How the Authorities Think

I remembered something today that happened a few years ago... you'll like this one.

One day our RPM came into the pharmacy and demanded to know who worked the previous day.

I told her that it was me and our one technician.

She then demanded to know WHY we had not scanned any prescriptions on the previous day.

Like most pharmacies, we have a scanner which we use to scan the label and the medication when filling. It gives you a verbal announcement that you've chosen the right medication and shows this visually on the display. At Goofmart, all technicians scan when they're filling and the pharmacists re-scan in addition to both doing visual verification of the NDC.

This is a procedure all technicians and pharmacists do a thousand times every day without thinking about it. It is as deeply ingrained in us as eye blinking.

And yet here is the RPM wanting to know we didn't scan ONE SINGLE prescription all day long on the previous day. She just accepted her computer report as accurate and now was here to give us the inquisition for our insubordination.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said. "We scanned all day yesterday, just like we always do." 

I'm stunned. Stunned that such a report would exist. More stunned that the RPM would just take it as Gospel and wouldn't even think that something might be wrong with the reporting software or equipment.

"Well I have to tell the Pharmacy Director something," she said. "What should I tell him to explain WHY you didn't scan anything yesterday?"

Wow these people are stupid, I thought to myself. I told her again that we scanned everything all day long just like we always do. The technician swore to her that I wasn't lying. 

I told her to tell the Pharmacy Director that there must be something wrong with the equipment or the software and to call the IT people. If he isn't satisfied with that, have him call me.

I never heard any more about it. But really, seriously, what a bunch of imbeciles.