the voice of the pharmacy student...tions. cjhp provides an overview of the research and in-novation...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 19, Issue 1 2017-2018
MONOGRAPHThe Voice of the Pharmacy Student
In this Issue: UPS Corner:
Upcoming Calendar of Events
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Faculy Interview:
Maria Zhang, CAMH Cli-nician and Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy
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Pharmapheud:
Are you For or AgainstPharmacare?
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Phrosh Recap:
Looking back on Phrosh Week 2017
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Volume 19, Issue 1
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EDITOR’S ADDRESS
The Monograph TeamEditors-in-ChiefErsilia D’Andrea
Narthaanan Srimurugathasan
Staff EditorNatalie Ternamian
1T8 RepresentativeLinda Yang
1T9 RepresentativeJosephine Ho
2T0 RepresentativeFarhat Hossain
2T1 RepresentativeTBD
LayoutJannie Co
PhotographyPharmakon
The Monograph would not be made possible without our dedicated team of
writers and readers like you!
Hey Pham! WeareexcitedtobringyouthefirstprintcopyoftheMonograph! The Monograph representatives, writers, andphotographers have been working hard to put this issue to-gether.WewouldliketoextendawarmwelcometoourLay-outDesignerJannieCoand2T1RepresentativeJulianWong.
This issue, we have a special contest presented by Ed-wardHo. Check out page 21 for the full details. Be sure tofill out the contest and place it in the Monograph Box ontheMonograph stand for a chance to win tickets to FridayNight Live at the ROM!A huge thank you to Edward Hoformaking the contest and giving the prizes.Also, this yearwe are tailoring the “DearDruggist” responses to the ques-tions asked. There will be a different pharmacist answeringthe questions in each issue depending on his/her expertise.Check out page 20 for this issue’s “DearDruggist” column!
We also want to acknowledge Tammy Nguyen, whosephoto was featured on the Monograph Pre-issue cov-er. Her depiction of the Atrium won the 2T0 Mono-graph Photograph contest last year. Way to go Tammy!
Lastly,theMonographwebsiteisrevampedandrunning!Thankyou to our 1T8 Monograph Representative Linda Yang forpreparingthisforus.Goaheadandlike,comment,andshareyour favouriteMonograph articles!As hard copies are limit-ed,feelfreetoprintthecontestfromoursiteandsubmitit.
Visitusat:monograph.uoftpharmacy.com,orusetheQRcode.
Enjoyreading,andwelookforwardtoyoursubmissionsinthefuture!
Ersilia and Narthaanan [email protected]
Volume 19, Issue 1
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UPS ADDRESS
WecannotbelievethatitisalreadyOctober!
Thispastmonthhasbeenanincredibleopportunityforallofustorehashmemoriesfromthesummer,reconnectwithfriends,andrechargesociallybeforemidtermsgetunderway.WitheventssuchastheBoatCruise,SoccerCup (CONGRATS UofT!), and 2T1 Orientation Ban-quetallwrappedup,welookforwardtoourFallline-upofeventsforyoutorecoverfromthosemidtermblues!
Havealookatourfallcalendarofeventsbelowtosched-ule in some rest and relaxation! Most notably, we arebringingbacktheHalloweenSocialthisyear,wheretherewillbeapumpkincarvingandcostumecompetition!Becreative,anddresstoimpress!
OnNovember3rd,joinusatGeorgeIgnatieffTheaterforourannualPholliesTalentShowtosupportyourfriendsand classmates as they surprise uswithhidden talents!In themidstof all of this, donotmissouton theop-portunity to take part in variousCAPSI competitions,like thePIC/OTCandCompoundingCompetitions inOctober.Winnersof thesecompetitionsgeta reservedseattoPDW2018inEdmonton,Alberta!
Welookforwardtoseeingyouatourevents!Asalways,reachouttousregardinganything!
Goodluckonyourmidterms!
Cheers!
Steven and [email protected]
Hello Pharmacy Phamily
•9th:Thanksgiving•10th:CAPSIPIC/OTCCompetition•12th:IPSFPharmacyAbroad(WB116)•13th:CAPSICompoundingCompetition(TBD)•15th:PDWPosterPresentationDeadline•15th:CAPSISLCSubmissionDeadline•19th:OEENDPCSpotlightLunchandLearn(WB116)•20th:CAPSIGuyGenestDeadline•25th:CAPSIPDWT-shirtCompetitionDead-line•26th:UPSHalloweenSocial(PBAtrium)
CALENDAR OF EVENTSOCTOBER
NOVEMBER
•3rd:UPSPholliesTalentShow(GeorgeIgnatieffTheatre)•4th:UPSCurlingBonspiel•6th-10th:CharityWeek•9th:UTSULunchandLearn(WB116)•13th:UPSDean’sMeeting•13th:PharmakonLinkedinPhotoshoot(TBD)•16th:CAPSIPharmafactsPre-Bowl(WB116)•23rd:LaRochePosayLunchandLearn(WB116)•24th:CareerFair(PBAtrium)•30th:UPSHolidayPartyandSantaPhotos(PBAtriumandPB210)
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CLUB’S CORNER• Athletics
Hello Athletes!Intramuralshaveofficiallystarted!Itisn’ttoolatetojoinateamifyouhaven’tyet.CheckoutthepharmacyteamsonIMLeagues.
Athletics Recap for September2017SoccerCup-Waterloovs.UofTSponsoredbyEnhancingStudentExperienceFund(ESEF)
Start of Intramural SeasonMen’sHockeyopenedtheseasonwitha5-1win.Men’sFlagFootballopenedtheseasonwith13-0win.Co-edFlagFootballopenedtheseasonwith26-0winagainstSMCand31-0winagainstRotmanCo-edUltimateFrisbeeopenedtheseasonwitha5-5tieagainstMedicineA.
2017 Softball TournamentThePharmacySoftballTeamsetanewteambestinthe2017UofTSoftballTournament.Theyplayedatotaloffivegames,madeitintoplayoffs,wonthesemi-finalmatchagainstKPE,andfinishedinsecondplacebehindPT/OT
Forthe2ndyearinarow,UofTdefeatedWaterloointheannualOPASoccerCup,winningbyascoreof4-1.Shout-outtocaptainHassanforsheddingblood(literally),sweat,andtearsfortheteam
AspecialthankstotheEnhanc-ing Student Experience Fund (ESEF)forfundingthisyear’sSoc-cerCup
Sylvia and AndrewSr.andJr.AthleticRepresentatives
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Welcome back to school Pharmacy!CLUB’S CORNER• CAPSI
We’reextremelyexcitedtobeplanningeventsforthe2017-2018year!TheCanadianAssociationofPharmacyStudentsandInterns(CAPSI)isanorganizationthatisaimedatpromotingandadvocatingfortheinterestsofphar-macystudents.AsaUofTstudentinthePharmDprogram,youareautomaticallyaCAPSImember!
Thispastsummer,yourCAPSISeniorRepresentative(NishaGajaria)andCAPSIJuniorRepresentative(Ra-chelAnisman)attendedCAPSINationalmeetingsattheCPhAConferenceinQuebec,Quebec.Atthesemeetings,wemetwithotherCAPSIrepresentativesfromacrossCanada.TopicsofdiscussionincludedmentalhealthresourcesforpharmacystudentsaswellasaresolutionfortheQuebecpharmacystudentcrisis.Itwasanexcellentopportunitytofindoutwhatisgoingonatotherpharmacyschoolssowecanbringsomenewideasyourway!
TheschoolyearhasbeenofftoanamazingstartwiththeSummerPackageTextbookSaleandPhroshIceCreamSocial.Wehadagreattimemeetingtheincomingclassof2T1attheIceCreamSocial,andtheupperyearsatClubsFair!Septemberisquiteabusytimeforusaswehavemanyactivitiesgoingonforyoutogetinvolvedin!StudentshavehadtheopportunitytosignupfortheirFREECPhAbenefitswhichincludeincrediblediscountssuchas$100offtheregistrationfeefortheCPhAconference.Additionally,registrationsforoursignatureCAPSICom-petitionswentlive.Participatinginthesecompetitionsnotonlyprovidesyouwiththeopportunitytoshowoffyourpharmaceuticalskills,butitalsoallowsyoutowinprizemoneytorepresentUofTatthenationallevelatProfessionalDevelopmentWeek(PDW).
