Ukraine
Sonya Collins
Pharmacists and Touro College of Pharmacy faculty members Anastasiya Shor, PharmD, and Dipan Ray, PhD, RPh, recently completed a medical mission through International Medical Relief to Warsaw, Poland, where they spent a week caring for displaced Ukrainians in a 24-hour clinic at a large shelter. We asked them to tell us about it.
Why did you decide to do a medical mission?
Shor: As a Ukrainian-American—I was born in Ukraine and spent my childhood there—I was actively trying to find ways to help, whether through fundraising or raising awareness.
But, as a pharmacist, and one who speaks Russian and Ukrainian, I felt there was more I could contribute and that I could bring a lot to a medical mission.
I was happy that Dipan wanted to join me because it would have been challenging to do it by myself.
Where were you posted?
Ray: At a temporary shelter in Warsaw built by the Polish government that could house from 4,000 to 7,000 people at a time. There were around 2,500 people when we were there.
It’s displaced people staying at the shelter while they await visas to other countries. We had a makeshift clinic and a team of 35 people including two pharmacists, Anastasiya and me. There were physicians, nurses, a dentist, a mental health professional, and other specialties represented.
What was a typical day like? What were your responsibilities?
Shor: We’d arrive at 7:45 in the morning and stand for the Ukrainian National Anthem. It was very humbling to see American volunteers, Canadian volunteers, and displaced Ukrainians stop what they were doing and come together for this moment of quiet.
Because it was a 24-hour clinic, every morning when I came in, something would have changed since the day before. Either we got new donations or there was a new unmet need or some Ukrainians were coming in with a new, specific concern.
Our chief functions were to organize the medications by class and understand the inventory. There were international medications, and not all practitioners from all around the world were familiar with these medications.
It may have been the same drug class, but the brand name was different, and the dosing might have been different. We had to know what the equivalents of these medications were in our countries in order to participate in medication selection with the physicians.
Because I speak the language, I also counseled patients on their medications and preventive measures, like the importance of frequent handwashing. When they realized I spoke the language, they were relieved to know that they were understood and that their issue was being addressed.
Ray: I would arrive at 3:00 in the afternoon and Anastasiya would let me know what had happened that day, whether there had been new challenges or more demand for a particular type of medication.
They work a lot with natural medicines there, which is an area of expertise for me. I teach an elective course on this, so I was very familiar with those.
Also, medication donations often include a lot of expired medications. In both of our shifts, we looked for and eliminated expired donations.
We didn’t know whether there would be any more pharmacists coming in after we left, so we created a formulary system based on the types of drugs that people were asking for so that physicians could access those drugs easily.
What was the greatest challenge you faced?
Shor: I have never worked this closely with physicians. In the beginning, it was a challenge understanding what they needed from us and defining our role as pharmacists.
When there weren’t pharmacists on duty in the pharmacy, physicians would just come in and take what they needed.
I had to raise awareness that I am not just an inventory specialist. I am a clinical resource, and I am available to advise and make recommendations. But in the end, we got a lot of positive feedback from the physicians, who also said they had never worked so closely with pharmacists.
Ray: We also had to be very innovative in the way we delivered medications. We didn’t have measuring devices, for example, for pediatric medication, so we had to make quick decisions to overcome those situations.
What would you say to other pharmacists who would like to help Ukrainians?
Shor: Medical mission efforts are ongoing and people need help now more than ever. I would encourage anyone who is interested to get involved.
Anyone who can go on a medical mission should do so or can pursue local ways to help. ■