Old guy pulls up to the drive-thru. Wants a Rx filled and a box of Claritin-D. The RX I can do, but the Claritin-D you have to come in for. Company policy, and also a very practical reason. The Drive-Thru POS terminal lacks a keyboard and a signature pad.
I know he’s trouble, from the way he came flying in, and the way he flings the script into the drawer.
“I’ll be happy to get you entered into our system, but I’m afraid you’ll have to come inside for the Claritin-D.”
“But I’m handicapped!!!” he exclaims as he shows me his parking tag.
“Unfortunately, according to the Combat Methamphetamine act, we need you to sign for your purchase, and I have to enter the details on your drivers license. While I can pass you the signature pad, I can’t enter the data required because I don’t have a keyboard. ”
“Well do it at one that has one!”
” While I can do that, that would mean you would need to come inside, because I have to have you sign it.”
‘Gimme the dang script back, You’ll be hearing form my lawyer, this is discrimination against handicapped people!”
I never even had time to look at the Rx to learn his name….
.
.
.
.
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The next thing is a new policy from Corporate. Apparently we have to restrict sales of Iodine Tincture to 2 bottles a day, and 15 a week.
Because apparently its now being used in Meth production. If you want more details see This publication.
Great. There’s only 2 ways I can see this being enforced. One you have to have a soft block on it, and require a signature for it like Psuedoephedrine, the other is keeping it behind the pharmacy counter. Both are more work for us.
Also, check out the warning signs if your customer is a druggie…
* Customer does not have a legitimate reason to purchase iodine or cannot justify the quantity requested.
* Customer purchases iodine crystals for animal use but has little knowledge of horses, cattle, or other livestock.
* Customer resists providing personal information.
* Customer repeatedly purchases the maximum amount permitted by law at the shortest interval permitted.
* Customer simultaneously purchases iodine and other products that are used to produce methamphetamine such as acetone, alcohol, camp stove fuel, ether, drain cleaner, muriatic acid, rock salt, road flares, unusual quantities of matches, or the cutting agent MSM.
* Customer purchases over 4 fluid ounces of iodine tincture and purchases hydrogen peroxide at the same time.
Camp Stove fuel? Matches? Flares? Rock salt?
What if I’m going camping in the wilderness, and its going to be icy, and I need iodine to purify water?
Tags: Frustrations, People | |
May 23rd, 2008
Posted by
lb969cpht |
Uncategorized |
one comment
How is it that people in NY do not understand the mandatory generic law?
YOUR PRESCRIPTION WILL BE FILLED GENERICALLY IF THE PRESCRIBER DOES NOT WRITE DAW IN THE BOX BELOW.
Understand this. I don’t care if your insurance prefers brand name. I don’t care if you think the brand is far superior to the generic. If your doctor doesn’t put those 3 letters in that box, I can’t give you brand.
“What if you don’t have the generic?” she asks. “If no generic is available, the prescription will be filled with the Brand name.”
“What if you’re just out of it?”
“According to our pharmacists interpretation we have to order it in, we can not substitute brand for generic. According to NY LAW, only your doctor has the right to tell us that he wants you to have brand name medication.”
So she asks for the script back. Sure, if you wanna try every pharmacy in the area, but they will all tell you this same thing. Its not company policy, its THE LAW.
So what does she do? Scribbles DAW on the Rx and hands it back. “There. You can’t prove it wasn’t on there before.”
Umm yes, I can. I scanned the RX in the computer when I took it in. I have not yet deleted it. Its still there. Furthermore you are on CAMERA illegally modifying a prescription.
So I documented that the patient had modified the Rx, and she reluctantly accepted the generic.
Tags: Frustrations, People | |
May 22nd, 2008
Posted by
lb969cpht |
Uncategorized |
no comments
Woman comes in for a script for her daughter. Its Lovenox. Doctor warns patient and parents that it will be expensive. She gives us a no-fault auto card. Ran it through, needs Prior Authorization, its over $700. “Yeah, the doctor warned us that you might have to call them if its too expensive.”