PDWisthelargestconferenceforpharmacystudents,runbypharmacystudents.Thisyear,PDWissched-uledtotakeplaceinthebeautifulcityofEdmonton,AlbertafromJanuary10-13,2018.Overthecourseoffourdays,therearemanyexcitingactivitiesplannedsuchasanopeningandclosinggala,talks,motivationalspeakersandmore!PDWprovidesauniqueopportunitytomeetpharmacystudentsfromallofthefacultiesofpharmacyacrossCanada.Wecan’twaitforPDW–it’sespeciallyspecialthisyearsincewe’llbecelebratingthe50thanniversaryofCAPSIandthe30thanniversaryofPDW!
Asalways,ifyouhaveanyquestionspleasefeelfreetocontactNisha([email protected])orRachel([email protected]).
WelookforwardtoseeingyouaroundPB!
Nisha and Rachel Sr.andJr.CAPSIRepresentatives
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CLUB’S CORNER• CSHP
The Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists(CSHP) offers students the opportunity to show theirsupport through student memberships. Many employ-ersfindCSHPmembershipdesirableasitdemonstratesa student’s commitment tohospital pharmacypractice.AlthoughtheCSHPMembershipDrivehasfinishedasoflastweek,ifyouhaveaninterestinhospitalpharmacypractice,itisnottoolatetoconsiderbecomingaCSHPstudent supporter! A few of the many benefits of themembershiparehighlightedbelow: Professional Liability Insurance
OCPrequiresregisteredpharmacystudentstohaveprofessionalliabilityinsurance.Thisprotectspharmacistsfromallegationsofdispensingthewrongdosage,wrongdrug,and/orimproperdrugcounselling.CSHPoffersitsstudent supporters liability insurance at a competitiverate,startingat$50.Comparatively,theOPAofferspro-fessionalliabilityinsuranceforonly$27.00,however,thisisinadditiontoitsmembershipfeeof$71.19.Itisnote-worthy that the CSHP professional liability insurancepolicytermisfromJuly1toJune30annually.
Subscriptions to the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (CJHP), e-Newsbrief, and eBulletin
CSHPmakes it possible to stay informed of the rapidchangesthatoccurinpharmacywiththesefreesubscrip-tions.CJHPprovidesanoverviewoftheresearchandin-novationwithafocusonhospitalpharmacy.TheCSHPe-Newsbrief is aweekly emailwhich features the latestnewsinhospitalpharmacypractice.Thee-Bulletinadver-tisesjobopeningsforpharmacists.Itisusefultoshowthevaryingjobsavailableforpharmacistsinthecommunity.
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Student OpportunitiesCSHPstudentsupportershaveexclusiveaccessto
student postings.This includes summer jobs, volunteerpositions, and possible EPE rotations.CSHP also pro-vides an annual summer internship inOttawa where astudentgetstheopportunitytosupportCSHPmembersandadvocateforhospitalpharmacy.Thisisapaidposi-tionthatisonlyavailabletomembers.ThedeadlineforthisyearisNovember30,2017.
Prefered Rates for CSHP Meetings, Confer-ences, and Educational EventsCSHPstudentsupportersgetaccesstoCSHPmeet-
ings,conferences,andeducationaleventsfordiscountedrates.Theseeventsareagreatopportunitytolearnaboutresidencyprograms,learnaboutrecentdevelopmentsinpharmacy,andnetworkwithpharmacyprofessionals.Thetopics can range from clinical updates based on recentevidence to panel discussions about recent headline inhealthcare. CSHPmembers also have access to onlineeducationalprograms,suchaswebinars.
Access to Pharmacy Specialty Networks (PSN)PSNsconnectpharmacyprofessionalsfromacross
thecountryandprovideanopportunitytoaskquestions,share accounts, and engage in discussions. Groups in-cludeGlobalHealth,DrugInformation, andInfectiousDiseases.Theyofferstudentsachancetonetworkwithpharmacists of particular expertises.These groups alsoserveasaresourcetoCSHPforinputandfeedbackonprofessional issues or to assist in drafting publicationspertainingtothespecialty.
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LikeourFacebookpagetoreceiveupdatesaboutCSHPeventsandformoreinformationaboutthepracticeofpharmacyinhospitals
https://www.facebook.com/cshputoronto/
Top 5 Reasons to Join CSHPNarthaanan Srimurugathasan, 2T0
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CLUB’S CORNER• PSWH
Antibiotics and Pregnancy an Increased Risk for Early Miscarriage
Ersilia D’Andrea, 2T0onbehalfofPharmacyStudentsforWomen’sHealth(PSWH)
References:Muanda,F.T.,Sheehy,O.,&Berard,A.(2017,May1).Useofantibioticsduringpregnancyandriskofspontaneousabortion.CanadianMedicalAssociationJournal,189(17),5-9.
Mulholland,A.(2017,May1).Certainantibioticslinkedtoincreasedriskofmiscarriage,studyconfirms.Inctvnews.ca.RetrievedJuly30,2017.
LikeourFacebookpagetoreceiveupdatesaboutPSWHeventsandcurrentissuesinwomen’shealth!
https://www.facebook.com/PSWHToronto/
Despitebeingwidelyandeffectivelyusedtotreatbacterialinfections,theeffectsofantibioticsonpregnantwomenarenotfullyknown.However,arecentstudypub-lished in theCanadianMedicalAssociation Journalhasincreasedourknowledgeoftheriskscertainantibioticscanposeforpregnantwomen.Thestudypresentsa listofantibioticclassesthatareassociatedwithspontaneousabortionwhentakenearlyoninpregnancies(withinthefirsttwentyweeks).Theseantibioticsare: •Quinolones •Sulfonamides •Tetracyclines •Macrolides ThewomeninvolvedinthestudywerefromtheQuebecPregnancyCohort,whowerestudiedforthefe-taleffectsofvariousantibioticsbeginningfromthefirstdayofgestation.Thedatawasadjustedforotherfactorswhichmaycausemiscarriages,suchaswomentakingter-atogenic/fetotoxicmedicationsorwhohadplannedabor-tions.Thewomenwereages15-45yearsold.
Different antibioticsmay causemiscarriages viadifferentmechanisms.Forexample,clarithromycinmayaltercardiacrhythminthedevelopingfetus,whilequino-lonemayinterferewiththeDNAreplicationprocessandinhibitmitosis.Itisalsoknownthattetracyclineinhibitsimportantenzymesrequiredfortissueremodeling,whilemetronidazolemaycauseDNAdamagebyincreasingthe
productionofreactiveintermediates.
Theresultsofthisstudyposeanewchallengetoprescribers,whomustweighthebenefitsversusrisksofnottakingantibioticstotreatbacterialinfections,whichcancreateadangerousenvironmentforadevelopingfe-tus.However,severalantibioticsarestillconsideredsafeduringpregnancy,includingpenicillin,erythromycin,ni-trofurantoin,andcephalosporin.Luckily,theseantibiot-icsarecommonlyprescribedforwomentotreatcommonissuessuchasurinarytractinfections.
Thesefindingsaresignificantbecausetheyhavethe potential to cause guideline changes for the treat-mentofinfectionsinpregnantwomen.Thisinformationalso gives increased awareness topharmacistswhomaynowgiveasecondthoughttodispensingtheseantibiot-icstopregnantwomenandconsultwiththeirprescriberfirst,andwilllikelychangetheirmedicationcounsellingof these antibioticswhen dispensing them to pregnantwomen.
Volume 19, Issue 1
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HEADLINES IN HEALTHCARE
Does Phonophoresis Improve Efficacy of Topically Applied Drugs?
Improvingdrugdeliveryhasbeenatopicofinter-esttopharmaceuticalresearchersinrecentyears.Inpar-ticular,researchersarecontinuallyinvestigatingmethodsto improve drug absorption for either localized or sys-temiceffectonthebody.While it is importantto lookfor innovativemethods toenhancedrugpenetration, itisimperativethatcurrentmethodologiesusedinclinicalpracticeforthissamepurposeareevaluated. Phonophoresisreferstotheuseofultrasoundtointroduceacertaindrugintothetissueofinterest.The
medicationusedasatopicalagentcan be appliedprior toorafteran ultrasounda p p l i c a t i o n .The procedureis commonlyused with anti-
inflammatory medications such as dexamethasone andsalicylates,aswellaswithanestheticssuchas lidocaine.Physiotherapyclinicsutilize this technique;however, itisnotonlyexclusive to thisfield.Thepresentquestionremainsastowhetherthistechniqueissuccessfulinen-hancingdrugabsorptioninthebody.
