Pharmacist opens mouth ... and says ...

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A letter needs to be sent to the chain. This is appaling customer service - how would someone feel who was less confident than you, would they go away questioning the treatment their child was getting or when faced with a choice between treatments go for the cheaper one.

If you were paying for a service then you would not accept an attitude like that and would probably show your disproval by going elsewhere. You cant do that here and you are paying for the service through your taxes so you need to write a nice letter politely airing your concerns about the attitude expressed.

My opinion of course - others may disagree 🙂

Mind you sometimes I feel better just by writing a grump email and not sending it - gets it out of my system 🙂
 
Heidi, if I were you I would complain to the Head Office - if there is one. This really is not acceptable behaviour from a pharmacist. It really is not your fault what price insulin is - so what did he hope to achieve by telling you the price?:confused:

On the flip side, I had to get some emergency back-up levemir for Alex in case his pump ever fails, and noticed it said 10 cartridges. I asked what the least amount was and was told it was 5 in a box, so i said i would have that instead. The pharmacist looked at me very oddly and i explained that it is extremely unlikely that i will ever use it - so would rather waste 5 cartridges than 10! He reluctantly agreed to give me 5 instead of 10!😱🙂Bev
 
100 pounds is peanuts compared to some cancer treatments. If a pharmacist has a problem with the price of a precribed treatment they really need to take it up with the doctor, he's the one who prescribed it. It's not like the pateint stands behind him with a big stick saying "prescribe me this or else!". He'll probably get paid the same no matter what insulin your son is prescribed, and he'll get re-imbursed for the cost of buying the drug in the first place. Getting stroppy over the cost of treatment?!? Who ele cted him Minister for Health?
maybe they've got an end of year budgetary problem like the rest of the NHS, but crikey, even us hard push hospital types don't whinge at the patient for costing the Health Service too much!! (Well, there's the guy who doesn't pick up his 50 pound bottle of medication so it goes out of date and we have to pay for it...but that's another story...). Your pharmacist should be pleased that you picked up the prescription, if you hadn't it would have cos him 100 smackers!!

Rachel
 
Hiya

That's stupid moaning about the price, especially when a pack of 100 glucosamine sulphate (vitamins) cost ~?150!

Also a pack of 5 novo flexpens cost ?22 so really its not much more expensive. He was probably moaning about the out-of-pocket expense as its a special order but a) the company will pay for that and b) how is that your problem?! You just need the insulin - he needs to get it for you!
 
bev said:
Heidi, if I were you I would complain to the Head Office - if there is one. This really is not acceptable behaviour from a pharmacist. It really is not your fault what price insulin is - so what did he hope to achieve by telling you the price?:confused:

On the flip side, I had to get some emergency back-up levemir for Alex in case his pump ever fails, and noticed it said 10 cartridges. I asked what the least amount was and was told it was 5 in a box, so i said i would have that instead. The pharmacist looked at me very oddly and i explained that it is extremely unlikely that i will ever use it - so would rather waste 5 cartridges than 10! He reluctantly agreed to give me 5 instead of 10!😱🙂Bev
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With some products they cost the same whatever the pack size. I doubt this is so with Levemir but I know that a 30g tube of Daktacort cream is actually more expensive than a 100g tube! I have no idea why that is!
 
well done heidi especially because you have been taken by surprise GREAT !!!MUMS POWER!!
 
Never met a poor pharmacist yet! Lets hope he/she is never diagnosed with such an expensive condition!😡
I have never,ever come across anyone like that before. All those i've dealt with have always been very caring and helpful. Perhaps they hadn't had their medication!
 
Hi, pleased to meet you, i'm a not-terribly-well-off Pharmacy Technician. 🙂
Allow me to jump to the defence of my underpaid, hardworking co-workers!!
Seriously, the ones in hospitals only start out a little higher up the pay grades than me. I get the impression that retail gets paid better.

Lauren i agree, strange are the ways of drug companies and wholesalers....
 
RachelT said:
Hi, pleased to meet you, i'm a not-terribly-well-off Pharmacy Technician. 🙂
Allow me to jump to the defence of my underpaid, hardworking co-workers!!
Seriously, the ones in hospitals only start out a little higher up the pay grades than me. I get the impression that retail gets paid better.

Lauren i agree, strange are the ways of drug companies and wholesalers....
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Hello, I'm sure your colleagues wouldn't dream of commenting about the drugs they dispense in such a way. It's just unprofessional, i'm sure you would agree.
 
I honestly am not wishing to start a conflict, but I must say something in defense of drug detoxers as it has been mentioned earlier- just please be mindful that some generalisations can be offensive to some people.

But, all in all, way to go 🙂[/quote]

Hi Sugarbum ...

I do understand this point .. and it was not ever said meant to cause offense to anyone .. it was more a point to the pharmacist .

I am truly sorry if my remark has cause offense to anyone here .. 🙂

I have first hand experience and knowledge on drug and alcohol detoxing .. and as said it is a very complex issue .. and I have much respect for any addict that has faced there demon and succeeded .. 🙂

Heidi
xx🙂
 
You go Girl :D! Well done in sticking up for yourself and Nathan, what an ignorant pharmistist, hope you are going to make and official complaint!
 
