Skip to main content
  1. Posts/

Dr “4 Degrees” and the Caps-Lock key eludes him

·4610 words·22 mins
Table of Contents

Sometimes all I need to do is to just check my email for a laugh:

for the pill counting pharmisist why is he playing drr?HE ISNT THE ONE WITH
A MEDICAL DEGREE AND ITS NOT HIS DEA NUMBER AT STAKE AND THERE IS NO LEGAL
WAY HE KNOWS THE PATIENT HISTORY.TOO MANY PHARMASCIST WANT TO PLAY POLICE
AND DR, FOR THE 1 PERCENT WHO ABUSE AND THEY WONDER WHY MOST ARE GOING MAIL
ORDER TO HAVE FILLED.MOST RX PEOPLE TAKE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME ALL THEY NEED
IS PILLS COUNTED AMD REFILLED. PHARMACISTS WHO CALL DRS. MULTIPLE TIME HAVE
NOTHING TO DO AND MDS DONT HAVE THE TIME,TODAY YOU HAVE TO SEE 5 PATIENTS
VERSUS ONE TO MAKE WHAT WAS MADE IN 1995 AND DONT HAVE THE LUXURY OF 8 HR.
DAYS COUNTING DOR 100K A YEAR.THIS COMES FROM A DR, WHO HAS 15 YEARS OF
SCHOOL AND 4 DEGREES

Right, this comes from a doctor who has 15 years of school and 4 degrees. You would think a “doctor” of this caliber would know how to write in proper English or at the very least knows how to use the Caps-Lock key.
I’m not playing “dr”. I’m doing my fucking job. Obviously if you write a sig on an Rx, and that patient chooses not to follow that sig, then I can choose not to fill the Rx, plain and simple. Plus, when I’m bored with all that LOADS of free time that I have, I decide to call MD’s just to chat. Us pharmacists have a secret game that we play called “piss off the MD” where we call up a bunch of MD’s and time how long we can tie them up on the phones! Its fun! You should play! Then, after you play, you can yank your head out of your ass and realize that what you wrote above makes no sense.

WHO IS THIS ANGRY PHARMACIST WHO WONT FILL VICODEN WITH OUT BUGGING THE DR.
AND WONT FILL RITALIN OR OTHER DRUGS THAT THE DR. ORDERS IN WHICH HE CANT
KNOW IF ITS APPROPRIATE OR NOT FOR ONE THING HE HAS NO DR. DEGREE LET ALONE
MD.HE NEEDS TO FIND ANOTHER PROFESSION BECAUSE SOON THE 100K HE MAKES AND
HIS NICE CAR AND HOUSE HE OWNS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE PATIENTS AND HE
WONT HAVE HIS PILL COUNTING LICENCE ANYMORE. FROM THE DISGRUNTLED PHYSICIAN

I dont know if its appropriate or not because I have no doctor degree? Wait, actually I do have a doctorate, however I do not have an MD, so you’re only half wrong there buddy. It doesn’t take a degree in pharmacology to realize that if your patient is blasting through 120 vicodin in 1 week, obviously you are missing the boat entirely. How is my patient going to own my house/car/etc? Is he going to sue me for not dispensing his vicodin 3 weeks early even if the MD gives the ok for the 20th early fill in a row? Hate to tell you, but the DEA will side with me until the cows come home and will gladly plant that shiny DEA number that you covet so much right up your ass. You figure out why, you’re smart with your 4 degrees and 15 years of school.
Plus where does it even say on here that I wont fill a Ritalin Rx? Where does it say that I wont fill anything but the crackhead’s Soma thats 3 weeks early? You need to start reading the site before you fly off the handle. OH WAIT, YOU HAVE 4 DEGREES, IM SORRY.

