The Pharmacy Chick

This is a completely non pharmacy post today. Occasionally I need to spout off on something and today’s subject is “sneaky little maneuvers”.  We are all getting used to getting less for more in today’s economy I suppose.  We pay a fortune for everything it seems. We open packages and find 60% air in the box. Package sizes are getting sneakingly smaller and smaller,and yet the prices are either slithering upwards or staying the same..with net effect STILL being ….getting less product for more money. 

Ok I suppose I can put ONE reference to pharmacy in this post with the advent of 90 count packages that USED to be 100 count packages and are priced EXACTLY the same.  They haughtily call these “unit of use” packages and tout the “ease” of using them.  Ok. sure buddy.

But back to my own observations.  Being a woman (duh) I have certain needs that a man wouldn’t ever dream of, namely certain sanitary products.  Never in my marriage have I asked Mr Chick to purchase these items for me for surely it would be a collossally dumb move to ask him to do so.    God knows what he would come home with even if I gave him a photograph and the UPC code!  Over the years I have stayed with the same product even if it becomes a goose chase to find it.  This company has changed its packaging so many times I have lost count.  But what has bothered me the most is the fact they have changed what goes INSIDE the packaging just as much.  Lets start with quantity.  It used to be the standard size for this sanitary product (SP, for short) was 30.  Then it became 27…then 25…and now 22.   They come in multiple absorbency levels and I choose the greater ones.  As the package size changed so did the product heft.  Once I opened them and thought “geez, these seem rather flimsy.”  Being the pharmacist that I am I took one from the old box and a new one and put it on my Torsion Balance (might as well use it for something) and found to my dismay that it weighed a lot less than it used to.  Not only am I getting FEWER number of SP but I also get LESSER absorbency than before.  SUCKS…..but for the same money.

Moving on.

I also buy TP by the truckload.  Call me a product of my parents, but they used to do the same thing.  Of course they had a store room the size of a bedroom for such stuff, but habits die hard.  I just buy as much as the cubby for my TP will hold and I dont have to buy it for a long time.  We also have 2 guest bathrooms and I stuff the under-sink area full of TP for them too.  I recently had to replenish the house with TP and when I pulled out a recent roll, I noticed something unusual.  ( now mind you, I already noticed over the years that the rolls are smaller. A Triple roll now is the same square foot as a “double” roll was a few years ago)  What I noticed THIS time was the roll seemed squatter and shorter.  I went into the guest bath where some older rolls still resided and sure enough these new rolls were a full 1/4 inch shorter in width. 

Now THAT is a sneaky maneuver if there ever was one.  Not only are we getting less sheets per roll but now we get less inches per sheet. I had always believed that TP width was sacrosanct!   A standard.. Fixed and unchangeable!

Ice cream doesnt’ come in half gallon anymore..it comes in 1.75 quarts.  Orange juice containers contain less,  Cereal boxes are the same size but have less IN them.  Canned goods instead of being 12 ounce cans, may have 10.75 ounces.  We are becoming a nation of fractions…airy packaging and fake bottoms in boxes.

OH, I suppose the same could be said for PBM’s.  We have one major player who decided THIS year that they will pay for only a 30 days  supply of meds instead of 34 in 2009….and all for the same copay.

I guess their president went to school with the TP guy.

Tags: general junk, non pharmacy stuff, rambling, ranting | |

It is said that necessity is the mother of invention.  I think ingenuity is the mother of invention.  There are a lot of inventions out there we certainly dont NEED. 

This little gem has just saved me some of my sanity and I’ll share it with all you retailers out there suffering with e-script-itis. 

Duplicate, errant and wasted escripts are the bane of our computer system.  I can’t delete them, and I certainly dont want them on the patients profile…so what to do with them. 

heh heh…..

Say hello to Trashed, Scripts.    Date of birth 1-1-2001.  Allergic to nothing,  has no insurance. Never picks up his/her rx. Every one is deactivated.

What I did was  make a patient named Trashed, Scripts.  when I get an escript that I dont want, is wrong, has been cancelled by dr, or is a duplicate, I put it under the imaginary patient name Trashed Scripts.  You can call him/her anybody you want.  Once I have uploaded the escript to Trashed Scripts, then I deactivate it, explain why, print the screen and file it with the hard copies.

That way there isn’t scripts in the patient file that should never be there.  Trashed Scripts is my new favorite customer.

Tags: pharmacy life, words of wisdom | |

As I was leafing thru Chain Drug Review (why I cannot imagine, I never read it) I noticed it an ad for a new male enhancement product. 

