PQ November 2017 by PQ PlusTwo

PQ PLUS 2

ISSUE

QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE FRIENDS OF OUR

NOVEMBER 2017

SP ON SORE D BY P H A R M AC A R E T O W NA N D S C OT I A BA N K

November Issue -Table of Contents 02

Table of Contents A word from your PQ+2 Co-Editors

Introducing the PQ+2 Committee Members 2017/2018 Publications Committee Members

Faculty and Student Events A Calendar of upcoming events

Research Day 2017 Don’t miss out on this annual event which showcases the innovative research being conducted at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences What is Movember? Preseton Eshenko talks about the importance of Movember and what it means to the Faculty of Pharmacy Mr. Pharmacy Interviews Serious and heart-felt interviews with your Mr. Pharmacy Candidates

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Therapeutic Tent Talk Bring on the pain with this issue’s Therapeutic Tent Talk!

Apps of the Month Feeling stressed? Procrastination an issue? These apps might help!

Healthy grubbing for the busy, budget-sensitive student Sandy Xu gives tips to busy pharmacy students about healthy eating and diet!

Interview with a Pharmacy/MBA Student Anuvir Bhullar from the Class of 2018 shares his current experiences with pursing a combined Master of Business Administration and Pharmacy Degree

A Prescription for Deliciousness A recipe to compound a delicious blueberry cheesecake prescription

Have you Tried This? Next Stop: Menchies

Movember Word search

Ethos Ho Hey guys I hope the semester has been treating you all well! It feels like yesterday that you were reading content that I whipped up last minute (jokes?). We have many exciting faculty events approaching and I hope to see all of you there! Please remember to take care of yourselves during this busy time. Your health is much more important than getting that “A”! (in my situation, desperately trying to get average…)

David Poon Hello Pharmily! It has been a stressful semester. Remember to take time for yourself. Go for a walk, meditate, watch a video, go out with friends, or you could take a break and eat a KitKat. You are all brilliant individuals! Good luck! | 2 |

The Publications Committee Jonathon Thompson Hello! I’m Jonathon (Thomson), and I’m proud to be part of the PQ Committee. On my spare time, I enjoy watching football and hockey (Go Jets Go!), lose on the last lap on Mario Kart, and long walks on the beach eating gummy bears for dinner. I look forward to provide exciting content for you throughout the year!

Sandy Xu Hi! Sandy here! I live for blogging and grubbing, so of course I’d be doing both usually at the same time. When I’m not cramming for exams or blogging, you can find me hiking in Banff, tending to my six parrots (crazy parrot lady much?), binge-watching horror movies, and road-raging on GTA. In a nutshell, I’m all about trying new things! I’m stoked to be part of the PQ+2 pham this year and hopefully many more years.

Grace Ting Hello PQ+2 readers! My name is Grace and I am a first-year pharmacy student. Something interesting about me is that I have a couple of artsy hobbies such as, watercolour painting and crepe paper flower-making. Also, when I am not studying, you can find me watching either reruns of Judge Judy, history documentaries or crime documentaries. I am super approachable and usually friendly (XD) so don’t hesitate to make any suggestions on articles you want to see on PQ+2 to me!

Ziqi Wang Hello! My name is Ziqi and I am in the Class of 2020. I joined the PQ+2 team because I wanted to challenge myself and my fellow students to think outside the box about pharmacy school, student life and pharmacy as a profession. During my summer break, I travelled for two weeks in Europe (France, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom) and shortly after, I did my community rotation in Brooks. If you ever want to discuss travelling or doing a rural rotation, feel free to ask!

Agenda Wednesday November 8 Lunch and Learn: Introduction to Financial Planning 12:00 PM — 12:50 PM Monday November 20 Lunch and Learn: Sexual Assault Centre - Bystander Effect 12:00 PM — 12:50 PM Tuesday November 28 Research Day 9:00 AM — 4:30 PM Bernard Snell Hall 8440—112 Street

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Research Day 2017 “Drug Discovery: Next Generation Therapies and Knowledge Translation” We would like to invite you to join us at RESEARCH DAY on November 28th 2017 at Bernard Snell Hall! Have you ever attended one? If not, continue reading this article to learn more about it!

What is Research Day? Research Day is an annual event that showcases the research that is conducted at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. It is dedicated for the whole day for everyone from various health sciences discipline to attend for poster presentations, guest speakers, lunch, and an award ceremony.

What can you take away from Research Day as a pharmacy student? •

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Research Day provides students an opportunity to learn how their peers, and potentially themselves, can participate in a variety of projects to advance the profession through their student career. Many research projects build off of one another, and can provide inspiration for future research ideas. Students can receive knowledge of innovative techniques that can be integrated into their future practice to disseminate clinical findings to the public and other healthcare professionals. If nothing else…. There is HOT LUNCH provided at noon.

