I mentioned that my last post wasn't my craziest phone call ever so I thought I would tell you about my craziest phone call ever. It happened when I was still an intern about 2 years ago. I answered the phone and this is what happened.
Me: Hello, Shopko pharmacy this is Jen.
Man: Yes, I was wondering if you could help me with something.
Me: Sure, I can see what I can do.
Man: Well, ya see I have my meat here and me and my woman are trying to do the hibbity-dibbity and I can't get it up. Is there something I can do about that?
Me: Well...uh. (I'm thinking, is this guy serious because if he is, I can't laugh at him but if he isn't I should hang up on him. But just in case he is serious I have to give good customer service so I tried to answer his question).
Man: Isn't there something over the counter I can take for this?
Me: Well, the only things I know about that are proven to help with this problem are only available with a prescription.
Man: Are you sure there isn't something over the counter I can use.
Me: No sir, there is not anything that I would recommend for you that is over the counter. You may want to call GNC. They might have something herbal for you to try.
So, I have to admit, I have recommended several crazy individuals such as the man on the phone to GNC. I always wonder if there is some poor guy working there who gets to help the weird ED guy as well as the little high school girl from India who wanted something to enhance her breast size.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Crazy Fake Nurses
I had a pretty crazy phone call the other day. It definitley wasn't my weirdest one ever but it is up there. It was 9:00 on a Thursday morning and I was by myself with 3 of my techs. I answered the phone and a man with a hispanic accent is on the other end....the fact that he is a man with a hispanic accent is very important to the story. Here is the conversation...seriously.
Me: Hello, Shopko pharmacy this is Jen.
Nurse: Yes I would like to call in a prescription, can I speak to the pharmacist.
Me: That's me.
Nurse: (speaking quickly in hispanic) Oh, great. I would like to call in a prescription for Andy Anderson (name change). I need to call in Lortab 5/500...then there is another 5 off to the side I guess you know what that means. And the doctor is Dr. Swenson, you have filled for him before. And...
Me: Hold on, what is your name?
Nurse: Darcy.
Me: (I'm thinking this guys name is Darcy....) And your a nurse?
Darcy: Yeah, what's up? (lots of attitude)
Me: And what was the doctors name?
Darcy: Dr. Swenson, duh.
Me: And where are you calling from?
Darcy: (more attitude) Tanzana.
Me: And where is that?
Darcy: (even more attitude) LA! Hello! What is up with that?
Me: And your really a nurse?
Darcy: Yeah dude, what you don't believe me? (remember the hispanic accent from a boy named Darcy)
Me: Yeah, actually I don't believe you. I think you are trying to call in a fraudulant script. What is your phone number?
Darcy: What's up? Why do you want that?
Me: Because I am going to call you back and verify this script.
Darcy: Fine, it is 818-555-3938 and I will answer the phone when you call.
Me: Alright, sounds good.
I was being as polite as possible with my comments but my tone was definitely not polite when I was talking to Darcy. I was so mad at this point at this so-called-nurses rude attitude and arrogance. I had silenced all the techs and everyones attention was directed at me when I accused the nurse of trying to call in a fraudulant script. So I called the number back. And Darcy did not answer. A girl answered the phone:
Girl: Doctors office.
Me: Yes, is this Dr. Swanson's office?
Girl: Yes, it is.
Me: Yes, I would like to speak to Dr. Swanson please.
Girl: He isn't here today. Would you like to speak to his nurse Darcy.
Me: No I would not. Is there someone else I could talk to?
Girl: No there isn't he is the only nurse here today.
I thought it was kind of weird that there was no doctor in the office and that the only nurse was the hispanic boy named Darcy. So I told them to fax the prescription to me because I refused to talk to Darcy again. However, no fax came that day. In fact Darcy called later that night after I was off work and attempted to call it in to one of my coworkers. However, I had told them the whole story and my co-workers told them we would not fill prescription. Fraudulant script averted!! I couldn't believe how upset this person made me. I wish you could of heard the little boy named Darcy mouth off to me and try to get a narcotic filled from 3 states away. Yeah right buddy, only a rookie would fill that script.
Me: Hello, Shopko pharmacy this is Jen.
Nurse: Yes I would like to call in a prescription, can I speak to the pharmacist.
Me: That's me.
Nurse: (speaking quickly in hispanic) Oh, great. I would like to call in a prescription for Andy Anderson (name change). I need to call in Lortab 5/500...then there is another 5 off to the side I guess you know what that means. And the doctor is Dr. Swenson, you have filled for him before. And...
