Things I Learn from My Patients.

[owlegrad]

I haven't been cussed out by a customer yet. I've heard one cuss around me, but he didn't direct it at anybody.

Am I just lucky or are people around here not as bad as other places? What do you think NaOH?

Do you tell your customers to put back the makeup if they find their medications to be too expensive? If you ever feel like being cussed out, that would be a great start.

I haven't been cussed at in years, but I am a pretty polite fellow and I take good service seriously so I think I am pretty outside the norm (for that and other reasons ).

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[crazybob]

Do you tell your customers to put back the makeup if they find their medications to be too expensive? If you ever feel like being cussed out, that would be a great start.

I haven't been cussed at in years, but I am a pretty polite fellow and I take good service seriously so I think I am pretty outside the norm (for that and other reasons ).

I try to think of what they might be going through, and explain things to them with enough detail so that they're like "ohhhh, ok"

 

[The Poet Sings]

Sounds great, if you enjoy being cussed out.

i have this way of sounding sweetly oblivious that i think i could pull off not sounding judgmental or mean. i plan on using it with my future patients so wish me luck hahaha. and i'm sure even my sweetness could earn me a good cussin' out with the wrong person. good thing i can have a sassy mouth when i need to. but seriously, priorities, people! or at least if you're going to cheat (use?) the system, have some shame and be sneaky and buy your makeup at a different register.

 

[NaOH]

I haven't been cussed out by a customer yet. I've heard one cuss around me, but he didn't direct it at anybody.

Am I just lucky or are people around here not as bad as other places? What do you think NaOH?

Like I said, people are nice and happy... as long as the government cheese flows freely. I imagine you might have it a little bit better, being at an independent. I think one of my favorite scenes is the classic

"yall don't do the $4 plan?!"

"No sir/ma'am, that's Wal-MART..."

"Gimme my script back then."

"....kay."

Also: I wish people sitting in the driver seat would stop trying to mumble their names to me in the drive-thru, then getting irritated when I ask them to repeat themselves.

 

[crazybob]

Also: I wish people sitting in the driver seat would stop trying to mumble their names to me in the drive-thru, then getting irritated when I ask them to repeat themselves.

Sometimes I do that on the phone, and people are usually ok with it.

There was only one time when I asked a guy to repeat his name twice because I couldn't tell what he was saying.

Sometimes I feel like they have to speak into a megaphone so I can hear over the mumbling.

 

[owlegrad]

i have this way of sounding sweetly oblivious that i think i could pull off not sounding judgmental or mean. i plan on using it with my future patients so wish me luck hahaha. and i'm sure even my sweetness could earn me a good cussin' out with the wrong person. good thing i can have a sassy mouth when i need to. but seriously, priorities, people! or at least if you're going to cheat (use?) the system, have some shame and be sneaky and buy your makeup at a different register.

Good luck

 

[crazybob]

i have this way of sounding sweetly oblivious that i think i could pull off not sounding judgmental or mean. i plan on using it with my future patients so wish me luck hahaha. and i'm sure even my sweetness could earn me a good cussin' out with the wrong person. good thing i can have a sassy mouth when i need to. but seriously, priorities, people! or at least if you're going to cheat (use?) the system, have some shame and be sneaky and buy your makeup at a different register.

Can you give us an example?

 

[NaOH]

EDIT: I meant to say 'passenger seat'. D'oh.

 

[crazybob]

EDIT: I meant to say 'passenger seat'. D'oh.

If they have to talk over one seat, then I'd probably expect them to sound like they mumbled a bit.

Does the passenger still get frustrated at you? Or is it the driver? Because the driver could say it louder and clearer.

 

[The Poet Sings]

Can you give us an example?

well, it isn't what i'd say, but rather how i'd say it. imagine a sweet, innocent child saying "you can return something if you need the money" like they just came up with the best idea ever, and are so proud of themselves for being helpful, versus the same line delivered by a pissed off, sarcastic adult. it helps that i'm 5 feet tall and i look like a high schooler .

 

[NaOH]

"So, uh, me and my wife have been intimate a whole lot lately, and she's kinda sore 'down there'. Is there anything she can do to help that?"

The best part when when my pharmacist accidentally replaced "have a good night" with "have a good time".

 

[crazybob]

"So, uh, me and my wife have been intimate a whole lot lately, and she's kinda sore 'down there'. Is there anything she can do to help that?"