To further interest you to attend, this year’s topic is about next generation therapies that can impact the diseases that you will be treating for your patients, as well as the power of knowledge translation in practice. We are delighted to have the following speakers:

Keynote Speaker “Novel Insights into Incretin-Based Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes: From Bench to Bedside” David D’Alessio (Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Duke University) Guest speaker “Baffled, befuddled and bemused: knowledge translation in primary care” Adrienne J. Lindblad (Knowledge Translation & Evidence Coordinator, Alberta College of Family Physicians; Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta) Guest speaker: “Incretin-based therapies therapies for type 2 diabetes & their actions on cardiac energy metabolism” John Ussher (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta) Closer to the date, there will more updates available on the University of Alberta, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Webpage and Twitter! If you would like more information or have any questions, feel free to Jasmine Han who is the Research Day Committee APSA Representative (seunga1@ualberta.ca) and Jonathon Thomson (jlthomso@ualberta.ca) who has participated in Research Day 2016.

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Image from MensHealthFoundation.ca

Movember 2017 By: Preston Eshenko

Hey guys! Just wanted to get a hold of everyone for a quick second here to talk about one of one of APSA’s biggest health campaigns of the year: Movember. First off, why Movember? What is Movember? And what’s the deal with all the mustaches? The Movember campaign is a charity group that is doing things the right way. They have some of the lowest overheads of any Canadian charity and they are currently investing in some of the leading research across the nation. To bring things a little closer to home, there is currently prostate cancer tests being developed right HERE at the U of A with research grants being provided by the Movember campaign. In addition to funding research the Movember campaign also advocates to raise awareness for diseases such as prostate and testicular cancers. What do both of these diseases have in common? They both have very high treatment success rates when diagnosed early. The Movember campaign advertises and promotes that men need to swallow their pride and get tested! In addition to cancer research and awareness the Movember campaign also recognizes that men’s mental health is an everimportant issue. I think the case can be made that each and every one of our lives has been affected in some capacity by anxiety, depression, and suicide. The growing rates of mental illness are not something that can be ignored. We need to encourage men and

women to seek out the help they need. It has been shown that men often do not seek out assistance for mental health issues as people may perceive them as being weak. This is a problem that many groups, including the Movember campaign are looking to eradicate. They are doing this by providing resources, bringing awareness, and changing societal perceptions of asking for help (IT IS NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS!!). If you are still with me, awesome! Now I want to talk about why APSA feels this campaign is worthy of our time, efforts, and money. We are all currently training as health care professionals and I strongly believe that without adequate health, life becomes exponentially more difficult and significantly less satisfying. We need to promote overall health and well being for all our patients in order to ensure that they each have the quality of life that they deserve. This extends

beyond optimizing their medications and counselling in the dispensary. We need to keep promoting ourselves as the profession that cares for all of our patients in every possible way that we can! If we can save just one life through our efforts in Movember then we have all made a significant difference and our campaign will go down as a complete success. So with that, I hope you join me as we embark in Movember with the joint objective to make a difference in the world around us. There is nothing that says we can’t enjoy ourselves while doing it! It’s going to be an action packed month filled with many cool new ideas and initiatives so get up, get involved, and have some fun! Even if you’re like me and grow the worlds worst mustache I can promise there’s ways to raise money and awareness. Let’s stop men from dying too young!!!

First Year Contestant (Class Of 2021)

Connor White

Why are you the next Mr. Pharmacy: Man of November? I believe that I'm the next Man of November because I am on a mission to inform the world about the growing concern of the elusive Gingers. Less than 2% of all humans are possess the beautiful gene that allows us to have immaculate powers such as increased pain tolerance and the ability to change our skin colour (colloquially known as “freckles”). Using this platform, I hope to inspire others to consider reproducing with gingers, rather than the general population. #savetheredhair Some say that time is more precious than money, how have you spent most of your time preparing for Mr. Pharmacy? I have made a diet plan that consists of all the same foods I would normally eat, but just with some chia and flax seeds on top to make it healthier. Also, I have developed a vigorous exercise regimen that includes, but is not limited to, deep breathing, sitting and meditating on how one is to get willpower to go to the gym, and drinking lots of water while studying so I always have to walk to the bathroom and get my cardio in for the day. Time Magazine picks their Person of the Year by determining who is the most influential person during a calendar year. How do you intend to influence the judges to pick you as the most deserving contestant? If the looks were based off of hairstyling, I think I would win the judges over in just one glance. But since this isn’t a hair competition, I’d say I’ll win them over with my charisma, nerve, talent and uniqueness. As pharmacy students, why is it important that we support Movember? We are all budding professionals, and because of that we have an obligation to try and support causes such as this. Movember is a

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be and why? Isavuconazonium Sulfate, because I hate mushrooms and mushrooms are a fungus and Isavuconazonium Sulfate is an antifungal so therefore it follows that Isavuconazonium Sulfate would describe me due to its obvious disdain and repulsion to mushrooms. Which audience member are you most hoping to impress with your beachwear competition? My subconscious says the most attractive man in the room, but my internal monologue thinks that answer would anger my partner, so I’m going to go with the judges.

fantastic initiative, and I think that as we progress in our careers, the support, fundraising, and donations we give to the cause will help us to find better therapeutic options for the future generations of pharmacists and healthcare professionals alike. If your friend's had to choose one drug to describe you, what would it

When you found out you were going to be in Mr. Pharmacy what was your reaction? Initially, it was “Oh! That’s pretty cool!” followed by a solemn groan due to the realization that I would have to wear a bathing suit on a stage under industrial lights (which, if you were unaware, are sweltering hot and lead to a large amount of sweat) in front of hundreds of people. Which drug delivery system best represents how you will deliver your performance at Mr. Pharmacy? I’d say Sublingual. I don’t know why. But I think it’s a fun way of delivering drugs. It’s kind of like eating a tic-tac, but instead of getting empty calories and fresh breath, you’re getting a weird taste in your mouth and a disgusted facial expression. What auxiliary label will best describe your talent at Mr. Pharmacy? May Cause Drowsiness. Half because I have a really dry sense of humour, half because I’m always sleep-deprived. If you could travel through time would you go into the future or into the past? And why? Future for sure, since that way I could see what kinds of cool new technology and gain insight so I could then go back to the present and make big cool changes to the world and maybe get a few bucks out of it. Why are you the next Mr.

