PQ Plus 2 Election 2018

PQ Plus 2

ISSUE

6 March |

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2018 Part 2

March Issue -Table of Contents 02

Table of Contents Farewell statements from your Editors

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A Word from your Publishing Committee Farewell statements from this year’s 2017/18 PQ committee Farewell from Rae Beaumont Rae Beaumont, the recipient of the prestigious APSA Honorary Lifetime Membership Awards, reflects on her journey and experiences with working at the Faculty of Pharmacy APSA Election Poster Slam It’s nothing personal

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Changes to the Pharmacy Services Framework Sandy Xu talks about the potential impact of the new Pharmacy Services Framework and what it could mean for our future

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Bringing Wellness to You! Winners of the Heroes of Health Challenge, Erica and Chloe, and Healthy Campus Unit (HCU) Project Grant Recipient, Dhillon Lee, talk about their on-campus wellness projects Therapeutic Tent Talk This last issue of Therapeutic Tent Talk is about treatment options for runny nose and watery eyes from sad farewells season allergies

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Blue and Gold 2018 A recap of this year’s Blue and Gold and some trivia to test your knowledge of what occurred Ethical Scenarios Competition What would you do in these situations?

Horoscopes What the alignment of astrological objects in the Universe tell us about our lives David - I would like to thank all the readers of PQ Plus 2. As cheesy as it sounds, without you, there would be no PQ magazine. It has been a pleasure being your editor for the year. I definitely learned a lot during the whole experience, like how editing and formatting takes so much longer than you would imagine. Nonetheless, I think we’ve come a long way since the very first issue this year. I hope everyone enjoyed the content in the magazine. It took a lot of effort from the committee members, editors and publications director, so thank-you to those who contributed! I can’t wait to see where the next editors will take PQ Plus 2 in the fall semester later this year. I’m sure it will be great! I hope everyone has an incredible rest of the semester. In closing, as you enter your final exams and rotations, remember what a wise Pooh bear said, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

Ethos - It seems like yesterday that we were finalising the first issue of PQ for publishing. Now here I am, writing my farewell to you lovely readers and wondering where all the fun time went on editing and cramming. I feel honoured to have worked alongside a great team and would like to thank you, readers, for making PQ what it is.

It’s been quite a journey this year for all of us as we continue adjusting to changes within our Faculty and our profession. I believe we should all stay optimistic and reflect on the good things that have happened. We are all on this crazy journey together.

Remember the importance of your family and friends as you move forward, as they will help support and guide you every step of the way into discovering who you are. As Gandhi once said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world. “ | 2 |

Grace Hey pham! I can’t believe that the year flew by so fast! I had such a fun time on the PQ+2 team this year. I just want to say thank you to the PQ director, PQ editors, committee members, and readers for making this a memorable year for me. I really hope that some of you enjoyed reading my articles, and even tried some of the craft ideas. You may not realize but all my hobbies are what I found to be helpful for dealing with stress. I just thought maybe, it will work for you too! Good luck on your final exams and take good care of yourselves c. Thanks for reading!

Ziqi The year is sadly over but thank goodness PQ+2 lives on! Joining the Publications Committee this year has been fulfilling because of the hard work that each committee member put into transferring their ideas onto the physical pages of each PQ+2 issue. There is a lot to be said about pharmacy school and I believe that PQ+2 incorporates the diversity and commonalities of what pharmacy school means to students. I am very grateful for the opportunity to share my perspectives with the readers of PQ+2 and I hope that you learned something new. Good luck on your exams and may the odds be ever in your favour!

Jonathon Well this is it... It’s been an enjoyable and memorable year as a member of the PQ+2 team. Best of luck over the summer on your rotations. Thanks for reading (this far).

Sandy Wow! It's been a whole year already. It was a blast working with PQ team and truly sad to see the third years leave us. Everyone has worked incredibly hard to capture the tidbits of pharmacy school that make us laugh, cry or vent on the class page about. I'm impressed by the creativity of everyone on PQ and can't wait to see where we'll take the magazine next year! Thank you editors, writers, and YOU! The readers.

