Long lines, crowds, and wait times at the pharmacy can drive even the most patient of people into a fury of frustration. Although you may be justified in being frustrated, you shouldn’t take this out on your pharmacist. Here are three reasons why you should practice patience with your local pharmacy.
Local Means Community
Visiting your local pharmacy to fill your prescriptions means that you are very likely to run into your neighbors or friends who live in your area. Even more likely is that the people working in the pharmacy are your neighbors or related to your neighbors. In a small community, it’s important to maintain a friendly and functional relationship because people gossip. If you approach your pharmacist with rudeness and impatience regarding your prescription, you’re likely to be overheard by a friend or neighbor. What’s worse is that your pharmacist could be related to one of your neighbors and will inform them of your behavior. You don’t want to make enemies out of your neighbors in a small community.
Your Own Safety
People who’ve never worked as a pharmacist will never understand the pressures facing the people who fill your prescriptions. They are responsible for ensuring your safety in many ways. They must first double check your prescription with the records on the computer to make sure that you’re scheduled to receive the correct dosage as prescribed by your doctor. Secondly, handwritten prescriptions tend to be difficult to read and can add extra pressure and stress on your pharmacist as they attempt to decipher your doctor’s handwriting.
Lastly, pharmacists are responsible for putting the correct type of pill in your bottle and counting them out to the correct amount. If they miscount your pills by even one, that could be disastrous for a customer who requires their prescription medication to live. If your prescription is taking longer than normal to fill, be patient with your pharmacist. They are following strict rules and regulations for your own safety and wellbeing.
Maintaining Relationships
People may not realize that pharmacists actually have a fair bit of medical knowledge. They are required to know the various side effects of all medications they handle and the interactions between medications so they can warn their customers regarding hazardous drug interactions. Because of these reasons, pharmacists can be approached with various questions regarding your medications and even some mild symptoms you’re experiencing. When you’re impatient or rude to your pharmacist, you are ruining this important relationship that could save your life, so a little patience can go a very long way.
It’s also important for your own health to be more patient. Impatience can raise your stress levels. Increased stress levels can cause a myriad of health conditions, so do yourself a favor and practice patience as often as you can.
