I'm popular. It's all about pop-u-lar. It's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed. So it's very shrewd to be very very popular, like me.
Being popular comes with side effects though. Since everyone wants a piece of me, you have to wait your turn. Whether it's asking a question, phoning in a prescription, or needing to be counseled, others are seeking my wisdom as well. You must be patient. There is only one of me. It's like going to the Vatican and hoping to high-five the pope.
But today is not about me. It's about my pharmacy. Many people understand having to wait to talk to the pharmacist. What they don't understand is #WhyItTakesSoLongToPickUpYourPrescription at the pharmacy. People wait in lines for seats at popular restaurants. They even wait weeks for reservations. Why? Because they are popular...and very good. So are we.
Every patient is entitled to the same treatment: you have the right to ask questions of the pharmacist. If you do this at the drive-thru or in line, it may take longer. But what else is to blame?
CP: May I help you?
The Patient In Front Of You:
I'm picking up for myself and I don't have my Fan Club Rewards Card so can you look it up so I can get my free pack of gum and I have to write a check but don't have a pen and didn't fill any of this out while I was in line so can I borrow yours and I need to buy these extra couple items which may or may not go on my Flex Spend Card so you'll have to let me know so I know how much the check is for but I also want to pay cash for the magazine I was reading in line and I have new insurance you need to bill but I don't have the card and it should be under one of my kids but I don't know which one it was and can you check to see if I also have anything for my husband, my goat, my neighbour, or my first grade teacher and no, I don't know any of their dates of birth but can you look them up or can I borrow your phone to call them because they come here all the time and asked me to check and those would be separate transactions because I'm not paying for their stuff too and I know the one thing needs mixed so can I ask the pharmacist a question while he's mixing it because they changed my medication and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take both or just stop the one and start the other and I think I forgot to have something else refilled and of course I don't have the bottle with me but can you just look it up for me and refill it and maybe I'll wait for it or come back in a few minutes if it's no trouble and I think I need the pink one too while you're filling the white one for my heart or stomach or whatever it is but I know for sure that I just filled it last month because I just ran out, unless that was the one from last year and I think it stars with a "Q" or a "B" but it's not the blue one and my doctor took me off that other one so can you cancel the refills on that because I had horrible dreams with that one that my mouth stopped working one day and could you imagine how difficult that would be for me if that happened?
CP: I'm trying.
The Mc Pharmacy/Burger King mentality. I've reminded people drive thru it's for drop or pick up only, anything else they need to come inside. I'm all for treating customers with good service but it also works both ways. I'm not a mind reader or bring my crystal ball every day, so if they don't have the info, they can go home, look it up and call it in. At some point we need to go back to re training our customers as to what WE expect of them, they aren't children anymore.
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