ASHP Intersections Summer 2010 - 17

James A. Jorgenson, M.S.

Going for Gold James A. Jorgenson, M.S., executive director of pharmacy at Clarian Health Methodist Hospital’s Department of Pharmacy, Indianapolis, also had the opportunity to work with patients who, though quite healthy, came with their own set of challenges: He provided pharmacy services on-site at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. At the time, he was employed at the University of Utah, whose campus served as the Olympic Village. Having played college ice hockey and being a fan of numerous sports, Jorgenson jumped at the opportunity. From the get-go, Jorgenson and his team had to tap into their own resources of ingenuity. “We thought there would be data from previous Olympics, but there wasn’t,” he said. “We had to design the forms and create the list of banned substances from scratch. “We had to work with about 20 different pharmacopeias in addition to learning which drugs might get an athlete into trouble.” They also worked with Pfizer Inc. to create a drug information center for the athletes, their families, and visitors from all over the world—a potential patient population of nearly 250,000 people. “Fortunately, the Olympic Committee provided interpreters,” Jorgenson said. Although no one can be sure when the U.S. will host the Olympics next, there are opportunities to get involved in pharmacy for athletes, Jorgenson said. “There are banned substances in every major sports league, which creates an opportunity for education,” he said. “In fact, I don’t know of any league that has a good education program, so that’s something to explore.”

All Creatures Great and Small Interpreters may have helped Jorgenson at the Olympics, but they wouldn’t be of much assistance to Laurel Kinosian, FSVHP. As a clinical instructor of pharmacy with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and president of the Society of Veterinary Hospital Pharmacists, Kinosian works with patients that bark, yip, growl, meow, squawk, hiss, or simply look at her. Veterinary pharmacists have many of the same clinical and administrative responsibilities as their counterparts in hospital pharmacy. Compounded medications must comply with requirements of state and provincial boards of pharmacy, federal regulations, and legislative statutes, much like those created for human patients. However, animals present a plethora of unique challenges. For one thing, many veterinarians prescribe human medications for use in animals. Because of this

cross-species use, veterinary pharmacists must be research-oriented and curious, said Kinosian. “How do I get this drug into this animal? Is there any dosing information? Is there anything in the literature about this drug in this species?” she said. “You can’t make assumptions from one species to another, and the answers aren’t necessarily written in a book somewhere.” To that end, veterinary pharmacists often turn to one another. “Veterinary pharmacy is a smaller world than human pharmacy,” Kinosian said. “That’s one of the best parts about it for me. We all get to know each other, and everyone helps.” Getting Started If you are interested in exploring all the options available for pharmacists who practice within hospitals and health systems, take a look at ASHP’s CareerPharm website or the information and resources on ASHP’s website.

Laurel Kinosian, FSVHP

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INTERSECTIONS

summer 2010

ASHP Intersections Summer 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHP Intersections Summer 2010