I am now starting my 4th week at
mdBriefCase – time sure flies! Many exciting things have happened during
my stay here thus far, so here are some of the highlights.
Pharmacy Corner
As you may have read in earlier blog posts, each pharmacy student at rxBriefCase has been working on an e-learning module for the patient-facing website, medSchool For You. I am excited to say that the program has officially launched! Pharmacy Corner is a program which addresses frequently asked questions that patients have on various topics such as birth control, seasonal allergies and insomnia.
It is a valuable resource for patients, as it will enable them to learn more about medical conditions, empowering them to take a more active role in their health. I am currently working on my own contribution to Pharmacy Corner, so stay tuned in the coming weeks!
Donating Blood
At
the end of my first week, some of the mdBriefCase team went to donate blood. I decided
to tag along as I thought it would be a great opportunity to donate blood for
the first time and help save someone’s life.While blood donations are always needed, it is even more crucial now. At the end of September, the Canadian Blood Services made an announcement that Canada’s blood supply was the lowest it has been since 2008.1
This is quite scary as around 50% of Canadians will either need blood or know someone that will need blood within their lifetime.2 Donating blood only takes about an hour, and you even get snacks and juice afterwards! Also, if you don’t know your blood type, you can take this opportunity to learn more about yourself and obtain information on your blood type.
Unfortunately,
when I went to the clinic I was actually unable to give blood due to low
hemoglobin (just 1 g/L shy of the cut off!), but I will definitely go back in 56
days when I am eligible to try and give blood again.
Pharmacy Student eNewsletter
Besides
creating content for Pharmacy Corner, I have also been working on an
eNewsletter. Though it still needs some fine tuning, I'm excited to be at the tail
end of the CE development process. From
brainstorming potential topics to editing drafts, it has been a very enriching experience. I can also confirm that Vaneet's previous blog post is pretty accurate in conveying the roller coaster of emotions.
The topic
for this month's eNewsletter will be, (drum roll please), fall risk and prevention in the elderly! Each year, more than one third of seniors aged 65 or older experience a fall.3
This is particularly important as falls can lead to injuries, some of which can be fatal. Falls are preventable, and pharmacists can play an active role in fall prevention by identifying patients with fall risk factors and implementing fall prevention strategies. To learn more, check out the Pharmacy Student eNewsletter coming soon to your inbox!
This is particularly important as falls can lead to injuries, some of which can be fatal. Falls are preventable, and pharmacists can play an active role in fall prevention by identifying patients with fall risk factors and implementing fall prevention strategies. To learn more, check out the Pharmacy Student eNewsletter coming soon to your inbox!
References
- Canadian Blood Services. 2014. Blood Inventory in Critical Condition. [Online]. [Accessed 23 November 2014]. Available from: https://www.blood.ca/en/media/blood-inventory-critical-condition.
- Canadian Blood Services. Blood. [Online]. [Accessed 23 November 2014]. Available from: https://www.blood.ca/en/blood/how-does-my-donation-help.
- Al-Aama T. 2011. Falls in the elderly: spectrum and prevention. Canadian Family Physician, 57(7), 771-776.
