Texas' trust in Rx'ers slides down a notch - most Texans get drug information from their physicians - For the Pharmacist - column

Texas' trust in Rx'ers slides down a notch

What are pharmacists doing wrong? If you believe a recent Gallup Poll, nothing. It's been well publicized that pharmacists continue to be the number one trusted professional in the U.S. But a disturbing survey from Texas crossed my desk the other day that shows, at least according to the 1,000 Texans surveyed, that many consumers still get the bulk of their information about drugs from their physician. The pharmacist came in second.

In Texas, and my guess in other parts of the country as well, most pharmacists are perceived as individuals who count, pour, lick and stick. According to the Texas survey, commissioned by Texas Pharmacists United in Patient Care, 80 percent of the Texans polled said that a pharmacist's primary duty is filling prescriptions.

Their primary job

To my mind there is no question that the primary job of any retail pharmacist is to fill prescriptions. The real question here is what do we mean by the word fill. Is it counting, pouring, and putting the label on a prescription container, or does filling a prescription mean checking to make sure a technician put the proper medicine into a properly labeled container and then consulting with the patient?

Patient consultation is not a myth. It is happening in hundreds of retail pharmacy settings across the country and spreading like wildfire. And there is good reason.

Progressive chains are beginning to realize that they have a franchise in their pharmacy that other retailers carrying the same kinds of merchandise don't. When it comes to multi-source prescription drug products, manufacturers are finally realizing retail pharmacists can oftentimes make a difference in what drug is actually dispensed. After all, it is the pharmacist who is the liaison between patient and physician.

To directors of pharmacy I say: If you are encouraging your pharmacist to stand behind a glass partition to lick, stick, count and pour, you are missing out on a golden opportunity to utilize your pharmacists to promote a store as a health information center. To retail pharmacists who don't want to come out behind their glass partitioned comfort zones, I ask, why did you choose pharmacy as a profession?

Well, how do you like our new look? We listened to you, our reader. Our new format is easier to carry, easier to read, and crammed full of important information for today's retail pharmacist, regardless of the practice setting. We've kept some of your favorite department features like Statewire, Drug Watch, Independent Focus and, of course, our two-credit C.E. Lesson. Plus, we've added some new features like Third-Party News, and You and the Law. We're excited about our new look and hope you share our enthusiasm. Please, let me know what you think.

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