Running Head: DISCOURSE COMMUNITY OF PHARMACY

Discourse Community of Pharmacy Hoang Pham Northeastern University

DISCOURSE COMMUNITY OF PHARMACY

The role of the pharmacist has developed immensely over the years in order to accommodate the perpetually changing needs of the patient. As such, pharmacists have a vast and varied number of directions to take their careers. Along with the more traditional work environments that pharmacists are typically employed such as retail or hospital settings, the Pfizer Guide to Careers in Pharmacy describes over twenty-five different areas of pharmacy practice (Pfizer, 2002). Industry-based pharmacy, military pharmacy, and veterinary pharmacy are only a few of the many practice areas described by Pfizer. The pharmacist is generally tasked with overseeing the dispensing and preparation of medication, but they also must ensure that the patient has an understanding of their medication so that they can attain its maximum therapeutic effect. Therefore, the pharmacists are the drug experts on the healthcare team. They must have a complete and thorough understanding of the chemistry behind each drug and their interactions with the human body. Depending on what career path a pharmacist decides to take, an even greater understanding of medical material may be required. In a clinical setting for example, a pharmacists responsibilities are expanded, and more in depth knowledge regarding drug information, utilization, and medication therapy management are necessary. The chemistry behind pharmacy is what intrigues me most in this field. It is truly astounding that one can manipulate and synthesize materials and substances found naturally on the Earth into a desired product, and then deliver it into the body to provide treatment of a disease or injury. I hope to understand the mechanism by which a drug operates, to find out exactly what happens when a molecule of a drug reaches its target, and why it happens. However, it is not merely enough to have an understanding of this knowledge. An important aspect of the pharmaceutical field is the interaction with the patient. It is commonly the duty of the pharmacist to discuss with the patient all significant characteristics of the medication they

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may be taking. Unfortunately, the advanced medical language used to describe medication becomes problematic because it can be difficult to convey it in a manner that will be understood by the average person. At most pharmacies, prescription information is simplified in order to not confuse the patient. However, subtle nuances on prescriptions can become interpreted incorrectly by a patient. As a result, the medication may be administered in a fashion that is not conducive to the patients health, but rather detrimental. Fortunately, patients have a variety of resources to help them obtain a better understanding of the intricate diction that accompanies their medication. Drugs.com, a website that presents comprehensive drug information in a clean and organized style is one of these resources. ` Like most professions, communication in both the written and oral form is critical to the work of a pharmacist. Inside the pharmacy, writing manifests itself most prolifically in the form of the prescription. It is the fundamental aspect of a pharmacists work as it bears a wealth of information that is necessary for a pharmacy team to complete its required duties. Prescriptions can be received by a pharmacy through a multitude of mediums: from the patient themselves or by phone, fax, and electronically. Though most prescriptions are written on relatively small pieces of paper, they contain a considerable amount of information. A prescription must contain the patients name and address, telephone number and address of the source of the prescription, name, strength, and quantity of the drug, number of refills (if any), the date that the prescription was written, and the signature of the prescriber. If the prescription is written for a controlled substance, it must also include the patients date of birth, the patients ID number, as well as the DEA number of the prescriber. However, it is the SIG of the prescription where writing and communication are vital.

