If you haven't seen my Bio, I'm a Pharmacist and have been for almost 30 years. I like to think that I've helped a lot of people in that time but as the years progress I wonder if my job is still relevant.
When I was first starting out in the profession my teachers at University were warning that if Pharmacists weren't careful and didn't "up the bar" they would be replaced by robots or mail order pharmacy.
A big part of what a Pharmacist is seen to do is take medication from a big bottle and put it into a small bottle. We get a prescription from a Doctor, we read the prescription, and then we give it to the patient.
At least that is what the customer sees. However, if that is all we do we could easily be replaced by a robot. Don't like a robot? We could easily be replaced by Amazon.
However, is that all we really do?
Another large part of my day seems to be dealing with insurance companies or the government payment system. People love spending money on things they like. New cellphone, new computer, new clothes, new car, or even just tasty food...people rarely complain about those expenses. Having to spend money on medication is something people will do because they must but they rarely do it happily.
Which is why many people have private insurance which pays for their medication. Or for those people who have limited income the government will often pay for their medication. Not all medication is covered by insurance or by the government though. Not all medications are covered in all situations. As a Pharmacist it seems like I spend an awful lot of time trying to figure out what medication will be a benefit for the patient and if it isn't a benefit how do we get it covered or find a good alternative.
An awful lot of people get mad at me and I hear the words "My Doctor prescribed it so it must be the best so why won't it be paid for?"
While the answer to that question could take up a post on its own I usually describe it like this. If you want to make an apple pie Granny Smith apples might be the best ones for the pie. They can also be triple the price of Fuji or Spartan apple. Maybe Fuji's and Spartan's aren't the best "pie" apples but they still work well. In short, many times there are many medications that will serve the same purpose and insurance companies and governments want to get the most benefit for the least price.
But here is the thing...I didn't learn all about medication to move tablets from one bottle to another. I didn't learn about medication to fight with insurance companies all day.
I learned all about medication in order to try and help people. The best part of my job is when I can take the time to explain why a persons medication is important. Explain how they can get the best effect from it. How they can store it properly so it will stay fresh longer. What they should do if they miss a dose. What side effects to look out for and what to do if they happen.
I also enjoy looking for "hidden treasures". A little digging on how people are doing with their medication to see how it is working. Sometimes to find out that they are much better because of the medication. Sometimes to look for clues that it isn't working or their disease has progressed so we can check with the Doctor to see what treatment we should try next.
Now a lot of Pharmacies are run simply for profit. Churn out the prescriptions as quickly as possible. In those cases I wish they were run for a robot. Poorly run pharmacies make it look bad for the rest of us. There are a couple of "Big Box" pharmacies where the Pharmacist is rarely seen and is just in a box checking prescriptions all day long. Mostly there as a legal requirement rather than helping the profession.
I hold no ill will against them as they serve a purpose. Getting people their medication as cheaply as possible. It just isn't the best look for those of us who take a different view of the profession.
Unfortunately as time has progressed and the rise of the internet the job of the Pharmacist has changed. I still love my role in helping people get the best from their medication but more often than not I'm competing with "Doctor Google". People lean on the internet rather on their Pharmacist. The internet has great information but sifting through for the useful information, the extraneous information and the disinformation.
Overall I've enjoyed my tenure as a Pharmacist. Sure there have been issues dealing with people who are abusive to me. There have been people who are misusing their medication. There are people who are grouchy because they are sick and have to spend money they have for something they don't want. Sure I have to bear the brunt of "Why isn't it covered?" and "Why am I paying so much?".
However, its those times when I can make a difference in someone's life by making sure they have the right medication and know how to use it properly and see that they benefit from it that make it worthwhile.
That's a quick version of my job as a Pharmacist. Sure I could write more and I certainly will if people have questions.
Thanks for reading
...and if I don't respond right away...I'm currently taking a vacation from my job...It's holiday time :)
