Pharmacists and their support staff make the world go round, at least my world outside of the hospital. They are the ones who tell me which pills and injections to take, and when. They put the labels on the orangish pill bottles with the white safety caps that serve as a back-up to their written and spoken instructions. In short, I consider them and the prescriptions they fill as a kind of lifeline between my inpatient and outpatient lives.
Of course, I have met good pharmacists and bad ones. Some pharmacists inspire confidence with their specialized knowledge of medicine. Others make me think that as long as I can pay, they do not really care what pills I pop. Fortunately, I have met more good than bad ones. So, how do I, as a patient, define “good”? I have developed the following list of my top 5 criteria.
A good pharmacist:
- Introduces himself/herself to me and tells me what he/she studied. For example, recently at the end of a hospital stay, a pharmacist came into my room just before I went home. She told me her name and explained to me that she had specialized knowledge in oncology medicines. I felt really confident that she knew what she was doing.
- Reviews my list of medicines with me in detail, mentioning both the formal name of the medicine, the name of the medicine that may be replacing it, when I should take it, how much I should take, and what time of day I should take it. He/she gives me this information both orally and on an orderly written sheet that I can see during the conversation. This auditory-visual combination from a specialized pharmacist makes me really believe that I will know how and when to take my medicines once I am on my own at home.
- Asks me if I have any questions and answers them, politely. I need a chance to process all the information I am being given. Oftentimes, my list of medicines includes up to 18 prescriptions, some of which I need to take twice a day, others once a day, others only as needed, and yet others for a specified number of days. So even when the pharmacists take the time to go over the list medicine by medicine, sometimes I am left uncertain about a detail or need clarification. When the pharmacist asks me if I have any questions—or answers my questions even when we are in the process of going over the list—I feel empowered. I know that the pharmacist really wants me to understand. And the polite part? Well, no patient (or anyone else) wants to be treated as a bother or as being stupid. So, even though I am sure that some of the fantastically prepared pharmacists probably have thought my simple questions rather, well, silly, they have never let on (even when I have asked—alright, asked twice—when I have to take a pill despite having it written down and being told verbally already). They have always answered my questions professionally, even gleefully in some cases!
- Writes on the prescription label what medicine is a substitution for what other medicine. I have no idea if this is a legal requirement, but honestly, I only recognize the names of medicines that my nurses, the pharmacist, or a doctor mentions to me. I have no idea about the fancy or official names of medicines. So, when the label tells me through a brightly colored sticker on the bottle that some 16-letter medicine is actually a substitute for a 5-letter one I have heard mentioned by my medical personnel, I get it!
- Acts as if he/she has time to attend to me. After I pick up my prescription at the window and am asked or directed to ask questions of the pharmacist, I need to perceive that he/she is paying attention to me, not trying to fill the next prescription or be preoccupied with some other issue behind the counter (even when he/she really is). This may require some acting on the pharmacist’s part, especially at retail outlets where more than a dozen patients may be waiting for the same attention. But, hey, I am finally at the front of the line after a 30-minute wait and deserve to have my questions answered completely and calmly.
Admittedly, I do not know all the duties of a pharmacist. I am not privy to all the behind-the-scenes preparation of prescriptions. I do not boast a great understanding of all the years of education it takes to become a pharmacist. My perspective stems only from my face-to-face contact with those in the profession. Fortunately for me and for all the other patients of the world, I can vouch that most pharmacists are really good.