El Blog Fiñal -Alissa Carlson

Okay, so this class has really changed my viewpoints on a lot of things.

I currently work in a pharmacy. As you can imagine, the drug unit was really interesting for me. I think learning about medications and the addictive or non-addictive qualities it can have is super intriguing. We touched base on the female viagra (insert Simon Cowell saying "it's a no from me" here), generic vs. brand name, as well as narcotics, etc. There are so many different medications that have multiple uses that I just cannot keep straight.

I don't remember exactly if we talked about this, but I have become more and more interested in Gabapentin and medications being used for purposes other than its original discovery. For starters, it is a commonly prescribed medication that was originally used as an anticonvulsant, and can be used in people that experience seizures and pain caused by shingles. In more recent years, it has become a use for nerve pain. It all started on one day when someone called in for a refill, and he didn't know the name for the medication but stated that it was for, "Phantom limb pain." Obviously, me being relatively new, I placed the person on hold and asked my Pharmacist WTF is a phantom limb and how is pain still attached to it? So many questions, so little time. Anyway, I learned that Gabapentin can be used as an anti-psychotic as well and that many experience this sort of pain. The government is actually regulating this more because of its use as a non-narcotic for pain relief.

This is kind of messy, just like my brain, but let me just say that I found the drug unit the most interesting. Learning about interactions within the brain and the methods that companies use to get you to buy their product is fascinating and I have always found an interest in it. I think working in this field has most definitely helped me to better understand the reasons why companies brand their drug over the Target generic as well as the purposes for medications. I agree that there is an epidemic, that doctors should not be prescribing oxycodone for every type of pain, and that the female viagra is dumb.