Faux Pas

As I have progressed further in my pharmacy education, it has been my desire to be more knowledgeable in every aspect of the field of pharmacy. I hate it when I do not know the answer to a drug/medication question, and I aspire to be able to answer patients' questions. (I will really feel like I have arrived at the pinnacle of pharmaceutical knowledge when I can answer a single Corrie Aldinger question ;))

So, while working at Fred's Pharmacy during my PY3 year, an elderly gentleman came up to the counter asking for some OTC help. "I'll handle this one," I thought to myself as I approached the counter.

"Ya got anything for diarrhea?" he asked.

Now let me stop the story right here, and let you know that what came out of my mouth next was something that I wished I could have grabbed out of the air and shoved back into my mouth the second the words left my mouth. Diarrhea is one of those simple cases that we pharmacy students learn how to counsel very early on in our educational careers. However, in what I like to call a "Brain Fart" moment without even thinking, I responded with "To stop it?"...............To STOP IT?!?!? What was I thinking?! No, Nathan, I'm sure this gentleman would like to crank his diarrhea up a couple of notches!!

Needless to say, the pharmacist told the story to anyone with ears to listen, and they all even got me a plaque with the conversation on it so that I may always stay humbled :)