Those of us practicing pharmacy full time here in Florida have to deal with them. That's right. We're talkin' snowbirds. Especially those pushy assholes with money who think they can snap their fingers and we'll drop what we're doing to wait hand-and-foot on them.
Take Friday. I had this old New Yorker (who was already jacked up) looking for a blood pressure machine. So I stop trying to re-bill 7 prescriptions to a new Medicare Part D customer (who later bitched about her copay) and he wanted the, "most expensive one you got." So I show him the Omniron brand for $100. "Nope, I want a wrist BP machine," replies Mr. Cheery-Ass, and I show him the $70 and he takes it and leaves. I think I'm done, right? Wrong! He comes back later, again as I'm in the middle of re billing Humana, and he stars badgering me about the return policy. At this point, I tell this asshole that I'm not sure of what it is, but I would be more than happy to get in touch with the service desk, and find out that piece of info he was desperately seeking (turns out 90 days and it was printed on his receipt.) "It's your job to know, he screams. "You're an employee here and you have to know.
"Sir, I don't know. When I don't know something, I ask." I am a pharmacist, not a store manager. I am not required to know this, and I will refer you to the store manager." The dickhead storms off. Good Riddance.
I am not this way will 99.9% of my customers, but every year I get at least one seasonal asshole. This was it. I need a drink.
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Tonight's Episode: "Nutjobs Are Everywhere," or "Cardinal Distribution: The Evil Scum of Pharmacy."
Pick your topic. I was off since the last post, except for 2 days at another pharmacy in my chain in a city 60 miles away. Here's the gist of tonight's episode:
1) In addition to dealing with an older, yet nicer gentleman who would rather be fishing than practicing pharmacy, AND a floater who is not quite competent in retail (but yet an excellent MBA Hospital pharmacy management type) and the mess they create, I also have to deal with a new set of nuts, elderly Alzheimer's, etc. Tonight's capper is this schizophrenic who insisted I was having the bad day, instead of her and her voices in her head. Told her to "try and have a better day," she flipped out. After paying $20 for 10 generic Vicoprofen. Must be hooked.
2) Cardinal decided to "turn off a switch" at their local distribution center, and consequently, all of our chain's deliveries were not sent. That means all drugs owed instantly doubled. Luckily I have the day off tomorrow and above floater can deal with the mess.
On a lighter note, I went to a small pharmacy-only school in the Midwest. Sort of a high school more than a college (double secret probation and all). Anyway, a fella a year behind me lives down here in the town I was in, and we had time to talk about life, classmates, our hatred of the BS in pharmacy etc. He's an independent; told him I don't have the guts to do it. Remembrance of times of mullets, bad rock bands, etc.
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
1) In addition to dealing with an older, yet nicer gentleman who would rather be fishing than practicing pharmacy, AND a floater who is not quite competent in retail (but yet an excellent MBA Hospital pharmacy management type) and the mess they create, I also have to deal with a new set of nuts, elderly Alzheimer's, etc. Tonight's capper is this schizophrenic who insisted I was having the bad day, instead of her and her voices in her head. Told her to "try and have a better day," she flipped out. After paying $20 for 10 generic Vicoprofen. Must be hooked.
2) Cardinal decided to "turn off a switch" at their local distribution center, and consequently, all of our chain's deliveries were not sent. That means all drugs owed instantly doubled. Luckily I have the day off tomorrow and above floater can deal with the mess.
On a lighter note, I went to a small pharmacy-only school in the Midwest. Sort of a high school more than a college (double secret probation and all). Anyway, a fella a year behind me lives down here in the town I was in, and we had time to talk about life, classmates, our hatred of the BS in pharmacy etc. He's an independent; told him I don't have the guts to do it. Remembrance of times of mullets, bad rock bands, etc.
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Season: The double-egded sword
Season. It's roughly the period between Christmas and Easter, give or take a couple of weeks. This is the time all South Florida pharmacies make up ground in volume and sales (and yet margins stay flat). It's also the time of 30-40 transfers per day, mostly to competitors up North, dealing with the seasonal snooty customers, longer waits on the Cardinal driver, etc. The past few day were no exception.
