Blonde CPhT

Sorry guys

2008-10-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-01T07:04:00.001-07:00

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....

2008-07-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-07-23T07:10:00.001-07:00

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

can I transfer my CII??

2008-07-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

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.....

Auto-refill......

2008-06-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote...Been busy...this past Saturday I worked 9-4pm at my home store and then 5-9pm at another store in town...In between the two I went home (a 15 minute drive) walked my dog, washed some dishes then headed back to work the second shift... so all in all an 11 hour work day and some stuff in between! Also, I heard back this week that I WILL Be reimbursed for taking the PTCE, still waiting to hear what my pay increase will be..My Pharmacy Manager said if it's less than 50 cent he will raise you know what....My PDM also quoted me another number which if I don't get I'll be upset about....But that bridge we will come to later....

It's been the normal customers recently, no one too horrible...Oh, but our dispensing system did roll over FINALLY so the courtesy refill system is like it used to be...Where patients can choose (to a certain degree which med's are auto-refilled monthly) obviously no CII'S....That is good, but also we have to ask all our patients again, and then explain yes your still on auto-fill the system just changed a little and we have to ask which med's you want auto-filled...Then they say all of them that can be, but then a month later they call and say "take my amlodipine off! I have like 2 months of that stuff at home." When we ask "how are you taking it? Are you taking it once a day like the doctor stated?" Well "no the doctor changed my dose, but I don't know to what... Can you call him and ask him? Oh he's the doctor at the hospital!"Or when the RX runs out of refills and they want us to call the hospital doc who doesn't authorize refills the patient freaks out.....

We moved, now it's back to the grind of work....

2008-06-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday my Fiance and I moved into our new apartment! It's soooo nice. I have a garden tub in our master bathroom, and a fireplace, and beautiful French doors to our patio. We're pretty much unpacked, thanks to me lol and just need to add the finshing touches to our place. I'll keep ya'll updated!!

And of course it's back to work for us both, as of Tuesday. We we're so busy, we have been doing more scripts though, which means more pharmacy hours for us techs. I am also the only certified tech in my store, which gives me a leg up. Our PDM did say we will be allotted more hours than before, and I am going to be getting a raise! My pharmacy manager is going to try to get me hopefully up to $11.50 to $12.00 an hour, where as I make $10.00 an hour now!!!! It's exciting!!

ME+PTCE=CPhT

2008-05-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

So I went online, in a hopeful mood since I was sure my results had not been posted to the PTCE link they gave me and told me to check on June 2, 2008. Well I went anyway and checked this morning....Guess what?? I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am now a Certified Pharmacy Tech :) YAY! This also means another pay increase, I called my pharmacy manager after I called my parents and told my fiance and informed him that I passed. He said if there was something I could print out saying I passed to fax to the PDM so they could get my job title changed before payroll ends this week....YES! I am so excited I walked out of the exam feeling good, but I still wasnt sure how it went. I'll be getting my score results sheet and license in the mail in the next few weeks!

Also, I am still packing for the big move this weekend...The parental units are coming down Sunday with my washer/dryer a couch for us, and some other various stuff...We sign the lease tomorrow and move in Sunday afternoon!
Keep ya posted!

Tale of the Pharmasuess

2008-05-27T10:16:00.001-07:00

I got this from a friend and thought it was cute so I wanted to share, I think it's very fitting to our profession...ENJOY

_____________________________________________________________

Oh the things you can fill For the folks who are ill, With your bright shiny spatula Oh, What a thrill!

Besmocked and bedecked out In pharmacy tech clothes Knowing all of the things That a Pharmacy Tech knows.

You're quick and efficient, you’re sharp and inventive.

it also just happens You're anal retentive.

You read slips of paper To get the specifics From doctors who scribble out Strange hieroglyphics.

Could it be Celebrex? Or maybe Celexa? It might be a Z-Pack Then it might be Zyprexa.

And you bill by computer AWP Minus fifteen percent Plus a buck twenty-three

You fill and you bill And you feel so dejected Cause half of your claims Are being rejected.

So you pick up the phone While computerized voices Keep you waiting forever Explaining the choices.

Press 1 for directions Or maybe it's 2 Push "pound" for a message It sucks to be you.

Then you pour out the pills On your pill counting tray And you count, and you count And you count pills all day.

And the customers gripe And complain while you're fillin' Could it be the whole world Is on "Grouchacillin?"

"My pills are too big And my co-pay's too high Take it four times a day? I cannot comply!"

Then you scarf down your sandwich In one single bite Which if done in a restaurant Would be impolite.

But a Doc's on line one Mrs.Jones on line two She has 500 pills Will you cut them in two?

And the drug reps, they tap On your counter, tap, tap, To give you their spiel Plus a load of free crap!

There's pens and there's post-its There's free stuff galore But the really cool clock's For the doc who's next door.

Then ol' Mrs. Snifflemore Gives you that smile And you know once again That it's all been worthwhile.

