Pharmacy Perspectives - Fall 2010 - 10

ALUMNI

Alumnus provides relief to Haitians

Community	pharmacist	by	weekday,	Navy	reservist	by	weekend	–	pharmacy	 alumnus	Lt.	Brian	Wilson	(BS	’00)	got	a	taste	of	what	a	natural	disaster	is	like	 when	he	deployed	to	Haiti	in	May	to	help	with	post-earthquake	relief	efforts.	
Wilson,	one	of	50	medical	professionals	the	U.S.	 Navy	sent	as	part	of	Operation	Unified	Response,	 spent	10	days	south	of	Port-au-Prince	in	Les	 Cayes	setting	up	a	pharmacy	and	helping		 dispense	medications	to	the	locals.	 “The	first	couple	of	days	were	rough,”	discloses	 Wilson.	“The	conditions	were	austere	at	best	with	 limited	access	to	telephones,	no	running	water	or	 refrigeration.”	With	lines	at	the	pharmacy	extending	for	blocks,	he	quickly	learned	what	works	 under	normal	circumstances	in	the	United	States	 does	not	work	in	a	public	health	emergency.	 As	the	lone	pharmacy	officer	and	pharmacy	 department	head,	Wilson	came	up	with	a	unique	 solution.	He	stocked	several	easily	accessible		 locations	throughout	the	clinic	with	the	most commonly	prescribed	meds.	Then	physicians	 pulled	what	they	needed	from	those	locations		 and	dispensed	them	directly	to	the	patients.	This	 virtually	eliminated	the	lines.	“If	a	physician	 needed	a	consult	about	dosing	or	the	optimal	 medication	to	prescribe,	a	runner	would	be	sent	 to	the	pharmacy	and	I’d	make	an	on-the-spot	 recommendation,”	says	Wilson.	During	his	time	 in	Haiti,	he	and	two	pharmacy	technicians	were	 responsible	for	dispensing	500	medicines	a	day.	 In	addition	to	the	three	physicians	that	the	Navy	 deployed,	many	civilian	physicians	volunteered	 their	time.	Because	some	of	these	physicians	were	 specialists	(many	in	oncology	or	pulmonary	critical	care)	with	limited	knowledge	of	emergency	 medicine,	they	began	to	rely	upon	Wilson	for	his	 expertise	in	medications	and	dosing.	According	to	

Wilson,	“It	was	exciting	and	helped	hone	my		 clinical	skills…fast.”	 The	entire	experience	was	very	different	from	his	 community	pharmacy	position	at	home.	“I	don’t	 normally	have	this	type	of	interaction	with	physicians	in	my	day	job.	Every	couple	of	minutes	I’d	 have	several	runners	waiting	in	line	to	ask	questions.	I	felt	my	knowledge	was	being	tapped	and	 that	I	was	making	a	difference,”	says	Wilson. Wilson	joined	the	U.S.	Navy	Reserve	in	2003	as		 a	response	to	the	September	11	attacks,	but		 contemplated	a	military	career	even	before	9/11.		 “I	have	the	best	of	both	worlds.	It’s	a	little	like		 being	Clark	Kent.	I	get	to	shuck	my	everyday		 persona,	fight	disease,	help	those	in	need	and		 experience	new	and	different	sights.	I	know	what		 I	do	makes	a	difference,”	says	Wilson,	“and	I		 would	definitely	do	it	again.”	
Editor’s Note: As a consequence of his deployment in Haiti, Wilson was recognized by the U.S. Navy and was awarded the Navy Reserve Pharmacist Special Recognition Award 2010 at the Joint Forces Pharmacy Seminar in October.

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Pharmacy Perspectives - Fall 2010

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