Now add in the Medicare Part D bulls**t. "Why is my co-pay so much," is the popular refrain, and yet since I am submitting the claim, I should have the answers. I print out the claims transmission info on a sheet of paper and have the customer look at it, but still the questions. My replies of, "we only transmit claims, we have no information on your plan," and, "you'll need to contact the toll-free customer service number on the back of your card," usually go with a blank stare. They do NOT teach us insurance in pharmacy school.
Why we are all not alcoholics I don't know. Next time: Why Cardinal sucks the big one.
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
Now add in the Medicare Part D bulls**t. "Why is my co-pay so much," is the popular refrain, and yet since I am submitting the claim, I should have the answers. I print out the claims transmission info on a sheet of paper and have the customer look at it, but still the questions. My replies of, "we only transmit claims, we have no information on your plan," and, "you'll need to contact the toll-free customer service number on the back of your card," usually go with a blank stare. They do NOT teach us insurance in pharmacy school.
Why we are all not alcoholics I don't know. Next time: Why Cardinal sucks the big one.
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
Friday, January 12, 2007
A f**king mess, Part Deux
It was very quiet until 3:30PM, then the you-know-what hit the fan:
1) I have a patient who is a retired dentist. She's a sweet old lady, but with a Russian accent (female version of Boris Badinov..must kill moose and squirrel). She's having an aneurysm about her Aciphex requiring a prior auth. from Medco (DIE MEDCO!!!!!!!!!!!). After multiple calls from us and her to the MD's office, and her 5th call today to me, I suggest she page MD on call and say it's a medical urgency. Turns out the MD was in surgery, and was interrupted about this. It was taken care of in 5 minutes.
2) I have a very good family practitioner down the street from me, and we send each other business. He is my actual primary care physician. So this new patient comes in looking for her prescriptions, but she doesn't know what they are. She informs me she's "moved here from California for the grand kids, and hates Florida!" Anyway after 20 minutes of trying to page the MD, he gets back and has no idea about this, the suddenly remembers Caduet and Tricor was ordered. One problem, I didn't have them in stock. Go to CVS they are now in Kal-ee-for-knee-uh.
3) I have a kidney transplant patient getting #90 25mg and #60 100mg Gengraf a month, and I make sure this is in stock. Today, I went to fill the prescriptions, and there was no 100mg. My dipsh*t partner had cleared out the part in the PDX computer to reorder. Had to order an extra 25mg box, as we will have to eat this. Smooth move, ex-Lax.
I still need a beer
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
1) I have a patient who is a retired dentist. She's a sweet old lady, but with a Russian accent (female version of Boris Badinov..must kill moose and squirrel). She's having an aneurysm about her Aciphex requiring a prior auth. from Medco (DIE MEDCO!!!!!!!!!!!). After multiple calls from us and her to the MD's office, and her 5th call today to me, I suggest she page MD on call and say it's a medical urgency. Turns out the MD was in surgery, and was interrupted about this. It was taken care of in 5 minutes.
2) I have a very good family practitioner down the street from me, and we send each other business. He is my actual primary care physician. So this new patient comes in looking for her prescriptions, but she doesn't know what they are. She informs me she's "moved here from California for the grand kids, and hates Florida!" Anyway after 20 minutes of trying to page the MD, he gets back and has no idea about this, the suddenly remembers Caduet and Tricor was ordered. One problem, I didn't have them in stock. Go to CVS they are now in Kal-ee-for-knee-uh.
3) I have a kidney transplant patient getting #90 25mg and #60 100mg Gengraf a month, and I make sure this is in stock. Today, I went to fill the prescriptions, and there was no 100mg. My dipsh*t partner had cleared out the part in the PDX computer to reorder. Had to order an extra 25mg box, as we will have to eat this. Smooth move, ex-Lax.
