Wednesday 22 August 2012
Saturday 18 August 2012
Wednesday 15 August 2012
Tuesday 14 August 2012
The Benefits Of Makeup
People can do so many things with makeup. It can be used to enhance natural beauty, hide flaws, or scare the crap out of people on Halloween. Except for the third one, men rarely use the stuff, and don't really care to know much about it, unless it's used to cover up flaws. And these flaws aren't always the readily visible types.
It's late afternoon, on a day where an hour feels like a week, when a younger guy comes in to the store. He's probably in his late teens, possibly early twenties. He has a problem, and needs makeup to hide it.
The big problem is a glaring red monstrosity on his neck. It looks like he has been burned by the Curling Iron From Hell. If it were any bigger, an alien life form would likely pop out at any given moment.
"I need to hide this. Do you think makeup could work?" I don't have the heart to tell him that the thickest foundation in the world wouldn't be up to that task.
It's obvious that this poor boy has a bad hickey, and no idea how to hide it. He probably wants to hide it from the disapproving eyes of Grandma.
Actually, Grandma's reaction probably wouldn't be as bad as the reaction of the person this young man is actually trying to hide the hickey from. His girlfriend might not be too happy to see the hickey, considering the fact that she wasn't the one who gave it to him in the first place.
At this point, the young man is trying to find the foundation that matches his skin tone. He looks sheepish, like he has already been caught in a lie. And judging by the hickey on his neck, there was no way for him to hide it, even with the thickest clown makeup money could buy. The Band-Aid suggestion has been refused, as it would draw more attention to the problem area.
Because a violent red, oozing hickey didn't draw attention on it's own. And a violent red, oozing hickey with some foundation slapped on certainly wouldn't catch the attention of his girlfriend.
The man leaves with a bottle of foundation, but the shame clings to him. I never saw him again, so I couldn't ask if his girlfriend ever noticed the hickey, but unless he was dating a blind girl, he likely learned that makeup can't conceal everything.
It's late afternoon, on a day where an hour feels like a week, when a younger guy comes in to the store. He's probably in his late teens, possibly early twenties. He has a problem, and needs makeup to hide it.
The big problem is a glaring red monstrosity on his neck. It looks like he has been burned by the Curling Iron From Hell. If it were any bigger, an alien life form would likely pop out at any given moment.
"I need to hide this. Do you think makeup could work?" I don't have the heart to tell him that the thickest foundation in the world wouldn't be up to that task.
It's obvious that this poor boy has a bad hickey, and no idea how to hide it. He probably wants to hide it from the disapproving eyes of Grandma.
Actually, Grandma's reaction probably wouldn't be as bad as the reaction of the person this young man is actually trying to hide the hickey from. His girlfriend might not be too happy to see the hickey, considering the fact that she wasn't the one who gave it to him in the first place.
At this point, the young man is trying to find the foundation that matches his skin tone. He looks sheepish, like he has already been caught in a lie. And judging by the hickey on his neck, there was no way for him to hide it, even with the thickest clown makeup money could buy. The Band-Aid suggestion has been refused, as it would draw more attention to the problem area.
Because a violent red, oozing hickey didn't draw attention on it's own. And a violent red, oozing hickey with some foundation slapped on certainly wouldn't catch the attention of his girlfriend.
The man leaves with a bottle of foundation, but the shame clings to him. I never saw him again, so I couldn't ask if his girlfriend ever noticed the hickey, but unless he was dating a blind girl, he likely learned that makeup can't conceal everything.
Wednesday 8 August 2012
Wednesday 1 August 2012
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Wednesday 18 July 2012
Wednesday 11 July 2012
Wednesday 4 July 2012
Wednesday 27 June 2012
Wednesday 20 June 2012
Wednesday 13 June 2012
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Wednesday 16 May 2012
Wednesday 9 May 2012
Wednesday 2 May 2012
Wednesday 25 April 2012
Thursday 19 April 2012
"I'm Having An Allergic Reaction"
One early Monday morning, a young girl came running into the pharmacy with a friend. Her face was puffed out to about twice what it should have been, a large rash had started on her arms, and her eyes and nose were both running like faucets.
