Random thoughts by all you pharmacy clerks

[lessotto]

Lessotto, I disagree with your last point. It is NOT okay to not learn the language of the country you are living in. The majority can't even spell out their name when I ask for it with the little Spanish that I know. Not picking on a certain group, just a common example. I would always hand them a pen and paper and keep asking them to write down their name. And don't get me started with getting DOB and address. It takes a whole 5-10 minutes to get these 2 important information.

If they can't speak it, then, I'll assume they can't read either. How will they know how to take the medication as directed from the doctor? Of course, I always tell him "twice a day" or "one a day". Unless they have someone in their family who knows some English, how would they know how much to take? Likewise, if they have someone in the family who could speak English, they should have taken them along in the first place.

I actually think we are talking about the same things!!! And in my second paragraph was being sarcastic.

So I see where you are coming from and I agree!!!!

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[eelo]

How do you know these people aren't trying? Do you volunteer to teach ESL in your spare time, or babysit their children so they can go take English classes? I'm always amazed when people think that immigrants should have such a great command of the English language after a few months - especially poor immigrants who work 16 hour days for minimum wage and don't have time/money to learn. That would be so hard, and I don't think these people *like* not being able to communicate - it's frustrating for them too!

English is HARD. It's an incredibly difficult second, third, or fourth language to learn, because there are so many exceptions, so many inconsistencies. Plus, the colloquialisms! I once had a 15 year old foreign exchange student, who had extremely good English skills, ask me what "basically" meant after she had heard my children use it in conversation. Try explaining that.

Another way that I try to show people who difficult English is: Here is a series of words that use the same letters, but add or subtract one different letter each time. Say each word out loud, and try to imagine how you would explain to a non-english speaker how and why the word is pronounced the way it is: rough, trough, through, thorough, though, thought, without.

English is HARD. In a language like Spanish, Italian, Hawaiian (and most Pacific Islander languages), even romanized Japanese, letters are pronounced a certain way ALL the time (or almost all the time). For example, the E will almost always sound like the 'a' in 'way, A will sound like the 'a' in 'papa,' i will always sound like the 'ie' in 'niece,' o will always sound like the o in 'pope,' and u will always sound like the 'ou' in 'group.' Now, in this paragraph alone, look at all the different ways that these vowels have been used (don't even think about the consonants and dipthongs yet), and listen out loud for the differences in sounds.

English is HARD. And probably pretty darn scary, too.

 

[Scrubs Fan]

you guys really ruined the point to the thread. so much hate.

let's get back to funny stories.

 

[Sparda29]

Funny story, kinda.

A patient walks in with a script for penicillin, and oxycodone immediate release. I'm guessing he just had dental surgery due to the cotton swabs in his mouth.

He doesn't want to wait more than 10 minutes, no problem for us, we're not busy. So we crank it out, while we're counting, he walks up to the counter and asks us where the liquor is. I inform him that CVS doesn't sell liquor and that he might wanna go to the winery across the street.

He takes his filled prescriptions, pays, leaves, I hear a loud swerve from the parking lot, think nothing of it. Come 6PM, there is a huge dent in my rear bumper.

CVS is ******ed enough not to have a camera in the parking lot, and refuses to pay for the damages to my car.

 

[Transformer]

I am a pretty sharp pharmacy tech so my manager put me in charge of ordering all the OTC items in bulk amount.

One day, my manager came up to me and said "you know there's 15 boxes of fleet enema downstairs and my boss was asking me why we had so many"

DOH!!

Not knowing each number I ordered through mcKesson meant boxes and not items, I ordered 15 boxes fleet enemas with 48 items in each box.

From this day on, every time we get a big order for fleet enema, my pharmacy manager makes a point to send me to pull the fleet enemas..lol

I won't ever forget how to order fleet enemas. lesson learned!

 

[confettiflyer]

Oh MAN I dealt with the most idiotic pharm tech in the world today. I had to get an Rx tx'd to a local pharmacy where I'm vacationing right now. At first, she was the only one behind the counter and she promptly called my home pharmacy to tx it in...then at some point during the convo she said "oh, i'm not the tech... i can't take the transfer..can you just fax us the script."