The best part when when my pharmacist accidentally replaced "have a good night" with "have a good time".

I can see that happening

 

[eiram]

Pt demands we accept a return for Victoza (about $1000 worth) because she left it out on the counter too long. We refund her copay and take the med back. She does not have her credit card so we put it on a store money card. Comes back 2 weeks later demanding we issue another card because she lost it...then proceeds to threaten to transfer her rxs. oh my. A week after that shows up stating she found the card.



"My daughter has been having severe diarrhea for two weeks. What can I do?"

"Take her to the doctor immediately."

"Oh she can wait she is going out of town. We'll do that afterwards."

 

[crazybob]

"My daughter has been having severe diarrhea for two weeks. What can I do?"

"Take her to the doctor immediately."

"Oh she can wait she is going out of town. We'll do that afterwards."

 

[a1park]

Old lady yesterday was screaming at me through the phone because her credit card was rejecting. My pharmacist at the other side of the room said he could hear her.

T'was a happy Easter.

 

[Benelli]

"Thanks for calling _______ Pharmacy, this is (me), how can I help you?

"I am calling to get a refill for _______"

"Okay, please hold one moment while I check."

*checking done by pharmacist, I do my things I can do as a "tech in training"*

Pharmacist: "It looks like... I beg your pardon? Well he is a new employee and I expect you to show some patience."

*I fall over awestruck*

Pharmacist +1!!!

 

[pamtherunner]

Refusal to pay for medicine does not equal refusal to fill/with-holding medication.

You can't sue me for refusal to fill when the reality is YOU are refusing to PAY.

 

[NaOH]

Refusal to pay for medicine does not equal refusal to fill/with-holding medication.

You can't sue me for refusal to fill when the reality is YOU are refusing to PAY.

"Don't blame me. Blame yourself, or God."

 

[pamtherunner]

Don't come to the pharmacy with a nail going through your hand asking how to properly clean it before removing it yourself. Go to the hospital!!

 

[Tenor CS]

Here's one I learned a few weekends ago:

If you have been non-compliant in taking both of your blood pressure medications for the last 3 months, and you start experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath, the proper course of action is NOT to call 911 or get to an emergency room.

The proper course of action is to storm into a retail pharmacy, demanding to cut in front of the line, and get an "emergency supply" of your BP meds.

Then, you should take one of each pill, and take your blood pressure at the machine in the waiting area every 5 minutes until the reading is somewhat "normal."

And the whole time, you should be threatening to sue the pharmacy staff for not taking care of you fast enough.

 

[NaOH]

Here's one I learned a few weekends ago:

If you have been non-compliant in taking both of your blood pressure medications for the last 3 months, and you start experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath, the proper course of action is NOT to call 911 or get to an emergency room.

The proper course of action is to storm into a retail pharmacy, demanding to cut in front of the line, and get an "emergency supply" of your BP meds.

Then, you should take one of each pill, and take your blood pressure at the machine in the waiting area every 5 minutes until the reading is somewhat "normal."

And the whole time, you should be threatening to sue the pharmacy staff for not taking care of you fast enough.

Some people are too stupid to live imo.

 

[crazybob]

Some people are too stupid to live imo.

Or had crappy teachers while growing up.

 

[Benelli]

Here's one I learned a few weekends ago:

If you have been non-compliant in taking both of your blood pressure medications for the last 3 months, and you start experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath, the proper course of action is NOT to call 911 or get to an emergency room.

The proper course of action is to storm into a retail pharmacy, demanding to cut in front of the line, and get an "emergency supply" of your BP meds.

Then, you should take one of each pill, and take your blood pressure at the machine in the waiting area every 5 minutes until the reading is somewhat "normal."

And the whole time, you should be threatening to sue the pharmacy staff for not taking care of you fast enough.

I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face.

 

[Tenor CS]

I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face.

My PIC was so fed up with him, he almost told him to take his hard copy and get lost. After all, it's not like BP meds work like a rescue inhaler, especially if you've NOT taken them for the last 3 months or made any attempts at lifestyle changes to lower your BP.

 

[Benelli]

I would have agreed with that. You are not obligated to serve them. A pharmacy is still a business and a business can refuse service.

 

[crazybob]

Me: _____ Pharmacy
Person: Are you open right now?
Me: Yes...
Person: Ok, thank you.

I thought it was obvious if you actually got someone to answer the phone.