"I'm having an allergic reaction. I have trouble breathing. What should I do?"
I'm no miracle worker, and when it comes to something as vital as breathing, I don't mess around. I told the girl to go right to the hospital, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
"But I have an exam this morning! I can't go to the hospital!"
I then tried to calmly explain to her that any teacher in their right mind would take one look at her puffy face and would ship her out to the hospital and let her write the exam at a later date. If not, any teacher would accept a note from the doctor, because no teacher wants to be responsible for the student who stops breathing during an exam due to an allergic reaction.
"Can't I just take something to make it all go away?" I wanted to tell her that antihistamines aren't a magic wand, but pointed her to the Benadryl regardless. I explained to her that it might make her sleepy, and therefore going to the hospital would be her best best. This was met with more complaining, and she sat down to scratch the large rash that had broken out on her legs.
"Just write the exam tomorrow!" piped up her friend. My colleague and myself nodded our heads in agreement.
"I'm so stressed out! I just want to write the exam!" wailed the girl.
"But your nose is going to drip all over it anyway! You can write it tomorrow!" The friend then explained that she is actually the girl's instructor, and brought her to the pharmacy because it was quite evident that the girl's state was not one ideal for exam writing.
"I'll just take the Benadryl. I won't fall asleep and this will all go away," said the girl, as she continued to scratch at her legs and used her other hand to wipe her running nose.
The girl bought her Benadryl and left with her instructor. The girl informed my colleague that her exam was at the aesthetic school, and was actually a practical exam on epilation. She then blew her nose for the ten millionth time and left.
I don't know if she managed to do the exam or not, but I certainly pity the person who went in for a leg wax and got more than just wax smeared all over.
"I'm having an allergic reaction. I have trouble breathing. What should I do?"
I'm no miracle worker, and when it comes to something as vital as breathing, I don't mess around. I told the girl to go right to the hospital, do not pass go, do not collect $200.
"But I have an exam this morning! I can't go to the hospital!"
I then tried to calmly explain to her that any teacher in their right mind would take one look at her puffy face and would ship her out to the hospital and let her write the exam at a later date. If not, any teacher would accept a note from the doctor, because no teacher wants to be responsible for the student who stops breathing during an exam due to an allergic reaction.
"Can't I just take something to make it all go away?" I wanted to tell her that antihistamines aren't a magic wand, but pointed her to the Benadryl regardless. I explained to her that it might make her sleepy, and therefore going to the hospital would be her best best. This was met with more complaining, and she sat down to scratch the large rash that had broken out on her legs.
"Just write the exam tomorrow!" piped up her friend. My colleague and myself nodded our heads in agreement.
"I'm so stressed out! I just want to write the exam!" wailed the girl.
"But your nose is going to drip all over it anyway! You can write it tomorrow!" The friend then explained that she is actually the girl's instructor, and brought her to the pharmacy because it was quite evident that the girl's state was not one ideal for exam writing.
"I'll just take the Benadryl. I won't fall asleep and this will all go away," said the girl, as she continued to scratch at her legs and used her other hand to wipe her running nose.
The girl bought her Benadryl and left with her instructor. The girl informed my colleague that her exam was at the aesthetic school, and was actually a practical exam on epilation. She then blew her nose for the ten millionth time and left.
I don't know if she managed to do the exam or not, but I certainly pity the person who went in for a leg wax and got more than just wax smeared all over.
Wednesday 18 April 2012
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Friday 6 April 2012
On Requesting The Impossible
This story was related to me by a colleague:
On a quiet Friday afternoon, I received a long distance phone call from the United States. First thing they did was insist on speaking with my boss, who of course never works Fridays and never has. It took me a bit, but I finally managed to convince them that I was indeed the must qualified and competent person they could speak with at the present time, so they got down to business.
"I need Fentanyl lollipops, dear. How long would it take for you to FedEx them to me?"
