[admin]

Alex

Thanks for the two very interesting links. The first point, that nurses are seen as more knowledgable then pharmacists to give advice on drugs, is something you are just going to have to get used to I'm afraid.

When I worked in a hospital, during my first week I overheard a ward sister talking to a patient, about to leave the ward to go home, about their take-home medication. She was giving such awful advice, that I honestly thought she was just making up the answers to the patients questions rather then simply saying "I don't know but I'll find out". I walked over, politely introduced myself, and asked if they would like my help.

The patient started asking me the same questions about their medication, and I gave the correct advice. The sister just "tutted" and stormed off. This confused me because I thought as the pharmacist for her ward, she would know I was the resident "expert" on medication. I was after all the ward pharmacist. She didn't speak to me for the next two years! If I asked for keys to the drug trolley, CD cupboard etc, she'd pretend she didn't hear me, then when I started to ask again start shouting at me.

I have since of course met many individuals like this, be they nurses, ward clarks or Dr's receptionists. I guess they just don't know, what they don't know - if you see what I mean. At your age I felt quite insulted that somebody with literally no qualifications or somebody with a HNC could possibly have the view that they knew more about drugs then me, when I had done a full science degree studying virtually nothing but drugs! And the media, as you have found out, also believe they know more about drugs then me. I used to see giving out advice on drugs as my job, and thought it was awful that people would give patients advice that was not only incorrect but often dangerous.

Now I guess I'm just used to it, as it happens so often. I just go to work, do my best, do my part correctly, and go home. At the end of the day it's just a job and not really that important in my life. It's no good getting upset over it.

Just my opinion