Disabled Pharmacists

[admin]

Hi Everyone

Are any of our members disabled? Do you work with any disabled pharmacists or know of any? I have never met a disabled pharmacist and wondered how many are out there. If it's a topic you are happy to talk about please reply.

[Primrose]

Hi I met one pre.reg who was disabled he claimed.he did not look physically disabled to me but conditions such as dyslexia and Diabetes can be classified as such I managed to find out after asking him politely what his disability was he said he is on Warfarin.
I also know of a pharmacist who had to give up work because her knees gave up due to being morbidly obese. So the future is not bright for the poor disabled pharmacists as employers can site unFulfilment of contract to get rid of them.poor people.
Thats why I really take Care of myself physically I hike and mountain bike as I worry about the effects of lifestyle factors on earnings.I get asked how I do it all the time as I have stamina others do not have at work. I say easy I excercise and eat well I mean protein with each meal no empty calories it has to be worth it for my body the great temple! Lol and as Kim Kardashian once said" No better revenge than looking great!"
What do you think? You must have an opinion on this otherwise you would not have asked us.

[Dragonlady]

Being on warfarin does not count as a disability tho, Nor is diabetes.

I work with people who have cerebral palsy and I know the importance of enabling people to do what they can. I have also worked with blind people.

Many years ago we had a deaf pharmacy assistant. We had to provide special phones since answering the phones was part of the job. If someone is REGISTERED as disabled an employer MUST make suitable provision so they can actually work if they meet the criteria to perform the job...eg qualifications and experience

I admire your devotion to fitness and health Primrose...I wish more people did take steps to have a healthy lifestyle. Sadly a healthy lifestyle isn't a guarantee of NOT becoming disabled by deafness, blindness, being caught up in a terrorist attack or an accident and losing a limb.

[admin]

Heck i put the post up in 2006! I just wondered How many of us were out there that’s all really. I was born with a dislocated hip and had my first hip replacement at 21 and the second 25 years later. I’ve never let it hold me back but I’ve had some awful experiences with people mainly at the large chains. If anyone’s interested I am happy to share experiences.

[Primrose]

Would like to hear the experience if you dont mind.

[the old merlin]

Heck i put the post up in 2006! I just wondered How many of us were out there that’s all really. I was born with a dislocated hip and had my first hip replacement at 21 and the second 25 years later. I’ve never let it hold me back but I’ve had some awful experiences with people mainly at the large chains. If anyone’s interested I am happy to share experiences.

For several years I worked with a (hospital) pharmacist who had had polio as a child and consequently had problems with one leg and difficulty walking. She managed extrememly well, although her ward rounds tended to take a bit longer than average. Might have been because she was more thorough, of course.
She fitted in perfectly though and was a pleasure to work with.
And when I was a student there was someone with a fore-shortened arm. She qualified and as far as I know managed perfectly well. One of my friends 'fancied her rotten’ and IIRC married her.

[Primrose]

Being on warfarin does not count as a disability tho, Nor is diabetes.

I work with people who have cerebral palsy and I know the importance of enabling people to do what they can. I have also worked with blind people.

Many years ago we had a deaf pharmacy assistant. We had to provide special phones since answering the phones was part of the job. If someone is REGISTERED as disabled an employer MUST make suitable provision so they can actually work if they meet the criteria to perform the job...eg qualifications and experience

I admire your devotion to fitness and health Primrose...I wish more people did take steps to have a healthy lifestyle. Sadly a healthy lifestyle isn't a guarantee of NOT becoming disabled by deafness, blindness, being caught up in a terrorist attack or an accident and losing a limb.

There are controllable factors and there are bad luck sutuations which are very sad and unfortunate.

we can not control fate but we can and should pay attention to our lifestyle surely that is the message we need to give.

[Primrose]

COPD is counted as a disability some people have it because they smoked more likeky caused because of smoking than occupational reasons.

I am interested to know if retail chains would employ a disabled pharmacist knowing they are with a physical disability. Some chains ask older pharmacist to resign because they are slower than a 25 year old or look less aesthetically pleasing would the same employer accept someone with mobility issues? I really doubt it.

[admin]

No problem, I’m just busy at the moment and will hopefully do it tomorrow.

[mcitr]

Since this was written ten years ago, The Equality Act 2010 has come in.

The new wider definition of a disability in the act is a long term condition (lasting twelve months, expected to last twelve months, particular named conditions etc) which is substantial (this means non-minor or trivial).

Diabetes is most certainly a disability. It's not the 1970s! The good old days! Reasonable adjustments for diabetes are routine.

[johnep]

While in some dispensaries, they had a tower fixture which had a built in step to reach the upper levels of drawers. With a bad hip, I found climbing up most difficult.
johnep

[kl06229]

Thats why I really take Care of myself physically I hike and mountain bike as I worry about the effects of lifestyle factors on earnings.I get asked how I do it all the time as I have stamina others do not have at work. I say easy I excercise and eat well I mean protein with each meal no empty calories it has to be worth it for my body the great temple!

