Description of the pharmacy:
The pharmacy is a place of checks and balances. I try to look over each patient’s med
list and verify doses to make sure everyone is getting an appropriate treatment. I
also use my Spanish skills to explain meds to every person. As a third year pharmacy
student, this served as good practice for me personally. I was astonished by the
gratitude people expressed. Most shook my hand and said thank you very much, or
told me about how grateful/thankful they are that we were there. No one seemed to
mind waiting even though many had been already waiting for hours to be seen. This
is a stark contrast to the expectations of pharmacists in the US. Many don't realize we
are looking for drug interactions, billing their insurance, checking to make sure they are
being prescribed an appropriate dose, and double checking to make sure the correct
pill was put in the bottle with the appropriate instructions all before we hand them
their drug.
Favorite part of the mission trip:
My favorite part was watching some of our team members interact with the local
children. Prior to pharmacy school, I was a substitute teacher with a K/12 license, and
was a camp counselor as well. It just puts a smile on my face to watch kids having
fun. I watched a group of kids kicking around the most beat up and deflated soccer
ball I have ever seen, and they were having fun. I watched kids playing tag with our
group members and having a blast. They didn't need the new latest and greatest
gaming system, they didn't need the newest scooter, the coolest new bike, or any other
material artifact we have become so accustomed to. They were just kids being kids and
finding ways to make their own entertainment. They didn't look at us any differently,
they just accepted us right in. These children are immensely poor, but it is refreshing to
see even with that level of poverty, they have not forgotten how to be kids.
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