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APSA Honourary Lifetime Membership Award | 4 |

Receiving APSA’s Honourary Lifetime Membership Award is one the most memorable experiences I have ever had. Now that we are speaking as colleagues and friends, instead of Faculty Support Staff to students, let me share a little bit of perspective with you.

I made the choice years ago to live intentionally. When I finished my Bachelors of Art, I received a travel scholarship from the University of Saskatchewan which I used to study in Russia. That was in the Spring of 1992, and the coup to end Communism was in August 1991. Naturally, I was the first foreigner many people encountered during my time there, and it was quite a incredible experience.

When I finished my Masters of Arts, I chose to move to Edmonton and live in the same place as the soldier I was starting a relationship with. I decided to spend my life with the man I could respect, even though it meant moving to a city where I had no support network. Back in 2001, he was part of the Immediate Reaction Force, and he was deployed to Afghanistan at the start of 2002. He gave me a life with purpose, and I used my energy to connect with and support other military wives and families at that time. For my part, I gave him something to come home to.

In 2004, I started working in the Office of the Registrar where I held a variety of increasingly responsible positions for almost eight years. And in 2011, I was on the project team that designed and implemented what has come to known as the Student Connect. It was an exciting time, and I was fortunate to be included, but when I was invited to apply for the newly created position of Team Lead for Student Services in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, I did not hesitate to change. There were 16 people on the project, and the Faculty did not have anyone experienced in student services. I welcomed the opportunity to work with students throughout their whole experience in a program, from being a prospective student to working through four years of life, to graduation, and beyond.

What I found in this Faculty was overwhelming. As a student body, every single one of you worked collaboratively with me, invited me to join in your celebrations, and trusted me to help you work through various challenges. We did some fantastic work together, which I found very rewarding. You gave me a reason to be excited about coming into work every day. As a staff member, you made me feel like I had something to contribute. So, I once again had a life with purpose.

When it became impossible for me to hide the fact that I have problems with balance, you helped me believe that it does not change who I am or what I am capable of. Think about that for a moment. I have already seen a variety of reactions from people, but I continued to choose a life with possibilities, not a life with a glass ceiling. I hope that you take that same empathy and confidence in others with you as you start to work with patients in your chosen profession because you have no idea how powerful that is.

I will always know where the military wives are who shared that first Afghanistan deployment with me. What we shared will stay with us forever. It would be my honour to keep in touch with you as well. Professionally and personally, our association left a mark in my life, and I will not forget you | 5 |

APSA Election Poster Slam BOB ROSS once said that “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” During the annual APSA elections, we see many students make posters, trying to win their fellow comrades vote. Year after year, we get to see some fantastic posters!

Too bad the majority of posters we see are well… underwhelming. You might even say some posters were mistakes and accidents. You’ll see what I mean soon enough. Read the disclaimer before proceeding.

DISCLAIMER! By no means are we endorsing the candidates that we are featuring. Please look at all the candidates and make an informed decision for yourself. Also, keep in mind what we are about to say is meant to be in good fun and spirit.

We received consent from the individuals. You all know what that means after taking Law and Ethics.

So please stop sending hate mail and threats to our inbox. It was funny the first few times, but not anymore. | 6 |

David: Where do I even begin with this one? I see red flags all over this poster. Jason, bro, homie, real talk now okay— please stop now before you get arrested. You will never be the face of Fisher-Price, especially with a slogan like that. What are you suggesting exactly? It’s a good thing he’s not running for an actual APSA position. As the Social Representative, he might have a shot.

Ethos: Is this a campaign for an APSA position or a preschool teacher ? I couldn’t tell until I read “Social Rep” on the upper left corner in a font that’s almost illegible as doctor’s handwriting. But I’m down for doing activities that involve playing, laughing, and growing <3.

Jasmine: Is he sitting on the APSA lounge table? That’s where we eat and study. Definitely got no manners. I am not sure if he got my vote. Also, he’s got to get a haircut ASAP. David: You can really tell how much effort he took to make this poster. 1 word.

Effortless. We learned his name, what he’s running for and he has an obsession for cliché statements. If running for a position was this easy, I should’ve ran for APSA President instead.

Ethos: Abanoub, I can see through your shirt. The white background and lighting just makes it your flesh more transparent.