HARD KNIGHT.  Muscular chick in bathing suit sitting in a window looking out while muscular guy looking down at his….well whatever.

Nah,  I think I’ll pass on this one.

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Twenty five years ago Pharmacy Chicklet student had recently started dating this young man.  On this day he surprised her with a single rose (for Valentines day).  For a student with NO money, it was significant.

Twenty five years later, on this Valentines day,  this man, who became my husband,  repeated the gesture with a loving note.

WOW.  Pharmacy Chick is one lucky Chick.

Tags: personal life | |

RING RING

Hello, Dr Dipwad?  Yea, well this is Pharmacy Chick.  Uh, Pharmacy Chick,  the pharmacy next door to your office.  Yes, the one where you could drop a penny from your window and land in my parking lot…

I wanna talk to you about your addiction to E-scripts.  From a pharmacy standpoint, we hate them enough already.  Not only are they intrusive on our computer, interrupting our work with their “notfication-you-cannot-ignore”, but  you send entirely too many of them, many of them are completely unnecessary. We actually liked you better when you faxed in your prescriptions.  We had no idea you would fall completely in love with e-scripts that you would  need professional help in this addiction.  So in the interest of my sanity, I would like you give you some personal instruction and counseling on sending e-scripts.

1. READ your escript before you send it ok?   Don’t send me Protonix 40mg IV injection when you really mean Protonix 40mg tabs. 

2.  Quit sending me duplicates…or )(%&(*&#@! triplicates!  Are you friggin aware that I can’t delete them?  Do you understand that I have to process them and ADD them to your patients profile as a prescription?  Knock it off!    Mr Jones doesnt’ need 4 identical metformin 500 mg prescriptions.

3.  Please reserve escripts for Prescription drugs please!   No pharmacist appreciates getting  scripts for Vitamin C, Calcium supplements, multivites,  Ferrous Sulfate, Colace and Papaya enzymes. If you want your patient to get that stuff give them a list ok? And if you got some really weird thing like Acidophyllis Performis 5 million units, dont even think about e-scripting that.  It took me a call to my help desk to get that one out of my system.

4. KNOW your controlled substances.  Just because YOU are ignorant  that Lyrica is controlled and can’t be e-scripted, doesn’t mean the I am.  I can’t fill it any more than I could fill a C-II you forgot to sign.

5.  Do me a favor, If you wanna CHANGE something on an escript,  CALL ME.  Dont just send me a second one with some minor change and no note explaining why.  It will  save me (and you) a phone call asking you which one is the one you want.

6. AND lastly, Dearest Doctor… DO NOT SEND ME AN E-SCRIPT AND THEN GIVE A HARD COPY TO THE PATIENT.   Its one OR the other. 

And you have a really nice day…Doctor.

Tags: doctors, pharmacy life | |

 Pharmacy Chick works in a big store.  We carry all kinds of merchandise from pots and pans, food items, sundries, cosmetics, and of course cigarettes.  Thankfully because the store does NOT allow cigs to be sold at any counter other than the front one,  I never have to ring up tobacco of any kind.  I suppose if I had to I would, since my company sells it, its legal, and I am on their dime when I am at work….but thankfully that is not the case.  I ring up enough alcohol as it is thank you very much.

Mitch came in for his usual monthlies that consist of a few inhalers, some blood pressure meds and of course Vicodin.  (Really, is there ANYBODY out there who ISN’T on vicodin??).  This day however he was in for a rude awakening.  Hello 2010…Hello new deductibles.  His Advair and Proventil HFA came to a tidy dollar sum over $200. 

He was apoplectic at the total.  “$200?? last month it was only $25.”  And so we had to go into the ever popular reminder that when the crystal ball dropped in Times Square we had a new year….yada yada yada…and new prices..deductibles..formulary…w.h.a.t.e.v.e.r.

“But I don’t have that kind of money!”. he whined.   I glanced at the contents of his cart.  In a Pharmacy Chick Pharmacy bag was 4 cartons of cigarettes….CARTONS.  Now I have never purchased cigarettes, but I know they are expensive so I am thinking that for 4 cartons of butts, he probably dumped close to a C-note.

Hmmm..me thinks one man has his priorities messed up.

I just shrugged my shoulders and said “Sorry Man,  January is tough on a lot of people with all these deductibles”.  ” I can’t change it”.

He just took out is check book and wrote a check.  My brain was still processing the words ” I dont have that kind of money”….

