Ok to date your patients?

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RealRX

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Is it ever ok to date a patient in any pharmacy settings?
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If you found them organically through Tinder/Grindr/Hogier and they just happened to be someone that goes to your pharmacy to fill some, I dunno, pre-natal vitamins...fine.

If you thought they were cute, looked at their medical record, checked off that they were free of diseases, and got the address so you can hang around in front of her apartment and "accidentally" run into her, that's extremely creepy.
 
RealRX said:
Is it ever ok to date a patient in any pharmacy settings?
Click to expand...

NO, it's obviously a conflict of interest when you can deal her monthly oxy prescription and she pays you back with sex and awesome bjs

"I'm not in the mood" her
"hmm..your bottle's looking pretty low" you
"okay...roll over"her
jackpot
 
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No, I've never go there personally. If you are using PHI to get to know someone that's also a massive invasion of privacy too.
 
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So this is too easy of a question (the obvious gut answer is no), so let's break it down:

1) You are a pharmacist in the hospital (say ED), patient comes in for an ankle injury, you talk to them about meds or something, then they leave. You then meet them at a bar 3 weeks later and hit it off (where, coincidentally, they had their injury). Is that OK?

2) You are a pharmacist in the retail setting, you come into work on Friday to pick up your paycheck, and on your way out (while playing Pokemon), you accidentally walk into someone coming in to pick up an Rx (you don't know this fact). You make some self-deprecating joke about being clumsy but you both hit it off that moment so you ask her out for dinner that night and she accepts. Is that OK?

3) You are male (or female that is attracted to females). Your regular 25 year old attractive female comes into the pharmacy once a month to pick up allergy meds. You exclusively ONLY see her at work in the pharmacist-patient setting.
a) You find her on Tinder one night. You swipe right, is that OK?
b) She finds you mutually attractive and asks YOU discreetly at the RPh consult window if you were free for coffee after your shift, is that OK?
c) She's persistent and waits until you are off shift outside of the store to ask if you wanted to get coffee, is that OK then?
d) You look her up on Facebook off work hours and find that you have 3 mutual friends, you ask your friends for an introduction is that OK?​

4) You are dating someone you met completely separate from work. She then transfers her prescriptions to your store so you can just pick them up and take them home for her (non-narcotic, allergy meds, call it). Is that OK? What if you were married? Would it be OK then?

5) Would any of the above scenarios change if the medications were opiates? What if it were just tramadol prn? What if it were OxyContin 80 mg?

Curious everyone's thoughts.
 
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As long as you aren't creeping on people I don't really see the problem. I would avoid it just to be safe but really who gives a crap? Now if you add all the hot patients on Facebook you are probably going to get fired.
 
So what are my options in terms of dating? If online dating I don't have anything interesting to say about myself. I looked at many profiles and most of the time I see things like "interesting in try new food, music, places, etc" or message me if you have any questions. So generic...
 
Pick a hobby where groups are involved. No nerdy stuff, something that involves more women. Or be involved in group volunteering. Or be brave and hit the bars and buy drinks for women and talk to them. It's all about creating context to have a conversation and see where that takes you.
 
Reirrac said:
Pick a hobby where groups are involved. No nerdy stuff, something that involves more women. Or be involved in group volunteering. Or be brave and hit the bars and buy drinks for women and talk to them. It's all about creating context to have a conversation and see where that takes you.
Click to expand...

I don't think he's asking for dating advice...?


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confettiflyer said:
I don't think he's asking for dating advice...?
Click to expand...

Query: dating options (including online)
Interpretation: where to find dating opportunities
Response: Try out hobbies and places where people will be, and try your luck
 
RealRX said:
So what are my options in terms of dating? If online dating I don't have anything interesting to say about myself. I looked at many profiles and most of the time I see things like "interesting in try new food, music, places, etc" or message me if you have any questions. So generic...
Click to expand...

Get pictures in which you look good or interesting. Find a place to take a picture in with good lighting, or perhaps near an interesting place or landmark that you could talk about. Online dating is maybe 90% based on what your picture looks like and maybe 10% your actual profile...but maybe I'm just skeptical about the whole process.
 
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bacillus1 said:
Get pictures in which you look good or interesting. Find a place to take a picture in with good lighting, or perhaps near an interesting place or landmark that you could talk about. Online dating is maybe 90% based on what your picture looks like and maybe 10% your actual profile...but maybe I'm just skeptical about the whole process.
Click to expand...


I used to read the profiles very thoroughly - the pictures draw you in, but I wouldn't go on a date unless there was substance.


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confettiflyer said:
4) You are dating someone you met completely separate from work. She then transfers her prescriptions to your store so you can just pick them up and take them home for her (non-narcotic, allergy meds, call it). Is that OK? What if you were married? Would it be OK then?

