Pharmacists on the Front Lines

It isn't very often that the average citizen stops to consider the risks taken by our nation's pharmacists on a daily basis. If most people were polled with regard to the most dangerous professions a person could choose, they would in all likelihood point to career choices such as military personnel, police officer, or fire fighter. These are the types of jobs that most envision as towing the fine line between occupational hazard and dangerous peril. We regard the brave souls willing to embrace these careers with a certain sense of respect, if not awe. Many view these individuals as selfless and use words like "hero" and "role model" to describe their standing amongst the public. This is fair, certainly both handles would seem fitting when describing professionals who defend our freedom and safeguard our lives both overseas and right here at home but what about the pharmacists?

These are the brave healthcare professionals who provide us with the pharmaceuticals we need to sustain ourselves in the face of illnesses that run the gamut from a common cold to medical circumstances far more dire. They too deserve accolades for the selfless efforts they carry out on behalf of the nation's citizens, sometimes in the face of very difficult circumstances. Some of you may be wondering -- What risks? What dangers? Just the other day while updating the news portion of our website, I saw newspaper and news wire reports about a half-dozen different pharmacists who were robbed by gun-toting lunatics seeking a quick fix of Oxycontin or some other prescription narcotic. Additionally, many pharmacists labor for long hours in a variety of settings and sometimes under adverse conditions, working to ensure that life sustaining drugs are properly prepared and delivered to patients in a timely manner. Some of the pharmacists even come into contact with pharmaceutical products that pose a potential health hazard to themselves if not handled and prepared ever so precisely.

The life of a pharmacist involves hours that are often irregular, very long workdays, demanding challenges, great responsibility, and in many instances -- potential danger. When we think of our "heroes" they are probably not often the first professionals who come to mind but perhaps they should be. The men & women toiling behind the counter of your local community pharmacy, preparing your pharmaceuticals & collaborating to plan your treatment protocol during a hospital stay, or preparing medications & IV's for a patient recuperating at home or in a longterm care facility do more for our well being than they're often given the credit for. They are on the front lines of the healthcare system and they're protecting us under often difficult circumstances. So next time you have cause to interact with a pharmacist, regardless of the setting, stop and take a moment to say "thanks".