Dr prescribing Desyrel

There's this doctor in the area that writes whatever the patient tells her to write even though she's never heard of it. 

Overseas patient comes in with a script for Desyrel. Haven't heard of it, checked all our medical resources and supplier - nothing comes up. A quick google search brings up a Trazodone, an antidepressant that is not available in Australia.

Call the doctor to let her know it's unavailable in Australia and that she'll need to prescribe an alternative. 

Dr: yeh I thought it wouldn't be available in Australia but I thought I'll try. I don't know what it is, the patient was using this when they were overseas and they just asked me to write a script for it.

Me: it's an antidepressant. Do you want me to send them back to see you for an alternative?

Dr: don't worry about it. They insisted on getting that one, just send them to another pharmacy and see if they can find it. 

Are you serious dr? 

a) You are prescribing random medications you haven't heard of it 

b) you didn't even check your resources to see if it's available in Australia

c) no duty of care - didn't even go and seek an alternative for your patient 

Feel sorry for the patient, it's like they got no choice but to see this doctor even though she's quite pathetic because she's one of the few doctors in the area who speak their language 

Clueless doctor does not know formula of cream yet still prescribes it

Sometimes doctors do not know what they're prescribing. If I was the patient, I'll be a bit concerned of who I'm seeing. My advice is to doctors - if you don't know what it is, or what you're prescribing, don't prescribe it. Refer the patient to another doctor that may know, or prescribe an alternative medicine that you do know, or seek help from another doctor or pharmacist.

A customer drops in a script that said:

Compounded acne cream with clindamycin or erthromycin 50g


First of all, the doctor writes 2 active ingredients. Secondly, there's no strength. Thirdly, no ingredients has been specified.

So I call the doctor to clarify what she means.

Me: Hi doctor. Just need to clarify what ingredients and strength for this acne cream?
Dr: Oh I don't have a formula. Ain't you a compounding chemist?
Me: No we're not. But depending on the ingredient, we can make some extemporaneous preparations. You just need to let me know what ingredients are required.
Dr: Oh I don't know. Just send them to a compounding chemist. They will know.


Really? So I call my contact at a compounding chemist and asked all my pharmacy colleagues. They have no idea what the doctor is talking about.

All I could do is, give the script back to the patient, and told him the doctor wants him to go to a compounding chemist to get it made. Good luck.

But why would a doctor prescribe a cream she doesn't even know what the formula is????!!!!

Biaxsig lady

Elderly people just need to calm down sometimes. An old ethnic lady comes in with a script from for Biaxsig 150mg. 

After I dispense it, she takes out an old packaging of Biaxsig 300mg from her bag and starts comparing to the Biaxsig 150mg. She looks at it, glares at me and throws the packet of 150mg back at me and starts yelling in her language. 

I got some help from other customers who spoke her language and it turns out she wants the 300mg but she thinks I gave her the wrong one. Contacted the doctor (who tells me he thinks she's a nutcase anyway) to change it to 300mg. She's still yelling, complaining about me until someone told her it's because the doctor wrote 150mg then she stopped and started to complain about the doctor. 

Ok fine so problem solved. I dispense the 300mg. She opens the box. The printing on the blister pack is now black instead of blue which she got before. She yells again. Oh dear. She asks me why is it black and not blue. I said - the company changed their packaging which I have no control over. But the words and milligrams are all the same. In the end she didn't want it because she thinks its different. 


I should've got a texta and coloured it first ...

Man thinks Advantan Cream should be OTC

Man: Do you have Advantan Cream?

Me: Yes we do.

Man: Can you please tell me the prices? I know it comes in 2 sizes.

Me: No actually it only comes in one size and that's 15g. $20 for the 15g

Man: Oh I see I see. I need to the doctor for a prescription first right?

Me: That's right. It's a prescription only medicine so you need to the see the doctor first.

Man: Yeh I don't know why they have to do that. It's just a cream nothing special, why do they have to make it difficult. Anyone can you use it.

Me: Actually no, the reason why it's on prescription is because NOT everyone can use it. Depends on the area you're using it on, the severity of the problem, the age of the patient ..... It's a potent cream - that's the reason you can't buy it just like that.

Man: Oh reallyy.......... but I know how to use it. 

Me: Just go see the doctor.

Mr Know It All. First you thought the cream comes in 2 different sizes and then secondly you think it shouldn't be on prescription because you know how to use it. 

Elderly man available

I have this elderly regular customer who used to come in from time to time but I haven't seen him for ages. He came in today to ask for a Safetynet printout of him and his wife's medications. I look on the system and he hasn't actually been in our pharmacy since January 2014.

Upon talking to him, he tells me his wife passed away in February. So it's been a while. Offered my condolences and asked how he's coping and he seems to be happy

Him: Yeh I'm fine. I've put on so much weight. If you know any young, rich widows, let them know I'm available!! 

Me: haha ok ok I'll keep an eye out for you! 

Hahahha what a funny bloke!  


He's about 85, Caucasian, has his own car and house, and knows how to cook. 

Apply within if interested. 

Conjunctivitis lady wants reassurance about Systane

A lady comes into the pharmacy today wanting advice on eye drops. She's holding a packet of Systane eye drops and asked me if it was suitable for her. I asked her what symptoms does she have?

She: There's a lot of discharge, and its all sticky. Its kind of red and a bit uncomfortable.
Me: Its sounds like conjunctivitis to me. Systane eye drops is only for dry eyes. For eye infections, I can give you an antibiotic eye drop which would be more suitable for you.
She: But my friend used Systane and it worked for her.
Me: Well maybe your friend only had dry eyes so that's why she used Systane. You have an eye infection so you will need a different eye drop.
She: Can you show me?
Me shows her Chlorsig eye drops: This is Chlorsig eye drops, which will help with your eye infection.


Holds the Chlorsig and scrutinizes over it for a long time.

She: Oh I don't know about this one, my friend used Systane. You don't think Systane will help me?
Me: No. They are for 2 different things. Your friend needs Systane because she has dry eyes. You need Chlorsig because you have conjunctivitis. You don't have the same problem. But of course, if you don't believe me, you can feel free to take the Systane - that's up to you.
She: So you think Chlorsig will help me?

This went on and on in circles. Eventually she got the Chlorsig, but a 2 minute job turned out to be 10min because she wanted me to say that Systane is good for her. Why bother asking a pharmacist for advice if you don't take it? Some people just trust their friend more......

VIPs of VIPs reg24 scripts

There's a regular customer of ours that can't no for an answer and expects everything to go her way. 

She came in the other day to fill on her scripts as she was going overseas for 3 months. She's on Safetynet meaning she gets her meds for free. All she had in her hand were a bunch of old repeats. Now Medicare doesn't allow any early supplies  to be covered under Safetynet if supplies are less than 21 days. So the key way to get around this is to get a new script from the doctor and tell him to endorse Reg24 on it. What was an easy straightforward process became so complicated. 

I write a note to the doctor explaining to him what to do. Patient comes back with just 2 scripts. I have no idea why the doctor didn't write scripts for all her meds. Patient gets cranky at me for making her go back to the doctor. It's not even my fault. I wrote everything out but don't understand why doctor didn't follow it. 

Then she wants discounts of everything she buys in the store. She doesn't want to pay the same price as anyone else even if it's heavily discounted. 

Then she wants an owing on Codeine Linctus, which I can't give without a script especially for an S8 med. She gets cranky at me again and says I never help her out. She just doesn't understand some things I can't do because they are illegal. 

Sigh* then she curses me the lowest of lows in her language and gets the scripts from the doctors anyway, which she could've done in the first place.