Where does a Pharmacist get his pills?

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vaughnpereira

vaughnpereira

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I suppose they go to the doctor every now and then and could possibly need their own Rx. Or am I completely off? Do they just know what they need and just get what they need? How does that work exactly?
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We the pharmacists, knowing the ins and outs of drugs, don't take pills.
 
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That is pretty amazing, although I know some things can't be avoided... I'm just curious as to how that process would work?
 
BrightLight said:
We the pharmacists, knowing the ins and outs of drugs, don't take pills.
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True, that. I have asthma and have to use Symbicort; otherwise, I avoid drugs. When I had mouth surgery, I took 2 tylenol #3 of the 30 they gave me.
 
vaughnpereira said:
That is pretty amazing, although I know some things can't be avoided... I'm just curious as to how that process would work?
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There is a lot of self-diagnosis and self-prescribing in the pharmacy community.

When I worked retail, if my doctor wrote me a prescription, I filled it myself unless I was too sick.
 
Pharmavixen said:
There is a lot of self-diagnosis and self-prescribing in the pharmacy community.

When I worked retail, if my doctor wrote me a prescription, I filled it myself unless I was too sick.
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I figured that to be the case. I didn't know if that was frowned upon or normal practice.

I understand knowing the ins and outs of drugs and possibly not wanting to take them but I don't believe that to be a majority opinion.
 
Pharmavixen said:
There is a lot of self-diagnosis and self-prescribing in the pharmacy community.

When I worked retail, if my doctor wrote me a prescription, I filled it myself unless I was too sick.
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All the rph's I've ever worked with filled it at the pharmacy they worked at but had another rph check it to avoid any questions, esp controls, unless the drug in question was something like Valtrex where it would be embarrassing to have your coworkers know you had a specific disease.
 
It's pretty similar to how most people get their scripts filled, with the exception that you don't hand it across the counter, but instead walk behind the counter with it. If possible, it's probably good practice to have another rph check it, but if you're alone without overlap, it shouldn't really matter. I don't know of anybody who "self-prescribes" but maybe I'm naive. Seems like it could potentially be a big ordeal if you got caught, and the reward is what, an office copay and a half hour of your time?
 
I don't get my scripts filled where I work. I don't want my coworkers knowing what I'm taking. I have occasionally done it when it's something like an antibiotic and I'm acutely ill but need to be at work, but that's about it.

I think the rule, typically, is don't do your own controls, but otherwise it's not such a big deal.
 
I use our health system's central fill because we don't have a local in-network pharmacy. There is nothing mysterious about the process. I usually have an idea in mind of what I want when I go to the doctor. I'm not an ass about it and they don't seem to mind.
 
I usually see PA's and they typically trust my judgement on what to prescribe. I haven't been turned down yet on a med request, but I haven't really requested a whole lot.

I don't take meds either... but it's only because I'm really lazy and non-compliant. I was on Zoloft for two days, I think.
 
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So, theoretically, if you are friends with a doctor you really wouldn't even "need" to go see him. Just give him a call and say you need such-and-such and he calls it in? I mean, a pharmacist should know what he/she needs so I doubt anyone would question it. I was more concerned on if it was common practice to fill your own Rx or have someone else do it so there wouldn't be any suspicions... I guess it just depends.
 
At the retail chain that I work at, you can be fired for being involved in any point of filling your own or any of your family members' scripts. I wouldn't do it, especially in these times.
 
Yo mama on so many drugs the drug reps make special visits to her house
 
vaughnpereira said:
So, theoretically, if you are friends with a doctor you really wouldn't even "need" to go see him. Just give him a call and say you need such-and-such and he calls it in? I mean, a pharmacist should know what he/she needs so I doubt anyone would question it. I was more concerned on if it was common practice to fill your own Rx or have someone else do it so there wouldn't be any suspicions... I guess it just depends.
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You think pharmacists have it easy?

My mom is a nurse and can get a prescription on the fly when she sees a doctor. And she sees physician assistants and nurse practitioners on a daily basis, too!

Growing up, whenever I had a problem, my mom would just talk to somebody at work.
 
vaughnpereira said:
So, theoretically, if you are friends with a doctor you really wouldn't even "need" to go see him. Just give him a call and say you need such-and-such and he calls it in? I mean, a pharmacist should know what he/she needs so I doubt anyone would question it. I was more concerned on if it was common practice to fill your own Rx or have someone else do it so there wouldn't be any suspicions... I guess it just depends.
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Pretty common practice in most lines of work to avoid working on your own personal purchase. It's a clear conflict of interest. :shrug:

If some companies have policies officially stating this, I wouldn't be surprised. I mainly see it as a CYA issue.
 
pharm B said:
Pretty common practice in most lines of work to avoid working on your own personal purchase. It's a clear conflict of interest. :shrug:

If some companies have policies officially stating this, I wouldn't be surprised. I mainly see it as a CYA issue.
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at my chain, *technically* if there is no other pharmacist on duty, he/she is supposed to have the store manager watch him/her check their own or their family member's prescription...:rolleyes:

yeah that doesn't happen. what if their child was sick on the weekend, and their spouse had to bring in the prescription to get filled? they have company insurance so they have to have the rx filled at the store, and they're not going to drive 10 miles to the next closest store just so it won't be filled by mom or dad because it's a conflict of interest (say the store manager is not available). it just seems like an unnecessary restriction when it's not a controlled medication. generally, you have techs and interns who are actually filling the script or putting it through...the pharmacist just needs to do the final check on it. what are they going to do, sneak a couple extra tabs at the end?
 
