Reflection essay for pharmacy

My internship experience has proved to be valuable and has provided me with new knowledge. Attending as a pharmacist intern student is rewarding. I am able to observe the pharmacist and technicians, and can interact with patients. I was able to see the working relationship between the pharmacist and the technicians. I got a glimpse about what a pharmacist can do in the community for patients.

As an internship student, I thought I could only do fill drugs. However, the pharmacists and the technicians were very kind and helpful. They not only showed me how to fill each drug, but assisted me with filling issues, such as partial fills, changing manufacturers if the NDC does not match, and report medication is out of stock, etc. Also, they showed me how to do point-of-sale transactions that make me nervous due to unknown problems that can arise. An example of a difficult transaction is when the patient asks you questions about their insurance, which is something I do not understand at all. I have learned to see things through the eye of a pharmacist. Pharmacists and technicians often have a multitude of questions from patients. They must be experienced, so they can help patients to solve their problems such as insurance, counseling, and pricing of the drugs.

One of the interesting things that I observed from another site is compounding. I thought only pharmacists were allowed to compound. However, in reality, a technician can compound too. Technicians are very helpful and important tools for pharmacist. At the site that I am interning, the technicians are very extraordinary and patient with the patients. The pharmacists are very knowledgeable and kind. They can answer all kinds of questions, from both the patients and myself.

This internship serves as a good stepping-stone for students to become a pharmacist. The activities help me gain experience, so I can do the tasks of a pharmacist and feel confident. Moreover, this internship has given me a chance to have a relationship with pharmacists and technicians. Understanding more about insurance problems and getting better on point-of-sale transactions are my next goals for the remaining two weeks at this internship.