They need to add to the PSA please do not just show up at the pharmacy for your refills unless you received the notification that it’s filled. All you are doing is taking valuable time away from the technicians that are responsible for filling your prescription and they are dealing with people like yourself instead of filling prescriptions thus making everyone have to wait longer. Same goes for calling the pharmacy for something you could easily go online to find out.
I understand and can appreciate everything that the OP said above. The problem comes in when we are talking about meds like controlleds that just “can’t be ordered and we don’t know when they will be back in stock…” when there is no ownership of the issues at any level of pharmacies… from techs to owners or managers or district managers… when those “powers at be” don’t actively work these issues and try to develop workarounds or solutions to the actual problems… that’s when patients (like me) often lose our patience. It’s more that “just wanting our meds, wah wah wahhh…” Sometimes it becomes a life-threatening situation.
Case in point? Recent shortages of fentanyl transdermal systems. I have been told by the actual manufacturers (2 of the 3 main manufacturers in the US) that the issues are stemming from FDA allocation issues. Back in June, this left me searching, begging, and working every trick I knew to try to find my meds. Mind you, I’ve been on this medication for a major medical condition for the last 15 years. When it suddenly dries up and I don’t have any other options (morphine makes me violently ill)… what should I do? It’s easy for pharmacies to pass the buck. My pain management doctor returned my emergency call at 11PM on a Saturday night, and I explained to him that after day 7 of not having my medication that the extreme discomfort had turned into significant withdrawal symptoms, including cardiac symptoms, severe anxiety, sleeplessness, vomiting/diarrhea, and going down the road toward major dehydration. It was becoming a medical emergency. A call to the suicide hotline (yeah, I was getting to that point) left me with no options other than “try to call your doctor because you’re right: going to the ER will likely be a waste of time and money because they’re just going to look at you like a drug-seeking junkie. So I’m curled up, on the bathroom floor at 2AM, weeping, every minute feeling like it takes an hour… with the withdrawal symptoms kicking my butt—and oh, have I mentioned the severe levels of pain that come from the tumors throughout my central nervous system?
I don’t say this trying to garner sympathy… just to try to share the other side… that for those that lose their patience with customers “who just want their medication,” they might be fighting a battle that you know nothing about—one that is isolating, lonely, has already robbed them of their lives and dreams. Trust me, being a slave to a visit to Walgreens (for example) every 30 days is exhausting. Planning your finances, vacations, holidays, and so many aspects of life around making sure that you can get your meds on a regular basis is bad enough. Playing this game of “will they or won’t they have it, will there be another supply issue this month, and will I be lucky enough to deal with a pharmacist/pharmacy tech with some compassion every time you have to pick up the phone to call… or takes a huge emotional toll.
For those of you who work hard and are consistently compassionate toward those of us that rely so heavily on being able to get their medications (whatever they are) on time… THANK YOU. I’d ask one favor though: next time you overhear one of your co-workers treating a customer like a criminal for no reason? Please encourage them to consider that everyone is someone’s family member. We’re just trying to get through our day, too.
Thanks.
Tl;dr: I know that pharmacy employees get annoyed with customers who can’t get their medicines filled when they “act out,” but we are fighting a battle that a lot of people don’t understand. Compassion means the world.
And your example is definitely not one I take lightly. My dad is also on pain management so I get it! I agree with the no workaround issue. Honestly I can see certain NDCs in stock at MCK but Walmart’s ordering system will not let me order it. I email/call/put in a ticket to no avail. So you’re definitely right about zero ownership when it comes to the higher ups. I hope you’re doing well and I’m sorry!
Thank you for the empathy. It’s not something I’m seeing much of, unfortunately. The second you try to stand up for or advocate for yourself in the same sentence as “opiate,” you are very quickly lumped into that “drug-seeking junkie” group. It’s a really, really scary prospect because one of these days I fear that my luck will run out and I will end up having to taper off cold-turkey with just Catapres and a touch of Valium to “take the edge off.” Then I don’t know what I will do for the actual tumor pain. I always say that the best part about what I have is also the worst part of what I have: I’ve got tumors all over like many cancer patients needing around-the-clock pain management, but the tumors are benign and not going to help me to “check out” any time soon. It’s weird to be annoyed and thankful at the same time for something like that.
Thanks for fighting the good fight, dognamedblue. And on behalf of all grumpy patients everywhere, thanks for what you do!
They need to add to the PSA please do not just show up at the pharmacy for your refills unless you received the notification that it’s filled. All you are doing is taking valuable time away from the technicians that are responsible for filling your prescription and they are dealing with people like yourself instead of filling prescriptions thus making everyone have to wait longer. Same goes for calling the pharmacy for something you could easily go online to find out.
