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Hip For a Night

How often do you feel part of something too big to explain in words alone? It’s a sensation; a point in time where everyone casts an eye, bends an ear, and opens a mind to an emotional spectacle only experienced a handful of times a generation.

The Tragically Hip bid farewell to the masses in their home town of Kingston, Ontario and an estimated 11.7M viewers across Canada via an uncut CBC live feed on August 20. I certainly won’t find the right words, but I’ll gladly take a lunge at it.

Lead singer Gord Downie was recently diagnosed with glioblastoma, a terminal brain cancer that grows aggressively and offers minimal chance at long-term survival. He decided to do the opposite of what you might expect; instead of becoming reclusive, accepting what remaining quality-of-life measures were available, and letting us mourn in advance of the inevitable, he organized a final tour to share himself with the fans one last time.

 

“Courage…It couldn’t come at a worse time.” – Gord Downie, Courage

However ravaged his body appeared after a craniotomy and six weeks of chemo and radiation, the energy from all pockets of the country seemed to fuel his voice after every introductory riff. Each of the three encore sets reached a fever pitch, and without interruption, we could hang on every solo, every iconic lyric, each instance of a certain signature, tumbling cadence to cap the vocal line.

That night I wasn’t a pharmacist. I was a Canadian…and a damned proud one at that.

The next morning, Laura and I were chatting about the significance of the concert. This exchange captured what many of the articles and pundits had been reporting:

Me: Any way I can tie in the Hip concert into a pharmacy blog post?

Laura: Oh God, I cried through the whole concert last night. Their bravery and COURAGE was unbelievable.

Me: I know. Read an article about Gord burning out onstage for everyone. Pretty amazing stuff.

Laura: They played for three hours.

Me: After the first few songs, I felt he was straining hard, but he kept going.

Laura: Yeah, and a lot of classics later on he sounded amazing. Imagine spending that much time and energy with four other guys for thirty years. They know exactly what they’re all going to do. Remarkable really.

Me: Can’t imagine. They deserve the adulation. If you’re going to hero-worship anything, this feels right.

Laura: Canadian pride and caring less about what others think is a surefire way to a happier life. Tonight the ENTIRE COUNTRY stopped to watch a concert. Would that happen anywhere else in the world? 

The CAPS are unedited, and proper emphasis is where it belonged 🙂

 

“No one’s interested in something you didn’t do.” – Gord Downie, Wheat Kings

I could take a fatalistic approach in saying that many cases of malpractice litigation definitely hinge on things that weren’t done, but I digress…

In all seriousness, wiser words have not been spoken as a mantra to living all phases of life. As pharmacists, how many minor ailments have we failed to offer? How many open-ended questions have we failed to ask? How many turf wars do we concede to other health professions? How many courses have we failed to take? How many trips have we failed to plan? How many opportunities have we failed to grasp? None of these examples are malicious or vindictive, just oftentimes we remain passive because of the emotional investment and unknown consequences.

Laura really drove the point home for me:

“So let’s remember what Gord and the Hip did on Aug 20. They gave everything they had left to their fans in one last hurrah. Every Canadian, healthcare professional or not, can stand to give a little more to others, care a little less what people think and get on with living their best life.”

 

“No dress-rehearsal…this is our life.” – Gord Downie, Ahead By  a Century

Everyone’s watching. Work, play, practice..LIVE on your own terms. 

#InGordWeTrust

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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Dog Days

My last post was over a month ago. Wow. I could make an excuse about being lazy in the summer, or that I’m spending more time outside, but alas, I am bereft of anything plausible other than that my attention has been elsewhere lately. One such distraction has been biking in my 6th Multiple Sclerosis Bike Tour, which I hope to write a bit about in the near future.

Sunlight can be a blessing for those who work in offices lacking windows. In our case, every time the receiving door opens is an opportunity to check the weather. We all could use a nice little Vitamin D rush in the mid-afternoon, even just to daydream and recharge for the late day push. A number of years ago, a team leader spoke about the importance of natural light in the workplace, and it’s hitting home more now than ever.

