Not just an average drug store Published Oct. 30, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Keeping base personnel healthy is a team effort for the 380th Expeditionary Medical Group. Public health ensures the base common areas stay clean, doctors and independent duty medical technicians diagnose and treat patients and dental ensures members keep chomping along. The last stop for many patients is the pharmacy. Tech. Sgt. Kristine Butler, 380th EMDG NCOIC of pharmacy operations who is deployed from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., is the main distributor for pharmaceutical needs to the wing, but her mission includes much more. "Some people think all we do is hand out medication," said Butler. "Although, preventative medicine is the main mission we support. We do so much more, which includes compounding and destroying medications as needed." Providing pharmaceutical services to the base is a tall order, said Butler. Although she runs the main pharmacy by herself, she trains the flight doctors and IDMT's how to dispense medication and also provide them the medication to distribute to their patients. Medical personnel also volunteer in the pharmacy to help prepare over the counter medications for distribution. Usually there's a high need for over the counter medication by patients looking for relief for minor cold and illnesses. The added assistance helps the pharmacy stay ahead of the demand. The self-help medication program is useful for these types of patients. A patient can receive over the counter medication without having to see a doctor but must first receive an initial screening from a nurse who will also check for allergies, and depending on the patient's symptoms the nurse can also refer the patient to a provider. "Since we're in a deployed location, there are no neighborhood pharmacies at our disposal," said Butler. "We give our patients the chance to self-help first before having to see a provider." Pharmacy technicians also have the ability to mix or alter a prescription to create a medication. The process known as extemporaneous compounding is tailored to the medical needs of an individual patient and is performed when a prescription is not immediately available. "Providers know thousands of diagnosis, and pharmacists know thousands of medications and treatments," said Butler. "We can be like little chemists when we have to find a treatment." In addition to dispensing medicine, the pharmacy is also charged with its destruction. Butler destroys all expired or non-potent medications. She also receives medications from the wing's geographically separated units for destruction. Tablets and capsules are the most common medications destroyed by the pharmacy, said Butler, a native of Union City, Calif. They must be crushed, ground and mixed to a paste-like substance with used coffee grounds and isopropyl alcohol. "This process seems unorthodox, but the process is aligned with Food and Drug Administration regulations," added Butler. "It's a process to break medications down to an undesirable state of consumption." With the ability to distribute, and compound medications the 380th EMDG Pharmacy is able to help keep warfighters healthy. Also with the desctruction of expired medications, Butler ensures the group is in line with FDA standards. "I love my job, its interesting and everyday something is new. Every single patient is different. They react to different drugs a certain way. So its interestesting to see how you are going to treat them with what you have; that's the most fun part," said Butler. "You really have to think about what combinations of medication you can use to treat the patient."