Onestudycomparedtheefficacyofphonophore-siswiththenonsteroidalanti-inflammatorydrugdiclofe-nac,andconventionalultrasoundtherapyinprimarykneeosteoarthritis(OA).Inthisrandomizedcontrolledstudy,thereweresignificantimprovementsinmostoftheclini-cal parameters (pain, stiffness, and physical functions).
Farhat Hossain, 2T0
References:Sreeraj,S.R.,Bellare,B.,&Ray,I.AReviewonUltrasoundParametersandMethodsofApplicationinTransdermalDrugDelivery.Interna-tionalJournalofHealthSciencesandResearch.(2015).https://www.ejmanager.com/mnstemps/107/107-1430918845.pdf
Okatyoglu,p.,Gur,Al.Yardimeden,I.,Caglayan,M,Cevik,F.Bozkurti,M,Em,S.,Ucar,D,Nasi,K.ComparisonoftheEfficacyofPhono-phoresisandConventionalUltrasoundTherapyinPatientswithPrimaryKneeOsteoarthritis.EricyesMed.J.(2014).http://www.erciyesmedj.com/sayilar/240/buyuk/EMJ%20t%C3%BCm%C3%BC.pdf#page=21
Neitherofthemethodologieswasfoundtoout-performthe other exceptwith respect to oneparameter,whichwasthepainfeltbypatientswhilewalking.Phonophore-sistherapywasfoundtoimproveoutcomesforpatientsregarding this parameter in comparison to ultrasoundtherapyalone.Thisstudyraisesaninterestingquestion:ifphonophoresiswithananti-inflammatorydrugandultra-soundtherapyproducedsimilarresultsinalleviatingpainsymptomsinOA,whatisacommonmechanismbetweenthesetwomodalities?
Phonophoresisisthoughttoincreaseskinperme-abilityby twopossiblemechanisms: acoustic cavitationand thermal effects of ultrasound. Cavitation causes arearrangement of the lipid bilayers,which leads to for-mation of aqueous channels in the skin throughwhichdrugscanpenetrateintothetargetedtissue.Ithasbeendemonstrated that the lower the ultrasound frequency,thefasterandgreatertheheatingregardlessofthedepth.Skinpermeabilityispositivelycorrelatedwithincreasingheat,asevery10-degreeCelsiusincreaseintemperatureleadstoadoublingofskinpermeability.Anothersimilarstudy compared the effectiveness of ibuprofen phono-phoresisversusultrasoundtherapyinkneeOA,butcametoasimilarconclusionthatonemodalitywasnotsuperiortotheother.Perhapsitisthethermaleffectscommontoboth ultrasound and phonophoresis that are largely re-sponsibleforincreaseddrugpenetration.However,thesestudiesregardingphonophoresisremaininconclusiveandrequire further research into the efficacy of this tech-nique.
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HEADLINES IN HEALTHCARE
A Robot to Clean your Room? St Joseph's Health Centre Introduces New Bacteria-Killing Robot
Josephine Ho, 1T9
References:Anderson,D.J.,Chen,L.F.,Weber,D.J.,Moehring,R.W.,Lewis,S.S.,Triplett,P.F.,...Sexton,D.J.(2017).Enhancedterminalroomdisinfectionandacquisitionandinfectioncausedbymultidrug-resistantorganismsandClostridiumdifficile(theBenefitsofEnhancedTerminalRoomDisinfectionstudy):acluster-randomised,multicentre,crossoverstudy.TheLancet,389(10071),805-814.doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31588-4
Bacteria-killingrobotjoinsSt.Joe’scleaningteam.(2017,September22).RetrievedSeptember20,2017,fromhttp://hospitalnews.com/bacteria-killing-robot-joins-st-joes-cleaning-team/
Image:https://stjoestoronto.ca/2017/08/bacteria-killing-robot-joins-st-joes-cleaning-team/
ThenexttimeyoutouchthedoorhandleofPB,pushthebuttonsofthemicrowave,orgrabontothehandgriponthesubway,thinkabouthowmanypeoplehavetoucheditbeforeyou.Imaginethenumberofunknownand invisible organisms that you just collected andwillsooninoculateintoyoureyesornose.Thatseemsscarytome,urgingmetoscrubmyhandsforthe12thtimetoday!Butisn’tthethoughtofstayinginahospitalroomwherecountlesspeoplehavestayedfortreatmentofaplethora
of diseases evenscarier?As apa-tient,youessen-tially live, sleep,and eat in thisroom, while sit-tingonthesamebed for the en-tirety of yourhospital stay.You hope to re-
coverwhileinthehospitalandhopefullynotbeinvadedwithabugthatwaslurkinginyourroomfrompreviouspatients.Forthisreason,infectioncontrolandenviron-mentalservicesaresoessentialtobothpatientandstaffsafety.
The team at St. Joseph’s Health Centre inTo-rontohasjustintroducedanewmembertotheirteam,afullyempatheticrobotcalledtheTru-DSmartUVC(alsoknownas“Trudi”).Trudienterstheroomafterherhumanteammembershavemanuallycleaneditusingcurrentbestpractices.Therobothassensorsthatanalyzethesizeandobjectsintheroomtodeterminehowmuchtimeitwill
taketothoroughlydisinfectthespace.Aftertheanalysis,everyone is toevacuate the roomso thatTrudicanuseUVClighttodisinfect.ThedoseofUVClightdeliveredkillsbacteriaandviruses, includingculpritsofcommonhospital-acquiredinfectionssuchasinfluenza,norovirus,C.difficile,andMRSA.TrudicandeliverthisUVClighttoeveryinchoftheroom,includingcornersandunder-neathfurnitureandequipment.CurrentlyatSt.Joseph’s,Trudi is used to clean patient rooms,mobilework sta-tions,patient tools,andpatient transportdevices (suchaswheelchairsandwalkers).Trudi’sworkis intendedtoexpandtotheoperatingroomstoo!
Youmaywonderhoweffectivethisrecenttech-nology is in reducing hospital-acquired infections. AstudywasdoneatninehospitalsinthesoutheasternUnit-edStatesbyinvestigatorsattheDukeInfectionControlOutreachNetworkearlierthisyear(theBETR-Dstudy).They found that enhanced terminal disinfection usingUVC, on top of traditional bleach- based cleaning, re-sultedinanover30%reductionofinfectionsfrommulti-drug resistantorganismscomparedto traditionalclean-ingalone.Withthis impressiveefficacy,perhapswecanexpecttoseemoreactionfromTrudiinotherhospitalstoo.Ieagerlyawaitmoretechnologicaladvancesininfec-tioncontrolsuchasthisone.
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INTERVIEW• Maria Zhang
Grace Athanasiadis, 1T9
Faculty interview with maria zhang
ingustolookthingsup.Shethenposedthisquestionof,“Whydon’twe,ourselves,generatetheanswerstothesequestions?”Her argument was that we get these ques-tions,andthereforeknowwhatquestionsandgapsthereareintheliterature,sowhydon’twefillthegapsinsteadofusingsomeoneelse’sresearch?Thiswasreallytransfor-mativeforme.So,mynextstepwasdoingmyMasters.Ididgraduateworkhereatthefaculty,andmysupervisorwasbasedattheCentreforAddictionandMentalHealth(CAMH).Mymasterswasalittledifferent,inthatiten-compassedbothteachingandclinicalwork.This ledtomycurrentwork,whichisexactlythat—ablendofbothteachingaboutaddictions,andstillworkingatCAMH.
