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Except the entire idea of a licensed pharmacist is a rip. Basically, they have to read instructions, type proper labels, and take pills from big bottles and put them in little bottles. It’s really a job of competent clerking. You don’t need organic chemistry and physics to perform it. You should be able to train a pharm cleck in 12 weeks. The Army does.

Yes, I admit there are pharmacists who know a lot about drugs and perhaps a justification for all the high powered education would be to give them the background to absorb such information, but the vast majority of perscriptions do not require much information. Take once every three hours for pain? Now don’t take the whole bottle, you’ll either die or get high?

Door King, you are clearly ignorant of what a Pharmacists’ profession consists of. My wife is a Pharm.D at an area hospital. And “counting pills” is a very small part of her job. In fact, most of her time is spent correcting the mistakes of the prescribing doctors.

I’ll ask the same question that I asked the last time this subject came up:

Is there any certainty that pharmacist/doctors trained in Kansas will stay in Kansas?

Young people are fleeing rural states for what they consider greener pastures. They take their degrees and go where the money is.

The loss of medical professionals in rural counties and states is a symptom of a larger problem.

Yeah, I’ve watched them take the little spatula and count the pills, usually, they short me one if it’s a pain med.

And I don’t think it takes a genius to call the doctor when he prescribes 10,000 miligrams of a med that is usually given in 100 mg doses. Not only that, the phar companys already have formulated the dosages for you. Anyway, much of what you say about pharmacists may be true in a best case scenario, but I’ve never been asked about what other medications I take, nor warned of any of the henious side effects that accompany most drugs.

95 percent of your work is filling scipts for the same 50 drugs. You ought to get good at it after a while.

“usually, they short me one if it’s a pain med.”

I really doubt this. If it’s true, and you didn’t report it - shame on you. If it happened more than one, the idiot is not the one behind the counter.

Once again, Dork King shows his true ignorance.

Door King, you give the example that it doesn’t take a genius to call a doctor regarding prescribing 10,000 mg versus 100 mg. This is exactly when a competent RPh must have judgment. A well educated RPh must know when it is wrong to prescribe 10,000 mg versus 100 mg and why. Your lack of understanding of this difference between professional and technical is a glittering example of ignorance.
Perhaps you have not been counseled regarding drug interactions because you refuse to be counseled, or you are not at risk for adverse reactions. Pharmacists are not compelled to counsel anyone who is interested in using over the counter products, but are more than willing to do so, without charge, to anyone who asks. People are are likely to resent an invasion of their privacy, for instance, when purchasing incontinence products or condoms.
You say that pharmaceutical companies formulate the dosages for the pharmacists. Again, the pharmaceutical company does not know what exactly their product is being prescribed for (some drugs have multiple uses) nor the weight of the patient, nor the other medications that the patient is taking. Once again, the elusive component of judgment comes into play.
You say that you have examined pharmacist requirements in other countries, and apparently are satisfied that their system is preferable to that of the U. S. A. I wonder if you may be equally satisfied to be operated on by a doctor who is required to have a level of education equivalent to that of a technical person in the U. S. ?
As far as elderly people who are overmedicated, there are many RPhs who make a judgment call when presented with a prescription that, according to the person’s profile, the new medication should not be consumed. That RPh will tell the patient as well as the physician. As for those people who are in custodial care, the pharmacists who fill those prescriptions are responsible for making those judgments and taking action to remedy the situation.
In the end, it is up to the consumer to be responsible for their healthcare decisions and to have the freedom to accept or reject the advice of their physician and pharmacist.
You have made it abundantly clear that you have no respect for the professional on the other side of the counter. I imagine that you demonstrate it as well when you go to the pharmacy to get your pain medication by being rude and arrogant to someone who could kill you with a dispensing error.

Besides, not only can I read the doctor’s script, I can read the label on the bottle, and look up for myself what is indicated for my condition. I know what a physicians desk reference is, and believe me, before I swallow anything I check it. And you don’t address the fact, do you sir, that many other countries train pharmacists in much less time. Equating doctors with pharmacists is like equating mechanics with parts clerks.

Regular, you’re s-o-o-o-o stupid. Prescriptions are prescribed by doctors.

Let’s see just how good you are Rph:

A doctor prescribes up to four 200 milligram over-the-counter ibuprofen pills to be taken four times per day for arthritis pain/swelling. (up to 16, 200 mg pills) The patient asks to consult with you. What is the first thing you should ask?

A patient says he has been diagnosed with plantar faciitis, and asks for an appliance to help with the pain. What would you advise him?

Beats me Door King, I’m not a Physician and don’t practice medicine.

But if it were me, I would wonder why so much Ibuprofen is being prescribed as it can cause some organ failure.

And if the podiatrist didn’t prescribe a proper appliance, I certainly wouldn’t depend on an off-the-shelf appliance from a drug store. I’d go to a specialty shop, like Hanger here in Wichita.

:)

You people will believe in anything, including pharmacy. Yes, a well-trained pharmacist would be worth his weight in gold, that is, if pharmacists actually did what RPh claims they do. What they do is sell drugs and manage drug stores. You can see that emphasis if you look at the pharmacy curriculums.

You don’t need no stinking three years of training to learn what drugs shouldn’t be taken with others, and I suspect most of that knowledge is learned from drug company reps and experience, though the curriculums do show about 12 hours of course work dealing with drugs in the body, and inter-reactions.

What you need to demonstrate is the ability to absorb such knowledge.

When have you ever been asked ANYTHING by a pharmacist, or received any consultation, except to explain to you what is printed on the label, or rarely, to warn you of a possible complication, and what to do it it occurs.

“Now don’t drive a car while taking this” is about the only consultation I’ve ever gotten. But that again, is only my experience, and worthless in making a generalization.

No doubt, cosmos, but it doesn’t take seven years to train one. That’s all I’ve ever said. They have the same skills as paint clerks in the hardware store.
Oh, I do enjoy insulting “professionals” whenever I get the chance. And relying on the testimony of a pharmacist regarding pharmacy — well it’s like listening to bush on the war. Another generalization of one.

Door King, go ahead and enjoy insulting RPh’s.

Hopefully they will never miss a problem from an MD, or cause a problem themselves, that causes “consequences” to you, or someone you know.

“They have the same skills as paint clerks in the hardware store.”

Yeah, paint and drugs that could kill you if improperly administered.

Damn near the same thing.

Of course, I have never heard of someone dying from having the wrong shade of beige on their living room walls.

You’ve got to be kidding! You people go to pharmacy school to make money; and that’s what you do. Some of you are very good, but most of you are just working stiffs like me. Stop putting on such airs.

Door King,

I wasn’t making an “argument”, just stating the facts.

The RPh is there to catch possible errors made by the MD.

The RPh is responsible for properly filling the prescription.

The “consequences” of an error can be serious.

Apophis, you are very welcome. No, I won’t stick it in my rear end, nor anywhere else for that matter. I made your name part of the conversation, and you have come to your own defense. It is up to you to remove yourself from the conversation at this point. Tally ho!

Door King posted March 23, 2008 at 6:53 pm

“Some of you are very good, but most of you are just working stiffs like me.”

So in your job, your making an error can cause illness, or death?

Door King,

I will take your response as a “no”.

And that you do something as “life-critical” as selling paint. /sarcasm OFF.

Does anyone think the Dork King is Apophis? He is without a doubt. By the way Apophis, the Third Reich were fascist. Bush is no fascist. however all liberals, including yourself, are.