5) Would any of the above scenarios change if the medications were opiates? What if it were just tramadol prn? What if it were OxyContin 80 mg?

Curious everyone's thoughts.
Click to expand...

What if you are not really dating yet, you was using tinder / online dating site and charting with some girls. Then you find out she is a patient at your store (when she comes pick up her Rx and you work there). Is there conflict of interest? What if you two were dating then you find out she is your patient? Like the above questions, what if the Rx are control / narcotic?

What if you are the only pharmacy in town and open at that time and she needs those narcotic, can you fill it?

Please educate me how we should handle this dating patient scenario.
 
Go watch Better Living through Chemistry on Netflix for answers to your question
 
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RPh Who said:
Go watch Better Living through Chemistry on Netflix for answers to your question
Click to expand...
lol will watch it.

Is there any other pharmacist movie out there you guys can recommend? There are mostly movies about doctors and nurses, but not pharmacists... -.-
 
sunakuma said:
What if you are not really dating yet, you was using tinder / online dating site and charting with some girls. Then you find out she is a patient at your store (when she comes pick up her Rx and you work there). Is there conflict of interest? What if you two were dating then you find out she is your patient? Like the above questions, what if the Rx are control / narcotic?

What if you are the only pharmacy in town and open at that time and she needs those narcotic, can you fill it?

Please educate me how we should handle this dating patient scenario.
Click to expand...

Did you just ask my question back at me?

I don't think this is a conflict of interest. I would have no problem verifying non-narcotics for my significant other, then paying/signing them out and bringing them home. In fact, I would do that all the time as an intern (sans verification). The only thing is I'd make sure I was following store policy for buying stuff and make someone else ring me up from an LP perspective (or whatever store policy is).

For narcotics, different story, since the perception of bias can very much come up in any type of discrepancy or accusation, in which case perception is reality until proven otherwise. If there's a way to get another pharmacist or pharmacy to do it, great; in the scenario you've laid out where it's not possible, then you'd have to put on your "provide patient care" hat and fill the darn thing....else you are describing a scenario with which you are withholding therapy.

Hopefully, whatever process you have in place for ensuring an appropriate/legal script is good so that if you just follow that procedure, then everything is fine. You also need to overcome bias if she's presenting you with an illegal Rx (ie forged, etc...), because even if you are not colluding in the illegal drug trade (I mean, really, how many bum Rx's have gotten by you over the years?), if something were to come back as suspicious, the patient being your sig other would not help your case...the assumption would be collusion.
 
RealRX said:
Is it ever ok to date a patient in any pharmacy settings?
Click to expand...
No man. Like others have said it's a conflict of interest. There are tons of people out there to form interpersonal relationships with besides your coworkers and your customers. Just know if anything goes bad the person you are with can sue you and your employer saying you told her you would screw up her meds if she didn't ---- you.

Not
worth
it
 
confettiflyer said:
So this is too easy of a question (the obvious gut answer is no), so let's break it down:

1) You are a pharmacist in the hospital (say ED), patient comes in for an ankle injury, you talk to them about meds or something, then they leave. You then meet them at a bar 3 weeks later and hit it off (where, coincidentally, they had their injury). Is that OK?

2) You are a pharmacist in the retail setting, you come into work on Friday to pick up your paycheck, and on your way out (while playing Pokemon), you accidentally walk into someone coming in to pick up an Rx (you don't know this fact). You make some self-deprecating joke about being clumsy but you both hit it off that moment so you ask her out for dinner that night and she accepts. Is that OK?

3) You are male (or female that is attracted to females). Your regular 25 year old attractive female comes into the pharmacy once a month to pick up allergy meds. You exclusively ONLY see her at work in the pharmacist-patient setting.
a) You find her on Tinder one night. You swipe right, is that OK?
b) She finds you mutually attractive and asks YOU discreetly at the RPh consult window if you were free for coffee after your shift, is that OK?
c) She's persistent and waits until you are off shift outside of the store to ask if you wanted to get coffee, is that OK then?
d) You look her up on Facebook off work hours and find that you have 3 mutual friends, you ask your friends for an introduction is that OK?​

4) You are dating someone you met completely separate from work. She then transfers her prescriptions to your store so you can just pick them up and take them home for her (non-narcotic, allergy meds, call it). Is that OK? What if you were married? Would it be OK then?

5) Would any of the above scenarios change if the medications were opiates? What if it were just tramadol prn? What if it were OxyContin 80 mg?

Curious everyone's thoughts.
Click to expand...


How interesting.

