AlishaMoses
December6,2015
[ContactInformation]
ENG2100
SaltLakeCommunityCollege
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
12/05/2015
[Name]
St.MarksHospital
SaltLakeCity,UT
Dear[Name],
IamapplyingforthepositionofPharmacyTechnicianatSt.MarksHospital.Iam
interestedinapplyingforthispositionbecauseIwouldbeagoodassettothehealthcareteamat
yourhospital.Iamalsocapableoflearningnewprogramsquicklyandamhighlycapableof
completingassignedtasks.
Iam21yearsoldandwillbegraduatingfromSaltLakeCommunityCollegefall
semesterof2015,withanAssociate'sDegreeinScience.Iamfamiliarwiththehealthcarefield
asIcompletedtechnicaltrainingasaCertifiedNursesAssistantattheJordanApplied
TechnologyCenter.IplantopursueaBachelor'sDegreeinChemistry,andapplyattheCollege
ofPharmacyattheUniversityofUtah.
IhavealwaysprovidedexcellentcustomerservicewhetherIwasinanassistednursing
facilityorasanAdministrativeAssistant.Iactwithpurposeandasenseofurgencyineverytask
Itakeon,andfeelitnecessarytoactinsuchaway,becauseitallowsfortheworkplacetoflow
smoothly.Iamaveryorganizedpersonandhavehadexperiencewithresolvingproblemsthat
ariseprofessionallyandefficiently.
Iwouldliketothankyouforconsideringmyapplication,andwouldliketorestatemy
dedicationtoprofessionalism,learning,andorganization,asIfeelitisnecessaryinthiscareer.
Sincerely,
AlishaMoses
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
TableOfContents
CoverLetter
TechnicalInstruction:aninstructionalguidetoreadinginsurancecards
TechnicalDescription:apamphletofSSRIinformation
Project1:Communicationstyleandcultureofretailpharmacy
Resume
2
4
5
8
19
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
It is important for
Pharmacists to correctly
enter patient insurance
information to avoid any
inaccuracies. Different
Insurance companies vary
how they format member
insurance cards. However, all
information needed to fill a
prescription will be located
somewhere on the card.
Step 1:
The name of the
provider will usually be
printed on the front.
Step 2:
The member number
will also be printed near the
name, as this is the number
the insurance company uses to identify billing and coverage for each member.
Step 3:
Type of coverage refers to the plan type the member is associated with, which
tells the member what providers are covered in their network.
Step 4:
The group number is how the insurance company keeps track of the benefits
associated with the coverage plan.
Step 5:
The date effective let's providers know if the insurance is valid or not.
Step 6:
Co-pay for medical providers will usually be on the front on the card. It gives
information about how much the member pays up front for a visit to a prefered provider,
specialist, and emergency room.
Step 7:
The most relevant part of an insurance card to a pharmacist is the prescription
co-pay. This states how much the member is charged for generic prescriptions and name
brand prescriptions.
Step 8:
Somewhere on the card there is a phone number for the insurance company's
service center where they can answer any questions concerning policies, plans, and
billing.
Step 9:
There may also be a number which will direct members to a representative of the
insurance company incase any medical claims need to be made.
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
Selective
Serotonin
Reuptake
Inhibitors (SSRIs)
November,16, 2015
Neurotransmitters
Our brain uses chemicals called neurotransmitters to send signals through our
nervous system to the rest of the body. These signals are important because they
regulate normal breathing, regular heart beats, and adequate digestion. An
imbalance of neurotransmitters makes it difficult for the brain to communicate
with the body and also negatively affects sleep, mood, weight, and the ability to
concentrate. There are 2 classes of neurotransmitters, Inhibitory which calms the
brain, and Excitatory which stimulates the brain.
Serotonin
Serotonin falls into the class of Inhibitory neurotransmitters and is also called
5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) because of the amino acid tryptophan plays an
important role in the creation of serotonin. Serotonin production is located in the
brain, and intestines, however about 80%-90% of serotonin located within the
body in the gastrointestinal tract. It is credited for regulating the contractions
within the GI tract, thermoregulation, and mood balance. Decreased production
of serotonin in the body creates irregularities which are most noticeable when a
person experiences depression.
