Awkard "Pharmacy" moment......

[UGAgal]

I had to share this story because while it was quite awkard it does show the reality that the pharmacies are really not buying the stories people give anymore.

Today I had to run to my mom and pop pharmacy that I have used for years to get my compounded testerone picked up. I had a hysterectomy at the age of 32 so now I am on hormones, and testerone. Anyways it wasnt quite ready and I was standing there waiting. The pharmacy is in the bottom of a medical office building and are quite busy all the time.

This lady comes in, dirty as all get out. I mean like hasnt had a bath in a month dirty. Stunk like there was no tomorrow and was shaking REALLY REALLY bad. She drew everyone's attention. She handed over her scripts to the tech and waited. The pharmacist calls her over to consult with her and I was standing right there by chance looking at some vitamins that I was wanting to purchase for my kids since we were almost out.

He tells her he can not fill her scripts until next Friday. That she has "plenty" OF medication and this is 8 days early. She told him her doctor gave her a new script because she "lost" her other one and to fill it. He explained that last month she filled 5 days early even though by law they are only suppose to do 3 days early on this type of med. And now she is trying to get another one 8 days early from the date of the last refill and she still should have meds. He would not fill this med for her.

She told him to give her back the scripts. He knew EXACTLY what she was going to do. He explained to her if he gave them back she would not be allowed to return to his pharmacy for 1 year. And that he has patients that travel over 150 miles ONE WAY to pick up this pain med because no one carries it. That she can not come to him next week or next month saying she can not get it filled somewhere because they will not fill it. So from the SOUNDS of it - it is one of the very high opiod meds like Oxy that no pharmacy is filling around these areas right now here in Georgia.

Anywho - she starts screaming at him to give her damn script back. It was VERY awkard for about 5 other people that were standing there waiting and the pharmacist was trying so hard to be quiet and to consult with her one on one without anyone hearing but she wasnt having it.

At this point I have moved away from the area and started looking at this lady standing beside me weird and rolled my eyes as she did the same. So the pharmacist takes the script and writes on the script right next to the doctor's notes "Can not fill before X date due to being 8 das early" and hands it back to the woman. SHE WENT APE SHIT on him. She knew she was going to have to go back to her doctor to get a new hand written script and that they were going to frown on this. It was crazy.

As soon as the woman walked out with her scripts as she is cussing and sreaming and still shaking like crazy, the pharmacist CALLED the doctor and told them what happened. The doctor apparently was PISSED that she has been filling early and called them to get a new script while telling them a nice lie. Sooooo..... I think the woman is going to have one hell of a weekend withdrawel from what I gathered. The pharmacist was consulting with the other pharmacist when he got off the phone, but you can still hear. The doc had apparently told him she wasnt getting another written script.


First I felt bad for her. I mean ok I get it. But she did come off very drug seeky - to the point to where even I was like ok lady you are really addicted here. It was just weird.

Second- I did not know a pharmacist could write on your script like that if you ask for it back. Is this normal? I dont plan on ever doing that but that part floored me I guess because I have never seen that.


And here is one REALLY GOOD LAUGH FOR YOU TO END THE POST.... I was texting my 5 year old daughters best friend's mom right after to set up for the little girl to come over tomorrow night to spend the night. And I sent a text that I THOUGHT SAID:

"Taking the kids to see lorax tomorow night if that is ok"

I hadnt heard back from her so an hour later I check my text. I actually sent this thanks to autocorrect:

"Take the kds to see lorazepam tomorow night if that is ok"

No wonder she didnt write back. I had to call her and apologize like crazy and promised I was not giving her kids drugs! LOL It was also another awkard moment because she was like WTH I know you just had surgery and all...but they are like 5..... Then we had a good laugh....


Oh I must be on punked today or something... seriously all of this was within 1 hour.

[royce]

If you look on the back wall your pharmacy where they have the pictures and degrees posted, I am the one with my foot in my mouth.

I once suggested to my tech that the man with the saw-off shot shot gun pointed at us was on the wrong side of the counter.

True story.

[Swizzlestick]

A long time ago like 20+ years, SOWM (someone who isn't me) that I know used to refill his Dad's pain medication and then go pick them up.

SOWM's Dad had legitimate back trouble but did not really like pain meds and so there was always a med cabinet full of Tylenonl 4, valium, Darvocet, Vikes all C111 stuff with outstanding refills.

