Pharmacy Blogs

Long, Hard Days at the Pharmacy! Let's write a song about it.

2016-02-24T14:21:00.001-05:00

This post is for the pharmacy technicians and cashiers, pharmacy interns, and retail pharmacists. If you have ever worked in a retail pharmacy setting, you know this is what you have felt like at the end of the day! This video parody of Hello by Adele is spot on with Sarah Brand's Hello from the Pharmacy. We all can relate to this:

Schedule! If you are in charge of one, you know what I'm talking about.

2014-06-20T17:56:00.001-04:00

Anyone that in charge of the schedule for a business will tell you it is one of the hardest jobs or aspects of their job. Everyone has their own schedule that they have to deal with in life. You have to run these errands today, pay these bills tomorrow, and when am I going to meet up with friends or family. Longer term schedules like when are we going to take a vacation, graduate or look for a new job. Schedules are all around us. We are constantly looking at our schedules.

When you are in charge of the schedule for your company or business, it is really difficult to schedule everyone around their schedules. You don't want to be mean about the schedule, and you want to be fair. Some people have tenure or seniority, and you have to take that into account. Also, if you don't have a regular work schedule 9-5 or 8-5 or 9-530 with weekends off, it is harder to schedule. I am mainly talking to retail pharmacy and retail in general.

Dealing with vacations mostly in the summer is difficult. Trying to find coverage for your pharmacy or business is a pain in the neck and all consuming. This past week I did not even have the schedule ready for the next day! Calling everyone I knew frantically. I bet you are asking, "why not just hire someone." The answer is definitely more complicated than that!

NO PAYROLL! Did I write that loud enough!?! Your boss says you cannot hire anyone else because you are already over on payroll. Talk about frustrating. We, all pharmacists, tell our boss we need more payroll to do all of extra programs efficiently and also not make mistakes. Their response, there is nothing we can do. Yes, there is! Tell your boss and tell him to tell his boss!

Trying to get someone from another store to fill in is a few and far between. They have to be good enough to fit in to my busy store. Most of our stores do not have enough help as it is. We have explored all options. By the way, no overtime for my excellent employees either. I just wanted to blog about this to let everyone, pharmacy and patients, know that we are doing our best. Be patient, and we will be with you as quick as we can!

Counseling

2013-05-10T23:41:00.001-04:00

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!

Stomach Flu, Stomach Bug? No, It Is The Norwalk virus!

2013-03-16T22:28:00.001-04:00

There is no such thing as the "stomach flu".

It's called "Norwalk virus".

Here are some ways to prevent the virus.

The only way to get Norwalk virus is to ingest the contaminated fecal/vomit particles through your mouth, nose or eyes.Wash your hands for at least 15 seconds (sing the A,B,C song or Happy Birthday song twice) with warm soapy water to prevent from getting sick.

The virus is not airborn unless you are standing right next to a vomiting person.

Wash your hands before touching your face, preparing meals, eating etc.

Hand sanitizers will not kill this virus.

The ONLY way to kill the virus is to clean the infected areas with a bleach water solution.

Lysol and other house hold cleaners will not kill this virus.

If you have this virus, it is crucial to wash your hands after every episode of vomiting and diarrhea.You should also wash your hands after handling contaminated objects like buckets or sheets with vomit or feces on them.

The person is contaminated with the virus for at least 1 week afterwards, so washing hands is a must.

Wiping down all door knobs, light switches, faucets, toilet flushes, etc. with bleach will minimize cross contamination.

The virus usually lasts about 24 hours and the symptoms may include:
Nausea
vomiting
watery diarrhea
stomach aches
fatigue

If you have this virus, you must stay hydrated. Smart water, Powerade, Gatorade and Pedialyte all contain important electrolytes to help the body replenish lost electrolytes.

Sipping is crucial if you cannot "drink" it. A couple of sips every 5 to 10 minutes will stave off nausea and keep you hydrated.

Do not eat for at least 4 hours after your last vomiting episode. Stick to the BRAT diet (bananas,rice,applesauce,toast) or saltine crackers for a few days afterwards.

Be sure to wash your hands to prevent from spreading the virus to others.

This virus is typically not dangerous to people unless you are very young, elderly, have a compromised immune system or become dehydrated.

New Year, New Insurance!

