1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,000 a pioneer is a trailblazer a person who 2 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,609 prepares the way for others the Rio 3 00:00:17,609 --> 00:00:20,010 Grande Valley has been home to pioneer 4 00:00:20,010 --> 00:00:25,080 authors folklorists and educators during 5 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:28,260 the 1950's few women and even fewer 6 00:00:28,260 --> 00:00:30,720 minority women attended pharmacy school 7 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,559 in Texas yet one young latina from 8 00:00:34,559 --> 00:00:36,840 Harlingen Texas not only received her 9 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:38,969 pharmacy degree from the University of 10 00:00:38,969 --> 00:00:41,309 Texas at Austin but also became the 11 00:00:41,309 --> 00:00:44,010 first Hispanic female pharmacist in the 12 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:44,420 valley 13 00:00:44,420 --> 00:00:47,399 what follows is the story of this 14 00:00:47,399 --> 00:00:50,489 intelligent resilient woman whose legacy 15 00:00:50,489 --> 00:00:53,489 as a Frontera pharmacist has left its 16 00:00:53,489 --> 00:00:58,079 mark on los del vaya well I was born and 17 00:00:58,079 --> 00:01:01,410 raised here in Harlingen I lived in San 18 00:01:01,410 --> 00:01:03,420 Antonio for a while and then in Austin 19 00:01:03,420 --> 00:01:05,580 when I went to to UT Austin but then I 20 00:01:05,580 --> 00:01:09,299 came back my family was one of the first 21 00:01:09,299 --> 00:01:11,580 families here where there were pioneers 22 00:01:11,580 --> 00:01:14,700 in fact my mother was from Brownsville 23 00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:18,299 but she was teaching here at the Saldana 24 00:01:18,299 --> 00:01:22,470 ranch and Daniel's had a big ranch but 25 00:01:22,470 --> 00:01:23,820 they wanted a school for their own 26 00:01:23,820 --> 00:01:26,220 children they weren't any in Harlingen 27 00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:29,159 yet and for their workers and they they 28 00:01:29,159 --> 00:01:31,860 brought her from Brownsville to come and 29 00:01:31,860 --> 00:01:35,670 teach and and then of course you know at 30 00:01:35,670 --> 00:01:36,659 that time there were there were no 31 00:01:36,659 --> 00:01:39,270 hotels and families didn't let their 32 00:01:39,270 --> 00:01:43,229 daughters go to another city to work you 33 00:01:43,229 --> 00:01:44,820 know they knew who they were staying 34 00:01:44,820 --> 00:01:47,250 with so she came in stayed with a Lozano 35 00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:48,030 family 36 00:01:48,030 --> 00:01:51,259 she was via Riyadh 37 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,990 and that's why she met my father when 38 00:01:55,990 --> 00:01:58,150 she was staying at his family's home so 39 00:01:58,150 --> 00:02:00,640 they got married and then she would tell 40 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,710 us that in 1904 when the train came in 41 00:02:02,710 --> 00:02:07,440 she and her children all ran from school 42 00:02:10,139 --> 00:02:12,850 to the railroad track that goes by here 43 00:02:12,850 --> 00:02:19,000 very close to us almost cool here which 44 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,150 was a Grammar School close to to me here 45 00:02:22,150 --> 00:02:25,060 and then since then it's been torn torn 46 00:02:25,060 --> 00:02:26,800 down I went to school there are a lot of 47 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,520 Hispanics went there then I went to when 48 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,310 I went to middle school here they call 49 00:02:33,310 --> 00:02:41,050 it junior high and I went to school high 50 00:02:41,050 --> 00:02:44,920 school and I graduated from there for a 51 00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:47,520 while I didn't know what I wanted to do 52 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,410 when I graduated most women either went 53 00:02:50,410 --> 00:02:53,770 into teaching or nursing there was about 54 00:02:53,770 --> 00:02:56,200 the only fields that were open you know 55 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,620 for women and either one for some reason 56 00:02:59,620 --> 00:03:04,090 didn't entice me too much so I started 57 00:03:04,090 --> 00:03:07,120 working for a while and I did office 58 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,239 work and it just happened that one of 59 00:03:10,239 --> 00:03:13,450 the offices for I worked right next door 60 00:03:13,450 --> 00:03:17,080 to us was Macpherson's pharmacy and you 61 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:18,610 may have heard of McPherson sir they've 62 00:03:18,610 --> 00:03:20,799 been here for years and years and this 63 00:03:20,799 --> 00:03:22,959 was just a building that he was renting 64 00:03:22,959 --> 00:03:26,260 at that time and the doors to the to the 65 00:03:26,260 --> 00:03:28,030 office and the pharmacy were like this 66 00:03:28,030 --> 00:03:29,680 so they were almost open you could use 67 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:31,750 there was no air condition at that time 68 00:03:31,750 --> 00:03:33,820 you could just go in from one place to 69 00:03:33,820 --> 00:03:37,600 the other and he and his workers knew no 70 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,720 Spanish and of course we had a lot of 71 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:42,489 Spanish people here and they would ask 72 00:03:42,489 --> 00:03:45,190 me to come translate for them like I 73 00:03:45,190 --> 00:03:47,560 said this we're giving this man or this 74 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,480 lady a prescription and we cannot tell 75 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:50,829 them how to take because they don't know 