OTCs

[nikei3ball]

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If you are a pharmacist and have little knowledge about OTC products, and patients come in asking about possible interactions with Rx meds, and either you dont have time or dont know or are too lazy to look up the answers, if you tell them to check with their doctor to anyone who asks, can you get in trouble?

 

[Farmercyst]

If you are a pharmacist and have little knowledge about OTC products, and patients come in asking about possible interactions with Rx meds, and either you dont have time or dont know or are too lazy to look up the answers, if you tell them to check with their doctor to anyone who asks, can you get in trouble?

Depends.

Lots of variables play into whether or not you'd be in trouble, the biggest being does something happen because you, as the drug expert, neglected to provide information.

Of course this is just the understanding of a P1 with negligible experience, but it sounds logical to me.

 

[Old Timer]

If you are a pharmacist and have little knowledge about OTC products,

What the heck are you doing practicing pharmacy with little knowledge of OTC drugs? It's not like its rocket science. There are really only a handful of OTC meds anyway...

patients come in asking about possible interactions with Rx meds, and either you don't have time or don't know or are too lazy to look up the answers, if you tell them to check with their doctor to anyone who asks, can you get in trouble?

Sure you can, you can get sued. More importantly, your patient's will suffer. Just why would you be a pharmacist if you don't want to help people?

 

[BMBiology]

if you tell them to check with their doctor to anyone who asks, can you get in trouble?

People can always sue you for crap but legally speaking, the answer is no. For those who say yes, I would like you to post a legal case supporting your assertion.

 

[mike36]

I don't know about the legalities, but I think a pharmacist who doesn't know or is too lazy to look it up 🙂eek🙂 gives the profession a bad name.

 

[pion]

There is a pharmacist who sometimes floats at my store, approximately 185 years old, who refuses to answer these types of OTC questions - he tells people to ask their doctor. He also doesn't counsel on prescriptions, just tells people to read the pamphlet. I hate him.

 

[mike36]

There is a pharmacist who sometimes floats at my store, approximately 185 years old, who refuses to answer these types of OTC questions - he tells people to ask their doctor. He also doesn't counsel on prescriptions, just tells people to read the pamphlet. I hate him.

I think this is very sad. We learned last semester that those pamphlets are set at a higher reading level than the average reading level of patients in the US.

 

[Farmercyst]

I think this is very sad. We learned last semester that those pamphlets are set at a higher reading level than the average reading level of patients in the US.

What's sadder is the fact that being above the average reading level in the US isn't saying much.

 

[Requiem]

If you are a pharmacist and have little knowledge about OTC products, and patients come in asking about possible interactions with Rx meds, and either you dont have time or dont know or are too lazy to look up the answers, if you tell them to check with their doctor to anyone who asks, can you get in trouble?

Well I guess you wouldn't be recommending a multivitamin now anyway? Since there's basically a contraindication with life, according to the website you linked.

 

[mike36]

What's sadder is the fact that being above the average reading level in the US isn't saying much.

Very true!

 

[crossurfingers]

There is a pharmacist who sometimes floats at my store, approximately 185 years old, who refuses to answer these types of OTC questions - he tells people to ask their doctor. He also doesn't counsel on prescriptions, just tells people to read the pamphlet. I hate him.

That's how they used to do it in the old days. Pharmacists pretty much only dispensed and were not allowed to talk to patients about their meds. Sometimes I wish it were like that now, it would make it so much easier being in retail when you're already understaffed. Plus, sometimes your patient doesn't even tell you all the relevant info about their health history/medications or who the med is for, etc. With all the frivolous lawsuits out there, I'd rather have the doctors take it on.

 

[twester]

If you are a pharmacist and have little knowledge about OTC products, and patients come in asking about possible interactions with Rx meds, and either you dont have time or dont know or are too lazy to look up the answers, if you tell them to check with their doctor to anyone who asks, can you get in trouble?

That's the best run-on sentence I've seen in a while.

I've encountered pharmacists who were not willing to counsel on OTC products. I try not to work with them again. Our job is to provide medical care. Pharmacists are America's most accessible and available sources of healthcare. We should be willing to help as long as we recognize when a referral to a physician is in order.

If we're too busy to help, there's something wrong with the pharmacy.

 

[Old Timer]

That's how they used to do it in the old days.

How long have you been practicing? I practiced in the old days and I can tell you there was way more patient interaction 25-30 years ago than there is today.

Pharmacists pretty much only dispensed and were not allowed to talk to patients about their meds.

Not allowed by whom? Law, doctors, the boogey man?

Plus, sometimes your patient doesn't even tell you all the relevant info about their health history/medications or who the med is for, etc. With all the frivolous lawsuits out there, I'd rather have the doctors take it on.

It's your job to ask the right questions and based on the answers determine if the condition can and should be treated with OTC medication or referred to a physician. Just like when a patient goes to a GP, the GP determines if he/she can and should treat the condition or refer to a specialist. It's your job and if you don't want to do it, turn in your spatula and choose a different profession.

 

[nikei3ball]

it's just too risky now a days....people don't even know what the right name of the medications theyre taking and people are too lawsuit happy. there are too many possible interactions with OTCs that are deadly and not worth it.

 

[BMBiology]

it's just too risky now a days....people don't even know what the right name of the medications theyre taking and people are too lawsuit happy. there are too many possible interactions with OTCs that are deadly and not worth it.

If you refuse to use your knowledge to help your pts because you are concerned about lawsuits then you seriously shouldnt be in the healthcare profession. You are not only doing your pts a disservice but you are doing yourself a disservice.

 

[pharmdinfl]

it's just too risky now a days....people don't even know what the right name of the medications theyre taking and people are too lawsuit happy. there are too many possible interactions with OTCs that are deadly and not worth it.

In the case that you feel like they might be with-holding certain health information from you ....just give a politically correct answer such as, "There are no drug interactions or any reason someone taking 'those particular drugs' with 'those particular' health conditions could not take X medication." Then you can throw in some conditions where it WOULD be a problem HAD the patient possibly had such conditions/medications.

 

[crossurfingers]

How long have you been practicing? I practiced in the old days and I can tell you there was way more patient interaction 25-30 years ago than there is today.



Not allowed by whom? Law, doctors, the boogey man?


It's your job to ask the right questions and based on the answers determine if the condition can and should be treated with OTC medication or referred to a physician. Just like when a patient goes to a GP, the GP determines if he/she can and should treat the condition or refer to a specialist. It's your job and if you don't want to do it, turn in your spatula and choose a different profession.

I'm not talking through first hand experience. I remember learning it in one of my "history of pharmacy" classes. By old days, I mean the early 1900's.

 

[Requiem]

it's just too risky now a days....people don't even know what the right name of the medications theyre taking and people are too lawsuit happy. there are too many possible interactions with OTCs that are deadly and not worth it.

Most of us are convinced you're not even a pharmacy student.

It seems no matter the thread you start, people tell you that you shouldn't be a pharmacist. See right below this post I quoted for further evidence.

 

[nikei3ball]

Most of us are convinced you're not even a pharmacy student.

It seems no matter the thread you start, people tell you that you shouldn't be a pharmacist. See right below this post I quoted for further evidence.

suck my ass requiem

 

[Old Timer]

suck my ass requiem

A very professional and utterly adult thing to say. You really didn't have a better response than the equivalent of your mother wears army boots?