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It is a career choice these folks make. Nobody holds a gun to their heads to make them stand at a job the whole time they are at work or to work 'shot staffed'.
Hey! They have HALF the prescriptions to fill now than 5 years ago when the opioid 'crisis' stopped them filling 99% of all pain medication 'scripts. They should have plenty of time now to take a break etc. I do stop and count my meds in front of them now as I had shortages in my own meds at a large chain. Even tho the PhD scribbled their initials on the count that a Pharmacy Tech did, they did nothing to check it but look and count the pills through the plastic bottle. No amount of schooling can teach you to count the correct # of pills like that.
I still wonder who grabbed a few of my oxy's when I was short 2 pills 3x. They used their counting machine, but my other script wasn't off. I wonder if they just scribbled their initials too and didn't recount or if the other guy that was on is taking my pills. He hasn't been on but next time he is I'll be counting my pills too cause the owner isn't the one taking them. It's only the OP's that are missing.
I still wonder who grabbed a few of my oxy's when I was short 2 pills 3x. They used their counting machine, but my other script wasn't off. I wonder if they just scribbled their initials too and didn't recount or if the other guy that was on is taking my pills. He hasn't been on but next time he is I'll be counting my pills too cause the owner isn't the one taking them. It's only the OP's that are missing.
At every chain I worked before I switched to clinical, Clls (Oxycontin is a Cll) are counted, then double checked and signed off on by another pharmacist or tech. Then it is logged
I seriously doubt that the exact same short count was made three different times. That is why I never trusted customers who claimed short counts.
(I had a chronic short counter that happened to bring in only one Rx for a 30 DS of a new heart med. I personally counted it, then had 2 techs count it and we noted the EMR.
She came in an hour later and said that she was 5 short. I called both techs over, looked her in the face and said that she was a "damn liar it was counted by the three of us"
At every chain I worked before I switched to clinical, Clls (Oxycontin is a Cll) are counted, then double checked and signed off on by another pharmacist or tech. Then it is logged
I seriously doubt that the exact same short count was made three different times. That is why I never trusted customers who claimed short counts.
(I had a chronic short counter that happened to bring in only one Rx for a 30 DS of a new heart med. I personally counted it, then had 2 techs count it and we noted the EMR.
She came in an hour later and said that she was 5 short. I called both techs over, looked her in the face and said that she was a "damn liar it was counted by the three of us"
She never called foul again!!!!!!!)
I wouldn't do that.
It was a different guy, they have one younger girl; I'm not sure if she or the other guy was there but it was short 3 times, one script out of 2 and I never said anything because I found it when home which is 40 minutes one way. I "ate" the 6 short pills. I should have said something to the owner when I saw him but I forgot. I said something to the counter girl but she only commented she couldn't believe it was short. I doubt anyone is counting them except me or they count while there. The ones I've seen filling don't count there. Maybe they just think I'm not counting them cause I've never called on it so the person thinks they get over on me.
I'm sorry I didn't write it down either so can't call Greg to look in the logs so now I have to bust them doing it if they still do
Edit - I've had the girl a month or so ago that I forgot, it has to be the guy so I'll count them there the next time he does my meds. He's older then me. Maybe he has no health insurance and needs to steal them...
I wouldn't do that. It was a different guy, they have one younger girl; I'm not sure if she or the other guy was there but it was short 3 times, one script out of 2 and I never said anything because I found it when home which is 40 minutes one way. I "ate" the 6 short pills. I should have said something to the owner when I saw him but I forgot. I said something to the counter girl but she only commented she couldn't believe it was short. I doubt anyone is counting them except me or they count while there. The ones I've seen filling don't count there. Maybe they just think I'm not counting them cause I've never called on it so the person thinks they get over on me.
I'm sorry I didn't write it down either so can't call Greg to look in the logs so now I have to bust them doing it if they still do
Which is why if you have a question you count the pills in the script in front of the pharmacy personnel before you leave. I'd never assume I'd be believed if I came back even just a few days later complaining of being shorted of a few pills.
That used to happen to me with a CVS pharmacy in Miami- I used to get 30 day supplies of high blood pressure/ arrhythmia meds, and I'd find myself running out at day 27- kind of late to complain about it. I complained when it happened repeatedly, the pharmacist there was a colossal jerk who brushed it off saying it looked like the "pill counting machine" ( it had a name but I don't remember it) needed recalibrating. I got to where I'd stand at the counter and count out the pills in my scripts- all the while as the techs and this horses' aZz pharmacist were berating me for being in the way.
I also had issues there with scripts being only partially filled, with no notice or idea when, or if I'd get the rest of the meds, they couldn't or wouldn't tell me and sometimes it didn't happen or
I went too many days without the meds. The pharmacist was on the offensive to me about that too.