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
Generic Names
Name Brand
Citalopram
Celexa
Escitalopram
Lexapro
Fluvoxamine
Luvox, Luvox CR
Fluoxetine
Paroxetine
Sertraline
Zoloft
Vilazodone
Viibryd
Sources
McIntosh, J. (2015). Serotonin: what does serotonin do?. M
edical News Today.Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232248.php
2. Goldberg, J. (2015). SSRIs: myths and facts about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Web
MD
. Retrieved from
http://www.webmd.com/depression/ssris-myths-and-facts-about-antidepressants
3. Antidepressants & SSRIs. (2015).
Drugwatch
. Retrieved from
http://www.drugwatch.com/ssri/
4. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) information. (2014). U
.S. food and drug
administration
. U.S. department of health and human services. Retrieved from
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm283587.htm
1.
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
Project1
TypesofCommunicationandCultureofRetailPharmacy
AlishaMoses
ENGL2100F15
September23,2015
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
TableofContents
Introduction
Methodology
Results
DiscussionofResults
ConclusionandRecommendations
WorksCited
8
9
6
13
15
16
Abstract
Thepurposeofthisreportistopresentorganizationaldetailsoftheretailpharmacistsculture
thatareoftenoverlooked,andtoexplaintheimportanceofwrittenandverbalcommunication
withinthisoccupation.Afterstudyingtheculturalandcommunicationaspectsoftheretail
pharmacycareer,itisimminentthatwrittenandverbalcommunicationareneededtomaintaina
strongorganizationalculture.Inordertoreachthisgoal,pharmacistsmustincorporate
compassionateservice,andbecomefamiliarizedwithdifferentcultures,sothatallpatients
visitingthepharmacyreceiveequalcare.
keywords:
Pharmacist,Communication,OrganizationalCulture
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
10
Introduction
Thejobtitleoftheretailpharmacistisnotrestrictedtocountingpillsbehindthecounter,
italsorequiresforvariousformsofcommunicationtobeusedperfectlyinordertocommunicate
effectivelywitheveryoneinvolvedinthepharmaceuticalsetting.Thedegreetowhichwedepend
onretailpharmacistsvarieswithage,disease,andotherriskfactors,butwewillallcomein
contactwithapharmacistduringourlifetime.Thepurposeofthisreportistopresentaspectsof
theretailpharmacistscareerthatareoftenoverlooked,andtoexplaintheimportanceofalltypes
ofcommunicationwithinthisoccupation.Pharmacistsarecrucialmembersofthemedicalteam
whoarenotonlyentrustedwithpotentiallydangerousdrugs,butarecapableofinterpreting
technicalinformationaboutprescriptionstopatients.
Beforeapplyingforapharmacyprogramatanyinstitution,thereisaprerequisiteofa
Bachelor'sdegreeinanonspecificmajor.Theclassestakenupuntilthistimemayormaynot
havebeengearedspecificallytowardsaPharmD,doctorateofpharmacy.Onceacceptedintoa
pharmacyprogram,theeducationiscenteredaroundpatientcare,pharmaceuticals,administering
ofdrugs,terminology,andmanyothersubjectsneededtobecomeawellroundedpharmacist.
Thetrainingisnoteasy,howeveritisnecessaryforadequateunderstandingoftheorganizational
cultureandtheformsofcommunicationwithinthepharmacycareer.
Thisreportincludes4sections:a)themethodology,b)theresults,c)discussionof
results,andd)theconclusionandrecommendations.
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
11
Methodology
SinceIamnotanexpertonthecareerofretailpharmacy,Iturnedtootherareasof
informationtogainknowledgeaboutthesubject.Iwasabletofindgenericinformationaboutthe
retailpharmacysettingthroughresourcessuchastheinternetandapersonalinterview.However,
themostinsightfulanddetailedinformationwasprovidedthroughindividualswiththemost
experienceinthepharmacyfield.
InternetInformation
Ibegantogatherinformationbysearchingthekeywords,pharmacycultureandtypes
ofcommunicationassociatedwithpharmacyintothesearchengineGoogle.com.Icollected
articles,missionstatements,andothersecondarysourcesrelatedtotheresearchtopic.Asmy
researchbecamemoredetailedintocertainaspectsoftheculture,Ialsosearchedforregulatory
sourcessurroundingpharmacists.UsingGoogle.comItypedinthekeywords,DEApharmacy,
DOPL,andPharmacyPracticeActRuletofindwhatstructureshadbeensetforthisfield.