2013-02-26T13:10:00.000-05:00

     Doesn't everyone just love the new year? With every new year, patients have new insurance. They never have their new car, and we always have to reprocess their prescriptions wasting precious time. Always bring in your new card or go online and write or print the Rx BIN, Rx PCN, Rx Group, and Rx ID#. This would save us about 5-10 minutes for each patient. If I have to call your insurance, it usually takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Most of the time, we don't have time to do this. This takes away from counseling on medications, filling prescriptions, and helping patients find the correct OTC product for their colds/flu.
      Most patients do not know their copays and deductibles. It changes every year and usually increases. I am limited on the information that I have from your old or new insurance company. You can usually find your formulary and prices of your medications online from your insurance company. Also, you could call them, and they would tell you the exact price of the medication your doctor has prescribed.
     Just before the new year, a lot of the over 65 patients come into the pharmacy asking what the best Medicare Part D program is for them. Please do some research on this yourself. You can always call 1-800-Medicare or if you know how to use a computer medicare.gov. This would save your pharmacist a lot of time and probably ensure that you receive the correct medication, dose, instructions, strength, and quantity. The pharmacy corporations continue to cut our hours. We have less and less help. Thank you for understanding.
Pharmacy Blogs

Best Pharmacy Advice for All of Pharmacy!

2012-10-26T11:45:00.001-04:00

This is some of the best pharmacy advice I have ever seen! I had to repost it. The original post is from The Redheaded Pharmacist.

Today I think it is time to give a little advice to pharmacy students and graduates. I’m no expert on what it means to be a pharmacist but I’ve worked in the field long enough to learn a few valuable lessons. I hope these words will help someone.

1. Take your time. Contrary to popular belief, community pharmacy is not about filling prescriptions as fast as humanly possible. No one will ever come after your license for taking the time necessary to fill each prescription correctly. Don’t worry about how other pharmacists pace themselves, they may or may not be doing as thorough of a job as you should be with each prescription order.

2. Talk to patients. Talking to patients is the good part of my job. I admit that I have my fair share of patients who make me so angry I could scream. But at the end of the day patient counseling is one of the most rewarding parts of being a pharmacist. Don’t be afraid to go talk to patients even if it isn’t in your nature to be an outgoing person.

3. Learn from more experienced pharmacists. Pharmacy school instructors, preceptors, and colleagues have a lot of knowledge to share. Learn from pharmacists who have been around the block. Mistakes and experience are the best teachers, but mentors aren’t a bad choice for gaining knowledge about the profession of pharmacy either.

4. Get Involved and Stay Informed. The days of passively pursuing your own career while ignoring the bigger picture are long gone (if they ever existed). Keep a pulse on the developments that impact the profession of pharmacy any way you can. Being informed will better prepare you for the next wave of change. Joining organizations, going to board of pharmacy meetings, or writing letters to politicians are all ways to become more involved.

5. Learn from your mistakes. Despite the expectations of perfection, pharmacists are human. We make mistakes just like everyone else. I’ve made more than my fair share of prescription mistakes and judgement errors. Although I freely recognize that I’m not perfect, I desperately attempt to learn from my mistakes in the hopes that I won’t be repeat them in the future.

6. Have fun. I’m not immune to the negatives of my job or the frustrations that come with being a pharmacist. But I also try to have fun at work. With the right people and the right attitude and outlook, you can enjoy the job of pharmacist. Some days I am better at keeping my frustrations at bay. Other days those frustrations can get the best of me. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of negativity surrounding pharmacy. My goal is to remember the positives so those moments can get me through the negatives.

7. Ask questions. Don’t ever make assumptions. With people’s lives at stake, assumptions could literally kill. If a dose looks wrong, call the prescriber. If a patient is confused about how to take a medication, explain it to them even if you’ve done so already in the past. There is a circle of care involving the patient and all the healthcare providers that treat that individual. We should all be on the same page.

8. Follow your own path. It’s your career, find what you enjoy and pursue those opportunities. Don’t be afraid to try something completely out of your comfort zone either. You never know where you will find that dream job or golden opportunity.

Being a pharmacist is a demanding but rewarding job. In the end, you have to trust your abilities and hope that you can help every patient as much as possible. Anyone that asks more than that from you is simply demanding too much.

