It's kind of like someone calling in an order for a pizza to pick up, except it all comes electronically. On our end an e-Script is like a pizza order. "One medium size pizza with mushrooms" pops up on the computer, so we make the pizza.
Except there's one prescriber here in Snootyville that doesn't get it. A few days ago she sent over several e-Scripts for herself. As is customary, we process and fill her prescriptions. She's ordered several pizzas, so to speak, and we're going to have them ready for her!
Today she came in to the pharmacy and I pulled all the prescriptions off the shelf that she e-prescribed for herself. I set them on the counter and starting ringing them into the register.
"Oh, I don't want these," she says.
WHAT?! WHAT?!?!?!?!? is going through my mind.
"So you could have them on record when I needed them," she says, defiantly, completely unaware of how it works on our end... I assume.
"You know, when you send over an e-Script, we're going to fill it, right? That's what we do."
She looks at me and doesn't say anything. I'm not sure if she's embarrassed for wasting my time or just doesn't give a damn. I'm leaning toward the latter.
I undo what I've done at the register and ask her why she's at the pharmacy today. She asks about getting a refill for a medication she didn't e-Script to us, nor bothered to even let us know ahead of time that she needed. In her head it is completely reasonable to just show up at the PICK UP window and ask us to refill a prescription on the fly, right during the busy dinner hour, without any idea or concern about the issues this creates for us.
I fill her prescription. As I'm ringing it into the register, three people in line are now staring at me. As politely as I can, I tell her we need to know 24 hours in advance what she needs filled, and if she's going to send over a prescription electronically, it would be nice if she added a note to "do not fill ~ place on hold" if she doesn't want it filled.
Her puzzling reply: "Oh, but I'm used to you spoiling me."
Euthanize me.
You need some way to explain this issue to providers. My doc wants to e-fill my medication renewals every time I'm in the office, even if I won't need it for another month or so. He uses the same phrase "so they are on file at the pharmacy when you need it." I tell him I like the idea but that inevitably the pharmacist fills it and my insurance rejects it because it isn't due yet. He says he will "leave a note" but that note never seems to make it through. I've asked for paper prescriptions instead so I can just bring them in when I run out and he says his office does all e-script now instead to reduce errors. I say I will call when I am low instead but he says it is more time consuming for his office that way and he would rather do all renewals at regularly scheduled appointments. I am *that customer* but my doctor makes me do it this way and I hate it. Now I just call the pharmacy when I leave the doc and say "hey, my doc renewed my meds but it will be at least 2 months before I need them" or whatever. I'm sure *that* wastes the pharmacist's time too but hey, at least my docs life is easier. Eyeroll.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe a doctor had the audacity to say that
ReplyDeleteYou should send refill requests to her office for every prescription for every patient of hers that comes to you. Then when they inevitably call you just tell them you want to be prepared for when a patient orders a refill. It always amazes me how such stupid people can get so far in life.
ReplyDeleteON the other side, as a doctor, I get multiple requests from the pharmacy everyday for refills that were already sent in yesterday, last week, last month with multiple refills.
ReplyDeleteWell, that spoiling will stop immediately.
ReplyDeleteWhy is she writing scripts for herself? Isn't that a big no-no?
ReplyDelete