Gen Y: Never Alone in Our Cubicles

Generation Y (a.k.a the Millennials) has entered the workforce not individually but collectively. We are a generation that is used to—and seeks out—a community of support, a network of friends and strangers to collaborate with as we grow in our careers.

Brazen Careerist captures this spirit as the after-work watering hole for young professionals on the Internet. The social network has taken off as a hub for Millennial bloggers and careerists to connect as we examine the intersection of our lives and livelihoods.

When Brazen reached out to me and started featuring this blog regularly, my readership went from nothing (my mom and a few devoted friends) to hundreds of hits from people I had never met. I discovered so many other bloggers and professionals like me: motivated and passionate people trying to navigate “the real world,” which doesn’t always quite mesh with our style.

Brazen started out as a blog-driven Web site, and last year it unveiled the ability for users to create profiles and connect. Today the social-networking site is officially launching a much more user-driven interface (like a LinkedIn for young professionals). Profiles on the site feature a resume tab as well as an "ideas" tab of ongoing activity (new blog posts, status updates, etc.):




The profiles go beyond the traditional resume; putting a career on paper (or copied and pasted from Word) isn’t enough anymore. Our world is constantly refreshing and sharing, and resumes should mirror that by emphasizing not just our bullet points of accomplishments, but also an interactive display of who we are and what we want to achieve.

The career landscape is daunting, and even as a Web-savvy young professional, I find myself struggling to keep up with the ambition and digital-branding power of my peers, who always seem one step ahead of me. Well, despite how much you all annoy me, it’s exhilarating to hang out with my friends at Brazen Careerist—a bunch of other pesky Gen Yers whose brazenness rivals my own.

Ask the Pharmacist

To follow-up on my new kick to stop being sick, let’s talk about drugs.

Have you ever wondered what questions you are supposed to ask the pharmacist? Well I have, so I decided to get it straightened out once and for all. Here’s my Q&A with a fellow Gen Yer/my good friend/pharmacist, Joshua Lorenz, who kindly answered my questions:

Y-rd: A lot of young people—especially these days when unemployment is high—are scared to spend the money to go to the doctor. A lot of people probably don't even know that they can ask their pharmacist some common questions. Can you tell us what some easy questions are that you should really ask your pharmacist instead of the doctor?

Joshua: Before I answer this question, I just want to clarify that a pharmacist is not trained or educated to diagnose most complicated disease states. Pharmacists are drug experts; however, we still have enough knowledge to help a patient with their decision to go see a doctor or head to the emergency room. Here are some great questions/topics you can ask your pharmacist about at your local pharmacy:

• Any and all questions regarding any medication, whether it is prescription or over-the-counter (OTC). This includes herbal supplements and 'natural' remedies.
• I always recommend people spend at least a little time speaking with your pharmacist whenever you start a new medication. I find the amount of time that patients spend with their doctors discussing their medications varies widely, from nothing to five minutes.
• 'Can I drink any alcohol while I taking this medication?' Pharmacists are perfectly suited to tell you if what you are taking interacts with any other substances, lab tests or medical conditions. Keep in mind that common drugs such as caffeine and alcohol can significantly interact with certain prescription and OTC medications available over the counter. And herbal supplements, including diet and weight loss pills, can also significantly interact with other pills you may be popping during the day.

On the flip side, what is the most annoying thing people could ask the pharmacist?

Where is the kitty litter? Why does it take you so long to fill my prescription if you just need to put pills in the bottle? I could go on, but I highly recommend the blog post about "why your prescription takes so damn long to fill" from the blog Your Pharmacist May Hate You. It does an excellent job at explaining the average day of a community pharmacist and why your prescription can often take so long to fill.

Can you think of any common (legal) drug mistakes or misconceptions?

There are a few simple ways you can avoid being on the receiving end of a drug error. As you may expect, a large percentage of errors result from the illegibility of a doctor's handwriting. This is decreasing due to advances in technology, but it still occurs due to software issues. Although pharmacists are legally required to call the physician if it is illegible, many pharmacists, like nurses, are hesitant to contact a doctor if the doctor has a difficult personality. You can help protect yourself by having someone at the doctor's office repeat back to you the name, strength, and frequency of the medication you should be taking. Write this information down and check it against the prescription you eventually purchase.

Another common misconception is that ‘natural’ remedies or herbal supplements are more safe than other prescription or OTC drugs. This simply is not true. These herbal supplements and natural remedies are not regulated by the FDA and are not held to the same safety and effectiveness standards. And pharmacists do learn about these substances. While there are some that can provide relief, the vast majority are overpriced and shown to be ineffective. A classic and popular example of this is the remedy Airborne, available at most pharmacies.

Do you have any tips about easy ways to save on drug costs? Are generic drugs just as good as the original?

I always recommend generic products to patients. Both prescription and OTC generic drugs are required to contain a comparable amount of drug. They also must work the same way and the same amount of time as the brand-name version. The only difference allowed is in the inactive ingredients used to manufacture the medication. If you are allergic to multiple substances, it is always recommended that you check the label.

Of course I have come across people that swear whatever version of the medication they are currently taking is better than the brand or generic. In these circumstances I usually recommend that the person continue on the same medication if it is working for them.

Another way to save on drug costs is to actually make sure you need a drug to help alleviate your symptoms. For example, some cough and cold products available over-the-counter have marginal to no benefit for some people. Believe it or not, pharmacists are actually educated to decrease the number of medications a person is taking, not increase. A quick visit to the pharmacist can help with these decisions.