1-5 For me, the gut answer is not just No, but basically I would think that if the relationship goes sour, whether or not your ex-lover can prove that you had a provider-patient relationship that you continued and you happen to live in a state where the Board will hang you for that. Unfortunately, AZ will hang you anyway as it's part of the regulations (not statute) if any relationship is had for six months.

More specifically:

1-2. Not in AZ (I've seen three suspensions for scenarios 1-2). Sure in MN, DC, and MD.

2. Sure if I had nothing to do with her prescription. If I did, the state caveat applies.

3. a. Sure, if I don't give my identifiable name, who would ever know? :) (I have no experience with those programs, btw.)
b-d. Yes, and I did document when those times happened when I was a younger pharmacist in case risk management went after me. I would immediately document that she's not my patient anymore if I were in MN.

4. Married to third degree consanguinity - Against the practice acts in the two states that I routinely practice. I'm curious whether or not CA has that as I am licensed there but have never practiced. In a relationship, sure, I'm not either the verifying or dispensing pharmacist (and I would tell her that).

1-5 Answer doesn't change for DEA matters, it would change if this also happened to be a prescriber.

Personally realistic answer in the present day:
Based on my wife's (lack of) carving skills and self-injury with knives, I'd rather not find out how MRS treats the gradations of domestic Assault and Battery charges, and I'm personally sure that'd happen in our case as I'm sure she'd know which lines not to cross. Divorce is far safer.
 
sunakuma said:
lol will watch it.

Is there any other pharmacist movie out there you guys can recommend? There are mostly movies about doctors and nurses, but not pharmacists... -.-
Click to expand...
I know several, but they are all about unhappy pharmacists (WC Fields The Pharmacist made in the 30s), an incompetent pharmacist (It's A Wonderful Life/In Old California), pharmacists at the end of the world (28 days later), or the crime or murder victim although he gets some time with Olivia Wilde and is married to Michelle Monaghan (Better Living Through Chemistry). If you find a movie with a heroic depiction, let me know! It's not exactly escapist for our professional depictions. Someone did an article in the 1960s and one in 2015 about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Each_His_Own_(novel)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Still_Kill_the_Old_Way

My favorite mystery novel and Italian movie (the literal translation is To Each His Own although the actual translation if you understand Sicilian is We Still Kill The Old Way which the misunderstanding of a letter sent through the Familie (spelled with the i and e) is the basis for why the protagonist is in a mess) starts and ends with the pharmacist being murdered. It's the one I like to recommend to pharmacy management as a cautionary tale about doing the right thing in the situation versus doing the right thing. The right thing in this situation was to walk away, unfortunately, the protagonist does the right thing which leads to the beginning. It's considered one of the foundational anti-detective novels.
 
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confettiflyer said:
So this is too easy of a question (the obvious gut answer is no), so let's break it down:

1) You are a pharmacist in the hospital (say ED), patient comes in for an ankle injury, you talk to them about meds or something, then they leave. You then meet them at a bar 3 weeks later and hit it off (where, coincidentally, they had their injury). Is that OK?

Yes

2) You are a pharmacist in the retail setting, you come into work on Friday to pick up your paycheck, and on your way out (while playing Pokemon), you accidentally walk into someone coming in to pick up an Rx (you don't know this fact). You make some self-deprecating joke about being clumsy but you both hit it off that moment so you ask her out for dinner that night and she accepts. Is that OK?

Yes

3) You are male (or female that is attracted to females). Your regular 25 year old attractive female comes into the pharmacy once a month to pick up allergy meds. You exclusively ONLY see her at work in the pharmacist-patient setting.
a) You find her on Tinder one night. You swipe right, is that OK? Yes
b) She finds you mutually attractive and asks YOU discreetly at the RPh consult window if you were free for coffee after your shift, is that OK? Yes
c) She's persistent and waits until you are off shift outside of the store to ask if you wanted to get coffee, is that OK then? Yes
d) You look her up on Facebook off work hours and find that you have 3 mutual friends, you ask your friends for an introduction is that OK? NO​

4) You are dating someone you met completely separate from work. She then transfers her prescriptions to your store so you can just pick them up and take them home for her (non-narcotic, allergy meds, call it). Is that OK? What if you were married? Would it be OK then?

That's fine.

5) Would any of the above scenarios change if the medications were opiates? What if it were just tramadol prn? What if it were OxyContin 80 mg?

I don't date people who chronically take opiates.

Curious everyone's thoughts.
Click to expand...
 
Im a chick so I think Id get away with 1-5 and be ok in front of a bunch of BOP people....

I think with nearly any situation: If you broke up would it be awkward? Inappropriate? If it was published in the local newspaper, would you care?
 
confettiflyer said:
So this is too easy of a question (the obvious gut answer is no), so let's break it down:

1) You are a pharmacist in the hospital (say ED), patient comes in for an ankle injury, you talk to them about meds or something, then they leave. You then meet them at a bar 3 weeks later and hit it off (where, coincidentally, they had their injury). Is that OK?

