Aubree Baranowski

Lindhardt

April 21, 2019

Reflection

This class has been an eye-opener for me. I have learned so many interesting facts about

drugs and where they started, and what is happening with them in todays world. Working in the

pharmacy I had already known about the common medications that were abused, but we do not

usually go over illegal drugs, or where they come from.

I found it so sad how cartels use impoverished people to make their drugs, and how these

people are paid an extremely low amount. The cartels are then selling the product for much

higher amounts around the world. The people in these countries that are producing cocaine are

doing so illegally, but it is one of the few jobs they can do to make money for them. If they were

to have a different occupation, they simply wouldn’t make enough money to afford taking care

of their family. This is one of the reasons they don’t question how much they are being paid, and

the cartels know it. The cartels are making millions off of these people, and for the most part, the

ones producing the product, are unaware of the cost that their product is being sold for.

Learning about disorders and physical changes in the body from abuse of drugs is very

fascinating to me. Working in a pharmacy I see people who have addictions that range from

narcotic use, to illegal substance abuse. I also see people who are getting treatment for abuse,

and are trying to stop taking them. Learning about the signs and physical attributes these drugs

can do to a person can help me when it comes to accepting prescriptions, or contacting

physicians to see if a decrease or increase of these medications are necessary.

 I know that I should not look at someone’s features or actions and decide I know what

kind of drugs they are doing, or have done. For example, people who have open sores, rotting

teeth, are very thin and frail, and seem to be rapidly aging, does not always mean that they are

meth users. Same goes for the patient who seems to be chronically injured a lot, but physically

look fine. They might have some internal problems that lead them to need pain medications, or

they are actually abusing the medication. Either way, it is not always my place to decide I know

what is going on. I do however, use judgement and look at recent histories of prescriptions to

determine if the person is allowed to get their medication filled. People who are taking more than

prescribed are noticed in the pharmacy, and legally we cannot sell them their medication. This

makes some of the physicians, and patients mad at us, but the pharmacy has to go off of

physician instructions and the law.

I myself am a drinker, and I didn’t realize how alcohol is also a drug. The alcohol

chapters in the class made me more aware of what is normal behavior when it comes to the

number of drinks someone has in a week, or in one sitting. When I went to the bar with my

friends the other day, I was looking at how many drinks everyone was having, and the time

frame of when they ordered their next drinks. I noticed that I wanted 2 or 3 drinks within an hour

and made a mental note that this is not good for my health. I always thought that since I didn’t

drink during the week, that it was okay to have more drinks on the weekend. I have learned that

doing so is actually more unhealthy than having 1-4 drinks during the week.

I will continue using this knowledge to make sure that I am being healthy and smart when

it comes to drinking, or if I am offered drugs.