‘BuJo’ helped Amanda Hammond turn time management into an enjoyable hobby.

Did you know that studies have shown disorganization leads to stress? I bet even without having done a lit search on the topic you know from experience that it’s true. I know I have. In fact, as a first- and second-year PharmD candidate, it seemed nearly impossible to avoid the anxiety that came along with time whizzing by, out of my control—and with my efforts to catch up falling flat. I heard it again and again from faculty and mentors alike: “Stay organized and manage your time.” But that’s easier said than done.

I hit a low point when by the fall semester of my second year, I arrived late to class when a guest speaker was presenting, e-mailed a meeting agenda to the wrong advisor, and even accidentally studied the completely wrong content for two separate quizzes. I felt a long way from my undergraduate career, where balance seemed so much easier. After some thought, the difference between then and now became clear—time. Not less time, not even mismanaged time, but unaccounted-for time. The hidden hours spent on Netflix, the minutes here and there texting friends, endless time lost because when my cat sits on my lap, I am powerless to get up. I realized I was using so much time that I wasn’t keeping track of. My undergraduate program, where exams were a little bit easier and life was a little less demanding, had never challenged me to be truly intentional about how I spent my time. It was clear I needed to start trying.

And that start came in the form of an analog system known as “BuJo.”

Mindfulness can be practiced upon waking up, before an exam, while commuting to school and work, when eating, and before bed.

The pharmacy profession prides itself on having an evidence-based approach to practice in order to improve medication adherence. There is an emerging interest in the profession about how to include wellness activities for patients, pharmacists, and student pharmacists. When recommending any care—including wellness care—it is important to understand what works best for the individual, whether that be different approaches to exercise, diet, sleep hygiene, or meditation.  

Mindfulness-oriented meditation (MOM) has garnered recent attention from the medical community as an option to reduce stress and burnout while improving overall well-being. At the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, we wanted to dive deeper into MOM by engaging in our own practice and reviewing the literature on how mindfulness meditation has been used in health professionals’ education. Our goal was to see what it was like to meditate on a regular basis and examine how the studies could be applied to pharmacy.

Andrew Dickerson’s mantra: ‘Don't. Ever. Stop.’

How do you decide what outfit to wear each day? Do you consider what matches or what’s clean? Probably. Do you plan your whole outfit around having someone home to help you put on your socks and shoes? I do. I was born with a rare disability that limits my range of motion. At 22, I am dependent on others to put on my socks and tie my shoes. 

In different phases of my life, I have been an athlete, a musician, and a student pharmacist, and I have been an overcomer throughout. Now, I am fortunate enough to be President of the East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy APhA–ASP Chapter. So how does a 22-year-old who still can’t put on his own shoes end up leading an award-winning chapter? I have persevered and want to share three ways you can as well.

Imagine this: the drive-through line is eight cars deep, all three registers are open, and all four phones are ringing off the hook. “Date of birth? Red 603? Basket 22? Script number 156? Insurance covered 22.50?” Sound familiar?

You have been running around the pharmacy all day putting up the new inventory, entering in prescriptions, counseling on inhaler technique, and administering what feels like 100 flu vaccines an hour. Don’t forget to call the physician about changing the antibiotic for the patient who has a cephalosporin allergy. Oh, and whatever happened to that prior authorization? Add that to the list as well.

Second scenario: it is 5:30 pm and you have already been at the hospital for 11 hours working up 20 patients, rounding with the medical team for 3 hours, counseling on 12 new warfarin regimens, and dosing vancomycin on 5 new admissions. Oh, and don’t forget, your journal club presentation is tomorrow and you are leading a topic discussion the following day. Phew! Sound familiar?

You then receive a call from the nursing station on floor 2 asking about antibiotic coverage for a mutual patient. The clinical dietician sees you in the hall and asks about a patient in Room 8715 whose blood glucose increased after their TPN was administered last night. Another thing to add to the list.

Hello “Heather”! You are quite right in acknowledging that some days, rotations or practice sites can seem very chaotic and stressful, making it a challenge to provide exceptional patient care. On top of that, rotations are an entirely different learning environment than classroom learning, in which many student pharmacists may spend up to 7 years. The beauty of rotations is that you have the opportunity to learn how to become a proficient pharmacist in a variety of settings—including stressful ones—and I commend you for seeking insight.

Remember why you became a pharmacist

It is incredibly easy to forget about the patient and focus on your to-do list for the day. As a pharmacist practicing in a community setting, your first scenario is my day-to-day. However, you have already identified one key element for success: empathy. Empathy allows you to take a mental step back from the chaos and be with the patient. You are right in acknowledging that every patient is a mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandmother, or grandfather, and they need our help. Nothing makes me happier than providing relief to a mother who has a crying sick child as I walk her through her son’s Augmentin prescription regimen, or when I address drug therapy questions and concerns about new prescriptions from the elderly gentleman who was recently discharged from the hospital. Remembering to stop, listen, and be empathetic with your patients will take practice, but it is the most rewarding part of my day.