Anyone else a pharmacy tech and a pill popper/junky?

[Lucy Bookit]

I love my job at the pharmacy and have not/would not steal from them ever. However, I love and have been addicted to drugs for almost a decade. I've only been in the pharmacy for a year and a half. I get all my narcotic meds legally prescribed, as well as adderall and xanax, and a host of other medications due to a chronic type of autoimmune arthritis called undifferentiated spondylarthropathy (basically my body is inflamed everywhere) which has led to many different conditions.

Anyway, I find it unnerving how my life is now completely consumed by pills--from being at work to going home and taking my oxy and morphine. It's a strange line to walk, especially when faced with having to deny needles to addicts per my pharmacists rules (I believe in harm reduction, in part due to previously shooting up) and of course people are obviously conning the system yet have legal rxs. It is like switching on and off 1 part of my life for another every day, yet they are so intrinsically intertwined. I'm even thinking about going to pharmacy school, I love it so much!

I wonder if anyone else is living the same sort of double life behind the pharmacy walls.

 

[bipolar-sunshine]

I've thought about this a lot before. Drug addicts or users who are pharmacy techs. Good for you for your self control at work. You sound like a highly functioning user.

 

[watermelon14]

I've always wanted to work in a pharmacy setting - you mentioned that you've been addicted to drugs for almost a decade; is there any problem pursuing a career in pharmacy/pharm tech if you have a medical history of addiction or a drug-related criminal background?

 

[Lucy Bookit]

Once you go to be registered with the pharmacy board they do a full background check, at which point you have to disclose all convictions. I believe that it might make it so that you could not work in a pharmacy (although I can't confirm that). I do think that it'd make it extremely difficult to find a job--since all employees are heavily scrutinized in case they are diverting drugs.

Now, when it comes to your medical history, your employer has no ability nor any legal right to look at your medical history.

However, at least where I work, we are asked in our application if we have used barbiturates, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, marijuana, prescriptions medications, etc. etc. etc. illegally in the past 3 years... not that they'll know whether you are lying...

I have to say that I love my job, which I ended up in randomly. In Texas, you can work in the pharmacy as a "technician in training" for 2 years, during which you have to take your exam to become a certified pharmacy technician. It's a really fascinating environment, and the customers help keep it always interesting. (I even enjoy battling insurance so that medications are covered for my parents.)

It's also a plus that I can ask my pharmacists to order meds for me, since I take about 12 medications to keep my condition under control. Right now I'm taking opana er, which is pretty hard to find, but luckily my pharmacist ordered it for me for next month. There are definite perks to the job. I also have someone there to ask about my medications any time I have a question.

My previous experience with pills also made it easier for me to catch on to all the different types--especially since some I already knew about from personal

 

[watermelon14]

Hmm, interesting! Thanks for the info/reply!