Comments on: Lots to address

By: The Intern

The Intern — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 01:44:14 +0000

You should do it! How often does a clinical position get offered to someone who hasn’t got the BCPS after their name? If I were you I’d do it in a heartbeat.

By: lipstickatthemailbox

lipstickatthemailbox — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:24:21 +0000

congrats on the clinicals! I think it’s kind of inspiring what you’re doing.

By: MI_Pharm_Intern

MI_Pharm_Intern — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:52:24 +0000

I work in Michigan, and my pharmacist uses MAPS pretty frequently. Most recently we had a patient who kept “losing” his Ritalin. The physicians at the ambulatory clinic where I’m on rotations also use it all of the time to see if patients are violating their controlled substance contracts. It’s pretty neat, but you run into trouble when patients use the name of their spouse/children/dog on the script

By: MIpharmstudent

MIpharmstudent — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:10:02 +0000

TAPest,

While I’m not a pharmacist in Michigan (yet), I have seen a pharmacist I’ve worked under access the MAPS database. It’s actually pretty slick. I’m not sure exactly how the information gets into the database (if it comes by way of the insurance companies, directly from the pharmacy or what) and in the 5 years I worked there I only ever saw it used once. A patient came in, looking visibly strung out, with a script for norco I think about 10 min before close on a Friday night. The pharmacist checked the database, called the doc (left a message… it was friday night, come on…) and I never saw the patient or heard what happened with it. I assume the script was just shredded and never filled per docs orders, but I never really knew. So, I guess to answer your question, yeah, I’ve seen it used and to my limited knowledge seemed accurate. Could be an awesome tool, but I only ever saw it used that once.

By: Mary Augustine

Mary Augustine — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:43:20 +0000

Great walk-on job to ‘clinical rounds leader’! It sounds like your friend is not only book-smart, but knows who to suggest to cover him when he’s gone. Maybe you’d consider PT retail/clinical, or a moonlighting pharmacy professorship?

Anymore, it’s my opinion that pharmacists need to be ‘in the know’ with what’s going on daily in several areas of pharmacy practice. (I’ve been mulling over nightly how to get some balanced pharmacy input to President-elect Obama, suggesting putting a well-rounded pharmacist on his team to help with upcoming up healthccare policy-making decisions); care for a nomination? The thing is, practicing professionals get a government post and then get out of the ‘practice’ so to speak, and pharmacy/healthcare being a dynamic ‘beast’ need someone who can both walk the walk as well as talk the talk. On the other hand, I’ve read some things that B. Obama has given statements and it does sound like he has a pretty good head on his shoulders basically. (Just don’t want someone advising him that calls themself ‘RPh’ but really represents a single patient or pharmaceutical industry or insurance payors or pharmacy education, or solely making the bottom line happy etc.

By: TheAngryPharmacist

TheAngryPharmacist — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:30:59 +0000

Traitor.

Go be with your big words and fancy labcoat. I’ll be making fun of your ass (again!) on my website soon enough.

I only wore my coat the first day. Everyone made fun of me because it’s covered in coal tar and amoxicillin. So, I stopped wearing it.

Hell, apothecaries started wearing them to merely protect their clothes, not as a status symbol or an announcement of degree or importance. I’ve no reason to wear it anymore, and it’s not required by hospital policy.

And I think it’s about time you and I started to duke it out once again. It’d really drum up the ratings…:-)

By: oneBCPSpharmacist

oneBCPSpharmacist — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:10:13 +0000

I agree with sickofstupidpeople. I’ve had physicians ask me some tough questions that they knew I knew, just to keep the discussion going and hoping that others would get involved. It helps me look good too. But, yes, there certainly are those that try “to put this pharmacist back in my place.”
Congratulations on a job well done. Maybe you will take the leap to clinical pharmacy that I took after a very short career in retail pharmacy. It has been the best decision I have ever made.
P.S. Yes, you would be eligible to take the BPS exam after 3 years of “clinical experience with a PharmD degree.” After I made the switch, I practiced for three years and then studied for the exam. Well worth the wait.