Brown Bag Event!!!! - Pennington Gap, VA
Hello everyone, it's community event time in Southwest Virginia!
I have been fortunate enough to participate in a number of community outreach events, such as Random Access Medical (RAM) and the Susan G. Komen Fundraisers and Annual 5 K, but I have not had the pleasure of volunteering for a brown bag event.......UNTIL NOW! I'll tell you all about my awesome adventure in Pennington Gap, VA, but first let me explain what a brown bag event entails. We all know that one person who places all their medication in a bag.....my grandfather.....for safe keeping (He can't help it that just how he's always kept his medications together and he knows where they are at all times). At these events, patients are requested to bring their medications in a brown bag, hence the name. How convenient is that? This bag should contain all of the patient's medications whether it be over-the-counter, samples, or from a different pharmacy. Basically it should contain any medicinal therapy that the patient is currently taking. The main purpose of these overall medication reviews are to help combat poly-pharmacy and patient non-compliance. Participants can walk in and ask a pharmacist any questions about their healthcare. A pharmacist will review every drug and supplement taken by the patient to help ensure that optimal care is obtained.
Pennington Gap, VA is the home to the great stone face, some of the most beautiful scenery in the country, and this years brown bag event. I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Richard Nicholas and fellow ACP P2 students (Mark Arroyo, Bhavin Patel, and Jermaine Ramsey). A short presentation on the importance of vaccinations and hypertension management for the elderly was conducted, and then the fun began. Participants either brought in a list of all their current medications or physical medications in a bag to be reviewed and we answered their questions. It felt great to provide nice people with healthcare advice that we had just learned in the classroom. Everyone was extremely receptive and open about medication questions and concerns. I have now seen first hand how this type of event can increase patient care and I hope to see many more started all around the area.
