Top 10 things that Pharmacist HATE

So for those of you that don't know, I am a pharmacist. I work at a local pharmacy and most days enjoy my job. But today was one of those days that no matter how hard you tried to help somebody, it was never good enough and they were still mad. So here are the Top 10 things that pharmacists hate when customers get mad at them for things we have no control over.

10. What do you mean I have no refills!
On EVERY bottle it tells you how many refills you have left and when they expire. I can't help that you didn't read it!
9. I have no medicine left, now what am I suppose to do?
Well for starters, pay attention to your refills, and don't wait until you have no meds left before you decide to fill it. We can loan 3-days worth on some meds, but not insulin, inhailers, controlled medications or meds not used on a regular basis. And again why would you wait until you had NO INSULIN left before you would try to refil it!
TIP #1: Call all refills in at least 5 days before you run out of medicine and you usually won't have any problems!
8. What do you mean you don't have the medication in stock!
Contrary to popular belief the pharmacy can not keep stock of every single medicine that has ever been made in the tiny box that we work in. Some things have to be special orderd, and some things are used so rarely that we can't afford to keep an expensive medicine on the shelf only to have it expire and loose money. Also when every one is gettting colds at the same time, we will run out of the same med eventually.
TIP #2: If you have a script for any injectable med, call the pharmacy first and find out if they have it. It will save you gas and a headache from running around town.
7. Why does my insurace require a Prior Authorization when my doctor ordered the medicine.
Doctors often write for medicines that the drug reps have just been there talking about, even when there is a less expensive alternative available. Your insurance company knows this and wants to make sure there is a good reason you need the expensive version, instead of the less expensive medication.
6. I don't have my insurance card, but I have (insert insurace company name here). Can you call them and get my information.
No. There are hundreds of different phone numbers for each company depending on your plan. Telling me Blue Cross does not help, since that are at least 100 different Blue Cross companies and no one is connected to the other.
5. I have my insurace companies phone number can you call them?
No. We help hundreds of patients everday and I don't have time to sit on hold for 20 minutes to get the information you are suppose to have for me! It is your job to prove you have insurance, not our job to track it down!
4. How much does this medicine cost with my insurance?
We don't know until we submit the claim. Meaning we have to type up the script and have the pharmacist approve it before we have any idea what it will cost. If you really want to know before you get it filled, call your insurance before you come.
3. What do you mean I have a (insert high co-pay cost here)!
I don't know either. Your insurance told us what to bill you, and I don't have control of it. Please check your plan before hand to know about your co-pays, covered meds, and possibl deductable.

2. I don't know what meds I need refilled. Just what ever ones you did last month.......and then

come the pharmacy mad because.....I didn't want that filled OR you didn't fill this new one! We are here to make sure that your prescription is filled as written, and that it doesn't interact with your other meds, and that your doctor didn't screw up and try to give you triple the dose that the medication actually calls for. HOWEVER, we are not here to keep track of your 17 meds, when they are due for refils, and when your doctor may have stopped or changed medications with out letting us know.Please take SOME RESPONSIBILITY for your own health care and keep track of when your meds are due and call in the correct ones!

1. My doctor said that was only 4 dollars!

Doctors are STUPID when it comes to the cost of medications. They have NO IDEA what medications cost. And what might seem inexpensive to them, might not seem that way to you!

TIP #3: Don't believe your doctor when they try to tell you anything about the price of medications!

So please pass this information along to those that you know. We love being able to help people and will always try to do our best, but we are not your slaves! We do have laws and rules to follow, and need to focus our time and helping patients, counseling, calling dr's offices and etc. These above things slow us down so that we can't do our jobs effectively, and again are not our faults.

Also, please don't yell at us about the wait times. We know that you have probably just spent 2 hours at the doctor's office and just want to get home, but really is 20 to 30 minutes that long to wait! Not when you realized that we are trying to make sure that you get the right medicine, for the right reasons, and right dosage, and that taking it won't kill you! Please give us the time that we need to make sure no mistake is made on the doctor's part or ours!