During my freshman year in high school, my science teacher assigned us to interview people in the community about how they use science in their careers. Although I don’t remember most of the people I spoke with, I can tell you that I spent meaningful time with a local community pharmacist who changed my life.
What I saw was a man who loved his career and truly cared for his patients. In an instant, I knew that I wanted to become a pharmacist, and I never wavered from that goal throughout high school.
Knowing what you want to be when you grow up at age 14 is unusual, but it is very liberating. I simply had to work backwards to figure out how to achieve my goal of becoming a pharmacist.
After high school, I chose to attend Ohio Northern University (ONU) because it had a unique pharmacy program. Rather than attending college for 2 years and then applying to the pharmacy program, ONU students were admitted to the College of Pharmacy from day one.
Although it was expensive, being in pharmacy school from day one and avoiding the risk of rejection made it worthwhile for me.
In college, I spent a lot of time in the library. Although the classwork was difficult, I did well with one exception: organic chemistry.
I did fail organic chemistry—a notorious “weed out” course—but I successfully retook the class over the summer and graduated on time with the rest of my classmates. Failing a course is a difficult stumbling block, but I stood strong and persevered.
Today, I’m thankful for the wonderful pharmacy profession for so many reasons.
First, I’m thankful that community pharmacists are the health care professionals most accessible to the public. If my local pharmacist wasn’t accessible to me, then I likely would have taken a different career path.
Second, I’m proud of the work we pharmacists do, the diversity of our career options, and the relationships we share with our patients and fellow health care providers.
Pharmacy is a profession that makes a real difference in people’s lives. It certainly has made all the difference in mine.
Pharmacy | Vancouver, WA, USA | Right | July 14, 2011
(A customer comes up to the pharmacy counter. Keep in mind, Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) is controlled in all 50 states as it is used to make methamphetamine.)
Customer: “I need some Sudafed.”
Me: “Did you want Sudafed or [store brand]?”
Customer: “What’s the difference?”
Me: “The active ingredient is the same but sometimes they change the inactive ingredients. It still works the same though. Plus, [store brand] is about 5 bucks cheaper.”
Customer: “The recipe said I need Sudafed.”
Me: “…”
Customer: *realizing what she said* “Um, s***. Never mind, I got to go.”
Pharmacy | Goffstown, NH, USA | Right | October 24, 2011
(A customer has called to ask if we carry an over the counter soap in our store.)
Me: “Hello, ma’am? I just checked and we do carry [brand] soap. However, we are all out of stock right now, but we could order some for you and it would come in tomorrow.”
Customer: “You don’t carry [brand]?”
Me: “We do carry it. We just don’t have it in right now.”
Customer: “Well, why not?”
Me: “Because other customers have purchased it. But we can order some for tomorrow.”
Pharmacy | Illinois, USA | Right | September 27, 2011
(Our pharmacy phone system is down, so all pharmacy calls are going through the main line, which is answered by me. These calls include people trying to reach the automated prescription line.)
Me: “Thanks for calling [store], where we offer flu shots every day. This is [name]. How may I help you?”
Customer: “You’re not a machine.”
Me: “No. If you were trying to reach the automated line, the phones are down. I can connect you to the pharmacist.”
Customer: “I want the automated system. People are dumb
Pharmacy | Wyckoff, NJ, USA | Right | November 16, 2011
(A customer walks to my register with a Halloween decoration in tow. It’s a cheap cardboard statue of a cartoon-looking black cat covered in a shiny plastic material.)
Customer: “So, why is this 3D?”
Me: “Excuse me?”
(I peer at the tag. It says “3D Cat”.)
Me: “Oh, that’s because it’s 3D.”
Customer: “No, I mean why is it ‘D’? Is it because it’s shiny?”
(A multitude of thoughts are racing through my head at this point. I debate the prospect of explaining to her what 3D actually means. In the end, I decide it’s easier to just agree with her.)
Me: “Exactly! It’s really sparkly and that’s why it’s called a 3D cat. Would you like to purchase it?”
Pharmacy | New Zealand | Right | November 15, 2011
(I’m a pharmacist in a rural area. A shop assistant calls me out from the dispensary to talk to a customer, who is a slightly intoxicated middle aged woman.)
Customer: “This medicine made my partner sick! Violently sick!”
Me: “Let me see. Has he had any alcohol?”
Customer: “No.”
Me: “Are you sure? Not even a little?”
Customer: “He doesn’t drink. Maybe only a little, but he wasn’t drunk.”
Me: “It clearly says on the label that you must not drink any alcohol while being treated with this medicine.”
Customer: “But he didn’t drink much at all. A beer shouldn’t matter, should it?”
Me: “It contains enough alcohol to–”
Customer: “But, like, you can even drive if you only drink a beer!”
Me: “That has nothing to do with–”
Customer: “I think he’d better not take this medicine. It made him violently sick!”
Me: “I think he should–”
Customer: “Thanks, I’ll tell him what you said. This medicine is a poison!” *turns around and walks out*
Pharmacy | Lansing, MI, USA | Right | November 9, 2011
(I am standing in line at the pharmacy counter and a man rudely cuts in front of me, stating that he has been waiting in line, just in another part of the store. He assures me he’ll be quick, but I don’t buy his excuse. The following exchange occurs between him and the pharmacist.)
Customer: “I need to speak to a pharmacist immediately.”
Pharmacist: “Do you have a question about your medication?”
Customer: “Yes, it says on the bottle to take with water. I don’t drink water. Water makes you fat.”
Pharmacist: “Um, water is essential for your body, especially with those pills.”
Customer: “What about water retention? Will I just pee it out, then?”
Pharmacist: “Yeah, your body will eventually eliminate it. You should drink water, though. Your body needs plenty of water to work well, and you really don’t want to be dehydrated while on this drug.”
Customer: “Okay, I’ll try it. Oh, and one more question. What about alcohol? Can I still have my alcohol?”
Me: “Oh I’m really sorry, due to extenuating circumstances we don’t have a pharmacist at the moment so legally I can’t give out any prescriptions. But if you wait 5 minutes, a replacement pharmacist will be here and then you can take it.”
Customer: “But I need it. Give it to me!”
Me: “I understand your problem but I would be breaking the law if I gave it to you.”
Customer: “I work in the pharmaceutical industry and I know for a fact you are lying! Give it to me now!”
(The pharmacist arrives and I explain the problem.)
Pharmacist: “I’m really sorry for the inconvenience but my colleague was right, there was nothing she could do. But now that I’m here, you can take your prescription.”
Customer: “You’re colleague is a cruel, moral-less b**** with the intelligence of a moron. She has endangered my life! I shall take this to court and win!” *storms out*
Me: *to pharmacist* “What was in her prescription?”
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