pharm B said:
Pretty common practice in most lines of work to avoid working on your own personal purchase. It's a clear conflict of interest. :shrug:

If some companies have policies officially stating this, I wouldn't be surprised. I mainly see it as a CYA issue.
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I agree B, I won't say that I would never do it, but it makes sense to me to have as little involvement in the filling of my own script as possible.
 
pandapharmer said:
at my chain, *technically* if there is no other pharmacist on duty, he/she is supposed to have the store manager watch him/her check their own or their family member's prescription...:rolleyes:

yeah that doesn't happen. what if their child was sick on the weekend, and their spouse had to bring in the prescription to get filled? they have company insurance so they have to have the rx filled at the store, and they're not going to drive 10 miles to the next closest store just so it won't be filled by mom or dad because it's a conflict of interest (say the store manager is not available). it just seems like an unnecessary restriction when it's not a controlled medication. generally, you have techs and interns who are actually filling the script or putting it through...the pharmacist just needs to do the final check on it. what are they going to do, sneak a couple extra tabs at the end?
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I was making a general statement, but will be the first to admit I don't see things in black and white. Your example seems perfectly legitimate.

Compare that to this situation:

I was working the weekend with just the one pharmacist. She called an acquaintance, a doctor, to request a prescription for something. She took the prescription over the phone, handed it to me, approved my typing of the script but added PRN refills since "that's what he would have wanted me to put." She then picked the exact NDC, etc, to use, and "verified" the filled prescription.

The prescription described above was benign, but it just seems like a flagrant disregard for professional behavior, and it's a potential occurrence when you tell people it's fine to do their own fills.

Obviously, not all scenarios will play out this way, but it doesn't take many before a company comes up with draconian measures to ensure it doesn't happen any more.
 
In Australia, a pharmacist would have their own doctor for his prescriptions. Just like a doctor "should" have their own GP. It provides a non-biased view on things.
If a pharmacist gets a prescription product off the shelf without a prescription and gets caught by the authorities, then they can be fined or jailed under the Drug Misuse Act.

Not sure how it works in the States though.
 
pharm B said:
I was making a general statement, but will be the first to admit I don't see things in black and white. Your example seems perfectly legitimate.

Compare that to this situation:

I was working the weekend with just the one pharmacist. She called an acquaintance, a doctor, to request a prescription for something. She took the prescription over the phone, handed it to me, approved my typing of the script but added PRN refills since "that's what he would have wanted me to put." She then picked the exact NDC, etc, to use, and "verified" the filled prescription.

The prescription described above was benign, but it just seems like a flagrant disregard for professional behavior, and it's a potential occurrence when you tell people it's fine to do their own fills.

Obviously, not all scenarios will play out this way, but it doesn't take many before a company comes up with draconian measures to ensure it doesn't happen any more.
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I can definitely see the conflict of interest, but like all rules, there will be times that it fits and times that it doesnt. Last year I had some bloodwork and a nurse called me to tell me I had low Vit D and they were going to call in 50,000 IU for me. I was on break at work, so I just had her read me the rx. No sense having her hang up and call on the other line.

I guess it's probably better to have the rule in place than to not have it though, because I can see numerous ways it would be abused. Rph never goes to doctor, fakes some phone in scripts to fill what they think they need, turns out they misdiagnosed themselves. Or they get some ADR. Or they overfill their bottle. Or any number of things really.
 
pharm B said:
I was making a general statement, but will be the first to admit I don't see things in black and white. Your example seems perfectly legitimate.

Compare that to this situation:

I was working the weekend with just the one pharmacist. She called an acquaintance, a doctor, to request a prescription for something. She took the prescription over the phone, handed it to me, approved my typing of the script but added PRN refills since "that's what he would have wanted me to put." She then picked the exact NDC, etc, to use, and "verified" the filled prescription.

The prescription described above was benign, but it just seems like a flagrant disregard for professional behavior, and it's a potential occurrence when you tell people it's fine to do their own fills.

Obviously, not all scenarios will play out this way, but it doesn't take many before a company comes up with draconian measures to ensure it doesn't happen any more.
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree. Your situation definitely would not be one I would have been comfortable with where she "verified" and tweaked some things herself, even if it was something benign. It's kind of the same abuse of power as when a MD calls in a zpak for his wife with 11 refills.
 
Being a pharmacist has its perks, so when I have to see my doctor on that rare occasion, I usually just cut to the chase and tell him why I'm there, what labs I need, and what drugs I need. They rarely second guess what I need, and I'm out of there in 15 minutes.

It seems that once doctors find out your occupation as a pharmacist, MD tend to be more attentive to your needs, so it ends up this way, whether I like it or not.

As for conflicts of interest: I find that the law is pretty clear as to what RPH's can and cannot due. Now most of the conflict of interest issues usually lies within company policies. Would I fill my own RX? it will depend if another RPH is around, and what drug is being dispensed, and what is the company's policy on this issue.

In general though, when I'm working I"m too busy worrying about my own license.
 
BrightLight said:
We the pharmacists, knowing the ins and outs of drugs, don't take pills.
Click to expand...

I agree :) I would only take drugs that I absolutely need. I have other pharmacists come to my pharmacy to fill their scripts instead of filling them where they work so their coworkers wouldn't know they take ;)
 
Who's talking about taking pills when they don't need them?
 
vaughnpereira said:
Who's talking about taking pills when they don't need them?
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I think the distinction of "absolutely need" was something like "I'm very sick and need abx" vs "I'm a big fatty with metabolic syndrome and need chronic therapy since I could stroke out at any moment."
 
I get my pills the same way I make diamonds...I shove coal up people's bum.....:laugh:
 
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