WHEN DO THESE GET POSTED AND WHERE? IT APPEARS IT IS A PHARMACIST NETWORK AND IF IT IS CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISIM THEY DONT WANT TO HEAR IT,FROM THE MD

Ha! An MD who does not want to hear constructive ‘critisim’? Go figure! Thanks for re-enforcing every stereotype of the “I am god do what I say” MD that pharmacy students dread.
A pharmacist network? Thats right! You have stumbled upon a secret underground network of disgruntled pharmacists who’s sole purpose is to take over the medical world and make that plain-ole-stupid MD just obsolete.
Let me put it to you in a way that you will understand.
READ THE ACTUAL SITE BEFORE YOU GO OFF ON THESE TIRADES MAKING YOURSELF LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT. FURTHERMORE LEARN HOW TO USE THE GOD DAMN CAPS LOCK KEY.
Seriously, If I were an MD I’d be pretty embarrassed to have this guy in my ranks (but Im sure people say that about me. Eh, oh well).

Comments #

Comment by OzPharmStudent on 2007-12-27 02:21:46 -0800 #

I love how this MD says that he is too busy to properly treat his patients and we should get off his back about it. Even if we see him prescribing beta blockers and beta agonists we should accept that the doctor making an extra buck by squeezing someone into their day is more important then the patient living beyond the next 24 hours.
I know of quite a few doctors who still do a great job of listening to patients and doing what is best for the patient even with time constraints. You just need to become a good doctor and not just a professional student.
I think if medicine is too busy for you and you are so far up your own ass that you can’t accept that you will (probably regularly) make mistakes then it is you who needs to find a new job before you kill someone.

Comment by Gary on 2007-12-27 04:01:44 -0800 #

After closer inspection I would go out on a limb and say that email was not from a doctor but rather some pillhead posing as an MD. Really does sound like someone from one of those internet related drug boards that assist with information about purchasing drugs online without the benefit of visiting an actual doctor.
Four degress over 15 years………..maybe if you count high school and community college……..(starting to spill my coffee, laughing too hard)

Comment by http://openid.aol.com/blastoff2them00n on 2007-12-27 04:16:39 -0800 #

“Give someone an inch and they’ll take a mile.”
As I’m sure every pharmacy does, my pharmacy has its regular screw-ups who want early refills on Vicodin, Lortab, Darvocet, and so on. And then you have the ones who have their insurance information in residence at chain X, but get their Valium prescriptions filled at chains X, Y, and Z, for themselves, their spouce, their children, and yes, their dog.
If my pharmacy filled every controlled script that came in without making sure the patient was actually taking the medication correctly, we’d have the entire drug-junkie market tied up, attracting all of them who live within 20 miles of the pharmacy.
Not that it would be bad for business… but a lot of those customers also fall in the category of obnoxious and mean.
Even if I don’t give a damn about the wellbeing of my customer (and trust me, I do), the pharmacy would be absolutely miserable if we didn’t show discression from time to time.

Comment by Marc on 2007-12-27 05:55:50 -0800 #

Shouldn’t a doctor know how to spell Vicodin? If my doctor wrote with such a poor grasp of their native language, I’d be afraid they’d me mixing up codeine with Cardene — or worse — on my Rx.

Comment by pharmacygirl on 2007-12-27 07:58:06 -0800 #

I think I had a comment on my blog from this guy, too. But I deleted it. All I know is the comment was stupid, poorly written, and didn’t make any sense. Why all this bullshit about pharmacists playing police? It is our job to reduce drug diversion and abuse. Keep it up, TAP, you’re doing a great job.

Comment by amused on 2007-12-27 08:21:02 -0800 #

hahahahahaha
hahahahahaha
oh wait
hahahahahaha
what an idiot. maybe he could use a few more degrees. like in english. or common sense.
ps. hahahahaha

Comment by Bill M. on 2007-12-27 12:38:23 -0800 #

Could you comment on this Slate article on off-label prescriptions? It sounds like off-label is a) a way for responsible MDs to give patients good care at a fair price, and b) a loophole for quacks, idiots and big-pharma ‘bots.
Also, thanks for the site – as a Boomer, I try to keep up with healthcare news, since I don’t want to waste my (HSA) money, or, y’know, die ‘n’ stuff. And TAP gives me a perspective I don’t get anywhere else.

