Priceless

So, we have this kid that comes in nearly every day to steal something. He is always high as a kite. Sometimes he has me identify mystery pills (usually some sort of narcotic). The other day, he asked if we gave away free condoms, which we don't. At least he wanted to protect himself and others. But otherwise, this guy is bad news.

Today, he comes in and tells my tech that he feels awful. My tech gets me. He says he thinks his blood pressure is really low and he feels like throwing up. I asked if he felt weak..yes he does. I suggest he go to the ER to get checkd out. He mumbled something in response (he mumbles a lots). I thought he said he wanted to check his BP so I told him where the machine was. His response........................................................


"No, I just need to get a syringe."

"You don't need a syringe to check your blood pressure"

"Yeah, my thing I have at home needs a syringe to work right."

"No it doesn't and I'm not selling you a syringe"

Does he think I am stupid??? This exchange kept going with him finally yelling at me that I need to give him a "fucking" syringe over and over. I told him to leave the store and finally had to call the store manager to escort him out.

I know some people are in the camp of sell the syringe to protect public health. But I'm not. You can be and I see the point. I work in a very drug riddled area and refuse to sell syringes to anyone without a prescripton. Let them share needles and get Hep C, etc. I don't want any more of these types in my store. There's enough as it is.

I hate junkies.

New Year in Hell

I know every other pharmacist is going through the same thing today but I need to vent. I asked the 100 millionth customer if they had a new insurance card.....of course not. Luckily (maybe), she has Med D, so I ran a Med D check through the computer. Oh, yes new bin...ID...group...the whole works. I explained that her plan has changed and she should have a new card; if she doesn't she needs to call and get one for future. Then she says "OH, well, I haven't checked my mail in a while. Maybe it's in there." I just wanted to strangle her.

Why can't people check their plans and realize this is a NEW YEAR. This means you might have a deductible to meet even if you've never had one before. Plans change, copays go up. READ YOUR DAMN MAIL. I know some elderly persons just cannot grasp this, but they are not the ones I am complaining about. I can see the "old person fog" and I am patient. But the rest of you should know what the fuck is going on.

On another note, I had a lady ask me what to do about her ultra red eye. Apparently, she had an itch and had scratched a bit too hard. I told her to get an eye wash and see the MD Monday if it's not clearing up. After I showed her where the eye wash was, she asked me if she should apply it with a cotton ball. To her EYE...not the lid....the EYEBALL!!!! WTF?????? Great idea, lady.

And on the same theme of eyes, if your eye looks like it is swimming in dark red blood (not bloodshot...actual blood) and the eyeball looks nearly separate from the socket, get to the ER immediately.....I do not have any eye drops to give you. No amount of doe-eyed (with the good eye) begging is going to help. It's your sight for crying out loud!!!!

just so tired

I am so tired of all the corporate bullshit. I just want to use my techs to ring the register instead of me. Maybe then I could get the fucking phone that's been holding for me for over 5 minutes. They aren't interested in customer service, only in their numbers. Which by the way are WAY WRONG. According to their magic sheets, we do between 200-300 LESS scripts per week than we actually fill. So, if I'm really filling 1500 scripts they think we only fill 1250 or so. I must budget my tech hours on THEIR reports. Supposedly they have fixed this but might take a month or two until the reports correct. Meanwhile, I have to schedule according to their stupid numbers. During our busiest season. And with a new computer system coming on board in 2 weeks.
I need a new job. I have to get out of retail before it kills me. I am tired of being just a number cruncher and not valued as a person. Getting my resume ready.
Just when exactly did running a pharmacy ((A MEDICAL PROFESSION) turn into the same as running a taco bell>??????

Little surpise in a prescription

Today, I was handed a birth control pak by my tech to transfer from another pharmacy. The patient had dropped it off in the drive thru. When I opened up the pak to take down the pharmacy's info and I got a little surprise. Inside was a tiny baggie filled with white powder. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......are we keeping salt or Equal in tiny baggies in our b/c paks now? I think not.

I promptly called the police who showed up 2 hours later to confiscate the baggie. The officer immediately knew the name since they've been out at the house so often arresting everyone. Half of the family is in jail.

Unfortunately, the police cannot prosecute since they did not catch it themselves, but they did get the drugs out of the pharmacy.

I called up the 'patient' to inform her we would not be able to fill her prescriptions. When I told her I found a baggie inside the pak, she said 'I figured that's what you were calling for. Never mind just throw the rx away."

Can you imagine the conversation in the car after they left the drive thru????

