Woman in Pharmacy

 

   October is American Pharmacists month and today is Women Pharmacist Day. This is the day set aside to celebrate women in pharmacy and the gains they have made.

   It's not academic for me. I have lived through some of these changes. When I started working as a newly licensed pharmacist in 1993, there were not many women pharmacists. My graduating class was maybe 60% men and 40 % women. As years would go on the ratio would become 50% and then women would be the majority. When I started precepting first year pharmacy students women by far outnumbered men.

  In 1993 it was a whole different story.......

   There were doctors who would not let me take prescriptions (back then prescriptions were called in) because they didn't believe I was a pharmacist. Pharmacists were men. I remember arguing with an orthopedic physician who asked me when were women "allowed" be to pharmacists? I blurted out 1963 which is when the first woman graduated from the NDSU pharmacy school. (The first female pharmacist is Elizabeth Gooking Greenleaf who operated an apothecary shop in 1727.) I found it interesting the the doctors who questioned my "right" to be a pharmacist practiced medicine with two women. One was a OB/GYN and the other was a pediatrician. (Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician got her degree in 1849.)

   I also dealt with a lot of sexism from customers. Many of them were older and when faced with a young woman pharmacist made it clear that they preferred to speak the the "man pharmacist" Several of them had a very hard time believing that I was just as qualified to do my job as my male colleagues. I can't count the number of times that customers argued with me over refills and how many of them would ask to speak to the "man over there" after speaking with me thinking that they would get a different answer. (They didn't) One time the only man working with me was a pharmacy tech. That was a surprise to several people.

   It was not easy working in that kind of environment. I have been cursed at, had bottles thrown at me and once had a guy try to spit on me. (He didn't have much distance, it hit the counter in front of me.) The worst was getting hit on. Not by my coworkers, but by customers. The reason why it bothers me so much is because that means that I'm not being viewed as a professional. It is irritating to think that the men who have hit on me at work seem to think that I'm fruit for them to pick. This doesn't seem to happen with my male colleagues. (No I don't wear revealing or tight clothing at work. I dress very conservatively. Plus, I have the white coat.)

   I've been stalked. Twice. By men who had crushes on me and felt it was ok for them to do this. Fortunately, nothing bad happened, but it is unnerving to know that someone was watching me work and knows what car I drive and even my license number. (The last stalker was five years ago.)

   Things have been better. Over the years, I was able to work with other women from time to time. Also more and more women were working as pharmacists and people were getting used to seeing women behind the counter. I still had a few times when people preferred to speak with my male counterpart, but this didn't bother me as much as it used to. 

   In recent years had the opportunity to work with a few all woman staffs. It's a lot different. The staff at the pharmacy in South St. Paul was the best. We were a little family. Had we been allowed to stay open I think we would have done a lot of good in that community. Sigh....

   The pharmacy I work at now is an all female staff. We have a good mix of talents. Lately I've been doing most of the immunizing, a job I didn't think I ever had and one that I'm coming to like very much. I feel like I've become adept at giving shots and making it a much less painful experience. 

   It's been an interesting 29 years working in the field of pharmacy. I'm interested in seeing what the future brings for my and my profession.