Saturday, January 30, 2016

Simple Pharmacy Hack for the Progesterone Capsules from HELL

You've dealt with them. You've sworn at them. You've watched as they roll everywhere. You've watched technicians chasing them. I hate them. You hate them. EVERYONE hates them.

Of course, I'm talking about Progesterone "capsules." These miserable little balls from hell that go everywhere once they hit the counting tray. They roll, and roll, and roll their way off the counting tray and everywhere.

But they can be tamed with a simple hack. Gravity is your friend with these miserable balls.

Here's what you do:

1. Grab a prescription or transfer pad.



2. Slip the end of the counting tray on top of the pad.



 3. Release the Kraken:



4. The slight angle of the counting tray sends the miserable balls to the far end of the tray where they can be dealt with.



5. Be happy! You have defeated the beast!

Friday, January 29, 2016

Thursday, January 28, 2016

I'm NEXT in LINE!

We get a 4:30 pm rush. This happens sometimes. It's the Twilight Zone hour. People get off of work and race to the pharmacy to pick up their meds so they can then get home, eat, and tune into Duck Dynasty. 


The start of the line for the pick-up window is close to the line for the drop-off window. Oh, there's Miss Dumbleson. She's in line at the drop-off window. She must have a new prescription. This isn't surprising... she sees a new doctor almost every day. Oh and here comes Mrs. Loombaron. She flies right by the drop-off line and zooms right over to the register.

I step over to the will-call to get her medications off the shelf. Then I hear it...

"I'M NEXT IN LINE!" in a guttural, growling voice. Was it even human? I'm not sure who said it. It was loud and angry and deep and scary. "I'M NEXT!!!" -- Miss Dumbleson is looking at Mrs. Loombaron with a look that would melt ice. People pushing their carts by look at the situation in horror. A kid sitting in a cart has his mouth wide open. I saw a teenager that the store has who pushes a broom around quickly push the broom around the corner and vanish.

Miss Dumbleson is clearly not in the pick-up line, but I don't want to start a fight or get in the middle of things. This was one of the situations where you just want to slink into the corner and hide until it is all over. But I'm a grown man and well, you just can't do that.

Mrs. Loombaron says "I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were next in line. I'm so sorry, let me move."

And then as if angels themselves descended, Miss Dumbleson replies, in the most sweet, flowery voice you've ever heard, "It's ok, sweetie. It's not a big deal at all. You go next..."

I quickly check out Mrs. Loombaron and get Miss Dumbleson's meds ready to check out. I don't want to destroy this complete stroke of luck. The heavens have shined upon me today.

Upon finishing our transaction, Miss Dumbleson smiles at me... and with the same flowery voice, she says, "Happy a great day, Crazy!"

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Amazing Stories of Rudeness, Part III

Susan Buffoon is a regular of ours, although I've never met her. Her husband always picks up her medications for her. She never types her Rx number into the automated system, rather she presses ZERO repeatedly until someone answers the phone. I know it is her because when I pick up the phone I can hear her still pressing ZERO over and over.

That little detail tells you about the patience of Susan Buffoon. When you do answer the phone, she immediately starts spitting out whatever Rx number she wants filled. You would think after hearing us ask her to repeat it every time that she would wait until we're ready to take the information.

No. That would make too much sense.

Today Susan Buffoon wants to know the status on the three eye drop medications that were called in for her. This is news to me so I go to the computer and look up her profile. Yep, sure enough, there are three eye drop medications filled, but they're at another Goofmart location not far from us. I tell her this information, then she gets snippy with me.

"I know that. I asked YOU last week to transfer them so I could pick them up at your location!"

I swear to you on a stack of bibles I never had any such conversation with her on this. Instead of arguing with her, I decide to avoid conflict.

"I will transfer them, but we'll have to order them. I can have them for you tomorrow," I tell her, politely, I might add.

"Forget about it! I'll just pick them up from the other store!"

<CLICK> She hung up on me.



A few days later the phone rings. I pick it up and hear ZERO being pressed repeatedly. Oh boy.

"Did YOU get those eye drops ready for me?

I'm startled, but I keep calm. I tell her that she told me she was going to pick them up at the other store just before she hung up on me. Then I ask her where she actually wants to pick up the eye medications.

"I'll pick them up at the other store."

<CLICK> She hung up on me again.

A few days later I come on shift in the middle of the day. I'm looking at the daily filled prescription list when I notice that there are three eye medications on order for the next day.

You guessed it. While I was gone, Susan Buffoon decided once again to transfer them to us and get them at our location.

Incidentally, the other Goofmart Pharmacy is three miles east of us.

Monday, January 25, 2016

End of Year Pleasantries

There's nothing like the end of year rush to get prescriptions filled BEFORE the insurance runs out... to the point of anger and threats.

Awhile back I blogged about Stevie Wishnicks and her lack of ability to assess the passage of time. Her antics have caused me to do extensive calculations and sing in the pharmacy. You can read about her HERE and HERE.

At the end of December, her husband came in on Thursday, New Year's Eve, to DEMAND that we fill his prescription IMMEDIATELY.

Stevie Wishnicks had been in earlier in the day inquiring about her husband's prescription. Nothing was on the shelf, so Flynn sent her on her way. There was no incident, no unusual activity, no upset, no foul.


But then her husband came by later, angry, pointing fingers, using threatening gestures, demanding that we fill his brand Dilantin NOW. He accused Flynn of intentionally not filling his prescription... for what reason we still don't know. He said he asked us to fill his prescription on the last day of the year way back in November. Nobody in the pharmacy remembers him making such a request.

Flynn didn't back down, explaining to him that we fill prescriptions WHEN WE'RE ASKED and that no one recalled him asking. The guy was still furious, snatched the prescription out of my hand after I filled it, and proclaimed that he would never be back.

I hope he means it.

What it amounts to is that he pays so much for his wife to have brand Percocet most of the year that later in the year when his co-pays drop he wants to get as many fills as he cans before things reset at the beginning of the year. That's reasonable and we accommodate when and where we can. However, getting upset, swearing, pointing fingers, and threatening people is intolerable.

People sure have an odd way of treating others.