76 00:03:50,829 --> 00:03:53,470 English come translate for us so we'll 77 00:03:53,470 --> 00:03:55,570 go I would go and translate for them but 78 00:03:55,570 --> 00:03:57,880 go back and forth and that's how I 79 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:01,030 started getting interested in pharmacy I 80 00:04:01,030 --> 00:04:03,430 had not even thought about pharmacy and 81 00:04:03,430 --> 00:04:06,370 I could see on the counter they had all 82 00:04:06,370 --> 00:04:07,780 the prescriptions that were coming to be 83 00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:10,209 picked up and I could see that somewhere 84 00:04:10,209 --> 00:04:13,450 liquid summer tablets some were capsules 85 00:04:13,450 --> 00:04:16,390 and I started thinking why you know why 86 00:04:16,390 --> 00:04:17,978 does the some come in one shape 87 00:04:17,978 --> 00:04:20,048 informants I'm in another so I started 88 00:04:20,048 --> 00:04:22,450 getting interested in pharmacy and I 89 00:04:22,450 --> 00:04:25,539 finally went to pharmacy school I did go 90 00:04:25,539 --> 00:04:29,110 to Texas South most college was it was 91 00:04:29,110 --> 00:04:31,860 much smaller much smaller than I 92 00:04:31,860 --> 00:04:33,820 remember 93 00:04:33,820 --> 00:04:36,910 it's a gorgeous home yes I remember that 94 00:04:36,910 --> 00:04:40,890 and I remember our chemistry labs I 95 00:04:40,890 --> 00:04:43,240 remember mrs. Wilson she was my 96 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,789 chemistry teacher and then I took 97 00:04:45,789 --> 00:04:49,150 biology with mrs. Warburton and those 98 00:04:49,150 --> 00:04:51,760 are the two that really stand out in my 99 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,210 mind and there were a lot of young 100 00:04:55,210 --> 00:04:57,700 people then a lot of Hispanics there 101 00:04:57,700 --> 00:04:58,870 were a lot and there were other people 102 00:04:58,870 --> 00:05:00,669 from Orange and they were going and we 103 00:05:00,669 --> 00:05:04,979 will write the bus we would take the bus 104 00:05:05,010 --> 00:05:10,590 [Music] 105 00:05:10,590 --> 00:05:15,960 there was a dramatic change I was very 106 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,260 close I was glad I was accepted I was 107 00:05:19,260 --> 00:05:24,780 surprised too and I really had no 108 00:05:24,780 --> 00:05:26,580 products some people have told me they 109 00:05:26,580 --> 00:05:29,760 had some problems with prejudice with 110 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,310 Hispanics I I never went through that so 111 00:05:32,310 --> 00:05:33,660 I really have no experience with that 112 00:05:33,660 --> 00:05:36,650 but I have heard I have heard of that 113 00:05:36,650 --> 00:05:39,840 but I did have good grades in high 114 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:41,580 school I think that helped me you know 115 00:05:41,580 --> 00:05:47,820 to be accepted and of course I like 116 00:05:47,820 --> 00:05:50,790 football because of football games and I 117 00:05:50,790 --> 00:05:52,650 would get to that Stadium and at that 118 00:05:52,650 --> 00:05:56,910 time it seeded 72,000 people and I would 119 00:05:56,910 --> 00:05:58,590 think that's even larger than the city 120 00:05:58,590 --> 00:06:01,350 of Harlingen you know I was it was it 121 00:06:01,350 --> 00:06:03,690 was flabbergasting you know so many 122 00:06:03,690 --> 00:06:05,670 people but when I've already enjoyed the 123 00:06:05,670 --> 00:06:07,760 football games and and my stay there 124 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:12,750 related and so I I really enjoyed it 125 00:06:12,750 --> 00:06:15,740 there of course it was hard work and and 126 00:06:15,740 --> 00:06:18,570 you have a lot of laps with pharmacy you 127 00:06:18,570 --> 00:06:21,900 have biology lab you have chemistry you 128 00:06:21,900 --> 00:06:26,010 have 56 and most two or three times a 129 00:06:26,010 --> 00:06:28,350 week I would have a lab from two o'clock 130 00:06:28,350 --> 00:06:31,050 in the afternoon till 5:00 while all the 131 00:06:31,050 --> 00:06:33,090 other kids were at Barton Springs you 132 00:06:33,090 --> 00:06:34,740 know they would go swimming or I'm 133 00:06:34,740 --> 00:06:37,170 having a good time and I thought here I 134 00:06:37,170 --> 00:06:39,270 have to be in lab you know from 2:00 to 135 00:06:39,270 --> 00:06:42,690 5:00 but English hard work it was I 136 00:06:42,690 --> 00:06:47,790 really had to work at it and I kept 137 00:06:47,790 --> 00:06:50,070 praying and saying dear Lord if you 138 00:06:50,070 --> 00:06:51,450 don't want me to fall into pharmacy 139 00:06:51,450 --> 00:06:53,070 don't let me pass anything they're not 140 00:06:53,070 --> 00:06:54,360 then I'll go you don't want me in 141 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,630 pharmacy in at that time there were not 142 00:06:57,630 --> 00:07:02,400 too many women in pharmacy I remember 143 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:03,690 that in my class there were just three 144 00:07:03,690 --> 00:07:07,740 of us and one was another Hispanic girl 145 00:07:07,740 --> 00:07:12,180 from Laredo and an Anglo girl but I 146 00:07:12,180 --> 00:07:13,740 don't I don't remember where she was 147 00:07:13,740 --> 00:07:17,070 from there were just three of us but but 148 00:07:17,070 --> 00:07:18,930 the boys were very good about helping us 149 00:07:18,930 --> 00:07:22,140 especially in in lab that would help us 150 00:07:22,140 --> 00:07:23,850 well you do this this way and me they 151 00:07:23,850 --> 00:07:24,080 would 152 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:25,669 help us you know with the test and all 153 00:07:25,669 --> 00:07:28,970 of that so everybody's trying to to help 154 00:07:28,970 --> 00:07:31,970 each other each other out but I kept I 155 00:07:31,970 --> 00:07:36,639 kept going so I graduated in 55 I 156 00:07:36,639 --> 00:07:40,969 remember when