I've worked as a pharmacy technician so my opinion isn't just based off of nonsense. There are some pharmacists that work a lot and very knowledgeable and an integral part of the healthcare team, but most of the pharmacists I worked with just liked to stand back and watch. They mostly stood there talking on the phone and I think the counseling is increasing but wouldn't a patient rather talk to a doctor about their pain or pathology? Pharmacists would be able to comment on the drug which the doctor or PA could also tell you.
What kind of pharmacy was it where they were all working 9-5? A pharmacist cannot legally just sit back and watch. They are the limiting step when it comes to approving a prescription because only the pharmacist can do so. Was it personal conversations on the phone? Many times it's patients calling about medically related questions, an office phoning in a prescription or other pharmacy related issues.
Your question is also one which is personal. Some patients trust their pharmacist more, some trust their physician more. Many state laws mandate that the pharmacist counsel on new medications and that counselling be offered. It's one of the responsibilities a pharmacist has. We are also more easily accessible than the physician and sometimes are the first healthcare professional someone discusses an issue with.
Sure, the physician, PA, or NP may know their drugs for their practice, but as far as training goes the pharmacist is taught more. We take many years of pharmacology, pharmacotherapy, biopharmaceutics and other pharmacy specific topics. PA's and Physicians focus more so on diagnostics and pathology since that is their scope. Sure, they get some pharmacology just like pharmacists get some diagnostics and pathology but that's not their area of expertise just like the pharmacist's area of expertise is not diagnostics or surgical procedures. I've had some physicians put patients on tramadol telling them it was non-drowsy. They were wrong and we had to properly inform the patient during counselling. I know a pediatrician that wrote for a very high dose of antibiotics for a child to treat an ear infection. The pharmacist caught it, called the office, was degraded by the pediatrician when she suggested changing the med or going with ear drops, and the kid wound up in the ER the next day because she reacted to the very high dose even though she wasn't allergic. It's also kinda hard to explain to a male patient how they need to use their vaginally inserted drug that the physician wrote for...
Physicians make mistakes, pharmacists make mistakes. The reality is that we are all on the same team treating patients with different areas of expertise. Physicians diagnose and plan a treatment. Pharmacists review the treatment and help ensure the safe and effective use of medications. Physicians specialize in their area, pharmacists in theirs. We do different jobs. You don't have to appreciate pharmacy, you don't have to recognize what we learn or our value, you can think we are lazy and overpaid for our labor and training, but the fact remains that pharmacy isn't going away (and is likely going to be taking expanded scopes) and that utilizing everyone's specialty and training to the max will most likely provide the best patient care. Physicians have a 4 year doctorate MD/DO. Pharmacists have their 4 year doctorate PharmD. We learn different stuff with some overlap and have different scopes on the same healthcare team.
And you did not out troll me since I wasn't trolling.