There are many reasons why this question would elicit a facepalm. Firstly, Fentanyl is a heavy-duty narcotic. All precriptions for Fentanyl are thoroughly checked out to make sure that the prescription is valid, and that it is compatible with any other medications the patient may be taking.
Secondly, I'd never even heard of them making Fentanyl in lollipop form (it's made in trans-dermal patches and injectables, so I had a funny image of someone licking the patches)- only a Google search confirmed their existence. Therefore, these would have to be made by a pharmacy that specializes in compounding, who would also require copies of the original prescription to be verified. There is only one pharmacy that I knew of that might have been able to make this special medication, but even then I wasn't sure.
Thirdly, this was an American man calling, and even if he had a valid prescription in the States, it wouldn't be valid here.
After I explained all of these points clearly to the man, he tried what he thought would be his trump card: "I'm a personal friend of your boss. He's done this for me in the past. How long have you been working there, anyway? Don't you know who I am?"
A quick computer check proved that the man had never opened a file in our pharmacy, and it would be impossible to have FedExed him this product in the past without some sort of record. Without a valid prescription, there is no way this would have made it past the border.
However, the man kept insisting that our pharmacy, because of my boss being his personal friend, had definitely sent him Fentanyl lollipops in the past. I calmly tried to explain to him that our boss wouldn't do this for his own cousin, let alone an American man with no patient file whatsoever. He grew more irate, and eventually just hung up on me (though in my imagination, he likely slammed down the phone, then did a Google search for another pharmacy he could bug).
This was one of those moments where my coworker's advocacy for drinking on the job seemed entirely reasonable!
On a quiet Friday afternoon, I received a long distance phone call from the United States. First thing they did was insist on speaking with my boss, who of course never works Fridays and never has. It took me a bit, but I finally managed to convince them that I was indeed the must qualified and competent person they could speak with at the present time, so they got down to business.
"I need Fentanyl lollipops, dear. How long would it take for you to FedEx them to me?"
There are many reasons why this question would elicit a facepalm. Firstly, Fentanyl is a heavy-duty narcotic. All precriptions for Fentanyl are thoroughly checked out to make sure that the prescription is valid, and that it is compatible with any other medications the patient may be taking.
Secondly, I'd never even heard of them making Fentanyl in lollipop form (it's made in trans-dermal patches and injectables, so I had a funny image of someone licking the patches)- only a Google search confirmed their existence. Therefore, these would have to be made by a pharmacy that specializes in compounding, who would also require copies of the original prescription to be verified. There is only one pharmacy that I knew of that might have been able to make this special medication, but even then I wasn't sure.
Thirdly, this was an American man calling, and even if he had a valid prescription in the States, it wouldn't be valid here.
After I explained all of these points clearly to the man, he tried what he thought would be his trump card: "I'm a personal friend of your boss. He's done this for me in the past. How long have you been working there, anyway? Don't you know who I am?"
A quick computer check proved that the man had never opened a file in our pharmacy, and it would be impossible to have FedExed him this product in the past without some sort of record. Without a valid prescription, there is no way this would have made it past the border.
However, the man kept insisting that our pharmacy, because of my boss being his personal friend, had definitely sent him Fentanyl lollipops in the past. I calmly tried to explain to him that our boss wouldn't do this for his own cousin, let alone an American man with no patient file whatsoever. He grew more irate, and eventually just hung up on me (though in my imagination, he likely slammed down the phone, then did a Google search for another pharmacy he could bug).
This was one of those moments where my coworker's advocacy for drinking on the job seemed entirely reasonable!
Wednesday 4 April 2012
Thursday 29 March 2012
Quote of the Day!
"I read an article that said that you can lose weight by skipping meals and only eating vitamin D tablets when you're hungry. Is that true?"
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Thursday 22 March 2012
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Wednesday 7 March 2012
Thursday 1 March 2012
"I Have Some Change I'd Like To Get Rid Of"
At some point in time, everyone's wallet, pockets, or purse bottoms become full of random change. It can become a rather burdensome load to carry, and it's understandable that people would try to get rid of some change while making small purchases. Sometimes, though, it's just a burden on the cashier.
