Updated ODDS!

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as True Story, Update

Some may remember when I outline the odds of your getting a misfilled prescription (as well as dying as a direct result). You can refresh your memory HERE.

http://www.nsc.org/research/odds.aspx outlines the odds of your dying from everything imaginable. I could copy some over to this post, but that would insult your intelligence. I’ll just say this…you’re more likely to get struck by lightning taking a shit…

Check the dates

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Update, Video

http://www.collegehumor.com/user:1612068/items/likes

Look when I uploaded the Funniest Pharmacy Video Ever…

Sorry

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Me being a dick, Update

Dear Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville,

Sorry for banning your entire subnet. Someone at your school must have been a prick. I have removed the ban, hopefully the jerk will not return. Best Wishes!

The Angriest Pharmacist

PS - Check out this weird story I got from “Wayne” concerning Walgreens. They charged a lady for OJ, sugar, and a glucometer after she passed out from hypoglycemia in line. Or at least they tried to charge her…

Cool little website

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as --Not Pharmacy--, Update

I found a cool website. It’s a great time waster, but it impressed me nonetheless.

The website URL is http://www.easyjo.com/led.php

Enjoy!

PS — The video of the BAD Consultation has been downloaded 1500 times since it was posted. Wow.

New and Notes

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as --Not Pharmacy--, Update

- I beat Assassin’s Creed today. I hate it when endings of games or movies are merely setups for a sequel rather than a meaningful ending that makes sense. Now I have to way 2-3 years for the sequel on Xbox 720. I swore more in the last 30 minutes of the game than I did playing the whole thing.

- My internet is out so I’m stealing from my neighbor - he must have a different ISP…duh

- Last night I pooped something that was the size of a toddler’s arm. It, however, smelled like a homeless person.

- I have to go do some laundry or I’m going to get beat up tonight.

- Plans are in the works for a Raging Server, Angry Pharmacist, and Angriest Pharmacist get-together. The hijinx plan will end with one of us in jail for the night, one of us in the hospital for alcohol poisoning (just me or TAP - RS doesn’t drink), and many pregnant strippers. Alternate scenarios in my mind end with a midget in the trunk.

- Word on the street is that I might be named to The Pharmacy Alliance executive committee. I gave them a REAL hard time recently, so this is surprising…but I bring a rational, logical mind to the table. I can definitely be of assistance - but I’ll have to clean up my language some…and stop being a prick when someone says something stupid.

- MAJOR NOTE: I’ve got over 140 posts. People that stumble to the site would be hard pressed to read all of them. I want to compile a “Best of..” Page to go on the top next to CONTACT. I’m gonna read through and pick out some of my favorites. However, if you have some personal favorites, please send them to me via the CONTACT link above. It sends me an email notification. I’d really appreciate the input. THANKS!

Ohh snap

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as --Not Pharmacy--, Hate Mail, Me being a dick, My nose itches, Update

Well - I’ve got yet another enemy. The Blonde Pharmacist has taken a cheap shot (albeit 13 months after I started this website) at me. She has pretty much demanded that I rescind my domain, change my name, and start anew. Isn’t that cute?

Apparently, she missed last September - when the entire pharmacist Blogosphere was in an uproar. Hell, we even got the Lawyer Blogs involved!

Now, she comes to me…wanting to pick a fight.

Alexa ranks me as the 1,363,981st most popular site on the internet.
Blondie weighs in at 11, 300,468th.
Decision: The *Angriest* Pharmacist (Yes, I’m aware TAP is ~500k)

I now pose this question: What it a beautiful brown-headed female pharmacist wanted to jump into the pharmacy-blog-world? Would you insist that she just GTFO? I mean, The Brunette Pharmacist or The Red-Headed Whench Pharmacist is original and identifiably different from The Blonde Pharmacist. Hell, they are different colors! I merely added a suffix and a few astericks. Those would be much more original than my pseudonym - and they could spring on the scene without ever having read your website. Where do you draw the line? Can Yahoo bitch at Google for creating a new search engine? Same exact website - different name? But Yahoo was first!

Can Symbolics.com sue all of us for creating websites? We all essentially ripped the .com premise off of them and TBL.

The whole point is that there is no point. You write about FDA Alerts, news stories, and butterflies. DrugMonkey writes about politics and randomness. TAP just puts bitches in check. Whilst I write about anything and everything - especially if it pisses me off. I use swears and try to be funny. I’m more of the Jackie Martling of Pharmacy Blogs, whereas you are Dakota Fanning. Fucking deal with it.

Finally, TAP is correct. There are several domains that reroute here. AngriestPharmacist.com, TAestP.com, TheAngrierPharmacist.com, and the flagship, TheAngriestPharmacist.com — Some I bought as a rebuttal to the shit-show in September, some I bought right when I started. All of them are now here to stay. It costs 7 bucks for a year - I think you could spring for one as well!

