venting some frustration from working at pharmacy

[Superflyjsc]

this thread has no importance but i just wanted to vent out some steam from all the frustration i go through cuase of ALL the "stupid" and "iggnorant" customers i serve each day in retail.
Like for the pharmacy i work for, when customers come to pick up their scripts, they need to sign their signature next to their prescription lable in a book to verify that it was picked up. theres like 2 columns for signatures. CUstomers can sign on left column if they dont need to consult wit a pharmacist, or they can sign on the right side if they would like to consult wit a pharmacist. Directions are all there and simply and easy to understand and read yet EVERY single customer that comes for a pick up i direct them to sign their signature in the book before they leave and they ALWAYS act so stupid and ask where do i sign? where do i sign?? Left or right side?? It gets soooo unbelievably annoying that people just simply cannot read the simple directions and sign where they are supposed too. I mean, i understand if its an eldery person but everyone else?? Many MAny times i almost lose it and i want to lash at them and get smart wit them and say "Well directions are right there, sir. Cant u read?" Im sorry if i sound very ignorant but after going through this many many times im losing my mind. Also, I hate when customers gets mad at us and yells at us when we cant fill a script cuase the doctor wrote the prescription wrong. As an employee, i cannot yell back at them and defend myself so i have to take their abuse and act as the "bigger person" and keep apoligizing even tho its not really our fault. But many many times i just want to yell at them and say, " LOOK MAMN! ITS NOT OUR FU*KING FAULT THAT YOUR DOCTOR WROTE THE SCRIPT WRONG. WE CANNOT FILL IT OK??? GO YELL AT YOUR FU*KIN DOCTOR ABOUT IT NOT US!" IF YOU DO NOT LIKE OUR POLICIES THEN JUST FU*KIN GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE AND GO ANNOY ANOTHER PHARMCY ELSEWHERES"
I take so much of the blunt of customers abuse and ignorance as a tech that I am so dried up and gloomy every day im at work. Im usually very outgoing and cherful and always looking to help but from working in pharmacy i feel like i got the **** beat outta me lol.

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[ultracet]

Ok not to make the situation worse but....
In all actuality, you should be asking "what questions do you have for the pharmacst?"
and when they say "i aint got no questions" you instruct them where to sign.....
if they do then you can ask them to sign on the other side and instruct them to wait in a designated area until the pharmacist is available.

 

[Superflyjsc]

Oh and also, i work in drive through many times and lot of customers who pull up gives me additude and abuse and ive ALWAYS wanted to yell back at them and ask them to apoligize for being so rude to me or just dont talk to them anymore and slam the window on them and not give them their prescriptions and ignore them and walk away.
Man i would be a terrible pharmacist lol. But hey, im human first and foremost. Pharmacies are a place of business just like everywhere else. I always act and work in a mature and professional manner and I think its just wrong that customers dont act in a professional manner in return as well. Just becuase we are here to serve them doesnt give them the right to act so ignorantly and harshly at us. I understand that pharmacies make mistakes time to time and customers would naturally get very frustrated but nonetheless its still very rude.

 

[Superflyjsc]

Ok not to make the situation worse but....
In all actuality, you should be asking "what questions do you have for the pharmacst?"
and when they say "i aint got no questions" you instruct them where to sign.....
if they do then you can ask them to sign on the other side and instruct them to wait in a designated area until the pharmacist is available.

Yeah i mean i do ask the customers from time to time if they have any questions for the pharamacist then i even point to where they should sign yet even so after that customers still act dumbfounded and ask, "uh where do i sign again??" Theres only 2 places they can sign. Left or right. Even if they didnt hear me correctly they can surley still read the simple sentence directions. Many of the customers are returning customers as well so they should be used to the process too.

 

[Samoa]

It's a lot easier to be nice when you ARE the pharmacist. Customers tend to tone it down a little when they talk to you. Although some can still be abusive. And I guess for some reason it doesn't bother me too much to apologize to people. Part of what makes it worthwhile is the occasional opportunity to help someone with a real problem.

 

[baggywrinkle]

It's a lot easier to be nice when you ARE the pharmacist. Customers tend to tone it down a little when they talk to you. Although some can still be abusive. And I guess for some reason it doesn't bother me too much to apologize to people. Part of what makes it worthwhile is the occasional opportunity to help someone with a real problem.

There is LOTS of room for character development in retail pharmacy and your people skills will be taxed as often as your patience.

The facts of life; When dealing with the rude abusive public, it is easier for pharmacists than techs. It is easier for men than women. It gets easier as you get older - gray hair and wrinkles is good in a confrontation.

This is a tough crowd here in Yelm. I learned the hard way that a smile is viewed as showing weakness and invites abuse, rather like a teacher not smiling until Thanksgiving in her classroom. The unruly ones think they run the show and will ride roughshod over you to intimidate and get what they want. The pharmacist has the luxury of being the final authority with the power to REFUSE TO DISPENSE as in take your prescription and get the hell out of my pharmacy. But then you must wear it along with any consequences.

Once I figured out which way was up It was evident that some of my clientele
needed an attitude adjustment. I have already run several off. When you are sure you are in the right you need to stand your ground, look them in the eye and tell them the way it is. I had a guy in my drive through this week who wanted the phenergan with codeine but not the antibiotic which is not an option on my watch. When he started cussing I hit the off button and walked away. I **LOVE** that drive through. Lots of meth junkies in this area. They come in by the carload each wanting their allotment of sudafed in the 48 count. I've cut that way down by demanding photo-ID and having them sign a logbook. They walk in and see me behind the counter, then just turn and walk out. Word is getting out that the new guy is not a candy man. Once they respect you then you can smile, but not until.

 

[Samoa]

There is LOTS of room for character development in retail pharmacy and your people skills will be taxed as often as your patience.

The facts of life; When dealing with the rude abusive public, it is easier for pharmacists than techs. It is easier for men than women. It gets easier as you get older - gray hair and wrinkles is good in a confrontation.

