Tis the season to get loaded

I hate this time of the year.  No, not because everything is all xmas’d out a whole month before Christmas.  No, not because The Angriest Pharmacist went and became a “ooh clinical pharmacist”. Its because this is the time of the year that everyone either wants 2 months worth for going to Mexico, or an early refill because “My baby daddy died this time 5 years ago and I need more vico-dans and somas for the pain”.

Lets first start with the 2 months going on vacation/mexico shit.  There are 4 types of people who get to go on vacation for 2 to 3 months.

• Rich
• Poor
• Old
• Teachers

Now the rich don’t have a problem with plopping down $400 for 2 months because they know their insurance wont early fill + dispense an additional month on top of that.  So that leaves you with the welfare peeps (who dont’ work), the old people (who are getting Medicaid benefits even though they are spending 2 months not here), and Teachers (who “deserve” 2 months off).  Now I really do hate doing these early fills because these 3 groups have one thing in common: It should be free.  Thats right, I’m poor/on a fixed income so I cant afford to pay $20 for a 60 day supply of lisinopril but I sure as shit can drop a few hundred to go spend 2 months driving/flying somewhere.  What bugs me the most are the people on welfare (and thereby are not too old to work) who spend 2 months in Mexico.  I’m sorry, but if you are going to suck on the state tit here, then you should have to fucking be here to get your check.  I know that the state tit here is upper-class 19-year-old-nom-nom-nom compared to the old-shriveled-dry-hanging-to-knees Mexico state tit, so fucking decide which side of the big tall fence you are going to be on.  A few weeks is fine in my book, but 2 fucking months?  Teachers obviously know everything (and pay for nothing) and are first to tell you how to bill their insurance, and how wrong you are doing it.

Oh, and I didn’t even bring up how they want this 2 month supply RIGHT NOW because even though they knew about this for months they decide to stop by the pharmacy on their way out of town. Yeah, they learn for next year when you turn them away empty handed (or they have to pay/get reimbursed when they come back).  Also didn’t mention that I’ve advanced a month supply only to have their welfare be terminated and them never come back.  No good geed goes unpunished.

Now, onto the people who take dope to cope(tm).  I realize that the holidays are a tough time for some.  The loss of family or family not being there is hard.  However there comes a point where that becomes an excuse to just get more pain pills.  To be honest, I have heard all of the stories/bullshit over the years to fill up 10 websites from people who lie through their teeth to get their zone-out-candy early to either ride the holidays out via a chemically induced slump or to sell to afford xmas presents (or stuff their turkey with vicodin and soma).  I realize that waiting in line for Walmart at 2am so you can trample someone to death requires a little somethin-somethin to get you going, but please dont bitch at me due to your lack of planning.

Yes, someone did get trampled to death at a Wal-Mart while opening for black friday.   If thats any indication that we have forced-subsizided the breeding of the scummy end of the gene pool I dont know what is.

Comments #

Comment by Google Account on 2008-11-29 22:09:30 -0800 #

Its my first time working in a pharmacy and just one day before thanksgiving things where insane in the pharmacy it was crazy how people wanted all there meds filled and they wanted it right then and there when there were like 8 people ahead of them I had this one lady come from the end of the line to the front to inquire why it was taking so long and when I attempted to explain she started cursing me out..think goodness for self control .odd thing is when she finally recieved her med she was fine as if she had not said such rude things 20minutes before.. .

Comment by hellomarylu on 2008-11-30 04:17:02 -0800 #

Newsflash for you Angry Pharmacist-Baby… it got worse than the Walmart accident this weekend, while you were safely locked up in your pharmacy cage… this happened:
On Black Friday… The local Toys-R-Us in Palm Desert was the location where two local trailer-trash, baby-mamma whores got into an argument. One of them had their kid in tow. No big deal so far…. Then stupidity set in when their two Mexican gun toting, gang banging boy friend/baby-daddies decided to pull out their pistols and play shoot’em up in the middle of a packed store of families and kids!
The good news goes like this: 1. The two gang bangers killed each other. (Proof Darwin was right.) Thus saving the taxpayers of California the cost of a trial and jail space. Arnold should give them an award for cost saving. And 2. No one else was shot of hurt.
For more info check out: http://www.mydesert.com/article/20081129/NEWS0801/811290327/1144

Comment by TheAngriestPharmacist on 2008-11-30 17:28:57 -0800 #

I’m SCHPECIAL!!!
Well, all is said and done after this coming week, but then I’m covering again for a few days while he goes to fucking MIDYEAR in Orlando.
Make no mistake, I’m still putting bitches in stitches almost every day….

