To my pharmacist,
Every day I walk into work expecting a long day of doctor phone calls, refill requests, and typing up flu vaccines. But everyday, you make the day easier. You coach me through the doctor calls, the angry customers, and the doctor handwriting I can never seem to read.
Often, people think the job of the pharmacist and their pharmacy team are easy. All they do is type up instructions the doctors has already given them, print out a label, and count out the pills before putting them in a bottle and selling them to the patient. But you remind me every day that our job is so much more than that. The pharmacy is the buffer between the doctor/hospital, the insurance company, the government, and the patient.
For the doctor or hospital that prescribes the mediation, we make sure everything is written correctly. We check for therapeutic alternatives when we don’t have the medication in stock, when the warehouse is unable to make deliveries of the product, or when the patient can’t afford the direct medication prescribed by the doctor. We make the patient isn’t already on another blood pressure pill that could make their blood pressure extremely, and dangerously low. We make sure that, in a rush to see the next patient, the doctor wrote the proper dosage amount and instructions. You can’t even begin to imagine the amount of times a doctor has slipped when typing out a script and wrote take 11 pills a day instead of 1 day.
For the insurance company, we make sure the doctor wrote for a medication or treatment that is covered. The pharmacy checks for generic alternatives for the name brand medication, looking to see what generic the insurance company will cover, and, when they don’t cover any, we call the insurance company to see if there are any alternatives the doctor could write for that the insurance company would cover.
For the government, you as the pharmacist make sure that no one is being prescribed an illegal or unallowed amount of controlled substances. You keep tabs on all of the controlled substance counts, make sure that patients are taking these potentially addictive substances properly, in an attempt to help them not become addicted. And, in the rare moment you find someone abusing their prescription, you have to file a report to make sure the proper steps are taken to help the patient.
For the patient, we are the most. We’re a helpful hand during a bad illness, we’re the listening ear when a loved one is suffering, and we’re the optimistic voice reminding them that everything will be okay. The pharmacy will go above and beyond looking for coupon codes to get a medication inexpensive enough for a patient to afford. The pharmacy makes suggestions on over the counter medications to try when you’re sick and can’t afford the doctor’s prescription or can’t afford to see the doctor. This summer alone I watched you talk to a woman, wo was on the verge of tears because her father’s alzheimer’s had progressed to the point of sundowning. You we’re able to make her smile, all while getting the prescription ready for her. I could truly tell that she had higher hopes as she left the store that day.
But lastly, you are always there for your techs. As the pharmacist, you have trained me and made me knowledgeable on topics I could have never imagined. When I first started, a shy 18 year old, I never expected to know the difference in blood pressure medications, or the generic names of Advil (Ibuprofen), Tylenol (Acetaminophen), and Aleve (Naproxen). You taught me about the insurance donut hole, which got me extra credit in a gen ed years later, and the difference between Medicare and Medicaid – all things I never imagined knowing. You gave me a look into the health care system I never expected to see. I’ve become a stronger proponent for vaccinations, and make sure to get mine promptly. You’ve also shaped me as a better person. You’ve let me talk to you about my non-pharmaceutical future as I go through college, you’ve made me laugh after hearing terrible news, and you’ve reminded me on a daily basis of how important my job is, and how important I am.
So on World Pharmacy Day I just want to say thank you to my pharmacists, and to all pharmacists, who put up with so much daily and keep the smile on their face. Thank you for all you do, you don’t know how much you’re truly appreciated.
Love,
Your Pharmacy Technician.