I went through a very similar situation last year and had to put a post on here to get the ranting out of my system.
My pharmasist at my doctors surgery had refused to give me the amount of test strips that i required because apparently i was tasting too often and should have only been testing twice a week! after a few stren words and raised voices I pointed out that it was a legal requirement to test before driving so that was at least twice a day! he was unaware of this so it made him go quiet but i still had to have words with the doctors and a nurse at the hospital to get it sorted out.
They advised me out of putting a formal complaint in about him because he wasn't the only one involved but i wanted to complain just for the way he spoke to me!

Its a very frustrating situation and i feel your pain. Good on you for confronting them! sorry to be biased, i know there are also a lot of good pharmasists out there who do their jobs well!
 
Well done Sasha. If he is a locum you need to also tell the regular pharmacist when she is back. If she gets complaints she will arrange for someone else next time one is needed. Most locums are self-employed so maybe he had costings on his mind.

He should have known better than to take on a mum!!!
 
Well done Sasha!
It's hard to speak your mind sometimes, especially when you are knocked sideways by an out-of-the blue offensive comment, so well done for standing your ground!

I will try to take a leaf out of your book next time I go and attempt to dispose of my sharps box at the Doctors surgery... I have posted about this before but I am always astonished at how indiscreetly the receptionists act when I go to do this.

A re-enactment of last time:

Me: Hello, can I drop off this sharps box please?
Receptionist: (blank look) Do we do that here?
Me: Yes, I have dropped them off here before (thinking to myself: and I've given them to YOU before)
Receptionist: (gets up, puts on rubber gloves even though the actual sharps box is saftly contained in a carrier bag, then says very loudly to her colleagues) "Where do we put the dirty needles?" (colleague doesn't hear so she says again even louder) "Where do we put the dirty needles?"

I found it SO unprofessional. Everyone in the waiting room now knows my business. What about patient confidentiality - or at the very least a little human understanding and discretion? And as for the use of the word 'dirty' - couldn't she just say 'used needles', or what about 'sharps disposal'?

I really wanted to say something, but then on the other hand am reluctant to get on the wroing side of the receptionists as I have to get past them to get an appointment with the doctor!

Ok rant over. But good for you for sticking up for yourself and I will try to do my bit next time too!
 
Haha thanks Northerner! Funnily enough I hadn't read that one yet - I feel honoured that my predicament inspired these fine verses. I laughed out loud which was rather embarrassing as I'm cheekily browsing the web whilst at work and don't want to get busted because I look like I'm having too much fun!
 
Lula said:
Well done Sasha!
It's hard to speak your mind sometimes, especially when you are knocked sideways by an out-of-the blue offensive comment, so well done for standing your ground!

I will try to take a leaf out of your book next time I go and attempt to dispose of my sharps box at the Doctors surgery... I have posted about this before but I am always astonished at how indiscreetly the receptionists act when I go to do this.

A re-enactment of last time:

Me: Hello, can I drop off this sharps box please?
Receptionist: (blank look) Do we do that here?
Me: Yes, I have dropped them off here before (thinking to myself: and I've given them to YOU before)
Receptionist: (gets up, puts on rubber gloves even though the actual sharps box is saftly contained in a carrier bag, then says very loudly to her colleagues) "Where do we put the dirty needles?" (colleague doesn't hear so she says again even louder) "Where do we put the dirty needles?"

I found it SO unprofessional. Everyone in the waiting room now knows my business. What about patient confidentiality - or at the very least a little human understanding and discretion? And as for the use of the word 'dirty' - couldn't she just say 'used needles', or what about 'sharps disposal'?

I really wanted to say something, but then on the other hand am reluctant to get on the wroing side of the receptionists as I have to get past them to get an appointment with the doctor!

Ok rant over. But good for you for sticking up for yourself and I will try to do my bit next time too!
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Hi Lula ...

Oh yes .. I know this one only too well also ...

Fortunately now ... I just drop them into the nurses area .. in a carrier and leave them on the side, where I am told too ... no problems and works well for all concerned ... Last time I even took them to Nathan's hospital appointment and gave them to his DSN ..

Some local small independent chemists might take them for you ... but you would need to ask .. I do however know Boots dont ...

I have a big problem with Drs Receptionists .. questioning the reason you require an appointment and for medical symptoms ... Having said that there is only one at our surgery that does that .. and thankfully not with me anymore ... I just kindly and respectfully pointed out to her that .. That my reason for wanting an appointment was a medical one and a private matter between me and the Dr .. Until she had attended medical university and the letters GP appeared in her name .. I was not prepared to discuss the matter further .. on that note I asked so when can I see the Dr ...

Sorry, I sound like a right cow ... Honestly I'm far from it, and just want a chilled out and hassle free life ... Its just certain situations rile me ...

Heidi
xx🙂
 
what a louse that so-called chemist is,well done to you,if it was me talking about meds for my son,i would have asked him outside for a chat,showing my age,but thats what we did in those days,WELL DONE GIRL and hope all goes well with new meds
 
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