Blog #7:Favorite Webpage

As silly and irrelevant as it may seem, one of my favorite webpage’s is that of Sprinkles Cupcakes. Sprinkles Cupcakes was the first cupcake boutique established. You may wonder why its one of my favorite webpage’s and its simple, I love cupcakes. I would check the webpage every time I planned on going to Chicago, which was a lot before I came to college since it was only a 45 minute train ride. I would check it to see what the specials were or to place an order before they sold out.

            When you first go to the website, your eyes are flooded with color. I think it was designed that way to look welcoming and friendly. Everything is very organized and it’s easy to navigate your way around. I think by using these bright colors it shows that it’s a fun simple website. If you go to the flavors it gives you a full description and picture so you can know exactly what your cupcake will look like and it gives you a pretty good idea of what the cupcake will taste like. There are also pictures of the different kinds of ice cream available.

            The text is also a unique but simple to read. The information is clear and concise. It gives you all locations, addresses, prices many other things. There are also videos that show the publicity and places the franchises have gone too. It is a good way to allow the customers to know they are well liked across the country and have a good reputation.

            Overall it is a webpage that I enjoy going to when I am home or in a state that has the cupcake boutique. I would recommend it to any other cupcake fanatic that like to keep tabs on what’s new and available that day.

Blog #6

After discussing everything with my group I realized, that although our stakeholders all have the same viewpoint, we need to rework a lot of things in order to show our viewpoint and what we think of the abuse of prescription drugs. Instead of dissecting all the different people involved with prescription drug abuse, we as a group decided to focus more on what prescription drug abuse is, how to fix and change the regulations to better benefit society and then the consequences that I will inevitably come if nothing changes. We think by discussing this we can better inform the class on the current issues. Discussing the view points of others might just confuse the audience rather than help them understand the problem the United States are facing.

Since all of our original sources were people themselves, the sources that we need to work with are statistical sources and new law are regulations that in the works right now not just opinion because opinions don’t change situations, actions do.

Blog #5

After reading a little about all four types of systems I knew immediately that I wanted to do classical. I do think it is the simplest out of the four, but I feel that with the topic my group and I have, I think it would work the best. Most people don’t know a lot about the issues in pharmacy so I feel that to put it in a simple way with the basic facts will inform, but not overwhelm the audience. I think we should open with facts and statistics to at least get the audience interested since prescription drugs is a topic your either interested in or your not.  I think this will surprise the audience enough to make them want to listen and here what we say. After that I think our stance on the issue should be made and why we feel that way. Since all four of our stakeholders were different I think we could all express our own opinions and then those of our stakeholders if they support what we think as well. The opinion of a doctor, pharmacist government official and an addict themselves will correlate with each other. After that I think the current laws and regulations should be talked about so then it is obvious what needs to be changed.  Once the audience has been informed of our stance, and the ways to change the current rules and regulations my group would wrap up in a clever and powerful way. Give them the cause and effect if nothing changes and then the benefits if things do change. After that I think we should end with a question to continue to make the audience think even after we are done presenting.

In the past projects, I’ve always been the one stuck doing all the work at the last minute. Or people always canceling when scheduled to work together. I really hope with this new group the work can be spread out evenly. I also hope that my group can meet a couple of times so that we are all confident. I want to have this done in advance so that nothing is last minute.

Image Analysis

          

              Over the past decade the abuse of prescription drugs has skyrocketed. The number of people abusing prescription medications in 2012 rose to 6.8 million users from 6.1 million users in 2011, a 10% increase, as indicated in the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This annual report provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also shows that prescription drugs continue to be

one of the most abused controlled substances, second only to marijuana. Abuse rates for all major categories of prescription drugs saw increases, with painkillers remaining the most abused substance (with nearly 4.9 million illicit users, up from 4.5 million in 2011). Despite these increases, rates of prescription drug abuse among youths aged 12 to 17 remained at 2.8%, preserving a gradual decline from a rate of 4% in 2002. Over half the number of people who obtained prescription drugs for non-medical use received them from a friend or relative at no cost, while another 15% bought them or took them from a friend or relative. Prescription drug related deaths now outnumber those from heroin and cocaine combined, and drug overdose deaths exceed motor vehicle-related deaths in 29 states and Washington, D.C. Misuse and abuse of prescription drugs costs the country an estimated $53.4 billion a year in lost productivity, medical costs and criminal justice costs, and currently only one in 10 Americans with a substance abuse disorder receives treatment.

            One organization that is dedicated to helping solve this issue is The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. NABP’s member boards of pharmacy are grouped into eight districts that include all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Australia, eight Canadian provinces, and New Zealand. The Association is governed by its Executive Committee, whose officers and members are elected during the Association’s Annual Meeting.

