Esther Yang

9:05AM – 10:00AM class

Prof. Jason Arenstein

Cover Page

Revising this essay was easier for me to write rather than writing the first essay. I had so many comments from my partner Ashley, writing center, and Prof. Jason Arenstein. It was clearer how to write this essay. First, I was clueless and didn’t how to even start the essay but the conference helped me a lot. Also from writing center, I was able to learn more about work citation. I still had difficulty combining all the sources together because each one of them was talking about individual technology.

Esther Yang

Instructor: Arenstein

Semester Topic: Technology solves a few issues but brings some negative issues to delivering drugs.

Inquiry Question: How do these new technologies affect this pharmacy?

Object-Text: Pharmacist/Pharmacy – Dr. Jina Kim, CVS (Astoria)

Two sources:

1. Mckim, A.S. & Sturb, Robert, “Dimethyl Sulfoxide USP, PhEur in Approved pharmaceutical Products and Medical Devices” May 2008 Volume 32 number pg 74-84. December 5, 2007

2. Don Dietz RPh. “Emerging Pharmacy Technology: Rx for Success” January 27, 2006

Topic: This essay is to build on the inquiry question by using two lens texts to re-interpret the object text.

Title: Innovation of Pharmacy

I. Intro of my first inquiry question

Inquiry question: Is pharmacy in the process of improving thanks to new technology?

II. The Evolution of the Thesis

A. Initial Hypothesis: Pharmacy is in the process improving thanks to new technology

B. Revised Thesis: Through different new technologies that are being invented, pharmacy is in the process of improving.

III. Introduction

A. Brief summary and description of my object text

B. Introduce lens texts and briefly discuss the concepts that I will be using

C. Thesis statement: Through different new technologies that are being invented, pharmacy is in the process of improving.

IV. Supporting Evidence Non-scholarly source (lens-text) “Emerging Pharmacy Technology: Rx for success” by Don Dietz R.Ph.

A. Biggest challenge before E-prescription was formed.

B. Description about the technology.

C. Benefits of emerging pharmacy technology

V. Supporting Evidence Scholarly source ( lens-text) “Mckim, A.S. & Sturb, Robert, “Dimethyl Sulfoxide USP, PhEur in Approved pharmaceutical Products and Medical Device”

A. Before this technology was invented

B. Benefits of this technology

VI. Supporting Evidence: Using both lens-text to view pharmacy right now

A. What now/revised question do I have about how technology impacts the pharmacy?

VII. Conclusion

A. By looking at different types of new technology, the pharmacy is improving

B. Statement of Significance: Two technologies show that pharmacy is improving.

“Innovation of Pharmacy”

The first time I entered pharmacy, I was amazed by the medication available to the people. It was stacked inside a glossy package and placed on a tall shelve. We see that pharmacy is constantly changing how pharmacists deliver medications to us. The methods have been changing by inventing new technologies to find the best way to deliver medications to patients. Technologies have helped pharmacy improve but it was leading into different issues, for example, if they find advantages, they would find disadvantages. The question that arises would be if it is possible to resolve this issue, while retaining the advantages of technology.

Over viewing and interviewing a local pharmacist helped me gather information about the technology that they use today. It is a simple technology that looks like a computer. It indicates the location, label, and the usage of a drug. This technology reduces the error in prescribing the drugs. But the disadvantage is that the system would be hacked because the information is not locked. They are working how to put these information locked so no one would be able to hack into the computer. This technology can resolve on delivering drugs. This information can identify that the process is getting better and have evolved from the past.

The question is “Is the pharmacy in the process of improving thanks to new technologies?” Throughout the two sources, it has been proved that many technicians are trying hard to make many different kinds of technologies to improve to process/deliverance. One source is scholarly source, which is called Dimethyl Sulfoxide USP, PhEur in Approved Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Devices. It introduces the new technology called DMSO which makes a great impact in pharmacy. Second source is the non-scholarly source. It is a blog where vice president of pharmacy health care solution, Inc. discusses about the new technology called e-prescribe.

