"Whether I like it or not"

   Not too long ago I had two ladies in my store. They were elderly mother and adult daughter.  Earlier in the day the daughter had called asking for advise. Her mother had accidentally inhaled one of her oral meds and it had taken quite some doing to get it out of her trachea. She had a persistent cough and the daughter wanted to know what to do. Of course, I advised going to the emergency department as it was a weekend and her MD could not be reached. So she went to the E.R. and was then in my pharmacy to get some prescriptions filled. While I was filling them I over heard them talking. The daughter said," You know Mom, my insurance company wants me to use mail-order but I just don't want to. I want a pharmacist that I can reach anytime and that I can talk to face-to-face. I come to this pharmacy because that pharmacist filling your medication will tell me what I need to hear whether I like it or not."  I think that was the single most flattering comment I had ever had made about me. This lady trusted me enough to pay higher copays to use a local pharmacy and she trusted me enough to tell her what she needed to hear not just what she wanted to hear. So many times we deal with people who just want us to agree with them; they don't really want our advise. It's good to know that there are people who respect our opinions and advise. It is very humbling to know that there are people making decisions about their healthcare needs based on the experiences and encounters they have had with me personally. That is why I love this job and that is why I go back day after day and put up with the people who don't respect me. Sometimes it feels like no one cares what you have to say and no one respects you as a person let alone a pharmacist, but every now and then God will bring someone your way to let you know that you are valued and respected and that you are impacting people's lives in a positive way. Watch for these opportunities and hold them dear in your heart.