SOWM made this a pretty regular habit and came very comfortable calling pharmacy, requesting refill and then going in and picking up. One day, instead of pain meds and valium, the script waiting was for eye drops. Not wanting to make a fuss, SOWM took eye drops and left. Later, at SOWM's Dad's house, there was two bottle of pills on kitchen counter. The T-4 bottle was full of generic advil and the valium full of something other than valium. But they were right out in the open like bait. SOWM just left them (especially since they were not real meds).

A few months go by and SOWM was in bad shape and called in a refill on some Darvocet. After waiting for a while, SOWM went to pick up.

In a crowded pharmacy with lots of customers, the Pharmacist let SWOM know that they were no longer allowed to release scripts to them and that they should not come back to pharmacy.

SWOM was mortified, ashamed and embarrassed and ran out of pharmacy.

Also, SWOM and their Dad had a very unpleasant chat. SWOM's Dad should have put him in Rehab right then. Might have saved SWOM 20 + years worth of other trouble.

True story.

Swizzle

[salizander]

@UGAgal
I have had a pharmacist write on my scripts before giving them back to me! I was TWO days early, and the snotty woman pharmacist wrote on it that I couldn't get it filled until 'x' date and then gave it back to me.

No other pharmacy would touch it after that. I was extremely pissed. It was two days early and this same pharmacy had filled it for me two days early for the last few months previous to that. So, yes, they can write all over a script before giving it back if they feel like it

[UGAgal]

@UGAgal
I have had a pharmacist write on my scripts before giving them back to me! I was TWO days early, and the snotty woman pharmacist wrote on it that I couldn't get it filled until 'x' date and then gave it back to me.

No other pharmacy would touch it after that. I was extremely pissed. It was two days early and this same pharmacy had filled it for me two days early for the last few months previous to that. So, yes, they can write all over a script before giving it back if they feel like it

Learn something new everyday. I understand WHY he did what he did as far as writing on it - to prevent her from getting the meds...I just never knew that was something they did.

But then again I never ask for my scripts back... so how would I know I guess.

This lady I think is going to be screwed when it comes to her meds now. Pharmacy has marked her and NOW her doc is pissed.... and I fear will completely cut her off as we all know sometimes all too well.

I did feel bad for her - but she definitely didnt have any "reasonable game plan" when going about getting her meds today that is for sure. She already seemed to be in withdrawel city from what I could tell.

[Mlmk]

@UGAgal ,
That is a great story. Horrifying but entertaining as heck. Love the lorazepam text. Reminds of something that I did once. I was emailing a good friend with a first name similar to my MIL. I was discussing marital problems, intimacy issues, DH's alcohol use, and marriage counseling possible divorce. Well you know how when you do the To: whomever part and the email will just fill in the name for you? Well I hit send and it went to my MIL. I just about died.

[MayreeAngel]

@UGAgal ... oh yeah, I have tried to fill early and when they told me "No, you can fill on ----" I shrugged it off and said "sure, will you just hold it till then?" Like I didn't know. In the back of my mind I knew.
Saved face anyway. (& my pharmacy & Dr) Then tried a backup plan to hold me. Like an SY vendor. Sounds like she was already in WDs. That's a terrible feeling

[merrymiau]

@Mlmk -- That's too funny! The predictive text on my smart phone has gotten me in trouble more times than I'd to remember...
@UGAgal -- Yikes. It makes me so uncomfortable to see other people going through withdrawals like that. I'm actually shocked, though, that this isn't a regular occurrence for you whenever you go to the pharmacy. I live in a pretty urban area (not a bad one, just an urban one) with lots of 20-somethings hooked on pretty hard stuff who are always trying to get early refills. I can always count on at least one poor scruffy kid in line ahead of me at the Walgreen's shaking and begging and threatening and coming up with mortifyingly see-through lies to try to convince the pharmacist. :/

[aussieandy]

