Immunizations advancing the profession!!

[rph3664]

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It was probably an MA. Hardly any nurses work in Doctors offices any more. Medical assistants are much cheaper and do not need any special training. In Texas are they do not have to be licensed and they are not regulated.

Scary if you ask me.

Most office nurses these days are LPNs, in part because many hospitals are going RN-only, and a lot of doctors also have MAs doing the intake, and giving shots as well.

MAs are not authorized to do prescription refills, unlike nurses. Around here, they do need to be trained and licensed, and it's a 1-semester program.

 

[owlegrad]

I've had quite a few classmates and colleagues who chose pharmacy over MD/DO because they knew they couldn't handle things like cutting into people, sticking needles into them, or telling someone that their child had died. I don't have a problem with pharmacists giving immunizations. I have a HUGE problem with chains requiring them to do so, and really feel that this is more of a nurse's territory.

Do you have a HUGE problem with chains requiring them to verify prescriptions? I don't see your argument here. If I owned a pharmacy, I would expect my pharmacists to preform their duties, shots included. The only caveat I see here is that immunizing was not a part of the profession until recently so many pharmacists may have gone into the field w/o expecting to have to give shots, so I can understand some reluctance from them. This is not true for recent grads though.

 

[rph3664]

Owlegrad, what year are you in pharmacy school? There's that whole "scope of practice" thing, and while verifying prescriptions is definitely part of our job, IMHO, requiring us to give immunizations is not.

YMMV of course. Come back in a few years when you can't get your work done because of this.

 

[owlegrad]

Owlegrad, what year are you in pharmacy school? There's that whole "scope of practice" thing, and while verifying prescriptions is definitely part of our job, IMHO, requiring us to give immunizations is not.

YMMV of course. Come back in a few years when you can't get your work done because of this.

That's fair, I should have prefeced that I only just started my second year, so I shouldn't be taken too seriously.

I just cannot get behind this idea that if you don't want to immunize than you shouldn't have to. It's part of the job if your employer says so. It's no different than any other duty, IMO. Of course using verifing as my example was hyperbole but really it's just like any other duty that your employer requires of you.

 

[SHC1984]

I've had quite a few classmates and colleagues who chose pharmacy over MD/DO because they knew they couldn't handle things like cutting into people, sticking needles into them, or telling someone that their child had died. I don't have a problem with pharmacists giving immunizations. I have a HUGE problem with chains requiring them to do so, and really feel that this is more of a nurse's territory.

thank you! That's my point. The job description of a pharmacist is: 1) to be a drug expert and answer all drug related questions. 2) verify prescriptions 3) Make sure the patients get the best medication therapy that they need. (no drug-drug interactions for example)

That is all that a pharmacist is suppose to do. At no point should a pharmacist touch a patient at all. Pharmacists job is to be a drug expert period. I didn't go to pharmacy school to do dirty work. If I wanted that I would have gone to med school or nursing school. I went into pharmacy b/c I don't want to deal with people.

Yes, I realize there are a lot of haters on here, but what I am saying is the truth there really shouldn't be any hate on this.

 

[owlegrad]

thank you! That's my point. The job description of a pharmacist is: 1) to be a drug expert and answer all drug related questions. 2) verify prescriptions 3) Make sure the patients get the best medication therapy that they need. (no drug-drug interactions for example)

That is all that a pharmacist is suppose to do. At no point should a pharmacist touch a patient at all. Pharmacists job is to be a drug expert period. I didn't go to pharmacy school to do dirty work. If I wanted that I would have gone to med school or nursing school. I went into pharmacy b/c I don't want to deal with people*.

Yes, I realize there are a lot of haters on here, but what I am saying is the truth there really shouldn't be any hate on this.

You get to write your own job discreption? Neat! 👍

*There are plent of fields that offer this. Doesn't really affect you anyway if you are able to get into a mail order facility. 👍

 

[SHC1984]

You get to write your own job discreption? Neat! 👍

*There are plent of fields that offer this. Doesn't really affect you anyway if you are able to get into a mail order facility. 👍

What do you think a pharmacist job is suppose to be? And please don't give me a list of stuff that a MD or nurse is suppose to do! lol...