This is a tough crowd here in Yelm. I learned the hard way that a smile is viewed as showing weakness and invites abuse, rather like a teacher not smiling until Thanksgiving in her classroom. The unruly ones think they run the show and will ride roughshod over you to intimidate and get what they want. The pharmacist has the luxury of being the final authority with the power to REFUSE TO DISPENSE as in take your prescription and get the hell out of my pharmacy. But then you must wear it along with any consequences.

Once I figured out which way was up It was evident that some of my clientele
needed an attitude adjustment. I have already run several off. When you are sure you are in the right you need to stand your ground, look them in the eye and tell them the way it is. I had a guy in my drive through this week who wanted the phenergan with codeine but not the antibiotic which is not an option on my watch. When he started cussing I hit the off button and walked away. I **LOVE** that drive through. Lots of meth junkies in this area. They come in by the carload each wanting their allotment of sudafed in the 48 count. I've cut that way down by demanding photo-ID and having them sign a logbook. They walk in and see me behind the counter, then just turn and walk out. Word is getting out that the new guy is not a candy man. Once they respect you then you can smile, but not until.

I don't have many people like that in the stores where I work. For the most part, they're very reasonable. I've only encountered one person whose sense of entitlement really pissed me off.

Today, however, my problem was not a customer. It was a package of Trail Mix. I hate the fact that there's nothing nutritious to eat in most drugstores, but nonetheless I try to find something at least somewhat good for me. So today I bought some trail mix. Started nibbling on it at around 9:30am. By noon I was outright nauseous, and at 2pm I threw up in a trash can. In front of a customer no less.

But did I go home? NO. I am pharmacist. I completed the sale and went on with my day. (the truth is, I felt much better afterward, so there was no sense in making a big production out of it.) The funny thing was, my customer was completely unfazed by the incident. I mean, he was concerned, but he acted like it was no big deal, which I appreciated.

I did see a forged prescription today. However, I didn't have the drug in stock, so I didn't have to deal with all the phone calls to verify, have her arrested, etc. I should have confiscated it, but she came in during my nauseous stage, and I just wanted her to leave as quickly as possible. Besides, it was so obvious, she'd be caught anwhere she went.

 

[bananaface]

There is LOTS of room for character development in retail pharmacy and your people skills will be taxed as often as your patience.

The facts of life; When dealing with the rude abusive public, it is easier for pharmacists than techs. It is easier for men than women. It gets easier as you get older - gray hair and wrinkles is good in a confrontation.

This is a tough crowd here in Yelm. I learned the hard way that a smile is viewed as showing weakness and invites abuse, rather like a teacher not smiling until Thanksgiving in her classroom. The unruly ones think they run the show and will ride roughshod over you to intimidate and get what they want. The pharmacist has the luxury of being the final authority with the power to REFUSE TO DISPENSE as in take your prescription and get the hell out of my pharmacy. But then you must wear it along with any consequences.

Once I figured out which way was up It was evident that some of my clientele
needed an attitude adjustment. I have already run several off. When you are sure you are in the right you need to stand your ground, look them in the eye and tell them the way it is. I had a guy in my drive through this week who wanted the phenergan with codeine but not the antibiotic which is not an option on my watch. When he started cussing I hit the off button and walked away. I **LOVE** that drive through. Lots of meth junkies in this area. They come in by the carload each wanting their allotment of sudafed in the 48 count. I've cut that way down by demanding photo-ID and having them sign a logbook. They walk in and see me behind the counter, then just turn and walk out. Word is getting out that the new guy is not a candy man. Once they respect you then you can smile, but not until.

baggywrinkle-
I presume this is the Rite-Aid in Yelm. I don't think any of the other stores have a drive through. I acknowledge that there is alot of meth out in that area. But there are alot of regular people too that deserve better treatment. Ideally, you would be handing out referrals to drug recovery programs at your site. You have a duty to our profession to conduct yourself in a professional manner. I don't see how showing everyone at your work site who is tough and in charge and bragging to other professionals about it online could be percieved as acceptable or professional behavior. I hope that you realize that you are passing up a huge opportunity to help your community and improve the quality of life of your patients and decide to embrace positive change.

 

[GravyRPH]

Heh. Are you sure you work in a retail pharmacy? Just trying to find out if you had a taste of reality or not. Not sure where to start yet.

 

[kinetic]

Hey, I'm no pharmacist, but I've worked in retail while growing up and I think everyone who has to deal with the general public comes to despise people (in general, not specifically). People are lazy, rude, arrogent, and stupid. That's what you'll find when you deal with the average person. (I know you guys are all set to blast me, but that's just my opinion.)

When I worked retail, people would use their credit cards and, when I handed them the slip to sign, they would just sit there until I literally said, "please sign that". MANY people would sign the slip and then put it in their wallet. What, you never used a credit card before?

If you've ever worked in a store, you'll tear your hair out at how people just throw stuff everywhere. Or, if they put stuff back, they'll just put it back at random because they're to lazy to take the extra 2 seconds to put it in the right place.

People are rude as hell to others, but they demand the utmost in courtesy to themselves. And if you don't give it, they will try their damndest to make sure that there is some repercussion for YOU. In fact, they will expend ANY amount of energy required in order to try to take you down if you are rude to them (or perceived by them to be so, even if it is not true).

So, I understand your venting.

 

[Pilot]

Who remembers the Sienfeld episode with the Soup Nazi - "NO SOUP FOR YOU ! !" This episode was popular when I worked at Walgreens, and I was dubbed the "Drug Nazi" by the staff for my tough stance on narcotics.

