Pharmacy Cheeseburger
Would you believe that customers pull through our drive thru window to receive service....WHILE EATING??? Maybe I'm strange but that just tops my list of poor etiquette. This occurs at least once per day. There are so many microbes on that clipboard alone, not to mention the pen - you get the picture. Gross right? As they prepare to give their last name sipping a drink from the very inflated cola's served these days so that they can quickly wash down that bite of grease to mutter their name, I can't help but reflect upon the irony of the situation. (Yes, I know that was a run-on sentence. See my writer disclaimer.) One patient recently even dropped a mustard-ketchup glob on the clipboard, swiped it up with her finger & licked it. Maybe that's only cringe worthy if you've taken a microbiology class.
Source: Googled images, "evolution of soda size" - but we all know this to be true so does it matter if this image is 100% factual? You know, imagery to drive the point home.
Sick vs. Half Well
So here comes the manifestation of my resentment. Much like you enable a drug addict by repeatedly lending them money, overlooking the warning signs of their apathy, or giving them a place to stay when they didn't pay their rent --- aren't pharmaceuticals doing the same thing for many a man? I don't know how many people immediately consume prescription medications rather than pursuing lifestyle changes when they are diagnosed with a treatable condition. Does the number even matter? I do know it is far too many. After 16 years in the field, I've seen enough grocery carts and prescription pick-up combos to know this is a relevant issue. If the drugs weren't there at the pharmacy month after month, would they put different food in their grocery cart? If the drugs weren't there month after month, would we choose to walk rather than drive? Would we teach our children different habits? How much would change without the crutch? Of course this is over simplified. I realize that. But the point is that as long as we enable with 'prescription fixes' the less likely it becomes that most people will rehabilitate the underlying cause. I've pondered what might happen if instead of going to the doctor and receiving a prescription for lowering cholesterol, for example, the patients received a prescription for disease state education. This should be a requirement! Why isn't it? Am I that off base? For some individuals their way of existing is truly due to lack of knowledge. For others, it may be lack of motivation to learn or act, it could be hereditary dyslipidemia, or maybe it is simply just easier to continue living how they wish & take a pill (dare I say lazy). Those who wish not to comply could continue as they are, no harm, no foul. So I want to hear from you. If you take maintenance medication for a common health condition such as Type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, or hypertension I would like to know what category you fall in? Or tell me about your wellness journey. Would you or have you taken the proverbial reigns guided by wellness education to avoid or discontinue a prescription drug?
An apothecary has historically been a place for the sick. Antibiotics for infection, tincture for cough, & even cocaine for extreme pain. With that said, some evolution is imperative. However, new age pharmacy has evolved into a place for the half well. Some of the most commonly dispensed medications are still antibiotics & pain medications. But alongside those are countless blood sugar medications for diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol lowering agents, antidepressants and stomach acid reducing agents in unreal quantities. At least that's the synopsis if you drop a pin here in my rural town.
In my next installment (don't hold your breath), we'll delve a little deeper into the latter mentioned agents. For now, do me a favor and ponder a US medical system that dispenses a prescription for education.
Ta ta,
J