Also there’s a bird coming out of your head.

Was that on purpose? Are you being sponsored by Twitter?

Jasmine: Abanoub. You could have at least made sure that the font for the platform are the same as the “slogan”... | 7 |

Ugh… I can’t wait for this photo to be over.

I’m only doing this because I want Erica to like me.

David: I think it’s adorable seeing two friends running together for a position.

Too bad APSA election history says that all 9 candidates who’ve tried this in the past lost miserably. Then again I failed history class. I wonder what they’re thinking when taking this photo?

Ethos: This would have been 100x cooler if you guys did the fusion dance from Dragon Ball Z. Also why does it have to be basketball? Hockey sticks and swords could have made this picture at least more interesting.

Jasmine: This poster is cool and all, but I don’t know if this poster beats the other candidate running for males sports rep. I think we all know who I am talking about.

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David: For someone running for VP academic, you would think they would have better spelling and grammar. If this is the best our faculty has to offer then I fear for the rest of you. Thank goodness I’m entering 4th year and elections don’t matter anymore.

Ethos: Did you and Abanoub wear the same shirt? It looks like you guys are about the same size, so I’m assuming it’s one shirt that you guys are sharing. Seems unhygienic but at least you guys are pooling in your resources for a shared wardrobe.

Jasmine: Alex did good, but did you see Megan’s? I would love to see these two do a pun battle because it would be such a “punny” sight to see. I tried...

David: This is the guy we have running for Publications Director? All I ever see him do is take photographs, and some photos don’t even that good. Just because someone uses a DSLR doesn’t mean their a photographer. Also, does he know that as the Publication Director has other responsibilities like PQ Plus 2? If this is the guy that wins next year, prepare to see PQ Plus Flickr. #notmydirector Ethos: What is this weird font being used. Like, can we trust a Publications Director that uses some ancient elvish font to communicate to a broad audience? Also, why is there a leaf symbol in the word “For”? So random. Your campaign poster is not the place to advertise "Chopped Leaf." At least the picture looks, for once.

Jasmine: Very simple and clean. I support all candidates running for the Publications Director position. I just don’t know why his poster is taking up half of this page. Just saying. | 9 |

Changes to the Pharmacy Services Framework

By Sandy Xu Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and do not represent that of students or any organizations.

The much anticipated pharmacy services framework finally came to light on Wednesday February 28th. Perhaps you remember hearing about it from a peer or from your Facebook feed. For me, I remember sitting in jurisprudence class, naively thinking that, no matter how unlikely, the provincial government would certainly not throw pharmacists under the bus (particularly after the anxiety from the Pan-Canadian pricing alliance). Well I was wrong. I remember scrolling through the framework while Dr. Sanghera reviewed the excellent patient care received by patients with OTC counselling. The juxtaposition of all that pharmacy school have taught us alongside the multiple gaping wounds the inflicted on the profession within the span of two months.

What are the cuts exactly and should we be worried? As students, we chose a promising future for ourselves in pharmacy.

We’re excited for the possibility of practicing to our fullest scope.

We’re overjoyed at the idea of collaborative care. We’re equipped with the highest quality of education (not to mention the fancy title of “Doctor of Pharmacy” for many), only to be numbed by the recent turn of events. Several ideas are floating in my mind as I begin to understand the trajectory we’re headed.

this unfortunate series of events starts with the perception of the public on our profession. It’s challenging to admit that we’re one of the most isolated health care professionals in the system. Working in individual pharmacies silos us from having productive conversations and more importantly acting on our values.

2. Government spending concerns: As seen with the growth in elderly populations, and general population increases, the share of the health care pie gets ever slimmer. Unfortunately, being one of the more visible, accessible professionals in our field, we’re easy targets for cuts.

3. Opportunities for students: undoubtedly, the opportunities for rotations in our program is invaluable to our education. However, much discussion have been centred around reduced options for rotations in future years. Whether this holds true or not will depend on various

factors, however we can certainly brace ourselves for a smaller range of options and perhaps reduced clinical rotations in the near future.