No DEA # on the C-II Rx - No drugs for you

Just filled #100 Lortab 2 days ago - No drugs for you

Present 3 scripts at the same time from 3 ER's for narcs - No drugs for you

Oh, the doctor that wrote this Lortab script is your Dad?? - No drugs for you (oklahoma law)

I could go on all night. But those of us who have actually worked retail already know the same scenarios (yea, I'm talking to you Bananaface...). Handing out referrals for drug treatment - Come on. If you don't stand up for yourself as a pharmacist, you will get crapped on daily. I can't wait to see your response.

 

[Roxicet]

She does work in retail. Bananaface has already discussed this issue before....(I'm not taking sides, I just don't think she should have to repeat herself)...in this thread. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=122751

 

[kinetic]

Sorry I have to approach this from a cynic's viewpoint: how pathetic is it that someone has to be diagnosed with cancer (the Mr. S in bananaface's post) before they realize they are being complete jerks to everyone they meet in life? That's people for ya.

 

[baggywrinkle]

baggywrinkle-
I presume this is the Rite-Aid in Yelm. I don't think any of the other stores have a drive through. I acknowledge that there is alot of meth out in that area. But there are alot of regular people too that deserve better treatment. Ideally, you would be handing out referrals to drug recovery programs at your site. You have a duty to our profession to conduct yourself in a professional manner. I don't see how showing everyone at your work site who is tough and in charge and bragging to other professionals about it online could be percieved as acceptable or professional behavior. I hope that you realize that you are passing up a huge opportunity to help your community and improve the quality of life of your patients and decide to embrace positive change.

PLEASE, promise you will call me when you hand out your first drug recovery referral. I would pay money to watch.

Yes, there are many good people in Yelm. I qualified my statement to a specific demographic segment; "The rude abusive public" which might comprise a handful out of the dozens you see in a day.

If you consider me unprofessional what would you say of my partner who has lowered the gate in the face of a fellow to strongly hint he should GO AWAY.

 

[MNnaloxone]

baggywrinkle-
I presume this is the Rite-Aid in Yelm. I don't think any of the other stores have a drive through. I acknowledge that there is alot of meth out in that area. But there are alot of regular people too that deserve better treatment. Ideally, you would be handing out referrals to drug recovery programs at your site. You have a duty to our profession to conduct yourself in a professional manner. I don't see how showing everyone at your work site who is tough and in charge and bragging to other professionals about it online could be percieved as acceptable or professional behavior. I hope that you realize that you are passing up a huge opportunity to help your community and improve the quality of life of your patients and decide to embrace positive change.

That's enough touchy-feely for me. You can tell baggy how to run the show when you get a TENTH of the experience he's got. Ideally, my fellow man would have enough decency and pride to get off the welfare, get off the meth, and take responsibility for his own actions.

There are a lot of professionals out there that deserve better treatment, too. You don't get respect, you earn it. And if you piss in my cornflakes, don't expect me to smile and give you a pamphlet on rehab. Expect me to toss you from the store. With a smile.

 

[bananaface]

hehe I feel like I'm in the pre-allopathic forum. I suppose I have to address multiple flames with one post.

(I have worked at 4 different chain stores and a clinic pharmacy, to clarify.) I currently get crapped on, but it doesn't seem to be when I'm at work. Not that I can expect to participate in conversations like this and not get some heat, when the people I'm talking to are quite passionate about their point of view. I do think it is sad that some people have to get cancer to see how they are cynical, etc. And to be frank, it is too bad that not all of the people like this are customers. I wish we could say that we are all going to be the bigger person in our profession, but sadly that does not appear to be the case. I think it is funny that I am assumed to be young and green just because I am not cynical. I know many practicing pharmacists who share my outlook and they are a diverse group of people.

 

[BenU29]

Yeah, I work at a retail pharmacy as a tech and a lot of the customers do frustrate me. However, now that I have worked in retail for over 3 years, I no longer take it personally and instead, just laugh it off.

 

[baggywrinkle]

hehe I feel like I'm in the pre-allopathic forum. I suppose I have to address multiple flames with one post.

(I have worked at 4 different chain stores and a clinic pharmacy, to clarify.) I currently get crapped on, but it doesn't seem to be when I'm at work. Not that I can expect to participate in conversations like this and not get some heat, when the people I'm talking to are quite passionate about their point of view. I do think it is sad that some people have to get cancer to see how they are cynical, etc. And to be frank, it is too bad that not all of the people like this are customers. I wish we could say that we are all going to be the bigger person in our profession, but sadly that does not appear to be the case. I think it is funny that I am assumed to be young and green just because I am not cynical. I know many practicing pharmacists who share my outlook and they are a diverse group of people.

Pray, instead of throwing rocks, tell the forum how you would have handled my drive through fellow who wanted the phenergan with codeine but not the antibiotic. Both or none is a common policy in the retail world. Had he not demanded his prescription back and then begun cussing I would have offered
a partial fill of each to fit the man's budget if money were a concern, but I will not tolerate profanity in my place of business. You cuss, you are finished.
You cuss at my techs and I might call the police to have you removed from the premises. The next step up the scale is physical violence. A colleague of mine had a woman take a swing at him because she did not understand refill too soon and four brand cap. This behavior will not be tolerated.

A great deal of the pharmacists job is education. You educate your clientele
about drugs, compliance, and procedures. Many are resistant initially to the idea of dropping off to pick up later, or taking enough responsibility for their lives that they know their RX number for a refill when they call in, or the concept that the CONSUMER is the final check in the drug safety chain before they swallow anything - tablet identifying information is not added to the printed material just as filler! Basic lessons in public behavior are also part of the package. The education extends beyond the scope of your store and into the community as problem children soon find out when they make the rounds discovering that no one in town will break the law for them. The irony is, the hard headed ones that you run off will likely be back after they have stormed out of every other place in driving distance for one reason or another. I have seen this before. Indeed, my former manager in Florida had a lady whom he had tried to run off for twenty years. She would leave for six months then be back. Every pharmacist in the local area cringed at her name.