"That will be $7.43, please."
"Oh, I have some change I would like to get rid of." This is often followed by the client taking change out of pockets, wallets, and anywhere else where change may have deposited itself. Small change, big change, it doesn't matter. It's surprising to see how much change one person can actually carry. The counter is covered by a sea of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, and the client is determined to use them all to pay for the purchase.
"Okay, here's a quarter, and here's a dime...so that's 35 cents... How much did you say the total was?"
Where I work, this usually is not a problem, as it is usually quiet enough in the store to help the client count out their change without creating too much anger. However, frequently enough, people try to pay entirely in small change at the absolute worst times- lunch breaks.
Imagine this. You have half an hour for a lunch break- that includes the time it requires to purchase your lunch and to eat it. You wander in to a pharmacy to buy a pack of gum, and the person in front of you is counting. They appear to have brought in an entire piggy bank, and are now counting out individual pennies on an 8-dollar purchase. You have five minutes left to your break, and you may be fired if you're not sitting in your desk chair before then.
So you huff. And moan. And try to convince the cashier to let you pay ahead of the person who has more change in their wallet than you've seen in your entire life. But the cashier can't let you go through. After all, the other person has already been rung up, even if they've only managed to count out 57 pennies in the three minutes you've been waiting in line.
As frustrating as it is for clients, it's just as frustrating for the cashier. Angry people don't just huff and puff and act like a small child who has to wait a few minutes before playing with their toys- they get vocal. And there's really only one person they can get vocal with, as it's just plain rude to harass the client who has only managed to count out 83 cents in four minutes.
It has happened before that a client will try to pay with the change they rolled up at home. Rolls of pennies are quite heavy, but it's quite fascinating when someone starts plonking roll after roll of pennies on the counter, and then to realize that this client must have planned to come by the pharmacy for the specific purpose of unloading their change.
Though debit and credit cards have done much in the way of eliminating the amount of change many have in their pockets at any given moment, it will never stop people from paying in change. And unfortunately for everyone else, it's just something that must be endured.
"That will be $7.43, please."
"Oh, I have some change I would like to get rid of." This is often followed by the client taking change out of pockets, wallets, and anywhere else where change may have deposited itself. Small change, big change, it doesn't matter. It's surprising to see how much change one person can actually carry. The counter is covered by a sea of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, and the client is determined to use them all to pay for the purchase.
"Okay, here's a quarter, and here's a dime...so that's 35 cents... How much did you say the total was?"
Where I work, this usually is not a problem, as it is usually quiet enough in the store to help the client count out their change without creating too much anger. However, frequently enough, people try to pay entirely in small change at the absolute worst times- lunch breaks.
Imagine this. You have half an hour for a lunch break- that includes the time it requires to purchase your lunch and to eat it. You wander in to a pharmacy to buy a pack of gum, and the person in front of you is counting. They appear to have brought in an entire piggy bank, and are now counting out individual pennies on an 8-dollar purchase. You have five minutes left to your break, and you may be fired if you're not sitting in your desk chair before then.
So you huff. And moan. And try to convince the cashier to let you pay ahead of the person who has more change in their wallet than you've seen in your entire life. But the cashier can't let you go through. After all, the other person has already been rung up, even if they've only managed to count out 57 pennies in the three minutes you've been waiting in line.
As frustrating as it is for clients, it's just as frustrating for the cashier. Angry people don't just huff and puff and act like a small child who has to wait a few minutes before playing with their toys- they get vocal. And there's really only one person they can get vocal with, as it's just plain rude to harass the client who has only managed to count out 83 cents in four minutes.
It has happened before that a client will try to pay with the change they rolled up at home. Rolls of pennies are quite heavy, but it's quite fascinating when someone starts plonking roll after roll of pennies on the counter, and then to realize that this client must have planned to come by the pharmacy for the specific purpose of unloading their change.
