Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Profession-Al

Metal-fabricator Neil Youngberg never planned on taking over his grandfather's business and is now faced with passing on his legacy.

Although Profession-al is far removed from the topic of healthcare, I found the most interesting part of this story is that - almost every single thing this guy says, or has experienced in his life, also applies to the profession of pharmacy, especially the practice of independent pharmacy.


PROFESSIONal from VITA BREVIS FILMS on Vimeo.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

A Few Bad Apples

How many times have you heard someone use the phrase "It's always the few bad apples that spoil the whole bunch", or a phrase similar to that? I know that I've heard it numerous times. Heck, I'm sure that I've even said it a few times myself.

But, it wasn't until just yesterday, after discussing the topic of "regulation" when I started to give it more thought and realized that this phrase isn't accurate. If anything, the exact opposite is true - there are only a few good apples in the bunch, trying to prevent the whole bunch from being spoiled.

Let me explain -

Take a look at a population of apples that have fallen not too far from the tree (pun intended).

If you look closely enough, you'll find a few apples that are rotten to the core, a few apples that are perfectly good, and many apples with bumps, bruises and with varying degrees of imperfections.

This large group of imperfect apples could quickly turn bad without someone intervening to prevent their deterioration. And if you look even further, you'll also find that this apple analogy also describes the human population, and how human beings behave.

Just like the population of apples, there will always be a small percentage of straight-out, wholly-selfish, psychopathic, rotten-to-the-core criminals who are unable to control their emotions and will do anything to get what they want, including behaving in inhumane ways.

Oppositely, there will also always be a small percentage of unselfish, compassionate, altruistic, and perfectly unblemished human beings who have absolute control over their emotions and will always behave in ways that best serve the entire population as a whole.

And then there's the rest of us -

We're the largest percentage of the population - imperfect, battered, and bruised people who may not always understand or care how our behaviors might affect others, have varying degrees of control over our emotions, and sometimes behave inappropriately.

Most of us vacillate between the light side and the dark side of our behaviors. It's only after the scales tip to the dark side for the majority of us, when the whole population becomes rotten.

So as you can see, a few bad apples won't spoil the bunch. They're easy to spot. It's when most of the bruised apples go bad that the entire bunch is ruined. Identifying them requires a closer look.

------

If history has proven anything, it's that human beings cannot control their emotions, and will behave in ways that satisfy those uncontrolled emotions. When viewed as a whole, more than a few people will tend to act selfishly and cannot be freely entrusted to do what's best, or safe, for the whole.

And THAT'S why we need regulation. If an enterprise has the capability of harming a large percentage of the population, then someone else needs to be looking over their shoulder to ensure they don't.

Don't believe the growing percentage of criminals who "call themselves" Republicans or Libertarians when they say that Government needs to stay out of their business. They're trying to manipulate your bruised and battered mind into enabling their crimes, and to turn you into a bad apple.

America is a Republic. We're a society founded upon, and governed by, laws, rules, and regulations created precisely to protect it's members from the rotten apples intent on harming us. As such, we Americans should expect regulation and welcome it when it's needed.

But, trying to get the politically-appointed regulators to enforce the rules fairly? That's another rant.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Young And Restless Supervision

One of my personal shortcomings is that I refuse to unnecessarily justify myself to anyone else, especially having to explain myself without cause to my supervisors. The way I see it, if you're foolish enough to listen to false gossip without speaking to me directly beforehand, I'm going to consider you to be one of the numerous morons running the show, and I'll never support your efforts.

My attitude may seem self-destructive, but I think it's pretty simple. Ask me anything you want and I'll tell you the truth. But, you're going to have to ask me first. I'm not going to explain myself based upon someone else's lies, especially if you don't dig deeper for the truth and automatically believe rumors.

It sounds like such a simple task to expect that my leaders investigate both sides of a story before making a decision. But, you wouldn't believe how often they fail to do so in the workplace. It's almost like they want to believe in the dirt in order to serve their own personal agenda.. like a bad soap opera.

But, don't just take my word for it. Watch my young and restless ex-wife and my former supervisor caught on hidden home video, and you can see for yourself. People will almost always do what they think is in their own best interests, including bosses, and especially when it come to sex.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Adelaide

As pharmacists attempt to gain more and more "hands on" clinical skills in the continuing battle to justify themselves to the corporations controlling the purse strings, they're going to need to partner with allies seeking similar goals.

But, where can a pharmacists find such allies? Oh, wait a minute.. of course!


ADELAIDE by Liliana Greenfield-Sanders from Liliana Greenfield-Sanders on Vimeo.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Toeing The Line | Redux

I guess it's the nature of the business - everyone has to learn through their own experiences.

I recently received this video email from a newer PIC pharmacist and his staff who are just beginning to realize the futility of their chosen profession, are having difficulty dealing with their female district pharmacy supervisor, and are now voicing their discontent about being abused.



I understand why they're upset. But why call me, email me, or think that I should be shocked?

Just like their male counterparts, it seems to me that a lot of female pharmacists have figured out that the only way that they're going to survive in a retail pharmacy environment is if they escape the front lines and move into management themselves.

