Phun at the Pharmacy

[Mike Teacher]

So I take two prescription drugs, nothing major, one for my sinuses and one for my head. While getting my teaching degree, I worked as a Lab Chemist at a pharmaceutical plant. I handled it all; from aspirin to lorazepam. So I know a tiny bit about thing pharmaceutical. Anyway, here are snippets of conversation I had this morning while getting these filled...

Me: 'I'm here to pick up my two prescriptions, name is Michael----.'
Nice Pharmaceutical Tech [NPT]: 'Ok, just a sec... '[goes into computer; now I'm in there; and my two scrips are in there, and since thats the only stuff I take, the only two.] 'Ok, there it is' [she walks from computer, starts looking through all the Meds/Scrips]
Me: [as she looks through] 'That's Michael---.'
About 30 seconds pass; I go halfway down an aisle when I hear...
NPT: What drugs are you here for?
Me: [I walk back to her, stunned that she would ask such a thing so loudly] 'It's X and Y.'

NPT goes to a Slightly Disheveled Pharmacist [SDP]; he goes to computer, she goes back looking in the stacks...
SDP: What Drugs are you here For?
Me: [very slowly and politely I annuciate as I stare him dead in the eyes] 'Isn't that Information in your comupter?' [I go dead silent, he waits for me to say more, and I Won't. I just look at him. Silently.]
SDP: Ok, I'll have that in just a minute.

I go down the aisle again, admiring the Lubes and Condoms. Did you know there a Trojan brand name for extra big schlongs? I hear the SDP:

SDP: 'What dosage are you takeing for X?'

[I look at him and literally turn to stone. dead silent. just looking. And start walking toward the counter. He realizes his error immediately. Starts looking for the stuff. Finds it. Gives it to the NPT. Who, as she's ringing it up, and realizes the SDP has forgotten to deduct the price that my Insurance pays [about half] from the price, which aint cheap.]

NPT: 'Oh wait, He forgot to...' and she walk to him, sees the error, shakes his head, he won't even look in my direction, and re-does the Receipt. She rings me up.
Me: 'What is the name of that Pharmacist?'
NPT: Michael [ok same as mine but it wont get confusing]
As I go to leave i turn from the same distance they called out to me from and asked in a loud and clear teacher voice: 'Is is the standard practice of this pharmacy to rely on the customer's word for the type and dosage of pharmaceuticals dispensed?'
SDP: 'Well um..No.. it isn't.. i mean NO! of course not, is everything OK?'
Me: 'What is your name, sir'
SDP: 'Michael. If there's anything wrong with those just let me kn...
Me: 'That's ok Michael, thank you Sir!'

He looks like I bitch slapped him. She's just staring at him as I walk away. To the front where I have the Store Manager paged. He looks like a Neat, Polite Manager. And Is.

NPM: 'Can I help you with something'
Me: 'Well, your pharmacist Michael just filled a prescription for me, and got it wrong. Twice. This is after he asked loudly what 'drugs' I was there to pick up...'

[Look of Horror on NPM]

Me: 'As you can also see here. It's still incorrect. This Doctor here, the one you have listed here, died two years ago.' [He did. My Old Shrink.]

[His jaw starts to Dr0p. literally.]

Me: 'He also asked me, and Took My Word on the Dosage of a Prescription Med. If I had known this I would said 'Vicodin; 200mg, 100 Count, 5 Refills!' 'Does any of this strike you as unusual, Sir?'

The NPM Started listing the apologies and things he was going to Do Right Now, but I couldn't hear really, since I had already turned, still looking at him the whole time, and was heading out the door.


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[high fly]

Heh, heh, heh, good one, Mike.

" and they ask me why I drink"

[Death Metal Moe]

You know, shit like this REALLY pisses me off.

Not to pat myself on the back, but when I work somewhere, I MAKE SURE I know my job, my responsibilities, and who to go to if I get a question that is not within my realm of knowledge or responsibility. But in a counter job like that, customer service and politeness is key. You're supposed to help that person and go get answers for them.

There is just a growing number of people how don't care about their jobs. They just go through the motions doing as little as possible. And the people in Mike's story are in charge of HARD DRUGS!

