Page 17 - RxBound Winter 2015 Extended
P. 17
O ver the last six years, Western University of Health patients. The standard practice that I have learned from those
Sciences College of Pharmacy has had the wonderful
rotations will help me with my future career and guide me to
opportunity to host five students from a partner
be a good pharmacist. I want to take this opportunity to thank
school of pharmacy in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Our goal has
their expertise and knowledge and thank my host family, the
been to provide these visiting students with a well-rounded all of the teachers, and friends for taking the time to share
idea of healthcare and pharmacy practice in the US, and have Cook’s.”
them attend an annual pharmacy conference as well. Rudolf Mireles, PharmD, the Pharmacist In Charge at the
Until recently, the pharmacy education in Thailand was not PCC Pharmacy also said that it was interesting to learn how
always consistent from one school to another, and was limited similar the practice of pharmacy is between the US and
to a Bachelor’s degree. With the recent changes in the Thailand, and yet how still very different it is at the same
Thailand pharmacy curriculum their PharmD curriculum is time. “We discussed similarities in pricing of prescriptions to
now very similar to the US PharmD curriculum. the public we have and they were amazed that we sold
This year’s students, Weerapong Thumchotang (Matt) and pseudoephedrine over the counter when it is illegal in their
Tanniti Chaisomkoon (Jeep), spent time at our PCC country to do so,” Dr. Mireles said. “It amazed me to see their
Ambulatory Care Clinic, Pomona Valley Medical Center, and response.”
the PCC Pharmacy. Additionally, they attended the Mid-Year Roger Klotz, RPh, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Clinical Meeting of the American Society of Health-System and Administration, also enjoyed working with the Thai
Pharmacists in Anaheim, California, which is the largest students, saying that he was impressed with the great interest
annual gathering of pharmacists in the world. they showed in everything they did, and that they worked very
“It was an honor for me to have the opportunity of being a well with patients. “We provided them exposure to new
part of Western University of Health Sciences,” Jeep wrote in clinical approaches that included providing anticoagulation
a thank you letter to COP staff and faculty following his visit. therapy management services, maintaining an
“I gained a lot of experiences during this rotation. I interprofessional electronic medical record and reviewing the
experienced the interprofessional students working in the patients total medication and dietary habits at each visit.”
Patient Care Center, I explored all aspects of hospital Similarly, fourth-year student pharmacist, Corey Edwards,
pharmacist roles at Pomona Valley Hospital, and at the on- enjoyed discussing some of the differences between the US and
campus WesternU pharmacy (in the PCC), I experienced more Thai healthcare systems and pharmacy practices. Corey said
of the pharmacist role in the community setting and how it that, “We realized there are positives and negatives to every
can be developed to be a complete primary care unit in the difference, but what doesn’t change is the desire to be a
future. All these things could never have happened if I did not beacon of information for all of our patients. Also, we agreed
have the great support from Dean Robinson, Dr. Scott and all that being able to expand our scope of practice would be
of the officers, especially Mrs. Cook who took care of rewarding and beneficial to other providers.”
everything.” Matt and Jeep returned to their native Thailand at the end of
Matt wrote in his thank you letter, “As a student pharmacist last month, but they definitely contributed to an excellent
from another country, the internship at Western University was tradition of intellectual camaraderie stretching to the other
one of the great experiences in my life. This school has shown side of the globe. “We have always had top-notch students
me a lot of things about a clinical pharmacist from working in visit us from Khon Kaen,” said Dr. Jim Scott, Associate Dean
both the WesternU primary care unit and Pomona Valley for Experiential and Professional Affairs at the College of
Hospital, which gave me the knowledge on how a pharmacist Pharmacy, “and we look forward to many more in the years
really works in California to provide the best care for all to come.”
(left) Jeep Chaisomkoon and Matt Thumchotang give a presentation to faculty and staff about the nuances of Pharmacy and life in Thailand; (middle) Jeep Chaisomkoon,
John Trudel, RPh, Pomona Valley Preceptor and Matt Thumchotang at Pomona Valley Hospital; (right) Jeep Chaisomkoon, Christal Pham, PharmD ’11, and Matt Thumchotang.