we were still in class and 157 00:07:40,969 --> 00:07:42,800 we would complain today professor so we 158 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:44,389 have so much work to do we have so much 159 00:07:44,389 --> 00:07:46,639 work to do and and their professor we 160 00:07:46,639 --> 00:07:48,580 told us if you think you're busy now 161 00:07:48,580 --> 00:07:51,620 wait you you start working then you're 162 00:07:51,620 --> 00:07:57,409 really going to be busy and that was 163 00:07:57,409 --> 00:07:59,360 true when I came home 164 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,509 of course I lived here in Harlingen but 165 00:08:02,509 --> 00:08:04,639 there were no vacancies when I came in 166 00:08:04,639 --> 00:08:07,699 Harlan's and all of drug stores had the 167 00:08:07,699 --> 00:08:10,550 pharmacists that they needed but I did 168 00:08:10,550 --> 00:08:14,240 find a location a job in san benito with 169 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,629 a pharmacy there and so I started 170 00:08:17,629 --> 00:08:19,669 working there and I had no money I had 171 00:08:19,669 --> 00:08:22,099 to start working you know right away and 172 00:08:22,099 --> 00:08:27,199 I worked there two years but what was 173 00:08:27,199 --> 00:08:29,479 interesting was that while I was working 174 00:08:29,479 --> 00:08:31,969 there at the drugstore it was the type 175 00:08:31,969 --> 00:08:33,919 of drug show that like in the past they 176 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:35,719 had the fountain you know and everything 177 00:08:35,719 --> 00:08:38,179 all the school kids would come in to eat 178 00:08:38,179 --> 00:08:42,740 at lunch and had their drinks and like 179 00:08:42,740 --> 00:08:45,320 the root beer floats and the coke floats 180 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:46,699 those were the popular things at that 181 00:08:46,699 --> 00:08:48,940 time and even employees from other 182 00:08:48,940 --> 00:08:52,430 businesses would come in and eat and one 183 00:08:52,430 --> 00:08:54,350 day I received a phone call from a 184 00:08:54,350 --> 00:08:56,570 friend of mine that worked here at 185 00:08:56,570 --> 00:08:59,449 Valley Baptist Hospital at that time it 186 00:08:59,449 --> 00:09:01,550 was Valley Baptist Hospital she was a 187 00:09:01,550 --> 00:09:04,760 secretary to the administrator and she 188 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,790 says holy God our pharmacist is retiring 189 00:09:07,790 --> 00:09:10,399 is quitting which would like to come 190 00:09:10,399 --> 00:09:14,510 work over here they asked me to to call 191 00:09:14,510 --> 00:09:17,420 you to come in for an interview and I 192 00:09:17,420 --> 00:09:20,149 said well I've been here at this 193 00:09:20,149 --> 00:09:22,850 structure for about a year and I'm very 194 00:09:22,850 --> 00:09:25,339 happy here I like it and I'm not the 195 00:09:25,339 --> 00:09:27,500 kind of like to be changing jobs you 196 00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:30,560 know here and there and I said no I 197 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:32,610 think I'll pass on 198 00:09:32,610 --> 00:09:34,950 I'll stay here but but thank you thank 199 00:09:34,950 --> 00:09:40,980 you anyway okay later sometime later she 200 00:09:40,980 --> 00:09:44,310 called me again she says you know when 201 00:09:44,310 --> 00:09:46,410 you you that you were not interested in 202 00:09:46,410 --> 00:09:50,130 the job and the hospital hired a woman 203 00:09:50,130 --> 00:09:53,190 pharmacist and now she has found out 204 00:09:53,190 --> 00:09:54,720 that she's expecting a baby 205 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:59,820 so she's quitting would you like would 206 00:09:59,820 --> 00:10:03,690 you like to come work and another well 207 00:10:03,690 --> 00:10:05,550 this is the second time this comes up 208 00:10:05,550 --> 00:10:07,620 maybe I had better look at it but I had 209 00:10:07,620 --> 00:10:11,399 never done Hospital Pharmacy and so I 210 00:10:11,399 --> 00:10:13,920 came and interviewed with mr. Morrison 211 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:15,720 he was the administrator at that time 212 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,420 and and I saw the pharmacy what it 213 00:10:18,420 --> 00:10:21,209 looked like and all its work and and I 214 00:10:21,209 --> 00:10:24,269 said well I'll give it a try I'll try it 215 00:10:24,269 --> 00:10:26,850 and see if I like it I'll stay not I go 216 00:10:26,850 --> 00:10:29,880 back to retail to retail pharmacy so I 217 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,880 took the work I took the job and I was 218 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:37,769 there 29 years at Valley Baptist 29 219 00:10:37,769 --> 00:10:40,470 years and when I started I was the only 220 00:10:40,470 --> 00:10:42,240 pharmacist because the hospital had 221 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:46,010 about 125 beds it was a small hospital 222 00:10:46,010 --> 00:10:48,449 we had people that worked at night of 223 00:10:48,449 --> 00:10:50,130 course the second shift I worked during 224 00:10:50,130 --> 00:10:53,670 the day and fine it was too much for me 225 00:10:53,670 --> 00:10:55,769 so I had started hiring a technician to 226 00:10:55,769 --> 00:10:57,990 help me join the day then another 227 00:10:57,990 --> 00:11:00,779 technician and the hospital kept growing 228 00:11:00,779 --> 00:11:04,339 and I thoroughly enjoyed my work there I 229 00:11:04,339 --> 00:11:08,519 thoroughly enjoyed it because I feel 230 00:11:08,519 --> 00:11:10,230 like in hospital pharmacy you have a 231 00:11:10,230 --> 00:11:12,829 better overall picture of pharmacy 232 00:11:12,829 --> 00:11:15,329 because in the drugstores you you deal 233 00:11:15,329 --> 00:11:18,540 mostly with your oral medication in a 234 00:11:18,540 --> 00:11:19,800 hospital pharmacy