PQ April 2017

PQ PLUS 2

April 2017 - presented by PHARMACARE Specialty Pharmacies

IN THIS ISSUE SAMPLE

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APSA Election Results I, for one, welcome our new APSA councillors.

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PK and Hemingway What did the famous author have to do with pharmacy?

Cover image: Doctor and pharmacist, illustration from Medicinarius (1505) by Hieronymus Brunschwig.

(Does it look like Experiential Education in the 16th century?)

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You’ve got to try it!

Lynnea and her friends try out Oddle Noodle.

Where did the motivation go?

Yes, we know a PQ article about procrastination is ironic.

Placement Stories We talk about our placement experiences.

Banff Seminar Get two perspectives on the CSHP event.

Editors’ Notes

Hi everyone! I know it’s stressful time for everyone with exams and assignments, but summer is just around the corner! So just a little push and we will be

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done before we know it.

Remember: it’s also really important to take breaks while studying.

In this April issue, there are many interesting contents with articles about mental health, rotations, Banff seminar, and what to do this summer! So as your study break, have a look at them.

Good luck on all your exams and have a happy summer holiday!

- Jasmine Han

Jasmine covered the important points in her note, so I will just leave a short quote here. I found it quite recently and it resonated with me.

“No amount of resolve will help a person unless he learns to budget his time and utilize it for accomplishment. For an undisciplined person’s days and nights are confusion, all of his time is confusion and is wasted. Every night he will say, ‘How did the day pass?

I didn’t even feel it passing; it stole away from me and

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What to do this summer Jasmine gives us the details on festivals and events in Edmonton that are happening this summer.

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Horoscopes Prognostications from PQ’s own Nostradamus.

escaped.’ In this fashion, the next day and the following one will also slip away, wasted and used up on inconsequential matters.”

- Kalonymus Kalman Shapira (1889 - 1943) - Yusuf

Disclaimer: Any opinions or viewpoints published are directly from the contributing authors and do not represent the philosophy or viewpoints of the Faculty of Pharmacy or the University of Alberta.

LYNNEA This is my sad farewell to all my faithful readers and to my fellow PQ peeps. I had a grand time working with everyone on the PQ committee, and the opportunity to see someone’s face light up as they read a piece I wrote was a joy that words cannot describe. But now, summer calls, and I don’t think anyone will miss those long days and nights in PBL rooms cramming for our exams and taking study breaks to read the PQ. I hope everyone has a summer filled with cool jobs, fun adventures, and lots of sunshine. Peace out my friends.

MORENA I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed writing articles for the PQ, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them! It was great meeting so many new people, and thinking of the next Netflix show or movie to review (and, of course, watching them too). I feel that this year has gone by so fast. There have been some tough times, but now it’s time to put that all past us and look forward to our summers! I hope everyone will have a fun summer, filled with friends and relaxation, and I also hope your rotations will be as every bit of fulfilling as it should be. Until next September, everyone!

THANK YOU FOR READING THE PQ THIS YEAR!

WINNIE The past year has flown by in a flurry of APSA events, long nights of writing and editing, and smiling faces from behind the camera. It hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows, except I find that working with the PQ is so much more meaningful because of that. I’ve had lots of fun planning out our issues with the committee, thinking about what might interest our diverse faculty, and coming up with fun “de-stress” articles. After the past two years of being part of the PQ, it’s a little bit sad to move on, but I look forward to reading the work of the next committee and seeing what new things pop up! Have a brilliant summer, Pharmily!

DANIAL This time last year I was sitting at my parents’ house in frustration over what I was going to do with my life. Flash-forward a year and here we are. Yes, school has been tough, but if the year went by any faster I would never have had the chance to appreciate what I was learning and the new friendships I have made. If this year went by any faster, I probably would not have had a chance to really enjoy writing for you guys. For all those on placements, good luck and I hope you find new ways to appreciate the knowledge we have acquired and the patients we will tirelessly serve for the rest of our lives. For the rest you, I hope you all have a fun and safe summer! Lots of love.

APSA ELECTION RESULTS COMPILED BY MEHNAZ ANWAR & WINNIE LO

VP External VP Administration VP Finance VP Social VP Student Services VP Academic President-Elect

Preston Eshenko Alisha Shivji Jerry Zhang Megan Elliott Cassandra Cooper Abanoub Graiss Sean Hanson

SU and General Faculties Councillor Interprofessional Director Recruitment Director IPSF Representative CAPSI Jr Female Sports Representative Community Education Director Fundraising Director CSHP Representative

Alex Kwan Emma Bedard Miray Aizouki Darryl Mah Mark Contreras Katina Woo Lynnea Schultz Jyoti Palak Peter Van Herk

2nd Year Social 3rd Year Social 2nd Year Class 3rd Year Class 4th Year (PBS) Class

Jennifer Pidzarko Carlo Tipan Kristen Farrell Raafi Ali Jack Novovic

Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative

Congratulations to the new APSA council! We look forward to your achievements in the coming year.

