A customer got really angry at me as I was not able to price-match the Diprosone OV ointment 30g he wanted. We sell it for $31.50 and he says he usually gets it for $25 at the chemist down the road.
I checked our cost-price, which was way above the $25 so I just couldn't match it. I told him we are the cheapest in the area and if we can't sell it for that price, don't know how other chemists can. I said the prices have gone up over the years.
Then he continues on and curses me for overcharging him and that he won't ever come here again coz we are ripping him off etc etc....
Well guess what. The same man came back today and I dispensed the script for him.
I cheekily said: Oh you know its not $25 right? We sell it for $31.50.
Him: Yeh what can I do? I need it so I'm gonna have to buy it.
Me: Oh you said you could get it at the other chemist for $25, you didn't end up getting it? Why's that?
Him: (getting frustrated) coz the prices have gone up and they can't do it for $25 anymore.......
Me: Is that so? Yeh I wasn't lying when I told you we're the cheapest in the area. Now you know.
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Petitions don't work and gives a false sense of hope
Sick of those organisations who decide to start a petition every time there's a change that affects the industry. Stop being fake and optimistic. Petitions is not the solution to our problems. We need ACTION and STRATEGY and good LEADER. That we lack. We don't have a union (i think we do but not many members and they don't do anything). We got money-hungry governing bodies like PSA, The Guild who have ridiculous membership fees and they don't really fight for our benefits.
At times when needed, they come up with this wondrous solution, namely a petition, grab our names and our signatures then end of story. No follow-up, no solution. Change goes ahead. Because you know why? The change went ahead without our consultation, so why would a petition of our say change their mind?
Be realistic. Petitions just don't work. Gives fake hope and its a form of action that those organisations do just to fake their concern. They don't give a crap about us.
Don't waste your time signing it. I'm not.
At times when needed, they come up with this wondrous solution, namely a petition, grab our names and our signatures then end of story. No follow-up, no solution. Change goes ahead. Because you know why? The change went ahead without our consultation, so why would a petition of our say change their mind?
Be realistic. Petitions just don't work. Gives fake hope and its a form of action that those organisations do just to fake their concern. They don't give a crap about us.
Don't waste your time signing it. I'm not.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia & Medscheck Caps
A lot of colleagues and friends in the industry ain't very happy with the recent changes the government and The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has put through, again without consultation with their pharmacy members.
Read their article here:
http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/news/latest-news/guild-to-assume-responsibility-for-hmr-payments-as
Each year, pharmacy owners pay heaps of $$$ to The Guild who is the representative body for community pharmacies. But each year, they continue to disappoint. I don't see why we need to continue paying them if their stupid proposals do not benefit us.
The changes Feb 2014:
MedsCheck and Diabetes Medscheck has been capped at 10 per pharmacy per month. So that means for small pharmacy with one pharmacist a script volume of less than 100 per day VS a large pharmacy with 7 pharmacists per day with a script volume of 600 ---- do they really think 10 MedsCheck per month is reasonable? You develop this service to help the greater good of the community, but after one year, you take it away from us and impose a stupid cap so you can keep some of the money? So if we think a patient would benefit from a Medscheck, guess we'll have to say no sorry and turn them away coz we have reached our quota this month.
The Guild is sly. Pretending to represent us, but then taking over Medscheck and imposing a cap. Seems to be could be some secret dealing under the table.
Why do pharmacists have to suffer when it comes to cost-cutting Medicare expenses?
Why don't they focus on doctors who prescribe inappropriately and charge inappropriately from Medicare? Let me tell you how Medicare can save some money easily just by auditing doctors:
Medicare of Australia - my advice to you is audit those doctors in our country if Medicare requires cost-cutting. Do not focus everything on pharmacies and makes constant changes such as price disclosure, price dropping, clinical interventions value reduction, Medscheck caps, audit us ..... coz these will drive us out of business, unemployment rates with increase. Trust me, doctors require auditing as there has been a lot of illegal activity going on. and I'm surprised nothing has been done about it. Pretty unfair if you ask me. Why are we always targeted? Changes in the past few years have affected pharmacies.
