“I’m never coming here again!!!”
The title of this post really says it all, amiright? If you've worked in service of customers/patients, in any field, some jackass has uttered (or hollered) these words in an outlandish attempt at getting their way by bartering all of their money for future services rendered in exchange for instant gratification in the form of (most likely) you compromising your better judgment.
Obviously, this has happened to me quite recently...and it pissed me off royally because I was the nice guy being lied to and this fat bitch was the fat bitch that altered her prescription and lied to a(nother) pharmacist.
She presented a prescription from a doctor for that read as follows:
Pt: Janice Sanveritas
Hydrocodone/APAP 5/500
Sig: 1-2 tabs po q4-6h prn pain.
Dr. Ima Schmuch, DDS
Now, most reasonable people can see that this prescription LACKS A QUANTITY. She brought this to me at, we'll say 1pm on Sunday. After I IMMEDIATELY pointed out that it lacked a quantity and would require a phone call the next day, she remarked that she thought that this was the case, but she convinced herself that the word "SIG" which was scribbled was in fact the word SIXTY. Of course, this would be ridiculous because it is very UNcommon for a dentist to write for SIXTY FUCKING VICODIN. So, we argued about this a bit and decided that she was mad at the dentist for not writing a quantity and not me, but she was pretty sure he told her sixty....considering this lady had been a problem in the past, I didn't care what she thought, I wasn't even gonna give her 1 or 2 for that night (which I might CONSIDER, for a second, if she was a consistent, good, nice, polite patient).
So, she left script in tow. She came back at about 3pm. Now, the script had a convenient #60 written in right beneath the Sig. The ink didn't match. The hand writing didn't match. The story made no sense. She told me the drove over to this dentist's office and caught him just as he was leaving and he apologize profusely as he wrote in that #60 in a different handwriting from 6 or 7 days prior. I called his office the first time she came in and of course, nobody answered. In fact, it went straight to voicemail as if no one were in the office. I left a message at that time, but I knew no one would get it until Monday. Luckily he was there, right?
I told her, right when she handed it to me that I was going to have to call and verify the quantity...and the drama and bullshit began. You all know how this went.
"I have to call and verify this."
"Why? He wrote the quantity in plain as day. You can see it right there."
"Yes, but you must understand why I have to verify this. It's Sunday afternoon. I've seen this script without a quantity and you bring it back and now it has a quantity written on it. If your dentist DID write this in, he should have called or at least initialed next to the quantity that he wrote it in a different colored ink. He knows better. He knows how things are these days with all those druggies out there."
"Ohh so now you're calling me a druggie?"
"I don't recall saying that specific phrase. Did I say that?"
"Well, you might as well. I'll tell you what I'm fucking sick of this place. Every time I have fucking problems because you're a fucking idiot. I'm NEVER COMING HERE AGAIN!"
"And that's completely fine with me. I just want you to at least accept that you know where I'm coming from. I have to verify that quantity on that script. You've had it for several days. What's 18 more hours? I can call in the morning before I even open."
"No, just give it back to me. I'm going somewhere else. This is ridiculous. I've been coming here for 10 years. [Note: this pharmacy has only been open for 4-5 years] I'm going somewhere else, and I'm transferring all my meds away, and I'm never coming here again. Someone else would be more than happy to accept my business."
"Okay...fine...good bye" [and good fucking riddance]
-=+=-
I wanted to say, "Do you really think, for one second, that I'm not going to call every pharmacy in town the SECOND you walk out of here and let them know that you are leaving here with a prescription that I believe to be altered?" But, that would ruin all the fun of wasting her time! I WANTED her to take it to another pharmacy -- or several if possible -- only for her to be turned away for the EXACT same reasoning. I also wanted to write something on the prescription, but that would've also kept her from mustering up the gaul to take it elsewhere.
So, I took to calling all 8 pharmacies in my vicinity. Turns out this fat bitch was already BANNED from Wal-Mart, a Medicap, and a Medicine Shoppe. Now, she can add one more pharmacy to that list for her bullshit.
The winner of the "where this bitch ended up" contest was CVS. I'd talked to their pharmacist Remy, and she politely called me back. She let her drop it off and return 30 minutes later. Remy told her that the quantity's ink did not match the rest of the prescription and that she had no choice but to call the next day and verify it. This bitch politely said, "Okay, thanks a lot!" and putted her ass right on out of there...after showing her ass real good right in front of my eyes!
Today rolls around and I head in there and first thing call that dentist's office and apprise them of the situation. I told them that I believe that she modified the prescription, but CVS currently possessed the hard copy and would be calling. I just wanted to tell them my side of the story. Their side of the story? He intended on giving her 20 tablets and was nowhere near the office on Sunday.
