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Monday, December 12, 2016

No, I Do Not Feel Bad For You

Pharmacies have spent the better part of their history trying to do what is right for their patients. What were once considered professional courtesies have now become the expected norms. There comes a point when these courtesies are held against you and you need to fight back.
Offices that have messages instructing their patients to call the pharmacy so we can submit refill requests are probably the most loathsome of the bunch. But the story from my weekend adds an ever-growing-in-popularity wrinkle.

I Deserve Another New One: I called my doctor and they said to call you.
CP: Wonderful. Now that you have completed following instructions I shall bid you Good Day!
IDA-NO: Wait. They told me to ask you to give me a few tablets to get me till my appointment; or at least until they open Monday.
CP: I see. So you actually spoke with the office?
IDA-NO: Yes.
CP: Uh-huh. Why did they not just approve the refill? I have many offices that approve e-script requests on weekends.
IDA-NO: They have a No-Refills-On-Weekends policy.
CP: Phunny. I have a "Don't Fill Prescriptions From Stupid Doctors" Policy. If they don't care enough about you to approve refills when you actually speak with them, then perhaps it's time to find a new prescriber?
IDA-NO: But they said you'd give me some.
CP: No. They told you to call and ask. You spoke with them and they denied your request and passed the buck to me. Now I am expected to shoulder the blame. If I say "No" they can blame me. My direct deposit was late due to the Holiday last month. I asked the bank to hand me $50.00 so I could buy pies to take to dinner. For some reason, they laughed at me. I told them it works like this at the pharmacy. They told me to go to the pharmacy then.

Look, I understand the "no refills on the weekends" policy and could even defend them. However, with more offices requiring pharmacies to send electronic requests and many offices approving refills on weekends this way, healthcare is no longer a M-F 8:30-5pm office job. But I absolutely will not be your bitch if you try to make me the whipping post for your policy.

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