Counseling

Cellphones or maybe I should say smartphones, are taking over our world. People cannot put them down to save their lives, texting while wrecking! How is this going to affect the pharmacy profession?

We are not able to counsel our patients because they are in their phones constantly. My technicians and I ring up patients, and they don't even look at then prescriptions. I have had a few patients call me a day or even a week later, and say, I didn't want this medication. Can I return it? Of course, I have to tell them, no, and to check their prescriptions every time they pick them up. The rebuttal is, I didn't order it. Yes, but your doctor called it in for you. It is usually a lose lose situation.

By the way, I am writing this pharmacy blog from my phone! No, I am not at work. My pharmacy is busy enough to where I  have to come in early and leave a bit (30 minutes) after we close. No time to blog or write about pharmacy.

My philosophy on this smartphone issue is, if you cannot beat them, join them. Maybe we should send our counseling via text, and the patient might receive it or converse by texting back! Who knows, but if that person suffers from not being counseled, it is not my fault. Even though the law may state different. It is just a concept, and we already text, email, or call patients for no refills, problems, and filled prescriptions ready for pick up.

Tell me what you think!

No, no, no, that price ain't right!

We have this male patient about 50 years old come into our pharmacy once a week. First, he walks really funny on his tippy toes like when you see a 3 year old (yo) super excited.  He talks in the most crazy sounding voice like a 13 yo going through puberty. By the way, yo means year old. Sorry for the medical field lingo. Anyways, none of this is about my point. The patient came in with his new insurance but didn't want his Xanax to go through insurance nor his discount card. Of course, first thing you think is he is a junkie, but he comes to our pharmacy all the time and never gets his Xanax early. We would never let him anyway unless the MD says it is fine this one time. We have heard it all! Well, he wants us to run his insurance, don't run his insurance, run the discount card, do it as cash, who knows. So, we mixed up some times.  So, he wanted the price on the generic drug, alprazolam. I told him for #90, it is $39.99 with no insurance and no discount.  He looks at me then looks at his bottle, then looks at me and says, "that's not right, 39.99, that's just not right." He walks away, walks right back, and says, "39.99 that's not right, not right, it's not right." Meanwhile, I already printed out the pricing sheet to give to him. I hand it to him, and he mumbles to himself.  When he finally left, I turn to my technicians and say just print it out. Why would I lie about the price? No, it is not with your discount card, nor your insurance. You said cash price. That is the cash price. We put it into the computer, and it spits it out.  Call corporate, if you have a problem.  On that matter, call your INSURANCE if you have a problem with the cost of your medicine or copay. Blame your employer!

No! We don't have Oxycontin 30 #180

We keep getting calls at my pharmacy for Oxycontin 30 mg #180 or #120. We do not have it, and I cannot order it. We do not keep it in the safe, and we never have it on hand. Do not ask for Xanax, Soma, and then for the Oxycontin 30. Yes, Roxicodone and Oxycontin and oxycodone ER are the same drug. Do not ask for either one. Definitely, do not call! People are calling every day, sometimes 2 to 3 times a day from the same person. Now, they are actually coming into my pharmacy and requesting their fake or legit scripts to be filled. We have caught one drug dealer and addict, already. Do NOT come to my pharmacy, or any pharmacy! Maybe a 24 hour pharmacy or hospital pharmacy can fill it for you.