By-elections By-election 1 SAF Pharm Director Male Sports Representative Information Technology Director SHINE Director PQ Editor Yearbook Editor (Class of 2019) 2019 Grad Committee Co-Chairs

4th Year (BSc) Class Representative 4th Year (BSc) Class Representative Chief Returning Officer

Vanessa Hill

Greg Poon Frank Huang Theresa Eberhardt David Poon Sandra Su Madison Herbert and Sabrina El Mansali Lauren Ross Sean Starman Alec Huard

By-election 2 Publications Director PQ Editor Yearbook Editor (Class of 2019) 4th Year (PBS) Social Representative

Jasmine Han Ethos Ho Brittany Wong Stephanie Metzger

PK and Hemingway - By Vanessa Hill I know this night well because of the circumstances surrounding it: Our pharmacokinetics final was the following Monday, and I had come home after an overwhelming study session at school. Later that same night, I happened to read The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, as you do on a Friday at 11 PM. Everyone knows Hemingway by work or name – he has a succinct, crisp writing style that periodically ebbs and flows into stream of consciousness.

While most have thought The Old Man and the Sea to be an allegory of sorts, what I got from the story was this: Humans have the extraordinary capacity to just keep going. The story tells of an old man who carried the weight of an enormous fish on his frail back for days. He was unfazed by the fact that he was physically wasting away, because all he wanted to do was catch this fish. This pained me to read, but the truth is, the nature of the situation is not too far off from many of our own lived experiences.

But allow me to explain myself – this wasn’t just a shameless plug through which I could gush about Hemingway. The point is that this human capacity for resilience permeates all aspects of life and is not just limited to the more extraordinary events. From the outside looking in, the situation can look dire and impossible. But to be the person in the midst of the situation is quite different – you will adapt, and hell, you will keep going.

Whether you are a first year thinking of the impending workload of second year, or in the middle of exams, or simply not feeling at your best – the point is to keep going. Anytime I hit a point during studying

where I feel I am not making any further progress, I keep in mind this quote from an essay by F. Scott Fitzgerald: "I must hold in balance the sense of futility of effort and the sense of the necessity to struggle.” Read that sentence a few times over, and it will progressively make more sense. The acceptance that we have done what we can must be balanced with an enduring hope, and it is the latter that keeps us moving forward.

I am also a runner – not a fantastic one at that, but I still take care to put on my meticulously tied shoes and give it the old college try. When I am too out of breath to speak or when I am ascending those awful and very numerous wooden stairs from the River Valley, my run mantra is this: “I can’t go on, I’ll go on,” which was famously written by Samuel Beckett. Running is the absolute worst when you start. But it gets easier – you just have to keep running. Fitzgerald again comes to mind regarding the necessity of pursuit with a line from The Great Gatsby: “Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…”

As it turns out, this really was a shameless plug for me to talk about writers I love. But it is the universality of literature that promises us that we are not alone in the world with our struggles. Similarly, you should not feel alone in these four years here – you have your entire class running in parallel with you. Talk to someone, go on a painful but soul cleansing run – and do keep going. It took a PK final and a small dose of Hemingway to teach me that.

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YOu’vE got TO TRY THIS - ooDle NooDle Let me set the scene. Four girls who’ve never been to Oodle Noodle. Driving there after class but shortly before spin class…. But we were not afraid to eat to our heart’s desire. The story unfolds through the following reviews of Oodle Noodle, one of the awesome places that we as APSA members get a discount! The worst part of the whole experience: we forgot to use our APSA discounts. lynnea First impression: FREE PARKING. Already, this place had a good spot in my books.

Inside was also nice: reminiscent of a 90’s diner, but with an Asian theme. There were cute little flashing lights and huge windows with a nice view of Whyte Ave. Also, there was faces on all the decorations, which was cute but a little disconcerting. There are lots of legit looking woks behind the counter.

And the food was pretty darn delicious! I had the Tokyo Glaze, which had those big Japanese udon noodles that I love. There were lots of veggies in the stir fry so obviously it was super healthy. #fitpham. My only complaint: my dish was super salty. To remedy this, I recommend drinking some water with your meal.

Another plus was the HuGE portion sizes. My one dish lasted me 2 meals, which is awesome for poor college students like us.

Overall, I recommend this place. But maybe not right before spin class.

Jesalyn This was my first time going to Oodle Noodle and I would say it was a pleasant experience with many different food options on the menu.

I got the Penang Laksa dish that had a great coconut flavor with plenty of vegetables and a lot of sauce. The meals are also served in large portions for a good price, allowing you to possibly get two meals out of it!!

The restaurant itself was in a great location, convenient for those living around the university, and they had a customer parking lot for those who drive and hate trying to find a place to park along Whyte. It also had many large windows at the tables that allowed you to enjoy the sun and outside without actually being out in the cold.

I would recommend trying this place out if you have not been here before!!

Jennifer My visit to oodle noodle earlier this week was a very pleasant one. The establishment was clean and the staff were very friendly. The gentlemen who I ordered from even gave me a recommendation on which meal to choose, which I greatly appreciated.