Yeah, I hope I get mail order. I will be looking into that when I graduate. I know a mail order pharmacist that work for a few years and then later on started working from HOME. That's what I really want and why I went to pharmacy for.

And it doesn't affect me, but my school made it a requirement that we get immunized...so that means I have to give a shot to someone (NOT FUN! dangerous actually!) and have someone that's NOT QUALIFIED to give shots give me one too. That should be illegal. I have never in my life let someone that's not qualified to give shots touch me.

 

[Marcus X]

What do you think a pharmacist job is suppose to be? And please don't give me a list of stuff that a MD or nurse is suppose to do! lol...

Yeah, I hope I get mail order. I will be looking into that when I graduate. I know a mail order pharmacist that work for a few years and then later on started working from HOME. That's what I really want and why I went to pharmacy for.

And it doesn't affect me, but my school made it a requirement that we get immunized...so that means I have to give a shot to someone (NOT FUN! dangerous actually!) and have someone that's NOT QUALIFIED to give shots give me one too. That should be illegal. I have never in my life let someone that's not qualified to give shots touch me.

Illegal? Dangerous? Are you a *****? How do you think people BECOME qualified to do things? They do it by learning. Nurses and MDs aren't imbued with a magic qualification to give shots just by entering school. They have to be trained and then practice on people.

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

thank you! That's my point. The job description of a pharmacist is: 1) to be a drug expert and answer all drug related questions. 2) verify prescriptions 3) Make sure the patients get the best medication therapy that they need. (no drug-drug interactions for example)

That is all that a pharmacist is suppose to do. At no point should a pharmacist touch a patient at all.

Kind of hard to manage therapy without touching people, no? I mean with hypertension you need bp readings which involves using a steth and cuff (touching people). For diabetes, you need blood (gotta prick someone). Same for cholesterol.

 

[Praziquantel86]

What do you think a pharmacist job is suppose to be? And please don't give me a list of stuff that a MD or nurse is suppose to do! lol...

Yeah, I hope I get mail order. I will be looking into that when I graduate. I know a mail order pharmacist that work for a few years and then later on started working from HOME. That's what I really want and why I went to pharmacy for.

And it doesn't affect me, but my school made it a requirement that we get immunized...so that means I have to give a shot to someone (NOT FUN! dangerous actually!) and have someone that's NOT QUALIFIED to give shots give me one too. That should be illegal. I have never in my life let someone that's not qualified to give shots touch me.

Why would you sit through pharmacy school if you don't like anything about it? It can't be the money, because you said you were going to marry rich. I can think of a few dozen better ways to spend four years in my mid-20s.

You give every one of us a bad name.

 

[Sparda29]

What do you think a pharmacist job is suppose to be? And please don't give me a list of stuff that a MD or nurse is suppose to do! lol...

Yeah, I hope I get mail order. I will be looking into that when I graduate. I know a mail order pharmacist that work for a few years and then later on started working from HOME. That's what I really want and why I went to pharmacy for.

And it doesn't affect me, but my school made it a requirement that we get immunized...so that means I have to give a shot to someone (NOT FUN! dangerous actually!) and have someone that's NOT QUALIFIED to give shots give me one too. That should be illegal. I have never in my life let someone that's not qualified to give shots touch me.

Really, I quite enjoyed the immunization training. Some of the injections actually didn't hurt but felt good. 😱

 

[owlegrad]

What do you think a pharmacist job is suppose to be? And please don't give me a list of stuff that a MD or nurse is suppose to do! lol...

That's a good question. How about whatever they are paid to do? Counseling, verifying, immunizing, etc. If it's legal and I am being paid to do it, I will do it. I don't think any other argument holds very much weight. If your employer wants you to do something you are not comfortable with, time to find a new job. I don't understand people who get jobs where they refuse to do what is expected of them.

On a side note, I think you are very smart. You know what you don't want to do and you plan accordingly. Nothing wrong with that if you ask me. I do wonder why you choose pharmacy though. Surely there are easier ways to work from home?