Just for fun (because I'm fair-skinned): Does Aspirin really work for sunburn?

Aspirin and other medications included in the class NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Aleve), can be used to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with sunburn. I recommend this especially within the first 24 hours of sunburn as this is when they will be most effective in relieving pain. If your sunburn is itching, then taking a non-drowsy antihistamine such as Claritin in the morning and Benadryl at night can help. Aspirin and the other drugs listed above do NOT prevent sunburn from occurring. The best practice is prevention with sunscreen and minimizing sun exposure. Your pharmacist can give you additional information about other practices and remedies to try depending upon your age, skin type and other medications you may be taking. There are also additional medications you may consider if your sunburn is severely blistering. And if you are having a fever, feeling confused or having increased weakness, then you should go to the ER immediately.

Is there any other advice you'd like to share with fellow young people about staying healthy and taking the right drugs?

If anything has been learned from the recently celebrity deaths, then I hope it is that you should keep a closer eye on all the medications you take and the interactions that can occur. Even common products like acetaminophen (Tylenol) can have devastating effects in high doses and are included in many prescription pain medications. As a pharmacist I discourage the use of illegal substances, but I still encourage all people to tell me everything they are using for the sake of avoiding potentially deadly interactions. When a pharmacist counsels you at the pharmacy, you have a right for that consultation to be private. Please use that right to ask the questions you want and receive the information you need.

Joshua Lorenz, PharmD, MBA, is a pharmacy practice resident in Columbus, Ohio. You can contact him with any questions at joshua.lorenz@gmail.com.

On that note, Y-rd is headed to the beach armed with SPF 50 sunscreen.

This Month in Social Media

Here's a round-up of my social media news and analysis from the last few weeks.

As you know, I write about social media for Examiner.com. Instead of re-posting everything I write there on this blog, I will offer my readers useful summaries every month. After all, social media/technology is an important part of Y-rd.

So here's what's been going on in the social Web...

What is social media?: Do you ever need to explain social media (which is way beyond Facebook) to your boss or your mom (or even just want to figure it out yourself?). Check out my definition, and please leave your input. This month I also argue that podcasts are not necessarily social media. What do you think?

Companies shouldn't over-direct social media: Social media can fail at companies that like to over-control everything. Smart companies are paving the roads and providing the traffic lights, but not trying to drive the car. Read my tips for how companies can avoid over-directing social media.

Marines ban social networking: Because of security risk, the U.S. Marine Corps. pulled the plug on social networking sites for one year. It might be ironic that meanwhile the Department of Defense is trying to be more Web-savvy.

Google introduces social gadgets: iGoogle introduced 19 new social gadgets on its Web site. I admit I haven't tried any of them yet, but would like to hear your reviews.

Tweets that get you in trouble: Here's a round-up of a few "rogue tweets" in the news that you might want to consider before you next tweet. After all, you don't want to get sued, robbed or fined $2,500.

Please let me know if there are angles of social media you'd like to hear more about. I'm always up to research and/or bloviate about the topic.

Back from Flu-cation: How to Boost Immunity

I took a break from publishing Y-rd in order to combat the flu (in the middle of July, how cruel!). What better way to jump back into things than to talk about immunity? For those of us with faulty immune systems, it can be detrimental to our pockets and our careers; it can really set you back from accomplishing what you want to accomplish if you are sick all of the time.

For the brief time I spent on Facebook while ill, I collected some immunity tips from friends. Here’s what they suggested:

Get the flu shot: I tried this and it didn’t work, but maybe others will have more luck. (Also, note that they haven't found a flu shot for the infamous swine flu yet.)

Eating probiotics: After a couple people suggested it, a little Googling taught me that including probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus (often found in yogurts) in your diet can help your immune system. I knew it was recommended for digestive problems, but apparently it might benefit overall health as well; though an article by the Mayo Clinic last year notes that research doesn’t fully support the broader benefits of probiotics. However, just yesterday HealthNews published the results of a study by the journal Pediatrics that found probiotics lowered symptoms of flu in a sample of children.

Zinc lozenges: A deficiency of Zinc, like some other vitamins and minerals, can cause immunity problems. Some also claim that high doses of Zinc can help lessen the duration of a cold. One time I thought zinc lozenges helped me get over a cold faster, but I’m not sold on whether it can actually magically do this; it looks like studies are split as well. The lozenges are nasty, but it’s worth a try to beat the common cold.

Garlic: I know this can get rid of vampires bothering me and make my potatoes magically taste better, but I had barely scratched the surface of its health attributes. Apparently people swear by it for everything from repelling mosquitoes to lowering blood pressure. It has also been known to have natural antibiotic properties that help heal or prevent the common cold. A recent Reuters article notes that those health benefits have not been scientifically proven. Well, whatever, I love garlic, so why not?

Sleeping right, eating right, exercising, yada, yada … : I know the regular old “eat right, sleep right” method might just be the most important way to prevent sickness. Yet for some reason I’m trained to stay up late looking for other concoctions to help me rather than sleeping! In the past, humans got way more sleep on average, and now we don’t, thanks to electricity. My gut tells me that lack of sleep is the number one reason for sickness in me and in everyone.

Thanks to everyone who shared tips, and please feel free to add more! And of course, remember that I have absolutely no medical authority.