Pharmacists and phone etiquette

[Aviane]

By calling the prescriber line and making me drop the waiters I am checking you are possibly helping your customer get their transfer ASAP but also preventing my three waiters from getting theirs ASAP.

But really you're just holding everyone up. Because I'm still going to check my three waiters before you get your transfer. It's just going to take longer because I had to drop them to pick up the phone and put you on hold to finish them.


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Sounds like you need to train your technicians to screen calls for you. I have never had a problem with anybody using the prescriber line for transfers because our technicians answer all the calls.

"This is Marion from Dr. Khan's office calling to get the phone number for a prior authorization."
"This is Marion from Dr. Khan's office to add a discount card to a patient's prescription."
"This is Marion from Dr. Khan's office trying to get a medication history for a patient."

These are the types of calls you might get on the prescriber line. Don't tell me you want to take these calls just because they are calling from a doctor's office? Maybe it depends on the state, but 95% of the time we never talk to an actual prescriber. So why does it matter if a pharmacist uses the prescriber line to talk to a pharmacist?

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[FarmD711]

I hate when techs call and ask for transfers and then put me on hold to get their pharmacist. That to me is the ultimate Way of expressing that my time is worth less than theirs. I've hung up on calls like that.

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I hang up on that type of call 100% of the time


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[BenJammin]

I hang up on that type of call 100% of the time


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I've done transfers at some pharmacies where the technicians screen the calls. They'll ask for my information, patient name, DOB, drug name, then transfer me to the pharmacist. Very odd.

 

[FarmD711]

I've done transfers at some pharmacies where the technicians screen the calls. They'll ask for my information, patient name, DOB, drug name, then transfer me to the pharmacist. Very odd.

For sure! At least there's one thing we can all agree on.


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[ancienbon]

Sounds like you need to train your technicians to screen calls for you. I have never had a problem with anybody using the prescriber line for transfers because our technicians answer all the calls.

"This is Marion from Dr. Khan's office calling to get the phone number for a prior authorization."
"This is Marion from Dr. Khan's office to add a discount card to a patient's prescription."
"This is Marion from Dr. Khan's office trying to get a medication history for a patient."

These are the types of calls you might get on the prescriber line. Don't tell me you want to take these calls just because they are calling from a doctor's office? Maybe it depends on the state, but 95% of the time we never talk to an actual prescriber. So why does it matter if a pharmacist uses the prescriber line to talk to a pharmacist?

Good question. I am waiting for an answer too. For me i would say almost 100 % of the time i never talk to a prescriber. And also a tech could handle most of the calls but still they ask for a rph.

 

[Swishers]

When calling insurance, I spam 0#0#0#0#1#1#1#, get human in less than 10 seconds. Works wonder. Fu3k automated option.

"Sure, let me get someone that can help you. But first, what is-"
0#0#0#0#1#1#1#
"Transferring"

 

[owlegrad]

Anyone else ever been hung on when they don't follow the prompts on the insurance IVR?

 

[zelman]

Anyone else ever been hung on when they don't follow the prompts on the insurance IVR?

Yup

 

[PikminOC]

Anyone else ever been hung on when they don't follow the prompts on the insurance IVR?

I've been hung up on by insurance companies in the middle of pa. And they don't call back even though the first question they ask is my number in case of disconnection.

 

[zelman]

I've been hung up on by insurance companies in the middle of pa. And they don't call back even though the first question they ask is my number in case of disconnection.

Every time they say that I'm tempted to confirm they have it right and hang up on them. Haven't tried yet though.

I also inform them that requiring my NPI "for security purposes" when there's a freely available database of NPI's makes no sense.

 

[Estrace]

I honestly didn't know you could press 2-2 to get to the pharmacist quickly at CVS. All this time, I've been pressing 3-4 just to get in touch with the pharmacy.

Me either.... and they will put you on hold forever. I'm gonna start pressing 2-2 from now on

 

[meister]

I once used the voicemail at a CVS when I was prescribing something and not only was the prescription not ready when I showed up six hours later, they actually claimed the doctor never called anything in. They were rather embarrassed when informed that I was actually the doctor. Since then I use the prescriber line if I have to call something in and speak with someone directly even though I realize it's annoying.

