Most incompetent pharmacist you've ever met

[rxglasshalffull]

So we all know there are a lot of incompetent pharmacists out there, the ones that miss mistakes and major, obvious interactions. Let's share stories about the most incompetent pharmacists and what they did.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dred Pirate]

unchained and his vaccine advice

 

[gwarm01]

PGY2 in a clinical role asking new graduates to help / explain how to do kinetics because they didn't know how, and decided it would be better to look like a fool rather than spend one minute on Google.

 

[Wheresmyaricept]

Dispensed furosemide tablets instead of nystatin cream. It was a printed script, so no penmanship issue. Entered into the system wrong and verified wrong. Still have no clue how that happened.

Told someone they can take Claritin-d 24 hour and sudafed 24 hour together. My ears perked up when I heard this conversation and was like "oh hey you have a phone call I'll take over".

Let some random strangers into the pharmacy. I noticed as he was opening the door for them and went running over. Turns out it was the local DEA agent. He thought they were drug reps, but didn't even ask if who they were or if they had any identification.

This was all in one day. Yes, he still has a job and his license. Don't think he's killed anyone yet.

 

[rph3664]

I worked at a mail order facility with one pharmacist who had quite a reputation. Nice guy, but not detail-oriented (which is a massive understatement). The thing that sticks out in my mind was the inhaler, 1 1/2 puffs (and then the rest of the sig). He retired some years later.

I later worked with one who didn't do anything. He would just sit at a desk all day, and barely even moved. Some people attributed this to being a man working with all women, but I later spoke to a few men who had worked with him at other jobs, and he was that way with them too. One worked with him at Kroger's, and when he was there by himself, he wouldn't even turn on the computer, answer the phone, or ring up prescriptions. He would simply tell people he was too busy to help them, and could they come back later.

 

[Sparda29]

This one chick who worked at the hospital with me. I worked the 3-11 shift and she was a part-timer who was assigned to that shift that day. I wanted to treat my tech to a nice dinner so me and her left at the same time for our 1 hour lunch break, thus leaving this pharmacist alone for an hour. According to our pharmacy messenger, about 45 minutes later she ran out of the pharmacy crying because it got pretty intense in that one hour and she couldn't handle it.

Of course, I got in trouble for this one. Her husband was some powerful doctor in the system so he probably called the director complaining that she has some anxiety disorder or some ****. After that day, the new rule was that the 1st pharmacist goes on break at 6pm, the tech goes on break at 630pm, and the next pharmacist goes on break at 7pm.

Personally, I've worked alone for 2+ hours during the 3-11 shift with no problem (let my regular evening shift partner go home for an extended break so they could have dinner with their kids on the weekday for once). The trick to handling it is to only deal with the most pressing issue at the time.

 

[gwarm01]

The trick to handling it is to only deal with the most pressing issue at the time.

A lot of people seem to have trouble prioritizing patients / medications. When I'm dealing with a hectic situation I just rank things in order of 1. Imminent death without this medication, 2. Extreme discomfort / pain without this medication, 3. Your miralax can wait until the guy who is trying to extubate himself gets his rocuronium. The hardest part is probably dealing with constant phone calls and other interruptions.

 

[Sparda29]

A lot of people seem to have trouble prioritizing patients / medications. When I'm dealing with a hectic situation I just rank things in order of 1. Imminent death without this medication, 2. Extreme discomfort / pain without this medication, 3. Your miralax can wait until the guy who is trying to extubate himself gets his rocuronium. The hardest part is probably dealing with constant phone calls and other interruptions.

Ah, the phone calls. If I'm alone, I don't take phone calls. If it's really important, the nurse will come to the pharmacy and I'll give them whatever they need then.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Ah, the phone calls. If I'm alone, I don't take phone calls. If it's really important, the nurse will come to the pharmacy and I'll give them whatever they need then.

ya - that would get most people fired - what is they are in a code or crashing pt that they can't leave? Not sure how small you are, but where I work that is not feesible

 

[Sparda29]

ya - that would get most people fired - what is they are in a code or crashing pt that they can't leave? Not sure how small you are, but where I work that is not feesible

More often than not the reason for the call is to check how long it'll be before they get something or to put in a narcotic request. Narcotic request would get denied anyway since that's a day shift job. They'd just have to borrow from another floor.

And there's no reason to call to ask how long something is gonna take. The more you call the longer it'll take.

All the really vital drugs are kept in the crash cart which they can easily access on the floor.

 

[PharMed2016]

When rotating through one of the sites as a pharmacy student, the "clinical pharmacist" left to take lunch with her boyfriend (same hospital) leaving me the pharmacy student to round with the rest of the team. Luckily, I was able to answer all the questions to the teams satisfaction.

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

Rounding alone as a student is very common

 

[Sparda29]

Pharmacy students rounding on their own isn't that out of the ordinary. I did it on rotations when I was a student.

