An old proverb says a little knowledge is a dangerous thing; that’s certainly true when it comes the mad rush on chloroquine.

“Hello, I’m calling to refill my prescriptions because I might be sheltering in place for a while,” I said.

“I’m glad you called,” the pharmacist at Thomas Drugs said. “Which ones?”

As soon as the word Plaquenil left my mouth, the pharmacist interjected. “I’ve been getting a lot of calls and prescriptions for Plaquenil. People are desperate. They heard President Trump say it’s a cure for Coronavirus and now everyone wants it.”

“He shouldn’t have done that,” I replied. “There’s no proof it actually works. It’s a powerful drug with real side effects.”

“I know,” he replied. “Technically I am out of it. But, I looked up my customers who normally get Plaquenil and I set aside enough for your refill. I don’t know when I’ll get more.

“This is terrible. People like me with autoimmune diseases need this drug to function. If the president was going to mention it, he should’ve demanded drug makers ramp up production.”

“I agree,” he said. “I’ll do your refills today. Who’s picking it up?”

“My fiancé,” I replied. “Thank you for this. For looking out for me. Please take care of you.”

“You too.”

As I hung up, I remembered why I don’t get my prescriptions at a chain store. I’ve been going to the same family run pharmacy for nearly 15 years. Why? They’ve called my doctors for refills, sought out cheaper brands, saved me from prescription interactions and suggested natural remedies.

This pharmacist has treated me like a family member, I thought. This time, he saved me from having to go without a crucial medication.

#smallbusinesses #BeKind #isolation #covid19 #coronavirus #nyc #invisibleillness #chronicillness #chronicpain #autoimmunedisease #spoonie #workfromhome #plaquenil #chloroquine