         Colors have deep subliminal meanings that affect our thinking and rational. They have symbolic meaning that changes amongst different cultures and countries. The NABP’s logo evokes a sense of power. The use of red captures your attention and pulls you in. Red is passionate and I think this is NABP’s color because they are passionate about helping everything. The logo also incorporates white as well. White is not a color, but it stands for wholeness and completion. In many cultures it represents openness and truth. White has a cold quality. It can provide clarity, as its energy is complete. White has purification vibrations and can be used to clear blocks from your path. It holds the potential to move toward every other color and this makes it a good choice for new beginnings, and development in any direction. When these colors are put together the organizations ethos is revealed. It represents a strong and passionate association that wants to make everyone healthy and it also gives you a sense of peace and reliability. Looking at it I feel that they are organized and know what they are doing. Their professionalism is very able to see.

            Along with the color the shape is also important. The logo has two circles within a circle. The circle symbolizes infinity and eternity because the curves never end. The circle has no beginning or end. This is important because it means that this association will always try its best to better the community and the people apart of it. The rest of the logo includes its name and founding date which is necessary to both know what its for and to allow for credibility since its been around for a long time which sometimes people need to see in order to trust something they don’t know. The pictures inside are medical images that most people wouldn’t know but is put on there so you can tell its health related. Although this image is simple and precise it does say a lot and I think that it has the perfect amount of information on it to inform and not overwhelm.

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®). N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.

"Color Psychology | Infoplease.com." Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. | Infoplease.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.

First Stakeholder

The stakeholder that I chose to represent prescription drug abuse is The AMA. For those who don’t keep tabs on all medical associations, I’ll help you out. The AMA stands for The American Medical Association. I chose this as my stakeholder because the AMA has long held that, “The central principle of balance—between preventing controlled substance abuse, trafficking, and diversion and ensuring access to necessary pain medication should guide policy-makers as they craft solutions to address these complex problems”(American Medical Association). Since 2005, the AMA, along with many other stakeholders in the health care community, has supported and helped secure passage of the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act (NASPER) as an essential tool in combating prescription drug abuse and diversion. Some ideas the AMA supports are as followed:

-Positive incentives to promote physician education

-Federal funding for a national framework to support accessible state-level take-back locations to remove unneeded prescription drugs

-Enforcement actions to halt “pill mill” activities

-Full funding and staffing for up-to-date prescription drug monitoring programs

-State-based tools and resources that support identification and assessment of state-based addiction

These are just a few ways the AMA is trying to crack down the issue of prescription drug abuse. They of course realize they can’t do it on their own so they also collaborate with other people and organizations in order to get their work done. The following list is a few of the other organizations:

-NCOIL

-The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy software program "InterConnect" that provides HIPAA compliance.

Its obviously going to take a lot of work, dedication, and persistence to crack down on the abuse of prescription drugs but I think The AMA is taking great strides in order to do so.

"Combating Prescription Drug Abuse and Diversion." American Medical Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.

Reflection:Topic Speech

Well for starters, I wasn’t even aware that I was being recorded. It wouldn’t have made a difference though because being recorded doesn’t bother me. However, doing the speech in front of the class is another story. I hate public speaking, but hate watching myself give a speech even more. This was painful to say the least.

First off, I talk with my hands….a lot. Every word has a different hand motion. This is very distracting. That’s the only thing I could focus on the whole time. I also talk fast in general so when told to give a speech, the speed only increases. Between my fast-talking and hand motions I don’t really know what I was talking about. Above all, my speech was also too short. I think I was 2 seconds shy of making it to a minute, which isn’t annoying or anything. I definitely have a lot to work on before my next speech.

Although I had many flaws I definitely was passionate about what I was talking to my audience about. I was loud enough for people to hear me and I think I was knowledgeable on the subject I was talking about.

Public Controversies

Stricter guidelines for Medicare
As a pre-pharmacy student that actually works in a pharmacy, I am aware of the current procedures and rules in pharmacy. I constantly see the abuse of government funded medication programs and I also then see those who do not receive assistance from the government and have to go without their medication, which is definitely not okay. I believe that everyone has a time in their life when they need help and I think help should be given. I do not think you should fill out paperwork and then receive assistance. I think there needs to be supervision. I am forced to hold my tongue when a couple drives up in a new mercedes and have the audacity to complain about their two-dollar medicare paid for prescriptions are too expensive. Then have to sit and watch an elderly man or woman leave their inhaler until next time when they have a little more money. That is absolutely ridiculous and something needs o be changed.