@UGAgal to steal @merrymiau words, that is too funny. Your daughter's friend's must love their visit's with aunty lorazepam!
That was an awkward and sad moment you witnessed at the pharmacy. A bit scary also to put someone out on the street like that suffering wd's, some people will do some pretty out there stuff when they are really suffering and need a fix. Maybe that pharmacist could have pulled that lady aside and explained he would be breaking the law if he filled her script, and maybe he should phone her Gp and see what he suggested. Maybe he could have given her something to fill in the gap and take the edge off. We don't really have issue's with too many people being dependant on perscription opiates down here as Dr's dont really prescribe them. I recently walked into the pharmacist where my mother has taken me since i was a child, im now in my early 30's. I was in the middle of a 1 month swing at work, so best case scenario was 2 weeks before i could see a dentist. I explained my situation to the middle aged lady behind the counter and asked her for some nurophen plus. 15mg codiene + 200mg iboprophen. She handed me a pack of 12 pill's. Legally she can sell anyone a maximum of 30 pill's without a script. Up until about a year ago there was no restriction on the sale of nurophen plus. I again explained it would be 2 weeks not 2 day's before i could see a dentist and i was suffering quite a bit with a tooth ache. I was in my work clothes and it's pretty clear i am not addicted to Narcotic's as everyone in this town knows employee's of this company are drug tested regularly. Anyway i left the pill's on the counter and walked out. I walked half a block and a young chemist sold me 30 pill's without a blink of an eye. Ive since been back to my regular pharmacy and explained the situation to the owner who i have known since i was a child. She agreed the lady working for her think's she is saving the world from drug addiction with the new powers invested in her to limit the sale of nurophen plus. She did also tell me that people were becoming addicted to the drug and that's why our laws changed. I can't imagine how many of those little pill's it would take to experience any kind of euphoria? O.k that's my venting done for the day, i have a bit of an issue with people who insist on abusing the little bit of authority they have in their life.

[Good Apollo]

@UGAgal seen similar stuff in Oregon... Hilarious story. Also sad but... Happy that's not me, guess that sounds insensitive but come on you have to play the game thought the crazies knew that right??

[UGAgal]

@Mlmk -- That's too funny! The predictive text on my smart phone has gotten me in trouble more times than I'd to remember...
@UGAgal -- Yikes. It makes me so uncomfortable to see other people going through withdrawals like that. I'm actually shocked, though, that this isn't a regular occurrence for you whenever you go to the pharmacy. I live in a pretty urban area (not a bad one, just an urban one) with lots of 20-somethings hooked on pretty hard stuff who are always trying to get early refills. I can always count on at least one poor scruffy kid in line ahead of me at the Walgreen's shaking and begging and threatening and coming up with mortifyingly see-through lies to try to convince the pharmacist. :/

I haven't really witnessed anything like it until today. But I normally don't pay attention. But yes very scary to see her in w/d's and I have wondered what she did after she left. I hope MAYBE she went to ER across street to seek help. She was shaking pretty bad.

[merrymiau]

That was an awkward and sad moment you witnessed at the pharmacy. A bit scary also to put someone out on the street like that suffering wd's, some people will do some pretty out there stuff when they are really suffering and need a fix. Maybe that pharmacist could have pulled that lady aside and explained he would be breaking the law if he filled her script, and maybe he should phone her Gp and see what he suggested. Maybe he could have given her something to fill in the gap and take the edge off.

I know what you mean about throwing them back out on the street, @aussieandy . I wish there was a more compassionate way of dealing with addicts or severely dependent patients in this situation. Like if a pharmacist notices that someone is truly in a very, very bad state of withdrawals, maybe there could at least just be a pamphlet available to give the person, and it could list resources and alternative options available to help them. Stuff like, the location of the nearest emergency rooms (in the case of benzo withdrawals, which can kill), taxi cab numbers for getting there, guidelines for how to deal with withdrawals at home, emergency numbers they can call, like a crisis hotline if they feel suicidal. I don't know, I'm just brainstorming -- because I've known a lot of severely addicted people and, judge all you want, but even if someone made some poor decisions in their life it doesn't always mean they need to suffer in such an extreme way. I know it's not the pharmacist's job to play counselor, but if there was just some small gesture they could take other than turning the person away while they're absolutely alone.

Because someone like the woman @UGAgal described is probably so desperate and in agony at that point that she's at real risk of doing something really stupid to get her fix -- shooting up heroin, or engaging in dangerous behaviors to score drug money, or totally neglecting her children if she has them. (Those are worst-case scenarios, I know, but certainly not implausible.) If the patient's doctor isn't immediately available, and their mind is too screwed up at the moment to think straight, they probably need a little hand-holding and guidance.

