Who's the Boss?

If you are a pharmacist and will be working at a pharmacy in a medical clinic, make sure that you know who the boss is. I recently turned down a job after working relief in that situation. Although the pharmacy is owned by a pharmacist, the owner has no spine. So, when the doctors started making demands, the owner just caved.

The problem came in when the demands started impinging on me and my practice of pharmacy. I felt that clients should obey certain requirments set by law. The doctor wanted me to "make an exception". Numerous times. Then the doctor wanted the pharmacy to stay open well beyond the posted business hours for the "convenience of the patients". Turns out that some patients were complaining that when they came in late in the day, they would have to go a whole 100 metres to the next pharmacy instead of the one in the building.

I was willing to stay a bit late, but not up to 3 hours late. I also wanted to be informed when the clinic would be running late hours. They can tell. If they have appointments booked late in the day, then I wanted them to walk across the fucking hall the day before (minimum) and let me know.

Apparently that was asking for too much. I guess as a pharmacist I am classified as a "grunt' and not a professional. I guess as a human being, I have no life outside work except for what my boss, the doctor, allows me to have.

I walked. I wish them joy of the relief pharmacist who accidentally screwed up a compounded prescription-5 times- and overdosed the patient. I hope they have fun explaining to the non-english speaking pharmacist they have to stay late.

I wonder how the doctor will react when the boss can't come in and can't find anyone to work? So the pharmacy will stay closed for a day. Think the patients will complain?

Pissed

I just had a job I was going to be starting tell me that the doctors office across the hall doesn't like me. Apparently the fact that I like to have regular hours and not "just stay until the patients feel like coming in" is asking the patinets to conform to MY schedule. Umm, the posted hours are 8-3 (4 on clinic days). Not "when you feel like coming in". Fuck heads. If my almost boss doesn't get them straightened out, I'm walking. 2 weeks notice, I'm not completely unprofessional, but that's it. And the hours for the next 2 weeks will be 8-3, because that's what I feel like doing. They are lucky they had anyone, never mind a competent English speaker like myself.

good luck finding someone.

Irresponsibility

Client has been getting 1 seroquel every day. After a while, the doctor decides 1 week at a time would be okay. The very first week the client gets a week supply, the client somehow manages to go through or lose 4 days out of the 7. Of note is that the client has substance abuse problems and seroquel is occasionally used on the street to achieve an "altered mental state".

Client comes to me and insists I should give the next supply early. I reply that 1 week supply was given out and the next supply will be given out in 7 days from the first supply. Client says her drug plan allows early fills. Which is true. However, this client is not exactly a responsible member of society (did I mention her drug plan is social assistance?) and I am uncomfortable giving out a drug which is very likely being diverted.

Client goes to see doctor. Doctor decides client can have the pills early, but back on the 1 day at a time schedule.

And the client wonders why.

Nice Try. No Cigar!

Woman comes in and asks for a repeat on her clonazepam. Which her doctor will only let her haveon a weekly basis. (you can guess why) She watched me carefully count her pills-twice, put them in a vial and give them to her.

The next day she came in and said I had shorted her 6 tabs. I pulled out the hardcopy of the prescription where I had written "double counted" and pointed out that I counted them twice.

"Oh yeah" she said,"I remember watching you do that."

Buh bye

Sure I'll Break the Law just for you

Got a call the other day. From the "clinic co-ordinator" at the local hospital. Seems we filled a prescription with a generic drug when the doctor requested brand. I immediately put her on hold, got out the rx we had filled and checked.

Nope, no "no substitution" ont his rx. Hmmm, I held it up to the light. There WAS, however a preprinted phrase under the sticker with the patient name and address...yup. says "no substitution"

However, law in my region states that"no substitution must be handwritten on the prescription. Preprinted prescription forms or boxes that are checed off do not constitute a valid no substitution request"

Besides, the ass that signed the rx put a sticker over the preprinting anyway, so anyone with half a brain would figure it's not to apply to the rx, right?

I picked up the phone and smugly told the "clinic co-ordinator" the above facts. She tried to argue with me. I cut her off and said it doesn't matter what you want, this is the way it is.

What a way to start the day.

Gotcha!

Today I had a "frequent flyer" irritate me. I was covering a shift for a colleage when the man came in. I recognized him as a dsi (drug seeking individual) from previous encounters, although I couldn't quite place at what store.

The technician came over and told me that the regular pharmacist will not sell Tylenol 1's (acetaminophen with 8mg codeine) to this man anymore. I looked over and saw that he was talking on his cell phone. I told the tech that when the fool stops blabbing into his cell phone, call me over and I will give him the bad news.

Ten minutes pass. He is still standing at the counter talking to his cellphone. the tech got irritated, went over and said that the pharmacist wanted to talk to him and wouldn't if he was going to keep talking to his cellphone. Idjit hangs up.

I went over and informed him that I wasn't selling him any T1's. He started hooting and hollering about "why not, I have had 5 surgeries, I'll drop my pants right here and show you the scars" etc... I informed him I wasn't interested and he should leave now. He then freaked out about how he was going to call the Medical Board and report me yadda yadda. I was quite entertained. Especially as it's not the Medical Board he needs to complain to, it's the College of Pharmacy. And this particular complaint would get him laughed out of town. After all, I don't have to sell him a chocolate bar, never mind T1's!

He kept ranting. I repeated that I didn't care what his excuse was and walked away.

He wandered around the store for another 10 minutes and then left.

Afterwards, I realized where I had seen this fool before. At another store, in a nearby town, in a fucking wheelchair getting his Oxycontin. On the taxpayer's dime. AND he called the store after he picked up his damned Oxycontin and claimed we had shorted him. Except, of course, we had counted his pills multiple times and knew he got the right quantity. We told him too damn bad, he could get the next batch in 2 weeks, since that was what the doctor ordered.

So, I have one burning question. Since he is on welfare, how could he afford a cellphone?

another thing....

So, the computer generated prescription that makes it easy to read? It also makes it easy for the doctor to repeat mistakes. Had an rx for morphine today. Read: Morphine 30mg sr 1 tab tid. Turns out the woman takes 2 tabs tid. And she was really pissed at us because "we" made the same mistake last time. Ranted about how she never had this problem at her "old" pharmacy.

folks,t he pharmacy I was at today was a large chain discount pharmacy. If it had been a regular one, I would have offered to fix the problem after calling the doctor and deliver it. But it wasn't. she came here because it was cheap. Lady, your doctor screwed up on the last prescriptiion on the computer and then just copied it over again for the new one. Including the mistake. It is NOT us that fucked up, it was your doctor. I'm sorry it inconveniences you. But I have to dispense it as written. I can get it fixed. But it is after business hours, so it will have to wait till tomorrow. Deal with it.