Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Generic is the same thing....

Because of the great Tylenol Recall of 2011, there has been no name brand Tylenol/Benadryl/Motrin, etc. on the shelves for a while now.

This confuses the hell out of costumers.

When you explain to them the store brand is pretty much the same as the name brand, you get this cow-in-the-headlight stare. It's like Jesus appeared behind you or something. That kind of confusion and awe.

For example.

I was working the wonderful midnight shift. Just me and the pharmacist. You get a lot of people straight out of the emergency room who are in pain, tired of waiting for somebody to see them, and they just want to go home. So they want their script filled RIGHT NOW, which is understandable. What complicates this is when people come up to the pharmacy asking inane questions like what toilet paper brand is on sale.

A guy comes up and wants to get Benadryl for his kid. Of course there is no name brand only our store brand. He bring a package to the counter when he drops off his scripts of diphenhydramine (generic benadryl) and asks if it's the same thing. I say yes. "Are you sure?" ".....Yes it's the same thing."

He walks off to wander around the store. Comes back a bit later to the consultation window with the same package and asks the pharmacist if it's the same thing. Pharmacist says yes.

Comes back to pick up his script and, lo and behold, still has the same package of diphenhydramine. I ring up his meds and again, he asks if it's the same thing. I say yes, the pharmacist overhears the exchange, says yes.

After all this the guy still doesn't seem convinced but buys it anyway.

I really felt like just saying no to see his reaction.

"Hey buddy we're just joshin' ya. It actually isn't the same thing. HAHA!!!! Funny joke, eh?!"

These people need to come during the day when there are other techs to put up with it.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Hiatus

Sorry for the long absence...just been hella busy with life and pharmacy. Will try and post some wonderful updates later. :)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Small Update

It's been hella busy this past week. Surprisingly, there was only one incident that stood out.

I was up front, putting up bagged scripts into bins. I dude runs up to the pharmacy counter. He's frazzled and has huge sweat stains in the front of his shirt.

"Ma'am! I need help now. I need something to make somebody throw up, or he's gonna die!!!"

Cue me giving the best wtf look ever.

Pharmacist on duty: "Well there was syrup of ipecac, but that was taken off the market. You should probably take him to the emergency room as soon as possible."

Sweat dude: THERE'S NO TIME FOR THAT! HE'S GONNA DIE!

He runs out of the store.

I don't understand how if a person is that much in critical condition that it would be too late for the emergency room yet buying something over the counter can save him.

I found out after reading the very entertaining Apothecary Tales that all oral contraceptives will be required to have zero copays from insurance companies as of August 2012. I just can't wait for the huge abstinence-only backlash that follow. It will be an epic fight.

Pillpharmer aus