The third in an irregular series of posts, chronicling the wacky things happening in an average pharmacy (i.e. mine). From memory, too busy to post from work (plus don't want the boss reading over my shoulder).
Fill What I Want, Not What I Write
First, a bit of history. The Zithromax Tri-Pak is the original version, as found in Europe: 500mg once daily for 3 days, comes on a card with three tablets marked Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Thing is, azithromycin usually takes 5-7 days for any effect to be noticed, and 10 days for the full effect; it keeps on working even though you stopped taking it 7 days ago. When it was released in the USA, the manufacturers (Pfizer, if I remember correctly) were afraid that we Americans would be too impatient to wait, and would be on the phone with the doctor on Day 4, demanding a refill, so they came up with the Z-Pak, this being six 250mg tabs. Take 2 on day 1, then 1 daily for the next four days, and by Day 5, you'll already notice an effect. It works just as well if you take 2 tabs daily for 3 days and then wait.
So I had an e-script came in today. Zithromax 500mg Tri-Pak. Quantity: 30. Sig: Take 1 tablet as directed.
Why in earth they want 30 tablets? That's ten Tri-Paks. Plus, most doctors around here don't use the Tri-Pak, unless they want the patient to take it for 5 days instead of 3. (Which means we have to break a pack, as we don't stock them loose.)
So we call the doctor to find out what the hell. Turns out, he never even heard of the Tri-Pak. Has no clue how it got on the e-Rx above his electronic signature, much less the quantity of 30. Wants us to fill the regular 250mg Z-pak, 6 tabs for 5 days.
Another e-script today: B&D Alcohol Swabs. Sig: Take 1 pill three times daily.
You know, when electronic prescribing came in, they promised us it would eliminate prescription errors, because everything would be totally legible. Sure, totally legible and totally wrong.
That doesn't exist. Stop asking for it.
Patient comes in asking for Vitamin C oil. I tell him there's no such thing, ascorbic acid isn't even fat-soluble, and he's probably looking for Vitamin E oil instead. He insists the nurse told him to get Vitamin C oil for putting on a healing wound so it wouldn't scar. This is a legitimate use for vitamin E oil, which I went out to the aisle to show him where it is. He keeps saying Vitamin C oil, and I keep correcting him, but he eventually buys the correct stuff.
That doesn't exist either.
Another patient, a half hour later, comes up and asks me for Vitamin O.
More irrational price hikes.
Econazole cream, an antifungal, in the 85 gram size, just went from $11.25 to $347.76. Why? Same reason the dog licks his you know what: because he can, son.
Fill What I Want, Not What I Write
First, a bit of history. The Zithromax Tri-Pak is the original version, as found in Europe: 500mg once daily for 3 days, comes on a card with three tablets marked Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Thing is, azithromycin usually takes 5-7 days for any effect to be noticed, and 10 days for the full effect; it keeps on working even though you stopped taking it 7 days ago. When it was released in the USA, the manufacturers (Pfizer, if I remember correctly) were afraid that we Americans would be too impatient to wait, and would be on the phone with the doctor on Day 4, demanding a refill, so they came up with the Z-Pak, this being six 250mg tabs. Take 2 on day 1, then 1 daily for the next four days, and by Day 5, you'll already notice an effect. It works just as well if you take 2 tabs daily for 3 days and then wait.
So I had an e-script came in today. Zithromax 500mg Tri-Pak. Quantity: 30. Sig: Take 1 tablet as directed.
Why in earth they want 30 tablets? That's ten Tri-Paks. Plus, most doctors around here don't use the Tri-Pak, unless they want the patient to take it for 5 days instead of 3. (Which means we have to break a pack, as we don't stock them loose.)
So we call the doctor to find out what the hell. Turns out, he never even heard of the Tri-Pak. Has no clue how it got on the e-Rx above his electronic signature, much less the quantity of 30. Wants us to fill the regular 250mg Z-pak, 6 tabs for 5 days.
Another e-script today: B&D Alcohol Swabs. Sig: Take 1 pill three times daily.
You know, when electronic prescribing came in, they promised us it would eliminate prescription errors, because everything would be totally legible. Sure, totally legible and totally wrong.
That doesn't exist. Stop asking for it.
Patient comes in asking for Vitamin C oil. I tell him there's no such thing, ascorbic acid isn't even fat-soluble, and he's probably looking for Vitamin E oil instead. He insists the nurse told him to get Vitamin C oil for putting on a healing wound so it wouldn't scar. This is a legitimate use for vitamin E oil, which I went out to the aisle to show him where it is. He keeps saying Vitamin C oil, and I keep correcting him, but he eventually buys the correct stuff.
That doesn't exist either.
Another patient, a half hour later, comes up and asks me for Vitamin O.
More irrational price hikes.
Econazole cream, an antifungal, in the 85 gram size, just went from $11.25 to $347.76. Why? Same reason the dog licks his you know what: because he can, son.
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