When a patient gives too much backstory just to ask for a refill
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@laurenthepharmacytech
When a patient gives too much backstory just to ask for a refill
When you ask a patient if they have insurance and they say no, but then you ring them out and they hand you an insurance card
this is why its depressing to work in a pharmacy.
I was definitely a profit killer when I worked in a pharmacy (which honestly was my favorite job in the entire world, but it was short-lived and nowadays you can’t work at a pharmacy like that, it’s all tied in with corporate retail and no one should ever trust me with a cash register ever). It was not, however, actually a profit killer for the pharmacy, just for the drug companies, so no one cared. These days I do medical billing, which means I actually bill OUT from hospitals so I’m mostly spending my professional time taking money away from insurance companies.
I will now impart all of my profit killing resources onto you, in case you don’t know them. I think most of you know them, now. But just in case you don’t.
THIS IS US-CENTRIC. I’M SORRY.
1. GoodRx - this thing has an app now, so you can look up the best places to get your expensive medicines at the lowest possible prices without insurance on the go, and you no longer have to print coupons because you can just hand over your phone or tablet. Times have changed for the better with GoodRx. Definitely use it before trying to fill your scrip, because it will tell you the best place to go. (You can do that on the website, too.)
2. NeedyMeds - Needymeds is basically the clearinghouse of drug payment assistance. They have their own discount cards, but also connections to many patient assistance programs run by drug companies themselves. They are good assistance programs, too.
3. Ask your county - This is not a link. This is a pro tip. Most county social services will have pharmacy discount programs for people with no and/or shitty pharmaceutical coverage. You can often just find them hanging around at social services offices; you can just pick one up and walk off with it.
4. Ordering online - There are a few safe online pharmacies. I keep a little database in a text file on my computer. Most of them are courtesy of CFS forums, my mother or voidbat, so a lot of that is a hat tip to other people, but if you’re in need of a place to get a drug without a prescription … first I’ll make sure you 100% know what you’re doing for safety reasons and then I’m happy to turn over a link.
5. Healthfinder - A government resource that helps find patient assistance programs in your area. This might also point out the convenient county card thing. RxHope is something a lot of people get pointed to via Healthfinder that’s a good program.
6. Mental Health America - Keeps a list of their best PAPs for psychiatric medications, which can be some of the most expensive and a lot of pharmacy plans don’t cover them at all.
This is so important ppl.
Signal boost the shit out of it!
Booooooooooooooooooost
Good Rx Saved my family a hundred dollars a month while I was getting signed up for CHIP seriously it’s a life savor especially for ridiculously expensive drugs like abilify
Useful info, friends! ;)
Since many of our followers are on medications, I feel like this would be an important resource. -Luna
Also! Some drug companies have patient assistance programs where they send you the drug for FREE if you are uninsured, or if your insurance doesn’t cover that drug.
Do a Google search for “patient assistant programs” + (your med), or search the manufacturers website. Sometimes the info is online; other times you have to call.
Even some of the big name pharma companies have this. It’s certainly not all companies, or all meds, but it is worth a shot.
Before Obamacare, I lost insurance and couldn’t pay for my mood stabilizers (kiiiiinda important to have those when you’re bipolar.) I was on generic Lamictal, but I went to the official Lamictal website, filled out a form with a valid prescription, and they mailed my meds to me every month for free.
If you know anything about bipolar disease, you know that that was a literal life saver. Patient assistance programs ftw!
This is so important given the recent vote to repeal Obamacare. And the cartoon above is so on point They’re literally voting to kill people. Literally.
When medication says “do not operate heavy machinery” they’re probably mainly referring to cars, but my mind always goes to forklift.
Gross!!!
I was talking with my new coworkers, telling stories, and I was reminded of something that happened a few months after i started working at cvs.
It was close to closing. It was just my pharmacy manager and myself. A female patient walked up saying she was had a question regarding her vagifem. I walked her over to consultation to have my pharmacist speak with her. Another patient was waiting at pickup so I went to assist him.
I couldn’t hear the whole conversation between the patient and my pharmacist because I was assisting the other customer, but what I did hear… omg.
From what I got, her vagifem applicator was clogged or broken and she couldn’t get anything to come out. She brought in a used applicator… The pharmacist grabbed it before she ever explained this.
He immediately dropped it. When he finished helping her, he walked up to me with his hands out, saying, “Eww. Eww. Eww. I touched it.”
