Who is my Pharmacist and how can they help me?
Who is that person behind the counter in the white coat, what is their purpose?
Most people think that a pharmacy is this entity where small pieces of paper (your prescriptions) go in, and a bottle with pills comes out. Does that sum up the majority of the public’s perception of a Pharmacy? There’s SO much more that goes on behind the scenes.
The mystery lies between the prescription hand in, and the patient receiving their prescription. Originally the Pharmacy was a place drugs were
compounded or made from scratch. There were no pharmaceutical companies in the early 1900’s that mass produced medications as they do today. Pharmacists made elixirs, solutions, pills. These could be ordered by a Physician or just made to treat common ailments. As society progressed and laws were put in place, we now have the modern Pharmacy you see today.
An interesting side note. The modern day sodas such as Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper were
invented by Pharmacists. Most pharmacies in the late 19 and early 20th century had soda
fountains in them. Early pharmacies in the 1930s were a blend of community and science, featuring a front-of-house with soda fountains and cosmetic counters, while the back room was dedicated to a pharmacist compounding custom prescriptions. The era was marked by the Great Depression, which impacted the business but didn’t fully stop it, and saw the beginning of professional standardization for hospital pharmacies, though community pharmacy was still evolving before the rise of pre-packaged medicines.
Now back to my original question, who is my Pharmacist? We are your neighbors, mothers, fathers,
sons and daughters. We are people who choose to work in the world of medicine. We are the
gatekeepers to public safety. Our main job is not to just put a “label on a bottle” but to ensure the
medication prescribed by your physician is correct for your diagnosis, does not interfere with
other medications, and is safe. Safety for our patients is our highest concern.
Thankfully technology is very helpful tool in a Pharmacist handbag. It allows us to research questions you may have when you visit the Pharmacy, or call. Technology allows us to process the increasing number of prescriptions over the last 30 years and to feel confident that the possibility of negative interactions are addressed and resolved. Again, safety to the public is our motto.