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. 

Bag checking

Who hasn't been in a store where they do bag checking? Why do people get so surprised and upset when they encounter bag checking?

This afternoon, I was standing behind my assistant who was at the till and so I saw everything. She served customer after customer and simply asked for a bag check please. All of them obliged, opened their bag and walked out the store. Easy. Until this one lady at the end who thought she was special than everyone else. 

Assistant: Can I please have a quick bag check?

Lady: Pardon me?!?!?!?!?

Assistant: Just a quick bag check please. 

Lady shakes her head and slams her bag down on the counter and begins to take everything out. 

Lady: Here happy?

Assistant: Thanks.

Lady: This is disgusting. I'm never gonna shop here again! (and walks out)

2 min later, she walks back in and complains about the bag checking. 

Lady: This is the first time in Australia that I've had my bags checked! Do I look like a thief to you? How dare you accuse me of stealing!

Me: We didn't accuse you. Its just store policy. You saw me standing right behind her all that time, I saw how she asked you. She asked you quite politely to check you bag. 

Lady: I don't care. I've got a degree in psychology and I've been in Australia for 10 years and I've never seen this before. 

Me: I've been to Target, Big W and they all check my bags. Nothing out of the blue. Anyway let me show you something. 

I take her and show her the big sign we have that says we need to do a bag inspection.

Lady: I think that only applies to guilty people or thieves.

Me: Guilty people and thieves have a face? 

Lady: You are just profiling. 

Me: Did you see the 5 people lining up ahead of you before? 

Lady: No

Me: Well I did. And all of them got their bags checked. The person in front of you was an elderly lady. We check school kids, elderly people, men with bags, women... how is that profiling? To make it fair on everyone, we check everyone's bag.

Lady: Have you been to Myer? They're a big store they don't check bags.

Me: Different stores have different policies. Just because some stores don't check doesn't mean all stores shouldn't check. Myer has a whole security department probably about 50 security guards who sit in front of the cameras and watch you. We're just a small business and we don't gonna employ people to watch cameras. 

Lady: Maybe you should have a better way to catch thieves.

Me: Oh if you have a better suggestion, let me know so I can pass it on to management. 

Lady: I don't know. Better barcodes! 

Me: You clearly haven't worked in retail.

Lady: I own a car yard. (how is that retail beats me) Well I'm never gonna shop here again. 

Me: Great. Thanks. 

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Wasted a good 15min of my time. 90% of people who come in are understanding and cooperate. Its only the 10% minority group who are uneducated and unreasonable don't really understand the whole concept of bag checking. 

For the whole day we've been opened, she was the only customer that complained. What does that make her? Maybe I should've rhetorically asked her "We check everyone's bag and they willingly show us. Give me one reason why I shouldn't check you bag? Because you have a so called Psychology degree and you've been here 10 years in Australia?"

True born Aussies like me would know bag checks are exist here in this country. Please do not use what kind of education, race, gender to determine your exemption. No one is exempt as long as they have a bag on them. Everyone has potential to be a thief. There's not just one face for a thief. 

We would appreciate if you let us check your bag. If you don't agree we this, we would appreciate that you don't ever this store and purchase goods from us as we don't want to do your business.

Son has peeling skin and wants cortisone

My assistant refers me to help a customer who's son has peeling skin.

The man's son's hands have been peeling. I asked if it was bleeding, red or itchy. The man says no - just peeling skin. I recommended him Dermeze Thickened Cream and then if it starts to flare up or worsen with those above mentioned symptoms, then come back and I'll give him a cortisone cream.

Man: I don't want this Dermeze. I want some medicated cream. Don't you have any?
Me: Well it doesn't seem like its that bad and its not red or itchy, so I don't think your son needs cortisone cream yet.
Man: Well..... can't I get cortisone cream now instead?
Me: I think Dermeze would be most suitable for your son.
Man: I want cortisone.
Me: You told me the symptoms and its not that bad. He doesn't need cortisone yet.
Man: Well how am I suppose to know if its bad or not? I'm not a doctor!
Me: I'm the pharmacist and based on what you told me, all he needs is Dermeze.
Man: Final question. Are you going to give me cortisone or not?
Me: No
Man: Fine that's all i need to know.
Me: Thank you and good bye.