It is laughable how impatient people are. 15 minutes is my minimum STATED wait time. Some get their knickers in a twist if they have to wait 5 minutes fully expecting to be bumped ahead of the line to be serviced first. We shake our heads in wonder as they demand the prescription back as the label is spitting out, get in their car and drive ten minutes down the street, walk into another pharmacy to begin all over again in their queue. Do we feel punished?

There is actually a strategy at work here. Our FTE hours are tied to the RX count. The count must increase dramatically to get more help than we have.
During that period the existing staff suffers until that magic number is exceeded. Wages stay the same if you fill 150 or 250. The business is growing no matter what happens so managing the work load is not necessarily a bad thing from a trenchworkers point of view. If we aim for a number range, say 175 to 210 per day with a never drop below number of 150
it becomes feasible to pick and choose your customers. It is insanity to attempt (as the corperate model dictates) that you be all things to all people and keep everyone happy all the time. Perhaps some really might be happier across the street. Food for thought.

 

[bananaface]

Pray, instead of throwing rocks, tell the forum how you would have handled my drive through fellow who wanted the phenergan with codeine but not the antibiotic. Both or none is a common policy in the retail world.

I would (as I have many times) point out that the prescriber intended for both to be filled, that the antibiotic is the most important of the two prescriptions, and that I cannot fill the pain medication without the antibiotic without contacting the prescriber (9/10 times this is the ER), which I would be glad to do. People are usually tolerant of this, even the people who are just in it for the narcotics. If they question your course of action, you can tell them it is store policy. (Leaving out the fact that store policy is whetever you say store policy is )Those who don't want to "waste their time" waiting while the prescriber is contacted will usually be in too much of a hurry to crab, ask for the Rx back and leave. It doesn't take too long to get ahold of the ER to see if it is ok to split the prescription. If the prescriber isn't available, they can't split the Rx until he/she consents. If they are just in it for the narcs at that point they will "find" money and fill both, or take the Rx back and go trolling elsewhere. Sometimes non-narc seeking patients have some OTC pain meds at home and you can get them to take just the antibiotic.

I would not split an antibiotic RX, since I know that the chance of the patient coming back to pick up the second portion is about nil. The exception would be antibiotic therapy limited by insurance. There I don't have much of a choice.

It stinks that some corporate cultures are so profit driven and skimpy on the FTE hours. We could save lots of money by having enough staff to do things the right way (rotate stock, keep up inventory tracking, etc).

 

[Pilot]

Bananaface

We should revisit this whole topic after you graduate and begun practicing as a pharmacist. Being a former tech and current intern doesn't give you the proper "perspective", as neither of those roles places you in the ultimate responsibility role. To this point, you have always had someone to back you up - once you graduate that luxury is gone; dealing with the same arguements from different people daily begins to grind away your altruistic nature.

I woud imagine that after practicing for a few years you will develop the same jaded personality as the rest of us.

PS.. Kicked a guy out of the pharmacy I was working at today - he was yelling at the tech because his insurance rejected, and thought 3 minutes was "too damn long to wait." I walked down and politely (really, it was) told him that the technician was on the phone with his insurance company and would have the problem resolved in a moment. He promptly told me to "back down", as he "was not talking to me, I'm talking to that girl." I gave him his script back, and told him to take his business elsewhere as I would not put up with abuse of the staff. After he left, the tech told me he yells at all of them, and no one (staff pharmacists included) ever tell him to stop. Three techs thanked me. Sure, he will be back next week, but I bet he won't be as rude.

 

[Superflyjsc]

Oh man thats just sweet. Good job. I wish i had to authority to tell overtly rude customers to take their business elsewheres heh.

Bananaface

We should revisit this whole topic after you graduate and begun practicing as a pharmacist. Being a former tech and current intern doesn't give you the proper "perspective", as neither of those roles places you in the ultimate responsibility role. To this point, you have always had someone to back you up - once you graduate that luxury is gone; dealing with the same arguements from different people daily begins to grind away your altruistic nature.

I woud imagine that after practicing for a few years you will develop the same jaded personality as the rest of us.

PS.. Kicked a guy out of the pharmacy I was working at today - he was yelling at the tech because his insurance rejected, and thought 3 minutes was "too damn long to wait." I walked down and politely (really, it was) told him that the technician was on the phone with his insurance company and would have the problem resolved in a moment. He promptly told me to "back down", as he "was not talking to me, I'm talking to that girl." I gave him his script back, and told him to take his business elsewhere as I would not put up with abuse of the staff. After he left, the tech told me he yells at all of them, and no one (staff pharmacists included) ever tell him to stop. Three techs thanked me. Sure, he will be back next week, but I bet he won't be as rude.

 

[loo]

Bananaface

We should revisit this whole topic after you graduate and begun practicing as a pharmacist. Being a former tech and current intern doesn't give you the proper "perspective", as neither of those roles places you in the ultimate responsibility role. To this point, you have always had someone to back you up - once you graduate that luxury is gone; dealing with the same arguements from different people daily begins to grind away your altruistic nature.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[loo]

Oh man thats just sweet. Good job. I wish i had to authority to tell overtly rude customers to take their business elsewheres heh.

You ALWAYS (as a health professional) have the power to tell people to leave. I do not condone rude, abusive behavior. You swear at me or my techs--you're gone. You have a crappy attitude that continues even though we've done our best---sayonara, chump! You threaten me---say hello to the nice officer!

I completely agree with baggy and pilot. Been there, done that.

 

[bananaface]

Bananaface
I woud imagine that after practicing for a few years you will develop the same jaded personality as the rest of us.

I actually used to share your attitude but I have moved past it. I do not buy the idea that one who has been practicing long term will become jaded. Right now, I work with a pair of non-jaded pharmacists. One has been practicing 20-25 years and the other about 10. I plan on following their path.

