Years ago, I was a clerk in a pharmacy. A friend of mine one day asked me "What's a pharmacist make?" "They make a difference," was my reply. Yes, I knew he was talking about income, but I wish more people realized that pharmacists do indeed make a difference.
No, the pharmacist didn't go to school to learn how to put pills in a bottle. My dictionary says a pharmacist is "a person who is professionally qualified to prepare and dispense medicinal drugs." True, but what they do goes way beyond that. They are first-line health professionals who give advice, review and help you manage your medications, recommend the right over-the-counter products, help you follow your treatment properly, and so much more.
Patients don't always tell their doctor that they are seeing more than one physician. Without knowing, it is possible for a doctor to prescribe medication that could harm the patient, because of another drug they are taking. If the patient is getting all of their prescriptions from the same pharmacy, the pharmacist will spot potential drug interaction and quite possible save a life.
I could go on and on singing the praises of pharmacists. I'm not just talking about the folks at your neighborhood drugstore. There are pharmacists who teach, work in hospitals and nursing homes, perform patient assessments, administer vaccinations, and preform a number of specialties such as compounded sterile preparations and HIV medication. During this pandemic, they are even doing more.
Today is National Pharmacist Day and I am grateful for all of the pharmacists whom I count as friends and all the ones who have helped keep me well. Respect the pharmacists in your life. They deserve it and they really do make a difference.
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