Pharmacist

Pharmacist

Farmersis

Washington, DC

Female, 32

I've worked as a pharmacist in multiple settings, including retail (think Walgreens), a hospital, a nursing home, an outpatient clinic, and a regulatory agency. Over the past decade, I've counted more pills than Pfizer, Merck, and Lindsay Lohan combined. Ask me anything!

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Last Answer on December 30, 2012

Best Rated

Do you have to carry any sort of malpractice insurance that would cover you if you give someone the wrong prescription or something?

Asked by arizona over 12 years ago

Usually, employers provide a generic malpractice insurance; however, I purchase additional insurance for greater coverage... just in case.

Can medication be taken after the expiration date? Do expiration dates really matter?

Asked by Rxxx over 12 years ago

As a pharmacist, I can't tell you to take expired pills. As a patient, I will tell you that I do, but I'm not saying that you should do what I do. There are medications that I would not take if they are expired, such as antibiotics, birth control pills, or "narrow therapeutic" drugs. Ask your local pharmacist if the drug you're taking is a "narrow therapeutic drug."

Do you receive a lot of fake prescriptions? What do you do if you suspect a prescription is fake but the customer won't relent?

Asked by Rxxx over 12 years ago

If a customer becomes belligerent, I will call the manager, who will probably call the police if the person looks like he or she is out of control.

Why is a pharmacist needed to count pills at a pharmacy? Is there something more to it?

Asked by master-of-none over 12 years ago

Contrary to popular belief, pharmacists do not "just count pills." Pharmacists have to understand the disease states, how the medications work, potential side effects of medications, and possible drug interactions. Now think about how many diseases and medications are out there today. Yeah, I'd say an advanced degree is required.

What kinds of customers do you dread the most?

Asked by Run Rudy Run over 12 years ago

The ones that get angry at pharmacists for things out of their control, such as your insurance will not cover your very-expensive pills or your very-expensive doctor will not return phone calls.

Have you ever given someone the wrong prescription?

Asked by slowgrind over 12 years ago

Fortunately, I've been lucky enough to catch my mistakes before they actually reach a patient. Mistakes can occur at any point in the dispensing process though. When I was an intern (a long time ago), a patient came to pick up his medications at the pharmacy but was given another patient's bag of medications. He didn't realize it until a few days later when he noticed the pills look different. It turned out he shared the same last name (no relations) and first name initial with another patient. So when they ask you a million and one questions to verify who you are at the pharmacy, there's a reason for that!

Do you have a hard time reading doctor Rx handwriting? Sometimes it just looks like a scribble!

Asked by Simon over 12 years ago

Of course! That's when we call the doc to verify what they thought they were writing :)