The Diabetic and the Detractor: Friend and Foe

I was in the pharmacy today doing my usual thing (this entails avoiding eye contact, avoiding the drive through, avoiding the phone). A nondescript woman approached the counter and started asking me about cough medication. Easy enough. I exit the pharmacy to the 'floor' (that's what we call the rest of the store outside of our quaint little pill counting area) and grab a combo cold product off the shelf and begin explaining how it will make her feel 1000% better.

Usually, this is where the interaction ends. Not today.

This woman had multiple other issues that she wanted me to know about. She had diabetes (which she claimed she was being treated for), a problem with one of her big toenails which I was able to evaluate along with everyone else in the pharmacy (objectively) as she took off her shoes and socks, and aches in her legs. It took me about 20 seconds to type that sentance. Today, it took about 20 minutes for me to elicit these facts from my 'patient', as she spoke very broken English. My best guess is that she just came here from somewhere in Northern Africa, and rather recently.

After our lengthy discussion, I was able interpret her hypothesis:

1. She believes her toe problems to be of a fungal origin. She had gotten a powder for it before from somewhere in her homeland, which yielded little result.
2. She believes her legs hurt because she works at the Price Chopper (a grocery store) down the street, which she walks to every day. A mile or so (each way). Who knows what they're paying her.

Now, for those of you in the health care biz, you're probably thinking the same thing I did. Her diabetes is under poor (null) control and she's got a foot ulcer and diabetic nephropathy, explaining her foot sore as well as the pain in her legs. I start explaining that she needs to see a doctor to rule this out, as I am not a diagnostician. No dice. She states that she doesn't have the money to go to the MD, and insists that I find her remedies for her conditions here in the pharmacy. Now.

Our entire dialogue lasted around 20 minutes. This is at least as long as she would have gotten out of an MD. Maybe longer. I decided to recommend the best OTC options for her ailments (an antifungal for the suspected tinea, ibuprofen for her limb soreness). I got her all Corpopharm products and scanned my employee card (saving her about 30%) which according to Corpopharm rules would get me canned.

A short time later some lady argued with me about her copay for 5 minutes at the drive through. She then sat in DT for another 10 minutes to count all her pills in the car to make sure we hadn't screwed up her scripts. After that she started honking her horn to get our attention to grab her something else from the 'floor'.

This is retail pharmacy.