First Year Contestant (Class Of 2021)

Scott Dyer

Pharmacy: Man of November? November is a rugged month. Snow falls, temperatures drop, and only the rugged, hairy lumberjacks thrive. This is a month of a hairy upper lip and I am quite confident that I have the hairiest upper lip of them all.

Which audience member are you most hoping to impress with your beachwear competition? Anna Kendrick, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a crush on her ever since the first time I saw the movie Pitch Perfect 2â&#x20AC;Ś Wait, she is coming right? When you found out you were going to be in Mr. Pharmacy what was your reaction? I just felt a lot of pride. I have never had the opportunity to have this significant of an impact on a charitable event and it is really something that I will be proud of my whole life. Whether or not I captivate the audience with my lack of talent and average bod at best, I feel honored to be a part of such a great event, and will give 100% effort to try and enhance the show in any way I can.

Some say that time is more precious than money, how have you spent most of your time preparing for Mr. Pharmacy? I have spent most of my time volunteering with the Wee-Read program, exercising my heart instead of by biceps, chest, abs, and booty. Hopefully the judges take this into consideration when evaluating the beachwear competition. Time Magazine picks their Person of the Year by determining who is the most influential person during a calendar year. How do you intend to influence the judges to pick you as the most deserving contestant? Well the morning of the first event I planned as 2021 Social Rep. the Facebook statistics listed 115 students attending and 3 maybe. I want to explain to the judges that if I can do that within one month, the influence I would be able to generate in one year with the title of Mr. Pharmacy is probably off the charts. As pharmacy students, why is it important that we support Movember? Pharmacy is a profession. As students we represent that profession. I think one of the most important parts of being a professional is to be a role model to other members of society. By supporting this specific cause, we are showing the rest of society that student pharmacists, and in turn the profession of pharmacy, really do care about the health of the people on a level deeper than just a business level. If your friend's had to choose one drug to describe you, what would it be and why? I would be Benadryl. I am always there to calm down a friend who is over reacting to

something. Also, if you mix tequila and Benadryl, bad things happen. If you mix tequila and I, the outcome can also be pretty wild. (Disclaimer: I strongly discourage all readers from trying either of the aforementioned).

Which drug delivery system best represents how you will deliver your performance at Mr. Pharmacy? Ophthalmic dosing: Just a little bit of concentrated material needed to get a result and some watering eyes. What auxiliary label will best describe your talent at Mr. Pharmacy? Caution: Federal law PROHIBITS the transfer of this drug to any person other than for whom the patient it was prescribed. If you could travel through time would you go into the future or into the past? And why? The future, seriously, the future is so exciting. There is a lot of bad things in our world and people get caught up on the shortcomings of humanity. However I feel as though we are headed into the right direction, and that we should focus on the positives. We have a long way to go, but there are so many global initiatives, and good people in the world trying to make a difference. I truly do think there is a bright future out there for us, and that as individuals we must believe this and live our lives as if that is the case. (Plus I really want to see how the whole inhabiting Mars thing turns out).

Second Year Contestant (Class Of 2020)

Teddy Yoo

Why are you the next Mr. Pharmacy: Man of November? I go to most lectures on time, eat a healthy and balanced breakfast, and have pretty good aseptic technique. If you're thinking that these skills don't have anything to do with winning the competition and thus won't help me, you are right. Yikes.

seeing as how we both only do 5-10% of the work we're supposed to do. If you try to push us any harder we just become toxic and then kill ya, sucker. Theophylline and I have zero selectivity (for receptors and girls, respectively), but it works well with the fact that we make your heart flutter and race no matter who you are hehe.

Some say that time is more precious than money, how have you spent most of your time preparing for Mr. Pharmacy? Long story short, I have not. But they call me clutch daddy for a reason, so don't sleep on me, folks.

Which audience member are you most hoping to impress with your beachwear competition? Hmm not gonna lie, there are some cuties walking around Med Sci these days. Given that, I've got the hots for this one girl so

Time Magazine picks their Person of the Year by determining who is the most influential person during a calendar year. How do you intend to influence the judges to pick you as the most deserving contestant? Same way I do exams. With a lot of hard work and a little of the good stuff underneath the table if you know what I mean. As pharmacy students, why is it important that we support Movember? Not only for pharmacy students, I think Movember is a fantastic cause to support for anyone. Just the broad range of people that their cause touches is one of many reasons to help out. Even someone you would never think is suffering might actually be miserable. Men on average, according to their website, die about 6 years earlier than women. There are a variety of factors responsible, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental illnesses. As future pharmacists, we will attempt to treat at least one but probably all of these in practice. Thus, helping out the fight now through Movember makes logical sense to me and I am beyond honoured to participate as a contestant in Mr. Pharmacy this year. If your friend's had to choose one drug to describe you, what would it be and why? I think theophylline suits me pretty well,

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hopefully she comes out to cheer me on! When you found out you were going to be in Mr. Pharmacy what was your reaction? Considering the number of talents I possess, this is almost as frightening as that one time Velazquez was picking people to answer questions and he called me out. I would imagine the random student selector in pharmacokinetics getting you is a similar experience to this as well.