[Mickle1]

@UGAgal First of all that phrmacist was being a total deuche to me. Just because I looked unkept and wipe my bottom with pine cones everyday is no reason to be fussy with me when I'm just tryin to get my oxy fix filled. HAHA Just joking bud

[Lynx4]

I actually did this accidentally last month. After I left the doctor's office I brought my scripts to my pharmacy. All of them have 3 refills except the 2 Schedule 2 meds I take. As I was checking out my pharmacist just casually said You have 2 days before you can fill the Lyrica (had some at home but I usually fill them all together for convenience). She was so sweet and I said Okay, can you hold the paper script so I don't lose it? and she said Yes and that was it. I've been using this pharmacy for close to 2 years and always get the same pharmacist. I was glad she didn't make a big deal out of it and embarrass me. Lyrica is one med that I don't like to take so I never take more!

When I first used this pharmacy I had problems every month with my klonopin. I filled it at the same time as my CII meds and couldn't understand why they kept saying I was early but would fill two heavy duty pain meds. As soon as they'd say it I would say "No I'm not. Call my doctor if you have concerns". I guess they did call my doctor because after that they didn't say a word and filled it. (all of my scripts are filled at the 28 day mark, which is how often I see my doctor). I still don't know what the problem was but my doctor is a sweetheart and he always says "If they give you trouble, tell them to call me and I'll set them straight."

[screwtape]

@UGAgal
I have had a pharmacist write on my scripts before giving them back to me! I was TWO days early, and the snotty woman pharmacist wrote on it that I couldn't get it filled until 'x' date and then gave it back to me.

No other pharmacy would touch it after that. I was extremely pissed. It was two days early and this same pharmacy had filled it for me two days early for the last few months previous to that. So, yes, they can write all over a script before giving it back if they feel like it

i WOULD CALL ME PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR and request the same meds only with different dose that add up to the ones that the Dr. precribed. E.I. if she had 10 hrdroconeine 1-10/325 then I would tell the dr that I demand 15 7.5 and take no for an answer. But being old she might not to this. But I would nd I'd go back the the same pharmacist and shove it in his FACE!

Who died and made him her Dr?

Screw-

[tedh65]

I've had a problem with my pharmacy not wanting to refill my zolpidem prescription because it was a day or two early. I explain that I travel for work, sometime weeks at a time and getting a refill in the middle of firickin no where isn't going to happen.

One time it was a couple of weeks early but I knew that. I was going to be traveling for work for ten days then leaving for vacation out of the country for two weeks. I called my doctors office and explained the situation to his nurse (he's been my doc for 16 plus years) she said no problem.

I called the pharmacy and explained the situation, the tech said you will have to talk to the pharmacist who went off on me and finally said she would have to call my doctor, I said fine.

The tech called back a couple hours later letting me know my refill was ready. You should have seen the look on the pharmacists face when I picked it up. Priceless, absolutely priceless!

[holepuncher]

The most awkward issue i've had is when asking for the same med @aussieandy asked for, nurofen plus. I was told that i'd been given a box the day before by a tech at the pharmacy I use and that there was no way they'd dispense the meds. I said that I hadn't been there for well over 2 months and she then re-checked the records and found she was reading the date wrong and could see I last got a box of that med 10 weeks prior. She went dead quiet after that.

Another thing that I thought was more funny and lucky than awkward was when I was at the same pharmacy and there was a fill-in pharmacist (someone must have been away sick or something) and she filled my zolpidem script, but the generic brand she gave me comes in 2 pack sizes, packs of 7 or packs of 14. I was prescribed 28 per month, but the girl had actually filled 4 boxes of the 14 pack, so I got double of what I intended to get. I was a little scared to go in for the next repeat in case they picked it up but in the end, they said nothing about it. Ultimately, it meant I had an extra backup supply which ended up being quite handy when my doc was unavailable for a few weeks when it was time for my 6mthly visit to get my 2 scripts that last me 6 months.

[auskick]

almost every time i get some otc codeine... which cant have more than 15 mg/ tab in it... i get interogated like im a ****en criminal... i just politley explain ive used it before and smile... but in my head im thinking "bitch, if you only knew what was going on in the real world you wouldnt concern your self with this trivial bullshit"

[IGoeOn]

I guess I am lucky. My chain pharmacy fills everything that I ask them to and allows me to refill several days ahead of schedule. I travel a lot, too - and I'm on a lot of meds so it is nice to try to get them all at the same time. I am sure my insurance company has a heart attack around the 10th of every month. F' them.

[mark84]

Haha, the part with the predictive text is classic. Maybe it's just me but does anyone think it's gotten worse with smartphones? I guess it's easier to press a wrong letter and for the phone just to put somehting else entirely than what was intended.