PersonalInterview
IhadtheopportunitytoconductaphoneinterviewofJoanne,alocalWalgreens
pharmacistonFriday,September18.AllthequestionsIaskedwerecenteredontwomaintopics,
theorganizationalcultureandthetypesofcommunicationrelatedtotheretailpharmacists
career.IcalledtheWalgreenspharmacylocatedinHolladay,Utah,andaskedifanyoneoftheir
pharmacistswerewillingtoanswerafewquestionsabouttheirjob.Joannewastheonly
pharmacisttoagree,butaskedmetocallaround7p.m.,atimethatworkedbestforherto
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
12
answermyquestions.Becauseofcertaincompanyrestrictions,Joannewasonlywillingto
provideherfirstname.WhenIcalledlaterthatdayJoannewasabletospendmoretimespeaking
withmewithoutfeelingrushed.
Theinformationprovidedbyaprofessionalinthepharmacycareer,allowedformy
researchtoincludedetailsthatmaynothavebeenfoundthroughotherresources.
LimitationsofResearch
Whilesearchingforsourcesofinformationonlineitwasdifficulttofindcomplete
scholarlyreviewsonthepharmacyfieldbecausemanyrequiredformsofpaymentinorderto
viewthematerial,orasubscriptiontothejournal.Consequently,Iwasonlyallowedaccessto
theabstractofmayscholarlypapers,whichcouldhavebeenhelpfultomyresearchasthey
seemedtobefromcrediblesources.
Inregardstothepersonalinterviewconducted,itwouldhavebeenidealtomeetwiththe
pharmacistforaninterview.Itwouldhaveallowedforabetterunderstandingofhowindividuals
interactedinthepharmacyandgeneratedabetterconnectionbetweenmeandtheinterviewee.
However,becauseofWalgreensCompanyregulations,thepharmacistpreferredtobe
interviewedoverthephoneandtobekeptsomewhatanonymous.Timewasalsoalarge
limitationontheinterview,sheonlyhad15minutestoanswermyquestions,soIcouldntask
morethan14questionsinsteadofthe25Ihadprepared.
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
13
Results
Inthissection,Iwillincludeinformationcollectedfromvarioussources,aswellasa
personalinterviewwitharetailpharmacist,whohasinsightonthecurrentconditionsofthe
cultureandcommunicationinhercareer.
FactorsofTheOrganizationalCulture
TheDivisionofOccupationalandProfessionalLicensing(DOPL),hascreatedstatutes
andrulesforpharmaciststhatdictateeveryaspectofthepharmacypractice.Allrulesfor
pharmacists,andpharmacytechnicians,arefoundinRuleR15617bPharmacyPracticeActRule
intheUtahAdministrativeCode.Thisdocumentincludesqualificationsforlicensureand
operatingstandardsforallproceduresinallpharmaceuticalpractices.
Apartfromthefederalandstatelaws,individualpharmacycompanieshavetheirownset
ofsupportingvalues.Forexample,WalgreensCompanyhascreated7coreculturalbeliefs
whicheachemployeeshouldstrivetolivebyeveryday.Themotoforthepharmacydepartment
ofthecompanyis,Werebringingourpharmacistsoutfrombehindthecountersocustomers
canreceivetheexpertisetheyneedtogetandstayhealthy.
http://careers.walgreens.com/lifeatwalgreens/corporateculture.aspx#.VgHxFkgP8
.These7
beliefsinclude:BeOne,BeReal,BeBold,BuildTrust,LoveCustomer's,OwnIt,Liveit.
Joanne,aretailpharmacistatalocalUtahWalgreens,referredtothesevaluesasthefoundation
oftheorganizationalstructureatWalgreens.