Sure hope that check is good.

Tags: customer interactions | |

I really hate it when parents send their kids in to do their own work.  This day this 8-9 year old kid is standing at the counter and his dad is about 5 feet behind him.  “Well, go ahead and ask her!” he said and the kid meekly asks “for what?”.  I don’t have time for this crap.  “Your prescription” he says.  I play the part and ask.  “What is your name?”  and he replies “Steve” (fake name by the way).  Clearly we are getting nowhere.  We don’t file prescriptions by first name so I address the father ” What is the patients full name please?”.  He tells me. “Steven Anderson”. 

I find the prescription on the shelf, one I did several hours ago.  Its a new patient to ME but since I had his address on the e-script, I found one other family member (his mother), linked them up and filled the rx.  Only problem was the insurance was out of date.  I had filled the antibiotic for cash, about $15.  I told papa, ” we need current insurance for Steven.” to which he told me “You have it on file”.  

I truly hate it when people tell me this.  ”On file” could mean anything.  His mother was the only patient in our system and the last time she was here was in 2008.  Clearly ON FILE was synonymous with “nothing ever changes!”.  I had to tell papa that Steve was a new patient and the ONLY other family member’s insurance was expired.  The price is $15 or I need a new insurance card.  To that, he informed me he didn’t carry the card with him.  WTF?  its a 2×3 piece of plastic, keep it in your wallet!

And so I went to the cash register and run up the $15 to which he looked at me incredulously.  ” I have insurance!”.  “And you do not have the card with you, so it is $15.00″. I politely replied.  He put his hands on the counter and said “And DON’T YOU BILL AETNA?”  –this guy was from the slow class, clearly.–  I said.  ” Yes I bill Aetna and a thousand other plans, but I need your card.  Without the card that you said you do not have, I cannot bill this prescription for anything but cash.” “Bring me the card and I will bill Aetna or whomever is their provider”.

How stupid can people be?  Can I walk into the grocery store, pick out a grocery cart full of items, walk thru the checkstand, and ask “DON’T YOU TAKE VISA?”   but refuse to provide the card because ” I dont carry it?”.  Steve just stood there (as I would expect an clueless 8 year old to do) as his father finally paid the bill.  I began to provide the necessary counsel to which he said ” Tell HIM”, pointing to Steve.  Sorry buddy, I am not counseling an 8 year old kid.   I pretended he was joking  (haha), ignored  his statement and continued to tell  him about proper storage, usage, discard and side effects.

And, wished them both a good day.

Poor kid.

Tags: customers, insurance | |

Well, Pharmacy Chick is hoping her Dell Hell nightmare is over. I got my new computer, got the files transferred onto it and so far its working fine.  To some, I may have been rather persistent in making sure I got what I wanted as far as the replacement goes, but I am pleased with the results at this time. 

Its black and not the sleek red I had before but I suppose I can live with that.  I got xp put on the unit with an upgrade to win-7 which I chose do do at the get-go.  I took it to a “Nerd” and he got it all set up for me. 

Lets just hope it keeps on keeping on!

The Chick!

Tags: non pharmacy stuff, personal life | |

I got to work today to an unusual calmness around the store.  There weren’t too many in the que and the store was rather quiet , even for 8 am.  I found out later that there was no school today.  I checked the calendar and noted NO specific holiday.   I asked somebody in the know (parent with kids) why there was no school today and he said “Teacher work day”….  wassat??  “teacher work day without kids around to get their stuff done” 

I thought about that for a minute and thought “WOW !! I need one of those!”.. lets pretend for a while:

First day of every month is Pharmacist work day.  No  new prescriptions will be filled (tho I can see keeping the que empty)  No patients will be seen.  No phone calls will be answered.  On this pharmacist work day,  the Chick and her staff will handle all the tasks that have to be squeezed in will be done as they should be.  The schedule will be written.  The shelves will be checked for outdates.  Inventory counts and updates will be made.  The returns will be processed.  The corporate reports will be collected, signed off and filed.   The inspection reports will be filed. The invoices would be reconcilled.  All the rx’s would be in order and shelved. The counters would be dusted and washed off.  These things alone would take up the entire day.  And they would get done!!

What a novel idea..  I have heard of Dr’s offices that have days where no patients are seen, but work gets done.  Why not here? 

Yea…I know, it will never happen… but WHAT A GREAT IDEA!