Read their article here:
http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/news/latest-news/guild-to-assume-responsibility-for-hmr-payments-as
Each year, pharmacy owners pay heaps of $$$ to The Guild who is the representative body for community pharmacies. But each year, they continue to disappoint. I don't see why we need to continue paying them if their stupid proposals do not benefit us.
The changes Feb 2014:
MedsCheck and Diabetes Medscheck has been capped at 10 per pharmacy per month. So that means for small pharmacy with one pharmacist a script volume of less than 100 per day VS a large pharmacy with 7 pharmacists per day with a script volume of 600 ---- do they really think 10 MedsCheck per month is reasonable? You develop this service to help the greater good of the community, but after one year, you take it away from us and impose a stupid cap so you can keep some of the money? So if we think a patient would benefit from a Medscheck, guess we'll have to say no sorry and turn them away coz we have reached our quota this month.
The Guild is sly. Pretending to represent us, but then taking over Medscheck and imposing a cap. Seems to be could be some secret dealing under the table.
Why do pharmacists have to suffer when it comes to cost-cutting Medicare expenses?
Why don't they focus on doctors who prescribe inappropriately and charge inappropriately from Medicare? Let me tell you how Medicare can save some money easily just by auditing doctors:
- Abbocillin VK 150mg/5ml syrup, Ventolin Syrup, Celestone Cream, Aristocort Cream, Adrenaline injection all come in packs of 2 under PBS. Most doctors prescribe maximum PBS quantity even though the patient only needs to use it for a few days. Technically, one bottle is more than enough, but doctors are too lazy to change the quantity. What happens to the second unused bottle of syrup or box of cream? Goes into the bin unused when it expires after sitting in the cupboard at home for a long time.
- Doctors charging Medicare even though they just print off a repeat script for their regular customers. I know doctors who refuse to write repeats just so the customer can go back and see them again for a new script so another Medicare swipe is required. I know the doctor does nothing because no doctor requests a blood test every month when the patient is only taking cholesterol tablets and the dose has been the same for the past year.
- Micro consultations that only take 5min as patient's condition is not bad. Eg. sore throat, patient comes out with script for Nurofen. Seriously, that's another $60 of Medicare wasted.
- Doctors prescribing items on PBS when the patient doesn't meet the criteria. Eg. Normacol Plus is for disabled quadriplegics but I see normal grown people being prescribed that. or Klacid Syrup prescribed for children as part of a triple therapy with Amoxil and Losec when its only indicated for Pertussis.
- Doctors writing PBS scripts for their regular patients who intend to send it overseas to their sick relative. (illegal btw)
Medicare of Australia - my advice to you is audit those doctors in our country if Medicare requires cost-cutting. Do not focus everything on pharmacies and makes constant changes such as price disclosure, price dropping, clinical interventions value reduction, Medscheck caps, audit us ..... coz these will drive us out of business, unemployment rates with increase. Trust me, doctors require auditing as there has been a lot of illegal activity going on. and I'm surprised nothing has been done about it. Pretty unfair if you ask me. Why are we always targeted? Changes in the past few years have affected pharmacies.
Confused woman who doesn't know what one plus one is
I dispensed Voltaren EC 50mg tablets for a customer today. I explained to her its an anti-inflammatory for pain and inflammation; counselled her on how to use it:
Me: You need to take one tablet twice a day so one in the morning and one at night.
She looks at me blankly and frowns with a very confused look on her face.
Her: But the doctor told me I need to take two tablets a day?!?!?!?!?!?
Me looks at her very confused and I say: Errr yeh that's correct. One morning and one at night IS two tablets a day?
Her: Oh.....
Either slow or dumb... actually maybe both.
Me: You need to take one tablet twice a day so one in the morning and one at night.
She looks at me blankly and frowns with a very confused look on her face.
