It’s American Pharmacist Month

One of the goals of HealthOU is to bring awareness to the variety of professions within healthcare outside of medicine and dentistry and the diverse uses of a strong background in the sciences.  One such profession is Pharmacy.  Like medicine and dentistry a career in pharmacy provides the opportunity to work in a hospital or private, or government setting all while helping to serve others.   This month, we’ll hear from two Oakwood graduates who went on to pursue a career in pharmacy.

Nadeje (front row, second from left) at her residency graduation

Nadeje Aurubin is  originally from Miami, FL, where she attended Greater Miami Academy. She is a 2004 graduate of Oakwood College.  She completed her  Doctor of Pharmacy Degree at Mercer University (Atlanta, Ga) in 2009 and went on to complete  pharmacy practice residency at Mayo Clinic.  She is currently a pharmacist at  the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs in Miami, FL. Outside of work, she likes to read, go shopping and participate in cultural arts.

HEALTHOU: How did you decide to go into pharmacy?

N.A.  I really had an interest in both chemistry and biology and noticed at the time that there was going to be a great demand for pharmacist in the foreseeable future and that pharmacists worked in a variety of settings with a competitive salary.

HEALTHOU: What do you love the most about what you do?  

N.A. I work for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and it’s such an honor to serve our nations veterans. They risk it all to fight for life as we know it in the U.S. Everyday I have the opportunity to give back to someone who has fought for our country and thank them for their service.

HEALTHOU: What are some of the perks of your job / pharmacy in general

N.A.   The workplace setting varies from a board room to the operating room. The various areas of pharmacy include: 
Academic pharmacy
Community Pharmacy
Government Agencies
Hospital & Institutional Practice
Independent Ownership
Consulting Pharmacy
Managed Care Pharmacy
Pharmaceutical Industry
Uniformed (Public Health) Service

In addition, I get to work one-on-one with patients. I am the pain management pharmacy specialist, so I manage patients pain medications ranging from Ibuprofen to Fentanyl. I work alongside the MD’s and ARNP’s in the pain clinic at the VA to provide the best pain management to our veterans. Hospital pharmacists also specialize in areas such as cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, internal medicine and so much more. 

HEALTHOU: What is one of the biggest misconceptions about your profession?

N.A: Pill counting!! I cannot tell the last time I touched a counting tray and spatula. Pharmacy technicians do most of the counting. The profession of pharmacy has much more of a clinical aspect then most people realize. As a PharmD, it is our reprehensibility to know the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drug interactions, adverse effects and pahrmacothearpy of most prescription and over the counter medication. We are trained to be the drug experts and clinicians rely on us to provide that support to the interdisciplinary team of health care professionals.