Daily frustrations

You know when you think you’ve seen it all, someone has to come by and prove you wrong.

A-fricken-men…. well, two things come to mind… the lady that walks to the drive-thru and rings the bell despite my standing there in the process of opening the window, and the woman that did not want to wait for Tussionex script and asked for me to just give her a teaspoonful thru the drive thru and she would be back at lunch time…. seriously people!!!

I just breathed a sigh of relief that my current location has no drive through. I remember when I was a student on rotation at a busy pharmacy with a drive through. The equipment was old, and occasionally inoperable. Once when the window was closed because the drawer that the Rxs were sent out through would not open, someone had the nerve to call the pharmacy from her cell phone. Angry voice: “I’m in the drive through! I’ve been waiting at the drive through (despite the closed blinds and giant sign asking patients to come inside for service) for ever! I rang the bell (which was turned off) and no one helped me! I beeped my horn in case the bell wasn’t working, and still no one answered!” We had heard someone honking on the otherside of the blinds, but the giant sign should suffice. Needless to say, some do-good tech, after listening to the sob story “I just got out of the hospital. I can’t walk. I’m old. blah blah blah.” actually asked her to pull up to a parking space near the store entrance, went out to the parking lot, took the woman’s credit card, came inside, rang up the prescriptions, and took them back out to the patient’s car! Imagine all the people who witnessed that. All the lazy self-important people who may in the future expect Applebee’s carside to go service at their local pharmacy. I constantly tell my techs, whenever someone requests a small favor that seems not too much trouble to do one time for one needy sad patient, if you do this for one person, everyone else will expect it too. I’m sorry, it’s against our policy to fill-in-the blank.

Aligirl, you’re my hero for today.

you’re my hero too, Aligirl…and amen to everything you said. My location does not have a drivethru, but sometimes when they come up to the window…my back is turned because of the way my fill station is set up. They will do one of several things to get my attention. Clear their throat repeatedly…tap their credit card on the counter repeatedly…and one man whistled at me like I was a dog and when I turned around had the audacity to say ‘there ya go…good girl’.

Would it be common sense that if my back is turned, to politely say ‘excuse me’ because I, unlike people in the patient’s magic fairy world, do NOT have eyes in the back of my head? I had someone watch me counting out 270 alprazolams and waited until i was halfway done to clear his throat and cough loudly. Scared the living shit out of me, i jerked my hand, knocked half the pills off and had to recount. He laughed at me.

Yup, it’s people like those horn honkers, card-tappers, and whistlers that get put in what my pharmacist and I like to call the penalty box. You’ll get your meds when you get some manners

Do you work at Wal-mart as well? Lol, I must say, all the crazies ride up to the drive-thru. There must be a ‘nut magnet’ attached to that part of the building.

Thank God we don’t have drive thru at my pharmacy.

I have a rule. If you pull up to the drive thru and immediately ring the bell you just added 2 minutes to how long it takes to get your medicine. If your medicine isn’t ready… it will take longer. If it is ready, I will find an excuse to make you wait. I’m hoping this will eventually train my patients. So far no luck. Anyone else notice that people on medicaid are 10 times more likely to ring the damn bell as people who aren’t on it. What in the hell are they in a such a hurry to do… not work?

Ali, do you have ESP? You seriously just recanted everything I’ve ever said (or wanted to say) about the drive-thru window in the pharmacy environment. I’ve worked at two different BIG retail chains, both as a technician, and now as an intern, and for some reason I’m still amazed at just how lazy people can be. Last week, I actually had a guy drive up to the second lane, sit there on his cell phone for a minute, then subsequently drive off before I had the chance to “help” him. I thought it was odd, but whatever, I had other stuff to get done. So, imagine my surprise when the guy comes back, in the FIRST lane this time (STILL on the cell phone–but that’s another rant altogether). I ask the usual “Can I help you?” and after ten seconds or so of being ignored he says “Uhhhh, yeah, can I get some Ibuprofen?” So, I asked his name, thinking that he had a prescription in the bins for Ibuprofen 600 or 800. His response is “No, I ain’t got nothin’ in the pharmacy. I need Ibuprofen. Just go get me whatever’s cheapest.” I was surprised that he could pronounce Ibuprofen after “accidentally” overhearing him butcher the rest of the English language in his phone conversation but still, I could not help but show my amazement. He had no children in the car, he certainly didn’t look like he was in pain, and the weather was perfect, so all the usual “excuses” for why someone can’t come inside weren’t at his disposal. That window does NOT have a menu for you to peruse beforehand, I do not come home smelling like french fries, and this is NOT fast-food. So why do people think that because my name tag says “Pharmacy Intern” at the bottom, that I am their lapdog for the entire 30 seconds we are interacting? I may be in my first year of pharmacy school, but I learned crucial pharmacy “survival” lessons long before I knew who DiPiro was. Thank you for this post. I have the second half of my second block of exams in about seven hours and you provided some much needed comic relief. TAPest, keep up the good work as well. I’d like to recommend your addition to the payroll since I’m learning just as much from your posts. :)