I mean I could do that, without going to school for any fancy degree. I know filing complaints is probably a waste of time but I'd say find out who to talk to about getting them in some sort of trouble. That's fucked up. We're paying all this money for prescription drugs and they're ready to hand you whatever drugs you want it seems. Why have an FDA or expensive Lab techs? I could hand out pills.

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[Fallon]

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[bunnyluvsthem]

Mike, after careful reading of your little story, perhaps it would be a good idea to double-up on the dose now and then. No no no, not the sinus medication, the one for your "head" thing. Especially whenever you get a little antsy.

I mean, yes, there are always people who could be a little more efficient, but why come down so hard on them? Cut them some slack.

And people are on My case because the guy in front of me is stopped a little too long after the light turns green, and the guy behind me is leaning on his horn, as if I have anything to do with it, and by golly he will wait his turn after I get through with him, making sure he understands it as I peel off just before the light turns red again.

Mike, if I am in the supermarket, in the "about 20 items or less" lane, I always have 20 items or less. But sometimes there is a lady who has more than 20 items. Do I get upset? No. And sometimes, a lady like that cuts me in line. Do I get upset? No. And sometimes, the cashier is moving in slow-motion. Do I get upset? No. And sometimes, the lady in front of me, when it is finally her turn, holds us up another seven minutes as a runner has to go and see that, no, the Alpo in the 48 oz. bag is not on sale for $2.99, it is the one in the 36 oz. bag. Do I get upset? No. And sometimes, the lady in front of me, who never helps with the bagging, stands limply the whole time the cashier is ringing it up, her liver-spotted head bobbing around like a marianette, and then - surprise! - yes, in fact you have to pay for the stuff now lady, what, Now you are going to first unzip your purse, fish around through all your crap, finally get out your little money bag thing with the death-snaps holding it tightly closed, way too tight for your 75-year old bony fingers to wrangle with, then you are going to give the exact change of ninety-eight cents, in mostly nickels and pennies, as we are all now waiting 20 minutes for a transaction that should have taken one-sixth the time. Do I get upset? No.

I take the largest Elmo balloon-on-a-stick I can find and jam the post through her eyeball as she writhes in instant pain, swiftly falling to the floor as I crack an ice-cold Diet Peach Snapple onto her skull, Alpo flying everywhere, as they wheel the old broad straight into the "bottle recycling center", as my cashier ka-chings her cash drawer closed to finally begin my transaction and let's loose with the customary and congratulatory chant of "I NEED THE KEY", as all the people behind me in line are applauding and cheering.

So, lighten up.

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[Death Metal Moe]

I could not disagree more with Bunny.

Your traffic light senario is not relevant because people are not doing a job your purchase pays for in part.

As for you supermarket scenarios, people should be expect to do their job efficently. There is a fine line between being understanding, and getting walked on.

As for people who get on the 20 items or less with more, the lines would run more efficently if they got on the regular line. These lines are for people who can count, and people who are just there for a few items. If you want to do more shopping, then get ready for the other line.

I don't think people should blow a gasket over these things, but they should be expected to hear it from people like me.

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[mdr55]

Damn! I thought this thread was about getting some poon from the pharmacy. Was I wrong or what.

The Ron and Fez show transcends all boundaries!

STOP! the Turf Wars.

[UnknownPD]

Here's my little Pharmacy story. I have a heart thing so I take about 6 or 7 pills a morning and all my insurance will let me get is a 30 day supply at a time. Several months ago I made the refill requests on line and when I went to pick up the scripts instead of there the usual items there were extras. The Pharmacy threw in refills for Bextra ( a super strength advil) and 30 10mg Ambien. Stuff I had not had in more than a year.

Ahh Ambien.. being a good citizen I told the pharmacist that I thought there was a mistake. She "nastily" said that's what the doctor told her. Me not to complain paid the bill and got a good night's sleep.

