What's in a name?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...Very poetic.
A customer by any other name would be a guest...Not so poetic.
An associate by any other name is called a team member.
Their boss is called a team leader...

Is it just me, or does anyone else think of Star Wars when they hear a page for "Team Leader"? I find it especially true walking the aisles of Target. All I can picture, as I walk among the polo shirts, is Luke Skywalker and buddies saying "Red Team Leader, ready!" Do they call  Wal-Mart and ask for "Blue Team Leader"? Seriously. It's funny. Try not to think of this now whenever you visit these two stores or watch Star Wars. It's also sad. People complain there is no room for cynicism in the profession of pharmacy. Bullshit. There's plenty of room. We are not a profession anymore. I want it back. I want to be treated as such. When my profession starts being a profession again, I'll revisit my stance. Until then...

It is this idea of rebranding that helps the profession of pharmacy distance itself from being a profession. It marginalizes us. We are pharmacists. They are patients. If we continue to distance ourselves from who we are, the customers will also. If we don't take ourselves seriously, no one else will. That is why they treat us in the pharmacy the way they treat any cashier at any store in any town. It wasn't like this when I was a kid. It wasn't like this when I graduated. (It wasn't that long ago...at least in my mind.)

I want my profession back.