Circle Of Spite

Posted by LilLaura as Lil Laura, Rude, Stupid People, True Story, Work Sucks

Generics are the best way for a government, a health service, a GP practice and a local pharmacy to economise, without putting the patients health or wellbeing at risk.

Yet there are those patients who refuse to believe that generics are the same. They “don’t work the same”, “make me feel sick”, “have odd side effects”, “consultant says I should have…”. One word-BULLSHIT.

IT’S ALL THE FUCKING SAME PEOPLE!!!

Par example, a woman in her 70’s today. She condecends to pay us a visit every….3 months (checked the computer). Apparently the pharmacist here is ALWAYS a man (strange considering the last manager was a woman…). So she has a script for flucticasone aq nasal spray (anti-allergy). So, I dispense as on prescription the generic. She leaves the shop. 2 minutes later she’s back demanding the brand, Flixonase. I can’t give her it because we have stock of generic-”but the other pharmacist always gives me it-hes SOOO much nicer than you”. I explain to her that, if she has a problem, take it up with her GP. Of course-the GP wrote it for Flixonase. When I showed her it was NOT the case, she asked for it back. I nodded in agreement and went back to work…..

“Can I have a word with you?” (customer) Bear in mind the shop was packed and I was up to my eyes in items waiting to be checked…

This woman gave me a dressing down like you would not believe in front of other customers, just because I obeyed the law and didn’t bend the rules for her. I said nothing, let her have her little rant-which I think made her more angry. Other customers watched and some looked more embarrassed than me. I finished checking the scripts and gave them out personally-each customer giving me a look and smile of compassion and sympathy.

Like Don Corleone, I let her have her rant….embarrass me in front of my regular customers…Why compound the problem by conforming or retaliating? Revenge is a dish best served cold…and when her doctor delivers the message that she is no longer a patient deserving of my attention because she behaved in a ludicrous manner..

Game, Set, Match.

On a sadder note, my second in command is leaving us. I will miss her, but I cannot deny her the freedom she yearns.

Oh, and FAO Scott,

What would you say to me, a pharmacist who is a descendant of one of the possibly greatest pharmaceutical minds of our time? Sir Alexander Fleming? My grandfather was his great nephew, and he was a JOINER in the shipyard, Harland and Wolff, that built many warships and my great uncle, Austin Fleming, was a pharmacist and fought with the Americans during WWII. Probably served alongside a member of YOUR family. Remember that NEXT time. Remember that you are speaking to someone’s daughter, someone’s son; someone’s family. And when you walk out the door of that pharmacy, you may not remember the pharmacists name, you may not care…..

But OTHERS do. They remember the good things about the pharmacist who worked there; how they helped them when they truly needed it. Their names may not be remembered, but their legacies LIVE on because people DO remember. Who the fuck is going to remember a bitter twisted shit like you?

The *Angriest* one’s rant at this guy made it easier for me to complete this blog. Because, at the end of the day, we know who we are, we know what and why we do the job we do; and like many other professions we feel like we deserve better. And when we are gone, people will remember us-some even tell stories. After all, you always hear about “that bastard of a plumber never finished that fuckin’ job!”, never the good things. I always remember going to the pharmacy as a kid, and remembering that, no matter what, the job was always precise and detailed, and you were treated as a person.

And, at the end of the day, I would rather be remembered as “that pharmacist” than “a fucking waster”.

Proving the Public is Clueless

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Blogs I like, Education, Hate Mail, Me being a dick, Pharmacy School, Stupid People, True Story

I got this from Pharmacy Chick. I’m not sure who this motherfucker is that sent this to her, but his name is Scott. I hope he gets a case of malignant hyperthermia and his “medication vending machine” didn’t know what he (or his doctor) wanted and instead of spitting out numerous bottles of dantrolene spits out a few aspirin and a cyclobenzaprine.

“I’ve been reading your blog and you seem to be upset when people treat you no better than a cashier at Walmart. To top it off, you compare what you do for a living (counting pills and dropping them in a bottle) with the work of skilled trades like carpenters, electricians, and plumbers who work on your house.