WesternU, College of Pharmacy 15
Sciences College of Pharmacy has had the wonderful
rotations will help me with my future career and guide me to
opportunity to host five students from a partner
be a good pharmacist. I want to take this opportunity to thank
school of pharmacy in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Our goal has
their expertise and knowledge and thank my host family, the
been to provide these visiting students with a well-rounded all of the teachers, and friends for taking the time to share
idea of healthcare and pharmacy practice in the US, and have Cook’s.”
them attend an annual pharmacy conference as well. Rudolf Mireles, PharmD, the Pharmacist In Charge at the
Until recently, the pharmacy education in Thailand was not PCC Pharmacy also said that it was interesting to learn how
always consistent from one school to another, and was limited similar the practice of pharmacy is between the US and
to a Bachelor’s degree. With the recent changes in the Thailand, and yet how still very different it is at the same
Thailand pharmacy curriculum their PharmD curriculum is time. “We discussed similarities in pricing of prescriptions to
now very similar to the US PharmD curriculum. the public we have and they were amazed that we sold
This year’s students, Weerapong Thumchotang (Matt) and pseudoephedrine over the counter when it is illegal in their
Tanniti Chaisomkoon (Jeep), spent time at our PCC country to do so,” Dr. Mireles said. “It amazed me to see their
Ambulatory Care Clinic, Pomona Valley Medical Center, and response.”
the PCC Pharmacy. Additionally, they attended the Mid-Year Roger Klotz, RPh, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Clinical Meeting of the American Society of Health-System and Administration, also enjoyed working with the Thai
Pharmacists in Anaheim, California, which is the largest students, saying that he was impressed with the great interest
annual gathering of pharmacists in the world. they showed in everything they did, and that they worked very
“It was an honor for me to have the opportunity of being a well with patients. “We provided them exposure to new
part of Western University of Health Sciences,” Jeep wrote in clinical approaches that included providing anticoagulation
a thank you letter to COP staff and faculty following his visit. therapy management services, maintaining an
“I gained a lot of experiences during this rotation. I interprofessional electronic medical record and reviewing the
experienced the interprofessional students working in the patients total medication and dietary habits at each visit.”
Patient Care Center, I explored all aspects of hospital Similarly, fourth-year student pharmacist, Corey Edwards,
pharmacist roles at Pomona Valley Hospital, and at the on- enjoyed discussing some of the differences between the US and
campus WesternU pharmacy (in the PCC), I experienced more Thai healthcare systems and pharmacy practices. Corey said
of the pharmacist role in the community setting and how it that, “We realized there are positives and negatives to every
can be developed to be a complete primary care unit in the difference, but what doesn’t change is the desire to be a
future. All these things could never have happened if I did not beacon of information for all of our patients. Also, we agreed
have the great support from Dean Robinson, Dr. Scott and all that being able to expand our scope of practice would be
of the officers, especially Mrs. Cook who took care of rewarding and beneficial to other providers.”
everything.” Matt and Jeep returned to their native Thailand at the end of
Matt wrote in his thank you letter, “As a student pharmacist last month, but they definitely contributed to an excellent
from another country, the internship at Western University was tradition of intellectual camaraderie stretching to the other
one of the great experiences in my life. This school has shown side of the globe. “We have always had top-notch students
me a lot of things about a clinical pharmacist from working in visit us from Khon Kaen,” said Dr. Jim Scott, Associate Dean
both the WesternU primary care unit and Pomona Valley for Experiential and Professional Affairs at the College of
Hospital, which gave me the knowledge on how a pharmacist Pharmacy, “and we look forward to many more in the years
really works in California to provide the best care for all to come.”
(left) Jeep Chaisomkoon and Matt Thumchotang give a presentation to faculty and staff about the nuances of Pharmacy and life in Thailand; (middle) Jeep Chaisomkoon,
John Trudel, RPh, Pomona Valley Preceptor and Matt Thumchotang at Pomona Valley Hospital; (right) Jeep Chaisomkoon, Christal Pham, PharmD ’11, and Matt Thumchotang.
WesternU, College of Pharmacy 15