4. Independent community pharmacies: One of the ways many independent communities provide enhanced care to its community members is through enhanced clinical services rather than a product -based focus. Unfortunately, this may work in effect as a double-edged sword in today’s pharmacy climate. While large box stores such as Rexall, Shoppers may survive the hit with the existence of a strong front store operations, smaller independents with a less robust front store may perish in light of the changes.

To leave on a happy note, I was pleased to see the honesty expressed by students, pharmacists and general public who attended the RxA conference. I think the attitudes expressed were fierce and unapologetic, something that makes me hopeful in seeing a potential united front within the profession. The protest will be held March 22nd. There’s no room for contemplation. Join us at the Legislature on March 22nd and make your voices heard!

Photo from the 2018 RxA Conference.

1. Public perception of pharmacists: The prequel to | 10 |

Hello phriends, for those of you that know me, you can probably tell that I love to draw and paint.

For this final issue of PQ, I wanted to try something I have never done before to express what I have been hearing about the changes to the pharmacy services framework. I do hope that upon looking at them, you will feel something. Also, please feel free to use the cartoons in anyway to promote, protect, and advocate for our profession! â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Grace Ting

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Bringing Wellness to YOU! Hey everyone, we would like to share the good news with you about our award-winning wellness kit project. We came up with the idea of implementing wellness kits in our faculty to help students find ways to de-stress as part of a campus-wide challenge, the Heroes for Health Challenge. This week, we were kindly awarded the grand prize from our sponsors, the Healthy Campus Unit, Livewell and the Alumni Association, valued at $5000. Although we were excited to get our picture taken with an oversized cheque (cross that off the bucket list!), we are even more excited to get started on planning!

The wellness kits will contain various objects to help with your mental, physical and social health. These boxes would be available for rent or long term use. We will be setting up boxes to so theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re available 24/7. The boxes will remain on campus to be accessed at times when students need to relieve their stress or improve their well-being. The kits would contain objects such as exercise equipment, games, and general wellness items. We believe that these kits will improve wellness in our Faculty because we are faced with heavy course loads and many responsibilities. We often need time and incentive to unwind and take care of ourselves.

We are going to implement these kits for the upcoming year!

There is a lot of work ahead of us, and we will need your support to make sure our kits are catered to what everyone want. We will be sending out surveys in the next couple weeks about suggestions and preferences in regards to items to include within the kits, and we would love to hear your feedback!

In the meantime, if you have any ideas, please send us a message (emcginn@ualberta.ca or hamelmar@ualberta.ca ) or come talk to us in the hallways :) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chloe and Erica | 12 |

WINNERS of the University of Alberta Heroes for Health Challenge.

Erica (left) and Chloe (right).

Hello, Pharmily! I am very excited to share that I have received a project grant from the Healthy Campus Unit (HCU) at UAlberta to pursue a wellness project, "Ten Questions: About Alberta Health Care System.” This project was inspired by teachings from the Faculty of Pharmacy and the URI-funded research study that I am currently pursuing with Dr. Ken Cor and Dr. Lisa Guirguis, entitled "International students and their accessibility to on-campus health services".

The goal of the project is to develop an upto-date, accurate, and targeted guide for international students entitled “Ten Questions: About Alberta’s Health Care System”; the web page and the paper guide will address their commonly asked questions regarding the provincial health care system, in their native languages, written by health sciences students. To reduce the effects of cultural differences such as language barriers and unfamiliarity with the new system, this project will help to increase international students’ access to healthcare and health information in Canada. This cross-departmental project involves collaborating with the HCU, the University Health Centre (UHC), the International Student Centre (ISC), the Office of Sustainability, and most importantly, health sciences students! If you would like to volunteer as a translator (all languages welcomed) or support the project in any other capacity, please email me at dillon1@ualberta.ca

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Therapeutic Tent Talk Featuring Jonathon Thomson & David Poon

Watery eyes and a runny nose. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sad that this is the end

of Therapeutic Tent Talk. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just my seasonal allergies. The snow is melting, weather is warm, birds are chirping. You all know what that means! Time to pitch your tents and talk therapeutics.

Unfortunately, the spring can be bothersome to some individuals because of seasonal allergies. With pollen and other allergens in the air, this can ruin your camping trip. In this final edition of TTT, we will discuss how to treat this annoying condition.

