Essay/Term paper: A pharmacist

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Social Issues

A Pharmacist

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.