Don Dietz R.Ph., M.S., vice president of healthcare solutions, Inc., have introduced a new technology called e-prescription. The blog starts off with past disadvantages. In the past, biggest challenge was that all the system in pharmacy were outdated, using old barcodes, and have been patched together with bolted on enhancements. With replacing with new technology, it would make many issues be solved. The technology itself is cheaper and that has been updated. It would be able to scan bar codes, robotics, and it would be provided with automated product machine (ATM). The ATM machine for Rx is a machine for patients to pick up their medication in any markets that patients are comfortable to pick up at. Also this device would come with IVR technology that would remind the pharmacists about the refills and offers to enroll patients in manufacturer programs for targeted patients. This operation is not necessary. It is an optional. But having this technology, E-prescribing, would improve workflow and alternate site activities such as central fill, central processing, and load balancing. If this technology emerges with pharmacy, it integrates new technology into pharmacy dispensing process. Also it dispenses more Rxs safely with new technology meaning it would have better controls. E-prescribing complies with updated pharmacy laws and new laws. It controls and checks to minimize Rx errors meaning it double checks it. It is able to provide access to remote areas and create twenty four hour pharmacy service. This system makes it have less paper but more digital storage, such as, signatures, and patient’s records. It solves financial problems because e-prescribe saves $0.97 per prescription in pharmacy labor cost and all refills saved $0.37 per prescription in pharmacy labor costs. It is a great technology.

Dimethyl Sulfoxide USP, PhEur (DMSO) is another device that has many abilities. This device can improve the delivery of the medications and help improve the pharmacy by helping medical polymer dissolve in DMSO and administer in solution into the body, which this process helps the patients to take the medication easier. This system is very precise of deliverance and this precise delivery is controlled by osmotic technology. This device has been approved everywhere. This device was proved in parenteral products, Oral products, and products for animal health. “Stabilizing product formulations: DMSO may be present in product formulations as a cosolvent intended to keep formulation components in solution.” (Mckim, 74) This means that it keeps the medication in great condition. “The delivery of medical polymers may be dissolved in DMSO and administered in solution into the body.” (Mckim, 74) The medication, polymer, would easily be dissolved with DMSO and would be easily injected to the body.

DMSO was introduced in the early 1960 but was not able to establish it because of some issues. In the 1960s, the device could not be able to prescribe the right drug for the patients. It would prescribe wrong medications. The device, DMSO, was abusing pharmacists and patients. These issues made a huge influence and they tried very hard to improve this device. Now, it has passed the test and it is being released.

There are similarities and differences in these two sources. The similarity between these two sources is that they are both two new technology that would improve pharmacy. They both reduce the errors that are made in prescription. The difference is that each technology has different kinds of jobs. DMSO is a device where it helps the medication stay fresh. E-prescription is a system that helps deliver the medication simply and without errors. This system also helps the patients easier and comfortable to pick up their medication.

It is certainly improving after researching about these new technologies. Many scientists are working hard to get rid of the disadvantages that they had in the past. My object – text was a pharmacist that I interviewed and pharmacy, where I overviewed pharmacy. Like the two sources that I have researched, technologies were not being used in the pharmacy yet. The issue begins here. If all these new technologies are being invented and being established, why are they not using the new technologies immediately? Also, would it make a big impact in pharmacy? As of now, patient fills the form about the general information about themselves and the insurance that they have. Then, pharmacist takes the prescription and the form with them and enters the information into the computer, which tells everything about the medication. If they replace the technology called E-prescribe, the process would be easier and have fewer errors. If they want to improve deliverance of medications, they should immediately change this because we won’t have to see anymore of the errors that are made.

As I was doing my research about this topic, many questions have been developed. My next inquiry question would be “how do these new technologies affect/ play a role in pharmacy?” As I was doing this essay, it helped me develop more knowledge about these new technologies.

Work Cited

Dietz, Don, RPh. “Emerging Pharmacy Technology: Rx for success”. January 27, 2006.

Kim, Jina. Personal interview. 10 Sept. 2008

Mckim, A.S. & Sturb, Robert. “Dimethyl Sulfoxide USP, PhEur in Approved Pharmaceutical Products and Medical Devices.” Pharmaceutical Technology May 2008 Volume 32. 5 Dec 2007. 74-84