DISCALIMER! Although topics discussed will be targeted to pharmacy students of all years, practice to your competence level. This article is not intended to be a replacement for a therapeutics course. The purpose of this article is to supplement knowledge and provide | 14 | basic background information to the selected therapeutic topic.

WebMD describes allergic rhinitis as a time

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Red flags require further investigation and a referral to a physician.

Fever, pain, purulent discharge (yellow/green), non -responsive to conventional pharmacological therapy.

Non-pharmacological Treatments Intranasal saline spray and irrigation (Neti Pot).

Avoidance of triggers and tobacco smoke. Wash clothing after each use to remove allergens.

Phenylephrine 2-3 sprays per nostril q4h (max 6 doses per day) for 5 days max “when your immune system overacts to particles in 3. Oral decongestants the air that you breathe.” The website also says that “your immune system attacks the particles in your  S/E: insomnia, tremor, headache, tachycardia, urinary retention body, causing symptoms such as sneezing and a • Pseudoephedrine 60 mg po q4-6h prn runny nose.” Thanks WebMD! That definition is good enough for us. We promise you the rest of the 4. Intranasal corticosteroids material provided is not from WebMD.  S/E: burning, stinging, nosebleeds • Mometasone 50 ug, two sprays into each nostril Goals of Therapy once daily Treat allergy symptoms, prevent allergen exposure 5. Mast cell stabilizers to avoid future allergic episodes, minimize impair S/E: stinging, burning sensation in eyes ment with daily activities, and avoid/ • Sodium cromoglycate 2 drops per eye QID minimize medication related side effects.

Special populations S.C.H.O.L.A.R. Children: In children, use of antihistamines is considered safe as long as dose adjustments is takS — nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy/red eyes, sneezing, itchy nose & throat, cough, reduced con- en into account (usually half the adult dose). First generation antihistamines, such as diphenhydracentration mine (Benadryl) can also be used at bedtime to help C — clear/watery discharge, cough without fever or with sleep (due to drowsiness side effect). Note that other signs of bacterial or vial infection, lack of decongestants are not recommended for children aches and pains under the age of 6.

H — commonly associated in those who also have Elderly: Use of antihistamines, especially first asthma and/or eczema (referred to as the atopic generation are not recommended, due to its antitriad), time correlation with change in season or cholinergic burden (may exacerbate confusion, dizknown triggers ziness, drowsiness and increase falls in the elderly).

O — during a change in season (commonly spring Anticholinergic medications may interaction with and fall) or exposure to known allergens other medications or exacerbate other disease states. Risk vs. benefit of each medication needs to L — eyes, nose, throat (face region) be considered.

A — presence of triggers: pollen, mold, pollutants, Pregnant: Try non-pharmacological options first. pets, dust mites, chemicals, smoke Some first and second generation antihistamines R — avoidance of triggers, use of pharmacological are associated with teratogenicity. Oral decongesttherapy ants should be avoided in the first trimester. Cetirizine 5 mg or nasal corticosteroids are considered safe.

Pharmacological Treatments Breastfeeding: Similar to recommendations 1. Second generation antihistamines made in pregnancy. Although first generation anti S/E: headache histamines (anticholinergic) have not been shown • Loratadine (Claritin) 10 mg po daily to diminish breast milk production.

• Desloratidine (Aerius) 5 mg po daily • Cetirizine (Reactine) 5-10 mg po daily References 1. WebMD: Allergic Rhinitis—Topic Overview 2. Intranasal decongestants 2. Allergic Rhinitis CTMA & CTC from RxTx  Caution of rebound medicamentosa | 15 |

By: Ethos Ho This year's Blue and Gold took place at the Mirage Banquet Hall rather than the Northlands venue for the previous events.

Mirage Banquet Hall was an excellent host for this year's Blue and Gold as it offered a beautiful space for punch tasting, class performances, dinner, and award presentations. The photobooth by Revolution Entertainment was a fun attraction during the entire event, with its array of crazy costumes, photo options, and convenient option to send photos through email or text.

had excellent performances, from the enthusiastic first years and their excitement with joining the profession, second years expressing their misery with having 50 classes and exams this semester, and fourth years trying to find Phil (who was at the gym the entire time).

