"That's D-A-W, you know. You got that right, Mr. R-X-Man?" And I'm not substituting my blog name for my real name. He did indeed call me "Mr. RxMan."
Mr. D-A-W is here again, dropping off another prescription for Xanax, brand only. His co-pay is $40, but he doesn't care because he insists on brand. And he wants to make sure he's going to get brand, so he reminds you every time. Everyone in the pharmacy knows who he is... well, almost everyone. The new tech doesn't know who he is, but the rest of us know. Me and Mickey know that we're definitely not going to dispense anything but brand because it's D-A-W, you know. Mr. D-A-W told us so. Even though it's clearly written on the Rx "D-A-W" or "Brand Medically Necessary," Mr. D-A-W is going to point it out every single time.
Mr. D-A-W also wants to be recognized. And that's where the new tech made her mistake. She ticked him off but good last week by asking him to spell his last name. I saw what was happening and quickly stepped in to finish typing the script. I didn't want her to process it for generic and make things worse. And would you believe that Mr. D-A-W later complained to Mickey that the new tech didn't know his name and that upset him horribly and he needed to talk to the CEO of our company because he was so slighted? Mickey handled it in his usual way and we avoided having to hand out a gift card. Phew!
For some reason, though, Mr. D-A-W doesn't insist on brand Allopurinol (Zyloprim). We can actually still get that but it's about $400 for a bottle of 100. I guess having to have brand stops when it reaches a certain dollar amount. I've been tempted to ask him why he's not getting D-A-W on the allopurinol... but I don't want him to call the CEO.
I am the Crazy RxMan, your local pharmacist... smart enough to be a pharmacist, insane enough to work retail!
Big shock that Mr. D-A-W is on Xanax...
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of co-pay - you noticed your TriCare patients just got a hike increase in February thanks to the National Defense Act of 2013? In the midst of all the Fiscal Cliff Talk, this bill, which covers everything from de-commisioning submarines to prescription co-pays for TriCare, was quietly signed. Yep. Cymbalta just went from $25 (grand complaints) to $44 (expect heart attacks in the aisle).
ReplyDeleteI've had a number of patients see the fall out from the higher co-pays.
ReplyDeleteWhen I tell them the source of the higher co-pays, they don't act surprised. That's a shame. There should be more outrage!