I highly suggest the ginger beef!

The food came very quickly and was delivered to our table. The presentation was very appealing and my meal tasted delicious.

The menu was also very easy to read and hosted a variety of choices. I would recommend this restaurant to my friends and family and will definitely be visiting again in the near future.

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SAMPLE Kristen My first dining experience with Oodle Noodle was excellent (especially since we have our APSA discount). The food had simple ingredients but was just spicy enough for me. There was so much food on my plate, I was able to take some home in a cute box with a face on it for a second meal. A few things I liked about the restaurant and menu: - several options for gluten free and vegan customers - staff was friendly - the kitchen and dining area were very clean The Whyte avenue location is in a great spot for people watching if you decide to eat in.

There was also plenty of parking in the back so you never have to worry about parallel parking on Whyte! 10/10, would recommend.

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My motivation... where did it all go?

By Morena Medina As I near the end of the school year, planning my summer, fretting over rotations and, to top it all off, writing finals (when will the exams ever end), the ability to maintain any sort of motivation to overcome the obstacles that lay ahead diminishes quite rapidly.

I’ll let you know from my own experience – staying on track and keeping consistent in my studies as I work, volunteer, (try to) hang out with friends, in addition to a melange of other, “real-world” things makes me want to nope! out of it all. And people still ask me, “How do you have the energy to do it?”

The truth is, I don’t.

I find my motivation to be very fickle – sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s just simply out of my grasp. Some people like to think that it’s all willpower – if you want to do it enough, you will do it. But I think we all know it’s much more complicated than that. Others say that it’s a matter of making it a habit, integrating into your routine.

That may be true, but sometimes you lose the motivation to keep to the routine itself, and then what do you do?

Well, after I find myself googling “fun fact” and refreshing over and over (if you haven’t done this, do it now) or rechecking Facebook for the 30th time in the past hour without so much as touching anything on my to-do list, I start thinking, Where did it all go?

Why did it all go? Well, after some introspection, here are some of the main reasons I lose motivation, including: • I’m bored (especially if I’ve been stuck in the library studying for two weeks) • No matter how long I study, I’m not seeing results • I just don’t know where to start (and thus, the beginning of procrastination)

It’s hard to know what to do once you’ve actually lost your motivation, because doing something will take some motivation itself as well, and it can become a vicious cycle of apathy.

I know that this is something that a lot of students are experiencing, especially as we’re in the final run, and by no means am I calling myself an expert on this subject. However, I think it could benefit us all to share our experiences and the unique solutions we’ve developed.

Therefore, here are some techniques that I have found to be very helpful to me, in an effort to get going when the drive is all lost:

1. My main problem is that I get bored so easily. The best way I’ve overcome this was with the Pomodoro studying technique. The concept: stay focussed on your task for a set time period, and afterwards you reward yourself with a small break. For example, I generally work for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break afterwards, rinse and repeat. As I know I can work for 25 minutes at a time, this has worked wonders for me. There’s even a Chrome extension called “Block & Focus” where you can block all your favourite websites during that 25 minute block, and unblocks them for your break, to reduce temptation.

Image credit: Below: https://www. fractuslearning.com Above: Stephen Hillenburg Far above: Huffington Post upper right: https://familyshare. com

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SAMPLE 2. I always do the easy stuff first. I know this is the opposite of the usual advice, but I find I’m more prone to lose motivation to work when the task is difficult. At least this way, I still get to be productive, and maybe even get enough jive to start the more difficult work, when otherwise I would have made any excuse to avoid everything.

3. I always switch up my studying techniques. Sometimes I make cue cards. Sometimes I need silence, other times I actively seek out quiet noise in cafes. Sometimes I print off my notes and take a walk outside while reading my notes out loud (incidentally, my neighbours now recognize me very well). It’s all for the sake of keeping things interesting, and the change of setting or technique will allow me to remember specific details more vividly.

4. I listen to music that gets me pumped up (such as my workout music) prior to studying. For some unknown reason, listening to “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran somehow helps me get in the mood for studying (and maybe it will for you, as well).

5. Know that there’s always tomorrow. If I just cannot pay attention to that last set of notes, I know that relaxation and sleep are much more valuable to me at that point then reading over something that I will most likely not remember at all the next day. Although, this is a bit trickier if you’re cramming the night before the test, but I have been known to wake up earlier the next day just for that reason.

Overall, I always try to end my task or work on a good note by rewarding myself with something that I enjoy – this way, it takes the some of the dread off doing the same task later on.

Always make sure to take care of yourself first, and I wish everyone luck in whatever you do!

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Departing for Placements

It’s that time of year when many of us are going to leave the luxuries of Edmonton for an educational journey. Some of us will go a further distance than others and some of us may see environments and lifestyles that we have seen before. And others among us will actually be returning home after spending months studying in Edmonton. Whatever the case, we think there is something you can learn from our own experiences on rotation.

A false start in Fort Mac and some words of advice

By Yusuf Nasihi there is not a cloud in the sky But what is this smoke?