Which drug delivery system best represents how you will deliver your performance at Mr. Pharmacy? I'm going to go with an instant release mechanism, because I'm leaving it all out there with no restraints or regrets. What auxiliary label will best describe your talent at Mr. Pharmacy? Assuming all goes well, "Should be taken with plenty of water". Rumour has it that there's going to be some content that makes both the boys and girls quite thirsty. If you could travel through time would you go into the future or into the past? And why? Being such a youngin, if I set the dial even a smidge too far back, I'd probably end up looking at myself as a fetus. I don't really want to take that chance, so I think I would opt for the future. Not that I would read it or anything, but it would be cool to see the thousandth chapter of the USP published. Oh wait...

Second Year Contestant (Class Of 2020)

Lawrence Woo

Why are you the next Mr. Pharmacy: Man of November? To simply represent the Faculty of Pharmacy as one of the faces for the biggest fundraising initiative of the year is an incredible privilege. There is still SO SO SO much to work to be done to be a “better candidate”: to be more proactive in the initiative, to be more diligent in studies, to be grow a moustache….. The title of Mr. Pharmacy is a great one and I am by no means worthy. Though it would be cool to be to bring back the Mr. Rx title to the Class of 2020 - please support the other amazing candidates and the initiative to your fullest of your capacities! Thanks for rooting for me and I will be sure to put on a good show (:

more we step out to support health initiatives such as Movember, the greater we develop ourselves professionally by supporting future patients that are both within and beyond our direct care. We are not only advocating for the awareness and support for populations of men who battle with prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health issues, but also our professional voice as we will one day be the leaders in our field of practice. So, let’s not wait for that moment of conviction to make a stand for someone you may know personally that is battling with a disease or stigma. There will always be a need for us to step up for our patients that have yet or cannot stand for themselves. This Movember, get involved! Be part of the

Some say that time is more precious than money, how have you spent most of your time preparing for Mr. Pharmacy? Praying- Philippians 4:13 !! Although I am neither physically or mentally prepared for all that’s to come as a Mr. Rx contestant, I’m confident things will fall into place. I’ve also been trying to get huge for the beachwear contest amidst all the chaos that is second year pharmacy. Time Magazine picks their Person of the Year by determining who is the most influential person during a calendar year. How do you intend to influence the judges to pick you as the most deserving contestant? According to my Anatomy textbook the way to someone’s heart is through the stomach. I’m going to win the judges over, per os. As pharmacy students, why is it important that we support Movember? It’s not expected for everyone to get involved during Pharmacy school. Although it’s highly encouraged by accomplished students and faculty staff, admittedly, complacency has been a common theme in aspects of my education and personal life. However, the

Firstly my parents, for all the food and support they have given me qd, and prn. They’ve been incredibly supportive perhaps overly with my increased food consumption as they are force feeding me in the hopes that I will look as plump and cute as I once did as a baby. Also, I’m hoping to impress my Church FAM, hopefully Teddy and I will come up with something that isn’t TOO TOO wild… but still a fan favorite. When you found out you were going to be in Mr. Pharmacy what was your reaction? I first saw the email notification while I was on a trip abroad this summer. Since it was a meme among my friends to be Mr. Rx, I kind of saw it coming, just not this soon. Nevertheless, I was quite surprised and extremely flattered for being voted. After several pep talks, and the powerful communication tool known as motivational interviewing I accepted to be a contestant! Which drug delivery system best represents how you will deliver your performance at Mr. Pharmacy? PO… Extended Release. What auxiliary label will best describe your talent at Mr. Pharmacy? May cause nausea or vomiting.

fundraising opportunities, events and amidst all the beautiful staches, fun, and hard work don’t lose sight of what Mr. Pharmacy is really here for: men’s mental health, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer. If your friend's had to choose one drug to describe you, what would it be and why? Zopiclone because I’m always sleeping … (in). Which audience member are you most hoping to impress with your beachwear competition?

If you could travel through time would you go into the future or into the past? And why? Past. Reason 1: I feel that being able to witness history unfold itself to present day would be really cool. Reason 2: Being able to meet the people you’ve learned/heard about in class, documentaries, books, movies would be more advantageous than travelling into the future and meeting people you have yet to possibly meet. Reason 4: There’s still a lot to learn from the past and going in the future is too much to wrap my head around.

Third Year Contestant (Class Of 2019)

Jordan Turba

The one and only Dr. Dion Brocks. Why are you the next Mr. Pharmacy: Man of November? This will be my first year attempting to grow the stache and hopes are high that I can inspire others to do so too with my sub-par muzzy in spirits of Movember. Some say that time is more precious than money, how have you spent most of your time preparing for Mr. Pharmacy? Googling ideas and coming up empty. Time Magazine picks their Person of the Year by determining who is the most influential person during a calendar year. How do you intend to influence the judges to pick you as the most deserving contestant? Executing a perfect NOD and a 2/10 performance.