But I can see someone not wanting to be rude and hang up after they realized someone picked up the phone.

 

[rxlea]

Me: _____ Pharmacy
Person: Are you open right now?
Me: Yes...
Person: Ok, thank you.

I thought it was obvious if you actually got someone to answer the phone.

But I can see someone not wanting to be rude and hang up after they realized someone picked up the phone.

When I call to see if places are open, I will just ask "What time do you close?"

lol

 

[delano2000]

When I call to see if places are open, I will just ask "What time do you close?"

lol

 

[Tenor CS]

I just quit CVS. On one of my last days, I had this phone conversation:
We closed at 6, they called at 5:57...

Caller: Hi, is this the CVS at the corner of A road and B street?
Me: Yes, this is the CVS at the corner of A&B that closes in 3 minutes.
Caller: Oh, you close in 3 minutes?
Me: (clock ticks over to 5:58) Well, 2 minutes now.

Meanwhile, my PIC is giggling in the background. I wasn't a total jerk, though. I gave them the phone # and directions to a 24 hour location.

I have, however, RELISHED in closing the drive thru gate at closing time on the dot, only to have a car roll up at closing time +1 minute and hearing "LANE 1" and the PIC saying "Don't even think about answering that."

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Me: _____ Pharmacy
Person: Are you open right now?
Me: Yes...
Person: Ok, thank you.

*Phone rings*
Me: "ABC Pharmacy, can I help you?"
Person: "What is your phone number?"
Me: "123-4567"
Person:"Thanks!"
*Hang up the phone*

5 seconds later...

Me: ....*Facepalm*

 

[crazybob]

*Phone rings*
Me: "ABC Pharmacy, can I help you?"
Person: "What is your phone number?"
Me: "123-4567"
Person:"Thanks!"
*Hang up the phone*

5 seconds later...

Me: ....*Facepalm*

Maybe it was on their speed dial and they used a phone that doesn't show the number you dialed

 

[NaOH]

"Thank you for calling your 24-hour Walgreens, located at __________. For the pharmacy, press 1."

>1

"This is NaOH, pharmacy technician. How may I help you?"

"Hey, how late are yall open?"

"...Sir, we are open 24 hours a day. Short of fire, floods, tornadoes or other natural disasters, we're here and we're open."

"Oh, okay. Do yall have any 12-hour Sudafed?"

"....no."

"Oh, okay."

>click


Happens at least once a day.

 

[positivesign]

Phone rings
Me: Pharmacy, how may I help you?
Pt: this is so and so, I need my monthly medications refilled.
Me: okay, just a second while I look up your profile.
Pt: do you have my calcium supplement?
Me: (scrolls down the screen) no, ma'am. Not for the past 3 months.
Pt: (anxious) What? I've been picking those calcium pills every month. Let me talk to the pharmacist.
Me: (thinking I might have missed it from the list, hands phone over to the pharmacist)
PIC and I spend the next a couple of minutes on looking for calcium. On the verge of pharmacist suggesting an OTC calcium without prescription.
Me: Ma'am..do you mean Boniva?
Pt: Yes, I take them once a week...
Me: Okay, I got it. Ma'am, for your information, Boniva is not a calcium supplement..it's for osteoporosis.

A lot of the elderly patients we work with don't memorize the names of the drugs and what they are for but they do remember the shape of the pill and directions...just one more reason why a pharmacist is important in drug therapy management. The pharmacist ended up counseling patient again with what Boniva was for. And we felt great that we did our job correctly even though the word 'calcium' might have thrown us off initially..

 

[crazybob]

Phone rings
Me: Pharmacy, how may I help you?
Pt: this is so and so, I need my monthly medications refilled.
Me: okay, just a second while I look up your profile.
Pt: do you have my calcium supplement?
Me: (scrolls down the screen) no, ma'am. Not for the past 3 months.
Pt: (anxious) What? I've been picking those calcium pills every month. Let me talk to the pharmacist.
Me: (thinking I might have missed it from the list, hands phone over to the pharmacist)
PIC and I spend the next a couple of minutes on looking for calcium. On the verge of pharmacist suggesting an OTC calcium without prescription.
Me: Ma'am..do you mean Boniva?
Pt: Yes, I take them once a week...
Me: Okay, I got it. Ma'am, for your information, Boniva is not a calcium supplement..it's for osteoporosis.

