The Reliable Experts at Drugstores You Might Not Know About (Approx. 2,900 characters, 4:50–7:15)

On a Shinkansen, airplane, or ferry.

"Is there a doctor on board?"

"Yes, I am." x3

Three cool individuals stepped forward.

"Well, I'm a dentist." "Oh, I'm a psychiatrist." "Um, I'm a veterinarian, but if that's okay..."

Now, everyone, who would you choose?

--While I have modified and blurred some details for the sake of confidentiality, this was a real emergency with a tense atmosphere, a very serious situation.

Living up to the saying "the doctor's own health is neglected," I carry medicine I might need for myself.
The selection in my backpack has become so extensive as I've aged that it looks like I'm running a pharmacy.

But in an emergency, I had the confidence to diagnose and administer medicine to others anywhere.
However, the other two felt the same, and our assessments were almost identical.

But when it came time to actually administer the medicine, we all froze.

Why?

Because we couldn't determine the interaction (the safety of combining medications) with the "regular medications" the person was already taking on the spot.

The "regular medications" in front of us were just tablets and capsules printed with only numbers and letters.

We didn't know the names of the drugs, and there was no medication notebook.
It was a huge crisis.

Back then, there were no smartphones, and we couldn't use the internet.
We didn't have a thick drug reference book on hand either.

The three "( ) doctors" were completely frozen.

Is this the end...?

"Um... I'm not a doctor, but..."
A fourth person appeared from behind the three, their voice barely a whisper.

That person picked up the regular medication, correctly identified the drug name and its effects one after another, and brilliantly organized the fact that there were no issues with interactions with the drugs the doctors were hesitant to administer.
And then, they encouraged the doctors to take action.

—They were a pharmacist working at a drugstore.

The dentist, the psychiatrist, and the veterinarian were grateful.

"No, no, I'm just a yakuza-ishi (pharmacist/gangster doctor) (laughs)"

...They were a wonderful person who was funny and loved a good, clever pun.

The era of self-care: the accessible ally often overlooked

"Protect your own health yourself."
In this modern age, the term "self-care" has become completely commonplace.

Yet, there is an accessible expert who is surprisingly often overlooked.
That is my top recommendation for this time:
the "drugstore pharmacist."

Is there a drugstore in your town?

"We dispense prescription medication anywhere in the country."

If a store has a sign like that, a pharmacist should be on duty.
However, please be aware that there may be times when the pharmacist is absent.
They are often there during weekday daytime hours (excluding lunch time), but recently, more stores are offering consultations at night and on weekends.

When you think of a pharmacist, you might imagine someone who looks at a prescription from a hospital, puts the medicine in a bag, and hands it to you.
In fact, that role is very important.
However, that is not the only job a pharmacist does.

"I want to take hay fever medicine, but I don't know which one to choose."

"I've been having trouble sleeping for days, but I don't feel like it's serious enough for a psychiatrist."

In times like those, the pharmacist is the one who will consult with you about your medication.

When you get sick, seeing a doctor is the best course of action.
However, there are times when wait times are long, costs are a concern, or you aren't sure which department to visit.
Furthermore, with appointment-based clinics, it is often difficult to align your schedule with days you can take off work.

In such times, having an expert nearby who will listen to you is more reassuring than you might think.

“Judging things on your own” is different from “taking responsibility for your own health”

I worked as a doctor in remote areas until I reached an age where my knees and lower back started to feel “shot.”

For residents of “remote areas” where medical care is not easily accessible, “taking an interest in one's own health” was a matter of course.

Of course, I do not recommend proceeding solely on your own judgment.

Self-medication is not about “making decisions based solely on your own assumptions,” but rather “taking responsibility for your health and making wise choices.”

And keeping an expert you can consult when you are struggling with a choice is also a vital part of health management.

As that consultant, I would like to recommend the pharmacists at drugstores.

In fact, many drugstores announce “Please consult with our pharmacists” over their in-store broadcasts.

However, not that many customers actually consult them.

That istruly a waste.

Pharmacists also spend the same number of years (a 6-year curriculum) studying as those in dentistry, medicine, and veterinary medicine, and they are “drug experts” who have passed the national examination.

As mentioned at the beginning, they have a broad perspective on drug interactions, side effects, and how to choose over-the-counter medications.

It is a shame to walk right past such a treasure chest of knowledge when it is available for free.

Also, since there are more women among pharmacists than among doctors, you may find it easier to consult them about delicate, female-specific concerns.

In recent years, drugs that were previously only available if a doctor wrote a prescription (such as analgesic antipyretics like loxoprofen, H2 blocker stomach medicines, anti-allergy drugs, and sleep aids) have been appearing on drugstore shelves one after another.

While it is grateful that the options have increased,
“So, which one is actually best?”
hasn't that confusion also increased?

That is exactly when you can rely on a pharmacist.

When you want to consult about herbal medicines for menstrual pain or menopausal symptoms.
When you want a little help from medicine for insomnia or anxiety.
When you have a canker sore.
For hay fever medicine... and so on.

You should feel free to consult pharmacists about such things.

Furthermore, even though they are now available over-the-counter, some medicines can only be purchased when a pharmacist is on duty.

What kind of pharmacist should you look for?

It doesn't matter if it's near your home or on your way to work or school.
It could even be a place you stop by while out for a walk.
First, I would like you to take a look inside a drugstore.

What kind of pharmacists are there?

If the pharmacist themselves looks healthy, has naturally beautiful skin, and is health-conscious (with a high aesthetic sense), it seems like they could teach you a lot, not just about medicine.

However, for now, your intuition that they seem "easy to talk to" or "kind" is enough.

Personally, rather than the type who shows off their vast knowledge, I look for a pharmacist who listens well to what I have to say and makes suggestions while thinking it through with me.

It would be even better if they were handsome or beautiful, but considering myself, I can't be too picky.
Kindness comes first, knowledge second, and if there's no third or fourth, then beauty is fifth, I suppose.

Ultimately, what matters is being able to think, "I can trust this person."
Because no matter how good the advice you receive is, if you can't believe in it, it will just end up as a monologue from the pharmacist.

"They don't pry more than necessary, but as an expert, they will stand by you when you consult them about medicine."

Just having one such pharmacist in your neighborhood will give you an exceptional sense of security.

To start with, when you are unsure which over-the-counter medicine is best, why not try consulting a pharmacist at a drugstore?

They will surely open up their treasure chest that was about to go to waste (pardon me!) and help you with your consultation with a sparkle.

May you have a wonderful encounter☆

☆ AI was used to generate the illustrations.

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