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As pharmacy students, why is it important that we support Movember? As a healthcare professional we are advocates for our patients and this includes supporting healthcare initiatives. In men, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and therefore has the potential to affect many our future patients. Supporting Movember is supporting future research and awareness of menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health. If your friend's had to choose one drug to describe you, what would it be and why? Salbutamol, you can use me as much as you want in an emergency. Which audience member are you most hoping to impress with your beachwear competition?

When you found out you were going to be in Mr. Pharmacy what was your reaction? I think you got the wrong Jordan. Which drug delivery system best represents how you will deliver your performance at Mr. Pharmacy? Immediate release, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be short and sweet. What auxiliary label will best describe your talent at Mr. Pharmacy? Generic equivalent. If you could travel through time would you go into the future or into the past? And why? Backwards so I could actually hit puberty and grow a mustache.

Third Year Contestant (Class Of 2019)

Carlo Tipan

Which audience member are you most hoping to impress with your beachwear competition? Aaron Chy. When you found out you were going to be in Mr. Pharmacy what was your reaction? Initially super excited, then ended off being really nervous. Kind of like when you get paired up with a cute lab partner: first you’re super pumped but then you realise you actually have to prepare for lab so you don’t look like a goof. Why are you the next Mr. Pharmacy: Man of November? I think even attempting to grow facial hair given my genetic disadvantage should be more than enough. Some say that time is more precious than money, how have you spent most of your time preparing for Mr. Pharmacy? Sleeping in and running late for class. I might hit the iron here and there. Time Magazine picks their Person of the Year by determining who is the most influential person during a calendar year. How do you intend to influence the judges to pick you as the most deserving contestant? I might slip em a quick fiver or maybe a twenty if I’m feeling generous.

As pharmacy students, why is it important that we support Movember? In general I believe that any opportunity to promote the health and wellness of any demographic is important, even more so for healthcare professionals. We have a responsibility to get this information out there so why not do it in a way that will have them talking? Conversation is good, actions are better. If your friend's had to choose one drug to describe you, what would it be and why? I’d say a placebo pill. I’ll have you thinking I’m doing a lot when I’m really not doing much. They say showing up is half the battle and thankfully, for a placebo, that’s all you really have to do.

Which drug delivery system best represents how you will deliver your performance at Mr. Pharmacy? I’d say intranasal would describe it best. You’ll probably smell the Crown Royal from your seats. What auxiliary label will best describe your talent at Mr. Pharmacy? “Take with plenty of water” because it’ll leave you thirsty for more. If you could travel through time would you go into the future or into the past? And why? The past. Definitely. So I could experience the birth of my first born all over again. Totally kidding I don’t have a kid but it would be cool to listen to my favorite tunes and watch my favorite movies/ shows all over again for the first time.

Fourth Year Contestant (Class Of 2018)

Dimitri Kachenyuk

Why are you the next Mr. Pharmacy: Man of November? Being Mr. Pharmacy is something I was born to do. I dreamt of this moment from my early diaper days back in Ukraine, and my classmates knew that. This is also my opportunity to jump start my career as a Broadway actor, in the event that my PEBCs don’t play out as planned. Some say that time is more precious than money, how have you spent most of your time preparing for Mr. Pharmacy? I spent most of my time deliberating which one of my countless non-existent talents I should show on stage. After that I usually cry myself to sleep and then go back to my rotation the next day and repeat the procedure. Can counselling on suppositories be a talent? Time Magazine picks their Person of the Year by determining who is the most influential person during a calendar year. How do you intend to influence the judges to pick you as the most deserving contestant? Guts, glory, and showing lots of skin. As pharmacy students, why is it important that we support Movember? Movember is about promoting men’s health and raising funds for testicular and prostate cancer, as well as men’s mental health. However, what is even more important is raising awareness. Awareness of the issues is going to be the biggest driver of change, and pharmacy students play a key role in advocating for the health of our patients. If your friends had to choose one drug to describe you, what would it be and why? Marijuana, because I’m almost legal in this country. Which audience member are you most hoping to impress with your beachwear competition? Lisa Guirguis, because my use of the word “frustrated” has never been enough. When you found out you were going to be in Mr. Pharmacy what was your reaction? D: DK received an email regarding being voted in as Mr. Pharmacy. Had a mild panic attack, rush of excitement, and possible Serotonin Syndrome. A: Mr. Pharmacy is indicated, safe, and effective for publicly making a fool of

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yourself for charity. P: Counselled self to immediately sign-up for a gym membership and lifestyle changes (water and toast only TID). Will monitor for improvement in: dancing, figure, talents. Which drug delivery system best represents how you will deliver your performance at Mr. Pharmacy? Subcutaneous, because it’s quick and efficient, but stings a little more than others. What auxiliary label will best describe your talent at Mr. Pharmacy?

If you could travel through time would you go into the future or into the past? And why? I’d obviously go back in time and sit through my Pharmaceutics lectures again, because I now understand the importance of knowing about the 47.8 types of different plastics.

