Published 2007-02-27T00:00:00Z”/>

Caitlin White

Challenges are meant to bring out the best in people. I love the thrill of the hunt.

However, it goes without saying that the thrill of the hunt is a lot more enjoyable when you’re ready and willing to go for it, not sick and miserable.

That’s why I find it annoying that the Student Health Center pharmacy doesn’t carry certain medications.

It’s a trivial complaint, but I have had this bothersome problem for years.

Last year, I came down with a whopping case of pneumonia. After hours of blood tests, X-rays and breathing treatments at the health center, not only did my lungs feel as if they were going to explode, but I was told that my case was pretty nasty and would require serious antibiotics.

Big deal, I thought. I’ll just go downstairs, get my meds and be on my merry way back to bed.

If only life were that easy.

Apparently, I needed the strong stuff, and I wasn’t going to get it at that pharmacy. The doctor asked me if I had insurance, because if I didn’t, I would be spending a lot of money to get better.

Luckily, I do have insurance, but that got me to thinking, what would happen if I didn’t?

One of the great things about the health center is that you don’t need to have insurance to use their services, and you can also get prescriptions at affordable prices.

On this particular day, I hauled my disgusting, sick self to Walgreens, where it took four hours to fill my prescription — handled ever so rudely by some overworked, underpaid pharmacist who could have cared less if I had fallen to the floor from coughing up my lungs.

Needless to say, it was not one of my finer days. This could all have been done quick and almost painlessly if the health center had that medication.

And I’m not the only one that has difficulties in getting prescriptions from the Student Health Center.

Senior Taryn Sanchez went through a similar ordeal a couple of years ago.

“I went there to get my birth control refilled,” Sanchez said. “But they didn’t carry the brand I needed.”

Sanchez said she was told at the health center that her brand isn’t carried because it’s too expensive. This made sense to Sanchez because she had tried to get it at home, and even with insurance, it was pretty expensive.

Debbie Gott, a pharmacist at the health center, said in an e-mail that the medications carried at the pharmacy are chosen according to what medications are needed and how affordable they can be to students. If the pharmacy can’t offer certain medications at a lower price than retail pharmacies, it usually doesn’t carry it.

OK, I can understand that. However, it would be nice if they could carry everything just because I’m lazy, and it would be a lot easier to pick up my prescriptions after class.

Alas, I will just have to resort to good old Walgreens, where at least I know they will have my prescriptions.

However, by the time they get filled, there’s a good chance that I’ll already be better.

Caitlin White can be reached at <a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>