 

[owlegrad]

Really, I quite enjoyed the immunization training. Some of the injections actually didn't hurt but felt good. 😱

Kinky!

 

[rph3664]

I worked at a mail order place my last year in school, and for 2 years afterwards. I would probably still be there but they were bought out and relocated. 🙁 14 years after the fact, we're going to have an employee reunion in September; we do that every 2 years. Never once heard anyone say they were sorry they worked there.

 

[StevePerry]

thank you! That's my point. The job description of a pharmacist is: 1) to be a drug expert and answer all drug related questions. 2) verify prescriptions 3) Make sure the patients get the best medication therapy that they need. (no drug-drug interactions for example)

That is all that a pharmacist is suppose to do. At no point should a pharmacist touch a patient at all. Pharmacists job is to be a drug expert period. I didn't go to pharmacy school to do dirty work. If I wanted that I would have gone to med school or nursing school. I went into pharmacy b/c I don't want to deal with people.

Yes, I realize there are a lot of haters on here, but what I am saying is the truth there really shouldn't be any hate on this.

SHC1984... have you met Sparda yet? This may be precocious, but the amount of over-the-top opinionatedness, however on or off-base, your spawn would be capable of is infinite. They would definitely have their own talk show by 2030.

 

[Mariachi]

It is sad that pharmacists on this forum are limiting the scope of their own practice. You can't seriously believe that there is this neat separation between healthcare profession. As If somehow "being a drug expert" required no expertise in diagnosis and physiology. You know jack about a drug unless you also know about the disease state it is intended to treat, how it is diagnosed and the myriad of other medical factors that contribute to your patient's health. And your drug expertise is useless unless your willing to get "hands on" with your patients. Otherwise your just a walking encyclopedia spewing random and irrelevant drug facts. Just like physicians learn pharmacology we get exposure to diagnosis and therapeutics so that we can be part of the team and share in the care of the patient. If your not willing and eager to get to get "hands on" with people - take a blood pressure, give a shot, examine a rash or a lesion, investigate a complaint- healthcare is not your thing.

 

[Old]

It is sad that pharmacists on this forum are limiting the scope of their own practice. You can't seriously believe that there is this neat separation between healthcare profession. As If somehow "being a drug expert" required no expertise in diagnosis and physiology. You know jack about a drug unless you also know about the disease state it is intended to treat, how it is diagnosed and the myriad of other medical factors that contribute to your patient's health. And your drug expertise is useless unless your willing to get "hands on" with your patients. Otherwise your just a walking encyclopedia spewing random and irrelevant drug facts. Just like physicians learn pharmacology we get exposure to diagnosis and therapeutics so that we can be part of the team and share in the care of the patient. If your not willing and eager to get to get "hands on" with people - take a blood pressure, give a shot, examine a rash or a lesion, investigate a complaint- healthcare is not your thing.

Can't speak for hospital but i can retail. I would feel safe to say that I have looked at more rashes, bumps, bruises, coughs, pink eye, welders flash,burns etc etc etc than you can even imagine as have others on here. This is all part of retail that we do everyday. Immunizations was not part of it until now. Some people dislike doing it, don't feel comfortable with it etc which is their right. Everyone dislikes the immunizations on demand while trying to do everything else and getting things done correctly. That is the biggest problem.

Now, as a student, could you please share with us some of your "hands On" experience with patients and your vast knowledge of the "health care" system and how we fit in. Also, when you are working retail filling 400 or so rx's a day yourself could you please enlighten me when you call the doctor for test results , take a patients blood pressure, diagnose the problem and call the MD for a consult so he gets your opinion of the disease and proper medication for it? I am afraid you have no clue what it is like. Most MD's don't care what you think, you don't get test results(and probably never will), your employer will be upset if you don't answer the phone fast enough and the customer will ask "Is it done yet". I know college teachs you about a perfect world where you are an important part of a patients health but it just doesn't work that way(at least not in retail). If you think it does- you need to switch majors quickly.😱

 

[MountainPharmD]

Most office nurses these days are LPNs, in part because many hospitals are going RN-only, and a lot of doctors also have MAs doing the intake, and giving shots as well.