I try and fit in exercise at least 3 times a week. Occupational health problems common to our profession include plantar fasciitis. I do simple exercises ( learned from my mum who attends a chiropracter) to minimise foot and knee issues. I also have badly cracked heels, which I think came about from standing and walking too much. So, I've invested in some Flexitol and a pumice stone. Feels like magic!

I think a bunch of health problems (as opposed to disabilities) are preventable. I see plenty of people working in pharmacies - pharmacists and support staff - who suffer obesity and joint problems caused by poor food choices and lack of activity.

[Primrose]

I am interested to know if there are physically disabled pharmacists who require adjustments at work and found an employer willing to offer them full time employment. Name and praise in this case.

[admin]

Sorry I haven’t replied yet, we are having an extension done and that’s taking up all of my time at the moment. I have a couple of good stories that have happened to me and here’s the first.

i was working for a large chain in Scarborough which is very hilly. I was told to park outside the back door and ring the bell, which I did. I was working with the manager who was one hell of a bitch all morning. At lunchtime I went out through the same door and sat reading the paper eating my lunch.

After a few minutes the door flew open and the manager came running out and started banging on my windscreen. I said “what’s the problem?” which she replied “we don’t use that door!” I said I’d been told to park here to which she replied well “you’re not going back through it!” I said “what am I supposed to do, I can’t walk round I’m waiting for a hip replacement in a few weeks” (was using a walking stick at the time) to which she said “that’s the only way you’re getting back in!”

Basically I went home and told the agency I’d had an awful experience. I couldn’t walk all the way round which was down a hill and up again (shops were in a row) just to keep her happy. The company tried to get me to sign a legal document saying I’d never take it any further. I refused and insisted on a letter of apology from her, which I got, and the full size days pay which I also got.

[Mutley]

Sorry I haven’t replied yet, we are having an extension done and that’s taking up all of my time at the moment. I have a couple of good stories that have happened to me and here’s the first.

i was working for a large chain in Scarborough which is very hilly. I was told to park outside the back door and ring the bell, which I did. I was working with the manager who was one hell of a bitch all morning. At lunchtime I went out through the same door and sat reading the paper eating my lunch.

After a few minutes the door flew open and the manager came running out and started banging on my windscreen. I said “what’s the problem?” which she replied “we don’t use that door!” I said I’d been told to park here to which she replied well “you’re not going back through it!” I said “what am I supposed to do, I can’t walk round I’m waiting for a hip replacement in a few weeks” (was using a walking stick at the time) to which she said “that’s the only way you’re getting back in!”

Basically I went home and told the agency I’d had an awful experience. I couldn’t walk all the way round which was down a hill and up again (shops were in a row) just to keep her happy. The company tried to get me to sign a legal document saying I’d never take it any further. I refused and insisted on a letter of apology from her, which I got, and the full size days pay which I also got.

Throughout my career I came across numerous instances of pharmacies being staffed by difficult, rude and unco-operative nutcases but this takes the biscuit.

[admin]

The best part was there was a camera filming otherwise I may have chinned her! She went back through the door herself so using it...lol and refused me. The law states reasonable adjustments are required and opening a door isn’t unreasonable. I do have an even better one if anyone’s interested.

[Primrose]

Yes tell us. This is getting interesting.

[admin]

Ok here’s another true experience I had.

I was working at a large supermarket superstore pharmacy. I was told to park near security and enter the store through them which I did. Again it was a few weeks before my second hip replacement and I was using a walking stick. I was in a lot of pain whilst walking at this stage but still working ok.

At lunch I went to security to exit and sit in my car to eat my lunch. As I approached the exit there was a piece of seatbelt type material across the door clipped at the opposite side - blocking the exit. I went to unclip the belt to exit the store. A loud voice said “What do you think you’re doing?”. I explained I was leaving to go to my car. “Not through there you’re not!” The security man said, “It’s closed at the moment”. I explained my car was about thirty yards away and I needed to get to it. He then said “Well you’ll have to walk round!”. This was a massive superstore and the walk round was a long way, especially as I was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other at that time. I said “My cars only there, I can’t walk round, can’t you see I’m having problems walking” and gestured to my car with the walking stick. He said “I don’t care, you have to go around!”. I said “No mate, what YOU have to do is make a reasonable adjustment because I’m struggling to walk, and unclipping a bit of seatbelt across a door is not unreasonable!”.

At this point he refused again so I lost my temper a bit and said “Well go and get the store manager and I’ll get my lawyer and we’ll see who’s correct in court shall we?“ He very grudgingly unclipped the belt and I went the thirty or so yards to my car. Later I asked the pharmacy staff about a guy I’d seen walking all round the store who looked like he had cerebral palsy and was obviously struggling “Oh yeah he’s always having to walk round because of security” they said.