Apoplectic Customer stories part 1 and 2
Fred came to the counter clutching a pharmacy bag. He had been in a few hours ago picking up a prescription for his wife. I was at the other end filling a prescription and our poor tech got the brunt of his tirade. “You shorted me 3 pills”. He was waving his bag, going on and on about who is going to take care of this, what kind of business we run around here, ripping off old people, etc. I let him rant for while. He was going to have his say, and I was going to let him. After all, Pharmacy Chick knew exactly where this conversation was going to end up. After the cork holding in his steaming brain blew off, I walked over with an overly big smile and said ” Hi Fred, Do you you remember when you came in on Friday and wanted a refill on this and we had to call the Dr?” He nodded ” And do you remember you told me you were OUT and I loaned you 3 tablets AT NO CHARGE (my emphasis added)? The blood began to drain out of his face. “well, 30 minus the 3 we gave you is 27, so your bottle had 27 tablets in it, and was marked as such, if you look at your receipt” . “oh, yes, so it was” he mumbled “never mind” and he slinked away. No apologies offered, and no apologies accepted. Marvelous tech said “He didn’t even say he was sorry?” I guess embarassment trumped traditional social graces.
Another day, Another issue: Eileen comes to the drop off window with her bag from moments ago. She was literally shaking with irritation. “This rx is $121.00? I only paid $5 for it last month.” We had had this discussion at the register on an different rx, different day day but apparently it went completely over her head. “you are in the Donut Hole remember?” “Yes, but I only paid $5 for this last month” She paid $5 for everything last month… Could it actually be she thinks this eye drop only costs $5?? I tried to explain that she wasn’t in the donut hole last month and that her $5 copay was only a very small part of the cost. “You mean I am the one who has to pay for it while I am in the donut hole?” Uh, hello, who else would you expect would be paying for it?…. yes that is exactly what it means…the unwelcome reality of the Donut Hole.
Had she asked SOMEBODY, we might have been able to keep her out of the dreaded Hole. Dump the Lipitor the Cozaar, try the Simvastatin and the ACE or Beta-blocker first. Accept my recommendation to not get the Vanos with the $35 manufacturer loyalty card, “But its FREE!” and use the Fluocinonide cream.
The donut hole has a purpose. It’s a reverse incentive to not waste the drugs you take, and be ever watchful about what these things cost. If you play your cards right, many people can get thru the entire year before reaching the donut hole. $2500 ads up right quick when your profile is full of single source brand products like the Lipitor Cozaar, Advair, Januvia, Nexium, Alphagan, and Effexor. Toss in a few infections treated with Levaquin and TaDa, YOU are in the hole.
I offered to take back her unopened box of eye drops. “but I have to have them!” She kept them but said she would get samples for the rest of the year.
Hey, I tried.
Tags: behavior, customers, insurance, pharmacy life | |