Comment by B-N-M on 2007-12-27 14:38:48 -0800 #

Same old story…
http://ripoffreport.com/reports/0/286/RipOff0286876.htm

Comment by pharmintern10 on 2007-12-27 14:58:16 -0800 #

It seems to me more like a disgruntled patient pissed he can’t get meds filled 3 weeks early decided to play doctor to make you-the evil pharmacist-look bad…..but thats just me! =-)

Comment by Chris on 2007-12-27 14:59:06 -0800 #

Well, I only have 10 years of college and 3 degrees, so my comment might not be eligible for reading by this idiot.
I don’t know who wrote all that garbage above, but I’d like to extend an invitation to this person to come work in my pharmacy for a couple days. That’s right, just an easy, walk in the park day of counting pills (since that’s all we do). You’ll have nothing to worry about. Should be a breeze for a guy with 4 degrees. By the way, you might want to eat a good breakfast, because you sure as hell won’t be getting a two hour lunch break (Mr. 9-3 on Mon-Thur and 8-12 on Friday).
Saying that pharmacists only count pills is like saying a doctor only writes prescriptions. If I count pills for 100k a year, than you write scripts for 200K a year. Doesn’t sound right to you? Well, last time I checked, I was driveing a Honda and you had a porsche.
One other thing really bothered me. I present the following quote.
“WONT FILL RITALIN OR OTHER DRUGS THAT THE DR. ORDERS IN WHICH HE CANT KNOW IF ITS APPROPRIATE OR NOT FOR ONE THING HE HAS NO DR. DEGREE LET ALONE MD.”
You must not know what pharmacists learn about in pharmacy school, so I’ll explain.

  1. We learn EVERY single indication for EVERY single drug. That’s right, EVERY single drug, includeing the ten medications that you will memorize and use to treat EVERY diagnosis over the length of your carrer. So yes, we do know if it’s appropriate.
  2. We also learn how to keep doctors from killing patients, which is probably something that you’ve particpated in given your spelling problems.
  3. Probably the most important thing we learn about that matters to you is how to save a doctor’s ass. The pharmacists that you hate so much have probably saved your precious DEA # more times than your sorry soul knows about. If your local pharmacist had a free second to pick up the phone and call the DEA on you, that DEA # would have been gone long ago.
    Oh yah, I do have a doctorate. The difference being that I don’t wave it around as an extension of my penis.

Comment by one_angry_tech on 2007-12-27 20:10:16 -0800 #

All we do is count pills? (Pharmacists.. Technicians..)
So I don’t have to spend an hour on the phone with the insurance company, trying to get an override for medication you are bound and determined to use, even though there is some alternatives that are covered?
So I don’t have to spend 15 minutes trying to figure out what the condor code is for some BIN number that is made up?
Why didn’t you tell me… ah shucks! I wasted all that time for nothing!
Sincerely,
“Just a pill counter tech”

Comment by academic_fp on 2007-12-27 20:33:47 -0800 #

What an idiot.
This smells like a troll.
I would ignore this guy, I doubt he is a real physician. Although his grammar does make me think that this might be one of my residents. One of the international ones for whom English is a third language.
Oh, and Oz, while it doesn’t necessarily make sense, sometimes we have to treat the occasional patient with COPD and CHF with beta blockers and agonists at the same time. The trick is the beta blocker is cardioselective and the agonist is (for the most part) locally acting. Just sayin. Its a fine line and a balancing act but those CHF/COPD combos are a pain to treat.
As an actual MD with 3 degrees and 1 and a half board certs (long story, should have second complete in march) I officially excommunicate above asshat from the profession of medicine.
Look for the certificate in the mail.

Comment by daverph on 2007-12-27 22:19:41 -0800 #

maybe with that elusive 5th degree they would have taught you how to spell *vicodin* correctly.
excellent email, “doctor”

Comment by The Ole’ Apothecary on 2007-12-27 23:18:19 -0800 #

Interesting that the pharmacy people on this thread can write more clearly than this “physician,” if that’s what he or she really is.
Darn, I guess my blog isn’t provocative enough to get this species’ attention. Maybe that’s a good thing. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. All the comments I’ve earned are sober ones.

