Sorry guys

sorry it's been so long since I posted, our hours have been cut just like everyone's in town....and school is keeping me busy as all get out...I'll be back soon though! In the meantime I leave you in the capable hands on the angriest pharmacist (.com) and all the other great bloggers out there!!

annoying patient....take a number

Annoying patient number 1:

Okay I understand that having a deductible sucks!!! I am so glad I don't have one, but for those of you who do please don't tell me SOME of it got paid so why is this medicine costing me this much!!?!!?! I have a patient who tells the pharmacist and I that her boss paid $2,000.00 of her $2,700.00 deductible....Okay so by my limited mathematics skills that means you still owe $700.00 so until that is paid all the rx's you get will go towards that!!!! And why in the world would the boss be paying that much on an employee's medication deductible anyway?? Wait, maybe I don't even want to know!

Annoying patient number 2:

Okay yes, I was not working in the morning but the other technicians and pharmacists and I do communicate!!! Yes when I see a new PA that was not there yesterday I will probably ask to make sure someone at least tried to call and inform you that the insurance company you pay monthly doesn't want to pay for your nexium.....

Annoying (doctor's office):

OKAY, seriously.....When talking about the previous PA if your STILL WORKING ON THE PA please please please do not just fax me a copy of the script and tell the patient you took care of it..You know full well when I attempt to re-process it when the patient calls me and tells me the doctor's computer shows it was faxed....that it will yet again be DENIED!! Please wait until you have actually gotten the approval.

**also, gotta love big box pharma because for getting my certification (over 2 months ago might I add) they felt a 50 cent pay increase was appropriate......**RETARTED

I'm going out of town.....I need it NOW

Okay, so after working an 11 hour day at another store two times in two weeks and my normal 8 hour shifts at my store I had a little itty bit of a short fuse....Imagine that?!!?

This guy goes to the DROP OFF window and stands there looking at me like HELLO?!?! I'm typing a script in. I ask him if he is dropping off a script? He says "NO I'm picking one up, my name is _______ _______" I tell him "your at the drop off window the pick up window is down there" and I walk over and begin to hunt down his script. Nothing is there I asked if he called it in or dropped off or what. He said he called it in a few days ago, I tell him hang on let me look in the computer and find out whats going on. I look, and it's deferred...refill too soon, simvistatin and lexapro. Well I tell him this, and he gets all mad and tells me he is going out of town and needs it now that's why he called it in early (now keeping in mind our lovely VRU system does not ask you if your going out of town it just wants your RX #, DOB, phone number ext. Now how the hell are we supposed to know he is going out of town and needs it, when he doesn't actually call and TALK TO A RPH or a technician?? I tell him give me a few minutes to do a vacation override (as long as his insurance plan allows it) which takes me all of 10 minutes because it's just me and the RPH all day, and we're slammed busy as all get out and after all that not a thank you or anything he just pays and is on his merry way, not even an apology for getting upset. But on his way out I did tell him after ringing him up "Next time your going out of town, make sure to actually call and talk to one of us..." kinda sarcastically, I think he got the point.....


Til next time....

Back to the Grind

So over this past weekend one of my pharmacists got sick, and I was at another store and my PIC calls to inform me she went called in and was in so much pain she had to close down the pharmacy at 5ish Saturday and it was also closed Sunday.....Now this made Monday and Tuesday CRAZY, not only did people feel the need to inform me that my own store was closed over the weekend, (like I don't know this....) they don't seem to care that I have all the other hundreds of scripts people called in and doc's faxed in and to top it off Mondays are always busy and I wanted to scream. A lady whose doc was supposed to write a script for 90 days only wrote for 30, but at 5 caps (cyclosporine) a day she just saw the number 150 and thought it meant it was a 90 days supply...Her insurance co. need a PA on OMREZOLE.... of all things, really generic PRILOSEC?? Come on guys, help me out here....Which of course the doc has not done yet, and they needed the PA of she wanted to get more than a 90 days worth EVERY 180 DAYS......That's right they limited her to a 3 month supply, every six months.....Gotta love ins. companies. So to my fellow blogger, I understand and hate em as much as you do!!! (http://sickofstupidpeople.blogspot.com/)<-------- Great post btw!

Til next time....

pharmacy woes....

Since there are so many new stories in the news about pharmacies and pharmacuticals in general is always a "hot topic" I have been thinking about my career seriously and the way the pharmacy is seen in general in the public eye...Many of my other pharmacy bloggers have posted previously to the same effect but I figured why not share my opinion everyone else has?

Does anyone else feel that pharmacies now days are more and more thought of as a "retail" setting? By this I mean, since they are in grocery stores, Walmart, and there are so many different chain stores out there. The drive though has made pharmacies less "professional" I think. Because people can drive to the window and automatically think they get faster service than the patients who actually PARK their cars and walk into the store this is very worry some to me...Just because when you go to McDonald's you get faster service. Does anyone know why??? Oh yea that's because McDonald's actually staffs a separate associate to the DRIVE THRU only!!! Most big chain pharmacies DON'T, wanna know why? Because they are too cheap (cooperate) because they see that as having to pay another person so why not make the already over worked techs do it that sounds like a brilliant idea!!

