I'm not impressed

I've been to a national computer fix-it company now, oh let's see... some five or six times for various family computers. This company bills itself as doing the following:

Count on ________ to get your computer running like its old self with our award-winning comprehensive Windows computer repair service and Mac computer repair service that includes:

Spyware & Adware Removal
Virus & Worm Removal
Identity-Stealing Trojan Removal
Registry Cleanup for Faster Boot-up Times
De-Fragmentation of Your Hard Drive for Quicker access
Clear Out Excess Temporary Files from Internet Surfing
Clean Out Dust and Grime Buildup
Test All Hardware Devices (CD-ROM, Sound, etc.)
Update Windows with the latest Security patches
Update Your Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Firewall and other security programs
Explain How to Keep Your System Maintained
Explain How to Avoid Re-infecting Your Computer

Over the years with our various family computers we have picked up computer viruses, spyware, trojans, etc.

And every time I've been to this company, they charge me to do an evaluation THEN tell me:

"I'm sorry. The only thing we can do is reinstall Windows."

Every single time. No spyware removal. No virus removal. No trojan removal. No. Just a Windows reinstall. I can do that myself, thank you.

Phooey. Just tell people UP FRONT all you do is reinstall Windows and be done with it. Quit giving people hope that you're actually going to fix the problem.

Buyer beware...

Texting while at the Pharmacy

A new problem is afoot in the Pharmacy...

TEXTING WHILE YOU'RE PAYING FOR YOUR PRESCRIPTION

It's happening more and more. People slide their card for payment, stop to finish a text or read a text, then go back to entering in a PIN or finishing the transaction.

Let's see... you weren't happy with the 15 minutes it took to fill your prescription... you know, we entered in all the information, billed your insurance, filled the med, checked it with your med profile, made sure we put the right medication in the bottle, made sure it's the proper dose and regimen, made sure all is right with world in just a few minutes... and finally you're ready to check out but you're delaying us to finish a stupid text message?

WTF is wrong with you? Seriously?! Your stupid text can't wait 30 seconds until you're finished with the transaction so I can get back to the other ten people in line? You complete self-centered piece of manure!

Honestly, we need to eliminate this cell phone rudeness. I propose that pharmacists be given special powers to grab cell phones and smash them without hesitation.

Really! I've had enough.

Ready for a Vacation

At my pharmacy the OTHER pharmacist is the popular guy. He's the one that breaks the rules for people, always has a smile on his face, and gets all the Christmas gifts every year. 

He's also the one that doesn't know much about modern day pharmacy. It took him two years and a threat from The Authorities to finally start giving flu shots. He's the one that ignores the computer when it says "too soon" for narcotics and has accepted a number of prescriptions as legitimate when they were clearly fakes. Among many clinical aspects of pharmacy, I had to explain to him what INR means and why we need to be careful with interactions with warfarin. I've saved a lot of people from serious problems overlooked by Mickey behind the scenes without the patient knowing. I keep to The Code.

And yet after all these years, he continues to slide by without reprimand. In fact, he has the The Authorities pretty snowed in a lot of ways.

I can deal with all that.

But what really, really bugs me lately is when people come in and see that he's not here.

"Where's Mickey?" they ask.

And then it happens. They do it every time. They lift themselves up on their tippy-toes and look over my shoulder, apparently looking to see if I've tied him up and have hidden somewhere in the pharmacy. This has happened so often I'm just thoroughly annoyed.

I'm ready for a vacation.

P.S. When searching Google for an image using the words "Tied Up," you might want to make sure your kids are not in the room. You've been warned.

It's Just a Little Push

You're a patient and you walk up to the drop off counter and set a prescription on counter. It's well within my reach, but most of the time when I approach the counter, you say something like "I need to drop off this prescription" (of course, you weren't here to order pizza, were you?)...

Then it happens, most every time...

The push. It's just a little push. It's completely unnecessary. I can reach the prescription from where I'm standing. And no, this is NOT about being helpful by thinking you're getting the prescription closer to me to make it easier to pick up.

No, I've watched this for quite awhile now. I know what you're up to. This is about power and control. You think that little push puts you in control of the situation. You're trying to establish the dominant role in the filling procedure. You're da man, I be da dog dat fills your prescription. Hop to it, boy. Get it done.

I'm on to the little push and let me tell you, NO, this does not establish control. In fact, it just pisses me off. Suddenly a 10-20 minute wait time turns into 30-60 minutes. Why? Because I'm tired of people that have no respect for the pharmacy process. We're here to make sure YOU get the right medication, the right dose, and to make sure it is appropriate for you given your medication profile, age, gender, etc. We're the ones in control now, not you.

Bottom line: DON'T GET PUSHY with your pharmacist or pharmacy technician. Ever.

Personal Observation: Transfers

Transfers are annoying. I hate transfers. Add "gift card for transfer" to the equation and now I'm on fire with hate and loathing.

One thing I've noticed over the years. After doing literally thousands of transfers, my experience has been this: If I'm getting the transfer from a female pharmacist, I usually have to ask her to slow down or repeat something. They rattle it off like I'm some transfer savant. I'm not.

This problem rarely happens if the pharmacist is male unless it is some insanely busy pharmacy. The male pharmacists I've taken transfers from tend to give the information at a steady pace I can keep up with. It makes it a lot easier.

I don't know what it is... perhaps some genetic caveman thing. I don't know. Maybe men slow down because our male ancestors were the hunters and we had to communicate hunting strategy to each other in effective and meaningful ways. Maybe females just talk more, or maybe female pharmacists are just smarter than male pharmacists because, you know, we're men. We don't get words.

I don't know. It's just my observation. 

Sit, Click, Laugh... It's SUNDAY

Don't Mess with this Guy