Pharmacy. Jim Plagakis. Pharmacist

Today!
“Why isn’t my PERSCRIPTIONready? I called it in an hour ago.”

“I’ll check, maam.”
” It should be ready.”
“We had to call your doctor for a new prescription.”
“Call the doctor?” An indignant look on her face. “Why did you have to call the doctor?”
“Because there were no additional refills.”
“That’s an ongoing PERSCRIPTION”
“You ran out of refills.”
“That PERSCRIPTIONnever runs out. It’s an ongoing one.”
“I’ll get the pharmacist, maam.”
“I can’t wait. I have a busy schedule.”
“We’re busy too.”
“Are you being smart with me?”
“Jim, you have to talk with her. I’m too busy to argue with her.”
“She said that I have no refills. It is an ongoing PERSCRIPTION“.
“Maam, there is no such thing as an ongoingprescription. All prescriptions have refill restrictions.”
“Call the doctor again. I can’t wait. I’m a busy woman.”
“We’re busy too.”
“Now, you’re being smart with me. Are you being smart wih me?”

“No, maam. I am not being smart.”
“Just call my doctor again. Right now, I can’t wait.”
“We have called once. It is now in your doctor’s court. You can call him yourself if you want.”
“I don’t have to. You’re supposed to call him.”
“We did.”
And on And on And on.
Finally, “Maam, we are notgoing to call again.”
“You have to.”
“If he doesn’t call back by tomorrow afternoon, we’ll call again.”
“That is an ongoing PERSCRIPTION“

What are we supposed to do?
Walk away?
That is what I did.

Yesterday!
“What do you mean I have no insurance?”
“They are telling us that they have no record of you.”
“Bull shit. I have a $15 dollar copay and $5 for generics.”
“But you don’t have insurance according to the company.”
“Bull shit.”
“Do you have a new card?”
“No. Nothings changed.”
“Give us a half hour or so. The technician will call the insurance company.”
“Bull shit. I can’t wait a half hour. I have a copay. Nothings changed. Why are you giving me this bull shit?”
“We’re not giving you anything, man. It is the insurance company. It’ll be about 45 minutes.”
“Bull shit. You said a half hour.”
“Now, I’m saying 45 minutes.”
“Well, that is bull shit.”
“Well, I think maybe you should be the one to call the insurance company. I’m sure there is an 800 number on your card. You can tell them how much bull shit this is.”
Mad City hd
Long silence. “I’ll be back in an hour.” Then, under his breath, “This is bull shit, man.”
About 60 minutes later.
the tech says, “You have a new group number.”
“That’s what I said. Nothings changed.”
Geezuz, you guys. How do we stay sane?

This phone call came about 30 minutes after I had faxed a message to the doctor with the Rx attached. The patient had been waiting, but not patiently. I had made it very clear why he had to wait.

The nurse said to me, “The doctor is not rude. He is not inconsiderate. He cares for his patients.”

I had used the words INCONSIDERATE & RUDE on the fax.

I said, “Look at the prescription.”

Here is how it went:

Prednisone scribbled strength.
# 100 or 180
Sig” qid or qd or even tid

“Can you read it?”
“Well….”
“You can’t and I can’t. I refuse to guess. Just find out so I can get this patient on the road.”
“Well the doctor…”
“Now …Please. The patient has waited long enough.”

I then went on to politely tell her that I was not backing off on the rude and inconsoderate.
She said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your job to apolgize for the doctor. It is his job, if he is man enough, to apologize on his own.”
“Oh,” she said, “He is definitely man enough.”
Hmmmm. The proof is in the pudding.

20mg
#180
1 tid

It was one hour from presenting the Rx to leaving the store for the patient.

Don’t you think it is time to call a pig a hog and start refusing to guess? The words INCONSIDERATE and RUDE beg to be used.

Cursive is now outlawed in Washington State.

What do you think?