Let’s face it: You work behind a counter in a retail store, you hand things that you didn’t build or produce to people and then you take their money. Why would you expect people (customers) to treat you any differently than a Walmart cashier?

Yes, you may have invested $150,000 more in your schooling than the person wearing the Walmart smock but what else separates you? Why should customers treat you like a deity?

By your own admission, you draw a pretty serious salary. I think you should just cash your humongous paychecks and try to give people the service they think they want or deserve. You are not a wise old doctor who is treating a patient. You are simply counting 100 pills (which you did not invent or manufacture) and putting them in a plastic bottle.

I have seen “medication vending machines” in the lobby of hospital emergency departments. I can’t wait for the day when these automatic dispensing machines are available in every supermarket. I don’t need to talk to someone who went to college for eight years just to get another thirty days worth of a medication I’ve been taking for years. I want to put my credit card in a machine, press a few buttons and have my prescription drop into a chute.

I get nearly all of my refills via Medco (mail order). I like using my PC to order medication refills in the middle of the night and then seeing the meds in my mailbox in a few days. I don’t need someone who is making $150,000/yr to put three Advair 100/50’s in an envelope and mail them to me. Some college kid getting $12/hour can do that. I can’t stand going to Walgreens and being told “you have to wait for the pharmacist to come over and talk to you before you can leave the store with your new prescription.” Why doesn’t that rule apply when I purchase meds through Medco?

I’m sorry that customers treat you like dirt. But look at the scene from my side of the counter: You are handing a product over the counter and taking money from the customer. In the customer’s mind, you are not very much different than a cashier at Walmart or the college kid working the cash register at a gas station.”

Now that he’s had his 2 cents (which I wouldn’t pay him for), I get mine — which is worth $55/hr. Advair eh? Who are you going to call when you get a white growth in your mouth that tastes horrendous? I sincerely hope you call the college student. He’s going to laugh and ask for a picture to put on Collegehumor. He’s not going to tell you that it’s a fungal infection, because he didn’t go to college and learn that inhaled steroids, like the one in your Advair can do that.

Your Medco scripts are reviewed by a pharmacist. If there are any problems (i.e. drug interactions), I guarantee that you and your doctor will be notified. You aren’t “counseled” because a ton of literature is included, and they give a phone number…Legal obligations covered.

Do you have kids? Sick kid at 11pm. Better give the ole’ vending machine a call and see what he says to give your 6 month old for a bad cough and high fever. Ask it for the dosing as well…some parents have been killing their kids by OD’ing them on antihistamines. Make sure it double checks the calculations. Or, there’s a 24-hr Walgreens around the corner. The pharmacist may be asleep or watching a movie, but if you wake him up or get his attention, he’ll be glad to help.

You’re right in accessing our knowledge versus carpenters, electricians, mechanics or other trades. They have vast knowledge. I planned on doing a post on this in the future, but I’ll address it know. If my car is going ca-chunk ca-chunk, I’m fucked. I know nothing about cars. I’m not super handy around the house. I can change a lightbulb, but I probably wouldn’t trust myself to hang a ceiling fan. I’ve just never had to do that stuff before. Here’s the thing though, if those things don’t get done — I won’t die. If grandma stops taking her Warfarin because she doesn’t know what it’s for, she will die. I can tell you how the Warfarin works, why it works, what it treats, and most importantly, what OTHER drugs interact with it and could cause problems — leading to that death thing I was talking about. Let’s see an electrician explain what an INR is to a patient.

I paid a lot for my education. Sure, I do my fair share of ‘merely putting pills in bottles that I didn’t create or manufacture’ — but here’s the real bitch of it, I could have. I could have gone into pharmaceutical research and development. Hell, two guys in my class DID! I am just not methodical enough to do that. You are right though, I didn’t make those pills — but here’s the real bitch of it, I could have. I spent numerous classes learning aliquots and compounding. I could’ve made that cream, punched that capsule, or molded that suppository. It’s mass produced cheaper and faster than I can do it. Many years ago, everything was made by the pharmacist, much like I could do it now. I just don’t make every single product to save my patients money.