No one’s died in the neighbourhood But what lament!

- The Ballad of Yemen (excerpt) (A Turkish folk song) Last year, I had the unanticipated honour of having two placement sites for my community pharmacy placement.

The first one was Wolverine Drive Shoppers Drug Mart in Fort Murray.

Considering I was assigned to Fort McMurray, you may think I was someone who got the short end of the stick in the placements lotto. You know, that system of placement selections that takes you 35 minutes to explain to anyone who is not also a pharmacy student?

Anyway, believe me when I say I chose Fort McMurray in the Advance Rural Match. Why you ask? I had been to Fort McMurray a few years before, and thought it would a good option for getting my compulsory rural/suburban placement out of the way. I reasoned that the city is made up a mostly transient population in the first place and that I should have no trouble finding a place to stay for four weeks.

It turns out that many single-room rentals are available and having a key to your room door, which you can lock from outside the room, is apparently standard practice. The rent is quite expensive but #TravelAwards go a long way. ultimately, the availability

of rentals close to my placement site was enough to get me to say “Fort McMurray, final answer” for the Advance Rural Match. I do not have a vehicle so this was an extra concern for me. Having been to small towns (valleyview and Barrhead come to mind) I knew that finding a rental in Alberta towns that has both easy access to the placement and reasonable living standards might prove difficult.

My placement site was an interesting pharmacy, located far from the Fort McMurray ‘downtown’ and firmly within a residential community, alongside a walk-in

clinic and other healthcare services.

There were a few more pharmacies on the main boulevard nearby so perhaps that is why this SDM was never very busy while I was there.

As for my short-lived placement itself, I have a few things to mention. I had the feeling that my preceptor, Sakina Adamjee, understood my strengths and weaknesses and that I was going to have a good time working for her.

unfortunately, my stay was cut short after less than 72 hours. (Really? I was just getting the hang of using HealthWatch!) It was Canada’s worst ever forest fire and it came as a big surprise to me.

Of course, I actually have nothing to complain about. That forest fire irreversibly changed many peoples’ lives in ways we are still trying to comprehend. In fact, I was able to recover all of my belongings just a few weeks later and I am grateful to have my health and life.

I thought I might be sleeping in the wilderness that night, which is a bit foolish as I look back on that day, since it was the wilderness that was on fire. To be fair, I was not exactly sure how far away the fire was until I passed through the city centre on our way out.

I saw smoke from the nearby forest fire as early as Sunday May 1 but it was around midday on Tuesday that the municipality announced that certain parts of Fort McMurray would have to evacuate, with voluntary evacuation for the rest of the city.

The order quickly changed to mandatory evacuation and so, just as soon as I had come back to the pharmacy from my lunch break, we decided to close the pharmacy and depart ourselves.

Long story short, I grabbed some things from the basement room that I was renting and, after stopping for gas and water, left with my roommate, who was not a student of any kind, for Edmonton.

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He was kind to have taken me with him. My preceptor offered to take me with her, but the logistics of going with my roommate just worked better.

We arrived on Wednesday morning. It was a longer journey to Edmonton than it should have been, and that was because of the armada of pick-up trucks that brought traffic on the highway to a standstill.

And among all those trucks were us migrants who had left our homes for northern Alberta in search of prosperity.

On Highway 63, there was no difference between any of us that day. Whether you were a British Columbian engineer, Albertan pharmacist or Atlantic pipeline welder, you were headed in the same direction and at the same speed.

I should mention that Pharm 305 course coordinator Marlene Gukert was in contact with me from Calgary as soon as the evacuation announcement was made. Drs Gukert and Bertholet even found me another preceptor in Edmonton who agreed to take me on short notice.

It was a relief to work for the rest of the month under Momen El Ghazouly, whose pharmacy practice in southern Edmonton enjoys all aspects of Albertan pharmacist’s abilities. I took that Wednesday May 4 off and started the next day at Momen’s Pharmasave. (By the way, you might recognize Momen as a learning facilitator in lab or from his lectures during the second-year class Pharm 427 - Pain.)

Speaking of pharmacy services, it was pharmacist prescribing and SMMAs/CACPs that really came to the fore following the Fort McMurray crisis.

Pharmacists and RNs at Northlands Edmonton Expo Centre, which is where many evacuees ended up staying, printed off NetCare dispensing records and signed them off as prescriptions.

We saw these prescriptions even in the south-east of Edmonton, at my

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new placement site.

I suppose I should now get into talking about my actual placement. This independent pharmacy was established less than one year ago in a part of the city (Summerside) that was probably nothing but grassland just 15 years ago, with not a single artificial residential area lake in sight. This meant that the pharmacy was still building up its patient base. So, it did seem rather empty at times.

This meant there was a lot of time to write a few care plans and follow ups!

For your placement, you may be on your way to any type of community pharmacy. Keep your mind open to the experience and start thinking about what differences exist between different practices. What affects the practice?

Is it the location? Pharmacist?

Management and independence?