A lot of the elderly patients we work with don't memorize the names of the drugs and what they are for but they do remember the shape of the pill and directions...just one more reason why a pharmacist is important in drug therapy management. The pharmacist ended up counseling patient again with what Boniva was for. And we felt great that we did our job correctly even though the word 'calcium' might have thrown us off initially..

That's not too bad. I would have done the same.

 

[lymmys]

.

 

[NaOH]

Me: CVS pharmacy, may I help you?
Whoever: do yall carry eggs and milk?
Me:...Yes..I think so ma'am
Whoever: are you sure? Go check because I'm sending my husband over there right now.
Me:.....buzz...was quiet for 7 secs
Whoever: Since I have you on the phone, you carry Sally bikini wax too right?
Me:....

"And he's coming through the drive-thru, so can you go get them off the shelf?"

 

[whatbout2morrow]

Me: CVS pharmacy, may I help you?
Whoever: do yall carry eggs and milk?
Me:...Yes..I think so ma'am
Whoever: are you sure? Go check because I'm sending my husband over there right now.
Me:.....buzz...was quiet for 7 secs
Whoever: Since I have you on the phone, you carry Sally bikini wax too right?
Me:....

Me: Thank you for calling CVS pharmacy, how can I help you?

Whoever: Do yall carry eggs and milk?

Me: No, not here in the pharmacy.

Whoever:......

Me: Let me transfer you to the front store.

 

[amox]

Customer : How come I can't find Oxy 30mgs and 96ct nasal decongestant anywhere?
Me : ... *Thinks in his head "Look in the mirror"*

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Phone Convo.
Me : Just calling to let you know we've had a medication ready here for 2 weeks for you, just curious if you still need it.
Customer : Why didn't you call me earlier, I've been needing it. This is rediculus, I've been out of medication. Is there a manager I can talk to?

I wanted to tell the patient that everyone is responsible for their own healthcare as well... Sure let me call 500 patients a week and babysit them to pickup and take their medications.


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Preface for this story.. I work at a place that gives 8 drugs away for free. I wont discuss names...

Customer : I want to drop these off, and only pick up the free ones. Transfer all the others to walmart so I can get them for 4 dollars there.
Me : SOB this is the 15th time today...

----------------------------------------------------------

Customer : Um... Hey... do you have them needles for insulin? I think they are the 100 CC short needle ones.
Me : Perhaps a vet may carry those, sorry.


-------------------------------------------------------------
Customer comes up to the drop off, leans over the counter to view the floor inside the pharmacy and says "thats not much of a drop off."

After the customer walks away, I hear the pharmacist laughing.


------------------------------------------------------------------
A patient comes up and gives the pharmacist and I a gift. It's a danish from the store bakery. A few minutes later the store manager comes up and says that the patient never paid for the danish and wondered where we put them. Oops... I didn't know.

I've got 1000 more stories, but I am confident everyone has experienced the same :0

 

[crazybob]

I guess working in the pharmacy means you should know what all medicine taste like.

 

[NaOH]

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Customer comes up to the drop off, leans over the counter to view the floor inside the pharmacy and says "thats not much of a drop off."

After the customer walks away, I hear the pharmacist laughing.

I chortled in an honest fashion.

 

[amox]

Patient : I'm here to pick up, last name "X" it's for vicodin from dr. "Y"

Me : It looks like you filled Vicodin 2 days ago from a different doctor.

Patient : Yeah thats for my back pain, this vicodin I want today is for my arm.

Me : You can't take both together as prescribed, you would exceed 4g/day apap. I can fill it for you in 14 days, a few days prior to you running out. The vicodin for your back will help your arm as well.

Patient flips out and transfers the RX... Good go pay cash elsewhere Dr. Shopper.

You didn't see to have arm pain when you threw your arms in the air in anger!

 

[crazybob]

Patient : I'm here to pick up, last name "X" it's for vicodin from dr. "Y"

Me : It looks like you filled Vicodin 2 days ago from a different doctor.

Patient : Yeah thats for my back pain, this vicodin I want today is for my arm.

Me : You can't take both together as prescribed, you would exceed 4g/day apap. I can fill it for you in 14 days, a few days prior to you running out. The vicodin for your back will help your arm as well.

Patient flips out and transfers the RX... Good go pay cash elsewhere Dr. Shopper.

You didn't see to have arm pain when you threw your arms in the air in anger!

let me guess... they were gonna pay cash?

