Pharmacist Meghan O’Brien works part-time at the University of Wyoming and Walgreens Pharmacy. O’Brien was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and lived there her whole life. O’Brien attended Laramie County Community College for two years before attending UW, where she received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
Outside of the pharmacy, O’Brien enjoys indoor and outdoor skydiving, camping, fishing, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and rock climbing in her free time. O’Brien also plays volleyball and previously played softball on both a co-ed team and a women’s team.
“I enjoy gardening with my grandma and my mom. I had my own garden in Laramie this year. Additionally, I love to plan events. I enjoy hosting or holding events at places because I like to cook for people. I enjoy playing board games with people to see what personalities come out and connecting with them more,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien’s love for pharmacy is inspired by her mom and grandma volunteering at the Veterans Affairs Hospital In Cheyenne.
“When I first became interested in the pharmacy when I started volunteering at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Cheyenne. My grandma and my mom had been volunteering there for years. My mom was volunteering at the pharmacy and I wanted to explore the area,” O’Brien said.
“I got to know the pharmacy staff more and they taught me different things about the mechanisms of the drugs, that’s when I became more interested in pharmacy.”
“My job means the world to me. It allows me to feel like I will have a personal appreciation, and a clear sense of purpose, and allow me to meet my personal goals. Personal goals are patient care and interactions. I feel rewarded when I get the chance to provide health care service to a patient.”
“Pharmacy has brought me a sense of worth and purpose in this world. I get the opportunity to connect with other pharmacists and participate in events around Laramie to encourage and educate people to have greater health.”
O’Brien is working with Student Health Services on a project that aims to try to join health sciences together so they can do more counseling and more than med management. This is a service where people can bring in their meds so they are more informed about their medications through consultations.
This project requires a lot of contracting through the university because Student Health is technically a learning lab. Not only pharmacy students, but everyday students would have the opportunity to go and learn about medicine. Students are currently able to learn about medicine, but without being paid. The end goal is to add more clinical staff and pharmacy students for a chance to work together to provide more services for the students at the University of Wyoming.
