According to an OTC product survey conducted by Pharmacy Times, pharmacists make an average of 639,908 sunscreen recommendations per month. As an APPE student completing a rotation at Stop & Shop Pharmacy in Wallingford, CT, this summer, these statistics were no surprise to me. With new sunscreen products continuously entering the market, selecting the right option has become more challenging than in the past. The large number of newly available products has made it difficult for consumers to comprehend label information and understand the precautions that should be followed for adequate sun protection.

I hope everyone has been doing well and having a great summer! If you have been keeping up with my APPE reflections over the past year, I want to thank you and I hope they have been insightful. I am writing my last article for Student Pharmacist as “Grace,” as I have now graduated with my PharmD and am currently in my residency.

Hope you are enjoying the end of spring and looking forward to summer. Congratulations to everyone who graduated or finished the school year! I also want to congratulate all the final-year student pharmacists who matched for residency or have other plans for their future. I will now reflect on my last ever-APPEs (how crazy is that to say?).

When you are going through a tough time, my advice is to remember your “why.” 

As you begin your final year of pharmacy school, you more than likely will have a million different emotions.