Pharmacists are now PharmD's, they used to be RPh. Though they have a Doctorate in Pharmacy, they are not Medical Doctors, per se. Likewise, Medical Doctors are Doctors, but they don't have a Doctorate in Pharmacy. All Doctors aren't implicitly capable of intuitively always prescribing the right medication. As a patient, I've seen it firsthand.

Some Doctor's offices are frequented by Drug Reps, sales people for the Drug Companies, that present their products, it's no wonder that some Doctors are swayed by the information presented. And I'm not suggesting wrongdoing. The Drug Reps are a convenient way for Doctors to learn about new products or perhaps new uses for older products.

I had a benign but persistent arrhythmia arise. Though no anti-arrhythmia medications were prescribed, newer BetaBlockers were. Didn't help. An Electro Physiologist Prescribed Acebutolol, an older Beta Blocker, and it worked, finally ending that episode of the arrhythmia over several days. Yet years later, other doctors acted like I had snakes coming out of my head because I was taking an older medication. If it works, Don't Fix It. LOL.

Doctors most often do their best, but their best is oft times hedged by researching the medication online or, better yet, asking a pharmacist that you trust.