Pharmacist Feature: Tori Arsenault (Hospital Pharmacist)
“I absolutely love clinical pharmacy, my biggest passions are emergency medicine and infectious diseases! I hope to continue growing in these areas and I really enjoy how fast paced they are.”
Pharmacy School: MCPHS University
Current Position: “I am a pharmacist at Steward Healthcare (Including two acute care hospitals, emergency room satellite, geriatric psych facility and one long term care facility), I travel between 5 different locations!”
Typical Day: “Depending on which facility I'm at, my day consists of clinical reports, including monitoring renal dosing for a variety of medications, IV to PO interchanging, as well as the monitoring of vancomycin drug levels and dosing. I also check medications and IV compounds for accuracy when being filled to go up on patient floors by pharmacy technicians. I participate in ICU and medicine rounds to streamline medication therapy. While at the ER satellite, I get to mix IVs at the bedside for nursing and consult on dosing for emergent medications. Lastly, while on the geripsych unit, I am responsible for attending multidisciplinary team rounds. Each day for me is very different--it keeps me on my toes and constantly learning!”
Favorite part: “I really love collaborating with other professionals in the field. My favorite parts of the day are when I can create an impactful relationship within a team to better care for my patients. Helping out my RNs, MDs, PAs and NPs (and MANY others) is what really makes my day!”
Least favorite part: “Sometimes it can be stressful and chaotic in pharmacy, due to the nature of acute care. Being a pharmacist is no easy job! Even though the workload and hours can seem daunting, we do very important work and can be proud to come to work each day. It's always important to take a step back every so often, and reflect on how we can keep improving and do things better next time!”
Prior Experience: “In college, I was very lucky to get to work as a pharmacy research assistant at Slone Epidemiology Center. It was there I first fell in love with research and medical literature! That along with 6 years of hospital pharmacy technician experience helped me get ready to be a pharmacist within this setting.”