Although it was difficult picking a favourite, my heart goes out to the class of 2019. The third-years somehow persuaded almost every faculty member to appear in their hilarious skit of carpool karaoke and The Office.

Doors opened at 4:00 Pm and the influx of students, guests, and faculty members eventually filled the venue for a lively atmosphere. The punch tasting was the first area of attraction, whereby each class created casino-themed tables to host their unique alcoholic and non-alcoholic punch concoctions. It was apparent that the class of 2019 went above and beyond with designing the perfect exhibition for their punch, which included a balloon arch that hung from the ceiling (excellent work with the design), along with large dices made from cardboard boxes. Regarding the actual tasting, my taste buds couldn't get enough of the sweet coconut punch created by the class of 2021 - great job first years!

Also, congratulations to all the students who received awards during the event!

After the performances, a delicious all-you -can-eat dinner, and awards, it was time to announce the winner of this year's Blue and Gold. Although Anuvir tried to persuade the judges into allowing the most senior class (2018) to win, the class of 2019 was named victorious.

At 5:00 Pm, awards and class performances commenced. Our emcees for the night were the charismatic and comedic duo Anuvir Bhullar and Preston Eshenko - thank you guys for the amusement and hilarious commentaries on the class performances and poking fun at your colleagues and judges. Each class | 16 |

Blue and Gold is one of the staple pharmacy events that makes me excited to live, laugh and learn as a pharmacy student. I thoroughly enjoyed the performances, punches, deserts, and the company. The Mirage was a great venue to host Blue & Gold and I look forward to attending again next year! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ziqi Wang (Class of 2020)

B&G TRIVIA 1. Which of the following pharmacists were NOT included in the Class of 2021 performance? a. Pharmacist with APA b. Compounding Pharmacist c. Hospital Pharmacist d. All of the above 2. Which of the following was NOT part of the Class of 2020 performance? a. Smoking marijuana b. Showboys & Showgirls c. Rooftop party d. Sleep deprivation 3. Which of the following faculty members were NOT included in the Carpool Kareoke segment of the Class of 2019 performance? a. Dr. Carlos Velazquez b. Dr. Jody Schkrobot c. Dr. Candice Necyk d. Gillian Johnson 4. Where did Phil Ha (Class of 2018) go? a. He is still in the communications lab b. He is still in the compounding lab c. He is still lost on the mountain d. None of the above 5. Which of the following people were judges at Blue and Gold? a. Dr. Renette Bertholet b. Margaret Wing c. Kit Poon d. All of the above 6. There was a wide assortment of cake for desert. Which of these were part of the cake collection? a. Cheesecake b. Black forest cake c. Red velvet cake d. All of the above 7. How many tables were there? a. 50 b. 51 c. 52 d. 53 8. How many awards, not including multiple people receiving the same award and not including different years for the same award, were given out? a. 10 b. 15 c. 20 d. 25 9. Which class won Blue and Gold? a. Class of 2018 b. Class of 2019 c. Class of 2020 d. Class of 2021

Answer Key: 1 c, 2 a, 3 c, 4 d, 5 d, 6 d, 7 b, 8 b, 9 b

Congratulations to the Class of 2019! Also congrats to all the award winners! Everyone looked fantastic!

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Ethical Scenarios Contest By: David Poon and Jonathon Thomson

Scenario #1 James is a 67 year old man and has been diagnosed with shingles 3 months ago and is currently experiencing post-herpetic neuralgia pain (pain is 9/10). To manage the pain he is taking gabapentin 100 mg TID and morphine 5 mg q4h prn. He is also taking ramipril 5 mg po daily to control his hypertension. NKDA. It is now 9:45 PM and the pharmacy is about to close in 15 minutes. He comes to your pharmacy, appearing worried and agitated because he ran out of morphine. You check on your computer system and it says he should have enough for another 10 days. You tell James this, but he becomes increasing annoyed because morphine is the only thing that helps with his postherpetic pain. He tried ibuprofen and acetaminophen, but it doesn’t help reduce the pain.

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What do you do as the pharmacist and why?

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Would the your decision change if James had a history of addiction?

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What if he was a palliative care patient?