Joannewentontoexplainthattheculturewithinthepharmacyislargelydependanton
teamworkandmutualrespect.Problemswithotheremployeesarerare,butiftheydoarise,
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
14
managersarewillingtomediatetheproblem,andindividualsarequicktocompromise.Also,
politicsandcontroversialsubjectsarenotoftendiscussedbecauseitisseenasdisruptingthe
professionalatmospherewithinthepharmacy.Attimes,thepharmaciststillfaceschallenges
withcoworkerssaidJoanne.Shedescribedthatnewpharmacyinternsandpharmacy
techniciansdonotalwaysenterthepharmacypracticewithapositiveattitude,whichinterrupts
theatmosphere.Although,forthemostpart,everyoneworkstogetherasafamily,and
strengthensoneanother.
Thecompanyitselfhascreatedmultipleemployeeappreciationeventsheldperiodically.
ThisincludesticketstoRealSaltLakesoccergames,movietickets,andLagoonamusementpark
admissions.TherearedifferentdistrictsforWalgreensCompanies,separatedbylandmarkareas
whichdeterminethejoiningoflocationsforeachevent.Apartfromevents,aseasonalincentive
programforfluvaccinations,isofferedtothepharmacystaff.Duringthistime,bonusesare
awardedforquantityofflushotsadministered.Otherretailpharmacieshavesimilarstructures
foremployeeincentives,suchasCVSHealthandRiteAid.
TypesofCommunication
Writtenmaterialassociatedwiththeretailpharmacypracticeisprimarilycomprisedof
emails,faxes,andforms.Thesewrittenformsofcommunicationwouldbeconfusingtoan
individualwithouttraininginmedicalandpharmacyabbreviationscalledsigcodes.Joanne,a
pharmacistatWalgreens,stressedtheimportanceofbeingliterateinthisformofterminology.
Pharmacyschoolrequiresyoutoreadalotofdrugliterature,andtodowell,youmust
understandnecessaryabbreviations.Apartfromtheeducationaspectoftechnicalwriting,
emailsandfaxesaresenttodoctorsandinsurancecompaniesonadailybasis.Often,the
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
15
pharmacistmustclarifyprescriptionsmadeoutbydoctorswhichisdonemostlybyemailor
throughthedoctorsnursingstaff.
Retailpharmacistscommunicatewithcustomersconstantlyintheircareer.Most
interactionsarepleasant,butitisdifficulttomeeteveryone'sneedsinanycareer.Joannefrom
Walgreenssayslanguageandculturaldifferencesareabarrierofcommunicationbetweenthe
pharmacistandcustomers.Pharmacistsareabletotranslatemedicalinformationtoplainenglish
anddothebesttheycantotranslatetootherlanguages,butitishighlyprobabletheinformation
isnotbeingreceivedcorrectly.AtthistimetherearenointerpretersfortheWalgreenspharmacy,
althoughmanypeoplebringchildrenorrelativeswhospeakenglishtotranslatetheinformation.
DiscussionofResults
Afteralltheresearchwasstudied,itwasclearthatmanyfactorsaffectedthe
organizationalcultureandcommunication.Thepharmacysettingissubjecttomanyrulesand
regulationssetbystateandnationalgovernment.Thesestrictguidelinesdepicttheoverall
cultureofretailpharmacy,whileindividualcompanieshavecreatedasubculturewithintheir
pharmacydivision.Thecommunicationassociatedwithretailpharmacyisgreatlycentered
aroundpatientcare.Equallyimportant,arethecommunicationstylesusedamongstdoctors,
insurancecompanies,andcoworkerswheretechnicallanguageiskeytounderstandingone
another.Basedontheresearchandpersonalexperiencesgathered,Isuggesttherearetwoareas
ofaretailpharmacistscareer,thataremostimportantinstrengtheningtheorganizationalculture
andthetypesofcommunication.
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
16
ASympatheticApproachtoPatientCare
Themajorityofpeoplewhoarevisitingthepharmacyareinsomekindofpain.Asa
pharmacist,itisnotonlyrequiredtoefficientlydispensemedicationsoverthecounter,butto
possesacertaindegreeofcompassionwhiledoingso.Theyneedcompassion.Theyneedyouto
maketheirlivesaseasyaspossible.Iftheyarecomingthroughthedrivethruandneedabottle
ofchewableantacid,Illgrabitforthem.Iftheyneedlightbulbs,I'llgrabthem,too.IfIcanfitit
throughthedrawer,I'llputitinyourorder.(Sochoka,2013).Thisisthetypeofemphasis
pharmacistsneedtoputforthfortheircustomerssake.Byeffectivelyutilizingverbal
communicationskillswithpatients,pharmacistscanofferagreaterrangeofsupport.
