Experience as a patient at a retail pharmacy

[sunakuma]

I know everyone has been complaining about the work experience at retail pharmacy--patients being unreasonable, angry, and felt they are entitled for everything and anything. However, how's everyone's experience to see the quality of work performed by the retail pharmacy, including pharmacist, intern and technician.

It was quite shocking to me that many technicians failed to verify my full name (only ask last name), failed to ask my address or birthday when I was picking up my Rx, and failed to offer to ask if I have any questions. This is in multiple stores, different technicians. It's not that they have a long line of patients, and, those are some easy questions to ask and does not take much of time / work after all. Those are really important things to do. Error can really happen in those steps when they failed to verify the correct patient.

What is everyone else's experience (good, or bad)? What actions would / did you take in regarding to those good / bad experience?

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[lane one]

Do you know how much money pharmacy technicians make? Lol I think that would answer most of your questions right there.

It was quite shocking to me that many technicians failed to verify my full name (only ask last name), failed to ask my address or birthday when I was picking up my Rx, and failed to offer to ask if I have any questions. This is in multiple stores, different technicians.

Some people find those questions very intrusive. 20 questions is the last thing they want when snagging their valtrex.

It's not that they have a long line of patients, and, those are some easy questions to ask and does not take much of time / work after all.

Never make assumptions about the workload that cannot see (ie the computer screens). They could be days behind in those ques, but as long as no one is in line you think they aren't busy?

Those are really important things to do. Error can really happen in those steps when they failed to verify the correct patient.

Several chains have a process to prevent meds getting to the wrong patient that are quite effective. Not sure if this was an indi, but CVS for example gets first three letters of last name, first three letters of first name, DOB. If you can't provide those, the screen goes nowhere. Makes it pretty difficult for the wrong med to be sold.

 

[zelman]

Several chains have a process to prevent meds getting to the wrong patient that are quite effective. Not sure if this was an indi, but CVS for example gets first three letters of last name, first three letters of first name, DOB. If you can't provide those, the screen goes nowhere. Makes it pretty difficult for the wrong med to be sold.

This. However, I had a tech who would try to memorize everyone's info at a nice slow store. It made pickup smooth, but I wasn't really on board.

But, people not asking if you have questions? That's nuts. I've asked people buying only Doritos if they have questions for the pharmacist. It should be involuntary.

 

[sunakuma]

Several chains have a process to prevent meds getting to the wrong patient that are quite effective. Not sure if this was an indi, but CVS for example gets first three letters of last name, first three letters of first name, DOB. If you can't provide those, the screen goes nowhere. Makes it pretty difficult for the wrong med to be sold.

This in fact can lead to error. One could use computer to pull up the name. You could have entered the correct last name. However, how do you make sure you didn't look at the wrong patient's name, or pull up a wrong bag instead? Similar, or same last names is normal, and it is very easy to pull up a wrong bag if you are not paying attention or in a rushed. By not asking patient to verify full name, address, dob, or phone number, how do you verify you got the correct bag for the patient? If patient is not paying attention and takes the wrong medication from another patient, huge consequence could happen.

Edit: Hooops, didn't pay attention you said CVS requires those information...So I guess for CVS they are using a good system.

 

[RxPreceptor]

Yes, CVS's system keeps upping the requirements on check & balances...you need to enter credentials just to look at someone's profile now (less likely to glance past the data entry portion with a system check). I will say, organization, personal space, & cutting down on clutter are essential for preventing the CNS overload of distractions & potential HIPAA violations simply from grabbing the wrong piece of paper at the wrong time. Not all Pharmacists are neat/organized...I am near OCD with this habit of a "clean desk/workstation" strategy

I personally like to mix it up a bit, confirming first name & have he/she verify DOB, address, or phone # usually when pinched for time...randomness. My biggest catch was a Sound-Alike-Look-Alike Name & DOB (month & day at least)...zolpidem for a 5 year old just didn't look right...not sure what the druggist who verified it was thinking when hitting DURs

 

[ldiot]

The only time I've seen an error is when someone couldn't speak English or provide an ID. They couldn't even say their own name in a manner that anyone could understand. I told them to come back with an ID and refused the sale. The pharmacist got mad at me and tried to look them up in the system. She found a Spanish name with Amoxicillin filled and rang the patient out.

