Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Life With A Drug Dealer

So, MamaGeek, my blog crush, answered my plea for questions with this one: "I have been DYING to know what it's like to be married to an RXMan. I mean is it like a doctor? Does he know EVERYTHING about healing and medicine and all that jazz? Does he love pesky customers?"

My answer to that would be: yes, yes, and NO.

The end.

Ha! Just kidding!

He does know so much about medicine and illness and is a real blessing to have around when your kid is sick and needs Motrin in the night- I don't even need to slide on my glasses to read the bottle, I just tell him to do it and he happily bounds to the kitchen and doses it out.

He is also very handy to have around at medical visits. Doctors, sadly, treat me 110 times better when he is with me and they find out when I not so casually blab that he is a pharmacist his chosen profession. We are given prescriptions more readily and, often, can get antibiotics as a courtesy with a mere phone call. (Don't hate me, please.) I try to schedule all appointments with doctors when he can be there because the appointments are simply more effective and enjoyable.

On the downside, dude loves medicine.

I mean, loves medicine.

If I have a twinge of pain, Mr. Drug Man is right there with a glass of agua and a handful of pills. In his world, virtually everything can be cured with a pill, suspension or ointment. In my world? Medicine is for sissies.

Sounds like a match made in Drug Heaven, doesn't it?

As to the customers? Honestly? They are the downside of his job, in many cases. Customers simply don't understand that he must be 100% accurate, 110% of the time or they. could. die. People don't want to wait for their medicine when they are sick, tired, and in a hurry. He appreciates this but the pharmacy isn't a McDonald's either. Each prescription is "cooked to order," if you will. Think of it more as an upscale restaurant. Order an appetizer and prepare to wait a little while for a good and safe experience. (Also, he doesn't control what your insurance charges for your medicine! I swear! A technician submits the info into the computer and the insurance company responds with the cost. It is a fact. Don't scream at your pharmacy employees when your co-pay is wrong. It is your insurance company's fault!)

Some people are very appreciative of a pharmacist, who, by the way, corrects hundreds of errors made by careless physicians every day: some that are small and unimportant, others that could really hurt someone. Most of the time, the pharmacist remedies this without the patient even knowing.

Sorry for the soapbox, which I try to stay far away from in blogdom, but this is a subject that I hear about incessantly am very close to. My husband is blessed with a great job that affords me the opportunity to be a student and SAHM. Is it perfect? Hellz No! Would he sign up for it again? I really think he would just go on to medical school where people are more respectful of the profession and the hours (in family practice) are better.

Thanks, MG, for the questions.

6 comments:

Melissa said...

It amazes me that people take for granted how much attention to detail that pharmacists must have. I know a hospital pharmacist and she tells similar stories.

Thanks for sharing!

Missy said...

You are so right about not yelling at the staff when your prescription copay come out wrong - it's not the pharmacy's fault!!! I used to do medical billing at a family practice, and it wasn't my fault either, so quit yelling!
Whew! Sorry, that always hits a nerve with me..... sounds great to have someone knowlegeable with medicine in the house. :)

Toni said...

Missy:

Yeah, stop yelling at everyone, rude people! And, it rarely makes someone want to help you straighten things out when you are screaming...think before you shriek, people!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Ha! This was everything I suspected and more (but was afraid to ask). I can't even BEGIN to imagine the screw up factor. You screw up, people could die. What a massive responsibility. In my previous occupation (the one with vacations) I developed software that, in a nutshell was for submarines and I tell ya, I could hardly sleep at night knowing if I programmed one bit wrong, it could affect peoples lives. That was ONE project. I can't imagine doing that everyday.

I would seriously LOVE to have a medicine man in my house.

Now then, when can I rent the drug dealer? :)

Thanks for answering T!

P.S. I just got your E but my laptop DIED Wednesday(using my hubby's now for a quick 30minutes), will respond when I get it back.

Dana said...

So that's what the RxMan stands for. Interesting. I love our one pharmacist at Walgreens. He's awesome.

Cynthia said...

Wow...you are married to the medicine man. Good for you!