Yes, pharmacists wear scrubs. They didn’t always wear scrubs by the way. There was a time before the modern era of medicine when pharmacists wore street clothes – shirts and ties – like other professions.
Historically, no hospital or pharmacy worker dressed in scrubs until the 1940s when it became important for sanitary purposes for them to wear scrubs.
The first scrubs were white, long gowns that reached around the wearers’ ankles. And these were worn during medical operations by surgeons and surgical staff.
And the scrubs were white because the color conveyed the sentiment of purity and cleanliness. These days you can find pharmacists who wear scrubs only in hospitals and clinics but wear street clothes under a white lab coat when back in their pharmacy.
Why are scrubs important for a pharmacist?
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For sanitary purposes
When in an environment like a hospital or clinic, pharmacists wear scrubs. It is important to wear scrubs in order to prevent spreading infections to others. It is also important for them because scrubs are easy to clean and maintain.
You may have noticed too that surgeons and everyone in the surgery room wear scrubs while conducting operations.
This suggests that the scrubs help them keep their immediate environment safe from the transfer of germs and infections.
It is for this same reason that when pharmacists are in the vicinity of hospital patients they often wear scrubs.
Most of them have a small room in their various outlets in which they sometimes examine their patients. They often wear scrubs when physically examining these patients.
For identification
Moreover, some pharmacists just have their scrubs hung on a hook up in their offices.
Many pharmacy employers have dress codes that include appearing in white lab coats which are worn over business clothes, scrubs which they wear on occasion. The emphasis is on appearing professional at all times.
Public perception rules how pharmacists dress. It is important for the public to have trust in pharmacists.
They have to appear in different capacities in different places, from clinics to hospitals and back to their retail outlets.
In each of these places pharmacists have to be dressed in different ways; the helpful, efficient pharmacist in scrubs, the professional, neat, pharmacist in a white lab coat.
At other times your position in the department will determine what you wear.
Pharmacists whose job is only to fill prescriptions without much physical contact with customers may be required to dress in street clothes or a pair of scrubs.
If a pharmacist does this same job where he will be seen by much of the public, he may be required to wear a white vest with the medical profession insignia of the sword with the curly snake on the front pocket area.
Pharmacists who manage the front desk and interface with the public may be required to wear a white lab coat since they are perceived as the face of the profession.
Protection from spills
The scrub also protects them from hazards associated with their job. As a necessary requirement for them, pharmacists have to work with drugs and medicines.
Most medicines are solids, like tablets, caplets, and capsules. Others are in liquid states. Accidents do happen where medicines spill. If this happens scrubs help to prevent the spills or splashes from touching their body and causing harm.
What color of scrubs do pharmacists wear and why?
Pharmacists wear two major colors of scrubs namely, blue and green. But before I go to the reason why these colors are the most relevant colors for pharmacists, it will be in order to first address a few important points about scrubs.
Scrubs aren’t only for pharmacists. All medical personnel can wear scrubs at different times in their work. And color difference is usually determined not by the individual pharmacist but by the employer of the institution.
In many hospitals where pharmacists work, they have to follow established traditions peculiar to the place. This is done for the sake of uniformity.
So in some hospitals or pharmacies, you will see pharmacists dressed in blue scrubs, or a few others dressed in white tops and pants.
As I’ve noted earlier. The pharmacist who will prescribe medications to you will like to wear a white top, and the one that will examine you may wear a blue or green scrub.
Why the color blue or green?
Colors have effects on human perceptions. They even affect chemical reactions inside us. The color red for example is known to make people excited, raising their blood pressure.
The color blue on the other hand has a calming effect when people see it. An old study published in the New York Times shows that different colors have an effect on blood pressure.
Pharmacists either wear a blue or green color for the positive effect it has on their patients. White can be too harsh on the visuals and difficult to maintain, red may cause over-excitement and is potentially dangerous, and the rest of the other colors have reasons to be considered impractical.
It comes down to personal preference in circumstances where the hospital does not require a mandatory color of scrubs. Some pharmacists go a long time without wearing their scrubs, leaving them hanging in their cars, holes, or changing room lockers.
Can pharmacy interns wear scrubs?
Yes, they can. As I have said, much of the decision lies with the company where the intern works or the hospital in which the pharmacy is located.
Some companies want the public to see their company and not the pharmacist intern so they may require an intern to wear business clothes with a tie.
In hospitals where an intern may be interface with the public from behind a glass panel, he may be required to also wear a formal shirt with or without a tie since he is not physically examining patients.
Whereas some employers rarely require interns to wear scrubs. Some hospitals prefer that interns wear scrubs when on rotation, others require white coats. If the intern is working in retail he may be required to wear shirts and khaki pants, not scrubs. And ties are not a must.