2) You are a pharmacist in the retail setting, you come into work on Friday to pick up your paycheck, and on your way out (while playing Pokemon), you accidentally walk into someone coming in to pick up an Rx (you don't know this fact). You make some self-deprecating joke about being clumsy but you both hit it off that moment so you ask her out for dinner that night and she accepts. Is that OK?

3) You are male (or female that is attracted to females). Your regular 25 year old attractive female comes into the pharmacy once a month to pick up allergy meds. You exclusively ONLY see her at work in the pharmacist-patient setting.
a) You find her on Tinder one night. You swipe right, is that OK?
b) She finds you mutually attractive and asks YOU discreetly at the RPh consult window if you were free for coffee after your shift, is that OK?
c) She's persistent and waits until you are off shift outside of the store to ask if you wanted to get coffee, is that OK then?
d) You look her up on Facebook off work hours and find that you have 3 mutual friends, you ask your friends for an introduction is that OK?​

4) You are dating someone you met completely separate from work. She then transfers her prescriptions to your store so you can just pick them up and take them home for her (non-narcotic, allergy meds, call it). Is that OK? What if you were married? Would it be OK then?

5) Would any of the above scenarios change if the medications were opiates? What if it were just tramadol prn? What if it were OxyContin 80 mg?

Curious everyone's thoughts.
Click to expand...

All my opinion....
1. Depends on how deep you had to go into the EHR while working on her.

2. totally ok

3. only "D" seems bad. "B" and "C" are her choice and "A" is harmless lol. As long as you talk about the obvious and make it less weird I think its cool.

4. Totally ok

5. only if they were abusing them and if you were enabling the abuse. If your girlfriend wants you to get her percocets for her dental procedure from your pharmacy i think thats fine
 
it's ok as long on the professional level, u treat everyone the same way as your wife. one fentanyl patch for you, one fentanyl patch for the other person. never say never to other people and then save the morphine for your woman.
 
lord999 said:
If you find a movie with a heroic depiction, let me know! It's not exactly escapist for our professional depictions. Someone did an article in the 1960s and one in 2015 about it.
Click to expand...

Murphy's Romance.....a boring romance movie, but the Murphy (the pharmacist) is a good guy in the movie.
 
Here's another one (that I get a lot): "How old are you? I have a (grand)daughter your age, and..."

They aren't even directly a patient of yours, but still could be an issue.
 
Ackj said:
Here's another one (that I get a lot): "How old are you? I have a (grand)daughter your age, and..."

They aren't even directly a patient of yours, but still could be an issue.
Click to expand...

I'd hit that. Hahaha.

But c'mon, we're getting to the point where it's like.... we're all descended from mitochondrial Eve, you can't dispense to ANYONE!
 
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Ackj said:
Here's another one (that I get a lot): "How old are you? I have a (grand)daughter your age, and..."

They aren't even directly a patient of yours, but still could be an issue.
Click to expand...
What if they're hot
 
I think the operative question in all of this is "what constitutes a patient?"

1) customer comes in to buy OTC vitamins only, but gets your input each time? How about band aids and Neosporin? How about behind the counter Sudafed?

2) fills a prescription once a year for cold/flu types of meds?

3) saw you once in 2011 and now it's 2016 and you're dating? How about 2012? 2015? How about last week?

We can't blanket say "no don't date your patients" when we can't really drill down exactly what a "patient" is in the pharmacy world. Actually, you can, but it's lazy writing!


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confettiflyer said:
I think the operative question in all of this is "what constitutes a patient?"

1) customer comes in to buy OTC vitamins only, but gets your input each time? How about band aids and Neosporin? How about behind the counter Sudafed?

2) fills a prescription once a year for cold/flu types of meds?

3) saw you once in 2011 and now it's 2016 and you're dating? How about 2012? 2015? How about last week?

We can't blanket say "no don't date your patients" when we can't really drill down exactly what a "patient" is in the pharmacy world. Actually, you can, but it's lazy writing!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
Click to expand...
This is scary. So how am I supposed to do when in practice? I am serious, how do we determine this relationship in pharmacy world? Does that mean we can't date someone who fill Rx wherever you work at, or whoever ask you questions / for recommendations regarding health issue/medicines while you are working?
 
sunakuma said:
This is scary. So how am I supposed to do when in practice? I am serious, how do we determine this relationship in pharmacy world? Does that mean we can't date someone who fill Rx wherever you work at, or whoever ask you questions / for recommendations regarding health issue/medicines while you are working?
Click to expand...
"Professional judgement"
 
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