Complaint about pharmacy not opening on time

So a lady who owns the local coffee shop decides to complain about our pharmacy not opening on time. The sign says 8.00am and she’s been waiting we opened at 8.04am and she gets upset coz we’re late. Then she threatens to make a complaint to management about this misleading advertisement how we don’t open at 8am on the dot and it is illegally and she will report us to fair trading.

But the funny thing is: 

a) the boss opens up. Is the boss really gonna fire himself? 

b) we’re humans not robots on a timer 

c) she doesn’t know the reason why we opened late (car accident, woke up late, crying baby etc....)

d) the coffee she makes at her coffee shop is shit and doesn’t taste that good. Maybe I should complain about her coffee not being up to standards and not exactly the product that she advertised  

e) opening a few minutes is not a big deal and it is not illegal. What is illegally is you stepping into our store when we don’t want you there - that’s called trespassing onto private property. At the end of the day, it’s also our choice if we want your business or not. 

f) there’s a pharmacy that’s opened at 7am next door! If it was so urgent and you can’t wait, you could’ve gotten your meds there. Not a life and death situation 

g) the thing she want to buy was a nasal spray and Radiant washing powder. Serious? Is that all? 

She must have nothing better to do.......

Customer who self diagnose and self prescribe Fungilin

People need to get over their ego and start respecting the medical profession.

I had a regular customer who came in first thing in the morning and showed me his severely infected fungi infested tongue.

I proceeded to give him Nilstat drops and he said no he wants Fungilin. Mouth thrush was due to his long term use of corticosteroids (not rinsing mouth aye) and said he has taken a Fungilin before. Look at his history and nothing was dispensed in the pst 6 months. He said he last took it years ago.

Ok well since it's been years ago and not continuing therapy, he'll need to see dr for a script for Fungilin otherwise use the Nilstat in the meantime.

He starts shouting and throw out the "I've used it before." "I'm a long term customer, how dare you not give me a prescription medicine without a script when I want it." Blah blah blah.

So he insisted me call the dr. "So the dr is working today, you can't go to see him today? Infection looks bad, you should see the dr and get it checked out just in case he'll give you something stronger."

Him: "no he is too far!" A 10min drive for him was deemed too far. Fine go see another dr down the road.

Him: "the doctors here are crap and money hungry and don't know what they are doing. My wife had kidney stones and they gave her Buscopan!! I can't trust them anymore."

Me: "that's very unfortunate and disappointed that you weren't satisfied with your experience. Ok then call your dr and get him to fax me script."

He calls the dr and demands the receptionist to tell Dr to fax over the script.

He ends up waiting for 20min whilst I serve other customers. Fax still not received. Then he receives a phone call from the receptionist. The dr won't fax a script over coz he wants to see his infection first before prescribing Fungilin.

He left without argument. I wonder why........

Thank your for coming into our pharmacy to get your scripts dispensed but unfortunately sometimes you just have to accept a NO for an answer. And you shouldn't demand. Ask would be the correct way to approach things.

Tamiflu prices

People need to understand that prices for medicines can be different at different pharmacies. There is no set price for private or general prescriptions and there is no law that says you must sell it for that price.

That saying so, if Chemist Warehouse or any other discount pharmacies sell their Amoxil for $6, other pharmacies are not obliged to sell it for $6. 

This comes to my encounter with a patient today over the pricing of Tamiflu tablets. 

He bought it last week from us for $49 and then finished the packet. His friend then got sick 2 days ago and bought Tamiflu from a discount chemist in his area for $39. Comes in with an empty box of Tamiflu and his friend's half box of Tamiflu to show me the prices and demanded an explanation. 

I explained that different pharmacies sell it for different prices. He said we were ripping people off and you advertise being a discount chemist but look at the prices. 

We advertise discount because we do have some competive pricing on medications and products in the store. But that does not mean we are the cheapest. Never have we advertised we are the cheapest on the market. If you find a cheaper price at another pharmacy, we can certainly price match but it has to be done before you buy the medicine not after. 

He was not happy with the price. $10 difference was too much. He probably hasn't ventured out of this hood but in the CBD and north shore areas, some pharmacies do sell it in the $60+ mark. Chemist Warehouse sells it for $44. That's $5 more than what his friend paid considering they advertise to be the cheapest on the market. 

Anyway, he demanded time to give him $10 back after he has finished the whole packet of tablets. Of course I didn't because that is an unreasonable request. I'm sorry but it's too late. Shop around next time before you buy meds then. You agreed to the price at the time and you bought it. 

Took my name and tried to threaten me with posting his experience on social media. Ha, I'm like ok sure. I'll even give you the number of my manager if you want to complain about me. I don't make the prices and price matching will certainly won't happen after you've taken the whole box dude. 