The straw came when they filled a 90 day prescription with 60 pills( supposed to be one a day). The pharmacist ( one their "best", so claimed the regular jerk pharmacist when I complained) had removed 30 pills from a prepackaged bottle of 90 pills, and had crossed off the pre-written 90 number, and wrote " 90", over it, hard as it is to believe that.
That's when I complained to CVS corporate/ management, relating all the experiences I had there. I switched my prescriptions to Walgreens, and have, for the most part, been happy with them.
Last edited by Travelassie; 09-29-2019 at 02:21 PM..
Daughter worked as a pharmacist for 20 years and is changing careers. The last pharmacy she worked for (CVS) had a quota of prescriptions that had to be met by the pharmacists. This was very troubling to her and others as the safety of the patient should have been a priority. Additionally working long shifts without breaks, spending more time checking with doctors regarding incorrect dosage or possible interaction with current medication and insurance problems. The older, more experienced pharmacists (who need to take courses and tests to keep their license up to date) are being replaced by younger and recent graduates who are paid less. Corporate greed is the biggest reason pharmacies are understaffed.
That is interesting because I do that a lot. Didn't think of that being an issue. What tends to happen is that all my doctors seem to feel they have to end the visit by prescribing a pill. It is easier to just pretend i am going to take it and then not fill it. Because they get all offended if I say I don't want your stinking pill.
Or, and this happened, my doctor prescribed me a creme and it turned out to cost $500. Nope. I wish that you could get the price before the prescription went in.
You could ask for a paper script and then just toss it.
Sometimes I ask for a paper script because I am not sure which pharmacy is going to be most convenient for me that day. I just tell the doctor I am not sure which pharmacy I am going to use or you could tell them you want to do some price checking before you buy.
Which is why if you have a question you count the pills in the script in front of the pharmacy personnel before you leave. I'd never assume I'd be believed if I came back even just a few days later complaining of being shorted of a few pills.
That used to happen to me with a CVS pharmacy in Miami- I used to get 30 day supplies of high blood pressure/ arrhythmia meds, and I'd find myself running out at day 27- kind of late to complain about it. I complained when it happened repeatedly, the pharmacist there was a colossal jerk who brushed it off saying it looked like the "pill counting machine" ( it had a name but I don't remember it) needed recalibrating. I got to where I'd stand at the counter and count out the pills in my scripts- all the while as the techs and this horses' aZz pharmacist were berating me for being in the way.
I also had issues there with scripts being only partially filled, with no notice or idea when, or if I'd get the rest of the meds, they couldn't or wouldn't tell me and sometimes it didn't happen or
I went too many days without the meds. The pharmacist was on the offensive to me about that too.
The straw came when they filled a 90 day prescription with 60 pills( supposed to be one a day). The pharmacist ( one their "best", so claimed the regular jerk pharmacist when I complained) had removed 30 pills from a prepackaged bottle of 90 pills, and had crossed off the pre-written 90 number, and wrote " 90", over it, hard as it is to believe that.
That's when I complained to CVS corporate/ management, relating all the experiences I had there. I switched my prescriptions to Walgreens, and have, for the most part, been happy with them.
When you are dealing with 60 or 90 pills how do you do count them? Spill them all out on the counter? {Eww} Bring a paper towel with you to count them on?
They could fill your Rx in a couple of minutes, but they make a lot more money if you walk around the store for an hour making impulse purchases.
Most of my Rx comes in a factory-sealed container. But it has to be taken off the shelf and put in a bag under the supervision of someone who has 6 years of college.
In Philippines, all drugs come individually packed, and you pay the same price per pill whether you buy one or 100. You give the counter-girl your Rx, tell her how many and whether you want generic, and she comes back in a minute and hands you the bag. Never a wait of over a few minutes. I pay 42c per tablet for Losartan.
I have thought of that and it is why I NEVER, EVER buy anything while waiting for a script.
I won't even browse around the store. I park myself in a chair and sit there, obvious as hell, until my script is ready.
As a matter of fact, I never buy OTC products at a pharmacy unless I am too sick and desperate to go somewhere else further away or where I may have to wait in a longer line at checkout. In the last 10 years I think I only went to a pharmacy once for OTC cold medicine.....and.....as expected, the price was outrageous.
It is a career choice these folks make. Nobody holds a gun to their heads to make them stand at a job the whole time they are at work or to work 'shot staffed'.
Hey! They have HALF the prescriptions to fill now than 5 years ago when the opioid 'crisis' stopped them filling 99% of all pain medication 'scripts. They should have plenty of time now to take a break etc.
Not a gun, but having bills to pay or a family to support can make people stick wit a job that has changed drastically over the decades. Nobody chooses a career that they know will be miserable for them years later.
As far as only having half the scripts to fill, you make me laugh. Still plenty of pain pills to fill along with all the suboxone, not to mention an aging population getting multiple scripts. Our script count goes up every year, not down. Yet we are working with fewer hours to fill those scripts.
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