Retail and Rude customers

[icekitsune]

Its official, I just got yelled at yet by a customer in my new pharmacy retail career and over narcotics. To any experienced retail pharmacist, is this what you experience often in retail? As an intern I never seen any rph gets yelled at so its a bit new for me to see and experience. I got a bit nervous since customer asked for my Dm and name. I figured other rph may give me some pointers. Should I be concerned about losing my job or just ignore it. Also, I had another post questioning if this yelling was reasonable. C2 filled on 7/9 for 30 days. Has history of filling early. In the state I work, we can only allow 7 days early in the life of the rx so bascially he exceed it from months previously. Would you tell the pt to come pick up on 8/8, the day they are completely out or 8/7. My fellow grad says its too strict to make them pick up on 8/8 cause of withdrawel and such

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[josh6718]

 

[M0df]

If you have other pharmacists in your store who will not be as strict as you are, you will have issues. Your partners have to be on the same page, as well as your techs. I highly doubt DEA or NYS board of pharmacy will be dropping by your store if you filled it early by one day. We did have customers call DEA who would basically tell you 'You are right but...'

 

[BMBiology]

You will never get used to being yelled at but you will care less and less. Unfortunately, not just your job but also your personal life as well. You will become snappy and you will start to treat that nice girl at target like crap.

Talk to your DM and PIC and give them a heads up. Document what happened and get over it.

P.S get out of retail as soon as you can. It will change you.

 

[icekitsune]

If you have other pharmacists in your store who will not be as strict as you are, you will have issues. Your partners have to be on the same page, as well as your techs. I highly doubt DEA or NYS board of pharmacy will be dropping by your store if you filled it early by one day. We did have customers call DEA who would basically tell you 'You are right but...'

Thanks, though the thing is, its early one day but he got a long history of early fill i guess some rph traced it back to 2012 for a total of way past 7 days.

 

[M0df]

I don't doubt that and you will have sufficient proof for DM/Pharmacy Sup if needed. CVS even sends out a memo few times a year regarding narcs and controls. However, your bosses are more in the business of customer service and might look for different ways for you to see their point.

 

[trailerpark]

Can't you just always do 3 days early without going back and checking if they already had it 3 days early twice before and 1 day early before that (total 7)?

Are you guys saying if they have 4 identical C2 scripts for jan, feb, march and april, if they get feb 3 day early and march 3 days early they can only have april 1 day early and then must always get it on the exact day?

 

[zelman]

Can't you just always do 3 days early without going back and checking if they already had it 3 days early twice before and 1 day early before that (total 7)?

Are you guys saying if they have 4 identical C2 scripts for jan, feb, march and april, if they get feb 3 day early and march 3 days early they can only have april 1 day early and then must always get it on the exact day?

In New York, yes.

 

[mustang sally]

I'm curious where you would have worked as an intern that you never saw any yelling. A non-retail pharmacy?

I felt like I experienced yelling and/or swearing multiple times a day when I was an intern.

 

[Old Timer]

So first, you are a tech who is pre-pharmacy. You don't get to make these decisions. You take the information to your pharmacist and he or she can decide to fill it. Once they start telling, say "Excuse me, let me get the pharmacist for you."

It depends on where you practice. According to the Pennsylvania Code:

§ 27.18. Standards of practice.

(t) A pharmacist may only renew a prescription at a reasonable time prior to the time when the contents of the prescription shall be consumed according to prescriber’s directions.

As a pharmacist I get to decide what is a reasonable time.

 

[RxMonkey]

There will always be rude customers in Retail. You will either learn to not let it bother you and let it roll of your back or you will continue to take these things too personally and it will eat you up inside until you are nothing more than a cynical, jaded shell of your former self...

Good luck!

 

[owlegrad]

If someone is yelling (really yelling) on the phone, hang up. If they are yelling in the store, let them know to stop yelling or they will be asked to leave. Or call a manager if you are more comfortable with that.

 

[R xxx]

I do 2 days early and keep it the same for everybody. It prevents the customers from calling and asking. I think making the customers come get it on the day of is just ridiculous.

Also, the month of July has 31 days. So technically, it is not even early to get it filled today. There are 7 months that have 31 days. Remember that if you want to get all technical.

You won't lose your job over it. I rarely ever get yelled at when I cover retail and when it does happen, I also let them have it if they're being unreasonable.

 

[sosoo]

if its a control substance, whether its narcotics or not, you have the right to refuse filling the script. if you work for Walgreens or CVS, your company even encourage you to do so. in the previous annual reviews with the supervisor, that was the main topic.

 

[josh6718]

As a pharmacist I get to decide what is a reasonable time.

Agreed.

A 78 year old patient diagnosed with terminal cancer - I rarely will think twice about filling their MS Contin a few days early.

A 30 year old who gets 180 Hydrocodone and 120 OxyContin per month who's only diagnosis is 'chronic back pain'- I may not even feel comfortable filling a day early.

 

[Dred Pirate]

there will always be dinguses, that won't change. I used to be really ballsy- but then again, retail was just a prn side job for me. Once I had a guy be a royal A-hole because he was out of refills and had to catch a plane. After he got done yelling at my poor tech who was 18 years old and just out of high school, I told him I would give him a couple to get by, but he had to go apologize to my tech (which was in front of about 8 customers). He did it, and then I smiled and said have a good day. The other customers looked shocked, but applauded me.

Another time I had a jerk DM and I gave the customer his direct personal cell phone and informed him he likes to be called in the middle of the night, so go ahead and call him (good thing I had already turned in my notice to quit

Basically, you learn to get a thick skin, anytime you deal with the public you will have those people you just will never appease, so you learn to just not care. Welcome to the next 30 years of your life

 

[Jibby321]

My selective hearing kicks in when they start yelling.

They push me, I push back. Professionally of course.

Then I convince them to get a flu shot.

 

[Sunshine98]

I tell them if they want to have a conversation with me then the yelling or fowl language stops. Usually it works. If they continue, I call the manager and hand it over to them and walk away LOL

 

[thekellyfiles]

This is typical in retail pharmacy,especially when drug addicts don't get their way. Just think of it this way: Lose your job because you broke a state law,or keep your job and follow the state law. It all boils down to the law. There are other pharmacies that he/she can use. I'm sure they won't get far. At my pharmacy we can call the police if they get disgruntled and start making threats. Its just bad for business to have customers like that.

 

[fewaopi]

Not gonna lose job over it. Addicts usually will intimidate you by threatening to call DM/manager, or take their business elsewhere. They'll get loud to try and disrupt and get the crowd on their side as to why they need oxycodone 30 mg #120 and a person acting as their backup will come in to try to support the person's claim. I've seen addicts with their friends coming in scouting pharmacies and keeping watch of the employees out of the parking lot. It's all irrational behavior fueled from their addiction.

I don't know what the history is on the patient, like where they're from or dose/qty they get, but there are different answers for this situation and all can be argued for or against. As long as you can make a valid argument for your point, no reason to worry about losing your job. Some people just like yelling and some are so firm in their beliefs you'll never convince them. I just push back and stay level headed and professional and that way witnesses will generally side with you usually.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Just remember, the addicts throwing the biggest fits to get you to give them what they want, will be the first ones to come back years later and sue you for "fuelling" their addiction.