Doctor sends out an incomplete e-script? Pharmacist calls to fix.
Nurse leaves incomplete information on voicemail? Pharmacist calls to fix.
Forgot to sign it? Pharmacist will call.
Forgot the patient's name? Pharmacist will call.
Wrote the wrong patient name? Pharmacist will call.
Forgot his DEA# on a control? Forgot to write and spell the quantity on that control? No worries.
Can't read the handwriting? Yep. We call.
Yes. That is our job. In order to fill a patient's prescription, we must have all of the correct, complete information. This often means we need to track down a doctor, prescriber, nurse, records room, etc to do our jobs. I just wish these prescribers didn't have so much faith in us.
Basically, doctors don't change their habits. Despite repeated phone calls (I know I'm not the only pharmacist that cares about my license), these offices never change. It is the same problems all the time. I'm tired of excuses like "it's the software". Really? I have a customer service number I can call. You should too. Call it. Now!
I'm tired of the "why is your pharmacy the only one that calls us about this?" excuse too. No. I am certainly not. I also get "well we'll just tell them to go elsewhere". And patients say the same things: "guess I'll take this down the street. They always fill it."
Doctors have no accountability. Pharmacists will fix everything.
I spend so much time on hold waiting to talk to a doctor or nurse about their incomplete, misleading, incomprehensible, or just plain dangerous prescriptions (Levaquin 750mg TID -- really?) that I think the phone has permanently damaged my skull.
ReplyDeleteI think the State Boards of Pharmacy need to step up and create some accountability or stand behind the pharmacists as we send these bad prescriptions back to them. In my state it is almost like my board of pharmacy is afraid to do anything. Weird.