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

The History of Medicine

Posted on July 22, 2011

THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE

2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
20 A.D. - "That prayer is good, but you have to pray in my name me to get through to Dad."
1850 A.D. - "That prayer is a superstitious chant, drink this potion."
1940 A.D. - "That potion is merely snake oil, swallow this pill."
1970 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic four times a day."
1980 A.D. - "Bacteria aren't the problem. Viruses are enemy number 1! Get this vaccination, but you still better take our pills too!"
1990 A.D. - "Taking pills four times a day? That's ARCHAIC! Take this tablet once-a-day."
1999 A.D. - "That once-a-day tablet is cost prohibitive. Take this cheaper generic. It's the same thing."
1999 A.D. - "Their generic once-a-day tablet isn't good enough anymore. Our 'XR' tablet is now the standard of care. And you only have to take it once-a-day!!!"
2000 A.D. "This XR antibiotic kills all the bacteria in your stomach. Take this bacteria capsule four times a day."
2000 A.D. - "Those vaccines are still working, but our data shows they definitely cause autism and some other nasty shit."
2001 A.D. "No, they don't. The data never showed that. Shit happens."
2003 A.D. - "Bacteria are now resistant to this once-a-day antibiotic. We're probably fucked."
2011 A.D. - "Oh yeah, we have immune systems. That's why the vaccines work. Let's just drink the damn tap water and shut the fuck up."

Note: I amused myself writing this. I know the dates aren't even close to right, but it's all so true. Feel free to fill in the holes and make corrections via the comments. Let's tweak this, finish it up, then send it around the Internet like some of the other stupid bullshit I get.

Voicemail prescription on Memorial Day

Posted on May 30, 2011

Had a doctor call in a prescription today...on Memorial Day. I could tell from his tone on the voicemail he left that HE WAS PISSED. He was bothered. He was angry. He was leaving a prescription for, let's call him Cal Ripkin. Here is the message verbatim:

"Prescription for Cal Ripkin. Zpak. No Refills. This is Dr. Johnson."

Luckily, I knew who Dr. Johnson was because he did not say his first name. I could just hear it in his voice that Mr. Ripkin called him at home or through the exchange acting as if he would absolutely die without a ZPAK STAT! And, rather than tell Mr. Ripkin to stop being a pussy and take a nap and some Tylenol, he just called in the prescription. Is antibiotic begging becoming some sort of weird variation of drug seeking?

Mr. Ripkin called me moments later and arrived mere minutes later. He needed that fucking ZPAK...

As I'm ringing him out, he doesn't ask about cough medicine. He doesn't ask about Advil or Tylenol. He doesn't ask me any REAL questions at all. He does hold out his hand and show me his palm. He's got a giant blister -- looks like it was from fighting a push mower without gloves.

"Will this ZPAK help with this blister?"

"I don't think it will. It's not super-red. It's definitely not infected. I wouldn't have torn it open -- maybe you could cover it with some super glue or Nu-skin to keep it from hurting."

"Oh. I kinda thought.....well....okay...thanks...."

 

So, let's recap here. Patient calls doctor for antibiotic. Doctor doesn't ask why, what for, or any questions. (It's for a blister, by the fucking way) Patient doesn't tell doctor what it's for. (It's for a blister, by the fucking way) Pharmacist fills it, patient comes to pick it up and pharmacist discovers patient wanted it for a blister, BY THE FUCKING WAY.

What a waste of time, money, resources, and my patience. This is one of the biggest examples of problems within our healthcare system -- WASTE and MISUSE OF ANTIBIOTICS. Super bug, anyone? This is how we are going to create it....

The crap people send me…

Posted on May 10, 2011

I got the following email from "Pat" concerning a "pain contrtact." One side of me wants to say, you're an addict and you need help from a few different doctors. One side of me wants to say this poor woman's pain is being under treated by her physician. Still yet, one side, the prevailing side, doesn't give a flying fuck. I present this email for your amusement. Readers, please tell her what you think. I get so many emails/contact notes from folks like this, that I no longer take the time to respond. It is up to this community to cull its nuts.

