guest
06-06-2010, 12:56 PM
I went to get a bottle of Nasonex yesterday and had to wait an hour. An hour. So I wondered why exactly? Below is an article I found, but it still does not excuse such a wait time for 1 bottle of a prepackaged allergy inhaler. Saturday afternoon, store is dead, 4 employees in the pharmacy.
Any pharmacists or people with insight into the situation here?
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Pharmacy from a pharmacist’s point of view
clock July 6, 2008 05:27 by author fara
It seems like most patients have a hard time understanding why there is always a wait time at the pharmacy. After all, what is so complicated about putting a few tablets in a bottle, sticking a label on it, and then handing it to the patient? Furthermore, how could we ever make a mistake in filling the right medication? To patients, this should be an error free, speedy process.
Pharmacy Workflow:
At the time of taking the prescription from the patient, we double check the patient’s date of birth and phone number to make sure we are typing the prescription under the right patient, picked from our national database. We contact the doctor if the prescriptions are not legible, or if the dosage does not seem appropriate. We double check the typed prescription by the technician to correct any mistakes or typos. We contact insurance companies to resolve any coverage issues. We double check the color, the shape, and the NDC number (a unique number designated to each medication) of the medication to make sure the right medication with the right dose has been dispensed. Finally, we verify the patient’s address at the register to avoid giving the prescription to the wrong patient. Of course, all these preventative steps are done in the midst of answering the phones which are ringing nonstop, answering patients’ questions on their prescriptions or over the counter medications, or even questions like which isle has the shaving cream, or whether we carry Revlon eye make up remover.
Surprisingly, to the patients who are standing behind the counter, our job seems super easy. After all, what is so difficult about putting a bunch of pills in a bottle? Why is there always a wait? No body is in the waiting area any way. Why don’t we pick up the phone on time? Why don’t we know which vitamins are on sale? Why can’t we read the doctor’s hand writing? Why are we even questioning the dosage the doctor has picked on the prescription? After all he is a doctor who has been practicing for 15 years, and there is no way he would make a mistake. Being under so much pressure and bombarded with so many tasks at the same time, we still have to stay very focused and calm to avoid any mistakes.
The reality is mistakes do happen. No matter how careful we are, and how many different ways we implement to double check our work, we all still end up making some mistakes during our practice as a pharmacist. The key is to stay vigilant, focused and follow procedures. So, the next time you are picking up your prescription, remember the many checks and balances that goes into ensuring you get the right medication.
Any pharmacists or people with insight into the situation here?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pharmacy from a pharmacist’s point of view
clock July 6, 2008 05:27 by author fara
It seems like most patients have a hard time understanding why there is always a wait time at the pharmacy. After all, what is so complicated about putting a few tablets in a bottle, sticking a label on it, and then handing it to the patient? Furthermore, how could we ever make a mistake in filling the right medication? To patients, this should be an error free, speedy process.
Pharmacy Workflow:
At the time of taking the prescription from the patient, we double check the patient’s date of birth and phone number to make sure we are typing the prescription under the right patient, picked from our national database. We contact the doctor if the prescriptions are not legible, or if the dosage does not seem appropriate. We double check the typed prescription by the technician to correct any mistakes or typos. We contact insurance companies to resolve any coverage issues. We double check the color, the shape, and the NDC number (a unique number designated to each medication) of the medication to make sure the right medication with the right dose has been dispensed. Finally, we verify the patient’s address at the register to avoid giving the prescription to the wrong patient. Of course, all these preventative steps are done in the midst of answering the phones which are ringing nonstop, answering patients’ questions on their prescriptions or over the counter medications, or even questions like which isle has the shaving cream, or whether we carry Revlon eye make up remover.
Surprisingly, to the patients who are standing behind the counter, our job seems super easy. After all, what is so difficult about putting a bunch of pills in a bottle? Why is there always a wait? No body is in the waiting area any way. Why don’t we pick up the phone on time? Why don’t we know which vitamins are on sale? Why can’t we read the doctor’s hand writing? Why are we even questioning the dosage the doctor has picked on the prescription? After all he is a doctor who has been practicing for 15 years, and there is no way he would make a mistake. Being under so much pressure and bombarded with so many tasks at the same time, we still have to stay very focused and calm to avoid any mistakes.
The reality is mistakes do happen. No matter how careful we are, and how many different ways we implement to double check our work, we all still end up making some mistakes during our practice as a pharmacist. The key is to stay vigilant, focused and follow procedures. So, the next time you are picking up your prescription, remember the many checks and balances that goes into ensuring you get the right medication.