Another pet peeve of mine…

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as True Story, Work Sucks

I turned away a C-II script today. Why, you ask? Because it was for Oxycontin 120mg. In case you aren’t completely savvy, Oxy doesn’t come in that strength. The highest it comes in is 80mg. The patient just told me to triple it and fill it with 40s. Riiight…I know that’s well within the realm of what we can do - with physician approval, but I doubt I’d get a doctor on the line on Sunday evening at 5pm…before Labor Day!

EDIT: It comes in 160mg - I was wrong! I’ve never carried it ay my store. Thanks, Jaded Intern…:-)

-=+=-

Okay, so back to my pet peeve - I think it’s my most major one of all…Stock bottles lying around. I fucking hate it. I want them put away immediately after they are checked — Not after you count another few orders, not after you take a piss, not after you take a few drinks of Mountain Dew…NOW!

It is merely another medium for a mistake to happen. I know some pharmacists don’t care. Put them up at the end of the shift. But, I want it done immediately. It bothers me, and I am the king of my own domain.

When I arrive for a shift and the counter is littered with bottles, I do absolutely NOTHING until I’ve put all the bottles away. It’s my way of making a point and hopefully paving the way for change. It hasn’t yet done shit…but maybe someday…maybe…

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Andrew, CPhT says September 3rd, 2007 at 8:25 am

If you want a compromise, get one of those small plastic bins (about the size of a loaf of bread) and just ask the pharmacists to put the used stock bottles in there. That’s what we do in my pharmacy. In fact, we use two; one for the stock bottles and one for prescriptions that are ready to be filed.

Anonymous says September 3rd, 2007 at 4:28 pm

hah…at my pharmacy, the pharmacists never put the stock bottles away.Ever. They leave them to pile up on the counter for the techs to put away. Now as a tech I don’t mind doing this, but how hard is it for the pharmacist to do too sometimes? We aren’t a particularly busy pharmacy. Sigh.. thank you, Mr. Angriest Pharmacist, for being one of the pharmacists who puts them away. =)

Emily says September 3rd, 2007 at 4:29 pm

Emily says September 3rd, 2007 at 4:31 pm

aand somehow my comment posted itself twice
=( so sorry. Feel free to delete one.

Jaded Intern says September 3rd, 2007 at 7:57 pm

Our pharmacy is set up so the pharmacist can verify without using the stock bottle (except for liquids)- they use a computer image of the drug on their screen, so it’s up to the techs to put stock bottles away. When I fill, I don’t immediately put it away, but I know what aisle it’s in, and the next time I return to that aisle, I put the old stock bottle before I grab the new stock bottle. It’s efficient for me, and keep the clutter down to a minimum.

P.S. Oxycontin does come in 160mg - I’ve never seen it, but both our computer system at work and Lexi-Comp state it is available (doesn’t solve the option of the 120mg, but just an FYI).

Jason says September 27th, 2007 at 7:57 pm

I work at a pharmacy where all the pharmacists but one prefer the bottle get pu back after the techs count them. But since that ONE idiot needs to see the bottle, even though the label contains a description if the product, we have to make the techs pass the stock bottles down when he is working. What an anal asshole (no pun intended)

Cathy Lane RPh says October 4th, 2007 at 2:18 pm

Speaking as a temp, putting stock bottles away means that the next tech can find the drug right away for the next script that needs filled, but unless there are no patients, or other projects, or no one else, I leave that tasks for someone who knows where the drugs are on the shelf.

One time someone put one of those EMPTY dark glass amber pint bottles near the sink in anticipation of washing it out thoroughly and left it filled with soapy water. Yep, someone came along, saw the bottle on the counter, screwed the cap on and set it back on the shelf. Later, the pharmacist double-checking a filled script for nystatin, or Sumycin, or Carafate, or whatever it was, wondered why the drug smelled like dish detergent. Whoa.