Yep, me too. After the first day, the clinical pharmacist just assigned me to a floor and that was my floor to round on for the whole month.

 

[BenJammin]

WTF? I never let my students round alone because that defeats the purpose of precepting...

 

[Dred Pirate]

When rotating through one of the sites as a pharmacy student, the "clinical pharmacist" left to take lunch with her boyfriend (same hospital) leaving me the pharmacy student to round with the rest of the team. Luckily, I was able to answer all the questions to the teams satisfaction.

ya - what the others said - this is far from incompetent - actually it is what a preceptor should be able to do if they taught you right

 

[Dred Pirate]

WTF? I never let my students round alone because that defeats the purpose of precepting...

by the end of their rotation I hope they are capable and know when they need to ask you

 

[BenJammin]

by the end of their rotation I hope they are capable and know when they need to ask you

So when they get put on the spot for a pain consult because we want to move a guy off IV morphine to a PO opioid, they're just supposed to tell the docs "hey wait just a minute, let me call Ben and get his opinion on this"? Maybe that's why my docs respect me more than the other pharmacists here.

 

[Dred Pirate]

So when they get put on the spot for a pain consult because we want to move a guy off IV morphine to a PO opioid, they're just supposed to tell the docs "hey wait just a minute, let me call Ben and get his opinion on this"? Maybe that's why my docs respect me more than the other pharmacists here.

I guess every place is different - I work in an ED setting so I my students can't work independently - but I know in other services they are able to handle things, I rounded independently as a student and never had any issues

 

[zelman]

So when they get put on the spot for a pain consult because we want to move a guy off IV morphine to a PO opioid, they're just supposed to tell the docs "hey wait just a minute, let me call Ben and get his opinion on this"? Maybe that's why my docs respect me more than the other pharmacists here.

Well, I imagine your opinion will be to convert based on formulary products and morphine equivalence (with a reduction in dose for safety buffer). They should know how to do this within 15 minutes after rounds end (time needed to check formulary) and let the docs know.

My preceptor had us go on rounds with separate teams and meet up afterward. That left them free to get their work done and we just reviewed our 1-3 most interesting cases as a group. It all depends on your role in the institution. This strategy let us focus on more cases that were notable and educational.

 

[Sparda29]

I mean, after rounding alone we had to present to the clinical pharmacist, then give our recommendations if he approved of them.

 

[gwarm01]

I mean, after rounding alone we had to present to the clinical pharmacist, then give our recommendations if he approved of them.

That's how it was for me during most of my rotations. I remember one where we would arrive before rounds, review the patient charts for a bit, then discuss with our preceptor what sort of recommendations we'd make. After talking it out, we'd go to rounds and bring it up when we got to the patient.

 

[justimmy]

gave flu shot lower (missed the delt muscle, that whole big area that you have to work with, yea she missed it!!! smh) than she should have and caused the patient to have one of the biggest welts I have seen from probably nicking something.

 

[BidingMyTime]

gave flu shot lower (missed the delt muscle, that whole big area that you have to work with, yea she missed it!!! smh) than she should have and caused the patient to have one of the biggest welts I have seen from probably nicking something.

This, I saw someone the other day complaining because they got a flu shot nearly at the top of their shoulder. Say what??? It's not to hard to figure out where the deltoid is, and if one is clueless, well chances are if the aim for the middle of the arm they will hit it. Why in the world are some pharmacists going for the top of the shoulder or the elbow????

Well, the most incompetent pharmacist I worked with, was unfortunately a hospital supervisor who had both mental issues and an unknown drug addiction. He was completely unpredictable, dangerous, vindictive, and quite honestly, the only co-worker I've had that I was actually physically afraid to work with. I was waiting for the day he would go "postal", and I switched jobs at that time, solely because of him. I heard through the grapevine, it was too long after I left that his severe problems came to light, he was fired (quietly), got another job in the area and was quickly fired from that one (I think that job may have reported his problems to the board), and then he moved away, so I don't know what happened to him after that.

 

[PharMed2016]

ya - what the others said - this is far from incompetent - actually it is what a preceptor should be able to do if they taught you right

Pharmacy students rounding on their own isn't that out of the ordinary. I did it on rotations when I was a student.

Not arguing about rounding with myself which I could care less about and have done numerous times. It's the fact that the clinical pharmacist took off to go on a "lunch date" every day instead of rounding, neglecting her own duties as a pharmacist and a preceptor. It probably falls more under the heading of unprofessional than incompetence. I won't go into any more detail other than to say there was a lot of drama regarding said pharmacist and that there was a move to get her fired. Fortunately in her case; the union protected her position.

 

[PharMed2016]

This, I saw someone the other day complaining because they got a flu shot nearly at the top of their shoulder. Say what??? It's not to hard to figure out where the deltoid is, and if one is clueless, well chances are if the aim for the middle of the arm they will hit it. Why in the world are some pharmacists going for the top of the shoulder or the elbow????