Some Pharmacy Changes Are Coming

2012-10-23T21:51:00.004-04:00

Are you ready? Pharmacy changes are about to take place. We, pharmacists, are going to be able to counsel everyone! All these 30 second phone wait, 15 minute guarantees, auto refills, select decline to counsel, and other metrics will fall by the wayside. Filling as many scripts as possible with as little help as possible will gradually fade away. We have to counsel and take our time to fill prescriptions correctly. The profession of doctor of pharmacy is about to change.

We are going to do what we were taught in our colleges and schools of pharmacy. Counsel patients about their medications to increase compliance and have great clinical outcomes. We will even be able to tell patients not to drink milk with their antibiotics. Sometimes I feel like I do not even have time for that. Who is ready for restroom breaks? I cannot tell you how many times I have held my bowel movements and urine until there was a pause. If I go to the restroom, patients will complain because their prescription will take longer to fill. Thus, when they do the survey, they will say their Rx was not filled within their time limit.

Some pharmacies close for lunch. All pharmacies should close for lunch! I heard that patients complain that they had to wait 30 minutes to get their prescription filled because the pharmacy was closed. The patients said the pharmacy should never close for lunch for emergencies. I know they waited at the doctors office for an hour. I guess drive thru's make it seem like it should be fast food. I want my prescription now, just slap a label on it. What if the prescription is Coumadin? You will die if you take too much or take it with aspirin! People just do not care. By the way, I cannot wait to counsel. Pharmacy is about to change!

Expensive Erectile Dysfunction Medications: Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis

2012-10-08T15:03:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe it took the human species, or a man, so long to find a chemical that would cause an erection. Sex is the basis to life. We need it to reproduce. When we found that sex could feel good, we needed to have it all the time. People just lived in frustration if their husband or lover could not "perform" anymore. Finally, in 2003, a new chemical that was going to be used for blood pressure that caused a significant side effect, an erection. The chemical was introduced to the market as sildenafil, or as we know it, Viagra! Viagra was marketed for erectile dysfunction. It took about 20 minutes to an hour to start working, and some patients would see a blue hue to know it was time to go at it. I think getting an erection would tell you it was time to go. The medication could last 4 hours. Quickly, we had three expensive erectile dysfunction medications, Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis, available. They range in price from $25 to 35 dollars per pill! Sometimes the copay is outrageous or not even covered by prescription insurance!

Pharmaceutical companies started to adjust certain parts of the chemical to make the side effect longer lasting, and then, Cialis was born. Cialis could start working in 15 to 20 minutes and last up to 36 hours! I sell mostly Viagra and Cialis. Viagra is supposed to be going generic very soon. There goes another multibillion dollar medication for Pfizer. Lipitor was their previous money maker that went generic in November 2011.

There are some new medications like Staxyn and Stendra. Staxyn is an orally disintegrating tablet of the popular drug Levitra. Stendra lasts up to 6 hours and starts to work in about 15 minutes.

Can You Believe There Is a Flu Shot Song!

2012-09-19T17:05:00.001-04:00

There is a flu shot song out now called hit me with a flu shot. It is a Pat Benatar parody to her hit song Hit Me With Your Best Shot. This song was floating around the emails at a pharmacy. Has it really come down to this about vaccinations? I cannot believe there is a song about it. Here are the lyrics to the song:
What you're a real tough virus with a long history
Of changing into forms that are hard to treat
That's okay there's nothing to it
Roll up my sleeve and let the vaccine do it
Hit me with the flu shot
Why don't you hit me with the flu shot
Hit me with the flu shot, fire away
You come on all a'sudden
You don't fight fair
But that's okay because I'm aware
Knock me down, it's all in vain
'Cause I've had the shot for the new flu strain

Hit me with the flu shot
Why don't you hit me with the flu shot
Hit me with the flu shot, fire away
Well you're a real tough virus with a long history
Infecting healthy lungs like the ones in me
Before I get exposed with a cough in my face
I'm going to make sure I put you in your place

Hit me with the flu shot
Why don't you hit me with the flu shot
Hit me with the flu shot, fire away
Hit me with the flu shot
Why don't you hit me with the flu shot
Hit me with the flu shot, fire away

This flu shot song is kind of catchy. I think it is because I like the real song, already. Have you heard of any flu shot songs are crazy pharmacy songs? I think I'm going to make a song about OxyContin!

Where Were You?