Scott, you may not think you need a pharmacist. You may not want the help of the pharmacist. That’s fucking fine. We don’t want you. As the international representative for all pharmacists, I hereby ban you from ever speaking to a pharmacist for any reason. You cannot ask questions. You cannot ask directions. You cannot ask for a tissue when you have a runny nose. You’re officially blacklisted, cunt. To be honest, I’d rather spend my time and effort helping those that want to help themselves and respect my educated opinion.

Next time, if I want your opinion — I’ll head over to the Dairy Queen and see which is better: Chocolate or Strawberry.

“Omnipotent” Assholes and Dirty Ol’ (wo)Men….

Posted by LilLaura as Doctors, Lil Laura, Sexy Time, Stupid People, True Story, Work Sucks

This post comprises of the last few weeks of work, which have been unusually uneventful for me…. I start to worry as NOTHING EVER goes quietly for me. I couldn’t write as the last post dive bombed, so I’ll see how this goes, and if I cock up, I shall blog no more.

The *Angriest* one’s funniest post to date (IMHO) comprised of a complete arse of a “pharmacist” (no way was that real) trying to communicate with a patient (which makes me think it is a couple of medical students taking the piss out of our profession-because doctors don’t know or care how the drugs work).

There are two types of medical students-the chilled and relaxed (the minority) and the stressed and partied out (the majority, that become “omnipotent” assholes). So unfortunate that my little sister will fall into the latter category, though my blog is fast becoming an icon amongst the med students in her class-not quite what I intended!! Though a few have decided to try dentistry instead….as they now fear the wrath of the pharmacist!!

Omnipotent….used when describing a god because they are faultless and are never wrong, they know everything. Doctors may play with lives and like to play god, make mistakes like all humans do (otherwise they’d never learn ANYTHING-and usually we pharmacists are their reference guide) yet know FUCK ALL. I always laugh when a patient says they’d rather take their doctors word for it….because the very next week they are banging down your door because the doctor couldn’t be bothered with them! For example, yesterday I had to call for an ambulance for a patient who was suffering from severe dehydration after a bout of food poisoning-which the GP dismissed as “hyperchondrical”…..(fucking knob).

A local doctor (the same one as above, ahem) made the mistake of missing a patients adverse drug reaction to ibuprofen (Advil). I spotted it, reported it and did my duty. The doctor said to just dispense the prescription (”omnipotent” asshole). I told the patient that if he had any further trouble to talk to the doctor, as I was overruled. Like Pilate, I washed my hands….

Now, for the Dirty Ol’ (wo)men. Now, you’d think that for all the censorship, rules and regs we have to face in our personal lives, that those that set the standard originally would adhere to it-apparently this is not the case in Bonnie Scotland….

Last week, a woman, in her 70s asked to speak to me. In front of other customers, she proceeded to describe how itchy her lips were and that the doctor had given her a cream for them. I could see nothing wrong, until she uttered the words that nearly put me off sex for life “NO, not those lips dear. The lips DOWN UNDER” and pointed. Nice. Then there’s the “confident” (i.e. limp) men over the age of 60 getting Viagra for free, and they ALWAYS wink at me when I hand them their items (shudder). The worst has to be a man in his 90s (yes, over NINETY YEARS OLD), telling me that my name was very “Victorian” and he imagined me in a corset and crinoline dress… Never have I felt so used….

I think as a pharmacist you develop immunity as you always have to appear professional. When it happens to my staff though, I really laugh. These are women 20 years older than me, and they still get embarrassed, even though they’ve probably seen it all before! A member of my staff got very embarrassed the other day as she was witnessing a man take his trousers off-she froze and didn’t know what to do! Thankfully he had another pair on under them! HAHAHAHAHA! I stood watching her face getting redder and him wrestling with his trousers in front of a shop full of people. Fair enough, I probably should have intervened, but I couldn’t. (Probably the reason why I have an impacted wisdom tooth now, and am on antibiotics-which means that the alcoholic beverages are out for the next week, and the pain of it makes me VERY bitchy.Karma).