GA: Describe a typical day of work for you
PZ: Ithinkitwouldbeeasiertogiveyouasnapshotofaweek,becauseadaydoesn’tquitecaptureit.I’messen-tiallyinamixofmeetings—whetherthatisatthefacultyoratCAMH.AtUofT,dependingonthetimeofyear,Iamteaching,thoughmytimecanalso involvemyowndevelopment,includingbecomingabetterlecturerandprofessor.On theCAMHside, and that iswhere I ammore fre-quently,itcouldrelatetoleadership,asIamapartofaleadershipteam,wherewesetandenactthestrategicplanandvisionforbothourdepartmentandourorganization.Ialsorepresentpharmacyoncommitteesor initiatives.Onethathasbeenquitenearanddeartome,istheopi-oidoverdose.CAMHhasbeenrollingoutaveryrobustinitiativetominimizethenumberofopioidoverdosesinourclients.So,Iamheavilyinvolvedinthat.Inaddition,thereisanimportantpartofbeingapharmacistthatin-volvesadvocacy.Aspharmacists,wearealwaystryingtoproveourworth.Forexample,whentheopioidoverdoseinitiativestarted,thefirstpointofcontactwas,“Canyousupplyuswithnaloxonekits?”Certainly,wecan supplypeoplewithnaloxonekits,buttheperceptionofusisstillasadistributor,orproduct-based.Luckily,wewereabletoadvocate fortheallocationofresourcestoanopioidoverdosepreventionpharmacist.Wethereforenowhaveapharmacistwhoisfocusedondoingmedicationreviewsinordertostreamlinemedications,andminimizetheriskofoverdosetobeginwith.
I was fortunate enough to sit down with Professor Maria Zhang, a clinician educator both at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Univer-sity of Toronto. At CAMH, she works as an advanced practice pharmacist, while overseeing the Education Program. At the University of Toronto, she is involved with several programs, in-cluding the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Program, the Inter-national Pharmacy Graduate (IPG) Program, and the PharmD for Pharmacists program. I asked her a few questions regarding her work at both CAMH and the faculty.
Grace Athanasiadis (GA): Tell us something inter-esting about yourself.
Professor Maria Zhang (PZ):Themostrecentinter-estingthingthatIdid,wasduringatriptoPeru.Itwasthesecondpartofmyhoneymoon;thefirstpartwasSpainandPortugal.InPeru,wedida4-day,3-nighthiketoMa-chuPicchu.Itwas[...]definitelythemostphysicallychal-lengingthingIhaveeverdone.Itwasa70-kmhikein4days,inhighaltitude.[...]Icouldn’tcatchmybreath,anditwasreallycold!Onthefirstnight,wecampedin5-de-greeCelsiusweather.Atthatpoint,bothmypartnerandIwerewondering, “Whatdidwe justpaytodo?”Afterthefirstday,though,itwasalldownhill(literally).Overall,itwasabittortuous,butalotoffun.Itwasverymuchaonceinalifetimeexperienceinthatyoushoulddefinitelytry,butI’mprobablynotgoingtorepeatitanytimesoon.
GA: What interested you to go into the field of pharmacy?
PZ: I applied aftermyfirst year of undergrad becauseIcould,andIgotin.[...]Intermsofmycurrentareaofwork, I thinkIwas always interested inmentalhealth,and in the “why” people are the way they are.Withinthepreviouspharmacycurriculum,however,therereallywasn’tmuchexposuretomentalhealth.IalsorememberatthetimeIwascompletingmycombinedBSc/PharmD,DeanBooncametotalktooursmallclass,andshewastryingtosparkourinterestinresearch.Thiswasbecausemanypharmacistsdon’tgointoresearch,andthiswases-peciallytrueafewyearsago.Sheexplainedthatasphar-macists,wegetsomanydruginformationquestions,lead-
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So,myworkweek is a bunch ofmeetings everywhere,commutingback and forth, andhopefully sittingdownand doing some of the work that comes out of thosemeetings.
GA: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
PZ:Forme,itisseeingtheproductofmyefforts,what-everthatmaybe.Itcouldbeathankyoucard,orane-mail fromaclientorstudent.So,wheneverIcanseeatangibleresult,positiveornegative,thenIthinkthatatleastthereisrecognitionfortheworkIamdoing.Feed-backisusuallyexplicitinthat,forexample,aclienttellsyou, “I thought this naloxone trainingwas going to besuchawasteoftime,butIhavelearnedsomuchmore.”IhavealsoreferredclientswantingtogetmoreinvolvedatCAMH,includingsharingtheirvoiceandlivedexperi-encetoourprograms.Clientsthinktheyarejustgettinganaloxonekit,buttheyarealsogettinganopportunityatthesametime.Whetheryouworkincommunityorinanin-patientsetting,youareapointofcontact,andcanre-ferclientstoresourcesthatbenefitthem.Thisisanotherrewardingaspectofthejob,andtheseareallmarkers,Iguessyoucouldsay,ofsuccess.
GA: Now, talking more about the other end, what are the most challenging and/or stressful aspects of your position?
PZ: I guess the bestword for that is “politicking”.AtCAMH,Iammuchmore involved inthepolitics.Thisincludesthinkingaboutwhotoincludeinaparticulare-mailthread,andhowtocraftyoure-mailsinawaythatbest achieves your desired outcomes. It is also asking,“WhodoIbringtothetabletomakesurethingschangeandmoveforwardinapositivedirection?”Youmustbeintentionalinwhoandwhatyouaretalkingabout.Inad-dition,everyoneisworkingunderaconstrainedbudget,whetherthatiswithinthefaculty,hospital,province,oronafederallevel.Onceyoubegintorealizethat,andbuyintohealthsystems,thelesslikelyyouaretohavearose-coloured,ortintedviewofhealthcare.Everythingboilsdowntodollarsandcents.So,thereisasystemicviewofwhy thingsare theway theyare, and it is important tounderstandandseethat.Ifyouneedresourcesforyourinitiative,thenmoneyandresourcesistherequiredcom-mondenominatorwhenspeakingtoothers.Politickingis
frustratingandchallenging,butIamalsonotblindtothefactthatitmustbedone.
G: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
PZ: I amhopeful that in 10 years Iwill still be doingsomething I love doing—that it is not pulling teeth togotowork.Also,toknowandrememberhowprivilegedIam,andtostillhavethatplaceofgratitude,regardlessofwhat I amdoing. I think all ofmy different intern-ships,andmycurrentposition,havesensitizedmetothestrugglesofothers,sohopefullyIamstillcognoscenteofthat10yearsfromnow,inwhateverpositionIamdoing.Although,Imustsay,becauseIhavesomuchexposurefromthese2realmsthatIamin[bothatthefacultyandatCAMH],itishardtoimaginewhatelsecouldbebet-ter.Iamnotwantingforsomuchmoreatthispoint.Iamcontent,andIthinkIhavenoreasontocomplain.Asstudents,andaspeople,however,youneedtobeopentoopportunities,andIamnotclosinganydoors.Govern-mentisreallyinteresting,PublicHealthisreallyinterest-ing,GlobalHealthisinteresting.Ifeellikepharmacistsareeverywhere,andtheyreallycandoanything.
INTERVIEW• Maria Zhang
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PHARMAPHEUD• Pharmacare ProsA Step Forward: The Health and Economic Benefits of the Implementation of OHIP+
Shelby Yiu, 2T1
Another example of how OHIP+ can improvethelivesofOntariansishowitmaysavefamiliesmoney.Trillium’scatastrophicdrugplancoversfamiliesandindi-vidualswhospendmorethan4%oftheirgross incomeonpharmaceuticals.WithOHIP+,familiesthatdependontheTrilliumdrugplancansavethousandsofdollarsonthedeductiblestheywouldhavepaid.
Implementing a provincial program such asOHIP+may save thegovernmentmoney.Pharmaceuti-calsinOntarioarecurrentlycoveredthroughpatchworksof uncoordinatedplans andpayers. The cost of essen-tialandgenericpharmaceuticalsinCanadais60%higherthaninSwedenand84%higherthaninNewZealand,twocountriesthathaveuniversaldrugcoverage.Thegovern-mentcansavemoneybyshiftingthepopulation’sreliancefromprivatehealth insurancetoamorecomprehensiveprovincialplan. Amorecomprehensiveprovincialplanwouldallowtheprovincetobuymorepharmaceuticalsinbulk,thusgivingtheprovincemorenegotiationleveragewithpharmaceuticalmanufacturers.
