A woman came to my pharmacy today to pick up her medications. The medication she was picking up is actually used for several disease states, and is used differently depending on the disease. I asked her which disease state she was taking the medication to treat because I would counsel her differently on the medication based on her answer. She told me that it was none of my business what her disease was and she couldn't believe that I had the audacity to ask her that question. I proceeded to tell her that I just wanted to make sure that the medication is working properly for the disease and give her specific information about the medication based on that fact. I explained that in many cases medications react differently based on the disease state and to provide the best healthcare I can, that information can be very important. I told her I was very sorry if I offended her in anyway, but I am also considered one of her healthcare providers and I was just trying to provide her with the patient care I feel my patients deserve.
She was still ticked at me after all this and told me that when her husband was here last, the pharmacist asked him some incredibly impertinent questions. I actually was the one who counseled her husband about his medications last time he was in the pharmacy. He was picking up some medications for his heart/blood pressure. The combination of medications he had is typically used after heart attack. Naturally, I asked him if he had had a heart attack (recommendations from the American Heart Association state that certain meds should be used after a heart attack - if he had had a heart attack, he would have been missing a crucial medication according to current recommendations. If he had, I would have called the doctor to make sure that the doc was aware of current AHA recommendations or if there was a specific reason why the patient wasn't on that particular class of medication). As you can see, knowing the disease state can provide quite a bit of information about his care that would need to be addressed. The man was totally fine with the question I asked, but his wife thought it was totally out of line.
You don't withhold information about your teeth when you go to the dentist; about your child to the pediatrician; about your cancer to the oncologist. Why would you withhold information about your medication to the pharmacist? I understand if she feels uncomfortable talking about her disease state. Healthcare is a VERY personal thing. I try to be very understanding with all of my patients because the people I see are sick - they are taking medication because something has gone wrong. They wouldn't be at the pharmacy if things were fine. I love my job and try to do everything in my power to make sure MY patients get the best healthcare that exists.
Anyway, at the end of this conversation with his wife she told me that I wasn't a healthcare provider (which is totally bogus. I have a doctorate degree in the medical field and practice in a healthcare setting. Whomever thinks that medication doesn't have anything to do with their healthcare is sorely mistaken) and that I certainly wasn't her doctor. I proceeded to tell her that I do have a doctorate in the field of pharmacy, so technically I am considered one of her doctors - just for her medications and not diagnosing. She then told me that all my job consists of is counting pills - not provide healthcare. This is where I was completely appalled. Seriously? Has this woman been to a pharmacy since 1930? I hardly ever "count pills", as she puts it. Most of my time is spent talking to patients about how to safely take their medications and provide recommendations about their healthcare.
I have actually saved lives at my job. Literally. Called the ER for someone having a heart attack. Given an epipen injection to a child who had stopped breathing because of their peanut allergy. Counseled about interactions that were life threatening that they had been taking for years. Helped people get pregnant. Counseled people on which medications aren't safe during pregnancy or for their children. Helped people find comfort - for both medications and lives. There are countless examples of how I have personally helped enrich other people's lives through my occupation. Does this sound like counting pill to any of you? Please don't mistake me for a "pill counter". I couldn't feel more different about my profession. I'm sure every pharmacist I know has very similar experiences to mine, and we got into this profession to help make people's lives better - and we do this daily.