you have the 235 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,550 injections you have the IV solutions you 236 00:11:23,550 --> 00:11:25,380 supply the medication for other 237 00:11:25,380 --> 00:11:30,510 departments like x-ray Brady and ready 238 00:11:30,510 --> 00:11:34,100 ology and you know x-ray laboratory 239 00:11:34,100 --> 00:11:36,089 physical therapy all the things that 240 00:11:36,089 --> 00:11:37,860 they need with their work so you become 241 00:11:37,860 --> 00:11:40,110 acquainted with the things that they use 242 00:11:40,110 --> 00:11:42,220 the medication that they need 243 00:11:42,220 --> 00:11:44,680 and I think it gives you a better 244 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:48,490 overall picture of all the medicine all 245 00:11:48,490 --> 00:11:50,050 the medication that is used in the 246 00:11:50,050 --> 00:11:54,069 health field and one interesting thing 247 00:11:54,069 --> 00:11:56,230 was that in the health field you never 248 00:11:56,230 --> 00:11:57,940 get in a rut because things were always 249 00:11:57,940 --> 00:12:01,240 changing new medicines coming out or new 250 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:02,889 treatments for the patients and you need 251 00:12:02,889 --> 00:12:04,360 to learn it about you need to learn 252 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,709 about new medicines for those treatments 253 00:12:07,709 --> 00:12:11,050 new doctors came in you talk to them and 254 00:12:11,050 --> 00:12:13,629 we started getting a lot of specialists 255 00:12:13,629 --> 00:12:16,720 at first we didn't have too many most of 256 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:18,699 them were general practitioners family 257 00:12:18,699 --> 00:12:22,089 doctors surgeons but then we started 258 00:12:22,089 --> 00:12:23,860 getting a lot of specialists here in 259 00:12:23,860 --> 00:12:27,000 Harlingen so we were talk to them and 260 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,670 see what what their needs were what 261 00:12:29,670 --> 00:12:32,379 medicines did they expect us to keep for 262 00:12:32,379 --> 00:12:34,839 them for their specialist specialty for 263 00:12:34,839 --> 00:12:36,639 their specialty so it was always very 264 00:12:36,639 --> 00:12:38,379 interesting it was a constant change it 265 00:12:38,379 --> 00:12:40,899 was always something new well a typical 266 00:12:40,899 --> 00:12:44,139 day we record the filling orders you 267 00:12:44,139 --> 00:12:45,550 know talking to people they need 268 00:12:45,550 --> 00:12:46,420 information 269 00:12:46,420 --> 00:12:49,449 ordering medication answering the phone 270 00:12:49,449 --> 00:12:51,970 they never stopped answering the phone 271 00:12:51,970 --> 00:12:55,750 and there would be a good and having all 272 00:12:55,750 --> 00:12:59,019 the medicine that you needed on hand but 273 00:12:59,019 --> 00:13:01,990 you always tried to do anyway and that 274 00:13:01,990 --> 00:13:05,259 good day would be when there was an 275 00:13:05,259 --> 00:13:07,480 emergency or something different came up 276 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,180 and you had to scramble to find medicine 277 00:13:10,180 --> 00:13:13,589 for the doctors we used to have a 278 00:13:13,589 --> 00:13:17,410 Southwestern drug company here which was 279 00:13:17,410 --> 00:13:21,759 it sold medicine and it supplied us and 280 00:13:21,759 --> 00:13:23,620 they and their supplier to them was in 281 00:13:23,620 --> 00:13:28,779 San Antonio so we had a good medicine 282 00:13:28,779 --> 00:13:30,689 made a lot of medicine available here 283 00:13:30,689 --> 00:13:32,860 but then sometimes there were things out 284 00:13:32,860 --> 00:13:35,889 of the ordinary you know our something 285 00:13:35,889 --> 00:13:38,079 unusual happened with a patient and the 286 00:13:38,079 --> 00:13:41,309 doctor needed something different and I 287 00:13:41,309 --> 00:13:44,019 would call other drugstores I will call 288 00:13:44,019 --> 00:13:47,019 other hospitals in the area to see maybe 289 00:13:47,019 --> 00:13:47,740 they had it 290 00:13:47,740 --> 00:13:50,110 we were always helping each other out if 291 00:13:50,110 --> 00:13:52,029 they did they would borrow from us and 292 00:13:52,029 --> 00:13:54,330 we would borrow from them 293 00:13:54,330 --> 00:13:57,060 like sometimes the Sioux in Bronzeville 294 00:13:57,060 --> 00:14:01,350 put borrow from us like snake antivenin 295 00:14:01,350 --> 00:14:03,360 for some reason they might run out they 296 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:05,640 might have too many cases or sometimes 297 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:07,529 we ran out and we would borrow from them 298 00:14:07,529 --> 00:14:09,930 so everybody was always helping there 299 00:14:09,930 --> 00:14:13,050 was an atypical one and and you would 300 00:14:13,050 --> 00:14:14,550 order it and even the wholesaler was 301 00:14:14,550 --> 00:14:16,020 that we don't have that we don't carry 302 00:14:16,020 --> 00:14:17,550 it we'll try to get it for you from San 303 00:14:17,550 --> 00:14:20,160 Antonio and using a biscuit that as soon 304 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,279 as possible you know whichever way you 305 00:14:23,279 --> 00:14:25,470 can the quickest way because the doctors 306 00:14:25,470 --> 00:14:27,839 needs it for a patient that would be 307 00:14:27,839 --> 00:14:29,550 there would be a bad day they wouldn't 308 00:14:29,550 --> 00:14:31,050 you would get headaches you would get 309 00:14:31,050 --> 00:14:32,610 headaches with that and you would worry 310 00:14:32,610 --> 00:14:35,040 you know you would worry about that in 311 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:40,580 the latter years it was decided that 312 00:14:40,580 --> 00:14:43,410 instead of the nurses free writing the 313 00:14:43,410 --> 00:14:46,620 orders from the doctor's orders and 314 00:14:46,620 --> 00:14:48,570 sending them to the pharmacy the 315 00:14:48,570 --> 00:14:51,540 original sheet the original order 316 00:14:51,540 --> 00:14:53,220 written by the doctor would be sent to 317 00:14:53,220 --> 00:14:55,440 us then of course it was hard sometimes 318 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,350 reading the doctor's orders which he of 319 00:14:58,350 --> 00:15:00,000 course were used to a little bit on 320 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,310 prescriptions you know but but in they 321 00:15:02,310 --> 00:15:05,160 had the low abbreviations and low lingo 322 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:06,510 you know for for the hospital you 323 00:15:06,510 --> 00:15:11,520 finally caught on to all of that not 324 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:16,650 that I know you know it was funny 325 00:15:16,650 --> 00:15:18,779 because we could see their writing on 326 00:15:18,779 --> 00:15:21,000 prescriptions and on order and then 327 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:22,279 sometimes we were always having 328 00:15:22,279 --> 00:15:25,529 workshops and everybody nurses and 329 00:15:25,529 --> 00:15:27,900 technicians everybody keeping up today 330 00:15:27,900 --> 00:15:30,390 and then we have we would have a doctor 331 00:15:30,390 --> 00:15:32,339 as a speaker and a certain subject and 332 00:15:32,339 --> 00:15:34,200 they would write on the board and they 333 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,020 were right so clearly you know that why 334 00:15:37,020 --> 00:15:38,940 can't they write like that all the time 335 00:15:38,940 --> 00:15:43,070 you know and then we were using 336 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,579 medication carts because in the pharmacy 337 00:15:47,579 --> 00:15:49,470 we had what we call the dumbwaiter a 338 00:15:49,470 --> 00:15:52,260 little elevator and we and the alternate 339 00:15:52,260 --> 00:15:54,510 of the orders came on the dumbwaiter and 340 00:15:54,510 --> 00:15:56,250 we would send them back on the 341 00:15:56,250 --> 00:15:57,810 dumbwaiter because it was easy for all 342 00:15:57,810 --> 00:16:00,690 the nurses stations all the floors to to 343 00:16:00,690 --> 00:16:02,130 be close to the dumbwaiter and go pick 344 00:16:02,130 --> 00:16:04,500 up their orders afterwards the hospital 345 00:16:04,500 --> 00:16:05,860 grew so much it was 346 00:16:05,860 --> 00:16:09,370 out and then but elevator was and then 347 00:16:09,370 --> 00:16:11,769 dumbwaiter was not enough so we started 348 00:16:11,769 --> 00:16:15,640 using medication carts and and the 349 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,920 medication carts had one drawer for 350 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,230 every patient in that in that area and 351 00:16:20,230 --> 00:16:24,790 then we had emergency drug carts on the 352 00:16:24,790 --> 00:16:26,350 on the floors there was something new 353 00:16:26,350 --> 00:16:29,380 also he would put in that emergency card 354 00:16:29,380 --> 00:16:31,990 anything that would be necessary in an 355 00:16:31,990 --> 00:16:33,970 instant where there was a heart attack 356 00:16:33,970 --> 00:16:36,550 or somebody was bleeding or whatever it 357 00:16:36,550 --> 00:16:37,870 was right there they didn't have to call 358 00:16:37,870 --> 00:16:39,370 the pharmacy and when a pharmacy to 359 00:16:39,370 --> 00:16:41,230 hurry to get it there it was right there 360 00:16:41,230 --> 00:16:43,149 on a card and we had to keep that card 361 00:16:43,149 --> 00:16:45,519 up all the time to keep it full and that 362 00:16:45,519 --> 00:16:47,920 everything that was did not go out of 363 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,820 expiration date or something like that 364 00:16:50,820 --> 00:16:54,910 now from what I hear 365 00:16:54,910 --> 00:16:57,430 pharmacists make rounds now with a 366 00:16:57,430 --> 00:16:59,680 doctors as they make rounds in the 367 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:02,769 hospital and so they able to talk to the 368 00:17:02,769 --> 00:17:05,260 doctor and and think of the orders 369 00:17:05,260 --> 00:17:11,109 direct from them and if the doctor maybe 370 00:17:11,109 --> 00:17:12,910 gives the name of a drug into some give 371 00:17:12,910 --> 00:17:15,189 the size or the strength the pharmacy 372 00:17:15,189 --> 00:17:16,720 right they can ask about which strength 373 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:18,760 do you want you know do you want the 20 374 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,069 the 50 milligrams or whatever so they 375 00:17:21,069 --> 00:17:23,349 have been a lot of changes and pharmacy 376 00:17:23,349 --> 00:17:25,839 is getting more and more involved in the 377 00:17:25,839 --> 00:17:27,900 practice of medicine in the hospital 378 00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:29,740 very much so 379 00:17:29,740 --> 00:17:31,750 to tell you the truth I hated to retire 380 00:17:31,750 --> 00:17:34,900 but I knew it I knew it was time and I 381 00:17:34,900 --> 00:17:36,669 thought for wait for a better time I 382 00:17:36,669 --> 00:17:39,940 never will you know I never will so I 383 00:17:39,940 --> 00:17:43,720 reached hired after 29 years yes but it 384 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,390 was it was a very rewarding work I 385 00:17:46,390 --> 00:17:49,210 enjoyed it every day I enjoy I feel 386 00:17:49,210 --> 00:17:51,429 sorry for people that say oh I have to 387 00:17:51,429 --> 00:17:53,549 go to work tomorrow they don't enjoy 388 00:17:53,549 --> 00:17:56,559 their work I did I really enjoyed it and 389 00:17:56,559 --> 00:17:59,740 I enjoyed the people you know talking to 390 00:17:59,740 --> 00:18:02,040 all the employees the nurses or doctors 391 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:06,010 administration it was a constant thing 392 00:18:06,010 --> 00:18:09,490 you know talking to other people in and 393 00:18:09,490 --> 00:18:11,140 getting along going to meetings and 394 00:18:11,140 --> 00:18:13,059 things like that so it was very 395 00:18:13,059 --> 00:18:15,660 interesting it's a very rewarding 396 00:18:15,660 --> 00:18:18,090 profession it is 397 00:18:18,090 --> 00:18:20,740 well there's some fundamental books used 398 00:18:20,740 --> 00:18:25,059 in in pharmacy I have some of my book 399 00:18:25,059 --> 00:18:29,500 similar in chemistry I have the the USP 400 00:18:29,500 --> 00:18:32,500 the United States Pharmacopeia which is 401 00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:34,659 like the Bible for drugs they have to 402 00:18:34,659 --> 00:18:36,220 meet certain standards see they don't 403 00:18:36,220 --> 00:18:37,269 need those standards in the 404 00:18:37,269 --> 00:18:40,360 pharmacopoeia they're not accepted by 405 00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:43,740 the Food and Drug Administration we had 406 00:18:43,740 --> 00:18:48,190 dictionaries we had a lot of different 407 00:18:48,190 --> 00:18:51,779 types of books on chemistry biology 408 00:18:52,409 --> 00:18:55,419 especially on arithmetic used in 409 00:18:55,419 --> 00:18:58,210 pharmacy we had a lot of that we had 410 00:18:58,210 --> 00:19:01,539 special books we have the the little 411 00:19:01,539 --> 00:19:03,970 book that I have on arithmetic is solut 412 00:19:03,970 --> 00:19:06,399 books not about this big and not very 413 00:19:06,399 --> 00:19:08,260 wide and I think that's what's one of 414 00:19:08,260 --> 00:19:10,630 the books that I use more than more than 415 00:19:10,630 --> 00:19:12,519 anything else more than anything else 416 00:19:12,519 --> 00:19:17,799 and because we had the formulary which 417 00:19:17,799 --> 00:19:21,039 is used even now by doctors in hospitals 418 00:19:21,039 --> 00:19:25,960 to keep up with medicines we have books 419 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,309 that maybe are sold by different brand 420 00:19:30,309 --> 00:19:32,830 names but they're the same drug and you 421 00:19:32,830 --> 00:19:34,990 could look in that book and and see if 422 00:19:34,990 --> 00:19:36,669 maybe you didn't have it under one brand 423 00:19:36,669 --> 00:19:38,260 name you might have it in another brand 424 00:19:38,260 --> 00:19:40,960 name and you could use it because it was 425 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,460 the same thing but under different brand 426 00:19:42,460 --> 00:19:45,850 names then Equus generic drugs came into 427 00:19:45,850 --> 00:19:50,110 being during my time and of course it 428 00:19:50,110 --> 00:19:51,970 was easier much easier for me to 429 00:19:51,970 --> 00:19:53,860 remember the the brand names they were 430 00:19:53,860 --> 00:19:57,010 shorter you know like with the generic 431 00:19:57,010 --> 00:20:01,480 name it was a long like for instance the 432 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,630 brand name tylenol the generic would be 433 00:20:04,630 --> 00:20:05,980 acetaminophen 434 00:20:05,980 --> 00:20:08,889 it was a much longer word even longer to 435 00:20:08,889 --> 00:20:11,799 write out it took longer and I always 436 00:20:11,799 --> 00:20:13,450 preferred the brand name so you had to 437 00:20:13,450 --> 00:20:15,429 get used to all the generic names too 438 00:20:15,429 --> 00:20:17,559 because they were coming up and you had 439 00:20:17,559 --> 00:20:19,649 to be sure that if you use a generic 440 00:20:19,649 --> 00:20:22,960 drug it met the qualifications of a 441 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,289 regular brand-name we had books on too 442 00:20:26,289 --> 00:20:28,389 to be sure that it met all the 443 00:20:28,389 --> 00:20:29,950 qualifications of the brand name 444 00:20:29,950 --> 00:20:32,049 you were gonna use it there to be 445 00:20:32,049 --> 00:20:35,470 exactly had to be the same well my name 446 00:20:35,470 --> 00:20:38,500 is Robert Autry my wife Linda and I own 447 00:20:38,500 --> 00:20:40,480 Autry pharmacy here in Brownsville Texas 448 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:44,760 and I graduated from pharmacy school in 449 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:49,480 1978 and began practicing in a chain 450 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,570 store in Dallas and at that time 451 00:20:52,570 --> 00:20:55,269 pharmacy was totally different from what 452 00:20:55,269 --> 00:20:57,789 it is today in that the number of 453 00:20:57,789 --> 00:21:00,600 medications that were on the market were 454 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:05,679 significantly less as well as fewer 455 00:21:05,679 --> 00:21:08,350 medications with similar names as we 456 00:21:08,350 --> 00:21:10,350 were having to deal with today but also 457 00:21:10,350 --> 00:21:14,380 the workload and the actual job itself 458 00:21:14,380 --> 00:21:18,370 was totally different in those days we 459 00:21:18,370 --> 00:21:20,559 were strictly thought of as counters and 460 00:21:20,559 --> 00:21:25,080 pours now pharmacy has changed 461 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:27,639 dramatically since that point in that 462 00:21:27,639 --> 00:21:31,529 now then patients are very involved and 463 00:21:31,529 --> 00:21:34,510 patients should be involved with their 464 00:21:34,510 --> 00:21:38,230 own care they should question whether or 465 00:21:38,230 --> 00:21:41,110 not the doctor is diagnosing their 466 00:21:41,110 --> 00:21:42,760 condition correctly and they should also 467 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,610 question whether or not the medication 468 00:21:45,610 --> 00:21:48,039 they're taking is is there to help their 469 00:21:48,039 --> 00:21:50,019 condition and that's really more of our 470 00:21:50,019 --> 00:21:53,620 role today than the counting and pouring 471 00:21:53,620 --> 00:21:55,480 the