I already told her that I had gotten it filled a few times before...and wtf, is this standard procedure at Target for a dumb as rock TECH to call for a COPY then demand the original be faxed after it has been filled?? What a ******* mother****er.

She then proceeded to badmouth my friend/pharmacist after she said it would take "30 mins" for them to put together a fax. This is AFTER i told her I worked there.

What an idiot...finally the pharmacist came over, took over, and got the proper copy. What a ****in' idiot...and she was trying to explain to this other patient that "Oh, there's a generic for Microgestin..."

You ********, you can't have a generic of a generic! Microgestin and Junelle are generics for Loestrin. Ugh, what a dumb ****.

Goes to show you any ****** can be a pharmacy tech. Gives the great techs out there such a bad name, no wonder USA Today bashed on them in the Wags/error article.

 

[mrblah]

I am a pretty sharp pharmacy tech so my manager put me in charge of ordering all the OTC items in bulk amount.

One day, my manager came up to me and said "you know there's 15 boxes of fleet enema downstairs and my boss was asking me why we had so many"

DOH!!

Not knowing each number I ordered through mcKesson meant boxes and not items, I ordered 15 boxes fleet enemas with 48 items in each box.

From this day on, every time we get a big order for fleet enema, my pharmacy manager makes a point to send me to pull the fleet enemas..lol

I won't ever forget how to order fleet enemas. lesson learned!

Just tell your manager that you were throwing a enema party for the seniors in the neighborhood

 

[phrmboy123]

I know this is a pre-pharm thread but this site I found is hilarious and goes pretty well with the stuff in these posts.
Its 2 Pharm Students (p1 i think) that rant about their lives and their work

their blog is

http://irritableinternsyndrome.blogspot.com

def worth a check!

 

[pharm87]

walgreens all the way!!

well im a new tech. been working for about two months now, I havent exactly been trained, but was just thrown into the pharmacy due to the help they needed.


the other day was a nightmare for me. I was left alone with a floater that had no idea how to work the computer other than his own. I still have problems putting in insurance, with so many numbers and id's its hard to keep up. Well i ended up getting screamed at by a lady telling me that i dont know how to do my job, andthe pharmacist was useless. it was so bad that i randomly called another store to ask for help.

I also hate ... "how much is it going to cost?"

I love making fun of doctors names, ive seen "dr .gay", "dr saliva". lol

but i have my good days.


**PRE-PHARM STUDENT**

 

[laimyours]

This is the best thread ever. Finally, people who understand my pain. Now when people are dropping off prescriptions and i know they are going to be difficult i tell them we don't carry that medication. "You should try CVS, they're bigger".

 

[Scrubs Fan]

This is the best thread ever. Finally, people who understand my pain. Now when people are dropping off prescriptions and i know they are going to be difficult i tell them we don't carry that medication. "You should try CVS, they're bigger".

hahaha, is that legal???
or ethical?

 

[lessotto]

This is the best thread ever. Finally, people who understand my pain. Now when people are dropping off prescriptions and i know they are going to be difficult i tell them we don't carry that medication. "You should try CVS, they're bigger".

Please, please, please, I beg you not to say that (about CVS) next time to difficult people. Because then I have to deal with them.

I used to tell people how they can bring competitor coupons (RiteAid, Ralphs) when they were saying "Well, if your coupons are not good for new prescriptions - we will take our Rx to some other pharmacy". I do not do that anymore for customers who know and abuse the system by transferring every months.

I mean,,, every month they come in and tell me the same story "If you do not give me a gift card - we will leave". And these are the same people... And they get mad every month. And every month they say how they will leave. And they scream. And we give them gift cards.

Am I the only one?
Hate being a clerk. Give me my intern license already!!!

 

[laimyours]

I work at target and we only offer $10 gift cards about 5 times a year. We used to accept competitor coupons, and i was thrilled when we stopped. But, we have that stupid $4 generic plan which causes more headaches then anything. There are the people that think all medication is $4. I have to explain to them its generics, but not all generics only about 200 of them. Then i have to explain that the medications with asteriks next to them are not $4 in the states listed and California is one of them. Then there is the calls asking if alprazolam, diazepam, hydrocodone, carisoprodol, etc.... are on the list.