Overall,OHIP+willprovideOntarianswithbothhealthandeconomicbenefits.OHIP+willimprovehealthoutcomesformanyyoungOntariansbyeliminatingcostsandprovidingbetteraccessfortheirneededpharmaceu-ticals.OHIP+willalsohelptheOntario’seconomybyre-ducingthecostofprivatehealthinsuranceforCanadiancompanies, and by potentially saving the governmentmoney. Though full national and universal drug cover-ageisideal,OHIP+isapushtowardsthebettermentofhealthcaresystem.
Outofallthedevelopedcountriesthatofferuni-versalhealthcare,Canadaistheonlycountrythatdoesnotofferuniversaldrugcoverage.InAprilof2017,Ontar-io’sFinanceMinisterCharlesSousareleasedthe2017On-tarioBudget:AStronger,HealthierOntario.Thisbudgetoutlined the province’s drug benefit program, OHIP+,whichwillprovideanyOntarian24yearsoldoryoung-er full coverageonprescriptionmedications starting inJanuary2018.Ontariocurrentlycoversdrugexpensesforthose on social assistance, those with disabilities, andresidentswhoareolderthan65yearsold.OHIP+woulddoubletheamountofpeoplecoveredbytheprovince.Itwouldbeagoodinvestmenttowardsimprovingthequal-ityoflifeforOntarians.
OHIP+willimprovethehealthofyoungOntar-iansbydecreasingaccessbarrierstoprescriptiondrugs.ManyCanadianshaveprivatecoverage,butapproximate-ly20%ofCanadiansarestilluninsuredorunderinsured.EliminatingthesecostscanimprovehealthoutcomesforCanadiansbyimprovingadherencetoprescriptions.Al-thoughsomemayseethetargetpopulationasgenerallyhealthy, the implementationofOHIP+will help youngpeopleandtheirfamilieswithcostsandaccesstophar-maceuticalsformanychronicconditionssuchasmentalillnessandcancer.
Mentalillnessisamajorhealthproblemglobally,andinCanada.Itisthesecondleadingcauseofdeathinyouth.Approximately29.1%ofCanadianyouthages13-19yearsofagehavementalhealthproblems. OHIP+canincreaseaccessibilitytoimportantpharmaceuticalthera-piesformentalillness,forthosewithandwithoutprivatehealthinsurance.References:MorganSG,LawM,DawJR,AbrahamL,MartinD.EstimatedcostofuniversalpubliccoverageofprescriptiondrugsinCanada.CanadianMedicalAssociationJournal.2015;187(7):491-497.Availablefromdoi:10.1503/cmaj.161082
Ferguson,R.Freeprescriptionmedicinesforthose24andunderfirststeptonationalpharmacareplan:Sousa.TorontoStar.NewspaperAr-ticle.Availablefrom:https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/04/27/free-prescription-medicines-for-those-24-and-under-first-step-to-national-pharmacare-plan-sousa.html
VogelL.Election2015:newargumentsforpharmacare.CanadianMedicalAssociationJournal.2015;187(17):E483-E484.Availablefromdoi:10.1503/cmaj.109-5178
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References:AngusReidInstitute.(2015).PrescriptiondrugaccessandaffordabilityanissuefornearlyaquarterofallCanadianhouseholds.Retrievedfrom:http://angusreid.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015.07.09-Pharma.pdf
Rushowy,K.(2017,April24).NDPpharmacareplanwouldstartwith125mostcommondrugs.TheTorontoStar,Retrievedfrom:https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/04/24/ndp-pharmacare-plan-would-start-with-125-most-common-drugs.html
Morgan,S.(2017,May2).Whyauniversalpharmacareplanmakessense—now.TheTorontoStar,Retrievedfrom:https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2017/05/02/why-a-universal-pharmacare-plan-makes-sense-now.html
Universal Pharmacare? We’re not ready. Michael Vu, 2T1
According to a 2015 poll, 91%ofCanadians re-spondedwhenaskedthattheywouldlikeuniversaldrugcoveragewhichwouldbeknownasPharmacare.Lowerdrug prices, improved adherence, better health out-comes,andlowerhospitalcostsaresomeofthepotentialbenefits.Althoughcommunitypharmacistsmayfacere-duceddispensingfees(likelydowntoODBlevels)underpharmacare,theyalsohavetheopportunitytodispensetheestimated1in4prescriptionsthatgounfilledbecausepatientscannotaffordthem.
All of this sounds great, but implementing na-tional universal Pharmacare is farther away than theopinionpollssuggest.Thisisbecauseasasociety,wearenotpreparedtopaythecostofactinginthepublicgood.Regardingthe2015poll, it isclearthatCanadianswantPharmacare,butwouldrathernotpayforitthemselves.WhenaskedhowPharmacare shouldbe funded,Cana-diansrejectedmostoftheoptionspresented,whichin-clude: •Increasedsalestax(70%opposed) •Increasedincometax(61%opposed) •AnewPharmacarepremium(54%opposed
Tellingly,onlyanincreaseincorporatetaxes(i.e.“notme”) was supported by amajority of respondents(62%). It is no wonder that the federal government isdragging its feet on this issue, preferring to focus ontheopioidcrisis,marijuana legalization,andthecostofbrand-namedrugs.
When the federal-provincial health accord ne-gotiations concluded earlier this summer, duringwhichOntario agreed to a 10-year arrangement, therewasnosignthatnationalPharmacarewasonthetable.Withoutfederalleadershipandsupport,lesswealthyprovincesare
unlikelytomovetowardsPharmacare.
ThemostprogresstowardsuniversalPharmacarehasoccurredattheprovinciallevel,especiallyinthecon-textoftheupcoming2018provincialelections.However,thesamefearofaskingOntarianstopayfornewbenefitshasreducedthescaleoftheprogramsproposed:
•TheOntarioNDPproposeduniversaldrugco- veragefor125essentialdrugs,butwerequickto saythatnonewtaxeswouldbeinvolvedinitially •Afewdayslater,theOntarioLiberalsan- nouncedOHIP+,whichextendscoverageofthe ODBformularytothoseunder24yearsofage (ie.thegroupwiththelowestdrugcosts).
These modest proposals have been costed ataround 450million dollars each (i.e. around 9%of thecurrentODBbudget),whichpromptedUBCprofessorandPharmacareadvocateSteveMorgantodescribetheLiberalplanas“symbolic”inthelargerdrivetowardsuni-versalPharmacare.
ItiseasytoplacethelackofprogressonPharma-careatthefeetofourpoliticians.However,theirhesita-tionisonlyaresponsetoourown.Untilpublicsentimentmoves beyond the concept ofPharmacare and towardsaccepting the responsibility of funding such a program(likelythroughtaxes),wewon’tbereadytoconfronttheinsurance and pharmaceutical interests that can be asourceofinertiaonthisissue.
It’salongroad,andwe’renotthereyet.
PHARMAPHEUD• Pharmacare Cons
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OPINION
How Your Student Organization Can Dream BigEdmond Chiu, 1T8
2. Connect different roles efficientlyWhendesigningtheactivities,Iintentionallypairedupcertainroles,sotheygottoknoweachother intheor-ganization.Itwasmyhopethattheseinitialandbriefin-teractionssetthestageforfuturecollaboration.OneofthepiecesoffeedbackdemonstratedthattheindividualhadamuchbetterideaofhoweachrolecontributestothesuccessofIMAGINEthroughparticipationoftheseactivities.
3. Time FliesIthinkmany,ifnotall,ofushavebeenthroughanactiv-itywheretheclockseemstotickandtickandtheendseemstoneverbe in sight.Thatwasn’t thecaseduringthismeeting!Theactivitieskepteveryoneontheirfeet,withideasandthoughtsbeingsharedleftandrightandbeforeIknewit,themeetingwasataclose.Myonlyre-gretwasbeingunabletoparticipateinthefullexperienceasIspentmostofitleadingtheactivities.
By the end of the meeting, there were manyideasthatexecutiveswantedtoacton.Mostimportantlythough,therewasafeelingthateveryonewantedtodoittogether.
Ihopeyou’llconsiderusingLiberatingStructuresatone ofyournextmeetings.It’sasimpleyetpowerfulwaytoconnectwithinyourteamtofigureouthowfaryoucango!