This summer is happily flying along and with it, the annual summer vacation crush. Manpower/womanpower is tighter than usual and we try to keep things light by ordering the occasional Friday afternoon pizza and testing the spring & summer demo releases from an in-house Scentsy(TM) consultant (Ed. note: Weathered Leather is not the best aroma for a small office).

So amidst the daily slog, a couple of days ago I found it fitting to be asked where I thought the profession of pharmacy is headed. At a time where I’m covering two roles and am measuring my progress hour by hour to stay on top of clinical responsibilities, this question forced me to think in terms of not just where I saw myself headed in pharmacy, but our path as a collective group. On the spot, my answer was reasonably coherent and built on the theme of professional independence; pharmacists focusing on the assessment of patients instead of treatments alone, becoming more involved in collaborative practice agreements, and building on the confidence gained through prescribing for minor ailments.

Upon reflection, I’m not satisfied with my answer. Being the excessively wordy fellow I happen to be, there wasn’t enough depth in what felt like a superficial soundbite. So I decided to go back and revisit the title of my blog.

PharmAspire was developed because I wanted to write about the pharmacist I aspire to be, in hopes of relating experiences of colleagues. There are many facets to this, and it’s not just one behavior or one skill that I may acquire; it’s more about bringing myself, my personality, my individual style as it were, to the practice of pharmacy. My opportunities will be borne out of my passions (analytics, team-building, communication) and my personal growth as a leader. I’m not sure how it will look but as the tagline reminds me, I would like to practice on my own terms, and describe the journey in my own terms.

Fear not, the blog-holiday is now over. The dog days have taken their bite and it’s time for some new inspiration. September will be here before we know it. New pharmacy students starting a new school year. Flu outbreaks will be the talk early in the fall. So much to dive into…

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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Time is Relative

After vacation, you could say we encountered some rather bad luck. I say we, but the sympathy should be reserved for my wife, who after two days back at work, suffered a nasty fall and shattered her olecranon. My diagnostic skills are weak in this area, but my hack medical description of this injury would place it as a Type IIIB, replete with instability of the forearm and multiple fragments. Lest we say that it wasn’t funny at all (cue collective groan).

Having never had a catastrophic injury before, when I received her phone call that something was wrong, her voice was a bit higher-pitched, but the timbre and inflection didn’t suggest anything worthy of alarm. In fact, she seemed more concerned about a set of keys that dropped through a sewer grate during the tumble. Assuming shock was playing a part, we arrived at the emergency with the arm immobilized, and she proceeded to sit and read her book for 4 hours in the waiting room. She felt some discomfort when she tried to move, but no agonizing pain. We were both aghast when the doctor returned with the x-ray results; her ‘bad sprain’ would require immediate surgery. In hindsight, the fact she could no longer locate the knob of her elbow probably should’ve been a giveaway.

So the ER doc forwarded paperwork to the main hospital, but it was one in the morning and the services were closed. So he applied a cast, asked she refrain from eating or drinking, and head to the hospital at 9 in the morning (basically cast, fast, and last). The morning comes, they take x-rays, perform a work-up triage, and….send her home…on a Friday. The new instructions were to start fasting at midnight, and wait by the phone for a possible call in the morning. Saturday morning rolls in and no call. Now I might add, she is not taking anything for pain, just frequent icing and sleeping uncomfortably in a chair with a cushion supporting her thankfully non-dominant arm. By 3pm, I’m calling the hospital myself as she now hasn’t eaten in over 15 hours. Lo and behold, the nurse had thought someone already called. No surgery today due a multiple trauma situation. Repeat the midnight fast. Two MORE days go by until she gets in on the Monday morning. With a little hardware insertion, she is now partially bionic and taking on any arm-wrestling challengers (kidding).

Through the ordeal, we realized that as pharmacists entrenched in the healthcare system, we are providing care to patients, and don’t often ponder the role of the consumer. To find ourselves on the flip side dealing with the uncertainly of a foreign process, we honestly had a frustrating few days. Healthcare is often measured in units of length, not quality. How long will it take to fill my prescription? How long is the wait in the emergency room? How long is the wait list for my carpal-tunnel surgery?