counting and pouring has been passed 472 00:21:55,480 --> 00:22:01,450 off to the technician I'm a registered 473 00:22:01,450 --> 00:22:03,760 pharmacist here at Autry pharmacy I 474 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,269 graduated in 92 with my bachelor's of 475 00:22:07,269 --> 00:22:09,279 sight of science and pharmacy from the 476 00:22:09,279 --> 00:22:13,029 University of Texas at Austin and I've 477 00:22:13,029 --> 00:22:16,210 been when I first initially started out 478 00:22:16,210 --> 00:22:18,700 I worked for three years as a hospital 479 00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:20,830 pharmacist at Brownsville Medical Center 480 00:22:20,830 --> 00:22:23,590 I come from a family of mainly educators 481 00:22:23,590 --> 00:22:25,330 a lot of the women in my family or 482 00:22:25,330 --> 00:22:27,340 educators or teachers and that's 483 00:22:27,340 --> 00:22:29,950 wonderful but I feel that I guess I 484 00:22:29,950 --> 00:22:33,940 maybe went out in a different area I 485 00:22:33,940 --> 00:22:35,679 guess I kind of pioneered myself and 486 00:22:35,679 --> 00:22:36,700 within my family 487 00:22:36,700 --> 00:22:39,280 so I feel I feel that they laid a really 488 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:41,620 groundwork for that me to feel that yeah 489 00:22:41,620 --> 00:22:42,940 you know what I can do this I can 490 00:22:42,940 --> 00:22:45,970 complete free and and like this I feel 491 00:22:45,970 --> 00:22:47,170 that originally it was mainly 492 00:22:47,170 --> 00:22:50,890 male-dominated and at times you I you 493 00:22:50,890 --> 00:22:52,720 know you do see that and here in the 494 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:54,850 valley I feel like I'm around it 495 00:22:54,850 --> 00:22:57,430 surrounded by more male pharmacists but 496 00:22:57,430 --> 00:22:59,230 the females are coming out and I feel 497 00:22:59,230 --> 00:23:01,060 there's a lot a lot more opportunities 498 00:23:01,060 --> 00:23:02,920 and a lot more women are being aware 499 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:04,540 that you know what they can complete 500 00:23:04,540 --> 00:23:06,520 this degree as well and they can pursue 501 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,920 a career in pharmacy well in the past 502 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,650 you use a lot more of your what we call 503 00:23:11,650 --> 00:23:13,150 mortar and pestle where you would grind 504 00:23:13,150 --> 00:23:18,700 out grind up tablets or whatever you had 505 00:23:18,700 --> 00:23:19,930 to powders 506 00:23:19,930 --> 00:23:23,470 it's a very fine fine powder and then 507 00:23:23,470 --> 00:23:26,740 you would have to weigh those powders on 508 00:23:26,740 --> 00:23:31,030 a special scale to be sure you had the 509 00:23:31,030 --> 00:23:32,710 right amount like if you wanted to make 510 00:23:32,710 --> 00:23:34,660 fifty capsules that one thing had had so 511 00:23:34,660 --> 00:23:37,030 much material you've tried to divide it 512 00:23:37,030 --> 00:23:42,190 into 50 capsules and those balances had 513 00:23:42,190 --> 00:23:43,810 to be adjusted every time you use them 514 00:23:43,810 --> 00:23:45,250 to be sure that they were working right 515 00:23:45,250 --> 00:23:49,420 and then you had a annual examination 516 00:23:49,420 --> 00:23:52,090 people would come by and check on them 517 00:23:52,090 --> 00:23:54,130 from the state to be sure that they were 518 00:23:54,130 --> 00:23:57,850 working correctly and a lot more 519 00:23:57,850 --> 00:23:59,500 capsules used to be made at that time 520 00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:01,930 than they are now before the capsules 521 00:24:01,930 --> 00:24:03,850 came along they call them powders I 522 00:24:03,850 --> 00:24:05,410 don't know if you ever remember seeing 523 00:24:05,410 --> 00:24:08,650 and they're like wax paper you would 524 00:24:08,650 --> 00:24:10,840 have to just put them in the powder in 525 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,580 there and fold it and it was a little 526 00:24:12,580 --> 00:24:15,580 paper bag and then you had to take the 527 00:24:15,580 --> 00:24:17,380 powder like that you know and in water 528 00:24:17,380 --> 00:24:19,090 or just swallowed it which wasn't very 529 00:24:19,090 --> 00:24:22,210 good but I I got to do some some of that 530 00:24:22,210 --> 00:24:24,510 too but not then things started changing 531 00:24:24,510 --> 00:24:27,010 everything started coming out in tablets 532 00:24:27,010 --> 00:24:29,560 or capsules or liquid for people they 533 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,630 could not swallow and you'll be 534 00:24:31,630 --> 00:24:33,220 surprised so many people cannot swallow 535 00:24:33,220 --> 00:24:35,230 a tablet or a capsule you have to give 536 00:24:35,230 --> 00:24:38,970 them the liquid the liquid part of it or 537 00:24:38,970 --> 00:24:41,800 sometimes even by a suppository see they 538 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,410 cannot take it in any other way or by 539 00:24:44,410 --> 00:24:46,120 injection so there's different forms 540 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:48,400 that you can give the same medication 541 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,610 depending or if the patient is in a 542 00:24:51,610 --> 00:24:52,630 colmar's 543 00:24:52,630 --> 00:24:55,270 you have to give the injection or an IV 544 00:24:55,270 --> 00:24:57,790 through an IV solution you have to know 545 00:24:57,790 --> 00:25:01,960 all your IV solutions also and and then 546 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:03,510 we started doing things for chemotherapy 547 00:25:03,510 --> 00:25:09,090 like that do you think put in the bag 548 00:25:09,090 --> 00:25:13,750 medication for people that could not 549 00:25:13,750 --> 00:25:18,810 swallow at all and you were put in a bag 550 00:25:18,810 --> 00:25:21,550 concentrated nutrition of course not you 551 00:25:21,550 --> 00:25:24,070 have ensure you have everything else but 552 00:25:24,070 --> 00:25:25,510 then used to have to throw and do it 553 00:25:25,510 --> 00:25:27,640 through an IV and you had to do it under 554 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,580 a hood because that IV had to be sterile 555 00:25:30,580 --> 00:25:32,680 everything had to be stared to doing 556 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,500 under a hood and and worked there so the 557 00:25:35,500 --> 00:25:37,900 medication was was not contaminated in 558 00:25:37,900 --> 00:25:40,720 any in any way so there there been a lot 559 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:42,820 of changes really it's amazing others 560 00:25:42,820 --> 00:25:44,950 start to think about it to know there's 561 00:25:44,950 --> 00:25:48,030 more I think we really need more 562 00:25:48,030 --> 00:25:50,260 pharmacy schools we don't have too many 563 00:25:50,260 --> 00:25:53,140 of them this talked about starting 564 00:25:53,140 --> 00:25:56,650 wanted a.m. in Kingsville I don't know 565 00:25:56,650 --> 00:25:59,800 how that is going but we could use more 566 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:01,630 when I went to school there were just 567 00:26:01,630 --> 00:26:04,690 the one in Austin and YouTube Austin or 568 00:26:04,690 --> 00:26:07,720 the money Houston Houston they were the 569 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,450 only two you could go to and I think we 570 00:26:10,450 --> 00:26:16,180 need more I really don't know what would 571 00:26:16,180 --> 00:26:18,790 make it more enticing for students to go 572 00:26:18,790 --> 00:26:21,460 a lot of them are exposed through 573 00:26:21,460 --> 00:26:25,320 working in pharmacists you know and 574 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:27,910 putting merchandise on the shelf and in 575 00:26:27,910 --> 00:26:29,980 things like that they get exposed to it 576 00:26:29,980 --> 00:26:31,330 of course now you have pharmacy 577 00:26:31,330 --> 00:26:33,730 technicians too but they have to be 578 00:26:33,730 --> 00:26:36,100 licensed also invest as a state board 579 00:26:36,100 --> 00:26:40,510 like pharmacists and when we used to 580 00:26:40,510 --> 00:26:44,080 have students that will come from UT and 581 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:48,570 do their one year field work with us and 582 00:26:48,570 --> 00:26:50,920 then way they could get exposed to the 583 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,680 field but what was waiting for them when 584 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:55,690 when they would actually start working 585 00:26:55,690 --> 00:26:58,240 and they I thought that was very good 586 00:26:58,240 --> 00:26:59,440 because then you could really find out 587 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,960 is this something that I really like and 588 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:03,760 should I continue you know with this 589 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,500 they had that opportunity which we 590 00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:06,410 didn't 591 00:27:06,410 --> 00:27:09,320 like I think right now it's so special 592 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:12,920 that the students in high school can 593 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:16,220 start taking college credits 594 00:27:16,220 --> 00:27:18,440 you know while they're still in high 595 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:19,910 school we didn't have that opportunity 596 00:27:19,910 --> 00:27:22,580 and I think that's great they can start 597 00:27:22,580 --> 00:27:25,160 even then the sooner they start the 598 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,830 better and I feel so sorry for people 599 00:27:27,830 --> 00:27:31,970 that majored in one thing and then they 600 00:27:31,970 --> 00:27:33,770 started working in that field and they 601 00:27:33,770 --> 00:27:36,290 didn't like it and here they spent four 602 00:27:36,290 --> 00:27:40,040 years of their time or their money and 603 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,020 then if they started working they don't 604 00:27:42,020 --> 00:27:44,090 like that field it's not what they 605 00:27:44,090 --> 00:27:46,640 expected so I think doing fieldwork is 606 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,060 very good you know I just went to school 607 00:27:50,060 --> 00:27:52,340 did what I had to do I wasn't thinking 608 00:27:52,340 --> 00:27:56,440 that myself at the time as a pioneer but 609 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:58,880 now of course it makes you feel good you 610 00:27:58,880 --> 00:27:59,870 know it gives you a good feeling that 611 00:27:59,870 --> 00:28:02,600 you could help in some way or just 612 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,720 something in some way and one time a 613 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,260 friend of mine we were talking and she 614 00:28:09,260 --> 00:28:11,390 was introduced me to somebody else and 615 00:28:11,390 --> 00:28:13,490 she says do you know that she was the 616 00:28:13,490 --> 00:28:16,610 first Hispanic pharmacist that we had 617 00:28:16,610 --> 00:28:19,760 the first Hispanic woman pharmacist and 618 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:21,140 I thought I never thought about it that 619 00:28:21,140 --> 00:28:24,890 way I was just doing my work and what I 620 00:28:24,890 --> 00:28:27,380 had to do but other people saw it and I 621 00:28:27,380 --> 00:28:29,870 think I didn't see it you know I didn't 622 00:28:29,870 --> 00:28:32,030 see but is it's a good feeling that you 623 00:28:32,030 --> 00:28:35,980 might have helped in some way 624 00:28:38,650 --> 00:29:39,140 [Music]