CP: A major pet peeve among pharmacy staff is when patients ask for refills by telling us to "just fill everything".
Me: Agreed. Every time you write a post about patients and refills, this has to be the number one complaint. Why don't we like that again?
CP: First, it's lazy. If you're too lazy to tell me which medications you are taking, too lazy to find the bottles in your house, too lazy to write down the numbers or names of the medication(s) you currently take, I'm too lazy to "just fill everything".
Me: Like you always say, I should not care more about your health than you do.
CP: Right.
Me: What else is wrong with the Customer Of the Day (COD) saying "just fill everything"?
CP: We could fill medications the patient no longer takes. We could fill old strengths, old combinations, or duplicate medications within a class. Maybe the patient had a reaction. Maybe a new prescriber changed therapies. Maybe they have some medications filled at another pharmacy in another form. The point is, we could contribute to medication mismanagement by just filling everything. It's our job to make sure their therapy is up-to-date. It's part of the CMR process for this reason.
Me: In other words, it's professionally irresponsible to "just fill everything".
CP: Succinctly stated.
Me: Is there another part to this?
CP: Yes. If the patient leaves with something they don't take, they'll ask to bring it back. If they don't leave with it, but notice they don't need it before they leave, we will have to put it back. Imagine the work involved if we filled an extra 2 prescriptions for every patient every day then had to return the same extra 2 prescriptions every day. It's not like we have anything better to do than undoing all our work. It's another reason #WhyYourPrescriptionTakesSoLong.
Me: Got it. I have to ask. Why are we having this conversation? Usually you let people fight it out in the comments section of your posts. You rarely tackle the "just fill them all, let COD sort them out" issue directly.
CP: The phone call I received recently.
Me: Go on.
CP: You agree that pharmacy staff everywhere despise the "just fill everything" mantra, yes?
Me: Yes. They are very vocal in their opposition to this.
CP: I received a phone call from a pharmacy to transfer prescriptions.
Me: Okay. Normal. What's wrong with that?
CP: I asked "how many" and was told "I'm not sure yet". Cute. But I knew where this was headed.
Me: Let me guess, the pharmacist said "just fill everything"?
CP: Yes. The pharmacist, who likely loathes the "just fill everything" from his patients, told me the patient requested a transfer of "everything".
Me: What did you do?
CP: After madly cackling for nigh on a second then realising he was serious, I said "no". When he seemed stunned, I explained my reasoning.
Me: You could have just transferred the whole profile.
CP: True. I could have. In which case, again, I would have been performing needless work for a lazy patient who no longer wanted to be my patient.
Me: <whispers> I can see why.
CP: Shut it! Why would I waste my time, and the other pharmacist's time, to transfer prescriptions this feckless COD may not need? How far back do I go in the profile? Do I transfer the coochie cream from 6 months ago? Everything that is on hold and hasn't been filled over the last 6 months just in case the time is ripe to get that Belviq or Cialis filled?
Me: I get it. What you're saying is pharmacists can't have it both ways.
CP: Right. You can't complain about how patients act then encourage and engage in that same behaviour with another professional.
Me: I see your point.
CP: Thank you. Do you think others will?
Me: Of course.
CP: Thanks.
Me: You really need a verbal jousting partner, when CP's Partner isn't here.
CP: Intellectual intercourse?
Me: Yes.
CP: It's not my phault they keep cutting hours so I have to work just with you all night.
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