Stories That Might Be Funny If They Weren't True

A customer brought in a prescription that had the name of a family member that was not the person the prescription was actually intended for on it. I had to call the doctor's office to verify who the patient was. (It's a little thing I like to do--treating the dispensing of potentially fatal medications as the dispensing of potentially fatal medications. Call me crazy!) This irritated the customer to no end. Why couldn't I just take her word for it? (See previous parenthetical sentence).

So I call, get it straightened out, tell her it will be ready in 10 minutes. She doesn't move from the counter. She's cleaning out her purse. I say, very politely (I know it was polite because I was really trying). "Excuse me, do think you could wait elsewhere? There are several people that need my help." I gesture to the line of 3 people behind her. She says, "I don't think so. I waited for you." Can I get a collective WTF? I know that's what the woman behind her was thinking.

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An older woman, quite a character, was trying to get a boatload (a yachtful, not a dinghyful) of prescriptions refilled substantially early. She's on a program where the government pays for her drugs. I tell her it's too early, she's not going to be able to get them.

"But I want to take them to the Philippines and give them to my brother."

"Ma'am, you can't do that."

Stunned. "Why not?"

"The taxpayers of the United States are paying for you to have these medicines for your health. Not for you to give them away."

She remained unconvinced. She continued talking about all the drugs and diabetic supplies she usually takes her brother. I barely restrained myself from sticking my fingers in my ears and chanting "I can't hear you!"

Times like this do challenge my liberal bent just a smidge.

Comments

[Chatty]

Wow. Stupidity combined with hubris is an ugly combination, isn't it? Especially case #1...

[Suzy]

You work in a pharmacy and you're just telling us about this NOW????

[Tammi]

People are incredible. They just don't get it. I love your collective WTF! LOL

[grumpy momma]

I didn't know you worked in a pharmacy!

I have lots of great pharmacy stories - i used to work in the customer service section of the pharmacy of a large VA hospital. We used to take refill orders over the phone or the vets.

Sometimes, you'd get strange calls - really strange calls - that wouldn't make sense until you scrolled through the dozen or so meds the patient was on and realize that quite a few are prescribed for psychosis. My heart always went out to those guys, but we immediately had to transfer their calls to their docs.

[Little Miss Sunshine State]

This and 27 stories just like it are why I am no longer a pharmacy tech.

I've had customers scream at me, throw things at me, refuse to leave the counter and try to convince me that their toenail fungus remover was the most important prescription I had to refill that day.

Now I sell towels and candles and drapes and nobody's in a life or death situation.
Real or imagined.

[Hilary]

I'm beginning to understand why my pharmacist speaks to everyone as if they're a child filling a prescription for the first time. It's an overly-polite condescending approach, perhaps evoked by the previous customer. It couldn't be ME! (could it?)

[Denise]

That would have to be one of the hardest jobs EVER!

[Janet]

Man I so dislike people with a strong sense of entitlement...

[Prof. J.]

Wow. I think someone in the line behind that woman should have poked her with an umbrella.

[standing still]

Are you doing this job at 2 a.m.? In some 24-hour pharmacy? When do you have time for THAT?

[melissa]

GAH! Could you just scream bloody murder?!?

You work in a pharmacy?!?

This is a stunning development in my image of you!!!

[suburbancorrespondent]

I didn't realize you worked as a pharmacy tech either. How did I miss that?

[Tina]

Good grief. The world is going to hell in a handbasket. Love, Eeyore

[Jason]

I'm with the rest of the gang. I kept wondering if you borrowed these stories from someone else, because in your little logo at the top of your blog, you are NOT juggling a pharmacy, or prescriptions, or rude people.

[mandy]

You work in a pharmacy???

My friend was a pharmacist for years before moving to Hong Kong. The stories she had were priceless! Especially all the Americans who would come up on cruise ships to get the "cheap" medicine up here. And Tylenol 1's (trace amount of codeine in it) which you can get without prescription here. They'd buy them by the bucketful.

[debbie]

So obviously, I've been around for awhile...I knew you worked in a pharmacy!! :-D
Reading stories like that, which do seem too stupid to be true (but we know they are definitely, hand in the air, true!), remind me of why sometimes not knowing a language that is spoken around you, is not always a bad thing!!!
You are definitely an angel for not just going ballistic on some customer!!!

[Smalltown Mom]

I remembered about your job! You just haven't talked about it in a while.

Crazy what some people think they are entitled to or can get away with.

[CircusKelli]

Ah, yes. PEOPLE. Aren't they FUN?! :)

[kcinnova]

Does this mean I can't take my ds' Ritalin?

j/k!!!

And seriously, what Hilary said.

[Cheri @ Blog This Mom!]

I stood behind that same woman in line yesterday, but she was disguised as a man. I'll post about it sooner or later.

[Star]

Hey, I think the same idiots I deal with as a work comp nurse case manager come to your pharmacy to fill their scripts. LOL

[stephanie (bad mom)]

Ugh. As much as I hated (and would still) crap like this, working any kind of customer service job definitely makes you a better person/patron. Everyone should try it once, to become stronger.

Hang in there...

[Angie @ Keep Believing]

Yup, when you deal with the general public, you do see all kinds...

KEEP BELIEVING

[CC]

Dude! I wish the government would pay for all of our meds around here! I swear that if it weren't for all our medical bills (and that is WITH good insurance), we'd actually be able to save up a few pennies for the kids' college education!

[phd in yogurtry]

"A customer brought in a prescription that had the name of a family member that was not the person the prescription was actually intended for on it."

Huh? Is this legal? HOw did you know the Rx was for someone other than the named individual?

I bet you do have lots of stories. I bet you wouldn't like my Dh much either. He growls at pharmacy people on a regular basis. Its truly amazing how trying it can be to keep a simple monthly Rx coming (not the pharm fault, but the interplay between pharm & MD office).

[magpie]

People! What is it with people?

Love the badge. Wonder where you found it. (Just kidding!)

[Compounding Pharmacist]

Compound Pharmacy has gained much popularity in the field of medicine. The medications are equally effective and safe for sick patients who cannot take the actual medications due to their personal allergies.