 

[amox]

let me guess... they were gonna pay cash?

Always! Usually with more large bills than I've ever seen!

 

[NaOH]

Always! Usually with more large bills than I've ever seen!

Speaking of benjamins, I always love how some time around 8 PM, just after one of our assistant managers have brought us fresh cash drawers (and taken all my twenties) someone comes in to pick up their $3 worth of state-funded meds and hands me a $100 bill... then rolls their eyes when I have to call for change.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Some people are too stupid to live imo.

It's scary isn't it?

Not snarky but patient funny today in MTM. My elderly female patient explaining her problem with sticking to a healthy diet and food being her vice. "I don't drink, I don't smoke...and I'm too old for porn. What's left?"


Awesome.

 

[rxlea]

It's scary isn't it?

Not snarky but patient funny today in MTM. My elderly female patient explaining her problem with sticking to a healthy diet and food being her vice. "I don't drink, I don't smoke...and I'm too old for porn. What's left?"


Awesome.

Epic.

This made me miss my LTC patient from IPPE. She has dementia and would make remarks similar to that. I should go visit her.

 

[NaOH]

It's scary isn't it?

Not snarky but patient funny today in MTM. My elderly female patient explaining her problem with sticking to a healthy diet and food being her vice. "I don't drink, I don't smoke...and I'm too old for porn. What's left?"


Awesome.

Awesome is the world for it, no doubt.

 

[Seanette]

I've never worked in a pharmacy, but have worked in Medicare prescription coverage. Always amazed me how the people calling about problems with a prescription for anti-seizure/diabetes/heart/blood pressure meds were very nice and polite, the kind of people I would do everything in my power to take care of (granted, I didn't always HAVE a lot I could do, but I did what I could), while the people with oxycontin/Vicodin/hydrocodone prescriptions (you know, the stuff with recreational uses or street resale value) were abusive to the point of threatening about how horribly their rights were being violated by pharmacists/the insurance company/me personally because we were actually complying with Federal law about early refills/number of refills/prior auth/etc. (sigh)

Yes, I realize these meds have legitimate therapeutic uses, I just didn't seem to talk to the patients who were just trying to make it through the day and keep the drugs down to necessary. I always seemed to get the ones who SOUNDED like junkies or dealers (I think I even recall one yelling at me for costing him money over a delay on his refill).

 

[mrubin]

I have many many stories, heres a couple.

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At a 24hr CVS, just me and the pharmacist when EVERYONE comes from 8-11. Lady drops of prescriptions for herself, and lets me know she is picking up for her mother as well. Hers are ready, and then she lets me know how many to pick up. I find one, look in the computer and find one, and also remember the Pharmacist telling her that her mother said she only needed one. I was just about to tell her that, and she replies with, "Um, I dont want to tell you how to do your job, but I'm pretty sure theres more." Pharmacist had my back and reminded her that he told her about the one. I didn't say one more word to her."
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Old,sketchy man in sketchy 80s van rolls through drive thru. Parks way too close to the wall (i also hate when they are too far) and is 5 ft ahead of the window. He struggles to get out and hand me his card. I see this as a problem but assume he can handle it. I give him the prescription log to sign, and he can barely fit it through the door, and drops it. I almost want to let him know not to run over the log, but he backs his van up, pulls up the log, and signs over the huge tire tread and ripped sheets like nothing even happened. I laughed way too hard as soon as he pulled out.

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Doing my PCQ calls, called a man due for refills.
Me: Hi this is (me) at CVS on the corner of A and B. Am I speaking to so and so?
Him: Yes.
Me: Can you confirm your date of birth?
Him: Um, no I don't give that out on the phone.
Me: Well, I can only speak to so and so and due to certain privacy laws, etc, etc...
Him: How do I really know you are CVS and that you aren't just some random person trying to get my information?
Me: uhh.. umm. (Tried asking again)
Him: No. Thank you. *Hangs up*
Me:......

Let me tell you, from 6-11 on weekends are fairly interesting.

 

[Corpseman]

After working in Boulder for too long, I have many stories lol.

Customer: I am here to pick a prescription
Me: Last name and DOB?
Customer: *Doe and 3/7/1965
Me: Hmm we seem to have a different birthday on file for you. (after confirming the address and what not)
Customer: Oh don't worry about that....that is just the birthday the government gave me.
Me: ¯\_(&#12484_/¯