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Ambigious drugs, fortune telling, and doctors who dont know shit

·641 words·4 mins

How many of you have been in this position:
You get an Rx for a medication; say, Effexor. Doctor has a strength; say 37.5. Doctor wrote directions; say once a day.
Now if you read this literally, you would dispense Effexor (standard release) once a day. However the sig suggests the extended release (XR) that is once a day and not the regular release that is usually given more than once a day (but sometimes given once a day as well). Do you dispense regular or XR? Does the doctor even know it comes in a regular and and XR?
Now you would think (common sense here), that the drug company would get their collective head out of their asses to make the XR product have a different miligram strength as to avoid this problem. You know, so if the doctor forgets the XR part on the Rx, you can tell its the XR by the strength.
Of course not. That makes sense, and if it makes sense (and totally fucks over the pharmacist), then its not worth doing. They need to do the paper work for the new formulation, why not change the miligram strength by 0.5? Why not have it be like percodet/percodan and have 0.45 mg of oxycodone salt A, 0.923423 mg of oxycodone salt B, and (5mg – (Salt A and Salt B)) of oxycodone salt C (to really confuse the fuck out of us).

Comments #

Comment by tootsie on 2006-10-24 10:05:58 -0700 #

Wellbutrin and Effexor are the bane of my existence, especially in the hospital setting where the patient just says to the admitting nurse or intern, “I take Effexor once a day.” Then the doctor will just pick whatever the standard dose that comes up on the drop down menu in the P.O.E. system. Don’t *even* get me started on the whole SR XL CD thing. If they are going to make a once a day pill, then freaking stop making the BID one!!!!!!!!!

Comment by James on 2007-03-10 15:30:10 -0800 #

Its Saturday and I need to vent!!! Just got a lovely call from a Doc (Didnt know God had a bat phone right to my pharmacy to chew my ass out)!
Doc: This is Dr. Bergen and I need to call in a prescription.
Me: No problem Doc, just need to get some information from U… etc, etc… Im sorry, our files show a different address, phone number and a different DEA than what you mentioned. May I get a call back # just in case we have any ?’s for U….omg, did shit hit the fan…
Doc: What are you new? Never been asked that before. Do you need my right arm too? Or do you want to know my childrens names as well?
Me: No, just the patients name would be fine thanks.
Doc: Hmmm, we moved out office 4 years ago. U must not get too many people in your pharmacy.
Me: Just my internal thoughts here…(well U friggin dumb ass) how the hell are we suppose to keep up on your location when you are 1/2 hour away with over 1200 docs in the area???!! And just maybe you might be thankful for us making sure who the hell U are. Ok, so back to what I actually said. Ok that is all I need, thanks.
Doc: Repeats EVERYTHING again with a God-like attitude as if his ring should be kissed by the Pope himself.
Me: Thinkin and stewing with my tech who is so cool…. “Hey Doc, you can shove your DEA and your forgotten old address and phone, along with your attitude up your ass the same distance you chewed up mine!!!” U of W in WA should have taught you a little respect for yourself not to act that way!
Kindly submitted,
A f+&*$#g pissed off R.Ph.