2012-09-11T22:38:00.000-04:00

I will never forget going to class at pharmacy school, and the Dean of Students and Admissions telling us class was cancelled because a plane had hit one of the towers. I went to the library to study and paused to watch the news on a television at the entrance. About five students stopped to watch with me and then the second plane hit. I could not believe it! I stood there shocked as they replayed it over and over. I will never forget!

Use the Pharmacy's Systems And Do Not Come in at the Last Minute!

2012-09-10T14:12:00.004-04:00

     What is the deal with running out of your medication? Come in early, call ahead, or use the phones' automated system. At my pharmacy, a pharmacy technician can process a refill of your medication. You do not need the pharmacist to look you up in the system to refill your medication. I had one of my old patients come in and say that she read an article about calling in using the automated system instead of calling and asking for the pharmacist. The article said, it wastes about five minutes of the pharmacist's time when I could be doing something else like counseling instead of trying to get her prescription refilled. I wish I knew what the article was, so I could print it off and give it to all of my patients.

     Nobody can ever find their Rx number. I know you have the excuse that you cannot find the prescription number. If you would stick with one pharmacy, then maybe you could learn where it is on the bottle. I understand that some patients forget their bottle, and they are at work. But, I know this is not always the case. Also, driving in the car trying to refill your medication is probably not the smartest thing to do. The patient, then says, that they are in the parking lot and coming in the store. "Can you have it ready?" Heck no, it will not be ready! If no one is waiting already, then it will probably be at least 10 minutes.

     Why do customers and patients wait until the last minute to come to the pharmacy? Almost every night they come in with five or less minutes left before we close. It always seems to be a new patient that has never been to the pharmacy before. No, I cannot fill your prescription. By the way, this is the same phrase I say to people with their Oxycontin 30mg with a quantity of #180. It will take at least 15 minutes to put you in the system, insert your insurance, enter in your prescription, make sure it goes through your insurance, pull and count the medication, label the bottle, check the prescription, and ring up your Rx. Oh, I almost forgot, they will hand you a drug coupon at the register, and you will have to reprocess the Rx again. Usually, if it is an antibiotic or one of my regulars, I will fill the prescription. There is a reason for 24 hour pharmacies and my pharmacy is not one of them!

Flu Shots, Already?

2012-08-23T15:45:00.002-04:00

Well, here we go again. Flu shots are available, and we are starting to stick patients in their deltoid, again. Doesn't it seem early to be shooting the dead influenza vaccine into people's shoulders. All my patients are asking, "are flu shots early this year?" Yes, and we have tons of the vaccine!

I tell them, "no, same time as last year, and the CDC recommends to get them as soon as they are available. Would you like to get one!"
They say, "how long will it take, how much is it, is it going to hurt and will I get sick from the shot?"
I say, "15 to 20 minutes," the price, "it depends, and usually not."
Patients say, "ok, let's get it over with."
I say, "left or right arm. If you flex your muscle, it will probably hurt. If you stay relaxed, it does not hurt as bad. Always use the muscle by doing exercises that work the deltoid."
The symptoms you get from the flu shot are minimal and weak flu-like symptoms. I usually recommend acetaminophen if you have some symptoms of fever and body ache.
We received our flu shots at the end of July, and we started injecting our associates and patients the first week of August. Fluzone and Fluvirin are the two brands of injections we use. We give Fluzone HD for patients that have Medicare Part B. Oh and by the way, Medicare Part B pays for it entirely! It is essentially free for ages 65 and up. Medicare advantage only pays for the regular flu shot. If you have insurance, we need to see your insurance card and process it to see if the flu shot is covered.
"What is flu shot HD," you say? It is the influenza vaccine High Dose. It is supposed to illicit a quicker immune response, so the patient is protected from the flu faster than the regular flu shot. I believe you will have a full immune response and be protected from the flu in 7 to 10 days with Fluzone HD. The regular flu shot takes 2 weeks to be protected against the influenza virus.
For 2012-2013, flu shots have 2 new variants to the previous flu shot of 2011-2012. We did not have a huge breakout last year. Probably because most people received their flu shot and there was no crazy variation at the end of the flu season. The bird flu or avian flu of 2008 and the swine flu of 2009 caused major flu pandemics. They caused shortages of flu shots and Tamiflu, which fights the flu virus. The past couple of years we have had enough flu shots and no shortage. A lot of people have been getting their flu shots at local pharmacies and taking advantage of the easy access. Pharmacies are able to give shingles vaccine shots and pneumococcal vaccine shots. I will elaborate on Zostavax, the shingles vaccine, in another post. Don't forget to get your whooping cough vaccine, the pertussis shot. Elderly patients about to have new grandchildren need this pertussis vaccination. Again, most pharmacies have pharmacists that are certified immunizers. Visit your local pharmacy to get your vaccinations, today! By the way, you can get two shots in one day. It has to be a dead virus, like the influenza vaccine, and a live virus, like shingles vaccine. Two dead viruses like the flu shot and pneumococcal vaccine.

