But, But, It's Not Wrong

CP: CP's Phactory of Phun. How are you going to amuse me today?
I Don't Understand My Business Software: I need to clarify a prescription we sent for a patient.
CP: Did we call you? Did you just send it?
IDUMBS: No. We sent it the other day.
CP: I see one for Azithromycin 1 gram packets.
IDUMBS: That's it.
CP: You mean the prescription she already picked up 4 days ago?
IDUMBS: Yes. We sent the wrong one.
CP: I don't believe your opening statement of "I need to clarify a prescription" is accurate; nay, it is misleading and erroneous.
IDUMBS: She was supposed to get a Z-Pak instead.
CP: Okay. Well since she picked it up, I can't edit or clarify anything. I will have to take it and fill it as a new prescription.
IDUMBS: She can't stand the liquid. Why didn't you call us? "You People" usually call us when we make mistakes like this.
CP: I'm sorry. What?
IDUMBS: Our system won't let us type Zith. . . so we have to type AZIT. . . and the first option is the 1g packets. You people usually call us on these.
CP: Wait a minute. You'e relying on the pharmacists to call on perfectly good, valid prescriptions because "YOU PEOPLE" can't figure out how to use YOUR software? Am I hearing that correctly?
IDUMBS: Yes. We never use the 1g packets.
CP: But we dispense them nearly every day. We have boxes of them. Why would I question a valid prescription? There was nothing wrong with it. It's a common STD treatment and we dispense it frequently.
IDUMBS: Well she doesn't have an STD. It's for an URI.
CP: Which I know now. However, it doesn't explain or justify your reliance on me to phix what is ultimately YOUR problem. Am I supposed to call on HCTZ 12.5 caps because I should know the patient gets tablets and your office always chooses the capsules because they are listed alphabetically first? Where do you draw the line? I have an idea for you. Have your office manager contact your software vendor and ask them for a demonstration on how to use your software. Better yet, just ask them how Z-Pak is supposed to be entered in order to prescribe a Z-Pak. I find it troubling that you have had this many issues that your expectations are for the pharmacists to call to bail you out and you have done nothing proactively to phix YOUR problem. Maybe a little morning pep rally would be in order.
What do we write? Z-Paks!
How do we write them? Type "azithromycin and look for 250mg pack"?
NO! Type something, hope the pharmacist calls, and pray for the best outcome!
Yay Prescribers!
IDUMBS: I can suggest that.
CP: Good. Because the scenario I just outlined is pretty spot on and simultaneously idiotic. But at least I have a post for next week!

UT: You know people are going to comment that "a good patient counsel would have cleared this up before the patient left".
CP: I know. Which is great if the patient picked it up herself. That also shifts the argument from "THE PRESCRIBER'S OFFICE IS TRYING TO BLAME US FOR THEIR CONTINUED IGNORANCE" to "well, had you talked to her, it could have been fixed". When the patient says "no, I know how to use it", and is in a hurry to leave or acts embarrassed, or isn't even present, that ends the counsel. My issue is that this happens with such frequency and the office KNOWS it, they don't try to phix in on their end AND they try to blame us. One of these days their reliance on us phixing their mistakes is going to cost a patient more than an inconvenient dosing method.