I read a post recently from Phat where he was thinking about things that have changed since he started up in the pharmacy and got me thinking about the same thing, but on a couple of different of levels.
First off, I'm proud to say that I've helped the pharmacy I work in become semi-successful. There have been bumps in the road since we opened last year, but it's been a rewarding experience overall and I feel I've contributed greatly to the success that has been achieved.
You never know how things will change from day to day, so the job being a success is a big deal to me at this point in time.
Of more interest is the fact that September was my 14 year anniversary working, 13 of which have been in a pharmacy. While it's still not long enough to qualify for a "back in the old days" kind of story, I still have unique perspectives on how much things have changed over the years.
First and foremost, when I started in a pharmacy, the computer systems weren't nearly as sophisticated as they are now. Back then, the labels weren't coming out of a regular printer like they do, they were part of a big sheet and you had to carefully separate things out.
The biggest difference back then was how much easier it was to process prescriptions in the aspect that there weren't prior authorizations, there weren't 18 different types of meds for the same illness, and everything was either $5 or $10.
Sure, birth control was rarely covered, but there weren't 76 different options either, and one of them was a cheap generic.
Zestril, Neurontin, Zoloft, Paxil, and many others didn't have a generic available. E-scripting wasn't even in the topic of conversation. Back then, we didn't have baskets, queues, immunizations, and telemarketing calls. There were no automated calls telling people their meds were ready, no automatic refills. Hell, we didn't even fax much back then.
When I started, the internet was still young and an uncertain thing for most people who had computers. Sure, I started blogging back in 1998, but for a few years before that, the only way anyone ever knew how to connect through the internet was AOL or Compuserve via a dial-up connection.
Cell phones still hadn't completely caught on and I don't even know if the original Playstation was out yet.
The world was a much different place, I was a much different person. I was wide-eyed and figured it would be a nice way to make some extra money while in high school. I didn't know it would stretch out many, many years down the road and entail so many changes in my life.
When I started, I was still living in my hometown. Shortly after starting, we were forced to move and I continued to make the trip to my store before finally transferring to my current location in 2000. Along the way I've dated a few girls, lived in a few different places, watched the house catch fire, and had people come and go.
There have been a few constants, for instance, my cat has been there for the ride since before I started working (she's almost 18 for those keeping score), and a few of my closest friends I've known for at least 9 years or more. So there has been some stability along the way.
Other things that have occurred since I began working:
* Myspace came along and took the social website title away from AOL's service.
* Facebook came and took Myspace's social website title away.
* Google+ is trying to take Facebook's social website title away.
* Twitter has become the most annoying way to communicate.
* Cell phone's destroyed the art of conversation (since everyone texts instead)
* Nintendo fell off due to the Playstation, Xbox came into the world, and Nintendo came back with the Wii.
* HD is now the standard in television with 3D attempting to catch up.
* Our cars talk to us
Sure, there have been a lot of other events that have taken place, but frankly, I don't care to sit and think about all of it at this point in time.
All I know is that in the 14 years that I've been working, I've gone from a shy, slightly neurotic guy to a boisterous, sarcastic, still slightly neurotic guy who's seen just about everything that can be seen.
The biggest thing working did for me was help break me out of the shell I had been in. Up until I had started working, I had trouble conversing with people, was incredibly socially awkward, and avoided opportunities to go out. Once I started working, it got better, but after transferring and a couple of my close friends were hired, it really started to come together for me.
I still have quirks with my personality, but overall I'm much different than I was back when I started working.
That includes a jaded view of the world since I've seen people at their worst a few too many times.
The one thing I've come to realize is that it's easy to whine about our jobs, easy to whine about what went wrong, and laugh at the expense of others just to make ourselves feel better. It's an entirely different thing to stop and take the positives out of life and what you've seen.
So while I've seen numerous people try to use fake scripts, try to get their meds early, try to scam us in any way they can think of, I've also seen a number of people go out of their way to help us, help others, and make working a little bit easier.
I've had customers buy us food and drinks, tell us funny stories, share with us why they are in a good or bad mood, and we've all had the occasional customer hit on one of us at any given time. For every person that pisses you off, there's someone who appreciates the effort that you give.
And that's what makes me think I can endure a few more years of this at the least.
14 years is a long time, but only if you think about it in the wrong way.
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