As a provider, we understand all the moving parts and systems that help us deliver quality healthcare. The time we take to ensure we’re being prudent, thorough and safe can not be understated. To us, 30 minutes for a prescription may be completely realistic so that everyone in line for a medication service will receive the same experience, regardless of whether it’s an injection, a medication review and/or a simple refill. In order to maintain consistency and sustainability, that block of time is necessary for very good reasons.

As a consumer on the other hand, we lacked the understanding, and every missed phone call, or being ‘bumped’ was hard to comprehend. My wife is unable to function for 3 1/2 days; no real sleep, fasting cycles, trouble performing any regular tasks we may take for granted (laundry, cooking, dressing, showering, etc). We’ve since determined that an ‘eternity’ is now defined as 3 1/2 days. Just at the point of feeling helpless and distraught, it dawns on us that we need to trust the professionals to provide us with the best care under the system that binds them. How can we, as pharmacists, expect patients to trust us when we say that their prescription will take the time we quote them, when we’re not willing to give that same latitude to those trying to help us?

So I propose we attempt to measure the time in a different way. Specifically, let’s look at duration of relationships. How long have you had the same family doctor? Did he/she treat your parents or kids? How long has your pharmacist been following up on that pesky diabetes? How long is the history you’ve had with a dental clinic? Usually, the strong bonds you form in primary care are a testament to the quality you receive, and yes, most people will feel it’s worth the wait.

Time is relative. A service may seem to take too long, but merely a speck in what could become a rewarding long-term relationship.

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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R&R? Part 1

I really tried to resist the urge to write a post about vacation. It’s been a while since my last commentary on being in exotic places and marveling at the contrast in pharmacy services (or lack thereof) in many resort countries and cruise ports. This time around, I still have a few observations to make on that topic, but will intersperse them with more of a general narrative on trying to free the mind of real life, at least for a week or two.

This cruise was planned in celebration of a best friend’s 40th. The thinking went that the kids are getting to the ages where the term ‘family vacation’ may start to become taboo. Maybe it’s that we’re closing in on two decades in our chosen profession, or perhaps watching your generation stepping perilously close to the chasm of middle age is enough to appreciate times when you are absolved of things like responsibility, routine, and maturity. Starting in February when part of my birthday gift was an eye patch for each of the four adult travelers, our adventure on the high seas featured plenty of entertainment. Much of this was not from the on-board shows, but rather the sight of us bouncing around for a week like a pair of giddy goofballs.

Now for the uninitiated, a few observations about cruising:

  • When you’re floating in the middle of the sea, hundreds of miles from land with flat, blue horizon all around, it makes you feel extremely small and insignificant. Paradoxically, it can also be quite a claustrophobic experience; if you follow the routine during sea days, every shop, attraction, buffet, restaurant and bar resembles rows of army ants inching forward in line.
  • Walking preteens through the casino and then having to explain the difference between the slot machines and the games in the arcade upstairs is harder to do than you would think. Essentially the bright lights and colors of the machines just entice you to blow $20 in about 15 minutes and call it ‘fun’.
  • The experience is amazingly multi-cultural. Not just the ports, mind you, but the employees on all parts of the ship have name tags highlighting their native country. We decided to unfurl a world map in our stateroom and have geography lessons with our girls every time we returned from an outing. We met an attendant from Indonesia that works 8 months straight of 12-hour days, 6-days a week. He Skypes home to his young family when the ship is in port and high-speed wi-fi is available. Another one of our waiters hailing from the Philippines jumped up with the house band and performed an admirable rendition of Celine Dion’s ‘Because You Loved Me’.
  • There is this thing called the unlimited drink package. On first blush, it seems to be quite popular for mysterious reasons….hmmmm. Ah, those bars. Perfectly distanced so that you’re never more than 30 paces from a restroom, accessible from the inside and outer deck of the ship, and each seemingly equipped with their own gravity; drawing you close to peruse their unique menu of concoctions.

In part 2, I’ll have some pictures to share and thoughts on pharmacy overseas mixed in with other random observations.

Vacation is always welcome, but it’s good to be back!

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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Difficult Conversations

That feeling is back.

