Ask a foreigner

[OceanSpray]

So I learned a thing today that I swear has to be wrong because I have absolutely never seen this and someone is telling me that it’s very true.

In America- can and do pharmacists treat and diagnose patients?

I have never in my life seen this. It’s always been that they deal with medications only and will do certain shots like flu and Covid but that’s it. Never ever have I seen them do more than that, other than explain what a med does of course.


Is it state by state?

 

[RainbowSearchParty]

So I learned a thing today that I swear has to be wrong because I have absolutely never seen this and someone is telling me that it’s very true.

In America- can and do pharmacists treat and diagnose patients?

I have never in my life seen this. It’s always been that they deal with medications only and will do certain shots like flu and Covid but that’s it. Never ever have I seen them do more than that, other than explain what a med does of course.


Is it state by state?

No!!! Not true. Some pharmacies have walk-in clinics, but those clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The pharmacists deal with meds. At least this was my experience always.

BUT I think in Canada pharmacists do much more than just meds?

 

[Freddyt]

BUT I think in Canada pharmacists do much more than just meds?

Yes they can. They can give injections (flu shots etc.) and they can extend prescriptions for some medications - ie: if you take a maintenance meds they can give you meds to get to your next doctors appointment.
Only in one province (the one I live in) can they prescribe schedule 1 meds.

 

[Friday]

In America- can and do pharmacists treat and diagnose patients?

Yep!

What they can & do varies state-by-state, and is faaaaaar more limited than what nurses & doctors are allowed to dx & rx…but things common across most states are “minor” conditions that require Rx intervention (Uncomplicated UTIs, Ear Infections, Strep Throat, Impetigo, Morning After pill, Vaccines, etc.)… as well as have powers to extend preexisting prescriptions… as well can give advice/recommendations on ANY over the counter medication.

It’s extremely rare for most pharmacies in the US to have more than 1 licensed pharmacist on staff, however, these days. Most pharmacies are staffed by pharmacy TECHS (who have no diagnostic nor prescription powers) and are only overseen by a pharmacist. <<< ACTUAL pharmacists? Have doctorates. PharmD = Doctor of Pharmacy

Ditto, in addition to not actually hiring PharmD’s most pharmacies in the US are no longer owned/operated by pharmacists, but are chains owned/operated by a corporation… most, if not all of which, it’s against company policy… so they DO NOT dx/rx (or give advice about over the counter meds) even if they’re legally allowed to in that state (and in many states it’s illegal unless the pharmacy is owned/operated by one or more pharmacists).

It’s similar to how Paramedics can perform procedures & give meds that EMTs cannot, & how EMTs can perform procedures & give meds an average person cannot (ditto Nurse Practitioners -who have the same powers MDs do- have more powers than BSRNs, who have more powers than CNAs). And all of those* have a bit of crossover with each other, here and there. But even if someone is legally incensed to do XYZ? The company may have policy against it, and disallow, or the state law may limit when/where/how you’re allowed to practice. Like only if they’re on duty, or employed by state/private operated EMS. Etc. Or you risk losing your job, license, cert.



*PharmD MD PsyD LCSW NP BSRN CNA Paramedic EMT

 

[OceanSpray]

Thank you all for the info! Apparently Even after living in a country for an entire lifetime doesn’t mean I know how the country works lol.

 

[Teasel]

I was watching something the other day - the rest is entertainment on YouTube - a couple of tv producers discuss stuff, one mentioned working in something in America, and discovering that in the US, the word *Quite* apparently means *a lot*? Is that right?

So the example she gave, was an American collegue asking about something they'd done, was it ok? And on hearing that it was quite good, she was very happy, thinking the British person very pleased with her work.

Does quite good really mean very good?

 

[Friday]

Does quite good really mean very good?

Yep!

Quite good. Quite delicious. Quite tedious. Quite vexing. = All synonymous with “very”.

“Well this was exhausting.”
“Quite.” (Agreement / Indeed / Very exhausting).

“This was amazing.”
“Quite.” (Agreement / Indeed / Very amazing).

Does it not, where you are?

 

[Teasel]

No, I am so surprised. it means it's fairly good, a bit good, but not very good. Heh well, I like random info like this.

 

[Charbella]

No, I am so surprised. it means it's fairly good, a bit good, but not very good. Heh well, I like random info like this.

That’s awesome on that context, the Brit was like-okay it’s passable, the American-yay they loved my work!

 

[Teasel]

Lol yes!

 

[Friday]

<chuckling> So I pulled up the Oxford definition… and am paraphrasing, but a search query will pull up the actual

Oxford English Dictionary
1. To the utmost… etc.
2. To a profound or significant degree… etc.
Origin, Middle English, Quit…etc.

Oxford Regional Slang, British
1. disreputable, fair to poor
2. sneering mockery, or utter disinterest
Origin, Public School of the latter 19th & 20th centuries…etc.

So it’s cracking me up… it’s a word with its own sarcasm/class font! Sneering dismissal for a couple centuries entirely changing the nature of the word… in some places.

 

[Rose White]

Sneering dismissal

Makes me think of Jeremy Irons voicing Scar in the Lion King—don’t know if he said it but I can imagine him responding with the q-word to some boisterous utterance of young Simba.