Damn Bicycles

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as --Not Pharmacy--, Laws, Me being a dick, Stupid People, True Story

I was driving home tonight, and I came to a “T” in the road. I was turning right. A bicyclist flew across the intersection the same way I was headed. I was nowhere near hitting her, but she ran the stop sign plain and simple. I made my turn, passed her in the left passing lane, and proceeded. She ran another fucking stop sign — passing me up. I made my way past her another time and got to the light….She didn’t run the light, but I rolled down my window.

“IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE ON THE FUCKING ROAD, YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD. STOP RUNNING FUCKING STOP SIGNS YOU STUPID BITCH”

She rattled off some inane babble about “did you see that red car right in front of me? were you watching that red car???”

I think she was implying that since she was tailing a red car very closely, that the red car’s stop counted as her own. Readers, I can assure you that while, in theory, this sounds correct — she is in fact a stupid, dumb bitch and needed a good kick in the cunt…which I would had delivered had I not be on a very important mission to get home and drink beer.

Attention bicyclists! I can accept your hippie ways. I can become accustomed to your unwashed hair and your vegan lifestyle for the betterment of ‘mother earth’ — but, when you’re on my fucking roadways, you obey the laws of the road you hippie scum. I don’t give a fuck how much you are reducing your carbon imprint…or mine!

If I had hit that fat, pear-shaped slut, my ass would have been in trouble…not hers. The cops wouldn’t have said…”Ohh she ran the stop sign…have a nice day!” They would have said, “You hit a pedestrian? I’ll see you in hell, motherfucker!” Then I would have been locked up.

Stay on the sidewalk, off my roads, and off my fucking last nerve.

Next time I’m going to door-check that sperm-burping whore….

Funniest Pharmacy Video Ever

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Disgusting, Education, Me being a dick, Pharmacy School, Stupid People, Video

I just had this video forwarded to me a few minutes ago, and I had to immediately share it with the world. This has got to be the most awkward “patient counseling session” I have ever seen. All pharmacists did these little pretend sessions with a TA at one time or another. This is the absolute worst.

I have no idea when the video was taken or who these kids are, but it makes me want to vomit.

Some of the quotes the “pharmacist” in this video says:

“Uhm”
“We’re starting you on lisinopril which will lower your cholesterol.” [The patient's response is classic]
“The Zocor could react with the lisinopril you are already taking and I would definitely go see your physician tomorrow morning. If you’re not feeling well have someone take you to the hospital cause we don’t want you in a car accident.”
“He wants you to take this at bedtime because Zocor works…is…the way it works by coating the intestine and keeps flushing it out…”
“It works very well at keeping obesity in young people down and other factors.”
[Pharmacist looks around like a fucking idiot for a knife or something to cut his wrists - hopefully]
“The only concern I’m having with your medications is that they may have an interaction. The lisinopril and Zocor could interact and possibly cause death. Might want to avoid that as much as possible.”
“Otherwise…we filled it with gelcaps for you cause it’s easier to swallow. We used the smallest that we had. It may be a little more on the copay, but in the long run it’s easier to swallow a smaller pill than a larger.”

I sincerely hope this is a fucking joke. Good luck at regaining the prowess and prestige of pharmacy if this is what our future looks like. I think the kid must have taken a roll of ecstasy and cranked one out before this session, because he looks way too calm to not know what the fucking fuck he’s talking about. The real bitch of this is, he has an information sheet (or script for this joke video) sitting right in front of him. If he had the answers in front of him and he thinks lisinopril is for cholesterol, may we all die in our sleep along with our profession.