ICANN this, Copy that…Forget it! It doesn’t matter.

If you enjoy reading my bitching about pharmacy as well as some other stuff and get a laugh out of it, visit, read, discuss, enjoy. If you don’t, meh…you’ll find your niche. Try stumbleupon or 4chan.

New Widget In Right Frame

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as --Not Pharmacy--, Traffic, Update

I think we’ll come to love this Text-only widget. It’s titled “Recent Search Terms Used To Find TheAngriestPharmacist.com”

When someone comes in, my SiteMeter account reads the referring website address. While it doesn’t present the terms to me explicitly, when reading the long URL provided you can figure out what the person typed in and what search engine they were using.

You can retry the searches if you want. With all the technology out there in terms of bots scouring the web for keywords and sites, every search engine should yield similar results. That way you can figure out while in the hell “all asians are stubborn” comes to my site. Coincidentally, I have a post by those exact words. I’m the first on the list if you type that into Google!

The first set is pretty bland, but I’ve received some wild ones in the past. I’ll keep this one updated at least every other day or so. Check it out when you visit.

Final housekeeping note: Under each post (if you click the title of the post, not when viewing from the main-page) there is an icon to email a post to yourself and/or your friends, an icon to open a printable version of a post, and finally a StumbleUpon link which may eventually turn into a button…if I figure out where to upload the damn image. In addition - click the stumble button if you like a post - it will bring more visitors to our little slice of pharmacy-blog-heaven. Anyway, some of the older posts may have duplicates - 2 of each icon - because I edited the source code of this “theme” to have those icons in every post. Cope…:-)

So you are going to pharmacy school

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Education, Just a question, Pharmacy School, Update

I’m sure by now most of you have taken a look at my post on Advice for 2008 Pharmacy School Graduates. Needless to say, the post has been very popular and commented on extensively. It’s also been added upon by some others in the Pharmacy Blogosphere, each adding some thoughts based on their career and personal experience. Not long after that gem hit the net, I got a request from PharmerBill, who wanted some advice for high school seniors embarking on Pharmacy School in August. Here we go…round 2!

NOTE: Most pharmacy schools are offering 6-year Pharm.D. degrees, whereas others offer a Pharmacy School program after achieving a 4-year degree and being accepted to the 4-year program. I went for 6 years and will refer to this as such. When I talk about 1st year or 2nd year, it’s on a 6 year scale. Others would refer to this differently — meaning they only consider pharmacy school as four years: P1, P2, P3, P4. So, when I say ‘first year,’ I mean 18/19 year olds taking basic general education stuff. On my scale, “pharmacy school” doesn’t officially start until third year.