There in the pit of your stomach, a queasy, uneven terror takes hold. Even the butterflies are frozen in fear. The thought of confrontation can be a paralytic.

This is not just applicable to the pharmacy world of course. A verbal attack, incident of negligence, or general poor attitude can evoke strong reactions from you, other family members, friends or colleagues. Really, any undesirable behavior(s) that affect others may be lost on an individual if they’re not told about it, or asked to reconsider their actions. So how do you toe the line between a proper response and a potential overreaction? A long-time patient violates your trust and is caught shoplifting. A medication incident occurs and you’re cradling the phone receiver to notify a physician that hasn’t always been the most supportive. Say you back into a friend’s car in the driveway after they left it for a weekend away. Perhaps you suspect a family member has a substance abuse problem and you worry about their mental health.

Regular readers may find that I tend to internalize and reflect often. In fact, most of the words I write are borne from some direct or arms-length experience. As a team leader, it’s taken a lot of work to hold back a raw emotional reaction when it festers. If something or someone offends you, it’s important to remember a few things when a potential confrontation occurs:

  • You are entitled to your reaction – Regardless of another’s intent, or their choice of wording, it may offend, insult, surprise, demoralize, etc. and they can’t control your feelings or the reasons why. They are valid and shouldn’t be dismissed. I will sometimes write draft pieces that have a strong topic or controversial nature and I may not realize it. During the editing phase, it’s brought to my attention that for instance, my perspective on technician regulation has been coloured by my growth opportunities in a long-term care setting. It’s something I really hadn’t considered and was thankful that it was pointed out.
  • The earlier the better – Out of the scenarios above, all require a response of some sort. As mentioned, my approach is to internalize and review all possible scenarios, but if I wait too long with a planned response, there’s a chance not only for the behavior or issue to arise again, but it’s also perceived as permissible by onlookers who may become disillusioned.
  • It’s emotionally exhausting, but worth it – Why are these conversations so difficult? If you hold trust and respect for someone, attempting to single out a flaw of some kind without it feeling like an attack is somewhat of an art. I have close friends who are much more adept at meeting with individuals and getting thanked for providing constructive criticism. Almost every difficult meeting I have, I’m usually needing to own up for my own slights or behaviors that have contributed to the situation. See above: they are also entitled to their reaction to something I’ve done or said. Being vulnerable around close family and friends is hard enough, around acquaintances and other professionals is another thing entirely. It’s no surprise that these meetings often happen at the end of the shift, or day, or week even to allow time to wind down.

If you genuinely care, if you are trying to help someone, let that be the basis for an interaction. If the person respects you and your opinion, they often recognize that they have put you in a position to respond. Offering alternatives for moving forward makes the conversation productive while acknowledging past missteps.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but perhaps we can turn that difficult conversation around into something positive with a clear path forward. We can’t guarantee foresight will be 20/20, but how close can we get?

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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First Aid

It was time for my renewal for standard first aid (SFA) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) so I registered for the 2-day course and completed my certification last week. This is a requirement to perform injections, but also an expectation as a health professional in the field. Every workplace location should have a trained individual on site at all times.

Is it just me, or does the training seem to change every year?

My first foray into first aid was to earn a badge as a cub scout. One of our group leaders was a trainer with St. John Ambulance and I recall it took place at someone’s house. There were about a dozen of us around the age of 8-10. I only retained a few items from that session: the constant warning of the graphic videos they could have shown us, how to tie a tourniquet, and just how scared to death I was to be confronted with a true first aid situation.

There was so much to remember. During the demonstrations where someone would have to take charge, we all looked at each other with eyes as wide as dinner plates. Almost everyone forgot at least one aspect of the primary survey (introducing yourself as a first-aider, determining multiple casualties, removing hazards, etc.). When manipulating limbs for splints and bandaging, the wrong hand placement led to drops or contortions that would probably do more harm than good. For the CPR component, we would disagree on timing of breaths or whether to do chest compressions first. This was well before the Good Samaritan Act so there was hesitation for fear of doing the wrong thing in the wrong order.