Though debit and credit cards have done much in the way of eliminating the amount of change many have in their pockets at any given moment, it will never stop people from paying in change. And unfortunately for everyone else, it's just something that must be endured.
Wednesday 29 February 2012
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Monday 20 February 2012
Quote of the Day!
"Where is the...oh, just found it. Jesus, I just can't see the forest for the trees today, can I?"
Thursday 16 February 2012
"But I Have Insurance For That!"
Health insurance is one of the most important things that one can have. After all, staying alive and maintaining good health does cost a lot. The problem is, most people don't have a clue what their insurance will actually pay for, which leads to some rather unpleasant confrontations with the fact that insurance is limited, and no company will cover everything.
People then begin to direct their insurance related questions at pharmacy staff, as though we have a clue.
"Why do I have to pay this amount? I have insurance."
"Because it isn't paid for by your insurance."
"But why?"
"Because they don't want to."
The problem is, people seem to believe that having a magic prescription will make their insurance pay their part. Sadly, even if the doctor signed the bottom, that will not convince the insurance to pay for it. The doctor can write you a prescription for toilet paper without any problems, but insurance still won't pay for it.
"Why won't my insurance pay for this item?"
"Because your insurance doesn't care if you got your doctor to write you a prescription for shampoo."
There are some actual prescription medications that insurances will choose not to cover. In the time that I have worked in a pharmacy, I have seen Viagra paid in part by an insurance maybe twice. This is not because only two people are taking the medication, but rather because it is expensive and not quite crucial to survival.
"Why won't my insurance pay for Viagra? I have a prescription!"
"Because your insurance doesn't care if you get laid."
Plain and simple.
People then begin to direct their insurance related questions at pharmacy staff, as though we have a clue.
"Why do I have to pay this amount? I have insurance."
"Because it isn't paid for by your insurance."
"But why?"
"Because they don't want to."
The problem is, people seem to believe that having a magic prescription will make their insurance pay their part. Sadly, even if the doctor signed the bottom, that will not convince the insurance to pay for it. The doctor can write you a prescription for toilet paper without any problems, but insurance still won't pay for it.
"Why won't my insurance pay for this item?"
"Because your insurance doesn't care if you got your doctor to write you a prescription for shampoo."
There are some actual prescription medications that insurances will choose not to cover. In the time that I have worked in a pharmacy, I have seen Viagra paid in part by an insurance maybe twice. This is not because only two people are taking the medication, but rather because it is expensive and not quite crucial to survival.
"Why won't my insurance pay for Viagra? I have a prescription!"
"Because your insurance doesn't care if you get laid."
Plain and simple.
Wednesday 15 February 2012
Friday 10 February 2012
Wednesday 8 February 2012
Monday 6 February 2012
Sometimes, you just have to wait
With computers and newer machinery, everything is at our fingertips. Things are processed so rapidly that people begin to expect that everything they want, they will get in the blink of an eye.
One day at work, a client came down the aisle at a leisurely pace. She handed me her prescription, which had a couple of items listed. I told her that it would take a few minutes to process the prescription, to which she replied that she would wait.
I had barely had the chance to access the client's file before I heard it. Rata-tat-tat-tat-tat. At first I thought that the computer was about to explode, and considered the best place to duck and run for cover. However, the noise did seem to be coming from somewhere beyond the counter with the computer. That's when I noticed the client, who had one hand on her hip and one hand on the counter, where her fingernails were impatiently drumming at the speed of light.
It usually takes a few minutes to enter a prescription in to the computer, send a claim to the insurance, count the pills, then have the finished product checked by the pharmacist. The whole time that it took to get to the last step, the client was impatiently drumming the counter. It was like hearing a time bomb count down to zero before the explosion.
"I must get those medications before the time runs out and I spontaneously combust!"
When I've finished counting the medications and it's time for the pharmacist to check the finished product, the pharmacist happens to be on the phone with a doctor. I explain to the client that it will take a few more minutes.
