People forcing their way into the pharmacy when it is closed.

Started by MrBonita
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MrBonita

Full Member
7+ Year Member
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I just watched this video on youtube and remember times people forced their way into the pharmacy when it was an hour to opening.



Just wondering what can actually be done about this. Some pharmacies only have a front door and there are times a patient follows me in when I clearly tell them we are closed.
 
Politely inform the customer that you will provide service during the pharmacy's hours of operation only. Keep it short, be firm, and courteously repeat if necessary. Hang up the drive-thru phone or back away and leave the conversation there. Don't be drawn into some random bs reason like being out of town or having waited an hour for you.

Once closing time hits, your window should be closed or closing and if there are multiple cars in the drive thru, only help those that got there at or before closing.
 
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When this used to happen to me I would just entirely ignore them. The first hour (before we opened) was critical for a good day.

When I managed a crazy busy store, I made it mandatory for 1 pharmacist and 2 techs to come in at 8am to clear all the ques and get all the days CIIs ready before 9am. The couple hours of lost coverage during the day was well compensated for by being ahead of the ball.

I’d be damned if I let them ruin it for us.
 
that is one reason I liked working at the stores where you couldn't see through the pharmacy gate - it was solid, so nobody knew you were back there. But then again I didn't arrive until the pharmacy was supposed to open - at most 5 minutes early to allow time for the computers to reboot.
 
Drive-thru is #1 for most bull**** chain retail "innovation" with the fish bowl pharmacy layout #2
 
Easy. Establish limits. Walk in, lock the door behind you. Don't answer phones drive thru. Got to be assertive or be walked on
 
Just have tunnel vision. Put some airpods in your ears and pretend (or actually) listen to music. Don't answer phone until open or answer one minute before closing. Get a blind for the drive thru. Go get a cheap one at Home Depot and hang it yourself.
 
When we were closed, we were closed, I wouldn't open early or re-open for some losers. But boy did I hate people who would waltz in a couple minutes before closing with half a dozen scripts...
At 5 minutes til, I don't fill any rxs unless they have today's date on it. Otherwise, we fill it tomorrow or off to the 24 hour store you go.
 
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At 5 minutes til, I don't fill any rxs unless they have today's date on it. Otherwise, we fill it tomorrow or off to the 24 hour store you go.
Unfortunately half of the time they were scripts from the ER two blocks away... which also meant that it was a new patient and new insurance, and all that jazz.
If I had my way, the "call" button at the drive through would automatically activate a flamethrower. Unless the car sat there unattended for at least 20 minutes.
 
I hate when patients just waltz up to the pharmacy With no shame when we’re about to close. I left once and my boss was still there helping people
 
I hate when patients just waltz up to the pharmacy With no shame when we’re about to close. I left once and my boss was still there helping people

I've been burned before by being nice and staying. Unless they're coming in with an ER script written less than a couple hours ago, come back tomorrow, you had eight or more hours to come in. I took a patients word for it on Thanksgiving a few years ago when I had a two hour drive after work to see the family. The patient dropping off "needed it because they JUST get out of the hospital." As I go to do the pre-verification I discover that this particular CII script was written five days ago. No more!