Abusive and/or customers are a common sight in a community pharmacy, nice friendly regulars too present each day in the very same exact place. There is no way to tell the former or the latter is greater in numbers but one thing for sure, most of the customers are in between both extremes. They could be one of the one-time- customers in your pharmacy, to purchase a specific product they already have in mind. They just need a means - a pharmacy to get the medication.
Prices are generally not a concern of the locals around here, many would not mind paying a higher price, such is a phenomena I seen far too many times, the same thing at a much cheaper price available at supermarket a stone throw away and yet they chose to shop in the pharmacy. Having said that, once in a while, someone of a tighter financial background, struggle to make ends meet would walk into the pharmacy. Every penny matters for this group of community and if they need two different medications, more often than not, they could only settle for one.
She came in, looking to get something to "cure" the fever and runny nose of a child. On questioning, she gave the child paracetamol the night before and it stops the runny nose and the child shown some improvement before reverting back to the same symptoms. Well, paracetamol is not supposed to have any vasoconstriction effect. My pharmacist recommended two different products, one for the runny nose and the other for the fever.
She settled for the one to dry the nasal passage. She ran out of paracetamol the night before. I would have persuaded her to treat the fever instead.
It is really not up to us sometimes, not everyone is born with a silver spoon, how true is that. We wanted to help but.....
She came in, wanting to buy ibuprofen for a 5 years old child. Fever and diarrhea are the two major symptoms. The ibuprofen is intended to reduce the fever and she wanted something to stop the diarrhea.
The only preparation I know, loperamide 2mg is not intended for use on child under 12 of age. I tried recommending Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT).
She has a feeling that the child would not take it and declined.
I was trying to convince her to make a switch to paracetamol as anti-pyretic for fear NSAID ibuprofen would irritate the gastrointestinal more.
She did not take my advice, apparently the child's grandma would only swear by ibuprofen.
I was trying hard to recall if my lectures did mention any treatment for child under 12 but to no avail. Bulking agents did not come hit me in the head. The other person in the pharmacy, my pharmacist is busy serving other customers and the lines behind are getting long.
Many of those who present themselves in a pharmacy with diarrhea would expect an instant cure. I have failed so many times to try to convince them to get ORT; to be honest, I have yet to succeed once.
We learn the ideal treatment during lectures but things have their own way in a real world, there are simply too many factors we could not control, such is with our life too.
Clinical management of acute diarrhea - here - World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend the usage of 20 mg of zinc daily to reduce the severity and duration of acute diarrhea.
If only I knew. I wanted to help but.....
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