Here is a little story of something that made me proud to be a pharmacist. It works as a sort of counterpoint to all the talk of pharmacy as a quack profession, the sort of bad experiences I have recently had as a customer in a pharmacy, and the Which? Report.
It happened now behind a pharmacy counter, or in my office, but instead at one of my last phototherapy sessions. Because they were three times a week for 10 weeks, you sort of start to get to know the other folk who go there, and of course I got chatting with a few. I had mentioned offhand to one of them during a bout of small talk that I was a pharmacist.
The next time I saw her, she was eager to talk to me "I've been thinking, and I have a question for you, although I hope you don't mind me asking." She had had very severe psoriasis for many years, and it was having a real, tangible impact on her life. It had been suggested to her that she could try methotrexate, but she had been resistant to this treatment strategy "Because I'm just so terrified of all the side effects"
Her question to me was simple: Would I, as a pharmacist myself, take methotrexate if I was in her position? What a great question. And how amazing that someone I don't know at all thinks enough about my opinion, simply because of my job description, to ask me it. And so, shivering slightly in our hospital gowns in the clinical white of the dermatology changing rooms, we had a really good chat about the benefits and risks of all drug treatments, about how methotrexate works ("someone told me its like chemotherapy!"), about her fears of the medicine ("I've had a look on the internet and the side effects are terrifying") and her fears of the psoriasis ("I sometimes think other people think psoriasis is something that isn't serious enough to warrant a drug like methotrexate, when it's also used to treat cancer and things. But it really is ruining my life."), about the sort of monitoring she could expect. and some of the things to look out for if she did decide to take it.
My bottom line answer was that yes, I would take it if my psoriasis was as severe as hers, and having the impacts on her life that she was experiencing. I explained that I too would be scared of the side effects, but not everyone gets them, and because you're quite closely monitored whilst you're on it, the most serious side effects should be pretty easily picked up and with some careful dosing, along with folic acid, could hopefully be minimized.
"Eeee, well thank you. You've really put my mind at rest." she said, and off she padded to receive her few minutes on the NHS sunbed whilst I attempted to put my clothes on the right way round for the second time that day- no mean feat when you're me and you haven't yet had your first cup of tea or coffee yet. I don't know whether or not she was definitely going to start taking the methotrexate, but I get the feeling that I had given her a few things to consider that she hadn't thought about, and that I had provided some reassurance that the horror stories on the internet are not the full story.
This just goes to show the sort of esteem we pharmacists have the privilege of in the eyes of some. Its a privilege we should honour by doing all we can to ensure our advice is good quality and evidence-based. Being a Good Pharmacist doesn't stop the moment we extract ourselves from behind the counter, or out of our office or wards. Our words are more trusted, more weighted than many of us probably realise, because to some (but not enough) people "Pharmacist" really does mean "expert in medicine", and we need to ensure that we don't take advantage of that to sell products that don't have a good evidence-base just for profit. Our integrity as medicines experts can and should shine through, even when you're standing in a cubicle failing to rock the hospital chic look, bleary eyed and in need of caffeine.
Hxxx