That was yesterday. Office was called, insurance was called. Woman comes in today, and no PA. I call, and the phonemonkey tells me that the other phonemonkey didn’t do anything, or even leave a note, but she’ll handle it. She calls me back, and I reprocess. Its non formulary, but the doctor’s PA apparently covered that too, so its covered if I reprocess again. Goes through, $0 co-pay.
I inform her that the insurance covered the complete cost of the medication, and that she saved $7000 dollars. (its printed on the tag)
She’s happy, leaves, then about 2 mins later comes back. That fast she couldn’t have gotten past the photo counter, let alone out the door. She points out the price and asks if thats correct. “Yes mam, I believe I pointed that out when you were rang out.”
“Oh, I just assumed you misspoke! The doctor told us it would be only $700.”
“No mam, this stuff is really expensive, but your insurance did cover it all.” Pfft. Doctors, what do they know?
So she leaves, in sticker shock.
15 mins later, she re-appears. “I want to return this. I talked with my husband and he says we have to return it. He think that the insurance company may limit our claim for damages on the car if this stuff is so expensive.”
Now I’m getting kinda miffed. This stuff is expensive. If she returns it, we can’t really dispense it to another patient if it left the store, so we’re out $7K. Second, her auto coverage should cover something like 25K in medical expenses. I inform her that claims for medical and damage are unrelated, and one should not effect the other, but she does not believe me.
We end up settling on her calling the insurance company in the morning, and discussing how this will effect her claim for damage to the auto, and we’ll hold onto the medication for now. We also tell her to discuss options with the patient’s doctor about getting her on a different medication. Since the pharmacist on tonight was temporary help, we’re going to leave the decision to refund the medication up to the supervisor who will be working tomorrow.
As she’s leaving she threatens that if the insurance is going to limit her claim for auto damage, she’ll refuse to pick it up and that we’ll have no choice but to refund it.
She thinks she left an ultimatum, but since its paid for, if she refuses to come back, we’ll just mail it to her.
Tags: Frustrations, People | |
May 8th, 2008
Posted by
lb969cpht |
Uncategorized |
2 comments
So today, I get this call from a woman. She just picked up her husband’s medication. Omeprazole (OTC). She demands to know why it wasn’t filled with Prilosec(OTC).
I informed her that the prescription was written for Prilosec(OTC), but since we live in Ny, we are forced to automatically dispense the generic when available. She demands to know how we can do that if the Rx is written for Prilosec(OTC). I explain that Ny state law says that unless the Dr. writes DAW on the Rx, by law, we must give the generic. If she wants the brand name, she’ll need the doctor to write a new Rx, and mark it DAW.
She then yells that its a refill, not a new script, and that we can’t change it. No, by law we must change it. She informs me that because we gave her Prilosec(OTC) why didn’t we change it the last time. I tell her that the generic is new since the last time she had it filled. She proceeds to inform me that the generic has been available for years, and that I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Well you’re partially correct. The generic for PRESCRIPTION Prilosec has been out for years, but the generic for Prilosec(OTC) is brand new.
She then demands that I refund her the money, and give her the prescription back so she can take it somewhere where they will give her what she wants.
I inform her that we can not do this. The Rx has been filled and refilled a couple times by now, so by law, it can’t be given back, she’d need to have the other pharmacy call for a transfer, but that since its not marked DAW, by law, they can not give her the brand either.
She then demands a refund. Again, we can’t do that. If you can get the Dr. to write the new script, we’ll gladly do and exchange for the product, but she can’t just get a refund.
She calls me an asshole and slams the phone down.
Why is this our fault?
YOUR doctor didn’t write the script DAW when you told him you wanted brand. YOU didn’t notice until you got home. and complained we didn’t tell you. We did. On your patient leaflet it says in plain english, in big letters: Generic substituted. There is a green sticker on the bottle and leaflet, that says : “This is the same medication your have been getting, but the color and or shape may be different.”
People like her make it hard to keep a civil tone. You want so badly to inform them that THEY are the one throwing the tantrum. But you can’t. Because they can write a letter, and say you were rude.
Tags: Frustrations, People | |
May 2nd, 2008
Posted by
lb969cpht |
Uncategorized |
no comments