I think it's quite funny when people tell me that my experience is inconsequential. I have learned enough in my time to be able to go to work every day and enjoy myself. Everyone should be so lucky. What it comes down to is that I am responsible for whether or not I have a good day. People are going to be however they are going to be as they come in. When they leave, if I have made the best of a bad situation, I have had a good day. I am not going to get upset and crab about how so-and-so got her insurance cards mixed up, etc. to all of my co-workers. Life is full of people that aren't ideal. Life isn't ideal. If you let your life center around problems, you have bad days. If you take every situation and try to make the best of it, you have good days. You decide whether you have a good day or a bad day. For the most part, your patients are just along for the ride. (I say "for the most part" because if they come in with a bomb and ask for all the Oxycontin, I will concede that they made it a bad day. )

You guys are making me really tired of being positive. Are you sure that your patient's make you jaded and not your peers? I figure that even if I can't win you over, someone else will read my rantings and have an easier time of life.

At least you all are interesting to talk to, even if you disagree with me.

When I come back tomorrow I'll be visiting the margarita fairy. Please forgive my spelling errors in advance.

 

[vafcarrot]

Even though I will be dismissed as ignorant and immature because of my age and lack of experience, I agree with bananaface. You are responsible for your day being good or not. Being a pharmacist isn't the only profession where people have to deal with the same repetitive problems everyday and I think it's quite sad that there are people on this board that use the fact that they have been a pharmacist for 10+ years to justify their bitterness and jadedness to the rest of the world.

Perhaps a few of you could work on not being so condescending to others who have not reached your level of "prestige" quite yet because of their age and experience... I bet the entire world may warm up to you a bit.

 

[loo]

*sigh*

Try reading the posts again and you might be suprised at the SARCASM.

Thank you for your lecture---I'll take your suggestion(s) under consideration.
I'm very happy with my job.

Am I being condescending?

 

[vafcarrot]

ah... sarcasm on an online forum. who knew?

I know that some of the comments were being sarcastic... but I can also see people who are posting on the board being attacked with sarcasm for being postive and having a different point of view at appoaching their job.

Perhaps I am confused at the ultimate point trying to be made by each side of the argument. Could you please provide clarifcation and make sure everyone is on the same page?

Also, you're welcome for my lecture... I try, really I do. ( hmmm... was that sarcasm...?)

 

[loo]

Here's one point.

Everyone starts out full of idealism and the notion that you will use "everything" taught to you in pharmacy school. Fact is, you won't use it all and you won't always be idealistic. This should not be interpreted as being pessimistic. That's just life...good/bad, ugly/beautiful.
Your real education starts after graduating and getting experience under your belt. The real world is not what they taught you in school. It is merely enough information to take the training wheels off.

Perhaps you could work on not projecting your insecurities onto others.

 

[vafcarrot]

I am sorry that I apparently confused a lack of idealism with pessimism.

Loo, please tell me why you are happy with your job and why you picked the profession that you did. I apologize, but I have already formed an uninformed opinion about you and would like to correct that opinion if I am wrong. I have only been at this board for a very short time but from what I've seen, it seems that everything written about working in a pharmacy is consistently negative. I understand that people use this forum as a place to vent about how crappy their day went and how they were victorious in kicking out someone who has insulted their staff but is this all the forum is used for?

Are the nice things that happened at work too boring to mention?

I admit, I am insecure about going into a career that I do not know for a fact that I will enjoy. And perhaps I have misinterpreted mere venting of daily events for a bitter and jaded attitude to the rest of the world. Alas, can you blame me? Sadly, I have not yet taken off my training wheels in order to experience the world.

Is it possible to not dimiss someone simply because that have an idealistic view? If you are correct and people will learn with experience a different point of view, is it too wrong to let them learn it on their own with time instead of crushing their hopes and opinions with every post they make?

 

[baggywrinkle]

I am sorry that I apparently confused a lack of idealism with pessimism.

Is it possible to not dimiss someone simply because that have an idealistic view? If you are correct and people will learn with experience a different point of view, is it too wrong to let them learn it on their own with time instead of crushing their hopes and opinions with every post they make?

Yes it is possible.

I visit this forum to help out where I can. As I stated elsewhere, it is my belief that everyone will be disenchanted with what they find on the other side of graduation to some extent. The illusion and the reality are quite different. By sharing what I have experienced perhaps I can help minimize the impact on some, or perhaps even persuade a few to rethink their options. If you really believe you will be walking around drinking coffee and stroking your chin thoughtfully while your fellow clinicians and patients call you Doctor
you are in for a rude shock.

I also come here to recharge. After getting beaten black and blue on those "special" days when nothing goes right, you guys are a breath of fresh
air. Your Dougie Howser enthusiasm is refreshing and is contageous. Perhaps not to the point that I will hand out drug recovery referrals to people running meth labs in the woods, but hanging out with you guys has spurred me to address issues like lousy reference material and equipment out of my own pocket and it has made me a better pharmacist as a result.

If you cuss in my pharmacy I will still go off on you, and if you ask me a question from left field (what is good for treating penile habanero burns?)
you might still get a blank look, but I have a better than even chance of getting back to you with a reasonable answer in a short period of time thanks
to the young fire eaters of this forum

 

[GravyRPH]

I think everyone got real defensive for baggy because banana's post was very negative towards him. If Banana chooses to pass out referrals or give every scumbag a smile instead of a finger, then so be it, but, it was the attempt to denigrate Baggy's style of pharmacy as being "unprofessional" or that he was a poor pharmacist that turned at least me off.
I've been where Banana was. I'm not the type to kick people out or give them the cold shoulder, and it burnt me out big time. I got tired of having to be the brunt of everyone's bad mood. But, I took the initiative to change my job, and now I enjoy what I do immensely. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[debvz]

...what is good for treating penile habanero burns

LOL....i don't think i could keep a straight face if someone asked me that...

 

[bananaface]

***
This thread is unravelling into a bazillion different sub-topics.

***
I have to say that I really appreciate vafcarrot speaking up. It takes alot of guts to say what you think when you people are going to give you a hard time for it.

