Doctors of pharmacy, what do you call them?

[SirRichardPryor]

My friend and I have been having a debate about this, what is the proper way to address a pharmacist with a Pharm.D? Dr Lastname or Mr Lastname?

I don't think you should use the Dr title so that it doesn't confuse your patients and makes them think you are a MD but my friend says "I worked my ass off to get this damn degree, they better call me Dr Lastname"

Which is it?

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[WVUPharm2007]

This has been beaten to death in the past. Really, the whole "don't want to get confused with physicians" thing is bunk, anyway. We call all of the dentists and podiatrists running around "Dr. Whatever" and its not like they are the ones that would be needed when a code is called.

Let's be honest...titles are pretentious. They appease those who feel the need to acquire prestige over others. The physicians that don't want other people to be called "Docta" think that because they are insecure little bitches that can't handle someone else getting what they think is "their" title. And if a title and prestige is what you want, don't go into pharmacy. You won't find it here. Well...maybe more than the average trade...but you aren't held up on a pedestal.

Pharmacists just go by first name. Frankly, I don't give a damn about titles. Just let me do my job, let me do the best I can for the people I'm protecting from errors, and then pay me for it.

And when you get to know the hospital crew, you start calling them by their first names, anyway.

 

[rphello]

Very well said, WVU. That's just freaking beautiful.

Someone could call me ****head for all I care. We know what needs to be done, so do it and quit worrying about trifling matters. That's the stuff of academia.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Someone could call me ****head for all I care.

Sometimes they do.

 

[rphello]

Sometimes they do.

Sometimes they even do it with a smile on their face.

 

[Praziquantel86]

I'll use my title when it matters...such as on credit cards or restaurant reservations.

 

[medicalCPA]

Ah...we've missed this question. It's been so long since someone asked it.

Were I a pharmacist, I would not care what I was called. But after I'm done with my PhD, people had better call me Dr, goddamit!

 

[tussionex]

search function??

 

[KUMoose]

search function??

Come now Tuss, you know people want to be spoon fed these days. How day you imply that they should work for knowledge!

 

[will7678]

Very well said, WVU. That's just freaking beautiful.

Someone could call me ****head for all I care. We know what needs to be done, so do it and quit worrying about trifling matters. That's the stuff of academia.

Thats DR. ****head to you buddy!!!

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

Were I a pharmacist, I would not care what I was called. But after I'm done with my PhD, people had better call me Dr, goddamit!

Why is that?

 

[medicalCPA]

Why is that?

Tongue in cheek comments don't carry over the Interweb...

Actually, almost all the PhD's I've worked in the lab with couldn't care less about titles. It's my instructors who insist on the title. But when people would say, "I worked for that PhD," I didn't understand. Now I'm beginning to. It's going to be a long 5 years...

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

I will only accept dr. Z your highness sir. because im pompous like that.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Herr Doktor Z, His Eminence... that sounds fitting. =P

I default to "Doctor [Name]" and then 9 times out of 10, I'll get "You can call me [First name here]" but it's always easier to err on the side of caution.

But I mean hell, Chiropractors are called "Doctor" by everyone in the general public. Pharmacists deserve the same level of respect, IMO.

And to me, that's what it is a matter of - Respect. A title is not necessarily adopted to be pretentious or for its reputation's sake. A title implies an elevated position as a result of doubling the "normal" college time. You're entitled "Doctor" in exchange for giving the better part of your 20s and sometimes 30s to the education in Pharmacy.

That's just my opinion of course, and that's how I operate when meeting any Pharmacist. I certainly would never insist on anyone calling me "Doctor" after I graduate.

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

nah...I go strictly by my first name...many students and people have tried the Dr.. and Mr. route... My typical response when they call me Mr. Z... ..Mr. Z is my dad.... friends call me "Z"

 

[confettiflyer]

good lord, what idiot doesn't know how to use the search button? thumbdown

 

[atticus27]

good lord, what idiot doesn't know how to use the search button? thumbdown

Ahhrrgh you gannna puut nine milla meeda bullets in his head Arnold?

 

[Old Timer]

This has been beaten to death in the past. Really, the whole "don't want to get confused with physicians" thing is bunk, anyway. We call all of the dentists and podiatrists running around "Dr. Whatever" and its not like they are the ones that would be needed when a code is called.