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SIG is derived from the Latin word signa, which means to write on label. and it essentially instructs a patient on how to take their medication. The SIG is a troublesome aspect of the prescription because it represents the aforementioned challenge of interacting with the patient: turning complicated medical terminology into a form that is clear, accurate, and comprehensive. For example, a doctor, using the typical Latin abbreviations, may write on a prescription instill 2 gtt od QID prn. A member of the pharmacy team can interpret this as instill 2 drops into right eye four times every day as needed. A patient might not know exactly what instill means. They might also not know what defines a drop. How separate should the 4 doses be? Because the everyday person does not interpret a prescription the same way a healthcare professional does, he or she might be incorrectly administering his medication. A study in 2006 showed that out of 1,975 test subjects, 374 interpreted the instructions of a given prescription incorrectly (Davis, 2006). It was concluded in the study that those with low literacy rate are at the most risk of misunderstanding prescription instructions. According to an article from CSE&K, A Canadian study found that drug-related errors account for one-fourth of incidents of patient injury. Prescription errors appear to be more common among elderly patients, who tend to take more medications (CSE&K, 2012). Ultimately, the challenge of the pharmacist is to bring patients into their discourse community as best as possible, helping them to develop a familiarity with the language involved with medicine. The aptly named drugs.com visibly claims on its home page that it provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products (drugs.com, 2013). Drugs.coms mission statement is to empower patients with the knowledge to better manage their own healthcare and to improve consumer safety by assisting in the reduction of medication errors. (drugs.com). The website

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obtains its information from its sources, Micromedex, Cerna Multum, and Wolters Kluwer. Even at a quick glance, one can determine that the website is organized, professional, and uncomplicated, but at the same time, detailed and accurate. As mentioned in the websites mission statement, the target audience of the website are patients. The website is professionally organized and very simple to navigate. At the top of the drugs.com main page, a user may search for information about a specific drug. Alternatively, a user can search for a drug alphabetically, by condition, by drug class, and even dosage. Drugs.com has an individual page for each of its drugs. Each page includes an overview of the drug and answers questions such as what the drug is for, how it should be taken, what to do in situations of a missed dose or overdose, and what to avoid while taking the drug. The manner that this information is presented is straightforward, comprehensive, and without confusing jargon. In addition, every drug profile follows the same format. The same general structure is used for each drugs profile. This uniformity reflects the websites overall organization and ease of use. Though the primary audience of drugs.com is the general population, every drug profile also contains valuable information for health professionals. Here, one can detect the distinct different in language used. As these sections are intended for the medically educated, the language becomes more advanced. It includes more complex topics such as information regarding how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated. Not only does the website serve as an educational tool for patients and health professionals to better understand medication, but it also serves as a news outlet. The front page features articles about current events in the world of medicine, showing that although most of the websites content is drug

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information for the common audience, those who are looking to be informed about medical news can do so on the website. Drugs.com is a website that helps to educate its users by taking complicated medical language and turning it into a form in which regular people can comprehend. Even the name of the websites domain, drugs.com implies simplicity and minimalism. The websites usefulness is augmented by its presentation and ease of navigation. When visiting the front page of the website, users are greeted with accessibility; all of the tools of the website are readily available. Overall, drugs.com is an excellent resource because of its immensely copious amount of information and services. Nonetheless, it is made very apparent by the website that its information is meant to be used as merely a resource, not a medical diagnosis. The information it provides is meant to be used as a supplement to the information already provided by healthcare personnel. It is a very effective tool that can bridge the gap between the complex language of the medical field, and the typical language that most of us use. Drugs.com succeeds in helping to clarify and shed light on the uncertainties a person may encounter with their prescription drugs. In the world of medicine, nothing is perfect, and mistakes can and will happen. However, language should be the last reason for any adverse

Note: I believe this piece will fit well into my portfolio. However, in its current form, I do not believe it is the best representation of my understanding of pharmacy. I hope to improve my essay significantly with further drafts.

DISCOURSE COMMUNITY OF PHARMACY

References Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg. "Misunderstood Prescriptions Can Result in Deadly Mistakes." Maryland Workers Compensation Blog Atom. CSE&K, 28 Feb. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. "Drugs.com | Prescription Drug Information, Interactions & Side Effects." Drugs.com | Prescription Drug Information, Interactions & Side Effects. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. Lin, Kenneth W. "Patients Commonly Misunderstand Medication Instructions." Tips From Other Journals. American Family Physician, 15 June 2007. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. "The Pfizer Guide to Careers in Pharmacy." Ed. Salvatore J. Giorgianni. Pfizer, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.