She gives me the glare of doom and sighs loudly.
In the meantime, I am busy with other clients, while she sighs and taps her fingernails on the counter. I'm wondering if the consistent tapping will just eventually wear her nails down to nubs.
After approximately three more minutes of the infernal tapping, she sighs, then loudly states, "You know that I'm still waiting, right?"
"No, I completely forgot. What are you here for, again?" I could only imagine how purple her face would become if she received that response.
I assure her that I know she's there (after all, I couldn't miss the constant stream of noise). I'm starting to wonder if the counter will have to be repainted by the time she leaves. I'm also thinking that we should charge her extra for damages sustained in the pharmacy over the five minutes that she's been waiting.
The pharmacist is the one who gets the pleasure of explaining how to take the new medication to the impatient client. She does all but snatch the bottle out of his hand and huff and puff on her way out. If it were a cartoon, smoke would be pouring out of her ears.
Perhaps someday they will invent a magic wand that prepares prescription medications with the wave of a hand. In the meantime, people will simply have to wait their turn, patiently or not.
One day at work, a client came down the aisle at a leisurely pace. She handed me her prescription, which had a couple of items listed. I told her that it would take a few minutes to process the prescription, to which she replied that she would wait.
I had barely had the chance to access the client's file before I heard it. Rata-tat-tat-tat-tat. At first I thought that the computer was about to explode, and considered the best place to duck and run for cover. However, the noise did seem to be coming from somewhere beyond the counter with the computer. That's when I noticed the client, who had one hand on her hip and one hand on the counter, where her fingernails were impatiently drumming at the speed of light.
It usually takes a few minutes to enter a prescription in to the computer, send a claim to the insurance, count the pills, then have the finished product checked by the pharmacist. The whole time that it took to get to the last step, the client was impatiently drumming the counter. It was like hearing a time bomb count down to zero before the explosion.
"I must get those medications before the time runs out and I spontaneously combust!"
When I've finished counting the medications and it's time for the pharmacist to check the finished product, the pharmacist happens to be on the phone with a doctor. I explain to the client that it will take a few more minutes.
She gives me the glare of doom and sighs loudly.
In the meantime, I am busy with other clients, while she sighs and taps her fingernails on the counter. I'm wondering if the consistent tapping will just eventually wear her nails down to nubs.
After approximately three more minutes of the infernal tapping, she sighs, then loudly states, "You know that I'm still waiting, right?"
"No, I completely forgot. What are you here for, again?" I could only imagine how purple her face would become if she received that response.
I assure her that I know she's there (after all, I couldn't miss the constant stream of noise). I'm starting to wonder if the counter will have to be repainted by the time she leaves. I'm also thinking that we should charge her extra for damages sustained in the pharmacy over the five minutes that she's been waiting.
The pharmacist is the one who gets the pleasure of explaining how to take the new medication to the impatient client. She does all but snatch the bottle out of his hand and huff and puff on her way out. If it were a cartoon, smoke would be pouring out of her ears.
Perhaps someday they will invent a magic wand that prepares prescription medications with the wave of a hand. In the meantime, people will simply have to wait their turn, patiently or not.
Quote of the Day!
Client: "I have to call my insurance to tell them that I'm going on vacation?"
Me: "Yes, every time you want your medication over a week in advance you have to let them know."
Client: "Well, can't you call for me?"
Me: "No, you have to call them yourself and let them know why you want your medications in advance."
Client: "Oh, I see. I'll get my assistant to call them then."
Me: "Yes, every time you want your medication over a week in advance you have to let them know."
Client: "Well, can't you call for me?"
Me: "No, you have to call them yourself and let them know why you want your medications in advance."
Client: "Oh, I see. I'll get my assistant to call them then."
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Monday 30 January 2012
Quote of the Day!
Me: "Is there any reason that you're ordering your medications several days early?"
Customer: "Oh, I'm going on a trip. Don't worry, I'm not building little pill houses out of them."
Customer: "Oh, I'm going on a trip. Don't worry, I'm not building little pill houses out of them."