We don’t have a drive-thru but on sundays when it is just me and a rph, I go through the same thing. I believe I’m pretty quick when it comes to helping people and courteous but when it’s just me helping someone and you see it’s just me, the rph is busy filling why in the world will you waive your script at me like I can’t see you! Oh and when I don’t say anything you will cut the line of 4 people and come up to me and say “I’m just dropping off”. “Yes Ma’am so are all the people you just walked by” UGH! Impatience is so annoying. So this woman leaves her script on the counter and I continue to take the next person on the line. When my line is down to 1 person she comes back and sees her prescription is still on the counter and blows up on me ..saying i violated hipaa by exposing her script to everyone. Obviously I called her on it and said I didn’t leave it there, you did. When your turn comes up I will take your script in, if there is no information on it like your dob or phone number I will leave it in the need info box until it is claimed by you. So she picks up script and waits. I just don’t understand why people have such a hard time waiting.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Very well done. I did the mistake of helping one of our other stores which has a drive- thru. NEVER again! WTF is wrong with people? Why are people on Government subsidies Insurance are the once which say that they have to have it now because they are sooo… busy!? The people who have to pay a co pay of normal amount (or cash) understand when I say that I am backed up and if they mind to come back later after they run other errands. There is almost never a problem, do the same with welfare people and you think by the look they give you back that you just gave them a death sentence. Anyways, to all of you who work at a Pharmacy with a drive thru: My respect. ( I know it wont change your life but I thought you all ought to know.)

Wow I didn;t really think that I would get this many replies. I thought I was the only one in the pharmacy industry that hated the drive thru.
Yes I have also noticed how a lot of the impatient, I want it know, patients are the ones on medicaid. Seriously, if you are not going to a job interview than it may take me some extra time to fill the script. How about all those people that want extra stuff with their drive thru prescriptions. Um, sorry sir but the gallon of milk you just asked me for is not going to fit through the little skinny tube in the second lane, You will have to come inside for that. Or how about when the old ladies send you a list of things to put together with their prescriptions. I’m sorry but when you go to the supernarket do you give the cashier your food list so that they can do the shopping for you. No you do not do this, so please do not expect me to do it for you when there are 8 other cars waiting behind you.
And how about when you ask them when they return and they tell you they are going to wait for it. Sorry but the drive thru is just as it is said ” a drive thru, not a drive and sit and wait”. So no you can not wait for your 6 prescriptions to be filled, especially if there are other cars behind you and these are all just maintenance meds. You will not die for having to come back in 30 minutes. Also if another person tells me they want to wait in the drive thru because the price of gas is so high I swear I am going to scream. If you think it is so high then why in the hell are you driving a freaking hummer. Thanks everyone for listening and enjoying my little rant and rave

I hate the idiots who come through the drive through at the store I’m at and hit the buzzer/ringer when they see I’m helping a customer in the other lane, I’m sorry you have to wait but there are only one of me and I’m working based on the idea of first come first serve.

I also hate the customers who think that they can drop off a list of items and expect me to run out and grab everything they have on the list while the script is being filled. If you need all that stuff, come into the pharmacy/store, I’m not your personal shopper.

I think you should have added:

P.S.

Don’t fucking ask me to get you a gallon of milk. The next gorram person who asks for a gallon of milk in the drive through will pay for said gallon of milk. And will have it promptly poured into the vacuum tube or drawer with your prescriptions. *You* lazy jerk will be the one cleaning that mess up.

Too funny, but I got you all beat…..yeah I had all the usuals at the Drive-Thru:
1)NO Cellphones
2)NO Smoking
3)NO Eating
But here is where I got you all beat….
4)NO BREAST FEEDING

OMG…I was mortified….
too funny

I’ve had customers that come in the drive through with a freaking can of beer open in between their laps. SERIOUSLY? I need to write down the license plates and report them next time i see them. As for the bell, we duct taped the bell so people couldn’t ring it anymore. They know they have to wait, if they don’t want to wait, to damn bad. Our bell is the cord on the ground they have to drive over. There is no way their lazy asses will back up to ring the bell again…I’d like to see them try it with a car behind them…Muhahahaha. Does anybody have those drive-by’s where they ring the bell and drive off just to annoy you?