I wonder if all pharmacy students are this fucking stupid. Here’s the video…enjoy:

Crappy Consultation

Mind Your Own Business

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as --Not Pharmacy--, Money, Rude, Stupid People, True Story

The Angriest Fiance and I visited a local eatery tonight. Not a high priced place like PF Chang’s, but we certainly weren’t at McDonald’s. Quite frankly, I think the place is into witchcraft. I saw their delicacy of choice in a large tank of dihydrogen monoxide when I entered, and they were brownish black. Yet, when they served me a dead one to eat, it was obviously bright red. Either they are wikken-kind or someone has some talent with the paint brush in the kitchen.

All kidding aside, it was 9pm. It was an odd assortment of customers. We sat across from a black man and woman. It was her birthday. Our waiter was amazing. He was polite, quick, and always around when he needed to be. Anyway, it was the lady’s birthday - she was rewarded with a free daiquiri for her achievements.

As our wonderful waiter was serving us our salads and asking us if we needed anything else, our neighbor across the aisle decided that he needed my waiter’s attention more than I did. I guess he didn’t notice the fact that I had a male waiter, while his server was most definitely a female. Nonetheless, he let out a resounding, “Excuse me!” while a salad was being placed before me. In pure Angriest-Pharmacist fashion, the waiter ignored the man like he was a fart in the wind. After we were tended to, the waiter’s response was perfect. He acknowledged the man (barely), told him to wait just a second as he returned the “serving table” to the back, and walked away. He never returned — however their waitress came by a few moments later. I found this absolutely hilarious.

Finally, they brought out our main course. I proceeded to chow down on my feast before me. As most may know, there is some splatter involved with food that lives in water. You break a hard shell to get to the sweet, succulent, heroin-like substance within. I’m also a very, very, very messy eater. I got a little on me…and my date. She was not as amused as I was.

Our neighbors thought my entire meal was quite funny. They giggled and laughed. Hell, I think they pointed. It was pretty fucking irritating. I’m not sure why someone would spend more time watching someone else eat than staring at their own food and their own wife’s tits. I hope they enjoyed my dinner - I did.

Moral: Keep your eyes on your own fucking plate.
Tip on $50 check? $15 for service. $5 for ignoring rude ass people.

Just Questions

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Just a question, Lazy People, Management, Me being a dick, PSE, Rude, Stupid People, Work Sucks

Every day I ask myself questions. Most are rhetorical…but they are pertinent questions. I will share these with you now. Feel free to comment with some of your own. OR Check Out Pharmacy Chick’s version of this same exact thing from February 2008.

Why do old, toothless people always appear to be chewing on something?

Why is it than if someone is walking to my pharmacy, I can predict with 99% accuracy that they want to buy 12-hour Pseudoephedrine?

Why is it that someone that wants a script filled 10 minutes before closing will have had that prescription for no less than 7 days?

Why does the person wanting a rare, expensive C-II drug come to my pharmacy each month wanting it only to find out that I still don’t have it and won’t order it for them unless they fill it with me once and wait for the order to come in?

Why does someone on Medicaid give me their card only to ask me to “just fill it for cash” — knowing full well that I’m going to bill it to Medicaid FIRST?

Why is it that people think they need Watson brand Hydrocodone/APAP? Nevermind - I know the answer to this one…more street value cause it can be identified by pill-heads.

Why does every person that I would idenfity as a drug seeker use “I have fibromyalgia” as the excuse for their early refill or other behavior?

Why does every complaint go to a non-pharmacist store manager rather than to me?

Why does every doctor’s voicemail message have the same bullshit message that I can’t skip over (they can press ZERO to get to me!)? “Leave the patient’s name, date of birth, drug name with spelling, strength, quantity, last fill and pharmacy call back number.”

Why do people have to ask for the pharmacist to give a refill number?

Why will people have pizza delivered to their home in an hour and be happy with that wait time but want their prescription in 15 minutes or less?

Why do people want name brand drugs then be completely happy with store brand soda, chips, water, clothes, and everything else?

Why would someone present a prescription for a child then refuse it when the copayment is anything more than free?

Why would someone call me a ’stupid fucking cocksucker’ during one trip to the pharmacy then yell at me during their next trip when I use the word ’shit’ in front of their child?

