Tuesday, January 22nd LaPlaine Clinic

Today, half of our rotation group got the privilege to help out in a clinic called “LaPlaine Clinic” located approximately 15 minutes from Jungle Bay. Immediately upon entering the busy clinic you could recognize the differences compared with clinics in the United States. The pharmacy took up a very small corner of the clinic and had only a handful of medications. For example, for diabetes there were only three options: insulin, glyburide and metformin. The pharmacist would carry the medications in a suitcase as he traveled to different clinics. As pharmacy students we had the opportunity to help patients fill medications as well as conduct patient interviews. Patients would have their prescriptions written in a notebook which they carried around with them. The pharmacist would then take the patients notebook and fill the medications and record the medications used on paper since there were no computer systems available.

Conducting patient interviews was a great experience. It allowed us to learn more about the patients’ background and medical history. The story which touched me the most occurred while conducting a patient interview with a young boy and his mother who were waiting to visit the doctor. After speaking with the little boy and his mother I learned that the little boy was suffering from an itchy rash on his legs which he said he had for months.  While examining the boys legs I saw many black large welts which I thought resembled a fungal infection. The little boy eventually got to see the doctor and got a prescription for terbinafine, clotrimazole and clorpheniramine. Unfortunately, the pharmacy did not have either of the antifungal medications available therefore the patient only left with clorpheniramine (which as we know will not help with the fungal infection). The only other option for retrieving the medications would be to travela far ways to a private clinic where medications were much more expensive. Visiting the LaPlaine clinic really opened my eyes to how much we take access to proper health care for granted in the United States. We must continue to donate medication and supplies to underserved populations and be grateful for all that we have.

Ashley