Saturday 28 January 2012
Friday 27 January 2012
Vicodin Doesn't Exist Here
One big difference between a Canadian pharmacy and an American pharmacy is that one very popular pain reliever that is available in the States never made it across the border. That drug is Vicodin, a combination of hydrocodone and Tylenol. It has been known to become addictive, and many cross the border in hopes of finding it in Canada.
Unfortunately, no matter how many people ask at every pharmacy counter, Vicodin still does not exist in Canada. It may never exist in Canada. Even if it did exist in Canada, it would require a prescription.
Of course, this never stops people from trying, perhaps in the event that this medication has finally crossed the border and is waiting patiently for someone who does not have a prescription to ask for it.
The person who asks for Vicodin, only for me to tell them that their request is impossible, sometimes change tactics and then state something along the lines of, "Well, I bought it in Canada last time. From your pharmacy."
This tactic, while completely lacking in sense, is likely used in the event that it will prompt me to pull out the stash that we secretly keep in the back, just for people who ask us about it.
Instead, this tactic is usually met with the response, "Yeah, that didn't happen."
"Well, where can I buy it then?" Some are a little slower on the uptake and figure that just because one particular pharmacy does not have the product, then surely another one will.
"In the United States."
At this point they trend to either slink out with a dejected look our get huffy. Sometimes, they will ask a second time if there is anywhere local that sells Vicodin, because they did buy it in Canada the last time they were here, which was last summer.
As I told one particular client, who was getting rather aggressive about our lack of Vicodin, or perhaps our unwillingness to sell it to him, if you happened to have purchased it in the back alley from a guy wearing a trench coat, it really isn't my problem.
That usually ends the barrage of Vicodin-related questions.
Unfortunately, no matter how many people ask at every pharmacy counter, Vicodin still does not exist in Canada. It may never exist in Canada. Even if it did exist in Canada, it would require a prescription.
Of course, this never stops people from trying, perhaps in the event that this medication has finally crossed the border and is waiting patiently for someone who does not have a prescription to ask for it.
The person who asks for Vicodin, only for me to tell them that their request is impossible, sometimes change tactics and then state something along the lines of, "Well, I bought it in Canada last time. From your pharmacy."
This tactic, while completely lacking in sense, is likely used in the event that it will prompt me to pull out the stash that we secretly keep in the back, just for people who ask us about it.
Instead, this tactic is usually met with the response, "Yeah, that didn't happen."
"Well, where can I buy it then?" Some are a little slower on the uptake and figure that just because one particular pharmacy does not have the product, then surely another one will.
"In the United States."
At this point they trend to either slink out with a dejected look our get huffy. Sometimes, they will ask a second time if there is anywhere local that sells Vicodin, because they did buy it in Canada the last time they were here, which was last summer.
As I told one particular client, who was getting rather aggressive about our lack of Vicodin, or perhaps our unwillingness to sell it to him, if you happened to have purchased it in the back alley from a guy wearing a trench coat, it really isn't my problem.
That usually ends the barrage of Vicodin-related questions.
Wednesday 25 January 2012
Tuesday 24 January 2012
Dealing With Irate Clients
Irate clients happen. Some pharmacies deal with multiple angry people on a daily basis, and usually it's just accepted as a fact of life. Sometimes, the client is just too rude to bear.
While I was serving another client, one particular client calls to make an order. Taking an order from him is hit or miss- sometimes he will be civil, other times he will yell over every little thing until you begin to imagine popping his head like a giant, angry zit.
"I need all of my medications for tonight."
"Well, sir, you're twenty days early on ordering your medications. Is there any reason why you want it for tonight?" This response is met with a string of swearing and insults so long that there would have been time to run across the street to a coffee shop, buy whatever hot beverage requires the longest amount of time to make, and run back across the street to pick up the phone before the client realizes that you weren't there.
The coffee option is also a good one, because if anyone actually listened to the tirade it might give them incentive to replace all of these medications with assorted laxatives. Or large amounts of sedatives, so that the person might be too out of sorts to call back in ten days to reorder everything.
