Whats his face?
A recent string of comments under TAestP’s site regarding privacy in the pharmacy got me thinking. Generally its true that keeping a discussion private is a joke in the pharmacy. Sure, that sign says “STAND HERE” and its 4 feet away. Its a pretty lame substitute for a hermetically sealed room, but its all we have. If Nosy Nellie wants to hear me counselling Studley Steve on the use of Viagra, she will hear it unless we decide to pass notes or use the multi-gender bathroom instead. Even our quote COUNSELING WINDOW unquote is just an extension of our wait-room. I didn’t design the place, but I am forced to use it.
The company tried to put up some plexiglass barriers around, but all it does is make customers shout at us. Sheesh people, give us a break. I have been tempted to put frost contact paper all over my plexiglass but I am sure corporate would go postal.
The fact is that pharmacy cannot juggle the two things that are diametrically opposed: Privacy and Access. The company wants all of us Accessible. There is no place in the pharmacy that we cannot be seen or spoken to, but the cubby we hang our white jackets. Likewise, because of that design, there is no place that we can hide to have a truly private discussion. I do not have an office (a real pipe dream for me). I need an office for my vaccinations, but I don’t get one so I have to do them in a wait room with a make-shift shield for the modestly inclined. Its a joke honestly. When we are busy and I have to give shots, I have to make light of it–”Gee I have to boot you out that chair sir, unless YOU’d like to give this gentleman his flu shot…hahaha”. Thankfully, flu shots have become a public event, but not everything in the pharmacy is.
We try to keep private things private by minimizing the use of first and last names…together. I’ll tell the tech to fax the Johnson Rx to dr Kincaid. Or I’ll ask if the Dr called back on the Pinkerton rx yet. Since i live in a huge metro area, nobody’s name is unique. Honestly for the most part, if we are ranting or raging about something, we’ll use completely nondescript terms. I prefer Whats-his-face, Spawn of Satan, or That-nutcase-woman.
Frankly, there is more privacy OUTSIDE of the pharmacy than inside it. If I absolutely need to speak to a person privately, I’ll have better luck dragging him/her away from the pharmacy and standing in an shopping aisle than I ever will trying to talk to him anywhere near the pharmacy.
Call it a consequence of our architecture or the shortsightedness of the people who wanted us accessible. You just can’t have it both ways.
Tags: customers, my take on another's post, pharmacy life, privacy? | |