Notice a trend in the clothes I’m packing for my work meeting next week in Denver?
I am all about FLORAL!!!!
But the mani I got yesterday is all about the MOUNTAINS! I can’t wait to see them!
I have to share this completely unrelated experience I had last night when I picked up my Warfarin (blood thinners) at the Target pharmacy. The pharmacist was someone I’d never seen before.
He asked me if I was expecting. First time someone has asked me that picking up Warfarin, I suppose it’s a fair thing to ask, since you should not take it if you are. (I am not.)
He asked me if it was to prevent DVT (deep venous thrombosis). I told him kind of – I have Antiphospholipid Syndrome and my body creates blood clots and this is to prevent that.
Then he kind of went off the deep end. He had a very concerned look on his face and mumbled “you shouldn’t be taking these.”
I was like “Pardon?”
“You shouldn’t be taking these. But you only take 5 mg, that’s not too bad.”
I told him I take 10 mg twice a week, and 7.5 the other 5 days. His eyes bugged out. He hemmed and hawed and I swear I heard him say “rat poison,” and finally I was like “You can tell me. Why shouldn’t I be taking these?”
“You should take something else. You’re too young.”
Okay, thanks, but… could you share a bit more?
“These will make you bruise. They’re for old people. People much older than you.”
I was like “What? They are for people on their way out? Is there some side effect you aren’t telling me about?”
Then he repeated they will make me bruise and encouraged me to talk to my doctor about taking some other sort of blood thinner.
I told him, “My care team wants me on these because they’ve been around for years and there’s more research on them, and they can finely adjust them based on my INR.”
He just looked bewildered and told me to talk to my care team.
And sure, I will. I would love to be on one I take once a day where the dose doesn’t change and I don’t have to go in and get my INR checked all the time. I would LOVE that.
But my team has told me several times that option doesn’t work for APS. Also, the meds are quite a bit more expensive (although with gas, time, and the $8 co-pay for each INR visit, it probably evens out).
So strange. But I will ask at my next appointment on the 29th. (My INR was 2.3 yesterday, by the way.)
That’s super odd. It’s definitely not a bad idea to check in with your care team on stuff like that from time to time, but I feel like the way the pharmacist handled that was weird and maybe borderline inappropriate?
Look I know that pharmacists are good sources of info and they see it all so generally I’m interested in what they have to say. But this guy…ouch. It will be interesting to hear what your care team has to say in response.
Yay florals and yay mountain manis! Enjoy your trip.
Right! That is how I usually feel too! I cannot wait to ask my care team. ha.
Thank you! I am having a great time!
This sounds like a guy who might have recommended ivermectin to treat COVID and thinks vaccines will give you autism. I’d take what he says with the tiniest grain of salt!
I definitely am 😉
That sounds weird and kind of scary!
Right? I almost wondered if I should report him… but for what?!
Mmh, nice of him to be concerned but I hope he didn’t pick up that knowledge from a conspiracy website… definitely a good idea to talk to your care team, but that’s so random that he’d bring it up. Did he seem like a newbie or long-time pharmacist?
He was definitely a newbie. I’ve never seen him there before.
That is such an odd comment! I would definitely bring it up to your care team, and depending on their response, it may not be a bad idea to call the pharmacy to discuss this pharmacist’s recommendation, and how badly it contradicted your care team’s treatment plan. That’s something that could have a detrimental effect on other patients who may not be as well-versed as you are! Oof.
That is exactly what I plan on doing! Like what kind of “advice” is he giving other clients?!
OK, seriously, that pharmacist is WAY out of line. Way. Out. Of. Line. I hope that your care team removed any potential worries you had about your plan of care, and I hope that the pharmacy tells that pharmacist to, um, keep their opinions to themselves. Sheesh. (Sorry, strong feelings on this one… :>)
They did! I still want to report this guy if I see him again (my pharmacist told me I should)!