If those options are unavailable for lawsuit reasons, the creative visualisation method is quite effective. Sure, an anvil falling from the sky onto the person in question, Looney Tunes style, might never happen, it certainly helps de-stress a lot after hearing every swear word and insult of the English language.
There is also the satisfying option of simply hanging up the phone, but then there may be consequences more dire if the client calls back to continue their rant.
Calling the client out on their douche-y behaviour might work, but in the case of pharmacies, where crazies are a part of everyday happenings, it may just lead to more trouble than it's worth. In that case, visualising the client falling off a cliff can help immensely, and is at least free of consequences at work.
While I was serving another client, one particular client calls to make an order. Taking an order from him is hit or miss- sometimes he will be civil, other times he will yell over every little thing until you begin to imagine popping his head like a giant, angry zit.
"I need all of my medications for tonight."
"Well, sir, you're twenty days early on ordering your medications. Is there any reason why you want it for tonight?" This response is met with a string of swearing and insults so long that there would have been time to run across the street to a coffee shop, buy whatever hot beverage requires the longest amount of time to make, and run back across the street to pick up the phone before the client realizes that you weren't there.
The coffee option is also a good one, because if anyone actually listened to the tirade it might give them incentive to replace all of these medications with assorted laxatives. Or large amounts of sedatives, so that the person might be too out of sorts to call back in ten days to reorder everything.
If those options are unavailable for lawsuit reasons, the creative visualisation method is quite effective. Sure, an anvil falling from the sky onto the person in question, Looney Tunes style, might never happen, it certainly helps de-stress a lot after hearing every swear word and insult of the English language.
There is also the satisfying option of simply hanging up the phone, but then there may be consequences more dire if the client calls back to continue their rant.
Calling the client out on their douche-y behaviour might work, but in the case of pharmacies, where crazies are a part of everyday happenings, it may just lead to more trouble than it's worth. In that case, visualising the client falling off a cliff can help immensely, and is at least free of consequences at work.
Friday 20 January 2012
Thursday 19 January 2012
Canada, the magical land of prescription medications
Medication availability varies depending on each country. For example, a medication that is available in the United States might not be available in Canada for a variety of reasons. There also appears to be a large misconception of what medications are available with or without a prescription in Canada.
One day, shortly after I had started working at a pharmacy in downtown Montreal, a client came in to the pharmacy with a prescription to be filled. The prescription was for Ambien, a popular sleeping pill in the US that was not yet available in Canada. Another problem is that the law prohibits a Canadian pharmacy from accepting a prescription from a doctor outside of the country. I politely explained this to the client.
Her response: "But a doctor told me that I can buy whatever I want in Canada!"
This response, to me, invokes the image of the magical land up north where prescription meds are sold like candies. All medications available, just ask and we'll give you anything you want! After all, didn't everyone know that morphine is used as currency in Canada?
If only it worked like that. But unfortunately, the prescription medication fairies won't be waving their wands so painkillers will magically appear.
It also didn't help that the medication the client was requesting did not actually exist in Canada at the time.
One day, shortly after I had started working at a pharmacy in downtown Montreal, a client came in to the pharmacy with a prescription to be filled. The prescription was for Ambien, a popular sleeping pill in the US that was not yet available in Canada. Another problem is that the law prohibits a Canadian pharmacy from accepting a prescription from a doctor outside of the country. I politely explained this to the client.
Her response: "But a doctor told me that I can buy whatever I want in Canada!"
This response, to me, invokes the image of the magical land up north where prescription meds are sold like candies. All medications available, just ask and we'll give you anything you want! After all, didn't everyone know that morphine is used as currency in Canada?
If only it worked like that. But unfortunately, the prescription medication fairies won't be waving their wands so painkillers will magically appear.
It also didn't help that the medication the client was requesting did not actually exist in Canada at the time.
Wednesday 18 January 2012
Monday 16 January 2012
Sunday 15 January 2012
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