Now you first years may be asking what role you can have in the pharmacy with just your EENT & Dermatology therapeutics under your belt. You will most likely help walk-in patients with allergy medication, especially as this will be in May and June. I also found myself counselling patients on topical and inhaled corticosteroids.

On my first day in Fort McMurray there was, believe it or not, a patient picking up a psoriasis biologic medication. I had not set foot in that pharmacy for more than 1 hour before my preceptor asked me if I could counsel on that biologic, whatever it was. It really did catch me off-guard and Ms. Adamjee told me this medication would likely never come up again during my month in Fort Mac. I had to decline that opportunity.

So, no matter what stage you are at on your first day, concentrate on improving your counselling ability. Even if you have to mainly focus on OTCs, you will benefit from having as many conversations with patients as you can.

In closing, I will leave you with some words of wisdom from my second preceptor, Momen.

“Before you can be a master pharmacist, you have to be a master technician.” Of course, he was not telling me I had to be an expert at counting or receiving the order from McKesson, but it is important to understand the details of pharmacy operation, as well as the therapeutics.

What was my urban institutional placement like?

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By Morena Medina I did my institutional placement at the internal medicine unit in Grey Nuns Hospital here in Edmonton.

The number one thing I enjoyed from this placement was the amount of autonomy and independence that I had. At the start of every week, I would look over the newly admitted patients and chose a couple of patients that I felt I had a good understanding of and could complete a full care plan for over their stay Note: in Internal Medicine, you will see a little bit of everything, but there were a LOT of patients admitted for COPD exacerbations, helping me solidify my pulmonary knowledge. There were also a lot of pulmonary embolisms, CHF, Afib, and other cardiovascular conditions… so I got a lot of practice with anticoagulation and Cv medications as well.

I was part preceptorship program called “Near Peer Teaching,” meaning that while I had an “official” preceptor” who worked at the Grey Nuns, my actual preceptor who oversaw me was a PharmD student doing his rotation at the Grey Nuns as well.

I felt that Near Peer Teaching benefitted me a lot, as my preceptor was also a student who understood what it was like

trying to complete assignments in addition to your time in the hospital. As such, I was given a lot of free time to complete my care plans and assignments.

As well, since my preceptor didn’t work at the Grey Nuns, he also had some time to help me brush up on my therapeutics, and was available to answer any questions I had.

A normal day would go like this: in the morning, I would print off a list of all the patients that are admitted to our unit, and look at the Netcare profiles of the patients I was following to gather additional lab values, medications, and any consultation notes that the patient may have had. Afterwards, I would join the team on rotations.

On especially busy days, rotations could take the whole morning, but I would usually only attend for the patients that I was following. If the patient hadn’t had a BPMH done yet, I would stay behind to complete one. For the rest of the day, I would visit the patients to ask questions, or look at physician or nurses’ notes on the unit. Sometimes I would perform a discharge counselling. If I had left over time, I would work on care plans or assignments. Much of this was done on my own, with my preceptor looking over my work to

make sure everything was okay.

Overall, while the Grey Nuns is a busy hospital, I never felt overwhelmed with all the information around me, and everyone was incredibly nice and willing to help.

My number one tip for second years going to their institutional placement is to be prepared. Ask your preceptor what kinds of conditions you’re most likely to see during your placement and brush up on your therapeutics prior to starting. Always have your school notes available so you can look them up when you need to. As well, there will be some conditions that you haven’t studied yet.

For example, in the Internal Medicine unit, there were quite a lot of infections, so I found it incredibly helpful to have the Bugs & Drugs app, in addition to other apps such as RxTx, LexiComp, and RxFiles.

Get a head start for third year!

Take advantage of your placement to learn as much as possible, and hopefully you will find it as fulfilling as my time at the Grey Nuns.

Above: Enjoying a walk around the nearby Mill Woods Park at lunch break.

Left: Some of the “light reading” (notice: all COPD related) I did during my placement PHARMACY QUARTERLY 13

Rural Hospital Rotations: the perfect place?

BY WINNIE LO Would I say that I had gotten the perfect placement for my hospital rotation? Well at the time of getting my match results, I certainly didn't think so. I was one of those questionably lucky students who didn't end up getting my placement of choice - what did happen was I received an email stating that there was 1 single rural site left at Wainwright Health Centre. I jumped on the opportunity, thinking that "this was my chance to fit in my required rural site... even if I had no idea the town existed before this email."

As it turns out, Wainwright is a small town of about 6000 residents, located close to the border of Saskatchewan. There was 22 acute care beds and approximately 60 long term care beds. All of the physicians who work in the hospital also have patients of their own in the community, which meant incredibly streamlined communication between the hospital and community.

Only 1 pharmacist worked on staff full-time - my preceptor. Each day started with a quick review of patient profiles, after which we would accompany physicians on quick rounds. I would then spend the day: 1. Delving into patient profiles for potential DRPs, speaking with patients, completing BPMHs, med reviews and so on 2. Sitting in on patient-family meetings, weekly rapid rounds, meeting the long-term care team, or following my pharmacist to even smaller rural towns to help manage their "ER" pharmacy 3. Completed med information requests for physicians, patients, and personal interest 4. Listening to conferences specific to my zone with other students/pharmacists 5. Shadowing other healthcare professionals - like SLP swallowing assessments or physiotherapy.