Fourth Year Contestant (Class Of 2018)

Steven Quan

Why are you the next Mr. Pharmacy: Man of November? I think it's time someone from the Class of 2018 wins Mr. Pharmacy and I really believe I have what it takes to win it all this year. My personal strengths are really going to be on display that night, especially during the talent and beachwear portion of the competition, and I can’t wait for the audience to see this. Some say that time is more precious than money, how have you spent most of your time preparing for Mr. Pharmacy? Studying for PEBC’s. My brain is probably the only muscle in the body which is going to look impressive that night. Time Magazine picks their Person of the Year by determining who is the most influential person during a calendar year. How do you intend to influence the judges to pick you as the most deserving contestant? My cute boyish charm and smile is going to go a long way to convince the judges to make me the next Mr. Pharmacy. After all, who can’t resist a little Steven Quan. As pharmacy students, why is it important that we support Movember? Men’s health affects us all and it’s important to raise awareness about these issues that can have an impact on us on a daily basis. As future health professionals, this impacts us even more as many of our patients may be living with these various conditions. Supporting Mr. Pharmacy and the Movember Canada foundation through the power of the moustache helps fund various initiatives and research projects around the world that will hopefully lead to men living longer, happier, and healthy lives. If your friend's had to choose one drug to describe you, what would it be and why? Any beta blocker because I’m a heart stopper, but preferably a second generation cardioselective one like metoprolol since I cut straight to the heart; be careful you don’t overdose on me though... Which audience member are you most hoping to impress with your beachwear competition? That person knows who they are...I’ll be looking out for them ;) When you found out you were going

to be in Mr. Pharmacy what was your reaction? I didn’t even know if I could grow a moustache that will show anything by the end of the month. I’m sure it will be much thicker and impressive than Anuvir and Chandan’s moustaches though, so at least I can take comfort in that (but shoutout to Anuvir’s new top knot). Which drug delivery system best represents how you will deliver your performance at Mr. Pharmacy? Immediate release capsule; the audience will be getting a huge dose of Steven Quan

right from the start. That peak concentration is going to hit fast and they’ll see an effect right away. What auxiliary label will best describe your talent at Mr. Pharmacy? “Keep in Fridge”, just because that stage is gonna be too hot to touch once I’m through with it. If you could travel through time would you go into the future or into the past? And why? I’d want to go into the future.

Therapeutic Tent Talk Have you ever set up a tent and

have one of the poles hit you in the face? No? Just me? Okay. Whether you are camping in the great outdoors or playing your favourite sport, there is always a risk of injury. Associated with that injury is pain. There are various types of pain that we will discuss in this issue of Therapeutic Tent Talk and we hope after reading this, you will gain newfound knowledge in helping patients select appropriate medication(s) to treat certain types of pain. DISCALIMER! Although topics discussed will be targeted to pharmacy students of all years, practice to your competence level. This article is not intended to be a replacement for a therapeutics course. The purpose of this article is to supplement knowledge and provide basic background information to the selected therapeutic topic. | 16 |

Pain is defined as any unpleasant sensory or

emotional event that is associated with tissue damage, or the perception that such damage has occurred. Pain can be classified as being nociceptive or neuropathic. Nociceptive pain occurs when there is actual tissue damage to the body. Examples include breaking/fracturing bones, incisional injury (e.g. those nasty paper cuts), and even other causes such as bowel obstruction. Patients will often describe the pain as a sharp, dull, and throbbing. In contrast, neuropathic pain occurs when there is no tissue damage, but rather, pathological damage to neurons. This type of pain includes diabetic neuropathy, spinal stenosis, post herpetic neuralgia, and phantom limb pain. Neuropathic pain is described as burning, electric tingling, and shooting, or a lack of sensation. Acute pain is defined as pain occurring for less than 4 weeks. In contrast, chronic pain is pain occurring for greater than 6 weeks.

S - describe the pain. C - use the pain scale (see image above). Sharp, dull, throbbing pain? Or burning and tingling sensation? Is it affecting daily life (eg. missing work, social isolation, mood)? H - has this happened in the past? Medications or non-pharmacological measures used in the past to reduce pain? O - when did the pain first begin? What were the activities that may have contributed to injury? L - where is the pain? Is it spreading? A - what makes the pain worse? Physical activity or movement? R - what makes the pain better? Ice? Heat? Massage? Have you taken anything for the pain? Red flags requires further investigation and a referral to a physician. • Infection • Inadequate pain relief from non-prescription medications • Reduction in quality of life • Pain not associated with injury • Persistent pain >4 weeks (chronic pain) • Idiopathic pain