Feelfreetoreachouttomeifyou’dliketotalkabouthowtoimplementthem!YoucanfindmeonFacebook(/ed-mondchiu92),Twitter(@edmondchiu_rph),orLinkedIn.
Astheyearbeginsanew,someofyoumaysym-pathizewiththis:transitioningtheorganizationsyou’vebeenapartof to thenew incomingexecutive team,orperhapsbecomingtheincomingexecutivemember.
As someone who’s been involved with studentclubs andorganizations since their undergraduatedays,Irecognizethatthesummerplaysan increasing impor-tantlyroleinstrategicplanning.It’sabouttheonlytimein theyearwhere student leaderscanspendsometimethinkingaboutlong-termgoals.Inmyexperience,how-ever,thetimeisusuallyspentontransitioningincomingexecutivememberswithaimsofhowtorepeattheyearorhowtomakeeventsbetter,ratherthanaimingtoadapttochangestheorganizationcanexpectinthefuture(whichmayincludecancellingpreviousevents).
I wanted to change that as I handed off my Process and Quality Improvement role at the IMAGINE Clinic.
The IMAGINE team is a relatively large onecomparedtomostotherundergraduatestudentorganiza-tions.Youcanfigurethatturningoversuchalargeteamisgoingtohaveitschallenges.Previousexecutivetransitionmeetingsincludedapower-pointpresentationandsometimetoconnectoutgoingandincomingexecutivemem-bers.WhatIfoundlackinghereisengagementoftheseexecutivemembers.Iwantedtore-shapehowtransitionmeetingscanbedoneandcameuponLiberatingStruc-tures;asetoftoolsdedicatedtofullyinvolvingyourteamtoshapethefuture.
Ihadtheopportunitytoleadafewactivitiesus-ingLiberatingStructureswiththenewIMAGINEteamat theirexecutive transitionmeeting, andhere’swhatIlearned:
1. Anyone can do it!ThiswasthefirsttimeIhadledactivitiesbasedaroundtheuseofLiberatingStructures.Ididn’tquitefollowtheguidesword-for-word.Instead,Iadaptedthemtosuitmyneeds for this transitionmeeting. Ikept each activity’sprinciplesinmindasIplannedeachone.Bytheendofthemeeting,Ihadobservedeverymemberoftheexecu-tiveteamcontributingtotheconversation.
TheIMAGINEteamsharingthroughLiberatingStructures!
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LIFESTYLE• Foodie RecommendationsJapanese Noodle Soup for the Soul
Patrice Albarico, 2T0
*Tsukemen = dip n’ noodle ramen where noodles aredippedinaseparatebowlofsoupbeforeeating.Price:$-$$($11-18/bowl)
4.RamenIsshin421CollegeSt.Isshinhasagoodbroththathasastronger(andmorefla-vourful!)tastethaninmostplaces.Theyhavereallyquickstaffandyoucanseethempreparethenoodlesinfrontofthestore.Wheneveryougetabowlinthisplace,orderitwithanextrashoyumarinatedsoft-boiledegg.Price:$-$$($11-16/bowl)
5.RamenRaijin2-10PhippsSt.Themostconvenientramenrestaurantsinceitisa2min-utewalkfromWellesleystation,hasaminigrocerystoreinsidewhichalsosellsbentoboxes(pre-madelunchbox-es)thatyoucanbuyforlunch!Theyareusuallyopenuntilmidnightandisaperfectplacetohangoutwithfriendsforthoselatenights.Price:$-$$($11-15)
6,9.KintonRamen51BaldwinSt.//668BloorSt.W.//402QueenSt.W.//396ChurchSt.Kinton is the largest ramen chain inToronto that hasa create-your-own ramenmenuwhere you choose yourbroth,meat,noodles,andtoppings.Thisisagoodintro-ductionforramenbeginners iftheywould liketotry itout as the flavor ismore “western” than traditional ra-men.Also,Kara-age(deepfriedchicken)ramenonMon-daysisamusttry!Price:$-$$($10-16)
Midterm season is here!While ramenhas a stereotypeofbeingdormitoryjunkfood,itistheperfectwaytode-stress while studying for midterms, and cramming forMTM labs and care plans. Instead of buying ramen ingrocerystores,whynotvisitoneoftheserestaurantsthatspecializeinservingJapanesenoodlesmadeinseafoodormeat-basedbroth?Theywilldefinitelysatisfyyourcrav-ings!Itadakimasu~!
1.LeslieDanPharmacyBuilding144CollegeSt.Not a ramen place, but it is listed here as a referencepoint.Price:$$$$$$$$$$($20,000+)
2. SantoukaRamen91DundasSt.E.Famousfortheirwhitetonkotsu(porkbone)broth,thisrestaurantstartedoutinHokkaido,Japanandhassinceopenedlocationsworldwide.Theymakeasuperiorcom-bination of soup, noodles, andmeat that just blend inandcreateamild,gentleflavorinyourmouththatisun-matchedbyotherplaces.Thelineupsaroundlunchanddinnertimecanattesttothat!Price:$-$$$($13-20/bowl)
3.Ryu’sNoodleBar33BaldwinSt.//786BroadviewAve.Thisplaceservesavarietyoframenwithdeliciousbrothfor an affordable price.Theymake the best tsukemen*in2differentflavoursofangusbeefcurryandshiobrothwithporkandchicken.Theyhaveveryfriendlyandquickservicestaffthatreallymakestheheartandsoulofthisrestaurant.Try and ramen you fancy and drink it withsomecreamsodaorSapporobeerandnodoubtyouwillbefilledtoyourheart’s(orstomach’s)content.
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ENTERTAINMENT• Movie Review
Kyle Yuen, 2T1
verylayeredandnuancedvillainpullingtheropes. Theywereallmulti-dimensionalcharacters thatwerecarriedbytheiractor’sjobsinportrayingtheirinnerturmoils.None of them really fit the “stock villain” ar-chetypethatdoesevilsotheycantwirltheirmoustaches;rathertheyallhavetheirownmotivationstoseethem-selvesas theheroesof theirownstory, acommontraitamongmanyofthebestvillainsinfiction.TheDefendershasoneofitsowntoadegree,anoriginalvillainknownas Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver). I certainly enjoyedSigourney’sacting,thoughIfeltasthoughherdevelop-mentsufferedabitasaresultoftheshortlengthoftheseriesandthestaunchfocusonourheroes’camaraderie(such as Jessica’s roasting ofDaredevil’s gaudy red cos-tume).Don’tgetmewrong,Alexandrawasagoodvillain,butIjustwishwewouldhavehadmoretimetoseeherstorydevelopandcleanuphermotivationsfortheviewertosee.Ultimately,thisisacompromiseinfavourof“morehero, less villain” in a similardirection asothermoviesMarvelhasputforth(I’mlookingatyou,Thor2andyourdarkelves;whateven?).
Compromise, however allows us to see each ofthe heroes slowly come together and realize they needeachother.Withoutspoilingtoomuch,themomentallfourendupatthesameplaceatthesametimeisoneofthemostentertainingpartsoftheseriesaltogether,andtheirreactionstoeachother’sabilitiesishilarious.(Ifyouhadamagicfistthatcouldblowupwalls,shouldyoure-allybesurprisedthataguycantankbullets like it’shisjob?)AnytimeIronFistandLukeCageareonscreen,it’sgreatnotonlybecausetheirpowerscreateaperfectof-fense/defenseequilibrium,butIronFist’syouthfulenergyandrecklessness istemperedbyLuke’spragmatismandwisdom.It’sareallygreatpairingandIhopetheyinteractmore down the road (and teamup to formHeroes forHirelikeinthecomics).
The actors carry themselves just aswell in thisseriesastheirhomeseries,especiallyIronFistwhoim-provesquite abit. Inparticular,CharlieCoxandMike
Athreatarises,greater thananyonecanhandle.Thepoliceareineffectualandtheonlywaytohandleitisforvariouslone-wolfheroestobandtogetherandcom-binetheirpowerstofightthenewevil.Yes,I’mtalkingabout Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, theAvengers!Wait, ImeantheDefenders!…What’sthedifferenceagain?