Well, the most incompetent pharmacist I worked with, was unfortunately a hospital supervisor who had both mental issues and an unknown drug addiction. He was completely unpredictable, dangerous, vindictive, and quite honestly, the only co-worker I've had that I was actually physically afraid to work with. I was waiting for the day he would go "postal", and I switched jobs at that time, solely because of him. I heard through the grapevine, it was too long after I left that his severe problems came to light, he was fired (quietly), got another job in the area and was quickly fired from that one (I think that job may have reported his problems to the board), and then he moved away, so I don't know what happened to him after that.

There is a principle where one is promoted to ones level of incompetence called the Peter Principle; a fascinating read.

 

[rph3664]

It sometimes boggles my mind at some of the non-pharmacy medical things pharmacists don't know about.

I have worked with pharmacists who did not know that:

1. Lesbians menstruate

2. Women do not usually produce breast milk until after they have given birth

3. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in blood transfusions (it violates their interpretation of the Bible)

And don't get me started on the pharmacists who want antibiotics for viral infections. Yup, seen those too.

 

[Jibby321]

It sometimes boggles my mind at some of the non-pharmacy medical things pharmacists don't know about.

I have worked with pharmacists who did not know that:

1. Lesbians menstruate

2. Women do not usually produce breast milk until after they have given birth

3. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in blood transfusions (it violates their interpretation of the Bible)

And don't get me started on the pharmacists who want antibiotics for viral infections. Yup, seen those too.

They should at least know about menses and breast milk production. Haha.

 

[sosoo]

pharmacist verifies scripts before it's even counted. after verifying, he gives the labels to the techs to fill the prescription and bag it up. also he allows tech to count C-II... so after i was working overnight, the morning pharmacist came in and realized the pills were mixed up. patient A got one narcotic, and patient B got the other narcotics. i had to stay after hours (unpaid) to wait for him to drive his car to both of their houses and switch the pills.

 

[PharMed2016]

2. Women do not usually produce breast milk until after they have given birth

Factoid I learned in medical school: you can actually induce breast milk production in a non-parous or gravid woman with nipple stimulation. There is a technique that nursemaids and patients whom have adopted babies but want to breastfeed can use to increase and develop a milk supply.

 

[rph3664]

Factoid I learned in medical school: you can actually induce breast milk production in a non-parous or gravid woman with nipple stimulation. There is a technique that nursemaids and patients whom have adopted babies but want to breastfeed can use to increase and develop a milk supply.

That's why I said "usually".

 

[PharMed2016]

That's why I said "usually".

Haha, I know. Just wanted to share that interesting fact.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Factoid I learned in medical school: you can actually induce breast milk production in a non-parous or gravid woman with nipple stimulation. There is a technique that nursemaids and patients whom have adopted babies but want to breastfeed can use to increase and develop a milk supply.

Another interesting fact, males can also produce breastmilk via the same method (although they can not produce enough to completely feed a child, supplement formula is needed.)

 

[moose10]

I was taught by Ben Stiller that you can actually milk anything with nipples.....

 

[sosoo]

PIC verified a script with the following sig code: take by mouth vaginally!

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Guarantee you that each person in this thread did something equally stupid.

 

[ancienbon]

Guarantee you that each person in this thread did something equally stupid.

I agree.

 

[sdpharm]

Guarantee you that each person in this thread did something equally stupid.

Game, set, match.

The perfect Pharmacist, let alone the perfect person, is non-existant.

Unless, of course, you're Chuck Norris

 

[CynicalIntern]

Guarantee you that each person in this thread did something equally stupid.

I have a Korean male who has picked up terconazole cream with the instructions "take vaginally utd" for the past six months. He is unmarried, so it's (theoretically) not insurance fraud. Doesn't speak a word of English, just brings me the tube and asks for a refill. When it's out of refills, the doctor sends in a new script saying "take vaginally as directed".

I never know how I should handle this case, because he is almost certainly not taking the medication vaginally, but...it's not serious enough that I want to step in.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I have a Korean male who has picked up terconazole cream with the instructions "take vaginally utd" for the past six months. He is unmarried, so it's (theoretically) not insurance fraud. Doesn't speak a word of English, just brings me the tube and asks for a refill. When it's out of refills, the doctor sends in a new script saying "take vaginally as directed".

I never know how I should handle this case, because he is almost certainly not taking the medication vaginally, but...it's not serious enough that I want to step in.

The patient could be transgendered.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Game, set, match.

The perfect Pharmacist, let alone the perfect person, is non-existant.

Unless, of course, you're Chuck Norris

I am pretty sure I am close to perfect

I did have a pharmacist interview and when asked to tell us about a mistake they made and how they recovered, they said "I have never made a mistake"

Well, that answer to the question was then their first

 

[rph3664]

The patient could be transgendered.

Or intersex.