongKunDang, JW Pharmaceutical, Handok, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Korea Otsuka Pharmaceutical, and AhnGook Pharmaceutical. The hospital training was done at Kangbook Samsung Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center located in Ilwondong, and Ajou University Hospital.

For the local pharmacy training, students were trained at pharmacies run by alumni located in Seoul or Suwon.

A2. During the summer or winter vacation of their 5th

year, about 35 people are assigned for the group to intern at a pharmaceutical company. Students are allowed to choose according to their preference of the vacation, but rest of the things are decided randomly by the professor in charge.

Address of student’s residence is submitted but does not seem to be considered for every student.

A3. During the training at the pharmaceutical company,

students are divided into 2 groups. One group is assigned to complete the internship during summer vacation and the other group is to complete it during winter vacation. For the eight-week hospital and pharmacy training, one group is trained from January to April, and the other group from July to October. While 35 students are doing their practical training at the hospital and pharmacy, the rest of the 35 students are doing their Advanced Training for 4 months, 17 weeks. All practical training is completed by October 24th.

A4. The number of students in the program is quite

large, but each student has a great working condition since a lot of the school’s alumni are already in the field and the professors put their best effort into Practical Training. Also, some professors are well connected with pharmaceutical companies, so students who do their practical training at pharmaceutical companies could have perks in paid meals, salary or accommodation.

A1. For clinical pharmacy training, we were educated at Dankook University Hospital. Students did their local pharmacy training at the pharmacy near the university hospital. Due to the fact that many pharmaceutical firms are located in Cheonan, all pharmaceutical practical training was held there.

A2. When forming groups, students check their preferences on a survey conducted by a professor who assigns each student into a group. An example of questions asked on the survey includes, ’I want to do hospital training in advance,’ and ‘I want to do my pharmacy internship in advance’. Specific preferences were also considered.

There were options such as ‘I prefer a pharmacy close to the school.’ After submitting the survey, teams were assigned to accommodate students as much as possible. In most cases, not many students’ choices overlapped, but if they did overlap, an arrangement was made between the students.

A3.

The research center internship is done during the summer vacation of 5th year. After the second semester of the 5th year, practical training at the hospital, pharmaceutical firm, and local pharmacy follows. The order of practical training is different for each group and a five-week break is given mid-training.

A4. There are three major merits of the practical training at Dangook university. Firstly, every single track is completed at Cheonan, where the school is located.

Therefore, students do not have to look for a new place to stay and shortens their morning commute. Secondly, the schedule is focused only on training. Students do not have to take classes during their practical training. Lastly, the process of forming groups is fair and reasonable. Drawing lots and grades are not how groups are organized; only the preferences of the students are considered in priority.

Each university has its own merits, but they all have the same goal- to produce specialized pharmacists through their respective practical training programs. Through this program, it is expected that excellent, well-trained pharmacists will be produced. B 2014 VOL.6

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CLUB ACTIVITIES

KNAPS in alliance with college of pharmacy Sungkyung Lee

dltjdrud93@naver.com

KNAPS stands for Korean National Association of Pharmaceutical Students. It is the Korean branch of the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF); an affiliated organization of international Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), UNESCO, Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association (CPA), WHO, and falls under the Asia-Pacific branch of Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO). IPSF, an international university alliance organization, is a nonprofit and nongovernmental organization that started in London, England in 1949. It consists of about 350,000 pharmacy students from around 70 different countries. It is a leading international organization that supports the efforts of pharmacy students to improve public health by providing information, education, human networking, various publications and professional activites.

KNAPS, not only gives Korean pharmacy students a chance to interact with each other, but also to interact with other pharmacy students from various parts of the world. It aims to do the following. KNAPS help professional Development in pharmacy and promote public health promotion as a future pharmacist. In addition, KNAPS conduct a number of activities such as the pharmacy student exchange programs and global activities aimed at global oriented pharmacists.

Q&A of students who participate actively in KNAPS A survey was conducted for active KNAPS members to find out KNAPS activities are helpful to students and to introduce KNAPS to other students The following questions were asked.

1. What made you join KNAPS? 2. What kind of activities are you involved with in KNAPS? 3. What kind of activities do you wish to be involved with in KNAPS? 4. What did you learn from KNAPS? 5. Comment.

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CLUB ACTIVITIES

College of Pharmacy, Korea University Jaeho Jo A1.

My roommate started participating in KNAPS first, and while living together, I gradually gained interest and decided to join.

A2.