The goals of therapy when treating acute pain: • Treat the underlying cause of pain • Reduce pain by 30-50% or eliminate pain • Minimizing adverse effects • Improve quality of life Pharmacological options for ACUTE pain: 1. Acetaminophen (mild-moderate pain): Immediate release dosage form: 325-1000 mg Q46H (max 4000 mg daily) • Contraindicated in hepatic impairment or failure • Caution as cough & cold and some codeine products may also contain acetaminophen 2. Ibuprofen (mild-moderate pain): 200-400 mg Q6-8H (max 2400 mg daily) • Consider dose adjustments: • History of peptic ulcer disease • Cardiovascular disease (HTN, heart failure, CAD, etc.) • Renal and hepatic diseases • Contraindications • Active gastrointestinal bleed • Severe renal impairment (CrCl <30 mL/min) • Significant hepatic impairment • Pregnancy (1st and 3rd trimester) 3. Rub A535 (Methyl Salicylate) (mild pain): Apply to affected area 3-5 times daily. • Avoid mucous membranes (causes irritation) • Do not wrap affected area with bandage • Do not apply heat to affected area • Skin irritation 4. Voltaren Emulgel (Diclofenac) (mild-moderate pain): Apply to affected area twice daily. • Do not apply to open wounds and mucous membranes • Skin irritation Non-pharmacological options: 1. R.I.C.E.: Rest, ice, compress, elevate immediately after acute injury (if possible) 2. Application of heat (>48 hours after injury) 3. Massage 4. Remain active References 1. Acute Pain CTC from RxTx

Apps of the Month By: Ziqi Wang

Stigma (Price: free)

Forest by Seektrtech (Price: $2.79)

What is it?

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• A mobile app designed to increase productivity (available on iOS and Android) How does it work?

A mobile app that allows you to keep track of your mood (available on iOS)

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Alternative app for Android: Daylio - Diary, Journal, Mood Tracker (Price: free) How does it work?

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Set a time to be productive and do not use your phone during that time as your tree or shrub is growing

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Pick from up to 17 different moods and in up to 200 • characters, you can write a short journal entry to elaborate on your mood

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If you exit the app for any reason during the time you set, the virtual tree or shrub you could have planted will be killed

Word maps and graphs are created based on your entries to help you visualize trends in your mood

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The mood calendar allows you to reminisce on previous entries

If you remain productive for the time you set, not only does the virtual tree or shrub get planted, you will also accumulate virtual coins that can be used towards planting real trees in Africa

• Set daily reminders so that you don’t forget to write Pros? •

• • •

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The longer the time you set, the more coins you will accumulate Pros? •

Entries are private and can even be passwordprotected for extra security

You can view the garden of virtual trees and shrubs you planted on a given day

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Not overly time-consuming if you can write an entry in 5 minutes or less

It is motivating to think that your productivity could plant real trees

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Optional white noise for those who need background noise to be productive You can connect with anonymous users (Penpals) and Cons? participate in community discussions

Cons?

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Not free - think of the purchase as an investment for your learning

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Will not stop you from leaving the app to use your phone - it is still up to you to discipline yourself

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You need to create an account to use the app

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You can only pick from the available 17 moods

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Some features such as advanced analytics require upgrading the app (1-month free trial followed by $2.99/ Final verdict? month) Give Forest a try, especially if you find that you are strugNot meant to be a substitute for professional gling to put down your phone when you are studying counseling services

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Final comments? being aware of your mood patterns and how they affect your mental well -being is a critical part of managing stress. Stigma is an app that helps you acknowledge and accept how you are feeling.

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Photo credits: Apple Store

Healthy grubbing for the busy, budgetsensitive student By: Sandy Xu

While the occasional ramen meal might be ac4. Stuck on a meal plan? No problem. While you ceptable, Pharmacy students lead busy, eventful might be limited in your food options. There’s lives and deserve the right nutrition to fuel their always a way to be conscious about what you day to day activities. Below are the latest tips and bite into. Inquire about the ingredients, read hacks to healthy eating on a time crunch and into the menu often presented at college cafeterias to at least understand what you’re ofbudget. fered. Remember when your mother asked 1. Preparation time seem like a burden? Try you to be less picky about what’s on your preparing the lunch or dinner days in advance plate? This time, you’re doing exactly the opand refrigerate the tupperware contents. The posite. Except focusing on only the healthier next time the Tim Hortons wait is too long, options. French fry-days might not be an awtry preparing your own sandwiches and soups ful idea, so long as it’s not on the plate 5 days ahead of time. Of course, packing a lunch of the week. might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Weekends may be the prime time to 5. Despite what experts say about processed dedicate to packing for the 5 days of the week. foods, a select variety may be of equal nutriObtaining a stash of tupperware containers is tional value to whole, unprocessed foods. For a must. You can easily load your salads, soups example, canned tomatoes can’t be healthier and snacks for the following week. One probthan the hand-picked tomatoes on vine found lem encountered over the years was the bane at your local supermarket right? In reality, of consuming food without variety when tomato paste in fact has higher concentration meals are prepped in advance. However, chalof lycopenes, a biological molecule that prolenge yourself by packing variety. Use a fridge tect against a series of cancers from lung to calendar to monitor the package date to keep prostate cancer. This antioxidant is wellknown for its capacity to counter negative efyour lunches fresh. fects of cholesterol as well. Despite higher salt 2. Replace a big lunch with smaller, spaced-out content in canned products, there are a few snacking sessions. Research has shown that hold its value. One rule of thumb howevsnacking not only keeps our stomachs feeling er, the lower the number of processing steps, full, but reduces incidence of obesity. So the typically the healthier the food. Frozen fruits next time you’re going for the combo meal at for example requires minimal processing beMcdonald's, try for a pack of pistachios or a sides freezing, thus can be a great source of bag of mandarin oranges instead. Vitamins for the busy scholar. 3. Less is more. Imagine purchasing a new home. One home is fully furnished, ready-tolive vs large home with frequent leakages and recurring problems. Which would you pick? You get the idea. Similarly, nutrition stresses quality over quantity. In my freshman year of university, I would dedicate a coupon book to spending less and eating more. As you might guess, the plan was a disaster. Not only did I feel unmotivated and unenergetic following a high-fat diet, but it lead to series of upset stomach and metabolic issues. In hindsight, opting for smaller serving sizes of quality food might have saved myself the discomfort. In combination with effective snacking, selecting for quality can truly be the holy grail of healthy dieting on a budget