Fucking druggies...........get out of my store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prank Calls Can be Funny, but not this one

Saturday I answered the phone after the tech tried to talk to this girl. A teenage girl by the sound of her voice.

'Pharmacist, what can I do for you?'

"Yeah, what kind of lube do you recommend?"

'Well, they're pretty much the same. It's really a personal preference issue.'

'You have to recommend one. I hear some are better than others.'

'KY products are all good.'

'Is this from personal experience?'

now, I pretty much know this is a crank call, but just in case, I stay professional.

'No, this is from sales data. It's what we sell the most of.'

'What are the largest size condoms you carry?'

I go out to the aisle and look.....

'Trojan Magnum XL'

'Are you sure that's the biggest ones you have?'

"yes"

mumbling in background....guy's voice

'You're sure you don't have any bigger condoms."

'Yes'

It gets better .......................

'Do you carry sex toys?'

still trying to maintain my professionalism but I'm getting irritated....................

'No, this is a pharmacy. You'd have to go to a specialty shop for that.'

'So you have them at the pharmacy?'

'NO!!!!!!!!!! I said we ARE a pharmacy and you need to go to a specialty shop for those products'

'Well, can you recommend one?'

'I have to go now. I have another call holding.'

Then the teenage douchebag says.................................

'Bitch, don't hang up on me.'

WTF??????????????

I say, 'I am hanging up now.' Click.

This would have been an amusing little story if not for the very last part. Made me really really really angry for the whole rest of the morning. Crank call if you will, just don't get nasty when people who have a real job to do need to cut your ass off.

Dumbest question of the year.....so far

On this lovely Sunday morning, my tech told me there was a question for the pharmacist on the phone. A gentleman gives me his wife's name and asks me to explain what "Take one tablet four times a day means." WHAT???? How can I explain simple English? So, I hesitantly say......it means take 1 tablet 4 times a day. Now wait for it....here it comes......

"Does that mean in the SAME day?"

What the fuck? No....it means in the same week you dumb ass.

So, I tell him yes in the same day. "Oh, we haven't been doing that." Now wait, there's another one coming................

"So, is that every hour or so?"

Is this guy smoking crack? In my store's neighborhood, he just might be.


But laughed all day just thinking about it.




The saga continues on Monday.......9:15am. My tech and I are doing our stuff in the pharmacy. gentleman approaches the pick up counter and asks if we are open. My tech and I just look at each other and say yeeessss...........Same man from the phone yesterday. He asks what time we open. I reply 8am. He says oh I th0ught you didn't open until 9.....but still it was 15 full minutes after 9am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2pm...my 'lunch' time which consists of me sitting on a stool on a back counter and reading a magazine while getting interrupted 10 billion times. I hear my tech on the phone.....no 4 times a day means about every 6 hours. No, you space it out. I mouthed to her if it was the same patient as the day before. She nodded.

I got on the phone, irritated at having to reexplain basic English again and now my lunch has been interrupted for this shit.
"Hi this is the RPh. Is this Mr Dumbass?'
'Yes"
"Didn't I speak to you yesterday on this issue of 4 times a day?"
"Well, yes but we still need some clarification."

On what? Who has the brain today? My God this is ridiculous.

Me"She need to take her medicine every 6 hours since the day is 24 hours. And 24 divided by 4 equals 6."

"So, she takes it both day AND night?"

Blood is now dripping out of my mouth from gritting my teeth so hard

"Yes...day refers to a 24 hour time period. Take it every 6 hours.'
"You sound like you're getting upset with me. I'm just trying to understand this."
"I'm sorry I sound upset, I just don't understand what is the big problem with these instructions"

I know, I know it's my job to make sure they understand, but this is basic language skills. Give me a break. If you don't understand 4 times a day means in the same day and it means day and night, I cannot help you. You are too stupid.

Idiot Nurse Practitioner

Rx came in today.......zithromax 200/5 4.7ml today and 2.3ml qd for 4 more days. What the fuck? How in the world will a parent measure this? I called the NP to change it to a more reasonable 5ml and 2.5ml which has actual markins on the syringe (1tsp 1/2 tsp). She absolutely refused even when I said it would be very hard for the parents to measure. She insisted on the EXACT dose calculated by the kid's weight. What a moron. Like an extra 0.2 or 0.3ml will be toxic to the kid!! This is not lasix or furosemide for crying out loud.

I kept it as is, but told the parents a synopsis of my conversation with the NP. They didn't like her either. I told the parents it would hurt if they couldn't get that precise with the dose (although they did get a 5ml and1ml syringe from me).

I hate NP who think they are so smart. Book smart, but no common sense.