Returnable merchandise, or the lack thereof.
One of the results of my recent pitching fit was the abundance of returns. This time was no exception. As much as I try, I cannot keep from having returns. I can send anything back within 30 days without a restocking fee but most of the time I have to keep stuff for longer than that. My Man Friday is good for ordering stuff that one person asks about but nobody buys. In my opinion, if something doesn’t move in 6 months, then it needs to go back. Sometimes it becomes more problematic than I think it should: partials, outdates, etc. I try to send what I can back to my wholesaler, the rest goes to the company who handles outdates.
I have some specific gripes about returns. When I first came into practice we bought a significant amount of merchandise directly from the manufacturers. When they would introduce some new and wonderful drug, they would “guarantee” the sale for us. If we bought X amount of Wondermycin, they would take back whatever we couldn’t sell if we returned it within the specified time. What happened to that? Taking possession of something nowdays is like burning a bridge behind you. “Thank you very much, good luck with that…”
AND in the olden days of pharmacy our wholesaler rep used to come by a couple of times a year and handle returns for us. He’d sit in back with his Telxon unit amongst the boxes of outdates and make them vanish for us. That service is gone too.
I tried to return some Zyrtec syrup. I purchased it before it went OTC and now I cannot return it because its “discontinued” . Well I dont give a flying whup if its disontinued. It wasn’t discontinued when I purchased it, its unopened, in date and as long as I purchased it from my wholesaler, then they should take it back. Let them decide what they want to do with it. I only bought it 5 months ago. Now I get to sit on this til next year when it finally outdates and get squat from DrugDestroyers INC.
I’m learning also how to play their game. I send back anything that arrives to me less than perfect. If the box is bent and I keep it for more than 30 days, they will refuse to accept it because it “damaged” even tho that is exactly how they sent it to me. Therefore, if its not pristine and perfect, back it goes.
When I send back my outdates I get a report from DrugDestroyers INC telling me what they are crediting me for and what I get nothing: nada: zero: the big goose egg. I get $0 for too many items now days. And, for everyone of those items there is a reference letter directing me to the bottom of the page as to WHY I got no credit for that item. There are about 30 reasons for them to deny me credit. If they can think it up, its on this page: No partials: Missing seal. Product returned is less than mfr minimum. Not in original container. Item not returnable…And it goes on. They have a lot of ways to deny credit.
I just boxed up another $4000 worth of outdates. $4000 worth of drugs I didn’t sell. $4000 I spent on inventory that didn’t move. What really gets my goat is some of the items in the box. The bottle of Synthroid 200 (1000ct) I had to order because the 100ct were out…its mostly full, The bottle of Prilosec 40mg capsules and I used 7 on a coupon offer. It was never refilled. The Cozaar 25 (#90) that I special ordered, labeled and returned to stock when it was transferred to a nearby competitor for their gift card promo. The brand name Flonase that Mr. I-gotta-have-Brand wanted until his copay went from $25 to $75. The bottle of Dyrenium (triamterene) that I used 30 out of because the Dr didn’t like HCTZ….then put the patient on Dyazide anyway. A big tube of Elocon that we werent’ successful in removing the label (therefore non returnable to the wholesaler) and since its gone generic…never moved again. A box of Arixtra with one syringe out of it…the patient got the rest of the rx at the hospital pharmacy. A box of Nitro-Dur patches with 10 missing (ok, HOW many times do I have to say–no broken boxes of nitro patches??) 2 bottles of Meridia (30ct) because they come 3×30ct and I used one…
No wonder my old boss used to pop a vein when he did returns. Its like flushing hundred dollar bills down the toilet.
Tags: , pharmacy life, rambling, returns | |