Me: Hold on, what is your name?
Nurse: Darcy.
Me: (I'm thinking this guys name is Darcy....) And your a nurse?
Darcy: Yeah, what's up? (lots of attitude)
Me: And what was the doctors name?
Darcy: Dr. Swenson, duh.
Me: And where are you calling from?
Darcy: (more attitude) Tanzana.
Me: And where is that?
Darcy: (even more attitude) LA! Hello! What is up with that?
Me: And your really a nurse?
Darcy: Yeah dude, what you don't believe me? (remember the hispanic accent from a boy named Darcy)
Me: Yeah, actually I don't believe you. I think you are trying to call in a fraudulant script. What is your phone number?
Darcy: What's up? Why do you want that?
Me: Because I am going to call you back and verify this script.
Darcy: Fine, it is 818-555-3938 and I will answer the phone when you call.
Me: Alright, sounds good.
I was being as polite as possible with my comments but my tone was definitely not polite when I was talking to Darcy. I was so mad at this point at this so-called-nurses rude attitude and arrogance. I had silenced all the techs and everyones attention was directed at me when I accused the nurse of trying to call in a fraudulant script. So I called the number back. And Darcy did not answer. A girl answered the phone:
Girl: Doctors office.
Me: Yes, is this Dr. Swanson's office?
Girl: Yes, it is.
Me: Yes, I would like to speak to Dr. Swanson please.
Girl: He isn't here today. Would you like to speak to his nurse Darcy.
Me: No I would not. Is there someone else I could talk to?
Girl: No there isn't he is the only nurse here today.
I thought it was kind of weird that there was no doctor in the office and that the only nurse was the hispanic boy named Darcy. So I told them to fax the prescription to me because I refused to talk to Darcy again. However, no fax came that day. In fact Darcy called later that night after I was off work and attempted to call it in to one of my coworkers. However, I had told them the whole story and my co-workers told them we would not fill prescription. Fraudulant script averted!! I couldn't believe how upset this person made me. I wish you could of heard the little boy named Darcy mouth off to me and try to get a narcotic filled from 3 states away. Yeah right buddy, only a rookie would fill that script.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
You want the truth??
Okay, so sometimes as a pharmacist you don't tell the whole truth. Take the following story as an example. A lady came to the drop off window with a prescription for an anti-depressant. I told her it would take about 5 to 10 minutes and went ahead and filled it. After she was rung up she wanted to be counseled on the prescription.
Customer: "So I was wondering if I could drink a few beers while I'm taking this medication."
Me: "Oh yeah, that is okay. There is no interaction with this medication and alcohol. Although, at first until you get used to it may make you a little drowsy and alcohol could intesify that side effect."
Customer: "But if I just have a beer or two that is okay."
Me: "Yeah, no problem."
Customer: "What if I drink like two or three beers a day, is that okay?"
Me: (Actually, I was thinking at this point well, I thought we were talking about the ocassional drink but you are talking about drinking like 2 or 3 beers a day, I'm pretty sure that makes you an alcoholic...but I don't really want to get into that with you so...) "That's okay."
Here is a case where I don't tell the whole truth. The only reason anyone would be drinking 3 beers a day is if they are in college (which this lady has far surpassed and I am pretty sure never went) or if they are an alcoholic. Of course you shouldn't be drinking that much lady!! The whole truth is that it is not okay to drink 3 beers a day, but the partial truth and my answer to keep my counsel session short and sweet, is yes, you can drink with this medication.
Customer: "So I was wondering if I could drink a few beers while I'm taking this medication."
Me: "Oh yeah, that is okay. There is no interaction with this medication and alcohol. Although, at first until you get used to it may make you a little drowsy and alcohol could intesify that side effect."
Customer: "But if I just have a beer or two that is okay."
Me: "Yeah, no problem."
Customer: "What if I drink like two or three beers a day, is that okay?"
Me: (Actually, I was thinking at this point well, I thought we were talking about the ocassional drink but you are talking about drinking like 2 or 3 beers a day, I'm pretty sure that makes you an alcoholic...but I don't really want to get into that with you so...) "That's okay."
Here is a case where I don't tell the whole truth. The only reason anyone would be drinking 3 beers a day is if they are in college (which this lady has far surpassed and I am pretty sure never went) or if they are an alcoholic. Of course you shouldn't be drinking that much lady!! The whole truth is that it is not okay to drink 3 beers a day, but the partial truth and my answer to keep my counsel session short and sweet, is yes, you can drink with this medication.
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