We see a lot of humanity coming through a retail pharmacy, and I am always reminded at holiday times how there's a lot of people out there not exactly livin' the warm and fuzzy Walton Family kind of life. In fact, I kind of think the majority of them aren't. Don't get me wrong-- there's still a LOT of spoiled, self-centered, difficult people who I'd like to slap upside the head sometimes. But I look at some of our customers and I know they are not going to be celebrating the big classic family Thanksgiving. I don't exactly do it either, but I know I am very fortunate for what I have.
When it comes to regular customers you can get drawn into their lives, and boy does it get complicated. The mom with the houseful of behavioral-problem kids, the 13-year olds on antidepressants, the people looking after elderly parents, and the woman who calls her out-of-state ex-husband as she's standing at the register because the kid's insurance has expired.
We pharmacists have a front-row seat to a lot of these things whether we want to or not. Our own pharmacy staff and medical personnel aren't exempt either. You get a little window into people's lives, not because you're being nosy but because you've gotta check the prescription.
Of course I am legally bound to never violate anyone's confidence -- but for some reason I just think about this stuff at holiday time.
I hope at least some of the pharmacists out there have Thanksgiving off ! Enjoy, any way you want to do it!
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