Faith in Pharmacies

By Lisa, 365 Days of Service, Los Angeles Representative

A visit to the pharmacy can make or break my day.  On a good visit the pharmacy has my correct medicine and dosage, and the co-payment amount is what I expected.  A bad visit usually end with me in tears because my medication was never called in, or the wrong prescription or dosage has been called in, or is not covered by insurance, or is covered by insurance but still costs a few hundred dollars.

When I lived in Madison, Wisconsin there was a local independent pharmacy that I loved, conveniently named Community Pharmacy (http://www.communitypharmacy.coop/).  It was warm and homey; the pharmacist knew me by name and would take time to answer my questions, dispense advice, and recommend herbal medicines and alternative therapies. Community Pharmacy was the best version of a pharmacy - friendly staff, soft lighting, pleasant aromatherapy scents, and plenty of vitamins and organic body products for me to lose track of time as I wandered the aisles.  It was a place about wellness, not illness.

When I left Madison, I was skeptical of ever finding a pharmacy or pharmacist that I loved as much.  I spent my first few years in California leaving the majority of my pharmacy visits in tears.  I had lost hope of finding a pharmacist who would actually do what my pharmacists at Community Pharmacy did.

This week I was faced with a medication conundrum – now that I started working full time, what would I do about the monthly injections I usually went to the doctor’s office to receive?  With limited options, I remembered that my neighborhood pharmacy (housed in a large chain store) gave flu shots. I figured if they gave those shots, maybe they could give me my injection.

I called and spoke to a lovely female pharmacist who told me that she couldn’t give me the shot herself (“there are 7 video cameras watching me and I could be terminated”).  However, she said, I would be more then happy to teach you.  WHAT?!? Yes, she said, if you come in I will teach you step by step how to inject yourself.  I thanked her and told her I would be by later this week.

I was blown away that this kind pharmacist was offering to spend time with me to actually teach me how to become more independent in my health care. Our conversation restored faith for me that pharmacists who care about patients can be found not only in small independent pharmacies in Wisconsin, but in large chain pharmacies in Southern California.