Sunday, June 14, 2009

Math is Fun!

I have always been very good at math. The pharmacists I work with, not so much.

I'm sure there probably just isn't anymore room in those huge brains of theirs. After all, they've got several years of Pharmacology, Chemistry, etc. crammed in there. Things like math just fall to the wayside, I guess.

Besides, who needs to know math when there's Lovely, CPhT, Math Nerd Extraordinaire? Who spent the better part of her teenage years eagerly solving any equations that came her way? Who frantically gobbled up Trigonometry and Algebra like it was crack? Lovely, CPhT, that's who!

So, for your reading enjoyment, I bring you a typical day in the pharmacy with yours truly and Mathematically-Challenged RPh.

Mathematically-Challenged RPh (thinking out loud): Okay, so there's 200 puffs in this inhaler ... and the directions are 2 puffs every 4 hours as needed ... (frustratedly tapping out numbers on the calculator) ... shit! That can't be right.
Lovely, CPhT: Should last 16 days. Why, what did you get?
Mathematically-Challenged RPh: Uh, don't worry about it!

Or ...

Mathematically-Challenged RPh (looking at the weekly drug order): The system's ordered 4 bottles of Nexium ... and it comes in bottles of 30 ... so that's how many?
Lovely, CPhT: That's 120.
Mathematically-Challenged RPh (irritated): I knew that! (hides calculator under stack of medication guides)

Sometimes we come across the mathematically-challenged patient as well.

Patient: Blah blah blah, you shorted me some pills.
Lovely, CPhT: Well, I see here that you received 30 tablets 28 days ago ...
Patient: Yeah, and I only have 2 left!

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