I was very fortunate to rotate through one of the best children's hospitals in the nation recently, and my experience there was amazing. It was the first rotation I had where I was directly responsible for patient care, and was able to interact as part of a healthcare team. The rotation was split into 3 2-week rotations, where I rotated through Investigational Drug Service, Anticoagulation, and Infectious Diseases. Each rotation allowed me to appreciate just how many different opportunities are available with a PharmD.
Investigational Drug Service provides essential services for all departments as a separate entity that facilitates any aspect of research involving medication. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians perform all the dispensing and returning of medication, as well as blinding, patient randomization, and drug destruction, among other services. While there isn't a specific involvement with research design, these services are essential for studies and the progression of clinical knowledge.
I was surprised to learn as much as I did during my anticoagulation rotation. I didn't expect that children requiring anticoagulation would be common, but I was surprised to learn just how many ways kids can develop a clot. Provoked or unprovoked VTE, neonatal stroke, acute ischemic strokes and infection are just some of the incidents in which kids will need anticoagulation therapy. Working on the Hem/Onc team, I interacted with medical professionals from all disciplines (MD, PA, RN, etc). They look to the pharmacist to provide information on the various anticoagulation medications and expert advice on what option(s) should be considered.
I was also fortunate to rotate with the Infectious Disease Consult team. It consisted of an ID attending, ID fellow, two pediatric residents (MDs), a 4th year med student, and a pharmacist. As my preceptor was also working on getting the antimicrobial stewardship up and running, I was frequently the only pharmacy reference on the team. Regularly, I was looked to when drug questions came up, and was responsible for ensuring antimicrobial agents were used appropriately. I learned that physicians will not always take your recommendations, but when they do take your advice, it had better be accurate. I quickly earned the team's respect, and because of that, I felt more comfortable contributing to the team and having an influence on patient care.
We're told to get everything we can out of each rotation by our respective programs. I would encourage that you do, and don't be afraid to speak up. Just know when you're on rotation, and you're the only pharmacy resource, you will be looked to for answers. If you don't know the answer, you can say "I'm not sure, let me look that up." It's better than not being sure and providing bad advice.
Keep up the great work everyone!
#InpatientCare #Professionalism #PatientSafety #PharmacyStudents #Anticoagulation