MAs are not authorized to do prescription refills, unlike nurses. Around here, they do need to be trained and licensed, and it's a 1-semester program.

In Texas medical assistants are not licensed or regulated. They can do anything the Doctor feels they have the training to do. They can take vital signs, give shots, draw blood, take a patients history, and call in prescriptions. In most Doctors offices here in Dallas there is one nurse and the rest are unlicensed and unregulated medical assistants.

It is scary but true.

 

[MountainPharmD]

It is sad that pharmacists on this forum are limiting the scope of their own practice. You can't seriously believe that there is this neat separation between healthcare profession. As If somehow "being a drug expert" required no expertise in diagnosis and physiology. You know jack about a drug unless you also know about the disease state it is intended to treat, how it is diagnosed and the myriad of other medical factors that contribute to your patient's health. And your drug expertise is useless unless your willing to get "hands on" with your patients. Otherwise your just a walking encyclopedia spewing random and irrelevant drug facts. Just like physicians learn pharmacology we get exposure to diagnosis and therapeutics so that we can be part of the team and share in the care of the patient. If your not willing and eager to get to get "hands on" with people - take a blood pressure, give a shot, examine a rash or a lesion, investigate a complaint- healthcare is not your thing.

Thanks for the insight. Naive and clueless pharmacy student always amuse me. Talk to me after graduation. After you have worked for CVS for a week. A little slap in the face with the real world has a way of helping you pop your head out of your ass.

 

[Sparda29]

SHC1984... have you met Sparda yet? This may be precocious, but the amount of over-the-top opinionatedness, however on or off-base, your spawn would be capable of is infinite. They would definitely have their own talk show by 2030.

It's too bad my opinion on this subject is on the other extreme. I support pharmacists encroaching on physician's territory and adding on more roles.

 

[Old]

Thanks for the insight. Naive and clueless pharmacy student always amuse me. Talk to me after graduation. After you have worked for CVS for a week. A little slap in the face with the real world has a way of helping you pop your head out of your ass.

👍

 

[Mariachi]

Thanks for the insight. Naive and clueless pharmacy student always amuse me. Talk to me after graduation. After you have worked for CVS for a week. A little slap in the face with the real world has a way of helping you pop your head out of your ass.

Thanks for the advice but I currently work at one of these places and my opinion hasn't changed. Corporate retail sucks but guess what, it's not the only game in town. Pop your head out of your own ass. You are sadly narrow-minded if CVS defines your view of pharmacy practice.

 

[rph3664]

Thanks for the insight. Naive and clueless pharmacy student always amuse me. Talk to me after graduation. After you have worked for CVS for a week. A little slap in the face with the real world has a way of helping you pop your head out of your ass.

They amused ME when I was still in school! I got a job in a pharmacy (it was a volunteer position at a hospital, but it was IN THE PHARMACY) even before I started pre-pharmacy school because I wanted to have some idea what I was getting into.

 

[Sparda29]

Thanks for the advice but I currently work at one of these places and my opinion hasn't changed. Corporate retail sucks but guess what, it's not the only game in town. Pop your head out of your own ass. You are sadly narrow-minded if CVS defines your view of pharmacy practice.

Then get the **** out of CVS, Walgreens, and all those other jokes and start a pharmacy where you run things the way you think they should be run.

 

[Pharmguy07]

Speaking of immunizations advancing the profession...

We now have to answer the phone by including the phrase "home of the all day every day flu shot." Sounds very professional when a doctor is calling to ask my advice on something.

 

[Sparda29]

Speaking of immunizations advancing the profession...

We now have to answer the phone by including the phrase "home of the all day every day flu shot." Sounds very professional when a doctor is calling to ask my advice on something.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Thanks for the advice but I currently work at one of these places and my opinion hasn't changed. Corporate retail sucks but guess what, it's not the only game in town. Pop your head out of your own ass. You are sadly narrow-minded if CVS defines your view of pharmacy practice.

Here is a clue jackass....CVS defines all that is wrong with retail pharmacy. CVS is the bottom of the barrell. That is why I told you to go work as a pharmacist for them. Do a month and see how your naive little perspective will have changed.