Two hours later some Spanish person comes in looking for their Amoxicillin... guess I'm not such an ass after all for refusing the sale huh?

 

[ldiot]

I know everyone has been complaining about the work experience at retail pharmacy--patients being unreasonable, angry, and felt they are entitled for everything and anything. However, how's everyone's experience to see the quality of work performed by the retail pharmacy, including pharmacist, intern and technician.

It was quite shocking to me that many technicians failed to verify my full name (only ask last name), failed to ask my address or birthday when I was picking up my Rx, and failed to offer to ask if I have any questions. This is in multiple stores, different technicians. It's not that they have a long line of patients, and, those are some easy questions to ask and does not take much of time / work after all. Those are really important things to do. Error can really happen in those steps when they failed to verify the correct patient.

What is everyone else's experience (good, or bad)? What actions would / did you take in regarding to those good / bad experience?

Most people get mad at me when I ask them to repeat/spell their name. It's like a game for some people to see who can mumble their name the quietest, then they get agitated when I ask them to spell it. WTF? Do you or do you not want the correct med? Do you want to stand here all day while I try to guess how to spell you name? Okay I'm done with my little rant... I wish the customers were more like you.

 

[lane one]

I had a guy once that wouldn't even give us his DOB at drop off. He wasn't shady or anything, just super old and I guess had been living under a rock for the past several years with minimal exposure to health care. He simply said "no, no you may not have my date of birth that's personal information" took his script and politely left the pharmacy to fill it somewhere else lol.

 

[mentos]

This in fact can lead to error. One could use computer to pull up the name. You could have entered the correct last name. However, how do you make sure you didn't look at the wrong patient's name, or pull up a wrong bag instead? Similar, or same last names is normal, and it is very easy to pull up a wrong bag if you are not paying attention or in a rushed. By not asking patient to verify full name, address, dob, or phone number, how do you verify you got the correct bag for the patient? If patient is not paying attention and takes the wrong medication from another patient, huge consequence could happen.

Edit: Hooops, didn't pay attention you said CVS requires those information...So I guess for CVS they are using a good system.

You have to scan the bag in order to ring them out. To get to this point you need to select the correct patient name, DOB, and medication. If the wrong bag is scanned, you can't sell it. It's pretty foolproof unless the Rph put the wrong bottle inside.

 

[sunakuma]

You have to scan the bag in order to ring them out. To get to this point you need to select the correct patient name, DOB, and medication. If the wrong bag is scanned, you can't sell it. It's pretty foolproof unless the Rph put the wrong bottle inside.

I was not asked for my first name, dob when they rung out my medications...

 

[Sine Cura]

Did you actually go to a CVS pharmacy? You can't scan **** without getting name and DOB. It's possible they memorized it because they recognized you from earlier but that isn't a good idea and against policy anyway.

As a patient, my experiences have been least miserable in a pharmacy. I've done the whole "sit in the ED waiting area for 8 hours" deal, ICU deal, blah blah blah. Didn't like any of it but at least in getting a script I could go somewhere else while getting something filled.

 

[lane one]

I was not asked for my first name, dob when they rung out my medications...

What pharmacy was it? You don't have to drop the dime on the exact store but it sounds like an indi.

 

[sunakuma]

What pharmacy was it? You don't have to drop the dime on the exact store but it sounds like an indi.

Not indi, is Walgreens. The indi that I used actually provide very good services and counseling.

 

[npage148]

Like others said. They are not asking becaue they don't need to.