Why do I have to concern myself with HIPAA when any patient would be willing to yell, “Yeah my name is Fred Jones…3-14-51. Doctor Smith called in my Viagra refill this morning”?

“Sir, are you taking any other medications?” No.
“No OTC meds?” No.
“No Vitamins?” No.
“Any herbals?” Nope.
“No other medicines at all?” Well, I’ve been taking this Saint John’s Wort for depression.

Why is the answer always, ‘NO’ to “Do you have any questions for the pharmacist” only to have the patient call the pharmacy back in 10 minutes later?

There are 24 hours in the day. Why does everyone have to spend their 30 minutes in the pharmacy on the cell phone?

Why does every patient with a new insurance card present that card at the cash register rather than the pharmacy drop off window when the read the sign that says “Please present your insurance card when you drop off your prescription”?

Why is it that 1 out of every 100 patients feel the need to poor their pills out on the counter and count them right there in front of all of us?

Why do Americans have the words, “I want to talk to your supervisor” into their brains for use at the first sign of a problem, dissent, friction, or trouble?

Why is there a direct correlation between the number of items in a person’s shopping cart and the likelihood they will want them rung up in the pharmacy?

Why is there a direct correlation between the number of scripts filled in my pharmacy and the amount of alcohol I ingest every evening? Nevermind — I know the answer to this one too…

Why is there a direct correlation between a patient’s lack of teeth and oral hygiene and the likelihood they will present a medicaid card?

Why do I have to be the person to explain to some people that BEER cannot be paid for with Food Stamps?

I have a feeling this post has instant classic written all over it…

I Feel Cheap - Very Cheap

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

I’m back. Sorry for the lapse. I’ve been busy and somewhat injured making it hard to type.

Has any pharmacist out there ever sucked up their pride and done something they normally wouldn’t do for a patient because that patient brings in a lot of scripts (and income) into the pharmacy? I did that today, and it made me feel sick.

A *long* time patient came in today. My keystone tech took his script. He was just diagnosed with Type II Diabetes Mellitus. He’s not overweight, so it was somewhat surprising to me. He already has a meter and lancet device. He didn’t get that from me. The script was one of those generic scripts (Glucose Test Strips + Lancets #qs for one month +PRN Refills) Keystone tech had a conversation with him about exactly which meter he had and what kind of lancets he would need.

They settled on the Accuchek Comfort Curve and our store brand lancets which are made to fit pretty much any lancet device. We put the strips on hold — he still had some of those. So, we merely filled the strips and Metformin 500mg po BID. Easy enough right? Right. He was comfortable with the price — his insurance knocked off very little, but the cost on the strips was 5 bucks and his metformin was 5 or 6 bucks.

He got home, and pretty much immediately called back. He wanted to speak to a manager. I have gotten to the point where I don’t like to handle complaints. I like to let keystone tech handle it — she’s great at it. I’m usually a dick. Go figure. But, he wasn’t having it. He wanted to talk to me.

I got on the phone and he was angry. He didn’t yell. He didn’t curse. Lucky for him, because if he would’ve gotten hostile, I would have not been as nice as I was. I was shocked I didn’t call him a fucking asshole as is…Anyway, he has the nerve to tell us that his lancet device is a Accuchek MULTICLIX (which has some sort of drum-type lancet where one drum has 5 or more lancets in it so there’s less handling of sharps). He then tells me that he told this to my keystone tech and the prescription CLEARLY states that — we screwed it up. He then goes on to tell me that he drives out of his way to get to us because he gets good service from us. Then he started with the “here’s what is gonna happen A — you all are gonna do this. B— you are gonna do this” bullshit. I was having none of that. I offered to fix it, eat the difference and mail it. That wasn’t good enough. He needs the lancets now. He needs to be checking his blood sugar 5 times a day (WHICH IS FUCKING BULLSHIT AS TAP SAYS). Then he tells me I have to pay for his gas to get back out there.

