I didn't start out as a pharmacist. I worked in another industry for years and didn't make any money doing it. So then after 9/11 I decided to change careers. Going back to school was a lot of fun, but that's not the story for today.
This story involves one of the places I first worked as a technician. The pharmacist was this tiny little immigrant with a thick accent but with a voice you could hardly hear. Now mind you, I told her when I started there that I was still new and needed to get used to the register. At my particular company, they must have saved millions of dollars buying these registers at a discount because they are without a doubt the least user-friendly register I've ever dealt with in my life. Nothing makes sense on these babies. I used to program computers, so I do know what I'm talking about here.
Anyway, back to the story... Dr. Immigrant Pharmacist first won't let me count any of the medications for her. She knows I'm new and apparently it is unreasonable to think that I can count to 30 by 5's. She tells me to stay at the register. Yes, the mean, miserable, unfriendly register. <CLEAR> <INPUT> scan item <CLEAR> <HOLD> hit <TOTAL> scan card <CLEAR> <OVERRIDE> on and on, etc. etc. etc. what a bunch of crap. Anyway, I keep screwing up the exact sequence which requires her to come over with her override card to fix things. She's getting more and more unhappy about this and I'm getting a complex. Seriously, I almost gave it all up at that point.
Every single time something came up and I needed her and her override card, she would say "Oh my gosh!" in her mousy little voice. I still hear it in my dreams every now and then. "Oh my gosh!" "Oh my gosh!" "Oh my gosh!"
Now when we get a new tech and he or she is having trouble with these insanely programmed registers and they call me over for an override, I can't help myself. I proclaim, "Oh my gosh!" every time. And no, they don't know the real reason why.
Now when we get a new tech and he or she is having trouble with these insanely programmed registers and they call me over for an override, I can't help myself. I proclaim, "Oh my gosh!" every time. And no, they don't know the real reason why.
You went from being a programmer to a pharmacist?! You do like pain, don't you?
ReplyDeleteThat would have made me really anxious and paranoid about making mistakes, which would then inevitably lead to more mistakes.
ReplyDeleteMy first pharmacy manager was a very impatient, sometimes verbally abusive individual. His influence did lead to more mistakes and more blow ups. Thankfully they have since moved on.
ReplyDelete