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
I wouldn't think of calling a pharmacist anything but the name on his badge, his or her first name. Obviously if you need to specify that you want to speak to a pharmacist that's fine, but I need to speak to Dr Green the pharmacist? No chance.
I call people by their first names. Maybe it's a culture thing, but here if you insist on being called by a title you will instantly get people's backs up and people will think you're suffering from delusions of grandeur.
The flip side of that, though, is that lots of people are deeply offended by automatically being called by their first names, esp. older people being addressed by younger people. Nothing ticks my mother off more than somebody who's never met her before calling her "Jane" instead of "Mrs. X." (Oh, wait, there is something she hates more -- being called "honey" or "sweetie.") Do either of those things, and you are on her !@#$ list forever. Lots of people feel that way, and it has nothing to do with earned degrees; it used to be considered simple courtesy (and still is, in many places).
I honestly did not intend to side track this posting with the title issue, but it seems to have struck more nerves than a bad acupuncturist.
I do believe that there is a huge amount of "credential inflation" particularly in the medical industry. (Does anyone call their DPT physical therapist "Dr. Ambulate"?)
The superintendent of schools in my city is a political hack who had his wife ghost write his dissertation; I would call him "Superintendent Hack", but never Dr. Hack. Ditto for someone with a doctorate in medieval music of the 14th century. Would I call him/her Professor Old Music? Sure. Dr. Old Music? Nope.
Also, it can get blurred and confusing with doctoral nurses, calling them "Dr. Evenmorestudentloans", due to scope of practice issues. Again, I addressed these faculty in school as "Professor", which was accurate, and in no way denigrated anyone.
Another afterthought...the pharmacist's ego may have been bruised because he might have perceived that the OP was being openly dismissive of his suggestion to the elderly customer.
Some people become defensive and territorial when they perceive that their professional opinion has been flagrantly discarded by someone with less years of formal educational attainment. Thus, the spiteful pharmacist rubbed in the fact that he had a professional doctorate.
I used to despise the one or two CNAs who made suggestions to patients about pain medications, insulin injections, and so forth. Sorry, but their lack of pharmacological training certainly did not qualify them to dish this advice to patients. It made the licensed nurses look bad.
I have one of those (butt ins) where I work now. She advises me in front of patients, family, any one who will listen. She has "issues". I usually give a short retort as to, "I know" or "I did it that way because..", but it does make us look bad at times. It is usually one of those things that I either already am aware of what it is she is saying or it could be done 3 ways and I chose to do it another way.
"Well, imagine if the reverse were to happen. You're at work giving your patient requested advice. As the encounter ends and you start to walk away, the pharmacist walks over and says, "Excuse me, but I'm a pharmacist and I know better blah blah blah...".
This is exactly what I was thinking. If you were in the hospital, and advised a patient, and some random person came up and contradicted you, in front of you, TO YOUR PATIENT, wouldn't you be livid? I would. Totally inappropriate.
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Seems like the tone is:
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."
This! If the pharmacist wants to give medical advice and be liable for her gangrene because she is diabetic who is non compliant and that cut is on her shunt arm! I do NOT give any medical advice....period.
As far as the pharmacist I would be spiteful and say...smiling sweetly.....Really? That's nice...I have my DNP and you may call me doctor. (even though it's a lie....I just want his reaction)
I call people by their first names. Maybe it's a culture thing, but here if you insist on being called by a title you will instantly get people's backs up and people will think you're suffering from delusions of grandeur. I wouldn't think of calling a pharmacist anything but the name on his badge, his or her first name. Obviously if you need to specify that you want to speak to a pharmacist that's fine, but I need to speak to Dr Green the pharmacist? No chance.
Sorry that was replying to NotAllWhoWandeRN
It all depends on context. When in Rome, I address as the Romans do. But I also think there's an widespread dismissal in the public eye of people who have doctorates that are not M.D.s. "Oh, they're not a REAL doctor," as if there's only one kind. I had literally no idea until recently that physical therapy currently requires a doctorate for entry level. NO idea. That changed how I perceived their level of knowledge and care. I currently see a PT and I don't call him doctor, I call him by his first name. BUT - why would it be unreasonable if he wanted to be called doctor when he's caring for me as a doctor?
While it's unfortunate that we've allowed medical doctors to become known just as "doctors", the reason why people in healthcare settings who aren't physicians shouldn't call themselves a "doctor" without further clarification is that it's misrepresenting your credentials which is unethical. Like it or not, in the context of healthcare the general public understands "doctor" to mean medical doctor, or Physician. To say to a patient "I'm a doctor", without clarifying something along the lines of "I have a doctorate of pharmacy" isn't being as honest as you probably should be.
Personally I don't define myself as only being a nurse when I'm on the clock. On the clock or not I'm a nurse, that's why we are independently licensed, rather than working under an employer's license to practice nursing.
You did the morally correct and kind thing by offering assistance, and maybe a little encouragement, to an elder. But aren't you kicking yourself over all the millions of snappy comebacks you could have thrown at that guy?
"Personally, ever since the Unibomber I feel like PhDs are over rated. And you seem reeeeeally upset. Should I be worried?"
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
The woman never asked the OP for their opinion. they are the one that "intervened" as you put it after the pharmacist had already answered the question that was directed at HIM.
You did the morally correct and kind thing by offering assistance, and maybe a little encouragement, to an elder.
No she didn't do the "morally correct thing." She butted in a professional interaction that was none of her business. The pharmacist wasn't giving harmful advice to the client. And I bet if an off the clock heath professional did the same to this nurse while she was taking care of a patient, she wouldn't appreciate it one bit.
"Personally, ever since the Unibomber I feel like PhDs are over rated. And you seem reeeeeally upset. Should I be worried?"
Spend 4-7 years after getting a Bachelor's degree in a vigorous researched based Ph.D program, and then you'll actually have the knowledge to base that statement on.
Lunah, MSN, RN
14 Articles; 13,773 Posts
What if the pharmacist's badge says Dr. Green?