Tags: pharmacy life, rare days | |

Pharmacy Chick is all about second chances.  I rarely throw out the baby with the bathwater and perhaps that is why she gets too many high maintenance people.  I really try to WORK with people.

Recently I aquired a technician from the float pool who has placed into my store to cover another technician on medical leave.  To be fair, I had been warned.  “She has attendance issues, and she isn’t the fastest”.  I had my choice of two techs and the other option was even worse, I can guarantee.  She had covered for another medical leave and probably missed a good HALF of her shifts for “illness”, “car trouble”, “husband trouble” or “etc”.  How SHE stayed employed with this company is beyond me.  Either way,(for lack of a better term) I chose the lesser of two evils and chose Sandy. 

Sandy has a pleasing personality and is quite likeable, which makes discipline even more difficult, and I noticed right off the bat that the office was right, attendance (or tardiness) was an issue.  Sandy relies on public transport to get to work and frequently she would be 15 minutes late because the bus was late.   I asked her to take an earlier bus.  She has some health issues and with in 2 weeks of starting she came down with H1N1 due to her immunocompromised state and missed almost 2 weeks of work. 

However the issue I have had the most problem with is her time management.  She doesn’t have any.  She is the only person I have ever seen that can look like she is running her arse off and is actually getting NOTHING done.  She can take a simple selling transaction at the pharmacy counter and turn it into a long ordeal.  Every thought that passes into her head comes out of her mouth. Everything that CAN be explained MUST be explained even if its completely reduntant.

Here an example. Say a customer says ” I missed a meeting today because of traffic”.  I would say “bummer man”.  END of conversation.  Sandy, on the other hand would launch into a long diatribe.. “yea that totally is a bummer because I have to depend on the bus to get me to places so I completely understand and it seems that all the time they are late or there is traffic and its becomes totally impossible to get to places or the bus doesnt’ go to where I need it to go and I have to get a friend to take me which makes them mad yadda yadda yadda”.  OMG…you may think I am exaggerating..  I kid you not.  THIS is how every conversation goes with Sandy.

She has to ask every customer of they want a bag..or if they want the receipt in their hand or in a bag….”STICK THE RECEIPT IN THE BAG AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE SANDY”  as the line grows longer than the premier of Twilight.

And..her questions.  She has to ask me a question about everything…and I mean EVERYTHING.  At first I chalked it up to her wanting to do things the way I preferred them.  At least that what SHE said when I finally threw my hands up in the air and asked her “Can you accomplish any task without asking me about it?”.  This is a true example:  “Sandy, will you go over to Mc Donalds and get me a Filet o Fish?.its only 1 dollar..heres the dollar”.  I wanted her to take my dollar, go to McD and get me a fish sandwich.  Simple HUH??  Not so much….” Oh, would you like  coke too?  How about some fries, you haven’t eaten much lately?  Do you want me to go now? Or do you want me to wait til Tina comes back from lunch.  Do you want me to take my lunch at the same time and if so do you want me to bring it back AFTER I come back from lunch? or before? 

I think my head exploded.

We finally had a sit down pow-wow and went over line items that needed to change.  I told her about the time management issues and why the days she worked were so much difficult than when Tina worked. We talked about the long lines at the cash register and how she can make them better (SHUT UP for starters). And we talked about attendance and tardiness, and how when her shift begins at 9, it means be-ready-for-work-at-9-and-not-combing-hair-getting-a-coke-and-changing-shoes-at-9.  She promised to make the change. She promised to be on time. and she promised she would make the effort.

The very next day she called me at 15 minutes before 9am and left me a txt.  “I dont think I can make it in today, my leg hurts”.  I txted her back “unless your leg has been removed from your body, you need to come to work”.

Sadly, that was the last straw. The previous week 5 hours late because of a Dr’s appointment she had made 4 months ago but “forgot” about.

I called the office and asked that she be placed back on the float team and a different person cover for the medical leave.  I was sad because I felt I had failed in transforming this tech.  I truly felt that by providing 1) a stable work environment that she liked (she said she loved my store) and 2) stable hours that she would be on time/and work more efficiently.

I broke the news to her the other day.  She had some tears, but she clearly understood that she had used up a lot of chances beyond the normal. 

Sandy has taught me some skills however…how to be tougher. ..how to be more of a manager than a friend because with Sandy, I have had to learn to separate the personal from the professional: something I think we all can relate to when we work closely with people for so long.   At work I have to be a manager..a professional..and if it means having to be tough on an employee then I have do to it.  Being soft has cost me.

Its tough being tough.

Tags: employees | |