Saw your med-related post in the "best team members" thread...and I guess I'll play a little Devil's Advocate ;) Wouldn't it be better to not include team members with conditions requiring consistent professional medication? I know telling Grandma, "Sorry, you'll hold us back," is easier said than done...but in a true Z-Day survival situation people are going to have to come face-to-face with their own limitations, and prescription medication is an enormous one.

Not to say a pharmacist wouldn't be a valuable team member; it's not a simple profession, and clearly the person's demonstrated an ability to learn complex things. That's a critical skill. I do, however, feel that their chosen occupation won't be nearly as needed in the first several weeks/months. A doctor, EMT, or field medic on the team could (should) treat all minor ailments before they become debilitating enough to require medicine.

As for re-settlement--that's a different story. When people (the living kind) start grouping back together to reclaim cities and towns, communicable diseases shall rear their ugly head once more, and pharmacists/pharmacologists will be indispensable. Could one of the aforementioned doctors/medics teach themselves these skills and grow into the role? Perhaps.

If you're running with a big crew, it doesn't hurt to add another skilled member. But if the ranks are being kept purposely thin, the skills of a pharmacist may not be among the top-10 most-urgently needed.

Just my two cents :)

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