Let's be honest...titles are pretentious. They appease those who feel the need to acquire prestige over others. The physicians that don't want other people to be called "Docta" think that because they are insecure little bitches that can't handle someone else getting what they think is "their" title. And if a title and prestige is what you want, don't go into pharmacy. You won't find it here. Well...maybe more than the average trade...but you aren't held up on a pedestal.

Doctors of pharmacy, what do you call them? Dr. A-hole, if they insist on being called doctor....

 

[FarscapeGirl]

So maybe what we need to lessen the confusion is give MDs a new title. That way, dentists, chiropractors, and doctors of philosophy can call themselves "doctor so-and-so" and then we can call physicians something else. I think several European languages do this already.

What I want to know is what in the world do you call a prescribing nurse practitioner... it's certainly not doctor!

 

[BustyPharmD]

So maybe what we need to lessen the confusion is give MDs a new title. That way, dentists, chiropractors, and doctors of philosophy can call themselves "doctor so-and-so" and then we can call physicians something else. I think several European languages do this already.

What I want to know is what in the world do you call a prescribing nurse practitioner... it's certainly not doctor!

When I get rx's that I can't determine who the prescriber is, I've asked patients, " Which Dr. wrote the rx/who were you seen by? ". They reply Dr. so and so... and I look at the prescription for the name... and it say's FNP or PA....

Once out of curiosity I've asked, so you called this person doctor and didn't correct you? They said nope.... and I left it at that...

As for titles, I feel like WVU and my observerations has been pharmacist don't care about titles. In general, pharmacist just do our jobs, protecting people from poor Dr's so being clumped up with everyone else doesn't really help. It is nice if you want or need some respect but I like being called "The Pharmacist"

For now I correct people and tell them ....no I'm the intern...could I help you since my pharmacist is taking a smoke break (j/k) on the smoke break part

 

[Transformer]

It all depends on what your relationship is to the pharmacist.

From what I've seen, most pharmacy students would refer to their teachers or preceptors who have PharmDs as Doctors or Professors. (I usually hear Pharmacists get called doctors in academia)

Any other times, we almost always call pharmDs by their first names. Hope that clears it up a little.

 

[nafcillin]

I prefer maestro

 

[MustLoveDrugs]

I default to "Doctor [Name]" and then 9 times out of 10, I'll get "You can call me [First name here]" but it's always easier to err on the side of caution.

Agreed. I still remember the first time an older colleague addressed me as "Doctor ...," and I try to show the same respect to my fellow doctors of pharmacy regardless of their age. Obviously, it's a lot different in the work setting than it was in the school setting, but I think as a general rule pharmacy students should refer to their professors and preceptors as "Doctor ..." unless otherwise specified.

 

[Praziquantel86]

nah...I go strictly by my first name...many students and people have tried the Dr.. and Mr. route... My typical response when they call me Mr. Z... ..Mr. Z is my dad.... friends call me "Z"

You still have students follow you? For some reason, I feel like your rotation would be an odd combination of sweet with the worst thing ever. I'd love to hear some subjective evaluations from former students.

 

[J ROD]

Work world - just call me by my first name

Academic world - call me Dr.


Once I am a Dr. first names unless we are in a professional setting like a conference or I respect an elder pharmacist.

Personally, a title means nothing. I rather the person know what the hell they are doing.

 

[tackett26]

First they say we can't be called doctor, and now they are saying we can't be called clinicians. Surely we haven't been reduced to mere shopkeepers.

 

[ValeRx]

A lot of pharmacists at my hospital like to joke around, saying that they "aren't real doctors."

 

[cjhrph]

A lot of pharmacists at my hospital like to joke around, saying that they "aren't real doctors."

The canned pharmD "doctor" title won't get you any respect. You just can't bull**** your way through it. If you know what your doing and you have something legitimate to bring to the table then it will be recognized. In the end you will receive the respect you deserve. When the they start calling down to the pharmacy looking for an opinion and asking for you by your first name then you'll know you have arrived. It's a trust issue and its earned. If your just another ****head with a pharmD, they'll see right through it...you can make book on that.