Comment by SoP_2012 on 2008-12-01 07:10:32 -0800 #

What I love is when people come in and say “well my doctor told me my insurance would pay for it,” when their physician has no idea what is covered and what isn’t, and then throw a “hissy fit” when something isn’t covered.
pharmacy intern

Comment by Angry Teacher on 2008-12-02 20:07:05 -0800 #

Sigh. This is a big reason I don’t bother with pharmacies anymore. I can’t stand their attitude. Either they are totally unhelpful, judgmental or ‘lose’ or ‘can’t find’ the Rx I called in three days prior. I have had to learn to be patient and ask them for another tech to help me. When I ask “will this interfere with my birth control pills” They get out the literature and READ it to see and have NO more information than that. I can do that.
I see no worth of a pharmacy tech anymore, much less a Pharmacist. I’d rather go online and will always encourage others to do the same.

Comment by Sorcha on 2008-12-03 19:06:38 -0800 #

Angry Teacher.
Ummm, yeah, with your attitude you are more than welcome to go mail. In my years of experience, the people that ALWAYS have problems with the pharmacy are usually problems themselves.

Comment by http://openid.aol.com/poserwithaner on 2008-12-03 19:24:29 -0800 #

Guess what? Your online pharmacy has a (you guess it!) PHARMACIST! If you are getting medication there is a pharmacist involved. I’m pretty sure that validates the existence of the profession. Tech are there so you can get your prescription in 10 minutes instead of 10 days. Techs should not be counseling patients so I don’t quite know what they’re pulling on you over there but I think you can rightfully bitch at them for that crap. When you have a screaming kid with an ear infection you’ll be grateful that there are pharmacists and techs there to get that amoxicillin to your kid asap
So don’t HATE angry teacher, I’ve had many a shitty teacher but I haven’t written you all off!

Comment by ADHD CPhT on 2008-12-03 20:19:11 -0800 #

Angry Teacher:
You sound like a bitch. Really. If you told me to “get another tech” when I was busting my ass to help you, I’d say fuck off and go to another pharmacy. Why bother asking the pharmacist anything if you can just “go online”? You’re the expert now- go buy your drugs online from Mexico or whatever. Just don’t call up at 2AM hysterical that your baby has a 103 fever and you need to know what do RIGHT NOW. Just go online, duh.
There are thousands of patients that patronize a single pharmacy- OH NOES!!! WE DIDN’T PROCESS YOUR REFILL?! Holy shit, we must be totally judgemental and unhelpful because we are human and forgot to do one out of about 65 call-ins that day.
Techs assist the pharmacist by buffering them from assholes like you.
Ever think it’s your own attitude that gets you that kind of service?
Fuck you.
PS-I had a bad day, but please don’t confuse that for an apology.

Comment by KDUBZ on 2008-12-03 21:19:45 -0800 #

Angry Teacher,
Well to be honest, when I see the garbage our school system is turning out these days I wonder what the worth of a teacher is anymore. But I imagine it can be stressful, you know working a whole 8 months out of the year and not having to worry that you will get fired because half your students are illiterate. Hell, I bet you spent hundreds of dollars on Airborne over the years as well!
Now personally I wish I was on welfare too, then I could need a 2 month supply of Vicodin to go on vacation. In fact getting two months of Vicodin in one shot is likely how the vacation is funded. I guess I too am a product of the angry teacher in that I am not smart enough to figure out how to scam my way out of working for a living!

Comment by Pharmacy Tech on 2008-12-04 19:06:49 -0800 #

i hate how everyone always knows everything but yet when asked a question they know not a fucking thing! There’s a quote that is my favorite with needing an RX right away like it was our problem because we didnt have it ready for you with a pretty little bow on it when you came with your demands. “lack of planning on you part DOES NOT constitue an emergeny on my part” i just wish i was able to actually say to someone without getting a complaint about my customer service.

Comment by am21 on 2008-12-04 19:39:08 -0800 #

I’ve met hundreds, maybe thousands of teachers over the years…rarely met one I liked. They always know better than you, more than you, can do it better than you even though they have never tried. I don’t know what it is…maybe a power thing – can’t differentiate the classroom from an adult conversation? Even socially, when I find out someone’s a teacher at a party, I steer clear…It’s a pretty safe bet it will be a lecture rather than a conversation. On more than one occassion I’ve whispered to my husband after meeting someone obnoxious, “Hon, I’ll bet 10 to 1 she’s a teacher.” Twenty minutes later…sure enough!

