Spotlight
Do you have a case study, book review, clinical pearl or professional experience, etc. to share? We publish members' articles in our News Brief and on this web site.
MTM Project
Video
Pharmacists
can provide innovative and cost-effective MTM services, particularly in
isolated communities with dramatic health disparities. This project was
conducted by network pharmacists working with their patients, and displays the
benefits of delivering culturally and linguistically appropriate medication
therapy management services.
We
can make an impact on populations with the least access to quality care.
We
invite you to view the attached video which was just produced from a medication
therapy management project conducted with Cambodian Americans.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TechandAging?blend=7&ob=5
*********************************************************************************************************
A
Student Perspective on Studying Abroad
by Sherry Liu, P3, UConn Pharmacy Student
Growing
up with my Taiwanese parents, I always knew my father had a set of acupuncture
needles and a cupping set, and that my mother kept a notable supply of ginseng
and bird saliva nests in the pantry, but I never knew exactly what they were
for. In pharmacy school, I learned more about pharmacology and more drug names,
but I remained largely unaware of different herbal products and alternative
treatment practices even into my second year.
When
I first heard of the traditional Chinese medicine study abroad program offered
by my pharmacy school at the University of Connecticut, I jumped on the
opportunity to spend the summer in a foreign country and to learn about my own
cultural heritage which, I admittedly, was ashamed that I did not know more
about.
For
five weeks, our group of nine UConn students studied at the Peking University
Health Science Center in Beijing. While we immersed ourselves in Chinese
culture, we quickly learned that traditional Chinese medicine not only included
medications and treatments for illnesses, but also encompassed maintaining a
healthy lifestyle including exercise, meditation, and careful diets.
In
the second week, I caught a cold. I was not functioning at my best, but it was
a great chance to experience the medicine firsthand. The physician at the
clinic integrated both Chinese and western medicine when she asked about my
symptoms, and I was diagnosed with a “wind heat” type cold. I left with some
capsules, powder packets, and a licorice-like liquid which frankly did not
taste great, but I felt better within two days.
The
philosophy behind Chinese medicine focuses on fixing imbalances and treating
the body as a whole, rather than targeting specific chemical pathways in the
pathology of the illness. Another significant idea is focusing on the set of
symptoms that the patient exhibits instead of a disease. In this way, the
medications are more individualized by patient.
Besides
taking home souvenirs from various historical landmarks in Beijing, I also took
home my newly acquired knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine. I feel that I
have a more open mind to alternative medications and remedies which an
increasing number of people in the United States are relying on to treat their
illnesses. I hope to apply the ideas I learned during this study abroad program
to my future pharmacy practice to better serve my community.
