Monday, October 19, 2009

Wow, what a weekend!

This weekend while Nate and Sophia were outside exercising, I was exercising my brain (finally) working at "The Meijers" (as my grandma calls it)! I just love it when people put a "s" on the end of a stores name? "Did you see bananas were on sale at Krogers?" "I gotta go to Meijers to get my prescription filled." "I heard there is a hot new pharmacist working at the Marshes down in Greenwood." (Right Mel?) It has become a running joke in our family!

Saturday was quite the eventful day. It was one of those days that you look up at the clock and say, "wow, it is 2:30pm and I haven't gone to the bathroom since 7am!" We were really busy and time flew! I really had a great weekend. However, I had quite a few interesting experiences!

First, I got to work to find out many "rules" and "practices" had changed since last month when I worked! When a prescription label prints, 4 auxiliary labels print as well. Some say "Take with Food or Drink. May cause drowsiness. Do not drink alcohol. Keep in the refrigerator. Do not take if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Etc." As a pharmacist, we would read through them all and choose the most appropriate labels to attach to the bottle. On every label there is also a statement that says, "Caution: Federal Law prohibits the transfer of this drug to any person other than the patient for whom it was prescribed." Why do I tell you all of this? It appears that a pregnant girl took one of her boyfriends pills and it caused her to lose the baby. She sued the pharmacy b/c it didn't have the label, "Do not take if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant." I mean, why would it have that label? It was her BOYFRIEND's medicine and I doubt he planned on getting pregnant in the near future. She actually WON the case and the pharmacy had to pay out big bucks. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? She took someone else's medicine (which it says federal law prohibits) and she isn't at fault? That doesn't make an ounce of sense to me! Does it to you? So Meijer corporate is making us attach every auxiliary label that prints to the bottle. Let me tell you that it kills me to have to put "Do not take if you are breastfeeding" on an 8 month old antibiotics OR "Do not take if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant" on a 90 year old man's blood pressure medication! Seriously? What has this world come to?

As many of you know, you have to purchase any product with psuedoephedrine from the pharmacy counter due to crazy kids (and adults) that make METH out of their bathroom tubs, back of their vans, in old barns, etc. You might think it is a hassle to take the time to go to the pharmacy counter, but believe me, it is even more of a hassle for us pharmacists. Saturday I was in the middle of checking a really big order, and I heard a tapping noise at my counter, to which I responded, "I will be right with you mam." The tapping just got louder, "I will be right with you mam." And louder .... I finally peak my head around the wall and look her straight in the eye and say, "I will be right with you, I am finishing up a prescription." She looked at me and said, "Oh, I didn't hear you." Are you kidding me? Sure you did b/c I talk really loud!! You just thought tapping your plastic card on the counter would get me there faster ... well sorry mam ... you had to wait longer b/c I proceeded to check another prescription while you continued to wait and tap!!

A man walked up to my counter to pick up his prescriptions and he was talking to his "dude" on his cell phone. He stood at my counter and continued to talk ... "Hey dude, I got this gnarly thing on my head and I gotta get me some drugs to get it all healed.... Yeah, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger ... They think it maybe something with letters called MRSA .... " Seriously dude ... get off your cell phone! So I just looked at him and waited for him to stop talking to his "dude." He moved the phone to the side of his face and said, "Can I have my prescriptions now?" I answered, "I can go over them with you when you stop talking on your cell phone." He says, "Hold on man ... I gotta get my drugs and they want to talk to me...." and puts his phone (open with "dude" on the other end) on my counter and looks at me with a blank stare. I took my sweet time to counsel him and then I turn my back to ring him up and he is back on his phone again. Seriously people, get off your PHONES for one minute. Heard of manners?

My last story (I promise!)!! I looked up at the clock and it was 2:30pm. I had yet to go to the bathroom since I started my shift -- and I had to go BAD!! You all know that uncomfortable feeling? I head out of the pharmacy to the bathroom and am stopped 100 feet from the pharmacy. The lady looks at me and goes, "Do you work in the pharmacy?" Let me think lady .... "UM YEAH" -- did the name badge that says PHARMACIST give it away???????


I really don't make it a practice to do my grocery shopping in my white lab coat! She then proceeds to carry on a 5 minute conversation with me.

Lady - Do you have a minute?

Allyson - (thinking to myself - Yeah um, after I pee on you I will) -- I am actually headed to the bathroom.

Lady - Oh, ok. Well, are all your antibiotics free?

Allyson - Only select ones are free (turning to walk to the bathroom before I explode!)

Lady - Is ciprofloxacin (name butchered of course) on the list?

Allyson - Yes it is one of our free ones, however, it is on manufacturer back order so we are completely out of stock.

Lady - Well, you can just change it to a lower strength and I will get that one.

Allyson - (NO YOU WON'T) - We don't have any Cipro of any strength or any pack size. (Turning to walk away AGAIN)

Lady - Do you have Cipro ear drops?

Allyson - (getting the slight bit irritated and having some serious GI cramping) Yes, but they are not free nor can you substitute for oral pills.

Lady - Why not?

Allyson - (NO answer b/c it was such a STUPID question) -- A blank look.

Lady - What should I do?

Allyson - You can go to another pharmacy or we can call the doctor to switch the medication. (Yes, and you might actually have to pay for something).

Lady - Ok (and turns and walks towards the pharmacy)

I bust a move to the bathroom and barely make it! I get back to the pharmacy and tell my techs the story. Would you believe that same lady came back and ask the techs, "Are you sure you aren't hiding any Cipro back on your shelves? Maybe somewhere you don't remember."

Yeah lady.... we are .... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Well, hope you enjoyed a few of my crazy interactions! Working retail always allows for comic relief!!

Happy Monday!!

Allyson

3 comments:

Denise said...

Allyson, you are so funny!!! I can totally picture that lady wanting her free Cipro...sounds like some of the patients that I take care of at work! And I can't believe that girl won the lawsuit. That's ridiculas. Well, at least you didn't have a boring weekend :)

Denise Harvey

Steffany said...

Sounds like an eventful weekend! I'm glad that it went by fast at least! I meant to tell you about the labeling changes but never did. I'm sure you caught on just fine :) And I totally agree with you about the cell phones... I think we need a sign (not that anyone would read it) that says we will not help a patient until they are off the phone. Of course we can't make a sign, it has to be made by MJ corporate, but I think it's a good idea. Anyway... hope you're having a good day away from the pharmacy. I go back tomorrow :(

Anonymous said...

It is crazy pharmacy season. People are sick and in a hurry. I always say the bad weather is good for business. Each shift is full of fun-times. People are VERY interesting, aren't they....