I am currently participating as part of the 2013-14 SEP team, as the SEO (SEP: Student Exchange Program, SEO: Student Exchange Officer)

A3.

With my SEP teammates, I make manuals to help systemize the SEP work. I would like to further participate in the Asia Pacific Pharmaceutical Symposium and International Pharmaceutical Students Federation to meet and interact with SEOs from different countries.

A4.

The best thing about KNAPS is that it allows you to share memories with great people outside of school. It may be hard to directly meet and help foreign Pharmacy students but after going through everything, it makes you proud and helps build friendship with those I have worked with.

A5.

For 4 years there will be endless stress over grades, homework and tests. However I hope you’ll be able to enjoy and not give up on something that will give you a chance to experience many things and broaden your horizons.

College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University Seran Lee A1.

Before I came to Pharmacy school, I worked as an assistant for exchange students at my previous college.

At that time, I spent a lot of time, and had weekly debates with foreigners. Through that experience, I was able to view the Korean society from a third person’s perspective. Since KNAPS is an international pharmacy student organization, I wish to interact with international pharmacy students and view pharmaceutical education and pharmacy communities with a wider view point.

A2.

As a member of the SEP team during the semester, I helped the administrative process for pharmacy students overseas. I determined whether the entry of a foreign student is allowed based on their profiles, characteristics, whether the job they wanted was available or not. During my vacation, I picked up the exchange students at the airport and connected them to their work places. I also helped them with getting a cellular phone, got to where they were be staying, and introduced them to public transportation and other amenities. Additionally, I helped them adjust to their lives in Korea. Additionally, team members and I went to museums, art exhibitions, and amusement parks with the international students as well.

A3.

Members of KNAPS can get a chance to go abroad and work in foreign countries as well. I got along well with a pharmacy student from New Zealand, Kook Anderson, and Turkey. Ekin Dergun, who visited Korea this vacation, was one of them. I am still keeping in touch with them through Kakao Talk and other forms of SNS. We make small talk but we also talk about the lives of pharmacists in each country, such as their status, responsibilities, and social abilities. From my conversations with him, I understand the problems and strengths of our country from different aspects. Although I learned many things from the conversations, I felt it would be better to actually go to another country and directly experience the differences between that country and ours.

A4.

It has been almost a year since I became a member of KNAPS but I gained so much more than I expected.

First, I gained insight into the pharmacist community and pharmaceutical knowledge. Second, I have a better idea about the direction of my career which was something I have been worrying about throughout my college life.

Third, I met people whom I can share my life with.

A5.

I wish to share what I learned and experienced at KNAPS. Let’s all do it together! B

2014 VOL.6

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VISITOR’S PAGE

INCHEON ASIAN GAMES 2014 A MESSAGE FROM OUR READER, SEUNGYEOP HAN

H

ello, readers of the Blue Vanguard! I am SeungYeop Han, a sophomore of the College of Pharmacy at Yonsei University. I’m taking off from school for my military service, and I had a special experience during my free time. I have volunteered in the 17th Asian games held at Incheon, which has been a big issue worldwide. Among a number of divisions, I was in the Media Supporting Division, which is responsible for recording and reporting the game’s situation immediately. Are you interested in my story? Then, let’s move on!

I was in Mokdong Baseball Stadium and supported for many kinds of media so that the broadcasting moves on smoothly. First of all, I was in the mixed zone. You may have seen in TV many reporters and cameras interviewing athletes right after the sports match. The place they interview is called the ‘mixed zone’ because media and athletes are mixed at this zone. Interviews are done for a very short time, so a lot of congested situation can occur. Therefore, other volunteers and I regulated people who are not related to media to prevent any accident. The stadium was very

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THE BLUE VANGUARD

hot from ardor of the audiences. It is a shame that I can only share this through words.

Second, my workplace was at the Photo zone and Press zone. During baseball match, photo editors and editors shoot and record the match and deliver the situation of the match through the internet news simultaneously in the Photo zone and the Press zone. The photo zone was the best place for audiences to watch the match because of its great view, and so was the Press zone. For these reasons, these places needed a close supervision. Although I didn’t write

any article or took a photo about the match, I could feel the passion of the editors and their professionalism.

Nowadays, a lot of graduates from pharmacy school advance to many different fields other than drug stores. I am sure that students who are reading my article are also worrying about their career. If concerned, how about doing some volunteers? This experience was like a fresh air for me which made me to agonize over my future. Having indirect experiences about media, I could broaden my view on my future career. Don’t hesitate doing what you are interested in! B

EPILOGUE

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