***
My initial point was that patients ought to be treated with respect. I don't think we as professionals can claim to deserve respect unless we can put patient care first and be willing to address each patient's needs on a one-to-one basis. To me being concerned about being overtly dominant (and all its trappings) can really get in the way of this goal.

Then I emphasized that you choose your own attitude. This came up because people seemed to blaming their patients for wearing them down.

And, I would like to point out now that the way patients treat you has alot more to do with how you present yourself to them than many healthcare professionals are willing to accept.

***
Gravy- I felt offended by baggy's depiction of himself in his first post. And being an opinionated blowhard, I am not one to keep my mouth shut.

***
baggy- I don't want to sound as if I think you are a total poophead. I didn't like what you said initially, and I spoke up. Your post made you sound as if you were mean and condescending to everyone that visited your pharmacy. But, I can see that you do have an appreciation for the exchange of ideas that happens around here. So, I am going to move past my initial impression and see where it goes from here.

Anyhoo. I am probably about to make you think I'm more nuts. I don't have the same situation with recurrent pseudoephedrine purchases at my pharmacy, so I don't really have the opportunity to refer for that. But, I do have some ideas about how to address the problem. And, I'm not as far out in left field as you are probably thinking. If you were to get cards (or photocopies of them) from a local substance abuse referral agency and require that they be given out with all pseudoephedrine purchases at your store, you would not have to get too close to the people who bother you to offer them a referral. Meanwhile, some people might be helped, community awareness would be raised, and some of the people who annoy you might choose to go elsewhere. If you are up for something like this, I would be glad to help you with the setup.

Speaking of drug problems in the area, the house across the street from mine was visited by the state patrol, DEA, and customs on Wednesday. It sounds to me as if the guy there was trafficking, but I haven't heard the official story. My husband went out in the moring to get in his car, and there were guys running around the street with assault rifles.

***
I don't see why people are out there to squelch the spirits of people who are enthusiastic about their jobs. Even if you believe that we are destined to be jaded.... if someone is going to be in pharmacy their whole life, isn't it better if they extend their optimistc phase as long as possible?

***
We need a convention where we have a font reserved especially to denote sarcasm.

***
I too am not a big fan of the idea that those with more experience are necessarily an authority on every issue. That is not intended as an affront to anyone on this forum. I find that there is alot to learn from people I work with, regardless of their level or duration of experience. There are alot of different ideas out there in practice, and we each have to decide which ones we want to retain and which we want to let pass. And, we all have our own ideas to contribute to practice. I guess what I'm getting at its that we need to debate ideas based on ther merits, not just their sources.

***
Pharmacy school and practice are not equivalent. But they are not unrelated either. Because I was a tech before I began school, most of what I practice I learned on the job. There are some things that we talk about in school that I will never use. But, there are some things I learn in school that I will never give up. If learning was all about practice, we could get away with apprenticeships.

I work with a part time pharmacist who thinks that anything I learn in school is "crap those damn academics shoved in your head." I'm amazed that he sometimes decides the merits of what I say based on whether I acquired it through school or practice. Luckily the rest of the staff is much more supportive. I'm working with my preceptor to do some flu shot clinics off site this fall, probably at local senior centers. If people hadn't been coming out of school and asking for changes in the profession over the last 20 years, do you think we would not have been replaced with counting machines?

***
I can't believe you read the whole thing!

 

[Caverject]

Just to add to this, I refused the sale of 6 bottles of iodine today with the economy size bottle of sudafed. Gee, wonder what he was doing with it! LOL

 

[baggywrinkle]

***

***
Gravy- I felt offended by baggy's depiction of himself in his first post. And being an opinionated blowhard, I am not one to keep my mouth shut.

***
baggy- I don't want to sound as if I think you are a total poophead. I didn't like what you said initially, and I spoke up. Your post made you sound as if you were mean and condescending to everyone that visited your pharmacy. But, I can see that you do have an appreciation for the exchange of ideas that happens around here. So, I am going to move past my initial impression and see where it goes from here.

Anyhoo. I am probably about to make you think I'm more nuts. I don't have the same situation with recurrent pseudoephedrine purchases at my pharmacy, so I don't really have the opportunity to refer for that. But, I do have some ideas about how to address the problem. And, I'm not as far out in left field as you are probably thinking. If you were to get cards (or photocopies of them) from a local substance abuse referral agency and require that they be given out with all pseudoephedrine purchases at your store, you would not have to get too close to the people who bother you to offer them a referral. Meanwhile, some people might be helped, community awareness would be raised, and some of the people who annoy you might choose to go elsewhere. If you are up for something like this, I would be glad to help you with the setup.

!

My sudafed/needle policy is to have them show photo ID and sign my log. I feel like it would be insulting to a forty year old woman to have me hand her a drug rehab card. It is unfair to selectively enforce this policy. You can imply that someone is a drug addict if you want to but leave me out of it

If I offended you...too bad.

 

[HuyetKiem]