Medical Careers 
The world we live in today is very materialistic, end of story. People see that doctors, pharmacists, nurses and jobs of similar nature make a very nice salary. Just because one passes the test doesn't mean they just get their license. Being a caretaker for another human takes people skills, compassion and most importantly sympathy for another human being. The job is about the patient, not yourself. The amount of rude people who clearly do not love their job I have encountered in my life is astonishing. I believe further observation and psychology tests need to be administered before the license is so easily handed over.

Drug Abuse
It is a pretty well known fact that people abuse their prescriptions. Whether is be anxiety, pain or sleep aids. Something needs to change. As sad as it is, I think more medications needs to be monitored as much as C2 drugs such as Concerta, Adderall and Vyvanse. I also think that patients need to come in monthly for a new pain script. As of right now, a doctor can write for additional refills which is only giving room for an addiction to occur. If it is monitored more closely I think it would improve healthcare.

Blog #1: 5 Arguments

1. A big argument in today’s society and an interest to me is politics. Whether you are a democrat or a republican I feel like it should be a private matter. Since moving to Kentucky I have been surrounded by republicans and numerous opinions of those around me. I never really considered myself to be one of the two but rather neutral. I see bumper stickers on many cars, and conversations about the awful president we have all the time. Even when the election is over and one may think there is a break, there is never a break. After one is over the planning and preparation begin for the next. One could argue and defend their beliefs but no matter one, it is a battle that cannot be won.

2. For me, growing up in a Catholic setting was the norm. I have always gone to church, have been surrounded by people with the same beliefs and have prayed. I prayed before class, after class, even at lunch. One argument that still to this day is an issue is praying before a football game. Being a cheerleader, I disagree strongly with the recent change. Because IHSA is not catholic, prayer cant be said before hand. I don’t think it should be against the rules. We live in the United States and I believe that if you want to pray, then you should be able to.

3. I’ve known for a very long time that pharmacy was the right career for me. I also knew that my mom would only let me go to a college with a top ten-pharmacy school. Kentucky’s prestigious reputation informed me very well. With all the newsletters I received in the mail and its outstanding rankings and awards it was a very easy decision. Kentucky was my favorite out of all the colleges I applied to. It was also the farthest, which didn’t sit well with my parents. I knew that if I wanted my parent’s blessings and I had to take all the information I had read about and make them believe it was the best fit as well. So here I am, another person who made a decision based on a persuasive argument given by the University of Kentucky.

4. Over the course of five or six years, Facebook has had its ups and downs. It was popular at first and now not so much. An argument I come across often with my parents is the fact that I don’t know half of the people I’m friends with. I never think twice when posting details of my life with strangers. Some could argue it’s a dangerous world and that I should be more careful. Others could also say that it is a way to make friends and explore possible friendships. Putting yourself out there and taking the risk is how a person grows, so shouldn’t we all try and put ourselves out there to learn more about not just the people we know but these so called strangers as well?

5. Since becoming a member of the Greek community this past semester, one could easily agree that Greek life itself is an argument. It is constantly being talked about by those involved and by those who are not, whether you are for it or against it, it is a highly talked about subject. You are told about it during orientation, you receive a pamphlet in the mail and you constantly are bombarded with images of sorority life and the crazy stories that come along with it. At this day and age one almost doesn’t have a choice. It could very easily make or break your first year of college. Many girls in my building have transferred schools because they had trouble meeting friends. With over 1200 girls rushing, I could understand why. But what is this saying? Are incoming freshman being informed to rush to make friends and to fit in?  

My Top 3 Pet Peeves

I must say, I am an easily irritated person to begin with so picking my top three is actually quite difficult. It would honestly probably be easier to name what doesn't bother me but for the sake of this assignment i will try to narrow it down.

1. Living in a dorm building, the odds of running into a drunk person, being woken up by a drunk person or the typical babysitting is very likely. I absolutely cannot deal with this. It is both obnoxious and immature. If you are making the decision to drink then you also are taking the responsibility to take care of YOURSELF, not ME.

2. I am respectful enough to always respond to people, whether it be a text or a phone call. If I text a person, I am going to keep responding. I expect the same courtesy. If someone texts me, then continue to talk to me. If you don't want to talk to me then DO NOT text me. Its pointless and annoys me to no end. I hate being ignored.

3. Ever since I was young, I have grown up with strict rules. I had to keep very good grades, always had curfews and things along those lines. I never really minded because thats just how things were. However, now that I am in college, it bothers me. I go out whenever I want to and to be told otherwise really annoys me. I live in a different state now and I think things should be adjusted accordingly to.