Comment by Kelly on 2007-12-28 21:26:16 -0800 #

I enjoy his misspelling of Vicodin

Comment by indietech on 2007-12-28 22:08:59 -0800 #

an underground network? YES!
VIVA LA REVOLUCION!

Comment by rph3664 on 2007-12-28 22:09:40 -0800 #

That person is about as likely to be a physician as the poster a while back who claimed to be a drug rep and said, “You have to sort of know your PDR…..”
Yeah, we use the PDR, AS A DOOR STOP!

Comment by http://openid.aol.com/mikells43 on 2007-12-28 22:51:52 -0800 #

I enjoy the misspelling of vicodin also. and how bad people seem to twist up Oxycontin. theres oxycotton, oxycottin, oxycotten, oxycoton, oxycotin, oxycoten, oxycontem, oxycon, and many other hick fuck ups of the med oxycontin. they also seem an oxycodone tab is some how “oxycontin”. just today in a meeting, i heard a dude say his mom was upgraded from vicodins to “oxycottin”(thats how he said it), then he said she was throwing up and dizzy from them. im thinking damn i wish during my addiction that would have happened to me lol. anywho, i said was it oxycodone or oxycontin, he said NO NO MAN IT WAS “oxycottin”. i said first of all the doc is not going to switch someone form vicodin straight up to oxycontin unless she was taking vicodin hp numerious times a day they might go up to the 20’s. and not to mention she had to have bad pain. turns out she was taking “oxycodone/apap 5/325” which is generic percocet or endocet. how the fuck does that get turned into oxycontin. fucking dumb hick bastards dont kno any better. thats what pisses me off. this was in an aa meeting, im a recovering alcoholic and addict, so easy on the soma crackhead stuff, its funny but i wasn’t a crackhead, and i dont kno how anyone can enjoy somas cause they just make me drunk YUCK!. have a great new year, mines going to be spent sober of course, but have some fun. get some fent patches and a hot tub.

Comment by IsThatGuyAJoke on 2007-12-29 15:16:23 -0800 #

This guy HAS to be some disgruntled someone…probably someone who didn’t get his or her vicodin filled 4 weeks early and is just writing hate mail. I reallllllly would be surprised if he was an actual doctor…or she…or whatever.
If he’s for real, it’s scary to think there are docs out there who can’t write. What if I contracted a horrible disease and this guy was my doctor and he wrote my care notes and prescriptions in all caps with spelling and grammar mistakes?
Don’t you think this is just some random person who hates that he can’t get his meds filled WAY early all the time?

Comment by madrph on 2007-12-29 21:23:44 -0800 #

Got some nurse from the hospital, shows up at the pharmacy, complaining and upset that we didn’t call her because her refill is too for the insurance to go through. What do you say to such a person in such a situation? She says her dosage has changed and that she’s taking more now per day and that she knows the doctor. Had we call her, it would have been corrected. She would have asked the doctor to call in a new prescription. Now she’s going on vacation and she’s out of medicine. These people expect us to do everything for them, don’t they. Even call them that there are no refills remaining on their prescriptions. Wish they take more responsibility. I do the job as best as a could as a pharmacist but when I have people like these, it just pisses me off.

Comment by JT on 2007-12-29 23:10:16 -0800 #

I just finished Pharm Tech school and passed my CPhT exam. I stumbled onto this site and wonder, ” What have I done ? ” I assumed this would be a good career. I start externship Jan 7th.

Comment by limari on 2007-12-30 09:38:53 -0800 #

This “MD” wrote:

AND THERE IS NO LEGAL WAY HE KNOWS THE PATIENT HISTORY.«
Hey, genius. I’m a CPhT working in LTC, and we have a little something called “Patient Profile” it goes along with the MAR, and the POS. Now if you were a REAL doctor, you’d know what all those letters mean.
Anyway…the patient profile? It’s got EVERYTHING in there. Diagnosis, symptoms, allergies, past & current meds. Usually, a GAZILLION of them, prescibed by some MD who lets the RPh worry about the drug interactions between the 20+ meds some of these people are on.
Our pharmacists HAVE to know this shit, so they don’t let a doctor KILL someone, ok?
Where’d your degree come from? The Bahamas?