 

[AngelaCL]

I used to tell people how they can bring competitor coupons (RiteAid, Ralphs) when they were saying "Well, if your coupons are not good for new prescriptions - we will take our Rx to some other pharmacy". I do not do that anymore for customers who know and abuse the system by transferring every months.

I mean,,, every month they come in and tell me the same story "If you do not give me a gift card - we will leave". And these are the same people... And they get mad every month. And every month they say how they will leave. And they scream. And we give them gift cards.

I hate that! We have one couple who has gotten hundreds and hundreds of dollars in gift cards because they transfer their prescriptions from store to store every month. We told them they can't do it anymore (oh they were also stealing cards over the counter and then showing receipts for another card and saying they weren't activated) and they flipped out, called corporate, said we were discriminatory (against... annoying people? they are white just like me and most everyone who works there). They are still complaining 4 months after we told them they can't get gift cards except for actually new presciptions that they haven't had here before.

I really wish my boss would just say "Good riddance". We lose $25-50 every time they walk in the store just so that we can make 3 bucks on their Rx or whatever - basically we paid for their groceries for 3 or 4 months. Meanwhile, nearly nobody legitimately uses these coupons. What a bad policy.

 

[SCCpharm]

What really gets me is those people in drive thru that say there last name incredibly fast with no enunciation. And then when I ask them to repeat it, they roll there eyes, bang their head on their steering wheel, and repeat their last name even faster and with even worse enunciation.

So, since I obviously could not understand them the 2nd time, I ask if I could get a birthdate, then they throw a fit, roll their eyes, scream, and say "YOU DONT KNOW ME!!!! I BEEN GOING HERE 10000years!!!! I SPEND $10 EVERY MONTH HERE!!!!!



What I'm thinking is - "geez I really hope this medication I'm getting is to treat your anger problem. (and usually its not)."

 

[Sparda29]

There was this one time when I was working with a floater. It was Waiting Bin day and the regular pharmacist had told me not to start it until 5:15 (we close at 6PM).

So yeah, I start it and finish it. This guy comes in and drops something off at 5:45 and says he is gonna wait.

So we process it, and it is now 5:55, I gotta run to the manager's office to pick up the waiting bin report that printed out.

I get it, come back, the pharmacist is closing up, calls out the guys name a few times and then locks the door. Registers are taken away, everything is done, but I decide to stick around to buy some candy and soda.

I don't leave my lab coat at work, so I just wear it home and I am standing on line to get my stuff rung up when the guy who drops off the script finds me and starts yelling about needing the script, and not wanting to leave until he gets the script.

At this point the pharmacist is long gone. I don't know the number of the pharmacist and I'm sure as hell not gonna bother the regular pharmacist with it.

So, what ends up happening is the manager just gives the guy a $40 gift card for his troubles.

 

[UES Girl]

What really gets me is those people in drive thru that say there last name incredibly fast with no enunciation. And then when I ask them to repeat it, they roll there eyes, bang their head on their steering wheel, and repeat their last name even faster and with even worse enunciation.

So, since I obviously could not understand them the 2nd time, I ask if I could get a birthdate, then they throw a fit, roll their eyes, scream, and say "YOU DONT KNOW ME!!!! I BEEN GOING HERE 10000years!!!! I SPEND $10 EVERY MONTH HERE!!!!!



What I'm thinking is - "geez I really hope this medication I'm getting is to treat your anger problem. (and usually its not)."

Hehehe, I had this happen to me a million times, I've been yelled for 20 minutes and called names because I didn't know the name of this one lady. What a psycho !

 

[LudgerBJoonyuh]

I haven't read this entire thread (like i usually do...uh), but friggin gag me w/ a shovel if i must go through the explicits for the yajillionz^87300079*39857#[email protected] time of Why Prices Cannot Be Determined with Insurance If:

1) insurance has NOT been billed
2) 1 + b/c you have NOT given me an rx to submit
3) 1,2 + you did not give me an insurance card to file
4) 1,2,3 + b/c you are a new customer with a d*mn transfer, biotch!!!

so...sets up the scenario.

