After an eventful 24+ hours spent on airplanes and in airports, we have been home for a few days now and I can officially say that I have recovered from all of the travel and jet lag. I am extremely grateful that I was a part of this trip to Thailand. It is an experience that I will never forget. Going in to it I was really excited to experience another culture and learn about their health care system. I can say that I pretty much got the full experience. Thailand is a beautiful country filled with beautiful architecture, scenery, people and delicious food!
I really enjoyed all of the sight seeing. I'm sure that most people could agree that we would've gotten so lost if it weren't for Supranee's aunt who was our tour guide. She worked so hard to put everything together and bring us to all of the sights and the necessary food stops. I don't think I've eaten as much food in my life as i did on this trip! It was all so good. I was even brave enough to try durian :O Once you get past the smell, it isn't so bad.
I really enjoyed the pharmacy related days. It was interesting to see how they practice both traditional/herbal and western medicine. When receiving care, patients can have their preference. It was also interesting to see how a universal health care system works and it's benefits as well as its disadvantages. Most of the population has access to universal health care so they can receive free medical help and prescriptions as long as they visit their assigned providers and hospitals. This is great for those who cannot afford healthcare otherwise. But it results in long waits at the hospital and therefore a possible loss in a day's wages. When we visited one of the hospitals, we were able to see this first hand. The hallways and waiting areas were filled with people sitting shoulder to shoulder. Even though we were warned beforehand, it was almost shocking to see so many people because its not something we would see back home in the United States. To avoid this, some patients will go directly to the pharmacist and offer to pay for their medications so they don't have to wait all day.
It's interesting to know that the pharmacists in Thailand have the ability to prescribe certain medications (as long as they aren't controlled). I think that this practice could be beneficial in the US for certain circumstances (especially for maintenance medications!). But it was so odd to realize that the pharmacies in Thailand do not require a pharmacist to be present at all times! So different than the US!!
There is so much more I feel like I can share. I am truly grateful for the experience and all of the friendships I was able to build and strengthen.
Thailand will forever be in my heart
Kendall
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