Probably the best thing about my site was that we held Cardiovascular Clinics for the area every 2 weeks - a team of specialized physicians and nurses would book patients to see. This was an incredible learning opportunity – I was able to sit in on meetings (with the occasional nerve-wracking pop quiz - thank goodness I read up on guidelines the night before!). It was also interesting to see how 'real-world' practice does NOT have patients with one condition alone, and most of the time, there is no 100% ideal therapy.

Don’t be afraid of rotation – it’s a chance for you to learn in depth about HOW to interact with patients and gain confidence in your recommendations. Ask your preceptors questions, shadow everyone, and sit in on all the conferences. A rural setting is ideal for learning because you can take your time with patients and learn everything in depth. In the end, my not so ideal placement location might have been the perfect place for me to learn hospital pharmacy after all!

Photo credits: Winnie Lo

What is it like to do your placement at a rural community?

By Jasmine Han With few weeks remaining, the summer break is just around the corner. Along with our summer break comes our rotation. Just like myself, I am sure many of you are having a little panic attack looking forward to your rotation. As for myself, I will be doing my hospital rotation in June and am very nervous about the expectations at the hospital.

Today, I would like to share my experience with rural community pharmacy rotation for the first years who will be going on their rotations soon.

To start off, you may wonder where you are going to live. Often, the best place to find accommodation is to either find an upper year who has been to your rural site, check out APSA Student Accommodation Network Forum, see if there is a college/university residence, or look up on kijiji or Airbnb. In regards to transportation, it is highly recommended that you take a car with you because the public transit system may be unreliable, inconvenient, or non-existent. In terms of recreational activities, I don’t think most people have trouble finding stuff to do around their given city. BUT, Word of warning – some cities may have less things to do than others.

As for the rotation, I did mine in Medicine Hat at Solutions Clinical Pharmacy where I was able to fully experience an independent pharmacy that provide various clinical services; anywhere from CACP, SMMA, Photo credit from: Solutions Clinical Pharmacy INC hormone clinic, weight loss clinic, tobacco cessation to travel vaccination. On top of that, since the pharmacy was connected to a PCN Clinic, we had frequent interactions with nurses and doctors. Working with a preceptor with APA really showed me the impact a pharmacist can make on patients and relationships with other healthcare professionals. Often, they worked with patients to make changes to the prescription without having them get another prescription and hence, building trust and credibility with patients and healthcare professionals.

One thing I noticed was that for those who have never worked at a pharmacy, rotation may be more challenging. However, it doesn’t have to be a huge concern since many preceptors and their coworkers are there to help you become more familiar with the environment. It is also important to keep in mind that rotation experience is different for everyone and it is what you make out of it. So, it is important to have positive attitude, be willing to learn, and step outside your comfort zone.

For example, if you feel that you are not getting experience in certain areas, ask the preceptor if you can spend more time doing that activity. Be proactive in doing activities provided in the manual and learning about pharmacy practice. Don't be afraid to gain the most out of this rotation because it is where you can safely make mistakes and learn from.

I hope that I was able to answer any burning questions that you may have. If you have any questions you can always email me at seunga1@ualberta.ca, or we can meet up and talk more about it!

Photo credit from: Leigh Ferh-Little

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Banff Seminar!

By Morena Medina

This year was the first time I attended the CSHP Banff Seminar, and now that I’ve experienced it, I definitely recommend everyone to attend at least once!

First of all, it’s Banff, and breathing in fresh mountain air after being cooped up in winter is always a plus. Secondly, the topics were diverse, and it was captivating to hear all the scientific, evidencebased medicine jargon we usually hear in lecture given in a narrative, “Storytelling” fashion, as the theme of the seminar emphasizes.

However, there were also some talks focussing on people’s experiences in the health care system that resonated with me.

In particular, “Indigenous History, Health, and Cultural Safety: Learning Through Stories” given

by Jaris Swidrovich (a hospital pharmacist of Indigenous background) was a real eyeopener regarding how the history of Indigenous people in Canada influenced the health care that

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they are experiencing today, and what we can do as pharmacists to ensure that Indigenous people feel welcome when seeking health care.

I find it relevant as we sometimes forget to acknowledge our own biases against our patients without considering the whole patient experience and personal situations they may have endured.

In addition to the talks, there were some social nights planned for the evenings, including Friday Social Night (Friday night just happened to be St. Patrick’s Day, so that put a green twist on everything!), and a banquet on Saturday night to dress your best and take some wonderful photos surrounded by the mountains.

It was wonderful and relaxing to socialize with your friends and peers without the pressure of school.

As well, there was plenty of time outside of the seminar itself to explore the quaint little town of Banff, take a refreshing dip at the

Hot Springs, or visit the Bow Falls (unfortunately for us, the Bow Falls were frozen over but it still allowed for some good photo-ops!).