What's the point of asking a pharmacist for an opinion if you like playing doctor when you know you're not a doctor?

Arrogant man.

Doctor prescribes Serenace because patient told her to

One of the local doctors did it again. Let's call her Dr O. Dr O has appeared quite frequently in my stories here on this blog.

She wrote a script for "Serenace 100mg". No instructions. No quantity. Customer is new to the pharmacy so no patient history. 

Now Serenace is only available in the following forms:
Serenace 0.5mg tabs
Serenace 1.5mg tabs
Serenace 5mg tabs
Serenace 5mg/ml injection
Serenace 2mg/ml liquid 

So called the doctor to clarify what she meant and told her the forms available and this was her answer.

Dr: "Oh I don't know. The patient just told me to write Serenace 100mg. Just ask her to show you what she takes and just give that to her."
Me: 100mg is a very high dose. What is she using it for?
Dr: I'm not really too sure. She got it from overseas and she told me 100mg. 
Me: This is very hard for me to pinpoint what exactly she's after. It could be anything. And the dose is unusual. 
Dr: Yeh there's no point asking me. Just ask the customer. I can't help you.
Me: Ok fine. I'll ask the patient and see what I can work out. 

Seriously? How can she be a doctor. She's the one writing the script. She doesn't know what its for, and she doesn't acknowledge that the dose is one bit unusual? Instead she throws the ball to us pharmacists who have no clue what and why the patient is taking it. She relies on whatever the patient tells her to write. 

Dude, you might as well just give me your whole script pad and I'll do the prescribing for you. What's the point of having you has a doctor? Good luck to all those patients who see her. Big GOOD LUCK. I'm surprised she hasn't been audited yet. The way she runs her practice is just so........... ridiculous. 

Anyway, I asked the patient there's no 100mg and to get her to show me the old packaging. Guess what - she doesn't have it. She says its an injection. Well the 100mg injection is not available in Australia. I told her only the 5mg is available. Is that what she's after? Patient says she's not sure of the strength either. 

Everyone's not sure. The patient is not sure. Her doctor is not sure. I took the most reasonable and safest route: don't dispense anything. I am not gonna dispense anything the prescriber isn't sure of. It's her job as a doctor to diagnose and prescribe the most appropriate treatment for the patient. If its not available in Australia, then you prescribe an alternative. If you have no experience, then refer patient to a specialist who will. 

Walking boot for fractures

A man walks into the pharmacy talking on his phone. He doesn't hang up on the phone and instead asks me if we sell those walking boots for fractured foot. 

Me: No we don't sell them. 

He's still talking on the phone and he doesn't answer me ... talking and laughing. Rude as he was already when he walked into the store, I answered his question and whether or not he heard it that's his problem. So I walk away to serve other customers. 

When he hangs up on his phone, he sticks his head to find me and he yells out 'excuse me'.... Excuse me what, I'm serving another customer. Hold up mate. So I just looked at him and continued to talk to my other customer before attending to him.

Me: Yes?

Him: I just wanted to know if you sell those boots for fractured foot.

Me: (thinking in my head I already answered you) Well I already told you, we don't sell it. You can try a specialist clinic, hospital or physio for those kind of items. 

Him: Oh so you don't have it?

Me: No we don't.

Him: Do you know where I can find it then?

Me: As I said, you can try a specialist clinic, hospital or physio. 

Him: I went to the doctor and they told me that you might have it here. Do you have it?

Me: I already said we don't keep it and we can't order it in for you either.

Him: Oh ok, well I really need it so can you tell me another place that I can get it from?

Me: There's a physio in the medical centre across the road if you want to ask them. I'm really not sure. 

Him: Oh do you think the hospital might have it then?

Me: You can try calling them. I'm not sure. 

Him: So you can't order it for me?

Me: NO. 

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Sigh..... First he was already rude by trying to talk to me whilst on a call. And then my first sentence already answered all your subsequent questions. Why does he keep on asking the same questions over and over again and asking me to repeat the same thing over and over again.

It's like people either don't listen or don't believe what I say. Makes simple things rather complicated.