Point 1 - First year is a joke.
Point 2 - Since first year is a joke, get drunk, party, and study the night before exams and get pretty decent grades. However, remember, your first year grades do a lot to prop you up throughout the rest of your collegiate tenure. If you start to slip, stop-fucking-partying, and get on the ball. If you don’t finish first year with above a 3.0, it’s going to be a rough go for you.
Point 3 - Pharmacy School (3rd year and up) is a fucking bitch. Be prepared to fail, but don’t fret — the rest of your class is failing as well. Rack up all the points you can in labs, quizzes, and other stuff, as it will boost your grades as you get D- after D- on the test.
Point 4 - There will be those students that take a 50 question multiple choice test in 14 minutes. You are required to hate them. You must hate them because they are so incredibly smart that they know the answer after reading the first half of the question or because they are so incredibly stupid that they put C for every answer…and that’s stupid (unless it boosts the curve — if you’re lucky enough to have a curve in ANY class — in that case, praise them and get them drunk the night before exams)
Point 5 - Hate those that think, “Does anyone have any questions before we conclude for the day?” means, “Time to ask and asinine question that no one cares about and is only theoretical bullshit.” They will be in your class and you will know them by Day 2 of General Chemistry. They will ask questions about weird diseases, stupid fucking theoretical interactions, and stuff they read in the NEJM last week. They suck balls.
Point 6 - If you make it past third year and then drop out for any reason other than severe disease requiring all of your attention, you are a fucking idiot. You’ve already got 60k+ tied up in an education. How are you going to pay that back in with a degree in accounting? Exactly…
Point 7 - GET YOUR ASS IN A FUCKING PHARMACY. You will encounter some douche bag that is a 5th year and has only seen the inside of a pharmacy on required experiential trips. These people are twits and will find themselves in a world of hurt when they get to their rotations and/or the real world. The things you learn on the job may seem inconsequential, but I couldn’t tell you how many times a little bit of experience or familiarity with the drugs saved my ass on an exam. Even knowing the OTC drugs helped in some classes and especially on rotations in community pharmacies.
Point 8 - Do NOT be one of those ass clowns who comes to pharmacy school saying “I’m just going here so I can go to Med School/Law School.” That’s bullshit. No 18-year old realistically heads to pharmacy school with those high hopes — they are mommy and daddy inspired and you will see most of them crash and burn faster than a NASA space shuttle (eek - I apologize for that one). Their tune will change as they realize their debt is astronomical and retail money is easier — especially with that hefty sign on bonus.
Point 9 - Go Greek…It worked for me. I know, deep down, that part of the reason I graduated was because of my Brothers. They helped me - they kept me honest - they provided and outlet for me to vent and gain from. I couldn’t have done it without them. I don’t care what fraternity you would join. Looking out for the mutual welfare helps — regardless of the letters (except for Phi Dex, they are dicks — and everyone knows those fools in KY are gay…just kidding — relax!)
Point 10 - OLD TESTS ARE GOLD! Gather as much old material you can — the work is done FOR YOU. Most tests will have 10-15% duplicate questions. Some professors have a limited test question bank and if you have several years worth of tests, you may have access to the vast majority of their questions. Of course, you have to study — otherwise you might get burned with a new test. Fraternities help here. My chapter had tons of old stuff that we shared amongst each other.
Point 11 - Don’t be a dick to your classmates. You will come to realize that you are in it together. What started as 250 will dwindle to 150 by graduation (seriously). Working together will get you a lot farther than being competitive. What do you gain by competing for grades? Not a damn thing. Everyone still gets a degree.
Point 12 - Don’t allow the faculty to convince you that clinical pharmacy is the only thing worthy of your degree…that’s a load of bullshit, but that’s what you’ll hear from day one. Drug expert this, therapeutic guideline that, residency this, Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist that…Fuck that - my Pharm.D. is the same as theirs, and I make a tad bit more coin than then. I’ve got the same training and education as them; I just decided to go another direction. Why they look down on retail? I dunno. If I weren’t standing in the trenches, one of them might be…
Point 13 - Live in the dorms or close to campus! Those that live on campus get 15% higher grades than those that don’t — my school once “crunched the numbers.” Why? Because they are more involved in their school and their education. If you commute, stay on campus, make friends. They will help when it comes to getting old tests and such. Don’t go to class and run home.
Point 14 - I’m not saying give up your friends from “back home,” but for Pete’s sake, don’t live in a fucking suitcase and run back to your hometown every weekend. Homecoming? Sure. Anything else? Meh.
Point 15 - I hate to burst your bubble, but you and your high school girlfriend aren’t going to make it. It’s a 99.9999% certainty that you will be broken up by New Years. Why? Because there are hundreds (if not thousands) of 18-year old bitches throwing their boobies in your face…and you’re going to like it — and probably open your mouth once or twice (and your fly if you’re lucky). Don’t screw yourself out of all those fun experiences and random strange because “you’re in love” with the same girl you’ve been dating since freshman year.
Point 16 - If for some reason you do keep a significant other outside of your school or immediate area, DO NOT be one of those stupid motherfuckers that runs out of class at EVERY 5 minute break and jumps on the cell phone. I hated those fucking kids. As soon as the teacher said the word, they were pushing the dial button…it’s like they only had that on their mind the last 15 minutes before our break. I hated those kids - and I’ll hate you if you turn into one.
Point 17 - Keeping number 15 in mind, don’t be a fucking slut. Like I said, pharmacy schoool is about 250 people. You nail 3 girls in a week and it’s going to get around. You are going to be avoided by the plague (unless you are the master). Chicks talk more than dudes. You don’t want to be labeled a man-whore or slut after a week of drunken fun. Sure, it was a blast - but it will be the only play you get for a long ass time.
Point 18 - Real men marry pharmacists. Can you imagine the possibilities of being married to a pharmacist as well as being one? That 250k gross is a lot of money. You can have awesome cool shit - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo 64, all the works…This also provides a solid fall-back - you fail out, she graduates, you still got a solid income to mooch off of…:-)

Got any to add for our 1st years, Pre-Pharms, and/or P1’s? Toss it in a comment!

If you read this far and aren’t going to pharmacy school, worry not, some if not all of them will apply to you in some way. Read and learn….

My Letter to the USA Today Journalists

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Errors, Update

I decided to send a letter to the guys that wrote the recent string of USA Today Articles concerning misfills (with more to come) directing them to my recent post analyzing the numbers behind misfills - and showing that they are not as common as USA Today would like its readers to believe. Here’s what I sent:

To: Kevin McCoy (Journalist), Erik Brady (Journalist), and Brent Jones (Reader Editor)

Dear Mr. McCoy, Mr. Brady, and Mr. Jones,
I applaud your recent article in exposing the high-volume/low-staff environment many of our pharmacies nationwide are exposed to by their corporate counterparts. However, I think the problem presented may be drastically overstated. While even 1 error is drastic and 1 death is too many, the human element cannot be removed from pharmacy and therefore errors can never be eliminated…merely minimized.