Overall, the Banff seminar was a wonderful experience and I only regret not attending in previous years. Not only is it a time where you can increase your therapeutic knowledge and keep up with the latest evidence, but it’s also an excuse for a well-needed break from school to relax amongst the beautiful scenery.

P.S. By the way, if you’re ever in Banff in the future and looking for a place to eat, there’s a small restaurant in downtown called Block Kitchen + Bar that I loved. Their ramen was phenomenal and just the thing needed for the chilly nights!

STORYTELLING: Connecting Through Our Experiences

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By Jasmine Han If someone asked me if I would go again next year, my answer would be 100% yes.

My experience at the Banff seminar was phenomenal, and they exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed it because, even though it was an educational seminar, it also felt like a little get away from school with my friends.

Essentially, Banff Seminar is a 3-day conference, Friday to Sunday, that offers you various opportunities. You will be given opportunities to sit down and listen to speakers who will keep you upto-date with the latest evidence, present with topics that engage everyone in discussion, and present cases to fine-tune your practice.

They also give options to attend symposia where you can learn some more! (+ free food!) Not to mention the social and banquet night where you can mingle with other students and pharmacists!

Finally, they offer everyone the opportunity to

talk to pharmaceutical company representatives to learn about the latest products and look at research posters done by the residents. Plus, there will be time available for you to explore Banff! As you can see, there are various things going on at the Banff Seminar.

I wanted to share one of my experiences at Banff, and it’s regarding a Town Hall called The Continuing Story of Clinical Pharmacy Training by Tania Mysak and Peter Loewen. unlike other seminars, this was particularly memorable because it talked about the impact of having credentials like residency and PharmD. It was really interesting to see the perspectives of the managers, residency coordinators, and other clinical pharmacists.

Essentially, the consensus they came to was that eventually, these credentials will be important in pursuing certain pharmacy careers with expanded scope

However, what they also mentioned was that they wanted students and other pharmacists to get these credentials to improve their knowledge and to make further impact on the future practice of our profession rather than to increase the # of letters (AKA alphabet soup) after their names.

I wanted to share this experience because I find that for some of us, this is a very relevant question going forward in this profession. As you can see, there are various discussions that are worth attending and listening to for your own benefit. If you are curious and want to learn more, feel free to email me at seunga1@ualberta.ca or message me on Facebook!

Photo credits: Abanoub Graiss

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THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Is this your first time staying in Edmonton for the summer? If so, this is a perfect article for you to read!

IF you are not an Edmontonian and are planning to stay here over the summer, you may be faced with a question of “What is there to do in Edmonton?” I am not from Edmonton myself and faced the same struggle at this time of the year last year. So, where am I going with this? In attempts to offer a solution, I have come up lists of festivals and places you can go to this summer. I hope that this list comes in handy, and I hope everyone has a great summer full of adventures!

- By Jasmine Han _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Edmonton Pride Festival (June 9-18, 2017) @ Old Strathcona http://www.edmontonpride.ca/

Photo credit from: Kurt Bauschardt

Have you heard of Pride Festival? It is held annually by the Edmonton Pride Festival Society endeavors to unify and educate by celebrating gender and sexual diversity. On June 10th from 11am to 1pm, there is a Pride Parade starting at 108th St and Whyte Ave up to the End of Steel Park. So, if you are interested you can watch the parade and check out the vendors in the surrounding area after!

The Works Art & Design Festival (June 22-July 4, 2017) @ Sir Winston Churchill Square http://www.theworks.ab.ca/ Are you into extravaganza of visual art, design and entertainment? Then, this is a perfect festival for you.

Even if you are not, it is a place for everyone to discover and appreciate art and design. For 13 days every summer, The Works unleashes art & design throughout 1 square kilometer of Edmonton's downtown core. It’s completely FREE to the public!

Photo credit from: Mack Male

Taste of Edmonton (July 20-29, 2017) @ Sir Winston Churchill Square http://www.tasteofedm.ca/ Are you a foodie? Do you like trying different types of food? Then, Taste of Edmonton is a perfect match for you. Here you can try samples of some of Edmonton's best restaurants and food trucks! You can test your skills in a culinary workshop or tour local breweries, farms, and more on a Culinary Adventure. And visit the Sip 'n Savour tent for new, exclusive dishes each evening from some of Edmonton's finest chefs. The tickets for the event can be purchased online in the weeks leading up to the festival or onsite in Churchill Square.

Photo credit from: Mack Male

K-Days (July 21-30, 2017) @ Northlands http://k-days.com/

Photo credit from: Mack Male

Are you looking for more of a crazy summer event?

K-Days run for 10 days where you will be welcomed with endless games, rides, entertainment, concerts, shopping, food and family activities. There's tons of shopping, food and entertainment in the Edmonton EXPO Centre, and as the sun goes down over the midway, the night ignites with the TELUS Stage concert series and closing fireworks display.

