Our Readers on the Need to be Nice to Our Pharmacists

PSYCHIATRIC VIEWS ON THE DAILY NEWS

Last Tuesday, I wrote what I thought was sort of a “throwaway” column on being nice to our burned-out pharmacists, not in any sense of being a less important column, but it was straightforward, done quickly, and turned out relatively short. Consequently, I was a bit surprised, but so gratified, to hear from some of our public readers—meaning not professional mental health caregivers. Uniformly, their perspectives were also ones of the importance of pharmacists and how they can do their job in the best possible way.

Here is one commentary from Al Simon that stopped me short, reprinted with permission for content and identity from the writer:

“This posting on pharmacists reminds me of something that happened recently.

We went to visit my family in St. Paul, and I realized that I inadvertently forgot my medications. For many years, I have been using the local pharmacy in Whitefish Bay in Milwaukee. But previously and for many years, I had used Walgreens. I knew I would still be in their system. So, I walked the 3 blocks to their store. A very young woman offered to help me. I explained that I had left Milwaukee without my medications. I also told her that it has been a long time since I used Walgreens for my prescriptions, but I was certain that I was still in their system.

She entered my name in the system and told me that I was still in the system, but it was so long ago, that my prescriptions were no longer available. Facing in my direction, literally one foot to my left, a young pharmacist was processing prescriptions.

I said to the young woman who was taking care of me: ‘I write aphorisms. Do you know what they are?’ She said she did not know. So, I gave her an example of one that would be fitting for our circumstances:

‘More often than not, it’s better to be kind than it is to be right.’

The pharmacist immediately turned to me and asked if I had written that aphorism. I told that I had, and she asked if I could tell her another? I said it would be my pleasure:

‘The purpose of life is to make a difference.’

The pharmacist then turned to the woman who was assisting me and said, ‘Fill mister Simon’s prescriptions at a zero copay.’ The pharmacist asked me to stop by the store the next time I was visiting my daughter. She would like to hear more of my aphorisms.

Steve, the point of this writing is to demonstrate how hungry these professionals are for a little bit of civility. We the customers should—and can—do so much more to show our appreciation for these overworked and underappreciated professionals.”

And Simon was not the only one to substantiate the need for appreciation, but another also called out us. This reader wrote:

“My father (a pharmacist) told me that a lot of the physicians looked down on pharmacists and resented when he had to call them to tell them they had written a wrong dose, or that the script was incompatible with something the patient was already taking, etc. . . . Anyway, I hope that your column sensitizes some physicians to have sympathy on the pharmacists.”

And another gratified customer who needed refills for lost bottles of bills:

“And I went to our pharmacy (the only pharmacy I will go to) and praying that my favorite head pharmacist was there so I could talk to him in confidence and also know that he will be able to help me as much as possible. And sure enough, he was there and he helped me with everything. I thanked him profusely and told him how kind he was and that I felt comfortable telling him personal info and knew he would help.”

And another reader wrote more simply:

“I never thought about that topic. For sure a big ‘thank you.’”

Now, why would we want systems that tend to compromise what such pharmacists can do to help our patients (and ourselves)?

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He presented the third Rabbi Jeffrey B. Stiffman lecture at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis on Sunday, May 19, 2024. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.