So, I looked at his profile. We fill 10 scripts a month for this guy, and we get pretty good return on his stuff. I also know that he buys a ton of vitamins, assorted OTC vitamins, and other stuff from us. So, he’s a pretty valued customer. I sucked up my pride. Rather than tell him I heard the entire conversation and that he told my keystone tech that the store brand lancets would be sufficient AND that the prescription merely says lancets and nothing more, I folded. I told him I would refund the 5 bucks. I also told him I would get the Multiclix ready and edit the price to zero. The difference between the two would cover the cost of his gas and troubles as the Multiclix are much more expensive (They are like 14 bucks per 100 whereas the store brand is 4-5). So, I returned the store lancets (I told him to just pitch them as he refused my offer to GIVE him a lancet device that they would work in — he wasn’t comfortable with that since he’s used to the Multiclix…that also pissed me the fuck off). I then filled the Multiclix, billed it to his insurance (to at least cover a little bit of the loss), and I changed the price to zero. My net loss was 18 or so dollars.

So, anyone that is familiar with business knows that 3% net profit is ideal after all is said and done. That’s unrealistic in pharmacy, but it’s a decent gauge. So, to make back that $18, you have to sell ~33x that amount to cover the loss. So, I have to do close to $600 worth of business to make that back…That’s exactly why shrink/theft is such a huge deal and horrible for business. Now, I’m not saying it’s theft, but I damn sure bent over backwards here.

I know that I’ll make that money back, but I feel like a freaking spineless piece of shit for kissing this guy’s ass like I did. But, word of mouth goes a long way in my area — and I’m sure that he’ll let it be known to everyone how nice we are and how we made things right.

Then again — I did make a note in his profile that he gets no more favors…:-)

Pharmacy Life in Scotland

Posted by LilLaura as Lil Laura, Stupid People, True Story

I received this Laura, a pharmacist in the UK, where healthcare is socialized and medicine is essentially free. I like her. She reminds me of….well me. So, she’s awesome.

I think she’s earned herself a few guest spots on The *Angriest* Pharmacist — to provide us with insight into other country’s practice and perhaps lets us all see that the grass may be greener…or not.

-=+=-

Just thought I’d send you a taste of pharmacy life in Scotland…..

Patient’s Rep: “Whatever happened to “bring me your poor, your tired?” You’re just an arrogant…pharmacist!”
Me: “I have to be.”
Patient’s Rep: “I’m a customer!! YOU should be treating ME better than this!< stomps off, slams door>

That is a true version of events. Usual occurence, once or twice daily. I’m sure most of you have seen Moore’s “Sicko”. Funny how he glanced over us pharmacists in the front-line, sorry, “primary care”. The NHS looks like a lot of fun, doesn’t it? The sick, the poor, the tired…getting medicines for “free”. That’s why, when patients or their representatives call themselves “customers”, I have to laugh. I can hear you asking “why?”…BECAUSE MY BLOODY TAX (40%) and MY BLOODY NATIONAL INSURANCE PAYS FOR THEIR FREE MEDICATION!!!!! In essence the government puts my money into a big pot and when a doctor writes a prescription for their medication (free), I feel a pang of loss….as I feel part of my money paying for their prescription…I wouldn’t mind so much if they actually DID buy something from the shop floor, for then they are spending their own money and are customers. But, as I told one PATIENT;
“YOU are NOT a customer. You DO NOT buy your medicine, therefore you are a PATIENT, not a customer.”
For those of you who remember the ever antagonistic Maggie Thatcher, she instilled into the public of the United Kingdom that they were not patients, but customers, and “the customer is always right”. To this day, the bastards that come in with their free prescriptions, smug gits, not knowing or caring how much the items cost, feel that they should come first.
I feel that it is time for a revolution….I am tired and sick of patients treating me like I know absolutely nothing, when I spend most of my time doing “Continual Professional Development” just for their benefit, and know more about the bloody drugs than the doctors who prescibe them!! The good ol’ government say that emotional or physical abuse of healthcare professionals is against the law. Pity the patients dont agree, to them a healthcare professional doesn’t work in a shop, they work in a hospital or drive an ambulance.
Well, time is changing, and they will have to accept that a pharmacist in a suit has a LOT more power. It’s just a pity that we cannot refuse to dispense a prescription (against the law now….) anymore. Yet a doctor can refuse to treat someone who is ill? Where is the justice?

