June 25, 2012
Hola! Welcome to the final week of this PHOP adventure. I am the
resident pharmacist, not really…but I have been working with the ‘farmacia’ for
the past week and will be heading up the efforts there this week as well. Truth
be told, I am an Emergency Department nurse at University Hospitals in
Cleveland and when I applied to come to Peru for this project, I never thought
it would lead me to running the pharmacy! Even after receiving the endearing
email request about how I would be a ‘perfect fit’ and other flatteries, I
still found myself thinking, “Pharmacy, really?!” But with an open mind and a
desire to be an integral team member, I took the compliments in stride,
inflated my ego and accepted the challenge. J
While I want to update everyone on the pharmacy
contributions, I first would like to comment on a few generalities about the
trip overall. The last week and thus far the beginning of this week has been an
absolutely humbling and enjoyable journey. What I found from the moment I
arrived can be summed up in one very simple, yet meaningful word: camaraderie.
I am certain I could list a multitude of other adjectives, but this experience
truly transcends words. It is one of those, “You just had to be here” kind of
encounters. I have had the pleasure of getting to know some phenomenal human
beings who will one day soon become even better doctors. We have been up and
down mountains together, dodged bulls, discovered lost villages, and braved the
public bus system…all for the sake of providing health care to our patients.
Gratitude surrounds us, whether from the patients or from our teammates. Every
cog in the wheel has its function and not one more significant than the other.
We took an “All for one and one for all” mentality and that is what made all
the difference on this trip thus far. I believe this allowed everyone, myself
included, to traverse the days with comfort in knowing that someone always had
your back and was close by to help, whether it be to translate, to barter at
the Mercado, or to encourage you as you climbed up the 10,000th step towards the peak of a mountain.
Sarah and her team hard at work
As for the pharmacy, we have been a very busy team these
past few weeks. Many thanks to those who came in the first 2 weeks for
establishing an organized system. While we discussed this in meetings, I was
not certain how things would actually play out. Nevertheless, the transition
into week 3 and now week 4 has been fairly smooth. Every day we travel with 2
very large suitcases and 1 duffle bag full of medications to provide for our
patients on that day. While we cannot possibly have every medication, I feel as
though we have been able to find something for everyone’s ailments thus far. It
may require more “out of the box thinking” on the part of our medical teams,
but they are doing it, both efficiently and well.
We have been able to provide albendazole, an anti-parasitic,
to a multitude of children and even some adults. Dry and burnt skin is a big
problem down here, and we have been handing out eucerin cream to help with
moisture and some SPF sun block as well. We are also seeing a great deal of
musculo-skeletal injuries, along with stomach illnesses (viral, GERD,
parasites) and urinary tract infections. Antibiotics, acetaminophen and
ibuprofen have been widely given. It’s unbelievably enlightening to see the
appreciation on our Peruvian patients’ faces when we hand them a toothbrush,
eucerin lotion, and 20 ibuprofen…not something that would likely be as well
received in the states, yet means a world of difference to these people. Having
physical therapy, glasses and dental/hand washing education as alternate
treatment options have been wonderful tools as well. If next year’s team is
half as prepared as we were, all will be well.
Monday's clinic lines
As I wrap this up, I will admit only once that my experience
is the pharmacy has been much better than I anticipated. J
It was busy, like an ER. I had a great viewpoint of all the other stations,
even was able to step away to take pictures. I was the last check and got to
see everyone else’s work before me. And best of all, I was allowed to hone in
on some of my more ‘type A’ personality traits, like organizing and directing. A
win/win for all! Every trip I have taken such as this one has been a life
changing experience and this one is no less moving. Thank you for the
opportunity and if you are reading this blog and have never been on a journey
such as this one, you’re missing out! See you next year!
Sarah O.
Strong, RN
University
Hospitals, Cleveland OH
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