In my own experiences, I've found females to be more cut-throat than their male counterparts, and will enjoyably laugh behind your back as they screw you. They've realized that in order to survive in this business, either you become abused, or you become the abuser. It's dog-eat-dog world and some have chosen to place their own individual needs above those of their colleagues or the profession.

So, why should I be surprised that these pharmacists have chosen to embrace the dark side of pharmacy and to toe the corporate line no matter how serious the consequences to anyone else?

You can be upset all you want about how you're being treated, and look for another job. But if you want my opinion, there is no better job somewhere else. The grass isn't greener anywhere else.

If you really want my advice - don't fall victim to the lure of self-importance and keeping up with the Joneses. Live below your means, pay off all or your debt as quickly as you can, save as much of your paycheck as you can, invest it wisely, and place yourself in a position to be able to choose what you want to do with your life instead of having to submit to the dark side.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The House I Live In

Drug addiction - it's a terrible problem in America.

I don't profess to have all of the answers as to why people abuse drugs, nor do I have a solution to the problem. There is no simple solution to such a complex problem. But, I do think that many of us agree that how we've been addressing this problem for the past forty-years isn't working very well.

Perhaps it's time we tried approaching the problem from a different point of view?

In theaters this beginning this month the documentary, The House I Live In, examines the economic, as well as the moral and practical, failures of the so-called "war on drugs," and calls on the United States to approach drug abuse not as a "war," but as a matter of public health.

We need "a very changed dialogue in this country that understands drugs as a public health concern and not a criminal justice concern," says the film's director, Eugene Jarecki.

Jarecki also says, "The 'tough on crime' strategy failed. We created a war on drugs, which is a trillion dollars spent over 40 years, 45 million arrests, leading to nothing. Drugs are cheaper, purer, more available than ever before, and used by younger and younger people. Who can stand by that?"

I think a lot of people might agree with him. The House I Live In is showing in Phoenix next month. I'll make sure to see it and report my review in the comments section of this post.


Source: The House I Live In

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Wake Up! Get Your Flu Shot

Consider this your flu-fighting wake-up call. That’s right, it’s time to hit that flu with everything you’ve got. Get a flu shot, because it’s your best protection. Keep your hands squeaky clean, and don’t forget to cover those sneezes, people!


Source: Flu Wake Up

Monday, October 8, 2012

Oxyana | A Documentary

A portrait of Oceana, WV, an old coal mining town that has become the epicenter of the Appalachian Oxycontin epidemic, earning the nickname Oxyana.

Set in the middle of unbelievable natural beauty, life persists in Oceana, but it’s a living that few Americans could explain or even believe; closer in kind to the world of a medieval plague. Men and women die epidemically. The addicts— who are the vast majority, and all nice enough people— sell, scramble, and steal in an economy of nigh-endtimes desperation.

Worn down and out by the pills, the mines, or the indignity of both, everyone is easily twice their own age, and unable to imagine an existence outside of coal, subsidies, and prescription narcotics. Things could hardly get darker— or more fucked and implausible— than in this place called Oceana.


Oxyana Teaser from Sean Dunne on Vimeo and Kickstarter

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Ricki Lake Thinks I'm Fly

Except for my man, Jerry Fahrni, I don't get much feedback or linkage from other pharmacists, or bloggers who "call" themselves pharmacists. It seems as though they think I'm anti-pharmacy and refuse to acknowledge my existence in hopes that I'll disappear from the blogosphere.

Personally, I think they refuse to acknowledge me and my blog because I speak the truth about the profession, they're afraid I'm right about my views and opinions, and what I have to say scares them.

It seems to me that they prefer pharmacy bloggers who sit around the campfire in a circle-jerk while singing Kumbaya and telling each other how great they are, and how much their patients suck, while their profession is slowly being stolen away from them. But, that's just my opinion.

So, I wasn't fully caught off guard when I received a video email this Octoberfest from the anonymous blogger who calls himself "The Redheaded" pharmacist, telling me what he/she thinks of my efforts.

Luckily for me, both Ricki Lake and the Plan-B girls (Camila, Cryselle, Errin, Jolivette, Kariva, Levora, Seasonique, Trinessa, and Yasmin) still think I'm fly.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Back To The Gym

Being a pharmacist has carried over into my personal life at the gym. I always feel like I'm under the gun to do things faster and faster to accomplish more and more. Unfortunately, I pushed myself too hard, started twice-a-day workouts, and then hurt myself.

But, after taking almost one full month off to heal, I'm back to the gym.

Although I'm not fully healed, I've learned to take it a little easier this time, accept the slower results, and to be satisfied with just showing off my Bat-package to the Jokers in my Zumba class.


Batman aerobics from SuperHeroineLinks.com on Vimeo.

Friday, October 5, 2012

CPR For Zombies | The Undeading

Do you know how to perform CPR in a life-saving situation? If not, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is here to help - if it doesn't scare you to death first.


Source: Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation

Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator & Package - Monitors & (Google Affiliate Ad)

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Me And You And A Dog Named Boo

Embrace your black dog. World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. This year's theme for the day is “Depression: A Global Crisis”.


Source: WHO: World Mental Health Day