Thursday, August 24, 2017

The Journey Begins

 Hello rxBriefCase,

I’m excited to start my 5-week rotation with rxBriefCase and experience something completely different from the standard clinical rotations in community and hospital pharmacy clinics.  This is my fourth block, with six more to go until I’m finally finished school!  My previous rotations (block 1 and 2) were at Center of Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH), where I was part of the acute schizophrenia ward and outpatient mood/depression unit.  

Mental health is a topic that I have a passion for, and antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in Canada.  Escitalopram was the 5th most commonly dispensed medication in 20131. If you are interested in furthering your understanding of the field, I’d suggest reading: 
  1. "A case of partial treatment response: what next?"
  2. "When treatment for depression doesn't work"
Both of these articles are in the rxBriefCase eNewsletter archive, and discuss therapeutic options in treatment resistant depression.

Having learned a lot about the nuances of communication during my time in hospital and community pharmacy, I’m excited to flip the script and focus on my written communication during my stay with the rxBriefCase team.

Stay tuned for future blog posts!

- Ajay Chahal

References
1. Spolarich, A. E. (2015, April 18). Commonly Prescribed Medications and Managing the Oral Side Effects of Medication Use. Retrieved August 23, 2017, from http://www.sdha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Pharmacology-Handout-Dr.-Ann-Spolarich.pdf