Who actually thinks like that? He was just cut that he bought it $10 more than his friend. Stop sooking and move on mate.

I understand it's frustrating when you find a cheaper price after you've used it but you learn from your lessons and just shop around before you buy anything next time. It's just plain unreasonable and stupid to demand money back after it happened. And being loud and aggressive is certainly not a good approach to take if you want something. 

Forged Panadeine Forte script

When you forge a script, discreetly walk out rather than make a big scene when you've been outted. That was what happened when we saw the quantity for Panadeine Forte amended. 

Doctor had written a quantity for 50 tablets. The patient (most likely) decides to put a stroke through it to make it look like 80 tablets. We spotted it straight away but we dispensed 50 and turned a blind eye. The patient goes berserk and asked us if we can read it's 80. Calls us stupid m, are we blind, do we know what we're doing. It said fifty in printed letters underneath. 

Fine. He wouldn't budge. Insisted it was 80 and that he will call the doctor to confirm it is 80. He starts dialing on his phone but can't get through to the doctor. 

So we dialed the doctor. The doctor confirmed it was for 50 and retain the prescription and not dispense any tablets.

I took the 50 Panadeine Forte I previously dispensed off them. They were fuming. That's what you get for arguing. You gave me no choice but to call the doctor and now you won't even get that 50 tablets. Ha! 

Dinner is not taken in the morning

I just dispensed a script for Nexium 40mg 1 after dinner for a man. 

Me: This is Nexium for your stomach. You need to take one tablet a day after dinner.
Him: Oh ok. So is that one time or two times a day?
Me: You only eat dinner once in a day so its one tablet a day.
Him: So is it morning or night?
Me: You eat dinner at night so its at night. 

One tablet a day after dinner. Is it that ambiguous? People just keep on asking questions for the sake of asking. 

Stop giving cards when I don't need them

I don't know why people insist on giving you something when you've already said no.

A lady comes in with a script for Pariet and Rulide. 

She: Do you need my cards?

Me: No need, your medicare and concession card details are already on the computer.

Guess what. She fumbles around in her handbag looking for the cards. 

By this time I've already dispensed the first item. 

She hands me her concession card.

She: Here you go, you might need this.

Me: No I already said your details are on the system.

She: But you don't have my concession card.

Me: I do.......

She: Are you sure? 

By this time I've already finished dispensing both items. And she's still going on and on about her cards.

Efficiency! If I said I don't need it and its on the system already, that's means I don't need it! If I'm not sure, I would say. 

Male customer shouting at women

An middle aged male customer walks in the pharmacy asking for his prescriptions which are kept on the file at the pharmacy. I asked him to repeat his full name - I think he got frustrated that I couldn't find it immediately and he starts shouting:

Man: I gave it yesterday! Look properly! 

Me: Hold on who did you give it to, I'm still looking.

Man: I don't know! It's there, it's there! 

Me: Ok found it. 

Man: See! You didn't look properly.

Still shouting ... 

Me: Ok relax. I found it.

Man: Hurry up, I'm in a hurry! 

Still shouting.

Me: Say it again, and I'm gonna do it even more slower (under my breath)

Man: Hurry up!!

Still shouting.

At this stage, I'm already pissed off so I'm dispensing the script pretty slowly. Like very slowly. Typing one letter with my index finger one at a time and then deleting it, logging out of the system and do it again. Checked my Facebook for a bit too. 

He stands there waiting with an angry look on his face. I ignore him.

When I felt the time was right, I dispense the script, scanned the meds and proceeded to charge him at the till. 

Him: You know its morning and sometimes you gotta be nice to sick people.

Me: Doesn't mean you can go and shout at people like that. 

Him: What DID YOU JUST SAY?

Me: I don't like people who SHOUT at me. 

Him: You are very rude. (throws a $20 dollar note at me) . As a lady, you should act like a lady and be gentle and nice. You are not very nice. 

Me: No you are very rude. You are not a gentleman. You don't shout at women like this. Be a man. (pointing at him with my index finger).

I put the change on the table and walk off. Had enough already. 

Him: Don't put money like this. You need to put the money in my hand! 

Me: Don't throw money at me then. 

He was fuming. 

Dude, this is not your home and I am not your nationality and I don't abide by your cultural thinking/etiquette of women beneath men. You don't come into my pharmacy and start being rude expecting me being nice to you. I stand up to anyone who is rude and you are no exception. There's a fine line and you've stepped over it. Don't care if you're a customer or not. Being sick doesn't mean it's acceptable to vent and treat strangers in a way you don't want to be treated. Especially when you made that comment about how women are suppose to be, shows you are an egotistic dominating demanding male. I don't care how you treat your women at home. You're not gonna get that treatment out in the real world mate.