Cut ahead to Remy calling me later on...She verified the script was altered by someone, and the DDS intended on 20 tablets. However, he went ahead and AUTHORIZED TWENTY TABLETS TO BE FILLED! I could not fucking believe it. Remy couldn't believe it. Hell, the fucking patient probably couldn't believe. This was the only doctor in the fucking NATION that would approve that script. He is enabling her addiction -- no doubt about it. This fucking doctor is a problem. I am debating whether or not to call the Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Medicine. I'm not sure if there's grounds for any sort of investigation -- or if I would just end up looking like a tight ass, punk pharmacist...
What are your thoughts?
Does ANYone fix inhalers?
I had a guy come in today with a broken Ventolin HFA. He had OBVIOUSLY broken it. As you know, you can remove the cannister from the plastic delivery device. At the bottom of this cannister is a little white piece of plastic. When this piece is pressed, the aerosol is given an exit from the cannister. Usually, this is directed out of the plasic device. Well, this old man had broken the white piece off, somehow, to where it cannot be pressed in at all. Obviously, this is my fault.
Additionally, he had the plastic device jammed into a Aerochamber in reverse -- so if you somehow were able to dispense a dose, it would spray upwards rather than into the chamber.
Now, I can see how one could say that this is merely a failure on the part of the pharmacist to effectively counsel on proper use of the inhaler...and you're probably partially right. In all likelihood, when he picked this up for his child, we BOTH assumed that a grown man would have sense enough to either use an inhaler with aerochamber or read one of the three separate inserts / literature that were purposefully put into the patient's bag. The assumption was proven incorrect. This patient was obviously too intelligent to be bothered with reading those stupid papers that patient's so often vehemently deny and exclaim, "throw all that crap away I've got tons of it at home," only to attempt to jam a square peg in a round hole and break the entire contraption. Wow...just wow...
Finally, this gentleman was mad at ME for not repairing the inhaler OR replacing the inhaler at my cost. I got him an override for an early refill (the TIME spent was my cost...right?). As he left he asked "when the boss was gonna be back." I, of course, don't do well with this comment because it's a slap in the face and passive aggressive. Just tell me what your fucking problem is and assume I have sense enough to come to a reasonable end-game.
Prior to this I took the time to look up the number to GSK for him to call and see a coupon or refund for the product he obviously broke. He was mad about it still, and his only concern was "What if I pay for this one, get it home, and it don't work neither?" -- Well, considering you broke the first one, I'd say the likelihood of you breaking another is rather high considering you still haven't opened up to me trying to show you how to effectively use it...Alas, you have more copies of the literature (illustrated ones this time -- for the kids!). If you don't break this one and it "still don't work" -- it's STILL NOT MY FAULT.
I'm sorry, I don't service inhalers. No pharmacy does. If it doesn't work, it's the manufacturer's fault. If you don't know how to use it -- that's my fault. I've done what I can to help on that front. You're gonna have to be a big boy and make a phone call for the rest -- rather than "gimme gimme gimme gimme..." like usual...
We are the side ‘The Profession’ wishes to shun…
TAestP Angriest Pharmacist: @theangrypharm We may be referenced in a article without being contacted for FAIR rebuttal! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21098377
TAestP Angriest Pharmacist: Website references the vitriol spilled from both TAP and I as your 'leaders'... http://bit.ly/eAIDwr
Here's the Abstract:
Use of blogs by pharmacists.
Clauson KA, Ekins J, Goncz CE.
College of Pharmacy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA. clauson@nova.edu
Abstract
PURPOSE: The characteristics of pharmacist blogs were examined.
METHODS: Internet search engines, blog aggregators, and blog rolls were used to identify pharmacist blogs. Six categories were developed to evaluate blogs, including practice-based topics, identifying information, positive language, critical language, professionalism, and miscellaneous. The most recent five posts on each pharmacist blog were reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the results.
RESULTS: A total of 117 blogs were identified, 44 of which were designated as pharmacist blogs. No blogs contained patient-identifying information. Anonymity was maintained by 68.2% of bloggers. Bloggers practiced in community (43.1%) and noncommunity (43.1%) settings. Pharmacists most commonly used positive language to describe the profession (32%), other health care professionals (25%), and patients (25%). The highest rates of critical language were found in descriptions of patients (57%) and other health care professionals (44%). Almost half of pharmacist blogs contained explicit or unprofessional language. Overall, community practitioner blogs were substantially more likely than noncommunity practitioner blogs to use unprofessional and critical language. Twenty-five percent of pharmacist bloggers also maintained a microblog (e.g., Twitter) account.