If you are an intern looking forward to your training, it is best to relax and wait until your first day. Usually, you will be told what sort of attire to wear.
The company will let you know if it will be scrubs and what colors. Many interns would love to wear scrubs but sorry, that isn’t your decision to make yet.
Do CVS pharmacists wear scrubs?
No. CVS pharmacists wear business and casual clothes under their white coats.
CVS is a retail pharmacy in the United States with headquarters in Woonsocket Rhode Island. It was originally known as a consumer value store and was founded in 1964.
It is currently the largest retail pharmacy in the country. They have dress codes for all their employees. Their pharmacy technicians are the only ones who wear hospital scrubs. Every employee wears a name tag on their clothes: casual or scrubs.
Do CVS pharmacy techs wear scrubs?
They wear blue scrubs too. When they begin working at CVS pharmacy first, they are allowed to wear business casual attire. Those at the front desk wear black jeans pants and blue polo shirts.
Techs that work at the counter with the public are required to wear a white lab coat with their name tag on it. The white coat and name tag identify them so the customer can be at ease to relate with them.
Customers sometimes find it difficult to communicate about their medications. Or they may be afraid to ask questions from a stranger. The name tag on the coat puts the customer at ease to ask questions or make complaints.
By wearing a lab coat the pharmacy tech inspires confidence and shows he is a professional. The customer can use the name on the tag if he chooses, making the interaction more personal. This makes the customer able to ask even the most personal questions about their health.
Do clinical pharmacists wear white coats?
They do wear white coats. They do this while going on rounds if they work in a hospital where other doctors wear white coat.
It is more about appearance than anything else since they would like to be distinguished from the sea of different people prowling the hospital corridors.
It is important for pharmacists to dress this way because the white coat speaks volumes about them, and inspires confidence in patients who see them.
The sight of the white coat has a calming effect on the patients they interact with. People are often more agreeable to anyone in the hospital dressed this way.
They are more expressive about their health challenges and more trusting of a pharmacist prescribing medicine while dressed in a white coat.
Do hospital pharmacy techs wear scrubs?
They do. Pharmacy techs usually work closely with the public and want to appear professional. For this reason, most hospitals require that they wear blue-colored scrubs.
Many companies that employ pharmacy techs have a number of people in their tech team, so they have a code of dressing for them all in order to differentiate them from the rest of the staff.
Now there are different options of the dress open to pharmacy techs depending on where they work. Most public hospitals require them to appear at all times in blue scrubs, some pharmacies located outside hospitals have a white coat or vest.
Some others want pharmacy techs to wear their own dresses as long as it is professional.
Some companies go further to make a distinction between when the pharmacy technician is working closely with the public and when he assists the pharmacist.
In some institutions, they are required to wear white coats when they are assisting the pharmacist but to wear scrubs when at the counter administering medicines.
What color of scrubs do Walgreens pharmacy techs wear?
At Walgreens, pharmacy techs wear light blue scrub tops. This is according to the guidelines for dress code for the company which they change periodically.
They can wear their solid white shirts under the scrub top or they can wear a white, grey, or black long-sleeved t-shirt under the scrub top.
They wear this color because it is easy to identify among the numerous people who work there. It also helps to associate them with their position.
The scrubs give customers the feeling that they are working with professionals that can be trusted to deliver quality and consistency.
It is especially important since pharmacy techs are handling people’s medications and healthcare. Appearing in scrubs gives the impression that the tech has skills and knowledge that will enable him to provide solutions to the patients’ health problems.
A pharmacist assistant may also wear a white coat if his work requires that he interacts directly with the public. The white coat becomes ubiquitous in pharmacies, both in hospitals and anywhere else as it gives customers a sense of security knowing that their health is in the hands of professionals.
Do Walgreens pharmacy cashiers wear scrubs?
Cashiers do not wear scrubs at Walgreens pharmacy. According to the dress code, they wear company-branded shirts and dark khaki pants. And of course, they must have a face mask on to prevent the spread of covid.
They must have their name tags on the shirt at all times.
The pants are solid black in color, and if they’re female they must wear skirts that are knee-length or longer and they must also be black.
They can’t wear jeans, or pants and skirts made of denim materials. Only pants made of cotton, wool or polyester.
Scrubs are uniform wear by healthcare professionals all over the world. As you have seen they serve many purposes, from identifying the health worker to putting the customer at ease.
And they can be cleaned easily. This is why they are generally cleaner than regular clothes because most hospitals have a dedicated laundry for them, and they employ special techniques in the washing and cleaning of scrubs to make sure they don’t spread infections in the place where people are supposed to be safest.
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