this thread has no importance but i just wanted to vent out some steam from all the frustration i go through cuase of ALL the "stupid" and "iggnorant" customers i serve each day in retail.
Like for the pharmacy i work for, when customers come to pick up their scripts, they need to sign their signature next to their prescription lable in a book to verify that it was picked up. theres like 2 columns for signatures. CUstomers can sign on left column if they dont need to consult wit a pharmacist, or they can sign on the right side if they would like to consult wit a pharmacist. Directions are all there and simply and easy to understand and read yet EVERY single customer that comes for a pick up i direct them to sign their signature in the book before they leave and they ALWAYS act so stupid and ask where do i sign? where do i sign?? Left or right side?? It gets soooo unbelievably annoying that people just simply cannot read the simple directions and sign where they are supposed too. I mean, i understand if its an eldery person but everyone else?? Many MAny times i almost lose it and i want to lash at them and get smart wit them and say "Well directions are right there, sir. Cant u read?" Im sorry if i sound very ignorant but after going through this many many times im losing my mind. Also, I hate when customers gets mad at us and yells at us when we cant fill a script cuase the doctor wrote the prescription wrong. As an employee, i cannot yell back at them and defend myself so i have to take their abuse and act as the "bigger person" and keep apoligizing even tho its not really our fault. But many many times i just want to yell at them and say, " LOOK MAMN! ITS NOT OUR FU*KING FAULT THAT YOUR DOCTOR WROTE THE SCRIPT WRONG. WE CANNOT FILL IT OK??? GO YELL AT YOUR FU*KIN DOCTOR ABOUT IT NOT US!" IF YOU DO NOT LIKE OUR POLICIES THEN JUST FU*KIN GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE AND GO ANNOY ANOTHER PHARMCY ELSEWHERES"
I take so much of the blunt of customers abuse and ignorance as a tech that I am so dried up and gloomy every day im at work. Im usually very outgoing and cherful and always looking to help but from working in pharmacy i feel like i got the **** beat outta me lol.

hm.. new employee ... !!!

 

[spacecowgirl]

I am of the opinion that respect is not a given, but is earned. This can be as simple as being courteous to me at work, a hello, a thank you, etc. But if you come up and unload your entire life's worth of problems on me over something that I cannot control - sorry no respect from me. If you start cussing, making a general rucus and bodily threatening anyone (all of these things have happened to me) sorry - no respect from me. People today have this sense of entitlement that just because they are a customer they automatically deserve respect REGARDLESS of how they treat others and any employee (seems that they ususally pick the lowest paid high school cashier) is their punching bag. And if you think this behavior ends and the pharmacy, you're sorely mistaken, it carries over to their families, the way they treat co-workers and they way they treat other people in service industries. I don't consider myself a pessimist in this sense, but rather an optimist, because I hope I can improve people's crappy attitude with courtesy and a smile (but that doesn't mean I respect them as a person).

As for the unrelated topic of meth and needles, we have a state policy on how many products you can purchase containing pseudophedrine, and I'd much rather sell people clean needles - I don't really care for their reason. Having dealt with drug abuse in my personal life, I know that while intervention from a well-meaning pharmacist sounds like a good idea, that brochure will end up in the trash unless a person is willing to get help. I've seen both sides of this with patients and have nothing but compassion for those seeking help, but like I said, I'll give the others clean needles any day, stopping the spread of communicable diseases is just as much pharmaceutical care as any pamphlet. And again, although it's usually pretty obvious, I'm not going to assume anything about anyway as far as drug abuse is concerned. Anyway, sorry that was WAYYY off topic.

Yes you are responsible for your actions and reactions to what happens and that can dictate whether or not you have a good work experience. However, no one should endure abuse from customers - ever. As long as I'm working on private property, as a pharmacist, I won't tolerate that behavior from people that should know much better.

 

[bananaface]

I think that people confuse general fixable crankiness with abuse way too often, though. I guess we all draw our lines in different places. I place that line based on who the patient is angry at. Some healthcare professionals are willing to deal with very little before it gets under their skin. Some who dislike customer interactions are irritated by people who are neutral or nice to them.

I would consider outward acts of respect to be adequate if someone is being a jerk. If someone is rude, of course we are going to realize their actions are rude. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that I advocate not outwardly disrespecting people.

I guess I think of reflecting people's anger as akin to responding to road rage with road rage. It makes you more like the person whose actions you disdain and justifies their anger. And, once you give them a legitimate reason to be angry at you, it becomes much harder to talk them down. Which is why baggy now thinks i'm an ass.

 

[Samoa]

I work with a part time pharmacist who thinks that anything I learn in school is "crap those damn academics shoved in your head." I'm amazed that he sometimes decides the merits of what I say based on whether I acquired it through school or practice. Luckily the rest of the staff is much more supportive. I'm working with my preceptor to do some flu shot clinics off site this fall, probably at local senior centers. If people hadn't been coming out of school and asking for changes in the profession over the last 20 years, do you think we would not have been replaced with counting machines?

I can't tell you how many pharmacists with whom I've had similar disagreements. I was told on numerous occasions by older, more experienced pharmacists that counseling on every new prescription was a completely unrealistic expectation, and that there was simply not time to do so. They claimed their stores were too busy, they weren't set up to be able to do it, and it would drive customers away to make them wait longer, or listen to anything the pharmacist had to say. In reality, there WAS time, there WAS space, and volume only went up when we actually started talking to the customers about their health problems.

So I agree with you. Experience sometimes just means discomfort with new ideas and new ways to practice.

 

[baggywrinkle]

I think that people confuse general fixable crankiness with abuse way too often, though. I guess we all draw our lines in different places. I place that line based on who the patient is angry at. Some healthcare professionals are willing to deal with very little before it gets under their skin. Some who dislike customer interactions are irritated by people who are neutral or nice to them.

I would consider outward acts of respect to be adequate if someone is being a jerk. If someone is rude, of course we are going to realize their actions are rude. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that I advocate not outwardly disrespecting people.

I guess I think of reflecting people's anger as akin to responding to road rage with road rage. It makes you more like the person whose actions you disdain and justifies their anger. And, once you give them a legitimate reason to be angry at you, it becomes much harder to talk them down. Which is why baggy now thinks i'm an ass.

Don't confuse being stern with being angry. When you know you stand on solid ground and you stand your ground folks get upset when their intimidation tactics don't work. I chased a woman off last week, rather, she chased herself off. It is my policy to double count all controlled substances, then circle the quantity on the label and initial. She called claiming to be short two tablets. I asked her if the quantity was circled and she said it was. I then stated that there were twelve in the bottle when it left the pharmacy. She said she wasn't a liar, I repeated my first statement. She threatened to go elsewhere. I told her to do what she needed to do. She threatened to call the AMA and I said okay.