Please take a look at a recent article I’ve written crunching the numbers on prescription drug misfills. The numbers in the article do an excellent job of putting the entire issue into perspective, and if presented this way, would relieve people that their pharmacies are, in fact, safe and not dangerous cesspools of misfills, incompetent workers, and careless pharmacists.

http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/2008/02/26/the-real-numbers/
Thank you,
The *Angriest* Pharmacist
webmaster@theangriestpharmacist.com
http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com

Anyone else out there - feel free to forward the post URL to any news outlet you see fit. Direct them to “http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/2008/02/26/the-real-numbers/” and give them my email address for further contact (webmaster@theangriestpharmacist.com). Let them know that we aren’t a bunch of misfits misfilling prescriptions and killing 5-year olds at will! The numbers don’t lie — only lawyers (and apparantly journalists) do.

Walgreens spins the hell out of USA Today’s Article

Posted by The *Angriest* Pharmacist as Management, Update

By now, everyone in pharmacy world has read the USA Today article that I critiqued and ranted about in this post: http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/2008/02/12/finally-now-they-may-listen/

As expected, CEOs everywhere shit their pants and saw their stock investments drop in value all day long. You can check the stocks on WMT, CVS, and WAG — their values over the last five days have dropped one-half or so points. I’m not sure the effect the article had on it, but I’m betting it might’ve had something to do with it. Of course, the markets are going to shit right now, so that could be it as well….

Anyway, you know the CEOs had to get the spin out to their pawns in the trenches. Here’s what Walgreens CEO Jeff Rein sent down to the pharmacy staff:

To all Walgreen employees:
Some of you may have seen a USA Today report in today’s paper about prescription errors at major drugstore chains. Unfortunately, Walgreens was included among the pharmacies highlighted. Any time a story like this appears, my biggest concern is that it will scare patients away from using medication that, in many cases, is life saving. I’m also concerned it unfairly portrays the work of our outstanding pharmacy staffs – and the efforts we make as a company – to ensure patient safety and provide them with the best care. For example, the story didn’t focus on the many positive initiatives the industry has made to ensure safety and promote pharmacists as a key part of the health care system.

I’m sure many of you will get asked questions about the story, whether it’s from family and friends, patients and customers or business partners. To help you answer those questions, I’m including some talking points at the bottom of this email. (Please remember that any questions from reporters should be referred to our Corporate Communications department.) In the meantime, I can’t say enough about the tremendous effort all of you make to improve our patients’ health. Every day, I hear great stories about how you’re making a difference for them.. Thank you!

Believe me, although the national news media may not recognize the care you’re providing, it’s very much recognized by everyone within our company and by our tens of millions of pharmacy patients.

Jeff Rein
Chairman and CEO

TALKING POINTS FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CUSTOMERS AND PATIENTS REGARDING THE USA Today REPORT:
* We’ve been in the pharmacy business for 107 years. No one has better systems or processes for filling prescriptions than we do.
* Regardless of whether a pharmacy technician is putting the pills in the bottle, a pharmacist checks and verifies every prescription before it’s dispensed.
* In the last 10 years, we’ve invested nearly $1 billion in pharmacy safety systems, safety training and new technology. That investment proves how seriously we take our responsibility to be error-free.
* Walgreens invented the electronic prescription 15 years ago. Electronic prescribing is a powerful tool for eliminating errors associated with handwriting, and we encourage its adoption by doctors.

So, what’s wrong with his points for discussion? Let’s start with point one. I think saying no one is better than you is conceited as best. Think your infallable Jeff? Ask Sears and Roebuck…Believe me, there’s lots of people with better systems than you. I worked at Wally World for a bit — and their system is better than yours. I worked at Walgreens during my first year of pharmacy school — I quit after one semester because my experiences sucks so bad. Upgrades? Maybe. But, Walmart’s technology blows yours out of the water. Your shit might as well be PDX compared to Connexus.

Point two is null and void. Pharmacists can be idiots. Techs can be idiots. Just because a pharmacist checked a tech doesn’t mean it’s right. I’ve read studies saying that techs checking techs is just as accurate as a pharmacist checking techs. Do I think that’s the right course of action? Hell no. But, it is an interesting thought. Sometimes, it might be worth it to just suck it up and hire more people. But that’d cut into profits now AND later…

Point Three? Bogus. 1 Billion dollars? Yeah right. Your profit last year was 15 billion. I seriously doubt you dumped 1 billion of that into training and your software. Why not take that billion and put it into staffing? I guarantee you that’d do more for decreasing errors than increasing your PRODUCTIVITY - which is what he’s trying to say.

Point four is an act of deferral. Placing the blame on the doctors rather than your substandard staffing and increased workload. See point 3.