Many young kids dread going to the doctor because they associate the experience with shots. Other children cringe at the mention of going to the dentist. My daughter, on the other hand, looks forward to doctor and dentist appointments…but the moment you mention a trip to Whole Foods Market, she melts into a puddle of dramatic lamentation and pleads that we go “anywhere but Whole Foods.” On a surface level, this seems a bit strange, but adding to the perplexity is that one of her favorite treats is a Whole Foods macaron. Usually when we go there, she gets a macaron, grabs a Bluey magazine, and seems to be having the time of her life!
So my wife finally asked her, “What’s your deal with Whole Foods?” And with effervescent indignance, my daughter quickly spewed forth an itemized list of grievances:
- It’s cold.
- It smells weird.
- She doesn’t like the color scheme.
- She doesn’t like the overall layout.
- It’s expensive (as if she’s ever had to buy anything there herself).
And then, she paused for dramatic effect and leaned in slowly as she prepared to add one more complaint. She whispered, “They sell beer, too!” (Apparently she has overheard one of her father’s diatribes on ethanol metabolism).
And I feel like clinicians make similar lists of gripes to justify NOT prescribing certain medications, even if the medications are useful. Maybe they’ve been left out in the cold by a Customer Service Representative. Maybe that one Sales Rep smelled weird. Maybe the lingering aroma of denied Prior Authorizations has deterred them from further prescriptions. Maybe the marketing strategy of the company is obnoxious and the commercials are lame. And maybe it’s “just too expensive.”
But ultimately, if that medication is the favored choice for your patient given his or her individual context, maybe it’s worth putting on a jacket, plugging your nose, putting aside your biases, and giving it another chance. Because you might just be missing out on the World’s Best Macaron that could make your patient’s life a Whole Lot Sweeter😊