So you hang up your smock And put down your free pen. Tomorrow you'll do it All over again.

Oh the things you will fill For the folks who are ill.

With your bright shiny spatula Oh, what a thrill! Attention Pharmacy shoppers, the pharmacy is now closed.

Needed a good laugh...

2008-05-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

So here are some funny jokes I have found that I wanted to share....

Subject: Medication.
After receiving his medication from the pharmacist, the customer asked, "Are these time release pills?"
The pharmacist replied, "Yes. They begin to work just as soon as your check clears!"

Important Viagra Update

To all medics: As from May 2008, Viagra will only be available from the pharmacy under its chemical name. Please ask for ……….
Mycoxaflopin

-----

A guy goes to a travel agent and books a two-week cruise for himself and his girlfriend. A couple days before the cruise, the travel agent calls and says the cruise has been canceled, but he can get them on a three-day cruise instead. The guy says "OK," and goes to the pharmacy to buy three Dramamine and three condoms.

Next day, the agent calls back and says he now can book a five-day cruise. The guy says he'll take it. Returns to the same pharmacy and buys two more Dramamine and two more condoms.

The following day, the travel agent calls again and says he can now book an eight-day cruise. Guy says, "OK," and goes back to the pharmacy and asks for three more Dramamine and three more condoms.

Finally, the pharmacist asks, "Look, if it makes you sick, how come you keep doing it?"

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TOP 10 SLOGANS BEING CONSIDERED BY VIAGRA

10. Viagra, It's "Whaazzzzz Up!"

9. Viagra, The quicker pecker upper.

8. Viagra, Like a rock!

7. Viagra, When it absolutely, positively has to be there tonight.

6. Viagra, Be all that you can be.

5. Viagra, Reach out and touch someone.

4. Viagra, Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.

3. Viagra, Tastes great! .... More filling!

2. Viagra, We bring good things to life.

1. This is your penis ... This is your penis on drugs.

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Theme 3: of course it's about one of a pharmacist main job nowadays: deciphering kindergarten children's handwriting:

A doctor is to give a speech at the local AMA dinner. He jots down notes for his speech. Unfortunately, when he stands in front of his colleagues later that night, he finds that he can't read his notes. So he asks, "Is there a pharmacist in the house?"

Hope everyone enjoyed these jokes!! More to come as I find them!

Copays, and such that annoy me....

2008-05-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

The other day I had this woman get huffy because we had filled her new Nexuim script and she let it sit in will call for 13 days and so guess what we put it back in stock...Like clockwork she came in wanting to pick it up, I informed her that the VUR calls the day it's filled, then we physically call on the 7th day then day 13 (almost 2 weeks later!) we return the meds to stock and file the RX.....Of course we didn't call her not a once, oh how stupid of me for not doing my job when we keep the records of who we call and when....I was in a good mood so I felt like not rolling over and showing her my belly, lol, so I got the sheet and showed her where we called. She still insisted we never called. So after wasting my time with that, I filled it again. She then has the nerve to bitch about a $9.00 copay for THREE months worth of Nexium... I inform her that tricare is charging her 3 copays at once since she is getting three months of medication, she tell bitches some more and I tell her I wish I paid that little for any of my medications.....Which she didn't like, she asked how much mine costs a month. My mail order costs 20 for 3 months and for stuff I can't mail order I pretty much pay 50 a month....that shut her up real quickly he he. Things that also annoy me, asking me "Are you old enough to work back there?" Yes stupid!!! I am 22 year old, I have taken the PTCE (pharmacy tech certification exam) and will hear back June 2!! I look a little young yes, I get that but ya know what I don't think my chain RX would hire me if I was not old enough to work in the pharmacy. And don't stand at the counter trying to watch me with your eyes fill your script, that's only going to make me take that much longer and no I don't just slap a label on the bottle and hand it to you.......

Introduction, Orders, and McKesson......

2008-05-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Well to start off with I guess I need to introduce myself huh? I'm a pharmacy Technician have been for almost a year now. I am also a senior in college, not studying pharmacy though I didn't realized I liked the pharmacy until I started.....

Well yesterday I took the PTCE, for those not in pharmacy it stands for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. It basically will give me another 1.00 raise!!! (always welcome) and let me take stuff off the voice mail and transfer scripts from store to store and take scripts from the doctor. I also will count differently to the pharmacist- tech ratio..... We have a typical day in the pharmacy the lady whose BRAND mestonin we ordered friday came in and she called and wanted it, now she loves me thank god but our poor female pharmacists, whom I adore she's so great, so is our pharmacy manager but back to the lady...She called and asked if our order had arrive (it was like 5-6 big warehouse totes and 3-4 McKesson totes, not a massive order but we we're busy plus I told her I'd call her when we got it ready once the order got here!!. Also, another gripe, is anyone else having trouble getting skelaxin in from their wholesaler?. Plus we just found out we're now only going to be getting McKesson everyday and the rest of the order ONE DAY A WEEK!! AHH.