Her: But the doctor told me I need to take two tablets a day?!?!?!?!?!?
Me looks at her very confused and I say: Errr yeh that's correct. One morning and one at night IS two tablets a day?
Her: Oh.....
Either slow or dumb... actually maybe both.
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Doctor encourages patient to forge CTG (Closing The Gap) script
This dodgy customer of ours keep on coming into the pharmacy with a script from that particular doctor and it always says CTG on it. Lately, its been written as 'GST' and 'CGT'. I call the doctor to confirm and he says its correct. So then I dispense it.
Today the script looked unusual. The doctor's signature was in black and the words 'CGT' was written in blue. Weird because I just dispensed a CTG script from that doctor for another patient and it was CORRECTLY WRITTEN. So I call the doctor to confirm.
The receptionist picks up and says she'll check with the doctor. Comes back and tells me the doctor says its ok. I hang up the phone and the patient saw me calling the doctor so he tells me HE was the one that wrote CGT on it.
Me: Why did you do that?
Him: The doctor forgot to write it and he told me before I can write it in.
Me: No you can't. Only the doctor can write on the script. If he forgot, you have to go back to him and get him to write it in himself. I can't dispense this script.
Him: Ok ok i'll come back.
Now while his gone to the the doctor's, I was not happy I was lied to by the receptionist. So I called back the surgery and I told her off.
Me: Ok I found out what happened. The patient just told me he wrote it in himself because the doctor forgot to.
Receptionist: Oh ....
Me: So obviously the doctor did not write the code on it, why did you confirm that the doctor did?
R: Oh I thought the doctor wrote CTG so that was what was confirmed.
Me: I called you to confirm the script for a reason. If the doctor didn't write it, you should not confirm that. Now for a person other than the doctor to AMEND a prescription is a criminal offence and illegal. I have told the patient not to do that again. I am sending him back to get the doctor to fix it up properly. Please remind him not to do that again. The doctor is the only person to write it.
R: Ok ok ok thanks for letting me know......
Patient comes back with the script, initiated by the doctor and stamped. I'm pissed.
Patient apologises.
Patient: Doctor sometimes forgets to write it in so he said i can write it in.
Me: No that's not true. Who told you that?
Patient: The receptionist - who's the doctor's wife.
Me: So what. She's not the doctor. You know what you just did was illegal. You could get in trouble, I can get in trouble and the doctor can get in trouble. If the doctor forgets to write it in, you remind him.
Patient: Yeh sometimes his busy or in a hurry.....
Me: No that's no an excuse. If he has time to see you and write a prescription, he should have time to write the code. You can't do this. If you do this again, I'm going to have to report you.
Patient: Ok I won't do it again.
Me: We do not do illegal things here and that receptionist knows nothing, she's wrong and don't listen to her. Let's do in the right way ok.
------------------------
I can't believe they encourage the patient to write it in himself!!!! Closing The Gap is such a flawed system though. All you have to do is write CTG on it and it'll be covered. Medicare wasting our taxpayers money on dodgy people like this. I have a feeling maybe the receptionist is in it with the patient - maybe the patient isn't eligible for CTG but they just write it in. Blah.... seriously if it happens again, and I catch them out. No more chances, will report them to Medicare Fraud. Sick of dodgies!
Today the script looked unusual. The doctor's signature was in black and the words 'CGT' was written in blue. Weird because I just dispensed a CTG script from that doctor for another patient and it was CORRECTLY WRITTEN. So I call the doctor to confirm.
The receptionist picks up and says she'll check with the doctor. Comes back and tells me the doctor says its ok. I hang up the phone and the patient saw me calling the doctor so he tells me HE was the one that wrote CGT on it.
Me: Why did you do that?
Him: The doctor forgot to write it and he told me before I can write it in.
Me: No you can't. Only the doctor can write on the script. If he forgot, you have to go back to him and get him to write it in himself. I can't dispense this script.
Him: Ok ok i'll come back.
Now while his gone to the the doctor's, I was not happy I was lied to by the receptionist. So I called back the surgery and I told her off.