"hi, how can i help you?"
(7 bottles for refilling are literally poured at me, some of which fall from my hands b/c of the shoving action w/ not an apology from pourer)

"i need these (indicating mass quantity of bottles) and this (the transfer). how much this is?"
"do you have insurance?"
(goes through purse and hands me insurance card)

"in order to tell you the copay, i have to submit an rx to your insurance. so, this would have to be transferred."
"it's like 60 bucks at walgreens."

"ok. but i still need to submit to insurance before i can tell you."
"so, you're saying you gotta bill insurance first?"
(mmyeah...good good your repeating tells me you're understanding. in the meantime, i just put in all the rx#s into computer to refill and was updating insurance info for pt-o-7-bottles)

"d*amn! these two 17 year fools be walking around with their pants all jacked way up with these big thick old belts on! what'd they want? attention? sh*iiiit...and they wonder why they get their asses kicked."
(you're like 40, you're a mom, your kid is standing next to you, and you want to express your eagerness to pummel 17 y/o kids...issues)
"yeah...high school."
(i got to relationship and realized pt wasn't on the card and asked if he went by another name, to which...)

"he ain't on there! that transfer's for me! you aint even paying attention, are you!?! shoot! that's my brother-in-law!"
(well i guess i assumed you threw all these bottles up here for the same pt. my bad. geez. no tragedy, chillk?!)
(rubbing the edge off the situation with a smile)
"oh. well then i need to put you into our system, don't i?."

"i got this card too (hands me card)--does it work?"
"it should..." (hands back her first card to examine second)
"so how much is it, then?"

(still holding second card and putting in BIN#....are you serious?? you joke? hasta be! alright, prepared to tell her ONE more time AND with a smile AND that nonconfronational head-tilt b/c i still had a lot of patience left)
"(with a now-now-see-here smile) i told you that i still need to get that rx transferred before i can tell you, and i just barely got one of your insurances.heh."

(allsasudden...snaAAp....craAAAackle...friggin malfunk POP of her wiring! head goes rearing back and...)
"YOU do NOT need to be gettin an ATTITUDE with ME!! it's not like i know how this process works!!"

"....uh, i'm not trying to give you and attitude or anything. that is exactly what i've tried to tell you, ma'am." (all confused and wtf?)

"WELL YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR PEOPLE SKILLS! i ain't having that! are you done with that card yet?"

"no, i'm still working on it...(cuz i got it like 0.00437 secs ago)"

"well hurry up! i wanna get it back! you know what?! i deal with people everyday and this AIN'T how you TREAT people! this is my first bad experience with this pharmacy and it's wit YOU! you know what?! gimme my bottle back (snatch)! gimme my card back (snatch)! i don't want you in my bizznus! and you better tear up my information. what's your name, i'm gonna talk to your manager!"

(telling her my name and still rather flustered at the turn of events and her wack-job self...i was like there has to be a better way of ending this so... i apologetically attempted)
"again, it's not my intention to give you attitude whatsoever. i just was letting you know simply how this works (calm thyself! craziness!)."

(no use...) "NO! Uh-UH! I DON'T NEED YOU WITH MY BIZZNUS!" (and she swoops away back to schizo-burg central as quickly as she came...leaving me confused and maybe amused?)

cognitive replay says i didn't do anything offensive so whyowhy?? her first experience?! well, mine as well! i swear i've never had someone go from 0 to bizerk so quickly especially over a concept so repetitive in a single converstation! anyway, so yes bottom line is: insurance will reign most complicated issue in the realm of pharmacy.

sometimes, i just think it would be easiest to say, when asked a price of a theoretical rx w/ theoretical insurance to say, "these powers transcend my own, and i, a mere tech, cannot both place into words and expect you (nincompoop customer) to understand the intricatcies of this coveted knowledge. i..simply..can..not." (look devastated and add back of hand to forehead for addtnl drama..gag)"
idiocracy rules!

