I was at a Walgreens pharmacy waiting with my mom for her scripts to be filled. An elderly woman, wearing a pink ball cap and sparce, thinned gray hair approached the counter. I could hear her conversation without even trying to listen. She asked the pharmacist what she should cleanse a small cut with. The pharmacist told her to use saline and pointed to were it was so she could buy some.
As she passed me, I did not know the pharmacist was making his way behind her, I politely said, "ma'am, I wasn't trying to ease drop, but you can just use soap and water and save some money, I'm a Nurse."
The pharmacist came right up behind me, moved in front of my face and said, "I don't think she asked you, she asked me" as he swayed that neck left to right.
Well, I was pissed at how rude he was, I went and talked to the manager, then went back to the counter to pick up scripts.
He came to the register and stood behind the cashier and said, "Just so you know, I have a PhD, and I know more you do" My jaw dropped and told him his PhD sure didn't teach him how to treat others. He kept arguing with me and mom. Finally, I had to walk away after he told me, "My name is Dr. Peebles " after telling him I was going to contact coporate and file a complaint.
Uggg, I know I was sticking my nose out but he didn't have to act so hateful
Specializes in Med Surg/ICU/Psych/Emergency/CEN/retired.
On another note, the winter olympics will be held in Hell the day I address a pharmacist as "Doctor."
He has a doctorate in pharmacy, the entry level now required to become a pharmacist. He deserves to be called "Dr." Why you would make such a comment is astounding to me.
You know, we pretty much agree as a profession that we detest when non-nurses tell us how to do our job, or when they attempt to override our advise because they looked it up on WebMD.
Why should we be surprised when other professions feel the same way?
Granted, the Pharmacist could have been more diplomatic, but face it, you figuratively pooped in his yard.
Thanks for all the feed back, also the grammar corrections. I pretty much knew in retrospect that I should have kept my mouth shut, my intentions were not to make the pharmacist look bad. I'm developing in many aspects of my professional demeanor. I make mistakes to learn from them and better my next decision.
With that in mind and coming from a customer service career history, I would have never spoke or treated a customer that way. I learned from the Doctor as well.
Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
I may be sticking my neck out here, but, there's a saying that goes something like this: "There BS, More S, and Piled High and Deep". Some people can't keep their PhDs in perspective and use them to show their perceived self worth and power, especially if they feel threatened by either another holder of a PhD or a "lowly" nurse. (No, I am NOT calling nurses lowly---I am first and foremost a RN. And, before any PhDs out there get their feathers ruffled over my statement above, I worked many years for one of those, too :)). It's kinda sad that he felt the need to point that out to you in public. But, as other posters have stated, you were on his turf and I guess he felt that justified that. I try to not offer advice in public unless I observe something that could be very dangerous for the other person, and then I usually suggest that they check with their health care provider.
1. don't give unsolicited nursing advice (though nurses deal with wounds more than pharmacists, the pharmacist was working and the nurse was not)
2. the pharmacist was defensive and reacted as such (personally I would classify that behavior as putz-ish)
On another note, the winter olympics will be held in Hell the day I address a pharmacist as "Doctor."
Just a note most pharmacists are PharmDs not PhDs. My husband has been one for 13 years. While he doesn't use the title he definitely earned it. There are nurses now being called Dr. and we should extend the same courtesy those other healthcare team members if they desire it.
Specializes in Med Surg/ICU/Psych/Emergency/CEN/retired.
Just a note most pharmacists are PharmDs not PhDs. My husband has been one for 13 years. While he doesn't use the title he definitely earned it. There are nurses now being called Dr. and we should extend the same courtesy those other healthcare team members if they desire it.
Well said. And although your husband does not use the title, he could. In some academic institutions, these individuals are addressed as "Dr." With the casual environment we live in now, the formality may be dropped by choice or invitation. I addressed my pharmacy professor in graduate school as "Dr." out of respect.
Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
Well said. And although your husband does not use the title, he could. In some academic institutions, these individuals are addressed as "Dr." With the casual environment we live in now, the formality may be dropped by choice or invitation. I addressed my pharmacy professor in graduate school as "Dr." out of respect.
We have a pharmacist who works at our clinic and is known as "Dr. X". He's a great resource to have on board.
Eh, I may have suggested the nursing advice as well.. But once the pharmacist intervened I would have kept quiet and apologized. I don't like confrontation
It never occurred to me to NOT address a PharmD as "doctor." Just as I would refer to a friend of mine who is a bio prof with a PhD as "Dr. S." I don't understand the hostility.
My brother-in-law is heading to pharmacy school, but I will probably still call him by his first name when he is done.
We have a pharmacist who works at our clinic and is known as "Dr. X". He's a great resource to have on board.
I worked in a couple of EDs and a trauma center that had clinical pharmacists right there in the ED, they were awesome! I would have called them whatever they wanted, they were so helpful! Lol.
Boomer MS, RN
511 Posts
On another note, the winter olympics will be held in Hell the day I address a pharmacist as "Doctor."
He has a doctorate in pharmacy, the entry level now required to become a pharmacist. He deserves to be called "Dr." Why you would make such a comment is astounding to me.