PCAT Prep: Do it or fail!

2012-08-08T22:56:00.005-04:00

Of course, I am a registered pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, now. So, I took the Pharmacy College Admission Test, also known as the dreaded PCAT. When I took the PCAT exam, you could pass the test with just the knowledge you learned from high school and your pre-pharmacy courses at an undergraduate college. There were a couple of books available you
could study, but for the most part, it was not a very hard test. The hardest part was finishing the PCAT exam in the time allotted. We were only given about 30 minutes for each section with no clock in the room! I know. I forgot my watch. Doing sixty math problems in 30 minutes was pretty difficult, but I passed the test easily, about 85th percentile overall.
When I arrived at the pharmacy school, I was told by a few classmates and upper classmen that there was a book available at the time to pass the test with 99th percentile on all subjects. If you read the book tirelessly and memorized everything in it, you would pass with great ease. There were also PCAT practice exams in the book to hone your skills. I was shocked and wished that someone would have told me before I took the PCAT test what that book was. How could there be a book that not only helped you pass, but you could pass in the 99th percentile on all categories. I did not pay very close attention to what the book was or how to attain it. After all, I was already in pharmacy school.
I did not have to prepare for the PCAT or do PCAT prep, but I would have if I knew the scope of the test. Especially, if I was trying to get into pharmacy school now, I would study endlessly. It is extremely difficult to be accepted to pharmacy school now! You have to have close to a 4.0 GPA in undergraduate school and score a 75 or above on the PCAT. This is just the minimum scores! Most schools will not accept below 80 on the PCAT. I believe this book, 2012-2013 Kaplan PCAT, and this CD course, 2012 PCAT Audio Learn, will help you pass the PCAT with great scores in every category. These PCAT prep lessons are essential to passing the test. This will allow you to master the PCAT and eventually get into a great pharmacy school. You will then begin your journey in the profession of pharmacy.

Do you have Adderall 10mg? 20mg? 30mg?

2011-10-24T09:48:00.000-04:00

I hear everyday, "do you have any adderall 10, 20, or 30mg, brand or generic?" Almost all of the medication adderall brand and generic are on manufacturer backorder with no release date. This means that we cannot get any adderall or amphetamine salts in those strengths for at least a month. No release date means we do not know when it will be available, but we do know that it will be longer than a month. We as in the pharmacy profession do not know exactly when it will come out. Our best guess is by the end of November. Just a thought, we do have some strange strengths like 7.5mg and 12.5mg. Do not get mad at your pharmacist because we are trying to order it probably 3 to 5 times a week!

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

2011-05-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

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

2010-11-15T22:11:00.001-05:00

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.

Bringing Back Medication to the Pharmacy!

2010-10-23T21:43:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago, I had a lady came into the pharmacy to return a medication. What in the world makes you think you can return medication? If you pay a copay of $10 or $25 or whatever the pharmacy loses all of the money for the medication as well as the services of filling the medication and paying for the pharmacist and technicians. Let's say the drug costs the pharmacy $100, and you pay $25 copay with your insurance. You pay $25 and the insurance company will pay us $85 dollars for a total of $110. The pharmacy will receive $10 for the pharmacist, the technician, and all the operating costs. If you return the medication, the insurance company doesn't let us keep the money it gave us, and you get your copay back. We can't return the medication to our supplier because it is damaged. We have no idea what you did to the medication even if you did not open it. You could have left it in you car in the extreme heat or something else. We cannot dispense it to another person because it is against the law. She tried to return Voltaren Gel. She was prescribed too much from the doctor and wanted to return the unopened packs. I politely declined. She was so upset, and said she would complain. My district manager said she had my back, but the patient never called. We would lose about $200 if I took it back. Even today a young lady called me and said her doctor called in the wrong medication. She wanted to return it and exchange it for the correct antibiotic. I said we could not refund her the money, but she needed to get her doctor to pay for the wrong medication. You all know how that would go...nowhere. The best thing to do is question your med at the pick up window. If it is not what you want, take a moment and call whoever you need to...the doctor, your mom, the patient you are picking up for. In all cases leave the medication at the pharmacy. We can usually hold it for 13 days per insurance. Oh, I know. You are in such a hurry for a wedding, a flight, a party, or work. Call ahead of time or set it up on auto refill.