When I worked at a store that did mostly Medicaid the RPh had the best line for the Medicaid patients that wanted everything right now. “I am sorry are you late for work?” He said it so straight faced. We would all crack up for 10 minutes after he said it. The look on their faces was priceless.

How about the people that try to talk to you from the passenger’s seat? I can’t hear a fucking word you’re saying, lady!
And does the driver ever help you out. Hell no! He just stares at you like, “I don’t know who she is, I just found her in my car.”
If the wind is blowing… forget about it. You can’t hear shit. There is a certain level of patient safety that is lost to convenience.
Fucking drive thrus. Stupidest idea EVER!

Aligirl,

I would agree with an earlier post that states ringing the bell adds more time to your wait! Here is a little trick that I know works. Have a phone off the hook with the speaker on for the lane. Then the ringer won’t cause the phone to ring.

Personally I would like to sneak up to my pharmacy late at night and damage the ringer so that the only thing it accomplishes is causing the impatient assholes to wear their fingers out!

my 2 biggest pet peeves are people who throw their keys on the counter to get my attention…i try to ignore them! and people who talk on their f—ing phones in front of the pick up window and expect me to help them ( i ignore them until they have the decency to hang up!!!) seriously don’t waste my time.

You need to read this post: http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/2007/04/02/stop-jingling-those-damn-keys/

here’s another one…how about all the people that have their big DIESEL fuelded trucks. There is no possible way that over the freaking sound of your diesel truck that I can possibly hear anything you are saying to me. So you basically need to turn the damn thing off or come inside.
Here is another good one. Lady comes thru drive thru to fill her prescription for percocet. In our state all controls require a valid ID. So I ask the lady for her ID and she tells me she does not have it. So I tell her ” ma’am you are driving a car and have no liscense to show” She tells me like I am stupid ” why would I carry my drivers licesnse with me, I always leave that at home.” Sorry but the last time I checked it was the law to have a liscense in your possession when you drive a vehicle. Or am I completely wrong on this. Sorry but I can not fill your prescription for you until you show me a government issued ID card. I am really going to start writing down liscense plate numbers for all the people that show me an ID instead of a liscense in the drive thru. Maybe the police should know that they are driving without a legal liscense. hahahaha

What I really hate is the people who come through the drive thru 10 minutes BEFORE we open, and ring the bell repeatedly. There’s a video screen that scrolls our hours, but do they care? NO. After 3 bells, I pick up the phone and say we’re not open yet. They almost always say “can I just drop off my prescription?” And I say, “In 10 minutes, after I open” Then, they get pissed off and leave…

You only have two people to blame for your daily frustrations. One is yourself and two is Lyndon B. Johnson.

Blame yourself for not using your money to lobby against the Medicare/Medicaid act back in ‘65.

Blame Johnson and his gang in D.C for passing it.

If that bill hasn’t been signed, the idea of prospective payments, HMO’s and PPO’s would never have existed, 95% of your patients/customers would use fee-for-service today and all pharmacists can probably process 600 scripts a day without complications, even those who graduated with a 59 average in clinical.

You have become greedy.

You have fallen into the retail scam, stuck in the box doing 10 hours for 6 days with no off time because you signed a 5 year contract with them.

Your greed has kept you from being active,kept you from standing up for yourself, standing up for pharmacists, attending national conferences in APhA, AMCP, NCPA. Clubs that will fight for pharmacists, and lobby for better WORKING CONDITIONS.

So you only have yourself and 1965 to blame for next time you wait 50 minutes on the phone waiting for the Prior Authorization on Omeprazole while 10 cars are lined up at your store honking and cursing.

Are you a pharmacist? What have you done?

I remember going to retrieve the largest size brand name (most expensive) product from our store shelves for a driv-thru customer.

Now whenever someone comes to the drive-thru for a random OTC product out in the store I say “That’ll be a $5 fee if you want me to do your shopping for you. Cash only.” I haven’t had anyone willing to pay that surcharge yet.

“How about the people that try to talk to you from the passenger’s seat? I can’t hear a fucking word you’re saying, lady!”

My customers have invented a novel solution. They pull the wrong-way round in the drive through so the passenger is facing the window!

WTH?

Not only do I have an announcer that rings when the sensor trips (constantly if you’re in a big SUV, BTW) but also a buzzer that rings every phone in the pharmacy.

Another peeve is the loss of common sense when you have signs.

My counter has two signs. One says Pickup the other Drop Off.

No matter how many people are standing in front of me (usually in the Drop off line, as thats my fav station to work from) someone always demands I wait on them at the Pickup line.

Are you kidding me? There is one of me. They were here before you. Get to the end of the line!