Comments for The Angry Pharmacist

Comment on What comes out of patients mouths starts with B and ends in T by Mary Augustine

Mary Augustine — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:38:53 +0000

None of us pharmacists (as far as can figure out on this site) are ‘incredibly
frustrated burn-out snobs’, YET. We’re recognizing the signs and we’re discussing the issues.

I can’t guess what field of work involved or how long ‘working’… ‘Pharmacists as clients’ … hmmm? Insurance, wholesale distributor, bank loans, advertising, tax auditors, building inspection, cleaning or delivery services? ANYONE in health, or works with people encounters the One-Who-Would-Be enigma, except these individuals aren’t really so ’special’, nor an isolated entity.

It’s a rather surprisingly ordinary occurrence to meet people that assure us pharmacists (eyes as big as saucers) that they are quoting verbatim what this or that person told them, when a lack of understanding is patently revealed as the message is passed on.

If a person really wants to know about their condition, they first of all ask the doc who diagnosed it, then read up on the disease from reputable sources such as standard textbooks, National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic, etc., and their other healthcare providers. If a person wants to know about drugs, they ask questions of the pharmacist, read up on what they were told, and ask some more questions.

I hear this attitude (”pharmacists will be replaced by ‘machines’” with binary functions) by those that don’t really deal with people as fellow members of the human race, as if a human is a chemical vat and illness can be remedied by tossing another chemical into the brew.

There is a lot of predictability in chemical reactions, but the most vital factor in recovery is the patient and an active choice to improve their lot. Patients have more choice in how they will handle their situation than they think they do. Pharmacists get fed up with patients that seem to say that they’re just carrying around their bag of bones, doing time until they’re magically whole again.

If patients aren’t active participants in their health choices, their life doesn’t get any better.

Comment on Workmans Comp – The working mans welfare by Gerald

Gerald — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:17:28 +0000

I have a friend that was legitimately injured at her work. She has been on WC fo r 13 months now and was contated by the WC to tell her that they had paid her too much. They are demanding repayment. Is this legal? She does not have the money to pay them back. All her money goes towards other things the WC will not cover (i.e. loss of much needed income).

Comment on What comes out of patients mouths starts with B and ends in T by Idiotpatient

Idiotpatient — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:54:30 +0000

I am one of those nightmare patients. I have chronic pancreatitis (not alcoholic) and axonal neuropathy. Lots of meds required, complex diagnosic picture, no the dog never eats them and I never ask for early refills. But I go to the pharmacy to get my pancreatic digestive enzymes. The pharmacy tech assures me…that the company has QUIT making it (!!!)and I have to accept a generic. Hysterical phone call to manufacturer from idiotpatient ensues. Much Havoc and screaming. In the end, it turns out that the new pharmacy policy of *suggesting* generics had somehow mutated…

Comment on The Angry Pharmacist Socalized Health Plan Solution by noshi

noshi — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:18:07 +0000

Here is a better idea to drive down prices. Remove the patent protection process of trademarked drugs. SIMPLE. No trademark protection or 17 or whatever the hell the years are and all your big pharma companies will be running for the hills. Force the companies to price war against each other just like the generics do when they go through reverse auctions with Mckesson (and no wonder why the one-stop keeps changing). No price monopoly = prices for insurance drops due to lowered reimbursement payouts. It would also cut the crap with all the drug reps annoying the shit out of the pharmacies with their so-called “superior” drugs when they are usually a “me-too” drug but in a dumb package to slip through the FDA.

I am all for obamacare but it won’t address all the buyouts the companies do with the wholesalers and PBM companies.

Comment on RN’s vs NA/MA by Mary

Mary — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:13:29 +0000

Hey MD, get your facts straight, MA’s can not work in hospitals.

Comment on The Angry Pharmacist Socalized Health Plan Solution by Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:15:47 +0000

I have just one thing to say:

AFriggenMen!

Ok, a few more: Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen!!

Ok, I’m done now.

Comment on Lets unionize… or maybe not. by Come On

Come On — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:11:18 +0000

Chains have taken over the Profession of Pharmacy. Sad but true. It is our profession and we should have some say in how much our compensation should be and what our working conditions should look like. That will not happen without a Union of Pharmacist butting heads with the corporations in a negotiating format. Company mentality vs. Professional mentality. Both need to make money to survive. Money vs. working conditions is interesting as we all know time is money. A happy consumer is money and a happy consumer is usually someone who gets in and out in a short amount of time. Therefore there will always be pressure for speed in all aspects related pharmacy, and the pharmacist will be pressured to get them out in the 15minutes as mentioned by previous posters to keep the consumer happy. Pharmacist being highly compensated ($$/Minute) will always be expected to produce rapidly to keep consumer happy and help the company bottom line. You will always be expected to work hard, and it is hard to multi-task thru the job at hand—phone calls, consultations, side problems and company demands. What would make you complain louder—making $50/hour with fewer demands, or making $100/hour and working your ass off? You are going to work your ass off. It therefore comes down to how much/hour you are willing to work your ass off for. That is why you need a union. I read comments that the union has done nothing. If you are a member of a union—you are an intricate piece of it, and when you say the union has done nothing—you have done nothing. That is why they call them unions—the group must act together as a whole to be effective in the negotiations. They will bring in their best $1000/hour union breaking big mouthed union busting highly trained attorneys to save the company millions of dollars. Shit, maybe $2000/hr. Strikes, sick-ins, slowdowns, might bring results? Just getting together and speaking with one voice will get you noticed, as you then have special legal rights/protections.

Comment on Pharmacists, Narcs, and why you think we’re assholes by howcouldiknow

howcouldiknow — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:16:02 +0000

You know, I can’t always make it to the pharmacy on day 30 (or actually day 31 for most of you douchebag pharms). I have shit going on you know? Work, kids, etc. So, quit being a bitch just because I want my tramadol 2 days early.

Comment on The Angry Pharmacist Socalized Health Plan Solution by Crusty Rph

Crusty Rph — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:46:43 +0000

I have defended Bush on almost every aspect of his administration, but privatizing Part D was a big mistake. The gov subsidized all of the PBM’s to help them set up a program to completely fuck our country. I was shown a payment report for one of my previous patients, who is now going to mail order. AARP mail order company charged $149 for 90 omeprazole, $48 for 90 Amlodipine 10 and $365 for 90 Lipitor 20. I compaired it to what they paid the pharmacy $47, $29, and $350 respectively. Over-charges like these drive patients into the donut hole at record paces. Medco is now making a serious move to eliminate all independent pharmacies by having triple copays at independent pharmacies, trying to force patients to go to “their” mail order pharmacy in the guise of saving money. Again the employeer is paying 25% more for theie prescriptions. How long can this shit keep going on. Is everyone in Washington that afraid of the insurance companies. You would think “60 Minutes” would be all over it.

Comment on Cracky McCrackhead Addict by LD50placebo_effect

LD50placebo_effect — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:30:43 +0000

By the way, this response refers to addiction, for getting ‘high’ and wailing or whaling on the best interests of society to curtail addiction, and this does not refer to use of drugs for legitimate pain CONTROL, nor even legitimate and responsible anxiety CONTROL. Pain is pain, and of course we all know that it’s the patient with the pain that knows what, how, when, about their pain, etc. Pharmacists usually want to step in where it seems there’s a question about furthering an addiction.