Since then, the training seems to have evolved to be more of a ‘stay calm and collected, assert control, and remember that you’re trying to help the person’. It’s a welcome switch, but watching the scenarios played in the videos are thorough to the point of no longer feeling like an emergency situation. For example, a young girl cuts her hand lengthwise in the kitchen and calls for help. Presumably the father comes in assesses the scene by asking her if anyone else was hurt and check her breathing. He then gloves up and proceeds to check the shoulder all the way down to the arm. The girl does not appear alarmed. By all accounts, this is of course the proper way to perform first aid, but if I was the casualty, I’d wonder why we were spending time doing a head-to-toe assessment. I imagine some folks would be a bit scared and hysterical as well.

CPR is much more simplified. For all cases, a 30:2 compression-to-breath ratio is easy to remember. For choking, the Heimlich Maneouvre (or abdominal thrusts) seemed to have fallen out of favour due to lack of evidence of effectiveness, but is being taught again in combination with back blows. Nose bleeds used to be pinching the nostrils with the head tilted back, but is now angled forward. Shock wasn’t discussed at length like before; if you treat the injury/injuries, then that’s the best way to minimize the effects of shock. Pen devices that administer epinephrine and AEDs are much more direct and straightforward when taught. My biggest disappointment is that tourniquets are no longer in the curriculum; I thought those were pretty cool. Ring pads are out of favour too, as they tend to be unstable on a wound. Pre-fabricated ring pads used to be part of a first aider’s kit. Who knew?

So I should be in good shape for another few years with a re-certification in between. Here’s hoping it’s a set of skills that will be needed infrequently. Should I find myself in a crisis situation, this training may make the difference between a favorable and a catastrophic outcome.

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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Like Riding a Bike

Recently, after a challenging stretch with my team, I’m reminded of the value of long-term outlooks. As a father, as a pharmacy manager, and as a semi-regular blogger, it’s so important to have clear goals in front of you.

I was out last weekend with my 7-year old in a grocery store parking lot. Having watched me prepare the past few years for the MS Bike Tour (click here for my fundraising page), she decided that this would be the summer to conquer the 2-wheel balancing act. We pumped up the tires and adjusted the seat height. Starting in the driveway, I ran along beside her for a couple of runs before making the 5-minute walk to the lot. I don’t remember details of my own learning experience with a bike, but hearkened back to my driving instructor’s advice from many moons ago: always look to where you want to go, and not the road in front of your wheels.

It took some practice. Being tentative, every time she watched her front wheel start to wobble, her sense of equilibrium followed suit and violent jerks on the handlebars failed to keep her upright. Soon enough, the chin came up, the arms relaxed a bit and she was able to pedal unattended for two seconds at first, then five. She was so excited to show her mother when she got home from work.

She taught me that my experience is no different. In my role, I’m expected to lead people. If I’m always looking at my front wheel, chances are I won’t be leading them very far, and the distance we do travel will be rife with wobbly or uncertain moments. At this point, I have this urge to expand on my meaning. I sense a bullet list coming on…

  • A leader’s vision is enhanced by the relative vision of his/her subordinates – Have you ever watched someone walking with a dog that is seemingly distracted by or reacting to just about everything they pass? Having to circle back and regroup takes time and effort. If there is good communication, and staff are trained to look further down the road themselves, then they may recognize steps to take today that will directly impact how fast they get there. Say, if the goal was to give 1000 flu shots, then finding easier ways to triage patients and pre-populate administrative paperwork will certainly enhance that ability.
  • Everyone has to have a long-term goal – In the same vein as above, the president of a company or the director of a university needs to be focused on long-term planning 95% of the time, to retain viability and competitive advantages. Perhaps middle-management needs to be about 50% focused on long-term and 50% on day-to-day functions. That trickles down to part-time front-line staff. They may fill a specific need 95% of the time, but they still need something to work towards over a 3-6-month period. I like to show these people aspects of inventory management, for instance.
  • Braking and turning are still important to learn – So the vision is communicated and we’re making good progress down the chosen road. What happens if the path needs to veer off (changes in the reimbursement model, etc.), or stop due to a roadblock (Information Technology limitations, etc.)? My daughter still has these aspects to work on, and so does my team. Maintaining that balance and control through the unknown will keep us from hitting a wall or flying into the bushes.