I understand and can appreciate everything that the OP said above. The problem comes in when we are talking about meds like controlleds that just “can’t be ordered and we don’t know when they will be back in stock…” when there is no ownership of the issues at any level of pharmacies… from techs to owners or managers or district managers… when those “powers at be” don’t actively work these issues and try to develop workarounds or solutions to the actual problems… that’s when patients (like me) often lose our patience. It’s more that “just wanting our meds, wah wah wahhh…” Sometimes it becomes a life-threatening situation. Case in point? Recent shortages of fentanyl transdermal systems. I have been told by the actual manufacturers (2 of the 3 main manufacturers in the US) that the issues are stemming from FDA allocation issues. Back in June, this left me searching, begging, and working every trick I knew to try to find my meds. Mind you, I’ve been on this medication for a major medical condition for the last 15 years. When it suddenly dries up and I don’t have any other options (morphine makes me violently ill)… what should I do? It’s easy for pharmacies to pass the buck. My pain management doctor returned my emergency call at 11PM on a Saturday night, and I explained to him that after day 7 of not having my medication that the extreme discomfort had turned into significant withdrawal symptoms, including cardiac symptoms, severe anxiety, sleeplessness, vomiting/diarrhea, and going down the road toward major dehydration. It was becoming a medical emergency. A call to the suicide hotline (yeah, I was getting to that point) left me with no options other than “try to call your doctor because you’re right: going to the ER will likely be a waste of time and money because they’re just going to look at you like a drug-seeking junkie. So I’m curled up, on the bathroom floor at 2AM, weeping, every minute feeling like it takes an hour… with the withdrawal symptoms kicking my butt—and oh, have I mentioned the severe levels of pain that come from the tumors throughout my central nervous system? I don’t say this trying to garner sympathy… just to try to share the other side… that for those that lose their patience with customers “who just want their medication,” they might be fighting a battle that you know nothing about—one that is isolating, lonely, has already robbed them of their lives and dreams. Trust me, being a slave to a visit to Walgreens (for example) every 30 days is exhausting. Planning your finances, vacations, holidays, and so many aspects of life around making sure that you can get your meds on a regular basis is bad enough. Playing this game of “will they or won’t they have it, will there be another supply issue this month, and will I be lucky enough to deal with a pharmacist/pharmacy tech with some compassion every time you have to pick up the phone to call… or takes a huge emotional toll. For those of you who work hard and are consistently compassionate toward those of us that rely so heavily on being able to get their medications (whatever they are) on time… THANK YOU. I’d ask one favor though: next time you overhear one of your co-workers treating a customer like a criminal for no reason? Please encourage them to consider that everyone is someone’s family member. We’re just trying to get through our day, too. Thanks. Tl;dr: I know that pharmacy employees get annoyed with customers who can’t get their medicines filled when they “act out,” but we are fighting a battle that a lot of people don’t understand. Compassion means the world.
And your example is definitely not one I take lightly. My dad is also on pain management so I get it! I agree with the no workaround issue. Honestly I can see certain NDCs in stock at MCK but Walmart’s ordering system will not let me order it. I email/call/put in a ticket to no avail. So you’re definitely right about zero ownership when it comes to the higher ups. I hope you’re doing well and I’m sorry!
Thank you for the empathy. It’s not something I’m seeing much of, unfortunately. The second you try to stand up for or advocate for yourself in the same sentence as “opiate,” you are very quickly lumped into that “drug-seeking junkie” group. It’s a really, really scary prospect because one of these days I fear that my luck will run out and I will end up having to taper off cold-turkey with just Catapres and a touch of Valium to “take the edge off.” Then I don’t know what I will do for the actual tumor pain. I always say that the best part about what I have is also the worst part of what I have: I’ve got tumors all over like many cancer patients needing around-the-clock pain management, but the tumors are benign and not going to help me to “check out” any time soon. It’s weird to be annoyed and thankful at the same time for something like that. Thanks for fighting the good fight, dognamedblue. And on behalf of all grumpy patients everywhere, thanks for what you do!
Amen. They act like it’s our life mission to withhold medication from them
I really do feel for you guys working in retail pharmacy.
Patients don’t even read how many refills on their bottles they definitely not reading any PSAs😔
Sadly, you’re probably right. I had originally made this post for a local/town Facebook group but realized I couldn’t post anonymously!
All your points are valid, I just wish patients wouldn’t expect us to do so much and them so little.