|
Being a pharmacist is much harder than what you probably thought it was. Pharmacists in a
hospital have many, many responsibilities. They must be very careful that they have
measured the medication correctly, because one little mistake can be potentially fatal.
Pharmacists must know what many of the medications do, and if there are any side effects
and incompatibilities with other medications the patient might be on. For example, a
person might be taking a medication for another problem, and if the physician and
pharmacist don't notice that condition, the prescribed medication might cause a deadly
interaction. This does not happen with all drugs, but it happens with a few, and you
certainly don't want a result like that. The pharmacist must also make sure that the
patient does not have any allergies against that type of medication.
Pharmacists should also know generic brands of medication that might save the patient's
money. They must know any differences between the brand name and the generic name, such
as drug interactions, side effects, and how it should be taken.
Some responsibilities of the pharmacist include making intravenous solutions and
operating the TPN, which takes intravenous solutions and adds vitamins such as amino
acids. They also refill storage bins in the Emergency Room, where doctors can get them
if a patient needs them immediately.
Charles Rudolph Walgreen Sr. Is the founder of Walgreens. When he was twenty, he
borrowed twenty dollars, and moved from Dixon, Illinois to Chicago. Throughout pharmacy
school, he worked for pharmacies in the day and went to school at night. When the United
States went to War with Spain in 1898, Walgreen was enlisted as a private. There were
many diseases in Cuba, and Walgreen fell sick. The doctor was so sure that Walgreen was
going to die, that he put Walgreen's name on the casualty list, and newspapers told of
his death!
When Walgreen returned from the war, he worked as a pharmacist for a man by the name of
Isaac W. Blood. He later bought out Blood's pharmacy. Customer service was very
important to Walgreen. Often, he would answer the phone himself, then tell the delivery
boy what the prescription was and where to deliver it. He would converse with the
customer, so that usually the prescription would come before the customer had hung up the
phone.
In 1909, he purchased one of the busiest pharmacies in Chicago with a partner, Arthur C.
Thorsen. He made attractive displays and showcased windows, which was much different
that the other dull pharmacies. He also started manufacturing his own medications, which
ensured him high quality at an excellent price. He later added various items that
attracted business, such as an ice cream fountain, and during the winter time, they
served sandwiches and soup. Before 1916, each of Walgreen's seven stores operated
independently, so Walgreen decided to make it more efficient, so in 1916, Walgreen merged
all of his stores into one company, Walgreens.
|