A TikTok video that shows graduating pharmacy school students incorrectly answering basic medication questions is raising concerns.
A pharmacist is an expert in medications and should be able to assist you if you have any concerns about a drug prescribed by your doctor. You should always be able to rely on a pharmacist to provide guidance on how to make the most of your medication, as they have completed years of school and undergone a rigorous training program. They know their stuff — or so we thought.
Article continues below advertisement
In a TikTok video, graduating pharmacy students are asked questions about medications and they seemingly struggle to provide answers.
Article continues below advertisement
This video of pharmacy school graduates struggling to answer basic medication questions has TikTok stressed out.
A TikTok video shared by a creator named Kari has raised concerns about the knowledge of newly graduated pharmacy students. In the video, she quizzes graduates on basic pharmaceutical information, and their responses, or lack thereof, have left viewers worried.
“What is the maximum dose of acetaminophen for a patient with Cirrhosis?” Kari asks one graduate.
“I don’t know, 3,000 milligrams a day,” he answers. A classmate informs him that the correct answer is two.
Article continues below advertisement
Kari moves on to a female graduate, asking “What is the dosing regimen for Macrobid?”
She incorrectly responds: “It’s like 500 milligrams twice a day for five days.”
The typical recommended dose is 100 milligrams twice a day for seven days, per GoodRX.
Article continues below advertisement
Kari asks another graduate about the black box warning for Montelukast (Singulair) which treats asthma and allergies.
“I don’t f—— know,” he said before guessing liver failure. According to the Food and Drug Administration, it appears that the black box warning for Montelukast warns of serious behavior and mood-related changes.
Article continues below advertisement
“What is a first-generation antihistamine?” Kari poses to another student. He begins mumbling something. As she pries him for an answer, he says “Yeah you gotta stop recording, I don’t know.”
A fifth student is quizzed on the current guidelines for hypertension.
He mentions they were last updated in 2018, but they’ve actually been updated several times since then. As he flounders in his words, a peer of his says “no,” and begins laughing.
If it’s any consolation, there were some correct answers from the bunch. When the president of the class was asked how much Sudafed a patient can legally buy in New York state, he correctly answered nine grams.
Article continues below advertisement
Nonetheless, viewers were concerned by the responses provided by the pharmacy graduates. “At this point, I might as well just schedule my funeral,” wrote one user in the comment section.
Another person said: “We’re starting to see the effects of all those Zoom lectures,” likely nodding to the years of school these students spent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A nurse commented, claiming that she is supposed to call them.
Article continues below advertisement
Another user wrote: “Y’all don’t worry, they gotta pass boards,” suggesting that if they didn’t know their stuff, the board exams would likely straighten them out.
“Thank god life is open note,” read another comment.
Others speculated that these graduates’ lack of knowledge might explain why pharmacists sometimes take a while to fill prescriptions.
It’s important to note that Kari’s video does not necessarily represent the entire pharmacy profession as there are undoubtedly many well-trained and knowledgeable pharmacists who are able to provide excellent care to their patients. However, the video does raise valid concerns about the quality of pharmacy education and perhaps the need for stricter graduation requirements.
Source: https://www.distractify.com/p/new-pharmacists-quizzed-after-graduation