Cobra Insurance. The Greatest Government Program Ever!

2010-10-08T23:11:00.001-04:00

Cobra is one of the worst government agencies ever. I have patients come in everyday saying, "I'm on Cobra, and I paid an ungodly amount of money. Why is it not going through?" I had this lady come in and say she was on Cobra. Her husband had lost his job, and they were paying $1000 a month for insurance through Cobra. He needed a $150 medication, and Cobra would not pay for it. She started to get very irate. She called Cobra and started cussing them out about not paying for her husband's meds. She saw on her bank statement that they cashed her check, and she wanted her insurance to work. They kept giving her the run around and finally came up with this doosy. Cobra said that it takes a few months for it to be processed through and insurance to work. Please keep your receipts, and you will be refunded the money you spent. I just don't get it. Pay $1000 and for all your meds and MAYBE we will pay you back. Awesome, Right?!

Update Your Insurance!

2010-10-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

The other day I had this crazy old man come into the pharmacy complaining about how much his prescriptions (Rx's) were costing. He was saying that he had been paying way too much for his meds. I asked him if there were any changes in insurance the previous ten times he had come in, and he had always said no. We kept billing the Wellpoint insurance he had. When he finally called his insurance, they said they had changed his plan to Anthem, and he was supposed to have received a new insurance card in the mail. His previous insurance would still go through, but it only gave him a discount. The new insurance gave him lower copays. Anyway, he lost about $10,000 dollars because he never updated his insurance. He is in the process of trying to get all those claims backbilled through the new insurance, but we all know how much health insurance companies suck!

The law is the LAW!

2010-09-26T23:09:00.000-04:00

Today, Sunday, I had a lady patient call me complaining that her new pharmacist would not dispense her lorazepam refill. She wanted me to transfer her prescription to my pharmacy and fill it for her. Lorazepam is a schedule 4 medication. It is a controlled substance, and you are not supposed to have it filled early unless something has changed. Something like the strength or directions. She kept telling me her life situation over and over and over. If I tried to interrupt her she would take offense, and say she is going to a higher authority over me to get the prescription filled. She kept telling me that she was not psychotic even though she is on Seroquel. She needed her Ativan now, and we needed to work with her to get her the medication. She then said that one of her doctors told her to take 3 instead of 2 pills a day. I said the only way you could get it filled is to call the emergency line and get the on call doctor to call you in a new script with the correct directions. She had not thought of that and thanked me for reminding her of that option. 20 minutes later, I was finally off the phone. I called the other pharmacist, and he had spoke with her for 30 minutes and gave her the same advice. We never filled her Rx, and this lady is crazy. Every time she calls she has to tell you her life story about being a top rated nurse and caregiver to her 97 year old mom. Her mom is more legit than she is and probably takes care of her. Oh yeah, she has crazy high blood pressure, 200/100, but she is thin. She is so stressed over nothing all the time.

My First Pharmacy Story

2010-09-26T00:12:00.000-04:00

I had a customer come in the other day and start screaming at me at the top of his lungs. I could not even understand what he was saying. Of course, being in the retail setting this is all to common. I began to decipher the yelling in to something about receiving the wrong medication. This is very serious in the pharmacy world. We do not take this lightly at all. He received the drug Levitra. This medication is for erectile dysfunction. He became very quiet, and said he was supposed to receive Viagra for the same thing. I pulled his prescription, and it was written for Levitra. I showed him the Rx, and he was still upset. He did not want Levitra. He wanted Viagra. I said that I would need a new prescription in order to fill that drug for him. He then remembered that he told the doctor it only worked sometimes and that the doctor was going to change it. I then filled his Namenda and Aricept which are for memory loss or alzheimer's. All that screaming and craziness for nothing.