Before I go....

I just had to tell a story a fellow pharmacist told me today. A few years back she was working in a predominantly poor neighboorhood that happened to also be predominantly black. Nothing against any African Americans here. It's just that she had a hard time understading the language nuances. One lady called several times very upset over something. After many people listening to her woes, my friend finally determined she had a "tater vine" growing out of her "cat." Now tater vine means what it says potato vine and cat meant vagina. OK...now we get a picture. Why did she have a potato vine growing out of her vagina? Well, apparantly she had a prolapsed uterus/bladder combo so in her book of old wives tales, it was suggested she insert a potato into the vagina to hold it in place. She did not use the whole potato, just a wedge (not that it would have mattered much). Anyway, my friend convinced her to go to the free clinic to get a look-see. Aparantly, the potato really likes to grow in a warm, moist, dark environment. The lady had to have a hysterectomy.

I have so many whys to this story, I cannot list them all. #1 being Why are you calling the pharmacist? We have no pills for growing vaginal potato vines. Maybe you should call Home Depot and they can assist you with a weed-wacker purchase.

Worst story I've ever heard. I've got some doozies, but this wins the prize.

On Hiatus

I'll be gone for a while. My store is getting a new computer system in 3 weeks and with all of the training and prep I am exhausted.

Will post when I get calmed down.

Thanks to the couple of you who have been reading.

Dear "Pharmacy Slave"

I would have emailed you personally, but you had no contact info or way to comment on your blog.

Your quote "I have seen all these blogs from pharmacists who are incessantly complaining about their days...and I figured that I should go on ahead and give myself a shot. As much as I love my pharmacists (at least 2 of them...one I hate more than I hate my job), they have all told us lowly technicians that we field more problems than they do an deal with much more since we're in the front lines of customer service. For the most part, our pharmacists kick back and do crossword puzzles and occasionally check the rare prescription while we do everything else...so I shall begin this lovely little blog tomorrow when I return home from work. "

I am was a tech for 15 years before I went to pharmacy school. I know what it's like to be a tech. I used to think just like you. Then I got my license. Now, I want to call my old boss of 13 years and apologize for all the bullshit complaining I did. You don't know what kind of pressure there is for a pharmacist. Yes, you are the front line for us, but we have to deal with the customers also while trying not to kill anyone. "Occasionally check the rare prescription????"" Who else can do it? The pharmaicst checks ALL of the prescriptions. I don't have time to do a crossword puzzle. It must be nice that your pharmacists can. I can barely pee. Sometimes I think about wearing depends, but then there would be the smell. I call doctors, I call insurance companies, I save my techs from being chewed out by an idiot, I handle all of the complaints, I type prescriptions, I check medication usage-interactions-dosages-medical conditions-allergies, I make hundreds of recommendations, I LISTEN to old ladies cry when they've been diagnosed with cancer.

I also value every last one of my techs and thank them regularly for a job well done. I could not do my job without them. I don't forget this. EVER. I am sorry you feel that you are a "lowly" tech. I always correct mine when they say "I'm just a tech" if a patient asks their position. I say, "You are a technician...not just a tech. Do not belittle your position in this pharmacy."

I know your job is difficult, but so is ours.

How dare you....

This weekend, an elderly man came in to get a B vitamin his doctor had recommended for his chills. I don't know of any B vitamin to help with chills. Maybe he's anemic? Mind you, this was a VERY elderly frail looking man. Are his kidneys still working? I don't know. I told him to ask his doctor to be more specific in which B vitamin he intended the man to have. I know, I know.... a cop-out but I had only had 2 hrs of sleep and he didn't seem real with-it to answer my more probing questions.

Well, a couple of minutes later the guy is back with a lady from the non-foods department asking the same question. My tech overheard and I went out front again. I re-iterated my stance on calling the doctor. The non-foods person had the cojones to say "Well, a B-complex vitamin should be OK" and start to hand it to him. Now I was pissed. Not at the man, but the non-foods associate. I said that I didn't know what other medical conditions the man might have and I didn't know of a B vitamin to treat chills. THEN SHE CONTINUED TO CONTRADICT ME BY SAYING "WELL, B VITAMINS CAN'T REALLY HURT. THEY ALL GET FLUSHED OUT ANYWAY." I had to play the "I'm the pharmaicst and this is what I said" card.

Do not argue with me in front of a patient. You do not have that right. And yes B vitamins can cause nerve damage in high doses, you moron. Where the hell does she get off thinking she can do this? Did she go to school for 9 damn years (ok not all pharmacy)?

And then there's the whole legality of this. The only thing a non-pharmacist can do is show a person where the product is. Otherwise, all questions must go to the pharmacist.