Thissummer’sendwasaccentedbythereleaseofMarvel’slatestentryintoitsNetflixexclusives.TheDe-fendersfollowstheadventuresofthefourheroesprevi-ouslyfeaturedintheMCU(MarvelCinematicUniverse)on Netflix: Daredevil (Charlie Cox), the blind lawyerfighting crime on the streets and in the courts; JessicaJones (Krysten Ritter), a booze-chugging, super strongprivateinvestigatorwithaverydisturbedpast;LukeCage(MikeCoulter),thebulletproofex-convictlookingtolaylowandkeeptohimself;andIronFist(FinnJones),theheirtoabilliondollarcompanyandpossessorofaverydestructive righthook.These solooperatives soonfindthemselvesneedingtobandtogethertobattleanancientforcethatthreatensNewYork.
Butwhiletheskeletonpremiseisthesameasthe2012blockbusterTheAvengers,theexecutionisanythingbutthesame.TheMCU’sNetflixserieseschewsMichaelBayexplosionsandCGImagicforamoregroundedandgrittystyle(andtrustme,theseshowsarenotmeantforyouryoungbrothersandsisterstoenjoy).TheDefendersfollowstheexploitsofeachherofollowingtheirfirstad-venturesastheyarealldrawnbythesameforcetoeven-tuallybattleittogether.
The series takes a different direction from thefour shows that came before it; the previous showsplacedfarmoreemphasisonthehero’sconflictwiththevillains, whom aremuchmore fleshed out. Conversely,TheDefendersprimarily looksatthedynamicbetweenthereluctantheroes.While itcertainlyservesforsomeaction-packed fun,TheDefenders does somewhat losewhatmadethepreviousseriesstandout.Eachofthepre-viousshows(maybewiththeexceptionofIronFist)hada
The defenders: a movie review
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Colter are my favourites because they really allow fortheircharacters’personalitiestoshineandtheyfeelreal.Admittedly,theseopinionsareslightlybiasedduetomylovefortheirhomeseries,buttheDefendersgiveseachofthesecharacterstheopportunitytointeract,andtheactorsplayitoffoh-so-MARVELously.
Thesamecan’tbesaidabouttheshow’sstoryasitdoesnorealfavoursunfortunately.Itsomewhatbuildsoffofsomeplotelementsfrompreviousshows,butthereis enough context given so that new viewers aren’t leftcompletely out of the loop.The plotwon’t throw any-one who’s genre-savvy, andmost viewers could predicttheultimateoutcomeof theminiseries.The story isn’tparticularly striking or groundbreaking; in fact I foundittobequitepredictable.Ialsofoundthattheways inwhichthesolitaryheroeswerebroughttogethertobeabitofastretch,particularlyJessica’sandLuke’sinvolve-mentinthemainconflict.(WhyshouldadrunkPIandanex-confightanancientevil?Becausethat’sthestory!)Butaltogetherit’sforgivable,giventherestofthe“cool”sprinkledaroundelsewhere.
TheDefendersisultimatelyaseriesworthwatch-ing,despitelackingthestoryandnuancedvillainsofitspredecessors. It more thanmakes up for it with great
fightscenesandrefreshingconservatismwiththespecialeffectstogiveagrounded,martialarts-packedadventurethatBruceLeewouldbeproudof.Ido,however,recom-mendwatchingthefirsttwoseasonsofDaredevilbeforewatchingTheDefenders,astheintroductionofacertaincharacterisaspoilerforDaredevil,andhisstoryinpar-ticularisadvancedgreatly.JessicaJones,LukeCageandIronFistcanbewatchedformorecontextandabitofbackstorybut there’s enoughexplained that theyaren’tmust watches (though they are really good shows, sowatchthemanyways!).
Plus, there’smusicbyRunthe JewelsandtheWu-TangClanfeatured;howawesomeisthat?
Final Verdict: 8/10, would watch while eating rice
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ENTERTAINMENT• Movie ReviewMy Picks for this Summer’s Flicks
4) The Big Sick Thismovie isan indiecomedystaringthetalentedKu-mailNanjiani,whoisalsooneofthewritersforthefilm.Althoughthisisacomedyandthereareacoupleofhi-lariousscenes,thecomedy issubtle.Thehumormainlyliesintheawkwardsituationsthecharactersareplacedinandthequirkinessoftheleads.ThisfilmisaninterestingtakeonaromanticcomedybecauseitprimarilyexplorestherelationshipbetweenKumail(heisplayinghimselfinthefilm)andEmily’s(ZoeKazan)parentswhentheyareforcedtosticktogetherafterEmilybecomesterriblysick.Infact,Emilyisn’tinmostofthefilm,butthechemistrybetweentheromanticleadswhentheydosharescreen-timeisstrongenoughfortheaudiencetobecomeinvest-edinthefateoftheirrelationship.Thefilmexplorestheconfusionoflove,theconsequencesofbreakingfreefromculturalexpectations,andultimatelyonhowtocopewiththe unpredictability of life andhow to copewith it. Itdoes this all inavery light-heartedwayensuring thatalaughisnevertoofarwayfromitstear-jerkingmoments.
Joseph Correia, 2T0
5) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 AsuperheromoviewasdestinedtoendupinmytopfivemoviessinceIamasuckerforthisgenre.However,Itriedtobeasnonbiasedaspossiblewhileconstructingthislist.EvenwithtitlessuchasSpiderman,WonderWoman,andAtomicBlondereleasedthissummer,IthinkGuardiansoftheGalaxyVol.2istheonlyonethatdeservesaspotonthis list.DirectorJamesGunndeliversanothervisu-allystunningandveryfunnyadditiontotheMarvelCine-maticUniverse.Hewiselychoosesnottofocustoomuchattention on setting the audience up for the upcomingAvengers:InfinityWar,but insteadcreateasurprisinglyheartfeltfather-and-sonstorywithallthefunofacomicbookmovie.Likemanygoodsequels, it improvesuponitspredecessorbydivingfurtherintocharactersthatwerenotfullydevelopedinthefirstfilm.BothYondu(MichaelRooker) and Nebula’s (Karen Gillan) relationship withthetitlecharactersareexploredinmoredetailthistimearound.Inparticular,Yondu’scharacterarc isreallytheheartofthestory.Overall,thisisaveryentertainingmov-ieifyou’reafanofthegenre.
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3) Girls Trip Ididnotwanttolikethismovie.I’mallforagoodchickflickeverynowandthen(Iamasuckerfor10ThingsIHateAboutYouandLoveActually),butthetrailersforthismovielookedawfulandIcan’tsaythatI’veeverlikedaQueenLatifahmovie.AsmuchasItriedtoholdbackeverygrin,withinabouttenminutesofthismovieIwasdying.This is about the time thatTiffanyHaddish en-tersthemovieandshe’shilarious.I’veneverheardofherbefore,butafter thismovieIwilldefinitelybekeepingan eye out for her future films.Her comedic timing isperfect in every line she delivers and shehas a few re-allyfunnymomentsofphysicalcomedyondisplayaswell.Thismovieisraunchy,hilarious,andevenkindofmovingat times.Perfect for anight inwith thegirlsor evenaguiltypleasurefortheboystoo.
2) War for the Planet of the Apes WhileIwasafanofthelasttwofilms,thismoviesurpass-esthemineveryway.Itisreallysomethingspecial.Firstofall,theeffectsondisplayinthisfilmareunmatched.Themotion capture is so perfect that if someone toldmethattheyusedrealapesforthefilmIwouldhavebe-lievedthem.Whentheseapesareinteractingwiththeirenvironment,eachfiberofhairontheirbodiesseemstobemovinginitsownuniqueway.Theirfacialmovementsare so detailed that a broad spectrumof emotions canbeseenandfeltwhilewatchingtheseapes facedanger-oussituations,ethicaldilemmas,andmoreintimatemo-ments.Besidesthesemasterfuleffects,thefilmalsotellsanengaging story.The storyofCaesar is an interestingonebecausetheproblemhefacesisnotassimpleaswin-ning thewar against humans.He continues to struggleinternallyabouttherightthingtodoforhisfamily,theapes,andevenmankindashebeginstodevelopaclosebondwithayoungdaughteroftheenemyrace.Whilealotoffantasyfilms(suchasLordoftheRings,HarryPot-ter,andStarWars)havesuchadefinitivegoodvs.eviltypeofbattle,neitherarmyinthisfilmisdepictedassimplygoodorevil.Eachrespectiveraceiscomposedofcharac-tersthattheaudiencemustdecideforthemselveswhichsideofgoodoreviltheyfallonbasedontheirintentions.Evenifthepremiseoffightingapesseemssillyatfirst,(asitdidtome),Isuggestgivingthismovieachance.