Scenario #2 You are a pharmacist working in Bonnyville, AB. The doctor’s office is in the town is now closed.

Sophie is a 39 year old patient who is in Bonnyville visiting her very ill mother. She comes to your pharmacy because she forgot her metformin supply in Calgary. You investigate further and find out that Sophie is taking metformin 500 mg TID off-label for weight loss due to obesity. She is not currently taking any other medications, has no medical conditions and NKDA. Her doctor in Edmonton told her that is very important to not miss a dose and she appears very worried.

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What do you do as the pharmacist and why?

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Would you feel comfortable prescribing this medication?

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Would your answer change if metformin was used to treat Type-2 Diabetes?

PQ PLUS 2

Send your answers for each of these scenarios to PQ Plus 2 on Facebook! Be sure to provide concise rationales for your actions! The individual judged to provide the best and most thoughtful answers will win a mystery prize!

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Horoscopes By: Jonathon Thomson and Grace Ting

You should be feeling especially strong, healthy, and charismatic. You're likely to receive some invitations to TGIFs. You might be surprised at what seems a sudden increase in your popularity. Expanded career opportunities could also come your way from new acquaintances, and you could find doors opening to a whole new practice.

In general, things should be going extremely well for you today, Leo, so don't miss this opportunity to pursue your SMART goals in every sense. Do things with passion and don't hold back.

Remember that your mind and will are the only things stopping you from getting where you want to be. There's a great deal of opportunities at your disposal today, so go forth and progress your skills.

You may get a chance to make some extra money by working overtime. However, this might interfere with pharmacy social events and could cause disappointment among your phriends and phaculty. However, remind yourself that money cannot buy the happiness that seeing your phriends bring.

See you there!

Yes, you can be proud of yourself, Taurus.

You really know your stuff. You have committed yourself to deepening your medication knowledge and capabilities and it’s beginning to show. Friends and family members will be coming to you for advice, and rightfully so. Try not to become overconfident, though. It's an easy trap to fall into. You'll need to continue full-speed ahead in order to get that passing grade for your rotation!

An optimistic and enthusiastic attitude could lead to powerful changes, which may take solid form as plans for progressing and protecting your profession. Whatever that might be, now is a good time to put those plans into motion. All signs indicate success on any project begun or completed today.

Your aura of luck is heightened, Capricorn, and you'll find yourself engaged in tender and stressful moments over a lottery system determining your placement.

Soothe your soul by letting yourself slip into and accept situations that give you the freedom to meet an ideal lover that comes to mind. Life should be like a love poem written by a great master. Accept the luck that comes your way.

Some interesting information could come to you from another health care professional, Gemini. This might induce some pretty deep thinking, leading to decisions that could alter the course of someone else’s life in some way. You might consider returning to your EBM course notes.

A large force is gathering now to make a bold statement and important pledge, Libra. This kind of movement brings together generations and unites people in a revolution. Put away your own selfish complaints and think globally. Educate yourself about what's going on around you and take a more aggressive stand to fight for what you believe. A small group of intelligent individuals can make a tremendous impact.

Feel free to take full advantage of the grad committee events, Aquarius. You will feel at home in any social gathering, totally at ease talking to new colleagues and charming the room. Someone of the opposite sex may be particularly attracted to you and finally ask for your number. Feel free to be as flirtatious as you want!

Control is apt to be a big theme for you and the people around you this month, Cancer.

You'll find such a brutal dispute over who is holding the reins over your profession that you might feel apt to take the situation to the extreme. There's an aggressive tone to your feelings that can't easily be ignored.

Keep an eye on your emotions on a day like this.

Your faithful and diligent work, Scorpio, in addition to a lot of sacrifices for the sake of your career, will soon bear fruit. Your near future holds great opportunities with possible advancement. It is likely that you will be walking on air all day, full of dreams and plans for the future. Enjoy this welldeserved peace of mind and spend some time with your phamily!

Try to come to a place of serenity today in which you free yourself from your doubts, Pisces. It's important that you take time to recognize the incredible growth that you have obtained and continue to gain. Rid yourself of the excess mental baggage that you cling to that tells you that you can’t.

The less you carry, the more you free up for you to create.

Pictures are from www.horoscopes.com

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