Back in the stone age when I was a pharmacy tech we all used what was then called the doctor line to call other pharmacies and no one gave a crap. I'm amazed how irritated some of you are at your own colleagues for doing such a trivial thing.

 

[wagrxm2000]

I once used the voicemail at a CVS when I was prescribing something and not only was the prescription not ready when I showed up six hours later, they actually claimed the doctor never called anything in. They were rather embarrassed when informed that I was actually the doctor. Since then I use the prescriber line if I have to call something in and speak with someone directly even though I realize it's annoying.

Back in the stone age when I was a pharmacy tech we all used what was then called the doctor line to call other pharmacies and no one gave a crap. I'm amazed how irritated some of you are at your own colleagues for doing such a trivial thing.

Or you called the wrong pharmacy, amazing how often that happens

 

[meister]

A likely explanation normally, however I verified the number I called on my phone while I was at the store and it was the right number!

 

[wagrxm2000]

A likely explanation normally, however I verified the number I called on my phone while I was at the store and it was the right number!

So was it still on their machine?

It is still amazing though when patients are told they called it in but I'm the only one who has been there and I know I never received it.

 

[meister]

I have no idea, they claimed there was no record of it. I didn't really mind, I am very sympathetic to the plight of retail pharmacy staff considering my background.

 

[FarmD711]

I once used the voicemail at a CVS when I was prescribing something and not only was the prescription not ready when I showed up six hours later, they actually claimed the doctor never called anything in. They were rather embarrassed when informed that I was actually the doctor. Since then I use the prescriber line if I have to call something in and speak with someone directly even though I realize it's annoying.

Back in the stone age when I was a pharmacy tech we all used what was then called the doctor line to call other pharmacies and no one gave a crap. I'm amazed how irritated some of you are at your own colleagues for doing such a trivial thing.

Perhaps the voicemail was not adequately addressed because the pharmacist was straight out trying to address calls on the prescriber line that shouldn't have been dialed in on that line.

Also I highly recommend not phoning in prescriptions. Fax or escribe is safer, more reliable, more accurate. Phone in scripts should be nearly eliminated and reserved for rare occasions. They are extremely inconvenient for everyone but the prescriber and introduce wayyyy too much room for error. Huge pet peeve of mine.


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[wagrxm2000]

Perhaps the voicemail was not adequately addressed because the pharmacist was straight out trying to address calls on the prescriber line that shouldn't have been dialed in on that line.

Also I highly recommend not phoning in prescriptions. Fax or escribe is safer, more reliable, more accurate. Phone in scripts should be nearly eliminated and reserved for rare occasions. They are extremely inconvenient for everyone but the prescriber and introduce wayyyy too much room for error. Huge pet peeve of mine.


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I'll never understand why nurses and doctors speed through their messages, do they not realize how close some drugs sound?

 

[owlegrad]

I have had voicemails were I literally couldn't make out enough of the message to know who was calling or who it was for. So maybe that was the case here? I doubt there are very many pharmacists randomly deleting voicemails without listening to them, lol.

 

[owlegrad]

I'll never understand why nurses and doctors speed through their messages, do they not realize how close some drugs sound?

The important thing, I assume, is if you don't know how to say the name of a med is to say it QUICKLY, in a muffled voice, not repeat it, and god forbid do not spell it. That way the pharmacist is sure to get it right.

 

[FarmD711]

We have one nurse that regularly rattles off 6+ prescriptions (sometimes for multiple patients) in one 75 second voicemail. I feel like I'm taking my license in my hands filling any of them.

 

[lane one]

I have had voicemails were I literally couldn't make out enough of the message to know who was calling or who it was for. So maybe that was the case here? I doubt there are very many pharmacists randomly deleting voicemails without listening to them, lol.

Sometimes you have to live on the wild side to keep things interesting.

 

[samuricool]

At least at target I could check any stores voicemail so long as I knew their store number. I once had an intern think she was at another store and took one of their voicemails.

**** happens.


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[WVUPharm2007]

I doubt there are very many pharmacists randomly deleting voicemails without listening to them, lol.

You just saved me a LOT of time this weekend...

 

[VeeSee]

We have one nurse that regularly rattles off 6+ prescriptions (sometimes for multiple patients) in one 75 second voicemail. I feel like I'm taking my license in my hands filling any of them.

MAs are worst

Stupid bitches