He proceeded to wash his hands 4 times and apply copious amounts of hand sanitizer. I asked if he felt better and he replied, “I’m still not clean enough.”
Retail Confession #2
If you tell me to “Hurry up,” be prepared to be late for whatever you’re in such a rush for.
It’s happened. I will be starting my new job on the 14th. I’m so excited. The sad news is that this blog will officially be ending. I wish only the best for the pharmacy community on here, and I look forward to reading all of your stories.
Goodbye
*internal screaming*
I’m so sick of being left alone with the newbies. Nothing against them. They work really hard, but they don’t know how to do a lot, even though we have showed them multiple times.
Last night it was me, a floater, and 2 newbies, for 6 hours. I really considered calling out. The newbie that has been there for close a year now, messed up so much last night. She sent a workers comp prior auth to the doctors office. She typed a promethazine susp as tablets. She never puts the right doctor or date. I spent a huge portion of the night cleaning up her mess. So I put her on a task basically to get her out of my way.
And now today. My lead tech, who makes our schedules, wants to leave early and leave me with a newbie for 4 hours. I’m already not in a good mood, and she’s making it worse.
Sorry for the rant, but I so badly needed it. I am still waiting for my new job to contact me with my start date. It’s now been 2 weeks. Every update I get is, still waiting, hopefully by the end of the week, we will let you know. Please just tell me I can start already.
Anyway. I hope everyone else is doing well. Enjoying pharmacy life and such.
Does anyone else have this problem?
Me: *sees a regular come in* Hi how are you doing today Mr./Mrs. Smith.
Mr./Mrs. Smith: I'm here to pick up. My name is Mr./Mrs. Smith.
I know your name. I literally just said it.
“It’s been a long week,” I say in the middle of the day on Monday.
???
If you take your prescription back, why would I contact your insurance for a prior auth?
No need to be rude
A car broke down in our drive thru lane 1 today, which is the pick up lane. So while the customer waited for a friend to come help her, cars began to move over to drive thru 2, which is drop off ONLY. Every one of them asking if they could pick up in that lane. I apologized, and explained that we are not allowed to send scripts through the pneumatic tube.
The first guy got mad and sped away, I then saw him in the store moments later. A few people just left and said there’d be back later. But then a regular came by. She drove up to lane 2, asked if she could pick up in that lane. When I apologized and told her that she could not, her response was, “well that’s just great isn’t it.” She then stormed into the store and made a scene.
I don't know why everyone acted like it was my fault the car broke down, and my fault they had to come inside. I can’t wait to start my new job and never look back at retail again.
Had a patient keep me on the phone for 30 minutes because he was upset we messed up his priscription. But how did we mess up his prescription? We gave him a different manufacturer than he gets at the VA. No matter how many times I told him it was the same, and that we don't know what manufacturer the VA carries, and that if he wanted a specific manufacturer either him or the doctor need to specify that, there was no getting through to him. He finally ended the conversation by asking if I would be at the store tomorrow, when I said yes, he said he'll bring it in tomorrow to show me.
Sorry for the long period of inactivity. I have been on a little vacation, which was disrupted multiple times by my work. I also had been busy with my potential new job. About that, after a lot of back and forth emailing, I had my official interview, which I thought I bombed. So I was more than ready to throw in the towel. However, funny story, my boss texted me yesterday saying they called and spoke with her. And that she gave them a great recommendation for me. Only problem… I didn’t tell her I was going through this process. I now have to go back to work on Tuesday and talk with her. Oops. But it’s ok. Whatever happens happens.
I promise I will post more. I had some stories from before I went on vacation, and I will post those… if I remember them.
What's your name?
Me: thank you for calling ... pharmacy, my name is Lauren how can I help you.
Old lady: what did you say your name was?
Me: Lauren.
Old lady: Corwin?
Me: no, Lauren.
Old lady: Foren?
Me: no, Lauren. L...a...u...r...e...n.
Old lady: oh.
Now imagine her last comment sounding like she was disgusted by my name.
So, I have some good and bad news. I may be leaving my position in the retail store soon. There are no guarantees yet, but it’s a very big opportunity for me to better my future. I’m super nervous and excited.
The bad news is, this blog may be coming to an end. I’m super sad, especially because I just started, and I’m enjoying the pharmacy community on here. You are all amazing. To all of my followers, I’m sorry. I truly enjoy the feedback and the way that you all just understand. We are all stuck in our personal slices of hell, but I may have found a way out.
I hope you all wish me luck. And I promise to keep you updated, and of course bring more crazy stories.