Ohfor07
A friend of mine works in a pharmacy, a fairly typical, corporate-run pharmacy. Several weeks ago we were discussing a variety of issues and in the course of this discussion they mentioned to me, in passing, as if it were nothing because of how routine the situation is as observed from their perspective (working 8-5, day after day, for many years, in a corporate pharmacy, behind the counter, witnessing the same act play out over and over so many times that they don't even notice it anymore). I asked for a time out in our discussion so that we could back up a moment. I asked "wait a minute, what did you just say?". The answer was "what do you mean? all I was saying was that today there was a mother who came in to get her routine fluoride presecription filled to give to her child, just like I've seen mothers and parents do over and over for as many years that I've worked there.... why? what's the big deal". I asked "what routine prescription?" and they looked at me like I was an alien.....several moments of silence passed and I asked again - what routine?. At this point the response is starting to come with an increased sense of exasperation apparently because I was not familiar with this apparent routine. The answer was - "well, you know how we don't have fluoridated water in our area, right?", to which I said "yes". "well, the routine is, the one that I've been observing for so many years that I hardly even notice it or think about it anymore, is, that parents in this area have been conditioned to believe that, since their water is not fluoridated by their municipality, then it is the job of the parent, through their M.D., to get prescriptions filled, so they can give to their children, so as to keep their teeth healthy.... what is so difficult to understand about that?". Again, this was said in such a casual, ho-hum fashion that I was literally speechless for several moments.