Fast forward a few months. I go in to pick up the month's refills and the pharmacist (a different one) says I cannot give you your scripts because we never received the paperwork from the Doctor on the Ambien. I call the Doc she never had a call from the pharmacy and wouldn't refill Ambien on a patient she had not seen in more than a year. The pharmacy claimed the Doctor was "wrong"...they were careful not to say lying. The Doc stuck to her guns. The Pharmacy supervisor called saying the the Rph that called her had the record ..blah..blah and that the pharmacy would have to report the Doctor. The Doctor then received a call from the Pharmacist involved claiming that it had all been a mistake and that she "thought" she called the Doctor and please send the paperwork or she would lose her job.

To solve the problem I had to make an appointment with the Doc and get a script for a drug I already had... this story has made me so tired I think I'll take an ambien and go to bed.

[sr71blackbird]

Bunnys story had me wondering if I had 2 too many sips or Scotch tonite. Particularly the balloon through the old lady head comment... Anyway, I agree with Moe that people who have jobs that they are entrusted to, especially in the field of medicine, aught to not be allowed to practice on humans until they have proven to someone that they can handle ordinary transactions like Mike described. In every pharmacy, I see pimply faced pubescent teens measuring up pills, labeling and ringing up orders for medication. I use to regard pharmacists as borderline doctors, with vast chemisty degrees. Now Im starting to think there is a Vicoden button on the pharmacy cash register like a Big Mac button at McDonalds. The nerve of them to ask loudly what medication your taking! Its private information. I would seek out an old man pharmacy and do what I can to get the insurance to pay for it. Recently I had an experince where I had mailed the new prescription to my insurance companys Rx Refill and it was for medication that I was already taking, the doctor had given me an additional prescription for a medication Im taking, and I mail it in with my co-pay and because I still had a refill on the previous medication left, they returned the prescription, ripped in 1/4's! Now I have to go back to the doctor, pay another co-pay, just so he can write me another prescription for the same stuff he just wrote me 2 weeks ago! Its like they are all working against each other and against the insurance company and the patient is the one who has to pay for it.


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Many Thanks Soup!

[Rancor6666]

SOME DRUG STORE FACTS:
Working in a pharmacy I have seen everything from drooling retards, to the turrets out breaks, to the average stone cold bitch who wants me to make her pills free. The truth is every single insurance policy is completely different. Every card isn't even printed the same. Policyholder, type of insurance, cardholder, co-payments, and the way it's processed. The fact is insurance companies aren't regulated and many 3rd party insurances can literally change the price of the co pay every time you buy the same drug. The other fact is that drug stores do not set the prices at all. Your insurance company tells us what to charge you. So if your co pay says 15 for generic, and 20 for brand that is only for the preferred drugs your company approves. Everything else is a shot in the dark. Oxford, PCS, and Hguard are the absolute worst insurances out there. For a simple ZPAK the price ranges (same insurance plan) from 0.0$->50$. The sad truth is when you sign that contract with the insurance company they win because it says they can do what they want when they want. So next time you go get a script and the price isn't to your liking its not our fault, its your plans fault. No were not going to call up every time the scripts a different price we do 1000 prescriptions a day, no we don't care, and remember were not here to serve you were here to make money at a shity job just like everyone else in this world. NO ONE GETS JOBS DEALING WITH The PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY LIKE The PUBLIC The PUBLIC SUX BALZ.

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This message was edited by Rancor6666 on 8-19-03 @ 10:17 AM

[SatCam]

If the pharmacy doesnt do anything about it, who do you call, fda?

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Thanks for the Sigpic, SatCam, you're the best!
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[SatCam]

yoink!! get these people fired. they suck.

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Thanks for the Sigpic, SatCam, you're the best!
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This message was edited by SatCam on 8-19-03 @ 8:55 PM

[reeshy]

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This message was edited by reeshy on 8-19-03 @ 9:09 PM

[mdr55]

yoink!! get these people fired. they suck.
Oh Great, Ms. Fuzzybutt!!!! First, you want to shut down 50% of the threads on the board and now you want to take away the livelyhood of someone you have never met

What??? Satcom is Ms. Fuzzybutt?

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STOP! the Turf Wars.

[SatCam]

I'm very confused. But, please make a thread called "satcam is fuzzybutt?" so I can get my name in a thread.

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Thanks for the Sigpic, SatCam, you're the best!
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