Comment by academic_fp on 2007-12-30 21:37:43 -0800 #

Hey mon, easy on the islands ok?
My backup in case this CONUS doctor stuff doesn’t work out, is the US Virgin Islands. I have the application for medical licensure downloaded and ready to go.
All kidding aside, we have a fair number of American/Carribean Grads in our program, and most are just as good as the US grads. They still have to pass the same tests, all do rotations in the US, and at least they speak ENGLISH!
/just sayin
// really do have the USVI application downloaded and ready to go. January is hard on an academic physician.
/// before everyone goes a-doctor bashin, remember, we are all in agreement this guy is not one.

Comment by academic_fp on 2007-12-30 21:39:32 -0800 #

Hey mon, easy on the islands ok?
My backup in case this CONUS doctor stuff doesn’t work out, is the US Virgin Islands. I have the application for medical licensure downloaded and ready to go.
All kidding aside, we have a fair number of American/Carribean Grads in our program, and most are just as good as the US grads. They still have to pass the same tests, all do rotations in the US, and at least they speak ENGLISH!
/just sayin
// really do have the USVI application downloaded and ready to go. January is hard on an academic physician.
/// before everyone goes a-doctor bashin, remember, we are all in agreement this guy is not one.

Comment by PharmGamerKid on 2007-12-31 09:17:19 -0800 #

True story. This happened to me at work the other day.
So a patient came in with prescription for Actos qid. Now, Actos is supposed to be taken once a day, so the pharmacist called the doctor to find out what’s going on. Turns out, the patient told the doctor that his (the patient’s) doctor in Mexico told him that Actos qid works better than Actos once a day.

Comment by Biggest Fan on 2008-01-01 06:29:07 -0800 #

HAPPY NEW YEAR, TAP!
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
Your physician friend,
Biggest Fan

Comment by limari on 2008-01-02 22:48:53 -0800 #

academic_fp said:
All kidding aside, we have a fair number of American/Carribean Grads in our program, and most are just as good as the US grads. They still have to pass the same tests, all do rotations in the US, and at least they speak ENGLISH!
/just sayin
// really do have the USVI application downloaded and ready to go. January is hard on an academic physician.
/// before everyone goes a-doctor bashin, remember, we are all in agreement this guy is not one.«
Aww, I’m not bashin’ ALL docs, just the ones with COTUS (Center Of The Universe Syndrome), and believe me, I talked to quite a few. Observe:
*phone ringing..incessantly*
Me: “Pharmacy, this is limari, may I help you?”
MD: “This is DOCTOR BLAH (aka “God”..our pet name for him) Where are my psychotropic med sheets????
Me: “Good morning Dr. Blah…you’ve reached the pharmacy floor, and the department you need is medical records, may I transfer you?”
MD: *HUGE SIGH* Young lady, why am I speaking to YOU in the first place? Why did they transfer me to YOU??? I don’t have TIME to play games. WHERE ARE MY PSYCHOTROPIC MED SHEETS?”
ME: *gritting teeth* Dr. Blah, it seems you have entered the extention for the pharmacy floor… (yet again..for the umpteenth time)..I’m sorry but I cannot locate your med sheets, I have to transfer you to the correct department.”
MD: “LET ME SPEAK TO THE PHARMACIST!!!”
Me: “Please hold.*click* Pharmacist call on 535. It’s God.”
RPh#1: Oh, hell. I talked to God LAST time…
RPH #2: No you didn’t, I did.
Me: “Flip a coin or something…just get HIM off my line, PLEASE?”
Then again, I have spoken to some wonderful, caring doctors. God is the exception, not the rule. But he sure can ruin your morning. As can a nurse who gets incensed when you ask her to repeat a patient’s name, and perhaps spell it… because it sounds like she’s speaking fractured Esperanto.
Hmmm, The US Virgin Islands? Sounds pretty sweet. And a doctor who speaks English is ALWAYS appreciated. Best o’ luck to you.

