Types of Patients

I alluded in an earlier post about a ranking system I have devised in recent weeks to describe customers. When you float between stores as I do, it's often hard to describe one's relationship to a patient when discussing a story. As such I have devised the following list to help facilitate this clarity:

First-Tier Patients
These are the people who come in and immediately know you're name, as do you. Often you discus personal aspects of your lives together and you know one another on a more intimate basis. If you were to pass said patient in a store, you would stop and chat with them for a minute or two.

Second-Tier Patients
This type of patient is one whom recognizes you when they enter the store, but may not know your specific name. You recognize them by name as they enter the store, but may not know much about them outside of their medical life. You are friendly with them and have general conversation while in the store. No specifics are generally discussed under normal circumstances. If you were to pass said patient in a store, you would say hi to them using their first name.

Third-Tier Patients
This is the type of patient who recognizes you, but usually does not know your name. You do not recognize them until a name is stated. You are merely their pharmacist and they are merely your patient. If you were to pass said patient in a store, you would smile as you past them seeing as you would recognize them, but be unable to ascertain from where.

Fourth-Tier Patients
These are patients whom you simply do not recognize when they are in the store. They may be one time patients or irregular patients. If you were to pass said patient in a store, you would walk right pass them without a second thought.

Fifth-Tier Patients
You recognize this patient in an instant, although they may pretend not to know you are. They have caused problems in the store either via violence, confrontations and/or issues with drugs. Immediately your finger my hover over the panic button, but most likely your senses will be raised you deal with them. If you were to pass said patient in a store, you would make a wide arc around them fore they may attempt to steal your wallet.


There, now we can all relate stories to each other much more easily. Perhaps this is my contribution to the pharmacy industry. Feel free to print the list and hang it up in your respective pharmacies, copyright free. I'm just that nice!