Life of an MBA/Pharmacy Student By: Ethos Ho

Are you a pharmacy student that is on-board the pharmacy train going anywhere? Do you wish to seek opportunities beyond the traditional community and hospital settings? Are you the type of person that wants to integrate creativity, business, and leadership into your clinical arsenal? Then the combined pharmacy/MBA degree could be for you! Anuvir Bhullar is a pharmacy student from the Class of 2018 who decided to further his education with a combined MBA degree that is offered after the third year of pharmacy. He will be resuming his pharmacy studies in the fall of 2018, where he will complete forth year and graduate with the class of 2019 (with me! :D)

tation course that teaches basic skills like interviewing, resume-building, networking and using LinkedIn, for example. It's definitely a really practical and useful class, and there are no exams for it so that's always a plus! 4. Do you think an MBA degree would only benefit students who wish to start a business or be in a managerial role?

There are lots of different people who may benefit from getting an MBA, and it's definitely not limited to only potential business owners or managers. If you're interested in working in government, industry, insurance, policymaking, or even hospital administration, a lot of the skills gained in an MBA would be transferable to those positions. 1. What did you do before you went into pharmacy A pharmacy degree on it's own can already take you beyond school? Was it always your goal to go into pharma- the typical hospital/community paradigm if you want, but cy? Did you want to apply for the MBA program an MBA really opens up a new door of opportunities and ever since you got into pharmacy? would likely put you ahead of the pack if you're vying for a niche position. Prior to pharmacy, I completed two years of a general sciences degree here at the U of A. Pharmacy school was al5. Any advice you would give prospective stuways Plan A for me because it seemed like the perfect cross dents? between healthcare and business, and that fit in nicely with You may have had the combined degree on your radar what I wanted in a profession. Plan B was business school. since Day 1, or maybe you've never considered it to be an So when I was looking at applying into pharmacy and I saw option for you. Either way, don't just overlook it because the option to get an MBA combined degree, it seemed like your friends aren't doing it or because you had a bad time the perfect opportunity to get the best of both worlds. in previous business classes. Definitely go to the information sessions and really give it some thought, because it's a great chance to get a completely different set of skills 2. What are your career goals with an additional while you're still in school. And please feel free to reach out MBA degree? How do you think an MBA can supto me if you have any questions! plement a pharmacy degree? I would say that my main career goal over the past three years has always been to get into pharmacy ownership in the community. There's no doubt that an MBA would help make that easier just by virtue of the material taught in class, but the one thing I never realized going into the MBA was how much you learn outside the classroom. There are people in the program from all over the world, with completely different backgrounds and connections, and you're taught how to leverage those connections and your own skill set to create your best possible career path in whichever industry you're in - even pharmacy. 3. What is your class schedule like for your fall and winter semesters? There are 5 core classes in both Fall term and Winter term plus a few electives that need to be taken in Spring/ Summer, and also opportunities available for international study tours. All of those classes are business-related, but overall it's a very manageable schedule with lots of open time blocks and reasonably spaced out exams. What would you say is your most interesting and/ or favorite class? The most interesting class for me so far has been our Business Skills class. It's basically a two month business orien| 20 |

Feel free to contact Anuvir at anuvir@ualberta.ca if you have any questions!

Rx for Deliciousness By: Jonathon Thomson

Do you know someone that suffers from cheesecake cravings? Then we have this Blueberry Cheesecake prescription for you to compound!

The Crust Place 1-1 ½ cups of finely ground graham crumbs into a bowl. Mix it with: • 1/3 cup of white sugar • 1/3 cup of brown sugar • 6 tablespoons of melted butter • ½ tablespoon of cinnamon (optional) Once mixed, place all ingredients and press into a sprayed 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 375˚F oven for 7 min. Remove and let it cool.

Cream Cheese Filling Combine 1 (8 ounce package) of softened cream cheese with: • 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk (Warning: evaporated milk is contraindicated in this recipe) • 1/3 cup of lemon juice • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract • ½ cup of walnuts (optional) Mix all ingredients on high for 3 to 4 hours. Place on cooled crust and refrigerate for 3 hours.

The Blueberry (or use whatever fruit) Topping Combine the following in a small sauce pan to a boil (while stirring constantly): • 2 cups of blueberries/whatever fruit you want (can use frozen) • ½ cup of white sugar • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch • ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg • ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon • ½ cup of water Once boiling, let it cook for 2 minutes to thicken. Afterwards, remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and let it cool. Once three hours has passed since refrigerating, pour the topping over the filling and crust. Sig: Eat entire contents q6h prn

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