Professional or Performing Chimp?

[slocum]

Well, I am afraid I feel more like the the latter these days. I am fed up with the disgusting manner in which we are treated by several members the general public. They seem to think it is acceptable to speak to a healthcare professional as if we are something they have just wiped off the bottom of their shoe. What could we possibly know about medication that can't be revealed by a simple "google search" by a DIY Pharmacist? We are just mere obstacles in the way of getting to that product that was on TV last night, even though it is not even suitable for the patient requesting it. "Just give me the box or I'll go elsewhere and get it" seems to be a regular phrase now. Really makes you feel valued as a professional. Oh, and I really resent being disturbed whilst in the middle of checking a prescription, by someone who doesn't want to join the queue and can see you working in the open plan dispensary. "Hello, Excuse me!......... where is your tin foil? (supermarket pharmacy). Yes... pull the string and the Pharmacist/monkey should be there right away.
Anyway, moan over with for now. Just wanted to get it off my chest and see if anyone else feels the same.
Looking to make the move to hospital pharmacy soon, hoping my job satisfaction will improve with the clinical diploma.

[DavidS]

"Hello, Excuse me!......... where is your tin foil?

I find that a smile and a slow walk to show the customer where the tin foil is (I can drag this out for five minutes because I don't know where the hell it is) is a really pleasant way to have a five minute break from the pressures of the dispensary.

And when I get back, the true "just answering a customer who called me over the top" answers any questions as to where I've been satisfactorily.

Look for the positives.

Good luck with the diploma!

[Pharmanaut]

Glad you have got that off your chest.
Usually it happens around three years post-qualification, and again when you miss all the milestones of your first child because you leave home at 0745 and don't return until 1945.
Please stop concentrating on the negatives as these will grind you down.
I think we have all been there.
Look for instances where you have made a difference and treasure them.
Make sure that you do something different on your day off that disconnects you from pharmacy for a while...
Treat yourself to some pampering, or do something crazy (white water canoeing or somesuch where it takes all your attention)

[SolomonQ]

who doesn't want to join the queue and can see you working in the open plan dispensary

why not put a big sign up, saying please don't disturb the pharmacist, and if anyone asks ypou stupid questions you just point to the sign, but not sure your masters in their high towers will let you do that.

Also with david's suggestion there's a limit to where the pharmacy is in a supermarket setting, and the tin foil is unlikely to come within the bounds of the pharmacy.

When someone asks me a stupid question like this, I look at them for half a second to a second and then direct them to the counter, have learnt to take a mental note of what I was doing before I was interupted, i.e. work in packets or chunks. Has the best dramatic effect when you've just finished checking a Rx and are about to hand it out.

Second, precious tip: NEVER make eye contact

[Pharmanaut]

why not put a big sign up, saying please don't disturb the pharmacist, and if anyone asks ypou stupid questions you just point to the sign, but not sure your masters in their high towers will let you do that.

Also with david's suggestion there's a limit to where the pharmacy is in a supermarket setting, and the tin foil is unlikely to come within the bounds of the pharmacy.

When someone asks me a stupid question like this, I look at them for half a second to a second and then direct them to the counter, have learnt to take a mental note of what I was doing before I was interupted, i.e. work in packets or chunks. Has the best dramatic effect when you've just finished checking a Rx and are about to hand it out.

Second, precious tip: NEVER make eye contact

The worst thing is the phone.
Do all queries have to be answered immediately?
Does it depend on the nature of the query?
Does the pharmacist have to answer the phone?
How about non-urgent queries, such as how much would a private prescription be for a family of 5 (two adults, three children of different ages) requiring anti-malarials for visits to X+Y+Z countries, where Y is a 3 month stay in non malaria zone? Answered immediately, you are talking around 20 minutes to gather together the information while the queue of work steadily grows. Get it in SOPs that this can be a call back, or even email reply!

[the old merlin]

The worst thing is the phone.
Do all queries have to be answered immediately?
Does it depend on the nature of the query?
Does the pharmacist have to answer the phone?
How about non-urgent queries, such as how much would a private prescription be for a family of 5 (two adults, three children of different ages) requiring anti-malarials for visits to X+Y+Z countries, where Y is a 3 month stay in non malaria zone? Answered immediately, you are talking around 20 minutes to gather together the information while the queue of work steadily grows. Get it in SOPs that this can be a call back, or even email reply!

As a Citizens Advice Bureau Trustee, I can assure you that we often only answer 20 or so percent of our calls. I'm not proud to say that I know Bureaux who ONLY answer calls if they have NO on-the-spot clients.
So if we can, when the bailiff might be at the door, why can't pharmacists be more selective?

[Jeff]

How is the Citizens Advice Bureau funded? Does that impact on its attitude to potential clients.
How about GP surgeries - they often have a target for answering phones (assuming that you can get past the engaged tone).

However - the pharmacist need not need to be the one to answer the phone - and I could argue should almost certainly NOT be the one to answer the phone,,
Not all queries need to be dealt with immediately - there is the opportunity for an initial triage before forwarding the phone call to the most appropriate member of staff - which usually need not be the pharmacist.

Jeff

[Defblade]

I've posted this before (maybe not here), but......

..... the phone is the lowest thing on my list of priorities.

There is (that I can think of) any medical situation that is so urgent I should drop the thing I'm currently working on (massively increasing the chances of messing it up) unless the person should really be ringing an ambulance. In which case, they should be ringing an ambulance, not me. I'm certain there is no commercial reason for me to drop medical work to answer the phone.

If they actually need to speak to the shop, they will ring back. If they ring long enough that I finish dealing with things in front of them (script I'm actually doing at the time, scripts waiting, people who've bothered to physically come to the shop and are waiting to be served) then I'll answer it, but it turns out few people feel their call is that important they wait.

Learning that the imperative of the phone can be ignored is one of the best routes to lowering stress.

"I've been trying for ages. Have you been busy?"
"Yes. Very."
"Oh"

[Pharmanaut]

I've posted this before (maybe not here), but......

..... the phone is the lowest thing on my list of priorities.

There is (that I can think of) any medical situation that is so urgent I should drop the thing I'm currently working on (massively increasing the chances of messing it up) unless the person should really be ringing an ambulance. In which case, they should be ringing an ambulance, not me. I'm certain there is no commercial reason for me to drop medical work to answer the phone.

If they actually need to speak to the shop, they will ring back. If they ring long enough that I finish dealing with things in front of them (script I'm actually doing at the time, scripts waiting, people who've bothered to physically come to the shop and are waiting to be served) then I'll answer it, but it turns out few people feel their call is that important they wait.

Learning that the imperative of the phone can be ignored is one of the best routes to lowering stress.

"I've been trying for ages. Have you been busy?"
"Yes. Very."
"Oh"

One that you can turn the volume of the "ring" down is good, but the very fact that it is ringing LOUDLY is very distracting in itself.

[SolomonQ]

Learning that the imperative of the phone can be ignored is one of the best routes to lowering stress.

quite difficult though when it's an open plan pharmacy, the ringer is really load and people keep looking at you, as to why no one's picking up the phone.