Alternatively,theremaybepatientsthatcomealongandwishtotaketheirproblemsout
onthepharmacist.Teamworkisafundamentalaspectinthepharmacy,especiallyinstressful
situations.Problemsthatmayarisearebetterdealtwithwhentheculturewithinthepharmacy
followsacodeofconductandsupportseachother.
CulturalEducation
Althoughcontinualeducationisalreadynecessaryforapharmacisttomaintaintheir
license,theU.S.isbecomingmoreandmoreculturallydiversewithlittleeducationofother
cultureslinkedtothetradionalofdrugprescription.Dependingonthelocationofpharmacies,
theculturalfactorassociatedwithmedicationsmaynotbeasrelevant.AccordingtotheUS
Census,by2020,Asianswillcomprise6.5%andHispanics16%oftheUSpopulation.(Sleath,
2003).Notallculturesareaswillingtovisitthedoctortoreceiveaprescriptionforanailment,
1of3Americansusesalternativetherapies,yetveryfewpatientstelltheirhealthcareproviders.
(Sleath,2003).Communicatingprescriptionandmedicalinformationaccuratelytocustomers,is
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
17
veryimportant.Theeasiercommunicationbetweenthepharmacistandthepatientis,thebetter
therelationshipbecomes.Itisvitalforpharmaciststocreateanenvironmentwherepatientsare
comfortableenoughtosharetheirbeliefsaboutmedicine.
ConclusionandRecommendations
Thepharmaceuticalfieldisalwaysadaptingthroughtechnologyanddiscoveriesofthe
humanbody,inattemptstoimprovethequalityoflife.Drugs,vaccines,andimmunizationsare
toooftentakenforgrantedwhentheyhavehelpedtoeliminatedevastatingdiseasesfromthe
U.S.Pharmacistsarethegateway,theyareextremelyeducatedindividualswhocarryagreatdeal
ofresponsibility.Successasaretailpharmacistwithintheorganizationalcultureisdependanton
astrongknowledgeofthepharmaceuticalpracticeaswellasimpeccablecommunicationskills.
Therearetworecommendationsthatcanbemadefortheimprovementoftheretail
pharmacist.First,istoapproachpatientcarewithmoresympathy,alwayskeepinginmindthe
patientismostlikelyinpain,andtomaketheirexperienceatthepharmacyapleasantone.
Second,istoactivelyeducatethemselvesaboutthedifferentculturesmostprevalentaroundtheir
pharmacy.Inthiswaypatientrelationshipscanbeachievedthroughculturalunderstanding.If
theserecommendationsarefollowed,pharmacieswillbecomeanenvironmentwherecustomers
feelcaredfor,notjustanotherpersoninline.
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
18
WorksCited
JSochoka.(2013,August8).Secretsofpharmacyservice.[Weblogcomment].Retrievedfrom
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/blogs/pillerofthecommunity/0813/secretsofpharmacycusto
merservice
Sleath,B.(March1,2003).Becomingaculturallycompetentpharmacist.
PharmacyTimes
.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/issue/2003/200303/2003037167
UtahDivisionofAdministrativeServices.(2015).
Pharmacypracticeactrule
.(RuleR15617b).
SaltLakeCity,Utah.Retrievedfrom
http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r156/r15617b.htm
AlishaMosesPersonalPortfolio
19
Alisha Moses
Education
Salt Lake Community College
-
Associates Degree Of Science
2013 - PRESENT
Work Experience
Legacy House of South Jordan
-
June 2011 - March 2012
Performed CNA duties which included assisting residents with daily activities, charting all activities,
communicating with family members and medical personnel.
Performed administrative duties such as screening calls, created spreadsheets, prepared invoices,
handle payment transactions, customer collections, and managed salesman calendars.
Positive Qualities
Type 50 wpm, Self motivated, Able to resolve conflicts professionally, Excellent organization and
customer service skills, Fluent in Spanish
References:
Available upon request.