 

[LudgerBJoonyuh]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pharmpills
if someone says re-run their ins. and it was run a few days ago then simply dont. says ok it was run through and the price is the same if they say u re-run it say yes as in re-checked the price lol. unless they give u a good reason like the price will change bc its the beginning of the month or something worthy bc 1 time out of a million the price came out less with the same insurance bc it was at the start of the month.


yes! i always make sure pricy items have been process w/ insurance, and i will actually go through the trouble of asking and doing if i notice it hasn't. for my sake as well as others, i dont wanna be paying for rx insurance and still pay whoompers for my meds.

often, ppl will have multiple insurances and coupons. some are active yet have been disenabled by other techs who just put "not covered" in rx comment without the bother of checking how patients paid last month.

i noticed that some troubled items w/ questioned insurance can be re-run with the correct insurance info that sits conveniently right there in the pt's profile waiting to be selected. of course, this would have been missed if i were to pretend re-running....

then, there're all those override (if appropriate) opportunities that some techs ignore because either they're noobs who aren't familiar or because it takes like 2 extra minutes to deal with. make sure to consult pharmacist to ID the can-do and can't-dos.

dub me cheapo, but why spend money when you don't have to? insurance should be process accurately (as butt pains inducing it may be) and sometimes you gotta make those dreaded calls. what if someone inquires why this month's expense was cheaper than the last? "oh, this is a good month for feeling like running insurances, sir!" noo....



more money should be expended toward the purchases of cheezburgers!

 

[confettiflyer]

Haha... so I'll buck the trend and post about a good day I had. I basically spent the day running back and forth to the minute clinic in our store to talk to our FNP about changing the medication she prescribed due to cost. I basically walked in with the Rx pad, chatted with her about the Dx (strep throat), pt's allergies (penicillin allergy), and the different treatments we could do.

I already had the prices in my head just from past experience, so we settled on Erythromycin 500mg 1T PO BID, I wrote out the Rx, she signed it, and went back to get it filled (saved the pt $90+ from what was previously prescribed). We even had a chat about z-pack being available in a 3-day regimen at 500mg, but she said she didn't want to "shock" her pt with it.

Anyway...that was kind of fun

 

[devil0000]

I haven't read this entire thread (like i usually do...uh), but friggin gag me w/ a shovel if i must go through the explicits for the yajillionz^87300079*39857#[email protected] time of Why Prices Cannot Be Determined with Insurance If:

1) insurance has NOT been billed
2) 1 + b/c you have NOT given me an rx to submit
3) 1,2 + you did not give me an insurance card to file
4) 1,2,3 + b/c you are a new customer with a d*mn transfer, biotch!!!

so...sets up the scenario.

"hi, how can i help you?"
(7 bottles for refilling are literally poured at me, some of which fall from my hands b/c of the shoving action w/ not an apology from pourer)

"i need these (indicating mass quantity of bottles) and this (the transfer). how much this is?"
"do you have insurance?"
(goes through purse and hands me insurance card)

"in order to tell you the copay, i have to submit an rx to your insurance. so, this would have to be transferred."
"it's like 60 bucks at walgreens."

"ok. but i still need to submit to insurance before i can tell you."
"so, you're saying you gotta bill insurance first?"
(mmyeah...good good your repeating tells me you're understanding. in the meantime, i just put in all the rx#s into computer to refill and was updating insurance info for pt-o-7-bottles)

"d*amn! these two 17 year fools be walking around with their pants all jacked way up with these big thick old belts on! what'd they want? attention? sh*iiiit...and they wonder why they get their asses kicked."
(you're like 40, you're a mom, your kid is standing next to you, and you want to express your eagerness to pummel 17 y/o kids...issues)
"yeah...high school."
(i got to relationship and realized pt wasn't on the card and asked if he went by another name, to which...)

"he ain't on there! that transfer's for me! you aint even paying attention, are you!?! shoot! that's my brother-in-law!"
(well i guess i assumed you threw all these bottles up here for the same pt. my bad. geez. no tragedy, chillk?!)
(rubbing the edge off the situation with a smile)
"oh. well then i need to put you into our system, don't i?."

"i got this card too (hands me card)--does it work?"
"it should..." (hands back her first card to examine second)
"so how much is it, then?"