Let me know what you think. That is just a taster, there is the local medical group, ass kissing general practitioners and many other things that annoy me!

-=+=-

Lemme know in a comment whatcha think of Lil’ Laura…

My turn…

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Doctors, Insurance Companies, Lazy People, Me being a dick, Stupid People, True Story, Work Sucks

Just about everybody has taken their shot at “Why does my prescription take so long to fill?” Now, I will end this argument once and for all. For starters, here is the short version: “IF YOU WANT M&M’s, BY ALL MEANS - GTFO! KTHX”

Now, I really like PharmacyTales Version (WHERE DID YOU GO, PT?), but the problem with it is that it is much too wordy. A visitor to the normal, American pharmacy would see that, scream TL;DR and run away screaming. The American public wants lists and pictures. I will now provide the perfect document to give to patients explaining WHY THEIR PRESCRIPTION TAKES SO DAMN LONG TO FILL!

==========================

Dear Pharmacy Visitor,
Recently, we’ve noticed an increase in prescription wait time due to many factors. To ensure all our patients have full knowledge of our policies and procedures, we’ve developed this list-type document so that each and every person knows the time and effort put into every prescription.

Prescription Filling Process: 
Drop-off of Prescription(s) by Patient [Usually 1 to 15 New Rx's or Refills]
New Patient Addition (OR Existing Patient Information Verification)
New Insurance Addition
Scanning of New Prescription (In some of our locations)
Input of Prescription into Computer System
Pharmacist Verification of Typed Prescription
Computer-Based Drug Utilization Review (DUR)
Pharmacist Acknowledgement, Review and Resolution of DUR Issues
     - These range from wrong/missing drug, dose, route, quantity, to drug interactions, poor doctor handwriting, unsigned prescriptions, and early/late refills.
Billing and Insurance Adjudication via Online Processes
Resolution of Various Insurance Issues (or Lack Thereof) via Phone Call to Insurance
Resolution of Other Ins. Issues via Phone Call to Doctor’s Office for Info/Change
Selection of Correct Drug/Dose from Shelf
Counting of Correct Quantity
Placement in Bottle/Labelling
Pharmacist Verification of Tablet Dispensed to Original Rx
Printing of Supplemental Patient Drug Information
Bagging of Prescription(s) With Correct Pamphlets
Cashier Verification of Correct Patient
Ringing of Prescription/Additional Store Items
Correction of “Patient Issues” with Billing Amount
Patient Signing for Insurance Payment/HIPAA Policy
Patient Payment for Rx/Other Items
Pharmacist-Patient Private Consultation

Other Pharmacy Related Tasks — Not *Directly* Related to Your Prescription:
All of the Above Steps for the Person(s) in Front of You in Line
Numbering/Sorting of Older Prescriptions for our Filing System
Shelving of Incoming Drug Orders/Stock Replenishment
Stocking/Straightening of OTC Drug Shelves
Calling of Drs. for Rx Refills for Other Patients [as a Courtesy]
Calling of Drs. for Order Clarification/Prior Authorizations/Etc
Answering of Patient OTC Drug Questions
Answering of Assorted Store-Related Questions
Answering of Phone Calls Concerning ANY Issues
Taking Refill Requests from Pts Refusing to Use Computer-Automated Refill
Taking of NEW Prescriptions from Doctor’s Offices
Ringing out of Items Not Related to Rx Sales
Ringing out/Logging of Pseudoephedrine Sales
Printing Rx History Forms for Patients for Tax Purposes
Cleaning of Pharmacy Area
LUNCH - We get one just like you!
Bathroom Breaks - We gotta go sometimes, too!

If you think you can help us optimize any of these steps, feel free to give our toll-free number a call at 1-888-ANG-REST.

Sincerely,

Your Phriendly Pharmacist