Thursday, September 29, 2016
Dr. Dickwad
We get a new prescription for a controlled substance, sadly for a little old lady in a lot of pain that needs it right away. Unfortunately, the physician didn't scribble in his DEA # on the prescription blank which even had a spot for him to write it.
Even more unfortunate is when we try to look it up on our post modern and so amazing computer system, we can't find him. We use the address of the doctor and look up a Goofmart Pharmacy close by his office and call them. They don't have him either! Our web-based database doesn't have him as well. Nothing is going right today.
At this point were forced to call the physician, and you know as a pharmacist or technician that is our least favorite thing to do. After a couple of phone calls and a message left with an answering service (mind you, this is the middle of the day on Thursday when most pharmacists and doctors are still slaving away). Why? Because this guy is gone for the rest of the day.
So we had to tell the lady to wait in our waiting room. Poor thing, she was really in pain.
Twenty minutes later the phone rings. I talk to the doc and he gives me the DEA # then demands that repeat it back to him. Ok, that's fine, so I did. I said "Is that correct?" and he says, "Yes" and hangs up.
I hand the script to the tech. He types in the DEA #. The computer says it isn't a DEA #. I check it to make sure he typed it in correctly. I'm not actually like most doctors and have really nice handwriting, but I check it anyway and what we have on the computer matches what I've written down.
Soooooo.... we call the doc again and go through the paging process.... again.
Another twenty minutes passes. Doc calls. I tell him what we need to verify his DEA #.
"What did YOU write down?" he demands, pointedly.
I tell him what I wrote down. He tells me the last digit is a 4, not a 3.
"Why did YOU write down a 3?" he asks, with attitude.
"Because that's what you said and verified when I read it back to you," I reply, but not saying "dickwad!" at the end of the sentence.
Ignoring my comment, he says, "Well hopefully you wrote it down correctly this time," as a parting shot and then hangs up.
True, but one quick way out of it (which only works if the last digit is the only one incorrect) would have been the DEA number check digit formula. [(1+3+5)x2]+ 2+4+6. Not that that's your job, but you've got to use all the tricks in the bag.
ReplyDeleteAaargh: it's (1+3+5) + [(2+4+6) x 2]
ReplyDeleteGood gods. I could not do your job. Love all the stuff you post, keep your stick on the ice, eh?
ReplyDeleteI'm late for my patient-lodge meetin'
ReplyDeleteI'm a patient
I can't change
Even if I have to
More or less...
or something like that.
MBee