The day started with me busting my thumb in the Gate Opening Olympics. I always pretend that I'm in some sort of competition when I'm turning the crank that opens the pharmacy gate to start the day, like the honor of my country is at stake and I am going for the gold. Sometimes when my keystone tech shows up early I issue an actual gate-opening challenge and I always win. It's one of the few joys I have at work. Today my hand slipped and I think I sprained my thumb. Glory does not come to those of faint mind or body.
The day's first customer witnessed my injury and thought it funny. The second asked me where the breakfast cereal was. This was as I overheard a third customer asking the stock clerk what would be the best product to remove ear wax. I looked around for the looking glass I surely slipped through.
Later in the day the cashier asked a customer picking up a prescription for clarification on how to pronounce the customers last name.
"Just like the bowling pin company" said the customer. Of course.
The same cashier speaks a few words of Russian, and later decided to surprise an elderly Russian customer by speaking a few words of her native language. The customer was delighted.
"Do you speak English too?" The customer asked in English.
A woman asked me what I thought of using super glue to repair her dentures. The store's assistant manager interrupted the conversation to ask if either of us had seen the skateboarding dog on YouTube.
A man asked me if we sold "Alloy Vortex" I eventually figured out he wanted some aloe vera. I also figured out he tried to alter the number of refills on his Soma prescription. I don't think these two facts are unrelated to each other.
I think exactly one customer requesting a refill had their prescription number and my thumb still hurts. You do not want to find yourself between me and the scotch bottle tonight.
11 comments:
Poor Master of Everything Pharmacy!
Ungrateful serfs! Cereal? Ear wax? What the hell? I can't imagine myself not asking someone if they were okay if I witnessed an accident. But I guess Lucky Charms and ear wax gunk remover trumps pain.
I hope the Scotch heals the sprain quickly.
XXXOOO to the poor thumb.
LD/50 Rat
The day of the pussy incident, not the day of your skateboarding dog incident.
Just felt the need to clarify.
Thought you'd enjoy this one ......
Got a call from a mom yesterday who said we MUST have given her the wrong thing. She was reading the package insert which stated the medication was for a bacterial infection. Her son had an EAR infection, not a bacterial infection. Ergo, we must have made a mistake. Gotta love it.
Someone said I just HAD to read your blog. I'm so glad I did. I think I may be in love.
Loved the line about slipping through the looking glass...mir-images and all. Somedays, I wonder if I put my glasses on upside down or if I really did have 8 blissful hours of sleep before getting in, or whether if was the excellent selection of aural stimulants chosen for the 3.5 hr drive. Can't say I know anything about the scotch--rather anti-alcohol consumption with the close family members that run to alcoholism. Pharmer Temp
Coincidently I'm a Russian speaking tech - with absolutely no accent in either language - and unfortunately I have learned the hard way not to freely disclose that information to patients unless absolutely neccessary - like life or death. Love the blog!!
-Lee
Geez, the one time I didn't have my prescription number was because I'd accidentally gotten the bottle wet, and the label got ruined.
Sorry that people don't make life easy for you! :(
I had a customer come up to the counter and ask "Do you sell euthanasia?" After a double take I realized he meant echinacea. Yikes!
See.. that's what happens when you are a show off..
I have a question for you...
WHEN do you start counting for refills?
I'm having end of year problems with my insurance as I always do, so they say it's too "early" for them to cover me..as expected, but no biggy right, because they say pay cash and send in my receipt..
Well, 29 days after the last fill (keep in mind, both these scripts are maintenance drugs I HAVE to take daily, for YEARS) I call my Pharmacy for my refill since I only have 1 day left.. well, now they are stuck parroting the Insurance company. I have asked multiple institutions, including the Insurance company and the state board of Pharmacy and each say the same thing, they count from the day you last picked up your pills (because some months have 31 days like December and Jan. and the script is written at a 30 day supply, which would mean your out a whole day)
so, thats MY question, WHEN do YOU start counting and can a pharmacist refuse to refill my pills with the ONLY claim that it's "too early" (when it's not) and no other reason? What would be MY recourse for this and why are there so many consequences designed for the patient and NOT the pharmacist when they are clearly making medical decisions against the doctors order?
As a fellow pharmacist working at Big corpo pharmacy with over 10 years of clinical experience, I think I can answer this one for you Drug Monkey.
Always on Fridays. (Except on holidays)
Remember there is no such thing as stupid question, only a stupid person asking it.
".. ONLY claim that it's "too early" (when it's not) and no other reason? " No, sometimes I don't fill an rx just because the person is an asshole, but never if it's early. I would never see filling rxs early as problem.
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