Me: Ok I found out what happened. The patient just told me he wrote it in himself because the doctor forgot to.
Receptionist: Oh ....
Me: So obviously the doctor did not write the code on it, why did you confirm that the doctor did?
R: Oh I thought the doctor wrote CTG so that was what was confirmed.
Me: I called you to confirm the script for a reason. If the doctor didn't write it, you should not confirm that. Now for a person other than the doctor to AMEND a prescription is a criminal offence and illegal. I have told the patient not to do that again. I am sending him back to get the doctor to fix it up properly. Please remind him not to do that again. The doctor is the only person to write it.
R: Ok ok ok thanks for letting me know......
Patient comes back with the script, initiated by the doctor and stamped. I'm pissed.
Patient apologises.
Patient: Doctor sometimes forgets to write it in so he said i can write it in.
Me: No that's not true. Who told you that?
Patient: The receptionist - who's the doctor's wife.
Me: So what. She's not the doctor. You know what you just did was illegal. You could get in trouble, I can get in trouble and the doctor can get in trouble. If the doctor forgets to write it in, you remind him.
Patient: Yeh sometimes his busy or in a hurry.....
Me: No that's no an excuse. If he has time to see you and write a prescription, he should have time to write the code. You can't do this. If you do this again, I'm going to have to report you.
Patient: Ok I won't do it again.
Me: We do not do illegal things here and that receptionist knows nothing, she's wrong and don't listen to her. Let's do in the right way ok.
------------------------
I can't believe they encourage the patient to write it in himself!!!! Closing The Gap is such a flawed system though. All you have to do is write CTG on it and it'll be covered. Medicare wasting our taxpayers money on dodgy people like this. I have a feeling maybe the receptionist is in it with the patient - maybe the patient isn't eligible for CTG but they just write it in. Blah.... seriously if it happens again, and I catch them out. No more chances, will report them to Medicare Fraud. Sick of dodgies!
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Patient only cares about time, doesn't care about the pharmacist helping her
This regular customer of ours keeps on whinging about the wait of her scripts every-time. Today I got so annoyed at her - I was THIS close to cancelling her script.
Complained about the wait while everyone in front of her was patiently waiting. Basically I think, if you are in such a rush then maybe you shouldn't come at this time so go to a more quieter pharmacy. We are not Maccas or any fast food chain and we do not guarantee you get your medicines in 2min. It was busy today and lunch-time, short-staffed and there her doctor wrote her the wrong strength of her medicine which means we had to call the dr to confirm.....
My colleague's on the phone with the doctor and she's like whinging and whinging then tells my assistant - as a sign of protest - that she doesn't want to wait anymore coz she's waited too long already.
My colleague just got off the phone with the doctor and clarifies the problem when my assistant tells her that the customer wants to cancel the script. Colleague says it will be ready now coz she spoke to the doctor. Assistant is about to tell the customer it will be ready soon but I jumped in....
Me: No, if the customer wants to cancel the script, I'll cancel the script. I don't care if we fixed the problem, since she doesn't want it, I'm happy to cancel the script even though its done now.
Assistant looks at me awkwardly and asked the patient, the patient wants it now since its done.
Well I'm annoyed and sick of her tantrums. She doesn't seem to appreciate what we do here, we called the doctor to fix your problem, and then you turn your back on us and complain that we're making you wait too long. Stuff you. You wasted my time, and if I had it my way, I would push for cancelling the script despite it being ready because you're just asking for trouble.
The patient did talk to me since I was the one in-charge and I asked her: "Did you want me to cancel it? Its ready now but if you want me to cancel it, I'll cancel it for you."
She: Well if its ready, I take it.
Me: No if you don't want it, I will cancel it for you. You want it or not?
She: Yes I'll take it. I don't know, all this problem...
Me: Well it was a problem with the doctor and we fixed it for you.
She just shut up. and then later told my assistant to apologise to me.
