Thursday, August 25, 2011

Today's Flu Shot Follies

The conference call. I don't have to explain to a good chunk of you the futility of the pharmacy conference call. A unique opportunity to touch base with the corporate mothership and cover important business issues of the day. A chance to listen and share with colleagues. To communicate and learn.

While filling your normal amount of prescriptions of course.

And fielding customer questions.

And taking phone calls. On the other line. While the conference call is going on. You get the picture now if you didn't before. Under the best of circumstances, you'll get about half of what is said on a conference call.

Now is the point where I would play you a sample of my District Manager's voice if I could. She has a very strong and unique accent the like of which I have never heard before. I have wondered at times if it isn't actually a speech impediment, but it would probably be rude to ask your boss if she's had a stroke or something. Anyway, under ideal conditions, I can understand about 70% of what this woman says, put her on a conference call, and that'll easily go to under half.

Which means, at best, I'll get about 25% of the information that goes out on a conference call. I'm just very lucky to work for a company that never says anything important.

Today's conference call started with something to do about trash I think. Sorting the right trash into the right containers or something. We've had to make sure any trash with anyone's name on it is separated from the regular trash for over 5 years now, so I'm not sure what might have changed. Good thing I don't care very much or I probably would have been upset I missed out on the whole trash conversation while trying to explain to a moron how they were to take their prednisone. The moron's doctor was really asking a lot of the moron with the instructions he came up with, but I think I got the moron straightened out. When I got back to within speakerphone range the subject had changed to flu shots.

And the flu shot quota, which I've noticed has changed three times since originally imposed.

"So when you're asking your customers if they'd like a flu shot, what kind of reasons to they give when they say no?" Asked my district manager.

I decided that she kinda sounds like a pirate.

"Some people are saying they're worried it's too early in the season." Piped up a pharmacist somewhere who was taking this way too seriously.

"A lot of people are telling me they've already got it at their doctor's office." said another.

"OK then" said the pirate. "Pharmacist Nerd, you've given out the most shots in the district so far, so you must have a lot of experience dealing with people's concerns. What do you say to your customers that say it's too early in the season?"

"I just tell them that we've checked with corporate and they say it's fine" said Pharmacist Nerd, giving us all some goddamn valuable insight.

I noticed now that my Supertech was starting the paperwork so we could actually give a flu shot to a customer while these numbnuts sat around and talked about it.

"Very well" goes the pirate. "And Pharmacist Nerd, what do you say to your customers who tell you they already got it at their doctors?"

Which was the point where I hung up. Which I regret. Because I would have loved to have heard Pharmacist Nerd's answer as to how we can sell a flu shot to someone who's already had one.

Only seven months of flu season to go.......

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, you guys are late to the flu shot parade out there on the west coast. We've been getting beat down about them since Aug. 1st here in the east. At least 3-4 corp. emails per day about them. If Rite Aid really thinks this is going to right the ship the management is truly more inept than I thought.

Two Grumpy Pharmacists said...

What if your customer says flu-shots cause autism. Personally, when this happens I go out behind my pharmacy and beat my head against the brick wall shouting "Screw you Jenny McCarthy", but maybe that's just me

J

ThatDeborahGirl said...

Drug Monkey - do you really think I should get a flu shot. I never do, bu then again, I always get the flu, which, honestly, is better than going to work if you don't count the fever, vomiting, weak joints...nah, it's still better than going to work.

So, I ask you. Should I get a flu shot? Am I flirting with death if I don't get one?

Anonymous said...

I gotta know, is it a Rite Aid corporate policy/RPh job requirement to be a certified immunizing pharmacist? That's what they claim in their threats..uh I mean e-mails. I'd really like to stand my ground on this one.

DrugMonkey, Master of Pharmacy said...

Deborah,

Flirting with death? Nah. For normal, non-old, healthy people such as ourselves, the flu shot is just some added protection against the suckage of a nasty upper respiratory infection. If you're prepared to accept the risk of said suckage, it's your call.

The only caveat I'd throw your way though....I seem to remember something about a mother with MS? If she's elderly and frail, and you have a lot of contact with her, you might want to get a shot to lessen the chance of you giving the flu to her. For the oldsters flu can be very serious, especially if they're already sick to start with.

ThatDeborahGirl said...

Way cool, thanks. I guess I'll go get stuck with a needle now. *sigh* I hope this counts towards your flu shot quota.

Từ Thanh Giác said...

Tell the truth "if you don't get a flu shot I will lose my job."

Anonymous said...

Can not believe you put the phone down. You lost out on some serious blog material there. Ah well, next time.

SmartyTech said...

I am glad I work in an Independant! Corpo was too much for me.

PoohBear said...

I am glad that my sarcasm and murderous thoughts don't come through every time I respond to the numerous emails chastising us for our flu-shot-giving inefficiency: "We at store #131 intend to redouble our efforts to achieve our goal of 400 shots this month by making sure every customer gets our Flu Pamphlet and blah blah blah". What I really mean is that we will make as much an effort to give 400 flu shots a month as corporate makes to allow us appropriate technician/cashier hours for our Rx volume...

Anonymous said...

people in se pennsylvania are being written up for not meeting the quota which began, get this, in mid august. you know, 100 degree weather, almost no one covered the shot til sept 1st. this is rite aid. several more write ups and you're fired. wonder if rite aid has a contract with a indian *cough cough* university to hire these so called pharmacists (pharmacology degree grads) from india to replace all the ones this company wants to get rid of.