Methinks I don't have the right attitude for this profession

[Pixilated]

We had another retail pharmacy lab yesterday and one of my "prescriptions" was for 33 pills. I thought that was an odd number and asked one of the teachers about it. At least twice in her response was the phrase, "Who are you to question the doctor?"

Sorry, I thought "M.D." translated into "Doctor of Medicine," not "Grand Poobah Ruler of the Universe Whose Word Must Never Be Challenged." Oh, and don't forget to bow out of the room backwards as you leave ...

[Mytical]

Yeah, that is not the right attitude for your teacher. I've had teachers like that..when asked why something is one way..they act as if it is a sin to 'dare to challenge' something. I prefer the ones who take time to explain things.

[Jester]

"M.D." actually means "Major Douchebag."

At least in this instance....

[malmalthekiller]

Yes, don't question a thing. Just give the consumer a random assortment of pills, blindly.

As I'm sure you meant, "is there a specific reason why this drug is divided this way", and not, "is the doctor a moron?"

What kind of a teacher doesn't feel like actually explaining something to an obviously curious student?

[Dave1982]

As if doctors aren't human and don't make errors on scrips....

http://www.customerssuck.com/board/s...ad.php?t=76585

[Ellain]

Actually, in some cases there is a valid reason for a script to be for 33. Certain insurances will allow a 33 day supply without raising the copayment for the customer, so it saves them a small amount of money. And as we all know, some people are fanatics about saving every possible cent.

[PepperElf]

"Who are you to question the doctor?"

Answer

1) The person who'll get screamed at if the amount is wrong
2) The person who'll get screamed at - or punished - if the drugs interact badly with other pills the patient is on

There's probably more but those right there important enough.

Doctor's don't always know what they're doing. One of the doctors I had while growing up was good, but he still wrote me a prescription for the antibiotics I needed (for being sick) and my regular allergy medication*... without saying a single word against taking them together.

The pharmacist took one look at paper and told me to NOT take the allergy tablets with the other medication.

Who was that pharmacist to question the doctor? He was the man who prevented me from having a possible heart attack in my teens.


A few years later the allergy medication was pulled from the market having lost FDA approval because of the severity of the heart attack risk when combined with that antibiotic.

[Jester]

Actually, in some cases there is a valid reason for a script to be for 33. Certain insurances will allow a 33 day supply without raising the copayment for the customer, so it saves them a small amount of money. And as we all know, some people are fanatics about saving every possible cent.

And THIS would have been an excellent response from the teacher, rather than just basically telling the pharmacy student to shut up and stop asking questions.

[Pixilated]

Yes, don't question a thing. Just give the consumer a random assortment of pills, blindly.

As I'm sure you meant, "is there a specific reason why this drug is divided this way", and not, "is the doctor a moron?"

What kind of a teacher doesn't feel like actually explaining something to an obviously curious student?

Exactly! I thought it an odd number because it's just ever so slightly over a month's worth of pills (assuming the directions are one a day ... can't recall just at the moment) and at this point (we've had all of TWO labs) I'm used to seeing "prescriptions" with some variant of a month's worth of pills (30 days, 60 days, etc).
I was so taken aback by her response that I just And of course I thought of several good comebacks at 3 a.m. (none of which would have been good for my overall grades, I expect, especially since each student signs a form at the beginning of the semester saying they give permission for their teachers to be references in job applications ...)

Actually, in some cases there is a valid reason for a script to be for 33. Certain insurances will allow a 33 day supply without raising the copayment for the customer, so it saves them a small amount of money. And as we all know, some people are fanatics about saving every possible cent.

She did, eventually, actually offer an explanation or two as to why the doctor might have given a 33-day prescription (e.g. the patient might have another doctor's appointment in exactly 33 days). But the condescending attitude prior to that really grated. I thought that attitude towards doctors went out of fashion a few decades ago.

[csquared]

One of the prescription I am on, you are to take one pill for seven days, then take two pills daily. The script is for 60 pills. At the end of the month, I have one pill left.

Remember, many a pharmacist have saved a doctor's back side. Never be afraid to question the doctor if the prescription seems out of line.

[auntiem]

My pharmasist questioned my meds and dosage for a few months before finally accepting that yes, I was on the BP med level of a giraffe with a coke habit.

[Seshat]

I WANT my pharmacists to question my doctors! For some things, I'll go to a pharmacist BEFORE going to a doctor! The pharmacist is supposed to be the specialist in drugs and drug interactions, the family-doctor/front-line doctor is supposed to be a diagnostician and patient-management specialist.

If I have a question about a drug, do I ask a diagnostician, or a drug specialist? Yeah, I thought so.

(Note: I'm not trying to say anything at all against family doctors. They have what might be the hardest job in medicine short of ER; they have to handle whatever comes in their door and either treat it, or direct it to the right place. Preferably getting it right first time, every time.)

No... pharmacist for detailed, in-depth knowledge of drugs. Doctor for diagnosis and either treatment or direction to treatment. And in my experience, I've found that if a dressing, injection or blood draw is needed, you want a nurse rather than a doctor.

[Pixilated]

One thing I should clarify: I am not going to be a pharmacist, LOL. I'm training to be a pharmacy technician, which is several steps below pharmacist, so there are in fact many things I cannot do -- if a patient asks about drug interactions, even with something like grapefruit, and I answer ... that is grounds for firing. I must get the pharmacist to answer questions like that.

However, I've already encountered a couple of prescriptions that I was indeed supposed to question (one, for example, had 'refill' ticked off, but the prescription was for a narcotic -- that's absolutely illegal here). So apparently I am supposed to question the doctor ... except when I'm not.

[Seshat]

"Scope of practice" - I understand.

One of my discussions with my mental health nurse has been in what I might do if/when I 'get better' - or at least well enough to work. One of the possibilities was a counsellor or a mental health nurse myself, and we had a brief discussion about scope of practice.

It seems like your scope of practice includes alerting the pharmacist to a potential problem, rather than addressing the problem yourself. Which is - hey! Good thing to do! Potentially life-saving.

[Andara Bledin]

The bosses' mantra where I work is "When in doubt, ask." Seems to me that should be pretty much SOP for the health profession.

^-.-^