I still need a beer
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
Thursday, January 11, 2007
What a f**king mess!
Take a week off, and look what crap I get to deal with.
1) All these freakin' snowbirds and their transfers. Well, the customers are alright, they usually can wait a day. It's just the damned pharmacists up north. I either get one of 2 responses: a) "bet the weather is not down there," well no shit, Sherlock. South Florida tends to be warmer than the remaining 47 contiguous states, and b) "bet you do transfers all day." Another brilliant observation. Just as brilliant as the Bush plan to increase troops in Iraq.
2) My technician is a f**king spaz. She has trouble entering in a new script, she can put in a new insurance card (even after I have showed her time and time again), she doesn't pay attention to what she's doing (and can't remember what she does 5 minutes after she does it), etc. She was a tech for 12 years with this same company, but what the hell did she do? She paces like a bull in a China shop when she's nervous, and/or she has nothing to do. And then she takes a 60 minute lunch, and has an aneurysm when I didn't get to have lunch. What a f**king nut!
3) We have a customer that brings items to the counter, pays for her prescription only, then leaves through the Garden Shop without paying for them (telling the cashier in the garden shop she had paid for them). Today, I had the LP supervisor (the one with the nice female allocations) follow her. Didn't see the cops, so she must've paid.
4) Had someone from North Carolina want #120 Endocet 10-325mg for $70.00 his Kmart was price matching an independent. Told him the best I could do was $92 Costco offers; he took the script elsewhere. Cheers!
5) and to top things off, my pharmacy DM has put me in charge of scheduling a pharmacy 75 miles away! All because I asked to work one extra shift! Wrong!
God I need a beer, but I'm out. Guess I'll have to have a caffeine free Diet Coke.
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
1) All these freakin' snowbirds and their transfers. Well, the customers are alright, they usually can wait a day. It's just the damned pharmacists up north. I either get one of 2 responses: a) "bet the weather is not down there," well no shit, Sherlock. South Florida tends to be warmer than the remaining 47 contiguous states, and b) "bet you do transfers all day." Another brilliant observation. Just as brilliant as the Bush plan to increase troops in Iraq.
2) My technician is a f**king spaz. She has trouble entering in a new script, she can put in a new insurance card (even after I have showed her time and time again), she doesn't pay attention to what she's doing (and can't remember what she does 5 minutes after she does it), etc. She was a tech for 12 years with this same company, but what the hell did she do? She paces like a bull in a China shop when she's nervous, and/or she has nothing to do. And then she takes a 60 minute lunch, and has an aneurysm when I didn't get to have lunch. What a f**king nut!
3) We have a customer that brings items to the counter, pays for her prescription only, then leaves through the Garden Shop without paying for them (telling the cashier in the garden shop she had paid for them). Today, I had the LP supervisor (the one with the nice female allocations) follow her. Didn't see the cops, so she must've paid.
4) Had someone from North Carolina want #120 Endocet 10-325mg for $70.00 his Kmart was price matching an independent. Told him the best I could do was $92 Costco offers; he took the script elsewhere. Cheers!
5) and to top things off, my pharmacy DM has put me in charge of scheduling a pharmacy 75 miles away! All because I asked to work one extra shift! Wrong!
God I need a beer, but I'm out. Guess I'll have to have a caffeine free Diet Coke.
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Medicare Part D Hijinx
Well, I'm glad I had the last 2 days off. Awful, ain't it? Medicare Part D(isaster) Part Deux. Same crap as last year. Everyone waiting to fill scripts until after the new year, and usually the 1st week. Servers being overloaded (like merging 6 lanes of traffic into 2). People having to pay deductibles and co-pays going up and the pharmacy staff being bitched at. New formularies, prior authorizations, quantity limits STOP THE GOD DAMNED INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually 2 improvements were made, in my eyes:
1) AARP now goes through Prescription Solutions, a much better company to deal with vs. Walgreens
2) BC/BS Florida goes through Prime Therapeutics, although everything on a 90 days supply is now right at cost. Still better than Medco. DIE MEDCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone sniveling over their insurance and I hand them the phone!
