I'm Wasting My Time Behind The Pharmacy Counter

Have you been to a restaurant and having to wait to be seated by the waitress / waiter?

Well, if it was a renowned restaurant, betcha' wouldnt mind even if you had to wait for 2 days to get that exclusive place in that restaurant and have a fairly decent meal.

Let's just change the scenario a lil'... Place - General Hopital Out-Patient Hospital

The public prospective 1:
"Gosh, I ran out of my monthly supply. Argh, it's sucha' hassle to go to the GH pharmacy. They make me wait for hours just for 8 of of my medications. 8 only! What the hell makes them take so long to just give me my 8 medications?! Urgh, all they do is just count and pour! C'mon! How hard could that be, I could definately do a better job at it. "

The Public Prospective 2:
"Haiya, every month I take the same medication. Every month I have to wait for so long. So simple also take so long to do meh?"


OK... Firstly, if you think pharmacist is all about JUST PACKING, COUNTING AND FILLING PRESCRIPTIONS, think again.

- In Malaysia, pharmacist aren't much appreciated in the medical profession. We're just a nobody but more like a 'drug store' and 'drug supplier'. And if there's no supply from us, it's OUR fault!

Ever thought of this? Safety? Legality? Misuses?

- Safety - OK, its fine with me if you look up to doctors. But hey, ever thought doctors are human to like you and me? Mistakes do happen. In fact, there are a lot of discovered inapproprate prescribing that is currently happening. So if we let it pass, are we considered good people, whereas if we did not, oh, we're the villian in providing good health care? I've learnt, pharmacist are the last barrier before the provision of drug that are capable to change a person's bodily function reaches to the innocent civilian. Does it even matter in the case where its freakin' busy. "Where's my medication, I've waited for half a day .... blah blah blah" Have it your way! Errors do happen!

-Legality and misuse - These are totally out of the question (in the busy situation of out-patient), its bad enough to even just ring up to confirm the doses with the doctors, what more with legality and misuse checks. Although, not much I can comment on misuse as I doubt it happens often when all the drugs you're dispensing is for chronic illness... Legality sense it's a lil' controversial, since doctors allow their nurses to have authority to keep their name stamps. *No comments on that*

"Haiya! What so hard. If the dose you think not right, change it only lorh! How hard, you pharmacist ma, study so much liao. Just assume OK, OK alreadi wan. Can lah can lah."

We live by ethics, in medical there's no room for assumption. There's no hit or miss target, it always has to be a hit! Though pharmacist STUDIED so much about drugs, WE ARE STILL LEARNING. WHY?

Whose paying the taxes? Who's complaining their not well? Who's causing antibiotics resistance?!

US, civillians! ME and YOU... Everyday new drugs are produced, new indication, new dose changes. SO DON'T THINK OF US AS SUPER DRUG DICTIONARY. (especially fresh pharmacist graduates - WE DO MAKE MISTAKES!)

In conclusion, the next time you're going to collect your medication from a crowded pharmacy, keep in mind that patience is a virtue (after all we are all Patients). Pharmacist aren't just all about pouring and counting and compounding. We are ensuring you are getting your right medication and that is safe and effective for you. Also, please understand that not every drug information can be 'regurgitated' on the spot. (We're no Windows Vista, XP and what nots)

- Just-Another-Ranting-Pharmacist-