(still holding second card and putting in BIN#....are you serious?? you joke? hasta be! alright, prepared to tell her ONE more time AND with a smile AND that nonconfronational head-tilt b/c i still had a lot of patience left)
"(with a now-now-see-here smile) i told you that i still need to get that rx transferred before i can tell you, and i just barely got one of your insurances.heh."

(allsasudden...snaAAp....craAAAackle...friggin malfunk POP of her wiring! head goes rearing back and...)
"YOU do NOT need to be gettin an ATTITUDE with ME!! it's not like i know how this process works!!"

"....uh, i'm not trying to give you and attitude or anything. that is exactly what i've tried to tell you, ma'am." (all confused and wtf?)

"WELL YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR PEOPLE SKILLS! i ain't having that! are you done with that card yet?"

"no, i'm still working on it...(cuz i got it like 0.00437 secs ago)"

"well hurry up! i wanna get it back! you know what?! i deal with people everyday and this AIN'T how you TREAT people! this is my first bad experience with this pharmacy and it's wit YOU! you know what?! gimme my bottle back (snatch)! gimme my card back (snatch)! i don't want you in my bizznus! and you better tear up my information. what's your name, i'm gonna talk to your manager!"

(telling her my name and still rather flustered at the turn of events and her wack-job self...i was like there has to be a better way of ending this so... i apologetically attempted)
"again, it's not my intention to give you attitude whatsoever. i just was letting you know simply how this works (calm thyself! craziness!)."

(no use...) "NO! Uh-UH! I DON'T NEED YOU WITH MY BIZZNUS!" (and she swoops away back to schizo-burg central as quickly as she came...leaving me confused and maybe amused?)

cognitive replay says i didn't do anything offensive so whyowhy?? her first experience?! well, mine as well! i swear i've never had someone go from 0 to bizerk so quickly especially over a concept so repetitive in a single converstation! anyway, so yes bottom line is: insurance will reign most complicated issue in the realm of pharmacy.

sometimes, i just think it would be easiest to say, when asked a price of a theoretical rx w/ theoretical insurance to say, "these powers transcend my own, and i, a mere tech, cannot both place into words and expect you (nincompoop customer) to understand the intricatcies of this coveted knowledge. i..simply..can..not." (look devastated and add back of hand to forehead for addtnl drama..gag)"
idiocracy rules!

omg i really love ur story.. i can actually feel that lady is in front of my face now.. cuz same thing happens everyday with me at Longs.. and not to be racist.. i guess i know what nationality she is.. these patients are wacko thats all i can say.. they were saying stuff like i rolled my eyes at them, gave them attitude, blah blah blah.. and they always try to say "i can make you lose your job!".. well.. excuse me?? MY EDUCATION GIVES ME MY JOB! and you have the absolute right to go to another pharmacy!

 

[meowmeow]

oh man so much bottled up anger haha!

i freaking hate it when someone walks in and you say hi to them and they just say their last name (no hi or anything back in return) and want you to pull their rx from the shelf. at that point i just ring them up and walk away with an apathetic attitude

i know what u mean! usually when they do that, theyre in a hurry right? so i just take my time... do other things... pretend like theyre not important.

 

[laimyours]

When i worked at Longs i had a patient drop off a rx for advair, astelin, and allegra. He asked how much it costs, i told him $20 for each rx (they were all brand name) He then told me how he has "the best insurance there is!" and "it can't be that much". I told him that those were pretty good copays for brand name medication. He decided to get them. I told him it would be a "15 minute wait". (That's pretty standard, and quick i think.) He then tells me "YOU BETTER GET YOUR F**KIN' ACT TOGETHER!". Hahaha i have no idea where that came from. Another good moment was when the clerk told me she couldn't find a( rx. I go to look, ah it's in the doctor call, he hasn't returned the call they called in the rx that morning). I tell the patient that, and they throw their empty celebrex bottle at me.

 

[collegegirl247]

I work at a busy cvs so often we will have people who are not getting a prescription come pay for their items at the pharmacy registers...with every prescription that is picked up we have to ask "do you have any questions for the pharmacist about this" so a few weeks ago a person was paying for a box of condoms... and without notice the cashier asked "do you have any questions about this for the pharmacist"....the man laughed an said uhhh thanks I think I remember how to use them..
it was really funny!!