 

From: pat <d********y@yahoo.com>
Subject: Pain Contrtact
Title: Technician

Message Body:
Dear Sir,
it is with deep shame, and not a little fear, that I compose this message. I'm a woman in her late thirties, and I'm a Pharmacy Tech. I also suffer agonizing migraines. I have a PCP that I see, weekly, and I receive Rxs for #14, 40mg. Oxycontin, and #42, 20mg. Roxicodone, for BT pain. My visits are always EIGHT days apart, NOT seven. But, no matter how many times I explain the numbers to my M.D., she won't up the Script #. Tonight, I found a several months old Rx for "Percocet", 5/325, literally in a cookie jar. I KNEW it was wrong, as I have an Iron-Clad contract w/ my doc, but I did it anyway. I went to a NEW Phramacy, paid cash, and got the script. I feel like even lower dirt, b/c the RPh was SO nice and understanding; I felt like a heel misleading him. I have a question for you, sir: will this Rx show up on my profile at my reg. Pharmacy, since I didn't use my usual insurance?  I asked my DAd, who is an RPH, and couldn't get a straight answer (he refuses to touch, or even discuss my meds). If my doc finds out, she'll kick me out of her practice-- and narcotic meds are the ONLY thing that make life bearable for me right now. I KNOW I should have thought of that BEFORE I did this, but, now, I need a truthful answer from someone I truly respect. Am I in horrible trouble? I am SO SCARED.
Thank You, PAt

How to comment

Posted on April 3, 2011

I'm tired of randos coming to my website and submitting bullshit comments to various posts. I've got better things to do than delete 3-5 comments  per day calling me an asshole, a meany head, or questioning my professionalism/ethics (and then banning the user)...as if you reading a vague story about a drug seeker / drug shopper compromises THEIR privacy. As if ANYONE reading these stories can find out what state I'm even in -- much less a patient's name. That's just not possible. Considering that I'm not a complete idiot, I change facts, details, and other things to keep the backbone of the story without making it so obvious as to the subject and subject matter. The person fingered in the story wouldn't even know they are the subject matter in 9 of 10 posts.

I get talked to like I'm a piece of shit all day. I'll be damned if I'm gonna come home and take e-shit from some nameless fuck over the internet (I do realize the hypocrisy of using the term 'nameless fuck' as I am one). But, what I mean is, people stumble upon this site and give me shit -- non-pharmacists, non-healthcare workers, nobodys.  I'm not that bad. I'm not a horrible person. Some of this is a joke. It's an act. It's a persona in some ways.

I do (or envision and reimagine) the things that you want to do but can't. A favorite comment from these nameless fucks is that I would/should be fired in their business for doing X or saying Y. Who are they to judge me or question what I do.

I can't fully express how much this pisses me off. Nor can I adequately express how some of these hatred and anger is misplaced. I'm not a bad guy. I'm not an unethical dick. 'You' just don't like THAT post.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I'm not deleting these comments because they person questions my judgment or doesn't like what I did. I can handle a dissenting opinion. That's not the issue. I would be FINE with that. But, I've yet to have a dissenting opinion posed in a professional manner worthy of being posts. For instance, in response to, "Unfortunately, this is  a true story" I got the following comment:

"This was written in a humorous way I’ll give you that.. Guy sure was stupid LOL!! I would fire you ASAP but I suspect you probably own or manage the pharmacy in the story, which is even more repulsive. You sir sicken me, and should be ashamed of your profession."

Now, do you see how that has no point? That serves no purpose other than to push me down (as well as the profession of pharmacy. Now, I can accept that this situation could have been handled a different way. But, unless you present a clear and concise rebuttal without resorting to belittling me or our pharmacy, I don't give a fuck what you have to say. Now, you don't have to be a kissass, but you can bring about a different POV without being a prick. Here's what you could say:

"While I agree that was frustrating, you handled it dead wrong. You're a pharmacist and obviously have some education. Not everyone in the world is a smart as you. Some people need things spelled out to them. Some people have learning disabilities. Did you ever things of that? Did you do what they taught you in school and ask him to show you how he will use the inhaler after you educated him? Oh, I forgot, you barely did educate him. This situation is nothing but a failure of a pharmacist to counsel a patient effectively.

See how that works? With a little cunning, you can tell me I'm wrong, pose your opinion, maybe even take a jab at me, have your comment posted, and not get permanently banned from my site WITHOUT BEING A SNIVELING PRICK. I'm not saying you can't swear. I'm not saying you can't question me or what I did. Just don't be a jerk. Don't attack me -- unless it is REALLY fucking funny and REALLY fucking good.

So, how do I remedy this? I thought about deleting all comments and blocking all future comments/discussion, but I value that input from fellow pharmacists and technicians. Instead, I've decided to require registration. That means that initial registration will require a name, verified email address, and maybe some other information as I see fit (such as an acceptance of terms of service). Then you can post comments on the site. After a certain number of approved comments, you will get the ability to post comments that skip my moderation -- after earning trust so to speak.

http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/wp-login.php?action=register

We'll see how this goes for a while. Maybe a little bothersome registration will prevent assholes from doing what they do best.

 

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