Transfers..Not that simple!

Yesterday, an older couple dropped off a prescription to be filled at my pharmacy. I registered them and gave an estimated pickup time of 20 minutes and they proceeded to shop. They came back in 20 minutes and were shocked to find their prescriptions ready on time. Then came one of the most dreaded question, "I want to transfer all my prescriptions over from WalMart. Can you put that in?"

*Blank stare from me*

That pretty much means the guy doesn't know about the process of transfers. I explained how the pharmacist would have to call the other pharmacist at the other pharmacy to get the prescription transferred from WalMart over to us.

" Well, what if sometimes WalMart is closer? What if I want to pick it up from WalMart next month and then from you guys the following? I mean, it depends on which pharmacy is closer at the time anyway"

I explained how ONE pharmacy is able to hold the prescription and it can't be split up among two completely different pharmacies. He got all huffy with me and goes "FINE, how are your prices here?! How much are they??"

PROBLEM: You didn't tell me the name of the prescription, whether or not you have insurance, quantity, frequency, etc..

It gets worse...

"Oh, I don't have the pharmacy's number.. I dont remember the name of the prescriptions - there's a whole bunch.. I can tell you what they're for though! I have a blood pressure one that's 'stronger' than Norvasc which I use to take. Umm... a cholesterol one that Dr....hmm...Dr.....Nguyen! Yea! Dr. Nguyen prescribed me. One for testosterone........(this goes on) And I have insurance.. But one time I filled at Target before and my copay was different so how much is it here? I dont have the card either...they changed..If it's more, than I'll stay at WalMart"

*#&^$&*#*#$*& you freakin idiot! You mean to tell me that you want me to jot down these medications that you don't know the name of to be transferred from a pharmacy that you don't the telephone number of to be billed under the insurance of the card you don't have."

Get this...He wanted to wait!!! 'It shouldnt take long should it? You just need to call?'

At this point I had it...ONE pharmacist is on duty and she's counseling a patient at the consultation window (there were 2 people behind her in line to be counseled) , the phone kept ringing and it's a nurse calling in a prescription but demanded to talk to the pharmacist no matter how long it would take, and there's a patient standing at the pickup window refusing to move all while complaining how unproductive our pharmacy is because she is certain a dr called in a prescription for her daughter and bet its on the voicemail and keeps saying 'GEEZ, what the HELL is taking so long?! If your pharmacist keeps talking to those people, she'll never get to it! How hard is it to check the freakin voicemail?! Isn't there a law that states how often you're required to check it????'

After taking care of everything else and getting the script off the voicemail, I scan the prescription to be typed and she goes 'OMG this is taking tooo long - is it dont yet?!?!' I tell her that we just got it off the voicemail and I'm inputting it into the computer so if she would like to have a seat, I can rush it for her... Her response? 'NO WAY, if I do, you'll start helping other people and mines will take longer. Noooooooowayyy'

She's tapping her fingers on the counter and keeps sighing and glancing at her watch and then exclaims 'Well, if you were just waiting for the pharmacist to check the voicemail first - why didn't yet get it ready while she was checking it??? That would've been smart and quicker.



Why are people so impatient these days??? It ticks me off!!

Oh yea, some lady dropped off a prescription in drive-thru and when asked to return in 30 minutes, she thought it was ABSURD to have to comeback instead of waiting for it.