I want to say that managing a team is as easy as riding a bike, but I have a feeling you may have already seen that coming  😉

 

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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An Anniversary

March 28 holds a special meaning for me. It’s early spring and summer vacation planning needs to be in over the next week. My two siblings have birthdays coming up, so that’s always good for a pair of celebrations. From a pharmacy standpoint, in Nova Scotia the government drug benefit plan resets on April 1st, so cue the shock and awe from patients once again having co-pays on their prescriptions.

The special meaning for that date is really derived from my choice to start this blog. Three years ago, I jumped into these waters expecting very little. Inspiration was the title and summed up my feelings at the time. They have not changed and hope they never will. Laura has been editing my posts from day one and does an excellent job in keeping me on point when I offer too many platitudes. Thank you to all readers, wherever you may be; your kind words of encouragement and acceptance of my often rambling consciousness has a profound impact on this soul of mine. So much so, that challenges never feel as challenging, and spinning chaos in a positive light has a definite healing effect. I’m looking forward to what’s in store for year number four.

As long as we harbor aspirations of betterment, personally and professionally, there will always be stories to tell, and topics worth writing about.

 

 

http://pharmaspire.ca

dcovey@pharmaspire.ca

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.

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Dirty Laundry

Oh, how I would love to offer something salacious to justify the outrageous title. If I had the forethought, I should be writing an episodic daytime drama that captures the emotion and mystique of community pharmacy.

Just think: the excitement of finding a favorite pen that a colleague had been hoarding, the heartbreak of losing a customer who had developed into a close friend, and the passive-aggressive dance to decide whose turn to grab the cash. In  15 years, I never seem to run out of stories to tell, although on second thought, most are the ‘you had to be there’ variety.

After a stressful week, I am left to ponder the sobering realities of my chosen profession. One question in particular comes to mind:

How do I keep my lab coat white?

A quick reference check from the most trusted website on all of the internets, Wikipedia, tells us that lab coats were introduced to the medical profession in the late 1800’s to denote cleanliness. I admit, it’s very easy to tell if the lab coat gets grungy, especially around the cuffs from resting on dusty, drug residue-covered counters, or having a collection of pen-stripes above the pockets when you forget to retract the tip.

The symbol has evolved to portray trust and knowledge. To wit:

18ed_grovers_lab_coat

Image courtesy of our friends at Thinkgeek.com:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/18ed_grovers_lab_coat.jpg

Though we are far from infallible, we are trained to make judgement calls and defend our decision-making processes. This may be intimidating for many members of the public; previous generations would never dare challenge their family physician and lived in fear of disappointing them. White-coat hypertension is a very real phenomenon for many patients wary of the unknown, who build up stress in advance of an appointment, akin to waiting outside the principal’s office or prepping for a job interview.

Lab coats can be a bit on the controversial side as well. Many in professional settings eschew wearing an extra, often hot and uncomfortable layer. There is also growing concern of cross-contamination with super-bugs like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). There’s also the practicality argument: lab coats used in laboratory settings protect the wearer from chemical spillage on their clothes or skin. Generations ago, when most medicines were compounded, this may have been a solid stance, but then again smoking in the dispensary was also acceptable too.

My personal take? Over the years I’ve softened on the need for a white coat. As students taking pharmacy degrees or technician certification discover in their first years of study, receiving a white coat welcomes you into a strong, trusted community. I’ve always worn one, and feel pride when I interact with patients, colleagues and other professionals. The analytical side of me identifies with the science and the constant drive for higher knowledge. That said, I don’t question another professional’s preference to avoid wearing one unless it’s part of a uniform outlined by an employer or educational institution. Pharmacists find themselves in so many collaborative settings nowadays, be it committee-work, nursing homes, regulatory, administrative roles, etc. that are founded on relationships and trust that go much deeper than a symbolic white coat. In public forums, there’s no mistake that a lab coat will certainly draw attention and identify the wearer as someone who more than likely comes from a scientific or healthcare-related background (just ask any pharmacist in a grocery-store setting running to the deli for a quick lunch break).

So my point is: anyone have a recommendation on a good bleach?

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.