Case in point: a lady comes to the pharmacy. She's upset because she's out of her blood pressure medication which is supposed to come by mail order but hasn't. She can't remember the name of the medication but knows the doctor. We call the doctor, wait on hold FOREVER, just to be told the doc will call us back. The next day (after 82 or 187 calls from the patient) the prescription gets called in - just a small quantity, enough to get the patient through a few days until it arrives by mail order. The patient comes to get it but does not have her insurance info on hand. Of course, paying cash is out of the question.
As is customary, I give her a three day supply until she can get me the Medicare info. She calls later with the info. We try to process it but because it's already in the mail it won't process. I call the Medicare underwriter and after talking to two idiots and two supervisors I finally get it processed. Maybe it was four idiots. I don't remember.
The next day the lady calls, tells me she got her med in the mail and wants to cancel the prescription we did a circus act to get for her. She's just about to hang up when I ask about the tablets we gave her.
She acts surprised. She asks me if she can return them. I tell her no, once a medication leaves the pharmacy by federal law it can't be returned.
In an angry voice she spits out, "You want ME to pay for them?"
5 comments:
You're nicer than I would be. I would have made her pay cash and then refunded her the difference once we got her insurance to cover it, with that being the only option or no pills for her.
Of course, I'm in outpatient at a hospital/clinic. We have a bit more autonomy I believe than some of the chain stores do. Hard to believe it's all in the name of customer service, which just makes people feel more entitled to getting all their needs and wants done with no cost to them. Not that I mind helping people out (that's why I'm in this job), but you'll get a lot farther IMO by appreciating when people move mountains for you.
Are you sure we are not working in the same place? Just last week we processed an inhaler not covered by insurance. The script was sent to us 15 minutes before closing. The cash price was outrageously expensive. The pharmacist offered (more than once) to call the urgent care for a substitute med but the customer declined ( "we need it") and paid nearly 200 bucks. The next day the customer called: we did not need it after all and want to return it". After speaking to nearly every one who works in the store, the customer called 1-800- return anything and got to keep the drug and her money. The DM is blaming the pharmacy for the "shrink" and has scolded us appropriately. I give up!
Similar situation tonight. Mom wanted refill on daughter's montelukast that hasn't been filled since March. She's out of refills from Dr A but wants us to contact Dr B. Typically, I'd loan if they're compliant. This was certainly not the case and I had to repeatedly tell her no. SMH
Oh Good Grief. I don't know how you hold your tongue.
Just to clarify, you can take medications back from the patient, you just can't redispense them per federal law. There is nothing preventing you from taking the medication back and refunding the patient's money, if you choose to do so. You just have to destroy or properly dispose of the medication.
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