This particular conversation is so old hat it is a canned recording. If they succeed in hooking you into their emotion you have lost. This has happened to me in the past forcing me to hand the irate individual off to someone - anyone while I retire to cool my jets till I am back on an even keel. I watched my manager ( with some amusement) hang up on a fellow half a dozen times in ten minutes. The trigger was Leonard's first cuss word. My manager was irritated but he was not angry. The bottom line was Leonard was not getting his narcotics early that evening, period, and it didn't sit well.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Don't confuse being stern with being angry. When you know you stand on solid ground and you stand your ground folks get upset when their intimidation tactics don't work. This particular conversation is so old hat it is a canned recording. If they succeed in hooking you into their emotion you have lost.

Well said, baggy

 

[bananaface]

Oh baggy, you make me laugh so hard! I was trying to figure out what the heck you were talking about, then it dawned on me. I think you misread my post. I was referring to my own actions in the road rage comment. In this section I am the one responding and you are the one who angered me. So essentially I am telling you that I violated my own ideals by getting mad at you. And then you came out with this defensive mismash. Why you are describing getting angry in a post that is all about how you are stern rather than angry is beyond me. But, whatever. I'll just be sitting aroung here wearing my old hat proudly.

 

[baggywrinkle]

Oh baggy, you make me laugh so hard! I was trying to figure out what the heck you were talking about, then it dawned on me. I think you misread my post. I was referring to my own actions in the road rage comment. In this section I am the one responding and you are the one who angered me. So essentially I am telling you that I violated my own ideals by getting mad at you. And then you came out with this defensive mismash. Why you are describing getting angry in a post that is all about how you are stern rather than angry is beyond me. But, whatever. I'll just be sitting aroung here wearing my old hat proudly.

I am sure you look cute in your old hat. Sharp claws and all.

My partner got a prescription in Yelm on a blank from the hospital in Port Angeles. The signing physician was male, yet the DEA number supplied was for a female back east somewhere. A phone call to the hospital showed that he had never worked in Port Angeles and no on had ever heard of him there. Indeed, they wanted a faxed copy of the RX sent to them for further investigation. The signing physician wanted to know what all the fuss was about since the prescription was not for a controlled substance. My partner
refused to touch the RX with a long stick. Sometimes stern applies to "physicians" as well as customers.

We are charged with verifying the legitimacy of the prescriber as much as ensuring that a prescription serves a valid medical purpose. Naturopaths and controlled substances come to mind

I ran no one off today, but the week has just begun.

 

[jdpharmd?]

My partner got a prescription in Yelm on a blank from the hospital in Port Angeles. The signing physician was male, yet the DEA number supplied was for a female back east somewhere. A phone call to the hospital showed that he had never worked in Port Angeles and no on had ever heard of him there. Indeed, they wanted a faxed copy of the RX sent to them for further investigation. The signing physician wanted to know what all the fuss was about since the prescription was not for a controlled substance.

DEA numbers aren't required on the RX unless it's a control. Doctors around here are starting to pick up on this, and they love to deny you their DEA for a non-controlled substance. They still believe that it's some super secret code that's preventing 100's of people from faking their scripts....

 

[pharmaz88]

DEA numbers aren't required on the RX unless it's a control. Doctors around here are starting to pick up on this, and they love to deny you their DEA for a non-controlled substance. They still believe that it's some super secret code that's preventing 100's of people from faking their scripts....

Yeah, I've seen several scripts with "DEA on request" written on them... would have taken them less time to just write the #.

 

[bananaface]

I am sure you look cute in your old hat. Sharp claws and all.

Thank you, kindly.

****

Are these prescribers putting their UPIN on the RX instead, or just leaving no identifying information? I understand why some prescribers are against using the DEA# for insurance billing purposes and working to resolve the issue legislatively. But I do not understand why they would let individual patients bear the entire cost of their prescriptions in the meantime, especially when many patients will not be able to afford treatment. The AMA actually recommends that prescribers refuse to divulge their DEA for insurance billing of non-controlled substances. AMA statement I can only assume that this is supposed to make patients angry at insurance companies and demand legislative changes. Since when did it become ethical to turn patients into pawns?

 

[raindrop]

If the MD leaves out the DEA (for a non-controlled) and you don't have it on file, and you need it for the pt's insurance, do you:
1) Call MD for it
2) Use a fake one
3) Use a general Hospital's DEA
4) charge the pt cash

Suppose you chose to call the MD and he/she refuses, then what

This is intended for anyone, not just Bananaface

Are these prescribers putting their UPIN on the RX instead, or just leaving no identifying information? I understand why some prescribers are against using the DEA# for insurance billing purposes and working to resolve the issue legislatively. But I do not understand why they would let individual patients bear the entire cost of their prescriptions in the meantime, especially when many patients will not be able to afford treatment. The AMA actually recommends that prescribers refuse to divulge their DEA for insurance billing of non-controlled substances. AMA statement I can only assume that this is supposed to make patients angry at insurance companies and demand legislative changes. Since when did it become ethical to turn patients into pawns?

 

[pharmaz88]

Suppose you chose to call the MD and he/she refuses, then what

Most of the local doctors and their DEA #'s are already in WAG's system, so it's not usually an issue. When it does come up though, I just let the patient know that I can't bill the insurance because the doctor won't give up the info, and then let them use our phone to call and bitch. ...an angry patient usually gets results pretty quickly.

 

[MNnaloxone]

pharmazz: Couldn't have done it better myself. Same goes for prescription refill requests.

I'd rather have the patient be a pawn than myself. Always thought of myself as a knight, or maybe a bishop-stumbling around the board in a drunken haze...

 

[bananaface]

When patients are used as pawns they still suck us into their dispute. There are articles available with prescribers griping about how pharmacies (and others) are making them divulge their DEAs for insurance billing purposes.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/337/20/1478

http://www.id.state.az.us/bulletin/92-03.pdf

These aren't that recent but you see how we are put in the middle of things.