CONCLUSION: A search using Internet search engines, blog aggregators, and blog rolls identified 117 blogs, 44 of which met the study criteria for designation as pharmacist blogs. The majority of pharmacist blogs included some type of discussion of pharmacologic therapies. Pharmacists most commonly used positive language to describe the profession, other health care professionals, and patients. The highest rates of critical language were found in descriptions of patients and other health care professionals.
PMID: 21098377 [PubMed - in process]
--------------------------
I really would like the full text of this article if at all possible (meaning if a current student emails it to me I'd love them forever)....I really would like to see what they studied, who they studied, and their goals. I'd also like to see if they mentioned the upcoming @AngryPharmcast --- that'll blow their minds out of the water....
You do NOT have *that* right
I'm filled with passion about many subjects. Not to the least of which is our wonderful country, the glorious United State of America. We are all blessed with rights, freedoms, and privileges that those from other countries can't even fathom. We are blessed to a degree that other countries are jealous of what we have -- jealous to a degree that they desire to hurt and kill us. I believe that our disregard for that which we have is one of the most disgusting things on the planet. While some walk miles for mildly clean water and may make a dollar a day, several times a day we go into the next room and piss into clean water and spend hundreds of dollars per MONTH on bottled water-- which is really no better than that which comes out of that silly faucet. We take for granted minutiae that others would die for the right to enjoy.
A few days ago was Halloween. Another right of passage for the American childhood. The under thirteen crowd walk around with Mom and Dad to all the neighbor's houses for goodies and sweet to rot away their teeth. The over thirteen to eighteen crowd is, of course, too cool and too old to trick or treat, but they want to enjoy the atmosphere. They want to be out and about on Ghoul's Night. They do what we all did -- toilet paper and/or egg friend's houses.
This time, however, one of these little bastards went too far. I was on my way home from work. It was about 4pm on Monday 11/1/2010 (A binary day!). Cold but still a bit a daylight left. I was making my way through my little town's Memorial Park -- all towns have them these days. A quaint little square for public use. There may be a little bit of playground equipment. Trees. A sidewalk path next to a dirty pond, perhaps. But, the hallmark of the Memorial Park is the source of it's name -- the memorial. This is usually in the form of a retired fighter jet, a huge tank, or in my town's case, both. I live in a small town -- actually, I live miles outside of it. It's like Mayberry. The population is about 5-600. There's not a lot of business -- just a gas station where the old men hang out and drink coffee from 4am until they hit the fields, a hair stylist place, a daycare, and a mechanic. The closest big town (population of 13-14,000) is 15 minutes away. That's the nearest grocery store / Wal-Mart.
So, you get the picture. It's a town full of pride. Everybody knows everybody. Everyone would give their neighbor the shirt off their back. I'm new to the town as we moved here about 5-6 months ago. I'm probably still known as the "snotty pharmacist" as I haven't gone out and made a huge effort to inculcate and meet lots of people. They have a Mason temple -- maybe I'll join that and meet some friends.
Anyway, as I drove through the Memorial Park that day, I saw that the entire park had been "rolled," if you will. It was hanging from all the trees. There must have been a hundred rolls used. The town only has one cop and the sidewalks roll up after 9pm, so if these punkass kids did this after midnight, there's a good chance that no one knew/saw except them and God himself. Now, what burned my ass up was the face that they covered the park's tank in toilet paper. Secondary to that -- why was this not cleaned up by the townspeople sooner as it's now 4pm. I screeched to a stop and parked next to the tank -- I snapped a picture with my cell phone planning on sending it to the newspaper with some commentary. Parents should be ashamed if their children were responsible for this. Perhaps a rant on patriotism. And definitely a photo of the tank cleared of all disrespect (while adjacent trees still bear the evidence) -- showing that I still have a shred of passion for this country and respect for the icons that made it what it is.
As I climbed on top of the tank, I wondered how could kids do this? I only have a dog, but she knows better. I guess the fact that these kids have the privilege to walk down the street at midnight on October 31st was lost upon them as they desicrated one of our relics.
Honestly, I think I blame everyone else more than the children. I blame their parents for not showing them proper respect for our country -- probably by talking on their cell phone during the national anthem or taking their own freedoms for granted. I think I blame our school system by not instilling that fire in them. Sure, they may say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, but did we teach them what the words mean? You can read Shakespeare all day but if you don't learn what the words mean, it's useless.
So, parents out there. Instead of raising little bastards like the people in this town. Please teach your children to be respectful off all that we enjoy.
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