Comment by neumeindil on 2008-12-04 20:33:11 -0800 #

Funny. We’ve got a regular customer who happens to be a teacher, and her attitude is similar to yours. Usually only takes 2-3 visits before the techs who care enough to try to please her just give up; what’s the point of going above and beyond for someone that’s only looking for someone to abuse? Misery breeds company, after all, and I can’t imagine teaching high school is much more pleasant than doing our jobs.
Please go online for all of your medication needs: with that much negativity, we don’t want you in front of our counters.

Comment by Mike on 2008-12-05 11:41:16 -0800 #

For angry teacher:
I actually agree with the following comment that you made: ” I’d rather go online and will always encourage others to do the same.” I’m a pharmacist, and I also encourage everyone to look information online before asking questions. I think people should take responsibility for themselves if possible. I always do the same now matter what I’m doing, going to the doctor, buying a car or house, purchasing insurance, etc. Nevertheless, I’m no expert in these areas and even though I can learn a great deal about these subjects in a relatively short amount of time online I still have a few questions before I complete the process. At least now they are informed questions and I won’t be wasting anyone’s time by asking questions that I could answer myself online.
Regarding the rest of you post, you’ve had some bad experiences in pharmacies in the past, but that doesn’t mean that all pharmacies or pharmacists or techs are bad. If you don’t like the one you go to now, go somewhere else. You are most likely to find better customer service at an independent pharmacy such as the Medicine Shoppe or another privately owned pharmacy, but there are also good pharacists and techs at some of the large chains like Rite Aid, CVS, Wal-Mart, etc.
Regarding your birth control question, there are about 5 to 10 drug interactions with oral contraceptives that most pharmacists know off of the top of their heads, otherwise there are many other ones that are more rare and less obvious. Whenever I get a question like this, I usually answer off of the top of my head, then I look it up to double check myself and make sure that I didn’t leave anything out just to be thorough. I’d like to think that my patients appreciated this type of commitment to finding the appropriate answer for them before they leave the store.
Thanks, Mike

Comment by FY on 2008-12-05 15:36:38 -0800 #

LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog.
I don’t know how you stay sane with so many motherfuckers in the world.
You’re my kind of angry person.

Comment by billy-jo bob on 2008-12-09 12:51:16 -0800 #

Love your site and can see what a pain in the ass it is dealing with these fuck-tards.I’ve been dealing with the public for about 30+ years,not in the most trusted way you are but,they all suck balls.
I’ve been in need of pain mgmt drugs for years,instead i do exercise and drop tylenol(not to much,liver ya know).These addicts have me hesitant to ask my doc for any ‘quality of life” drugs.Fuck you ADDICTS!.Give em hell pill dispenser,and happy fucking x-mas.

Comment by erica on 2009-01-23 18:25:07 -0800 #

Angry Teacher…remember, if it wasn’t for pharmacists and techs, the children you are too lazy to deal with wouldn’t get their adderall, concerta and other mind numbing drugs you recommended!!!

Comment by ustandbehindacounterand… on 2009-11-21 19:39:15 -0800 #

….make assumptions as well. Can we all spell hypocritical? As a teacher myself, I would only like to add that we are NOT able to recommend ANY medications. Any teacher that does so puts their job in immediate danger – the law states that if a teacher recommends, or even casually comments that, a child be evaluated for any type of drug therapy we are personally financially responsible for it. I don’t know of any teacher that would be willing to take that risk. I have parents that ask me all the time if I think their child has ADD or ADHD – and I can’t comment (not even a nod of the head, people). Do I personally wish that some parents would have their kids evaluated – you betcha! You think it sucks standing behind a fucking counter and dealing with the general public all day and their annoying requests and expectations? Try having to deal with those exact same people AND their demon spawn every day – without the counter and 6 foot high shelves to hide behind. But you must be right, I mean God forbid a customer question your response when presented with an obstacle to obtaining their meds. But, don’t listen to me, because I’m just a teacher so I’m definitely lazy…. and filled with ridiculously high expectations which now include you doing your job correctly the first time, since you give me such complete shit if I question the result you made in “perfectly human error”. Last but certainly not least – if you’re all so angry with your customers, why on Earth would you take issue with “Angry Teacher”‘s suggestion to others to “go online”? I would think by all of your posts that you would welcome the opportunity to get rid of most of your customers – especially those with the views of Angry Teacher. Stop playing Doctor dress up in your white coats, and start playing the part we need you to fill – that of a knowledgeable and caring provider of medical information. We look to you when we are confused or uneducated regarding a medication…oftentimes when we are downright scared. You chose this profession – a SERVICE profession nonetheless… so either suck it up and put your big boy/girl pants on, or find something else to do with your life.