My pharmacy is actually built up a little taller than the rest of the store, which I think is important because to me, pharmacy should be seen as the medical profession it is.....Just because we don't make you wait 2 hours to see us then talk for 5 minutes while we examine you then charge and arm and a leg for the visit does not mean we should be treated with any less respect than doctors and hospitals get....Am I right? Doctor's offices are not the only place where patients have to wait, how many late nights in the emergency room turn into early mornings still waiting to be seen by a triage nurse or ER doctor?

Okay, I think I am done bitching for a little while.....

Oh, tomorrows post should be good, because I'll be at a stand alone store (where as my store is built into a shopping center which means it has NO DRIVE THRU and I LOVE IT!!) and the store I'm at tonight and Sunday is alot busier than my home store so we will see what drama unfolds in the next episode...

On the funnier side...

Just some more pharmacy retail humor I thought would be good to share:


BE SURE TO STARE AT THE PHARMACIST WHILE YOUR PRESCRIPTION IS BEING FILLED. STARING AT THE PHARMACIST MAKES HIM/HER WORKFASTER.

NEVER REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE MEDICATION YOU WANT REFILLED. BY CALLING IT "THE LITTLE WHITE PILL" YOU ARE SURE TO RECEIVE THE CORRECT MEDICATION.

WHEN CALLING IN EIGHT PRESCRIPTIONS OR MORE, ALWAYS ARRIVE ATTHE PHARMACY TO PICK THEM UP WITHIN MINUTES. IT IS OKAY TO HURRY THE PHARMACISTS, IF THEY MAKE A MISTAKE IT WON'T KILL YOU.

FEEL FREE TO ASK THE PHARMACY STAFF FOR THE EXACT PRICE OF YOUR PRESCRIPTION BEFORE IT IS FILLED. THE STAFF SHOULD KNOW EVERY CO-PAY FOR EVERY PLAN FOR EVERY INSURANCE COMPANY.

ALWAYS ASK HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO FILL A PRESCRIPTION. IF YOU'RE LUCKY, YOU WILL GET IT FREE IT IT'S NOT READY IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS. ALSO, BE SURE TO ASK IF THE PRESCRIPTION IS READY EVERY 5 MINUTES, PHARMACISTS OFTEN KEEP THEM AFTER THEY ARE READY JUST TO PISS YOU OFF.

BE SURE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CO-PAY. THE CO-PAY IS SET ONTHE WHIM OF THE PHARMACIST AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH INSURANCE COMPANY.

IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO PRESENT YOUR INSURANCE CARD, OR EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF THE COMPANY.
PHARMACISTS ARE PSYCHIC AND KNOW EVERYBODY'S INSURANCE.
PHARMACISTS ENCOURAGE FORGERY.

WHEN PICKING UP A PRESCRIPTION FOR SOMEONE ELSE PLEASE FORGE THEIR NAME.

UPON CALLING IN A REFILL FOR MAINTENANCE MEDICATION WITHOUT REFILLS, ALWAYS QUESTION WHY THE DOCTOR HAS TO BE CALLED WHEN YOU'VE TAKEN THE SAME MEDICATION FOR YEARS. IT IS ONLY AMYTH THAT PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS HAVE TO BE ORDERED BY YOUR DOCTOR.

ALWAYS QUESTION WHY THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS SO CONCERNED WITH YOU GETTING MEDICATION TEN DAYS TOO SOON. AFTER ALL YOU'RE PAYING $5.00 FOR IT, AND THAT'S ALL IT COSTS.

OVER THE COUNTER DISPLAYS ARE PUT THERE IN ORDER TO ENTERTAIN CHILDREN. PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO PLAY WITH ANY ITEM, AND EVEN OPEN ONE OR TWO.



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can I transfer my CII??

Well everyone has to deal with em....I'm still trying to get my raise to go through from JUNE 6th when my PIC sent it to the manager who sent it to the PDM......I've been floating between my home store and another much slower store, which is a nice break from not peeing for 8-9 hours at a time and not eating while at work.....Y'all know all about that though....
I did send some drug-seekers running yesterday though, it was fun lol. Some guy came in without a shirt (strike one)....then asked for 1cc needles, the RPH asked what type of insuln they're for, the guy said "its for my brother he's in the car, and im not sure let me go ask.." came back in 5 min later, he said his brother didn't know what type of insulin he uses (strike two)....then he said his brother would call his wife, cause she's the one who deals with all the medications and stuff.....He calls, and she "doesn't know" all she knows is its some type of "powder like stuff"...Sorry dude heroin and insulin....not exactly the same thing....he didn't come back.... hehe

We also had a guy come in with a CII rx for percoet 5/325 and a stupid transfer coupon to get a gift card (I HATE those). His wife hands them both to me, and says "I want to transfer this and use the coupon." I inform her this is a NEW RX, the coupon can only be used for something filled at another pharmacy (ie. CVS, target pharmacy...(.this type) which is then transfered to *******(pharmacy name). The husband chimes in "this is something I get at big box pharmacy, everymonth. I then say "this rx is considered a new rx because there cannot be refills on it since it's a schedule II controlled substance, and requires a new rx every month, thus is excluded from this coupon, and I point to where it even says "not valid on controlled substances" in tiny letters....He throws a hissy fit and wife calms him down, I ask if I can have his ins. card, and of course its a PPO which we can't get to work....I tell her how much cash price is, she tells me at big box pharm. they have his ins. and that card works, and wants to take the rx back and go there....fine be my guest......sheesh!


just another day in the life of.....