Drug Topics - June 16, 2008 - (Page 26)

26 DRUG TOPICS JUNE 16, 2008 www.drugtopics.com JP AT LARGE Jim Plagakis Pharmacy: Not a job for sissies I was sitting on a yoga mat on Monday morning, pharmacist. I started out with the unexamined belief waiting for my class to begin. I was looking down that a real pharmacist does not acknowledge that a at my legs. They are skinny legs. There is significant long day on her feet, with no uninterrupted rest breaks, muscular atrophy from the late effects of polio. This is causes problems. Nobody likes a complainer. Especially a neurological condition that everyone who ever had when you are the only one. polio will get, if they live long enough. I guess that I have been fortunate. Essentially, I am a I’m lucky. The polio in 1950 was relatively mild and small man. At five ten, the heaviest I have ever been is the atrophy will never put me in a wheelchair. 180 pounds. The load that my legs have had to carry has I looked down at my legs and been a relatively light one. I can’t knew that I had an apology to imagine the problems if I was remake. “You have done a very Suffer in secret. Is that ally overweight. good job of getting me this far I was talking with a grocery in my career,” I thought. “I had what most of us do? I store pharmacist. He was not a a stool available in almost every know that is what I did. small man. He was no taller than pharmacy I worked in and I did I am, but he had to weigh at least not use it.” This was my own For a long time, I rarely 240 pounds. His hair was thinfault. ning and white. He worked in a said a word to anyone Sitting down just did not seem pharmacy where 12-hour shifts right. I rubbed my legs and noted when my legs hurt. are required. I watched as he that the neuropathy fire ants pain walked around behind his work was controlled by 1500mg of gabapentin, but the mus- area. His limp was pronounced. He seemed to be favorcle discomfort when I massaged was still present. ing his left leg until he seemed to be favoring his right You probably know exactly what I am going to say. leg. You have brutalized your legs by standing on them for I asked him, “Your legs bothering you?” 12 hours straight day after day after day. He smiled. “Not my legs, man, my hips.” You have gone home and put your legs up on the He limped to the telephone and answered it. When ottoman in front of the TV. Some of you have washed he came back, he gave me a doleful look. “I don’t need down three Aleves with a beer and have let yourself be one side done, I need both hips replaced.” He shook his entertained by some mindless distraction about the best head and gave me a gallows grin. slam dunk of the day or shots at some cute penguins in Legs are not the only body parts that seem to go after Antarctica. Anything to get your mind off the nagging, many years on your feet behind a pharmacy counter. achy low-grade discomfort. You can look in the mirror and see hunched-over shoulYou accept the idea that you have to tolerate this sore- ders from bending over the counter all day. That can’t ness to do the job of a pharmacist. It is what every other be good. pharmacist does, isn’t it? I have worked with pharmacists, mostly women, who You don’t want to be a whiner. Your co-worker constantly have their hands on the small of their backs. doesn’t complain. Her legs must be fine. You just need None of them have been complainers, but, when asked, to get a handle on this tenderness that has bothered you they admit that their backs hurt. lately. She may be lying to you when she says that she I do not know if all of this discomfort is necessary. I is fine. do not know if the job will change, but, right now, it is Suffer in secret. Is that what most of us do? I know not an easy job. Your nice car and house come right out that is what I did. For a long time, I rarely said a word of your hide. Pharmacy is not a job for sissies. to anyone when my legs hurt. THE AUTHOR is a community pharmacist who works part time in The discomfort affected my mood at times. I tried Galveston, Texas. You can e-mail him at jpgakis@hotmail.com and to keep it hush-hush. Telling would make me less of a cc us at drugtopics@advanstar.com. You can also check out his Web site at jimplagakis.com. http://www.drugtopics.com http://jimplagakis.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - June 16, 2008

Drug Topics - June 16, 2008 Contents Latebreakers Letters Latebreakers in Depth Pharmacists Lose in Final ESRD Rule New Drug Helps Palliative Patients on Opioids Take Care of Business Oral Treatment Reduces Multiple Sclerosis Flare-ups Beware of Inflammatory Masses From Implantable Infusion Systems Safer Therapeutic Options Emerging for Atrial Fibrillation Congressional Committee Chair Calls for Action Against Hospital Infections This Software System Helps Hospitals Manage Anticoagulation Therapy Rx Care Community Practice JP at Large Self-Care Cover Story Long-Term Care Chains and Business Technology Technology Update Continuing Education New Products Advertisers Index Classified Viewpoint

Drug Topics - June 16, 2008

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