Servus Heritage Festival (Aug 5-7, 2017) @ Hawrelak Park http://heritagefest.ca/ If you are interested in exploring and understanding the cultural diversity present in Edmonton, Servus Heritage Festival is the festival you can look forward to. Here, you will be able to learn about various cultures by visiting different pavilions representing different countries, watching shows presented by different associations, and eating food from different countries.

Photo credit from: Mack Male

Muttart Conservatory @ 9626 - 96A Street www.muttartconservatory.ca If you have not already done so, check out the Muttart Conservatory as it is one of Edmonton’s most iconic structure. It’s open all year round but you can take the opportunity to experience the beauty of world’s plant life this summer. The four pyramids of the Muttart Conservatory are home to thousands of species of plants. Each pyramid maintains a distinct environment, representing different biomes of the world. While you are there, you can also visit the Culina Café where it creates honest, creative comfort food.

Photo credit from: Mack Male

TELUS World of Science – Edmonton (TWOSE) @ 11211 – 142 Street www.telusworldofscienceedmonton.ca

Photo credit from: Kurt Bauschardt

Are you a science nerd? If so, you can make a trip to TWOSE where you can visit 5 of their permanent Exhibit Galleries. TWOSE’s permanent galleries bring you up close with fascinating facts, dynamic images, and interactive exhibit designed to both entertain and educate. If you wanted a little spin to this, you can go to their Dark Matters event which is an 18+ event where “the science is served on the rocks & the adults come out to play.”

West Edmonton Mall (WEM) @ 8882 – 170 Street NW www.wem.ca At last, but not least is WEM. Here you can enjoy anything from shopping, dining, nightlife, to attractions like Galaxyland, World Waterpark, Ed’s Rec Room, Marine Life, Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace, Crystal Labyrinth, and Dragon’s Tale Blacklight Mini-Golf. If you want to stay away from the hot Photo credit from: IQRemix steaming heat, you can cool down and explore WEM!

SHOULD I GET BUBBLE TEA?

Have you heard of bubble tea? For those of you who are not familiar with what it is, bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea -based drink that is often served with chewy tapioca balls/grass jelly/fruit jelly added to it. There are various other versions of bubble tea such as milk tea, smoothie, fresh tea, mousse, and many many more! Some of you may have noticed a sudden increase in the number of bubble tea locations in Edmonton. Just to name a few, there is Dream Tea (one of the oldest), Teapsy, Quickly, Coco, Chatime and Gong Cha. As you can see, there are so many choices available to us, putting some of us in dilemma. So I came up with a solution! The Bubble Tea Algorithm. It will guide you to your next bubble tea location from now on

- By Jasmine Han -

#BubbleTea #Edmonton #WhereDoIGo?

Photo credits to: [Dream Tea House]

Photo credits to: [Coco Fresh Tea & Juice]

Photo credits to: [Frank Huang]

Photo credits to: [Teapsy CafĂŠ]

PHARMACY HOROSCOPES

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THE LAST ONE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR :’( FORETOLD BY DANIAL KHAN LIBRA (SEPt 23 - oct 22) This year has gone by in a whirlwind. So many great memories and so much learning! Give yourself a pat on the back for all the great work!

ScoRPIo (oct 23 - NoV 21) If anything, writing these horoscopes have given me a new appreciation for people who make up nonsense.

I get you Andrew Wakefield.

SAgIttARIuS (NoV 22 - DEc 21)

ARIES (MAR 20 - APR 19)

Summer Playlist: I Want a New Drug – Huey Lewis and the News, Same Drugs – Chance the Rapper, The Perfect Drug – Nine Inch Nails *Disclaimer, songs may or may not be about actually practicing pharmacy*

tAuRuS (APR 20 - MAY 20) How many pharmacists does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one, but he has to do it ten days, three times a day.

gEMINI (MAY 21 - JuN 20)

This month you will have little to no exam anxiety because you took the time to properly review all the material beforehand using your impeccable time management skills!

A chemist walks into a drug store and asks the pharmacist, “Do you have any acetylsalicylic acid?” “You mean aspirin?” asked the pharmacist. “That’s it, I can never remember that word.”

cAPRIcoRN (DEc 22 - JAN 19)

cANcER (JuN 21 - JuL 22)

Always make a habit of establishing professional relationships over intimate ones. “Why lock lips when you can lock grips” – Tina Belcher.

[Insert obligatory APSA membership card plug here, with fluff about how great the deals are and how you can find them on the back of the card itself]

AquARIuS (JAN 20 - FEB 18)

LEo (JuL 23 - Aug 22)

Congratulations to all those who participated in the APSA elections! Even if you didn’t win, you showed a great deal of commitment and that’s still worth something!

Good luck on your placements first and second years! Make our school proud!

PIScES (FEB 19 - MAR 19)

VIRgo (Aug 23 - SEP 22)

“Momma always use to say ‘Life is like a bubble pack; you know exactly what you are going to get, at what time and at what dosage’” – Forrest Gump.

It has been a pleasure offering you a peek into your future! See you in September!

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