The *Angriest* Pharmacist You want your prescription filled when? Eat shit…

What Would YOU Do

Follow this scenario with me.

You are ill. You've been sick for several days, and finally, you make the decision to go to the doctor. After dragging your ass up there, the doctor decides that you probably have a bacterial upper respiratory tract infection (as opposed to viral - which we would treat symptomatically). So, the two of you talk about allergies. You remembered to tell him that you are deathly allergic to Sulfa drugs -- it caused your throat to swell up! So, he says he's going to give you a different antibiotic not related to that class. 'Ten days worth will do you good,' the doctor tells you. What about the shortness of breath and weezing? He says he'll call you in a prescription for an inhaler -- the directions on exactly how to use it will be on the box. As the visit is finishing up (and he's writing you a note for work -- he really cares about you!), he tells you to call the office if you aren't feeling better in 4 or 5 days.

You head to the pharmacy -- drive thru of course -- and pick up your prescriptions. Unlike every other doctor in America, your doctor *did* call in your prescriptions right when he said he was going to. The pharmacy even had them nearly ready! You only waited about 5 minutes...

Your insurance card was in the computer from your monthly birth control prescription, so you didn't have to worry about that. Your copayments on the two prescriptions were 8 dollars each. You pay the technician, and she asks if you have any questions. You shrug her off -- you can read that information just as well as anybody.

------

I'm sure most of our pharmacists and experienced technicians see the glaring issue here. Obviously, no one told the patient that some birth control pills may lose effectiveness when given with antibiotics.

Well, at 7pm (After here 10am appointment and 11:30am pharmacy trip), this patient has some questions that have popped up. Now these are some potentially *serious* questions -- and she needs answers. Hell, it's Friday! Her doctor is already gone for the day!

What do you think this patient did? -- Well, I'll tell you what she did. She emailed me. I repeat incase you glanced over that. She emailed her questions to me.

She told me the above story - for the most part(I, of course, added some). Her questions were:
"My doctor told me I was to get 10 days of antibiotics. I only have enough pills for 5 days. What's going on here?"   and    "As I said, I'm deathly allergic to Sulfa drugs. This inhaler they gave me says Albuterol Sulfate. Is it going to give me an allergic reaction? And do they really expect me to use this thing every 4 hours? I mean, I been sleeping 12 hours a day since I've been sick."

------

These are very valid questions she has...good questions. That's right. I said it. They are good questions.......for HER pharmacist. I know she was offered 'counseling' which was obviously declined. It's 7pm on a Friday night. Her pharmacy may still be open.

She decided to email me her questions. Here's what you, the reader, knows about me:
1. I am a male between the ages of 24 and 60
-If I were female, it would make all of those "AngriestFiance" and "AngriestWife" references very odd.
2. I own and operate TheAngriestPharmacist.com (and maintain ThePharmacyAlliance.com) and post about being a pharmacist and have related stories
3. I swear too much and have plenty of pent up anger

In doing this, this lady has given me her email address, location (via IP), and some medical history. She knows me as well as she knows Edward Jenner.

This exact situation happens to me anywhere from 2 to 5 times each day. I get emails about prescriptions, health issues, insurance problems, doctor problems, disbelief in diagnosis, and even distrust of a doctor of pharmacist.

Here are my thoughts on the situation. The fact that I am getting these types of emails means a few things. First, it shows that I run a respected website [and popular] in the eye of the public. I may use some colorful language and adult themes, but from reading the blog, you can tell I am a pharmacist that seems to have a pretty good grasp of my job and most medical things and I'm not COMPLETELY full of shit. However, this could also be a result of the fact that when you Google "pharmacist" my site is the first one not related to organizations or schools. Secondly, this shows what pharmacists have accomplished as a whole.  While I may not be this person's pharmacist, they trust the profession enough to consult any pharmacist -- not just the one that filled their prescription. It could also be related to the fact that I have renamed my contact page as ASK TAESTP. I mean, I am asking for questions -- I brought it upon myself to some degree.

I am responsible with my answers. I answer the questions fully and get more information if I need it. I enjoy it, and I enjoy helping people out. I always make sure to let people know that what I say is just advice and cannot be taken as a serious medical opinion (my own little disclaimer). However, the first sentence I type is always a, "What the fuck are you thinking?" -- Honestly, why are you contacting me...via email...a person you've never met...rather than calling your own pharmacist, doctor, or insurance company.

I guess I just expected something different with the type of emailed questions I get. I expected medical questions. I expected questions about directions of medical care and therapeutic considerations. Yet, getting these acute illness questions concerning a prescription that I can't see and had nothing to do with add a whole new level of difficulty to the situation.

Your thoughts faithful readers?

PS - By all means folks, do not cease sending me questions. Especially you Richard, you are my favorite pen-pal. Just think about your question. Is it one that should be directed first to your own pharmacist? Is it related to a prescription you had filled -- for instance a potential misfill? I can't help with that...

However, if you're not sure -- ask me anyway. I may reply in an hour, or it may take me 4 days - I reply to all emails, queries, press requests, conference calls, professional opinions, consults, concensus statements, references, and subpoenas...:-)