You know what I said to assistant: An apology? Yeh I accept her apology. Good to see she's finally admitting she's wrong coz that apology ain't coming from me.
Complained about the wait while everyone in front of her was patiently waiting. Basically I think, if you are in such a rush then maybe you shouldn't come at this time so go to a more quieter pharmacy. We are not Maccas or any fast food chain and we do not guarantee you get your medicines in 2min. It was busy today and lunch-time, short-staffed and there her doctor wrote her the wrong strength of her medicine which means we had to call the dr to confirm.....
My colleague's on the phone with the doctor and she's like whinging and whinging then tells my assistant - as a sign of protest - that she doesn't want to wait anymore coz she's waited too long already.
My colleague just got off the phone with the doctor and clarifies the problem when my assistant tells her that the customer wants to cancel the script. Colleague says it will be ready now coz she spoke to the doctor. Assistant is about to tell the customer it will be ready soon but I jumped in....
Me: No, if the customer wants to cancel the script, I'll cancel the script. I don't care if we fixed the problem, since she doesn't want it, I'm happy to cancel the script even though its done now.
Assistant looks at me awkwardly and asked the patient, the patient wants it now since its done.
Well I'm annoyed and sick of her tantrums. She doesn't seem to appreciate what we do here, we called the doctor to fix your problem, and then you turn your back on us and complain that we're making you wait too long. Stuff you. You wasted my time, and if I had it my way, I would push for cancelling the script despite it being ready because you're just asking for trouble.
The patient did talk to me since I was the one in-charge and I asked her: "Did you want me to cancel it? Its ready now but if you want me to cancel it, I'll cancel it for you."
She: Well if its ready, I take it.
Me: No if you don't want it, I will cancel it for you. You want it or not?
She: Yes I'll take it. I don't know, all this problem...
Me: Well it was a problem with the doctor and we fixed it for you.
She just shut up. and then later told my assistant to apologise to me.
You know what I said to assistant: An apology? Yeh I accept her apology. Good to see she's finally admitting she's wrong coz that apology ain't coming from me.
Do not guess when I ask you an important question
As pharmacists, there's a protocol to go through when you are giving advice to someone.
Who is it for?
What are the symptoms?
How long have they had it for?
Are they taking any other medications?
Do they have any other medical conditions?
Now today a man walks into the pharmacy and he wanted something to increase his dad's appetite.
Do they have any other medical conditions? No, but he had a stroke 8 months ago.
Are they taking any other medications? Just Asasantin.
I questioned him if there are any medications and he kept on saying no more. I pointed out that if he had a stroke 8 months ago, he should be on more medications not just Asasantin.
He was firm with his answer: "He doesn't have a heart problem, no diabetes, no cholesterol." but I still suspicious there should be more. Missing therapy - so wanted to do an HMMR right there.
Then he gets his mother who's sitting on the chair and she pulls out a BUNCH of new scripts from the doctor for her husband.
And what do I find amongst those prescriptions? Asasantin was one of them. As well as Minax 50mg and Lyrica 25mg.....
I questioned the man: Ok well I can see from these scripts, he has a pain problem and a heart problem and a stomach problem. But when I asked you before, you said there was nothing else. What are these then?
Man: I don't know about these. I am not aware of it.
*Dude! How can I provide the correct advice if you don't provide enough information. And when I question it, he didn't attempt to find out. You don't know doesn't mean its no.
Me: Ok. I'm going to assume that these are the only medicines his on and provide you with a product suitable based on that. I won't know what other medications his on if you don't tell me ok? That's why I ask you. If you don't provide me the full information, then I might not be able to provide you with the appropriate medicine.
Man: Yeh i didn't know ......
Me: Next time, you ask the person who knows best - namely maybe your mother or get a list from the doctor of the most updated medicines his on. Do not guess. This time was ok, but if he was on other important medicines and you didn't tell me, and I give you another medicine - it can be dangerous.
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Sorry but I just had to tell him off because he was being ignorant after I asked him so many times. These people need to learn!
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