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
Actually 2 improvements were made, in my eyes:
1) AARP now goes through Prescription Solutions, a much better company to deal with vs. Walgreens
2) BC/BS Florida goes through Prime Therapeutics, although everything on a 90 days supply is now right at cost. Still better than Medco. DIE MEDCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone sniveling over their insurance and I hand them the phone!
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Happy New Year..yeah, happy. Right.
Just an hour away from 2007 and I'm already dreading Tuesday. Thank God were closed Monday. It was an eventful weekend:
1) The snowbirds are here en force. Filled 60 scripts on Saturday and 30 were out-of-state transfers. And I'll be dammed that most were maintenance meds I didn't reorder during the summer.
2) Got quite a few requests to "loan" a few pills to those who are in the donut hole, then bill in the new year. I told them this would jeopardize their fills for February as we would get the "refill too soon" reject, and they'll be S.O.L. I did leave 2 for the PIC, just to piss her off!
3) Had the sister of one our elderly customers come in today with 7 scripts, 3 of which I didn't have. One was Aranesp, which is mucho dinero. When I told the sister about the expense ($2300 for 4 pre-filled syringes), she nearly broke down in tears. She wanted to know why the "fly-by-night" nursing home and doctor didn't tell her this was expensive. I started the spiel about that's not their primary concern, they worry about treating patients conditions, etc. Since this customer is a Medicare Part D holdout, I told the sis to contact the attending MD for advisement on Aranesp, and handed her an AARP Medicare Part D brochure. Told her that she has til midnight to sing up.
4) There's a swamp town 40 miles away and we're the closest pharmacy to it. The daughter of one of our regulars from down there (pretty hot) brought her Mom's scripts in to fill. I had 4 of the 6. She said she went to 3 different CVS' and was given a wait time of 1, 2 and 3 hours. Had them done in 10 minutes. She winked at me as she left. I was aroused!
5) While doing the end-of-the-month C-II count (while the lights were out and the "Pharmacy Closed" sign was in plain view) I had several hecklers asking me where things were. I gave them the DrugNazi stare and proceeded doing my thing.
I love retail. I need a beer!
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
1) The snowbirds are here en force. Filled 60 scripts on Saturday and 30 were out-of-state transfers. And I'll be dammed that most were maintenance meds I didn't reorder during the summer.
2) Got quite a few requests to "loan" a few pills to those who are in the donut hole, then bill in the new year. I told them this would jeopardize their fills for February as we would get the "refill too soon" reject, and they'll be S.O.L. I did leave 2 for the PIC, just to piss her off!
3) Had the sister of one our elderly customers come in today with 7 scripts, 3 of which I didn't have. One was Aranesp, which is mucho dinero. When I told the sister about the expense ($2300 for 4 pre-filled syringes), she nearly broke down in tears. She wanted to know why the "fly-by-night" nursing home and doctor didn't tell her this was expensive. I started the spiel about that's not their primary concern, they worry about treating patients conditions, etc. Since this customer is a Medicare Part D holdout, I told the sis to contact the attending MD for advisement on Aranesp, and handed her an AARP Medicare Part D brochure. Told her that she has til midnight to sing up.
4) There's a swamp town 40 miles away and we're the closest pharmacy to it. The daughter of one of our regulars from down there (pretty hot) brought her Mom's scripts in to fill. I had 4 of the 6. She said she went to 3 different CVS' and was given a wait time of 1, 2 and 3 hours. Had them done in 10 minutes. She winked at me as she left. I was aroused!
5) While doing the end-of-the-month C-II count (while the lights were out and the "Pharmacy Closed" sign was in plain view) I had several hecklers asking me where things were. I gave them the DrugNazi stare and proceeded doing my thing.
I love retail. I need a beer!
Later taters
The Reel Deel
email me: thereeldeel@earthlink.net
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