Comment by Med student on 2008-01-05 23:25:53 -0800 #

I completely understand what this Dr. is talking about. I always have problems with insurance at the end of year, start of new one. I have chronic pain and also am on a maintenance drug, I take daily for my heart. I went to refill both as I normally do on day 28-29 since the last refill and of course I get the dreaded “It’s too early” from the insurance..but no problem right? Because they tell me to pay cash, and send them the receipt, so I tell this to my pharmacist. Well now, even though I have been going there for over a year, same meds, same amount, same Doctor..she parrots the insurance company (who doesn’t realize there is a HUGE difference between the meaning of THEIR “too early/soon” and a Pharmacies “too early/too soon”) and I ask her, how is it too soon? It’s been 28 days since I last picked up my meds? She wouldn’t answer me. She instead says that she would fill it next week (which btw is at day 33, which means, I’m without my meds for 3 days, which is HUGE, if I miss even one night without my heart med, I start getting some major palpitations..) but it seems she’s made up her mind. She decided to make her OWN medical decision without knowing my complete medical history, as my own personal doctor of over 7 years knows.
So, tell me, why is there NO recourse for me for Pharmacists like this when I assure you, I’m no crack addict. I’m a normal person who unfortunately got JRA at 13 with horrible joint damage and chronic pain that I have been living with all my life. Instead of collecting disability like most would, I instead went through school (honors) and now am in my 3rd year of Med school getting my MD/PHD while also working with Congressional members and House members on a daily basis.
There is WAY too much stigma attached to ANY type of pain killer. If it’s for legitimate pain, one shouldn’t be denied healthcare.
I do want to point out that:
A. This has never been a “problem” for the Pharmacist before, until insurance denied my claim for a week or so until coverage kicked in
B. The amount, doctor, strength has NOT changed and it IS a legit script, so you cannot argue that she may have denied it on basis of some sort of “suspicion” that it may be fraudulent, etc..
THOSE are the types of Pharmacists that are trying to practice Medicine without a degree. There should be some sort of consequences. *I* was ticked off at the fact that she “offered” to call my doctor to see if it was ok to “refill early”..MY argument here was, it was NOT early. 28-29 after getting the original fill is NOT early, ESPECIALLY NOT when your on maintenance medication in which you must take it every day.
My doctor is a nice guy, but he REALLY is busy, he spends 12 hours at a busy ER and the rest of the time at the practice, he does NOT have time to get on the phone (which can be backed up by his wife!) to be questioned about nonsense!
Thoughts?

Comment by Med student on 2008-01-05 23:35:28 -0800 #

I do want to add, that for the techs (btw, I was a tech when I decided to become a Pharmacist at one time, then changed) if your complaining about being on the phone with the insurance company, may I suggest you speak with the correct division? (As in the mistake of the pharmacy I go to, they never even spoke with the PHARMACY department, instead they spoke with the customer service/business end, which is why I’m having these problems getting my refills ON TIME) Like I said, Terminology is key, if 2 different businesses have different meanings for the same phrase, there will surely be problems and you can’t resolve that problem when a Pharmacist won’t speak to the correct person at the Insurance company or at the VERY LEAST, just CHECK the date of the last refill.
I think that is one of the problems with todays Pharmacists, they just assume every patient that comes in is a “pill-head”.
THAT needs to stop.

Comment by the little tech that does…. on 2008-01-06 10:58:41 -0800 #

I wouldn’t let this quack treat a rabid bat, let alone someone with a serious condition. This alleged “doctor” probably fancies himself(?) as an angel of mercy or some crap like that. Keep up the good work TAP!

Comment by pharm tech 25 on 2008-01-07 12:50:52 -0800 #

Obviously this MD is one of those MDs that cares nothing about his patients and would rather appease them all then actually listen to them and do his job. He sounds like the type of MD you spoke about previously… you know the kind that are willing to write for anything for anyone… just as long as he can get through his 5 patients a day minimum. He said it himself that all he is concerned with is money and materialistic shit. Nice. Screw the law and the well being of his patients… vicodin and adderall for everyone!! It’s doctors like this that make your job so much easier, huh! I think that is one advantage of working retail pharmacy, you get to see first hand which doctors you would trust and which ones you would never ever go to yourself. That’s some priceless insight I think.