Drug Topics - December 12, 2008 - (Page 22)

Professional “Both,” he croaked. I noticed his lower lip was cracked. I remember his red hair and three-day beard. I barely acknowledged him as a human being. I was still young. I bought a sub, coleslaw, chips, and a giant soda. For the dog I bought water that I poured into a pan and three hot dogs, without buns. Ah, what a good boy I was. It never occurred to me to invite him into the air-conditioned store. I was too ﬁne a boy. Mommy would be proud of me — Plagakis Gandhi. An hour or so later, another patient with a worried look asked me to check on him. This time, he was stretched out asleep with the dog panting beside him. I asked him if he was okay, but he didn’t respond. I said it louder. Then I used the toe of my shoe to give him a nudge in the ribs. Nothing! Not long after that afraid-to-touch-with-myhands move, I discovered that the guy was dead. He was DEAD. Please! Please give me another chance. This has haunted me for 36 years. My heart was opened forever in that summer of 1972. JIM PLAGAKIS is a community COMMENTARY Jim Plagakis, RPh Caring should extend beyond pharmacy counter This upscale drug store was in a very nice neighborhood in Houston. We were about an hour from Galveston, Texas, so we stopped for some snacks and soft drinks. We should have found a restaurant, but that is too unhurried. Too healthy. I walked by the pharmacy to take a look and saw a well-dressed middle-aged woman about the size of one of the Olsen twins in the waiting area. She tapped her right foot impatiently on the ﬂoor. I wanted to tell her that slowing down would be much better for her, but I was the guy buying Fritos and a Diet Coke instead of a real meal. “It won’t be too much longer,” the technician said meekly. “Five prescriptions take a little time.” “That is not what I’m concerned with,” she said. “What I want is him out of here. He is dirty and probably high on drugs.” She pointed into a dimly lit corner of the waiting area designed for private counseling. Almost out of sight was a man who looked homeless. He was 50-something and his clothes looked clean, but worn. He was drinking a bottle of water. He knew exactly what was going on. He twisted in the chair so his back was to the woman. He was dismissing her with his body language. The pharmacist came over, and the technician explained what was going on. He said to the woman, “It’s almost 100 degrees out there, with 90 percent humidity.” He looked at the man. “He just needs to cool off. He’s not causing anyone harm.” “I want him out.” She stood tall, hands on her hips. “Mrs. King,” the pharmacist started. “Don’t argue with me. I don’t have to do business at this store.” The homeless man saved the day. He stood. He tipped his head back and drained the bottle. He gave the woman a wilting stare, and she actually stepped back. He said to the pharmacist, “Rick, I gotta go.” I said to the woman, “Don’t you have a heart?” “Mind your own g business,” she said. I got a big dose of bleeding-heart credentials in 1972. I was the manager of a small chain drug store in Pacheco, Calif. It was August and 110 degrees. “It was August and 110 degrees in the shade. There was no humidity in the Diablo Valley. Your perspiration dried in an instant. This was not the time of the day to be out.” There was no humidity in the Diablo Valley. Your perspiration dried in an instant. This was not the time of the day to be out. Golf courses were empty. Tennis courts were deserted. A patient I knew well stepped into the pharmacy entrance and gave me a look. “What’s wrong?” “There’s a man with a dog in the alley. He’s sitting with his back against the wall.” Her face told me she was concerned. “Will you see if he’s okay, Jim?” I went out and asked him if he was sick. He said he was all right, but needed some water for his dog. “How about you? Are you hungry? Thirsty?” pharmacist in Galveston, Texas. You can e-mail him at jpgakis@hotmail.com and cc us at drugtopics@advanstar.com. You can also check out his Web site at jimplagakis.com. W W W.D R U GTO P I C S .C O M 22 DRUG TOPICS D E C . 15, 2008 GETTY IMAGES / PHOTODISC / PEETER VIISIMAA http://www.jimplagakis.com http://WWW.DRUGTOPICS.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - December 12, 2008

Drug Topics - December 12, 2008 Contents Up Front Up Front In Depth Letters Health-System Edition Cover Story: Controlled Substance Disposal a Growing Problem for Hospitals Pharmacists Hope for Speedy Approvals Deaths from C. Difficile Increasing PharmMD Teams with HealthSpring RX Care Commentary Ohio Hospital Automates Pharmacy The Business Outlook for 2009 OTC The Pharmacist's Duty to Warn: Implications for Pharmacy Practice New Products Viewpoint

Drug Topics - December 12, 2008

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