1) Baby Driver Thismovieisawesome.Thissentencecanbasicallysumup my entire review, but I will elaborate. This film isdirectedbyEdgarWright,who is a really successfuldi-rector with many well-received films in his catalogue.WhileIwasnotsurprisedthatBabyDriverwasreceiv-ing the same critical praise and success of his previousfilms(ShaunoftheDead,HotFuzz)Ifigureditprobablywouldn’t bemy thing since Iwasn’t a fan of his previ-ouswork;Iwaswrong.Ihadsomuchfunwiththisfilmfromstarttofinish.It’ssimilartoamusical,(nobodysingsdon’tworry),inthattheheartofthemoviereallyliesinitsplaylist.Eachsceneischoreographedsothatitfitsthetheme,rhythmandbeatofthemusicthatisplayingun-derit.Forexample,thereisascenewhereashootoutistakingplaceandeachanglechange,gunshot,andmove-mentisinsyncwiththemusicalchangesinthesong.Be-sidesthisreallycoolstylisticchoiceofdirection,thefilmhasplentymoretooffer.Thecharactersarereallyover-the-topand interesting, thedialogue isquickandwitty(similartoTarantino’sstyle),andtheactionissuspensefulandunpredictable.Thisiseasilyoneofmyfavouritemov-iesoftheyearsofar.
ENTERTAINMENT• Movie Review
References:Imagefromhttps://www.comicbookmovie.com/comics/2017-summer-movie-season-recap-best-summer-for-movies-a153638
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PHARMACY SHOUTOUTS
ADVICE COLUMN
Shoutouttoallstudentswhorunclubs/events/programsforthebettermentoftheSociety.
S/Otothebeautifulmamacitain2t0.HedyRomero,Ihavemyeyesonyou;)
S/Otomypowerpuffgirls+TT.Youguysarethebest<3
TomyGroup9:CryMeaRivastigminebabiesforbeingthemostawesomephroshiesanyonecouldhaveaskedfor.Loveyouall!
ShoutouttothebestsocialrepWendyforanawesomeRecRoomevent!
KarenistherealMVPforgivingmeabyeforUI/menopause#notfinished
ToGrace,Chantel,Erica,Peter,Alex,Rajivi,Anna,andJakov.Thissummerwasunforgettable!
s/otodanumba1suPOOPsatorybuddyin241KENNY.DEEEEE!!LOVEU#DYNAMIC2UO
ShoutouttoKendraforsavingasmanyseatsbeforeclassasyoucan.
DearDr.Nakhla,thankyouforyourpatienceforansweringmyquestionsregardingtheminorailmentscoursecontents.Ireallyenjoyedyour-course.Thankyouonceagain.-QuanZheng
ShoutouttoSarah(a.k.a.PrincessLunchbox)forconsistentlycomingtoclassontimeandsavingusseats!She’sagreatstudybuddyandSUPERhelp-fulwhengettingassignmentsdone.Sarah,youdabest!Muchlovefrom#LVCR
Dear Druggist,What keeps you engaged/motivated through the monotonous routine of community practice?
Communitypharmacypracticeisnotasmonoto-nousasitmayseem.Iwouldsaythatit’sallinthehandsofthepharmacist.Althoughsomepharmacistsmaystillbecheckingandcounsellingonprescriptions,ourpro-fessionhasexpandedandevolvedtodomuchmorethanthat
OnethingIreallyenjoydoingisMedschecks.It’sagreatwaytouseyourclinicalskillsandbuildagoodrelationshipwithyourpatients.Anotherpossibilityistorunclinics!Diabetes,smokingcessation,travelvac-cinations…thepossibilitiesareendless.Iwouldhighlyrecommendrunningamonthly“themed”clinic.Notonlyaretheseagreatservicetothecommunity,pharma-ciescanbenefitfinanciallyfromtheinfluxofpatients.Gettingstudentsandvolunteersinvolvedcanmaketheloadandfinancialstresseasierandserveasavaluableexperienceforall.
WiththepossibilityofpointofcaretestingcomingverysoontoOntario,there’sevenmoretolookoutforasacommunitypharmacist.Havingsaidthat,thebiggestadviceIcangiveistotakefulladvantageofexpandedscope.Iwishyouallthebestonyourfutureendeavours!
SYisanenthusiasticcommunitypharmacist working at a localgrocerystorepharmacy.Sheisarecent graduate and enjoys tak-ingreliefshiftsatavarietyofre-tail locationswheneversheisn’tworkingatherpharmacy.
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STUDY BREAK• Contest Time
It’scontesttime!
Andforonce,it’snotclick-baitlikeaLoganPaulYouTubevideo!
AswestartanewsemesterhereattheLeslieDanFacultyofPharmacy,it’simportanttobeabletoestablishabalancebetweensleep,study,andfun!
BeginningonSeptember29,2017,FridayNightLivehasreturnedtotheRoyalOntarioMuseum.FornineconsecutiveFridays,themuseumtransformsintoalivelynightclubenvironment,withfoodandbarservice,aswellaslivemusic(bothinstrumentalandDJ’s)oneveryfloorofthemuseum!Whodoesn’twanttoclubwiththisPartysaurus?
ThereisadifferentthemeeachFriday.Doorsopenat7pmandendsroughlyaround11pm.Dressascasuallyasyou’dlike,orevencomeinacostumeforthemostpopularevent–Halloween!
Answerthequestionsbelowcorrectlyforyourchancetoscore a pair of tickets to the Friday Night Live event on October 27, 2017.
Edward Ho, 2T0
1. IntheDisneyPixarclassic,ToyStory,BuzzLightyearfacesanidentitycrisiswhenherealizesheisatoyandnotanintergalacticspaceranger.Heislaterseenwearinganapronandahat,towhichheisreferredtoasthisname:____________________________.
2. MulansavedChinafromtheHunarmyandwasrecognizedasthefirstfemaleheroineaccordingtofolklore.Hertrustysidekick,Mushu,isvoicedby____________________________.
3. Meekoisthenameofthisspeciesofmammal:____________________________,debutingintheDisneyClassic,Pocahontas.
4. Cinderellahastwostepsisters:AnastasiaandDrizella.Inthesequel,CinderellaII:DreamsComeTrue,Anasta-siafindsaloveinterestwhoseoccupationisthis:____________________________.
5. WinniethePoohloveshoneybutdislikesbees.Heoftenhasfearfulnightmaresofthesetwoimaginarycrea-tures:____________________________and____________________________.
6. HankisanoctopuswhodebutedinFindingDory.Hehadlostoneofhisarms,makinghima____________________________-opus.
7. RemytheRatdebutsinRatatouillein2007.HefollowsChefGusteau’sphilosophythat“Anyonecan____________________________.”
Name:_________________________________________________________________
Circleone-Year: 1T8 1T9 2T0 2T1 Staff
Email:_________________________________________________________________
my dear disney
Volume 19, Issue 1
22
STUDY BREAK• Puzzles
Shoutouts:Doyouwanttoacknowledgesomeonewhohashelpedyouinyourclasses?Someonewhoyouadmire?Perhapsafriendwhocamethroughduringatimeofneed?Givethemashout-outontheMonographusingtheQRcode!
DearDruggistQuestions:Doyouhaveaquestionforapharmacist?Areyouunsureofwhotoask?Doyounothavetheconnectionsfortheresponseyouneed?We’vegotyoucovered.Askanyquestionaboutpharmacy,healthcare,school,orevenpersonallifeandwe’llhaveapharmacistansweritforyou.UsetheQRcode!
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SUDOKU!
Get involved with the monograph!
Zahra Khan, 1T9
Volume 19, Issue 1
23
Phrosh 2017 Recap
Volume 19, Issue 1
STUDY BREAK• Behind the Lens
Exploring-TammyNguyen,2T0
SulpherMountain-TammyNguyen,2T0
ThePath-BaileyHogben,2T0
NightLife-BaileyHogben,2T0