Inroduction to Yours Truly

Apr.16, 2008

So after reading a website i recently stumbled across (angrypharmacist.com), I thought that it would be fun to open my own blog site along the same lines but from the point of view as a technician (a.k.a. the pharmacist's slave) So a little about me yet I won't reveal too much since the last thing i want is for the world to know where I work and my real name, so from here on in, i will simply be known as "Jay"

I currently live in the beautiful province of Ontario, Canada and work full time at a major drug store chain in a small city with a population of about 50,000. I love my job don't get me wrong but I'd just like to share some stories and vent on some issues which surround the wonderful world of Pharmacy.

Being a technician is a very valuable asset in a pharmacy and i don't think that many pharmacies could survive without us. I have tremendous respect for all technicians and I'm sure that we have to deal with just as much shit as any pharmacist, if not then more!

For some reason, patients can not understand that a technician can not answer their medical questions like "what you can use for your yeast infection" or how their antibiotic isn't working since they've been taking it for 2 days and they aren't getting any better. It's not that i want to be rude to you and tell you i can not help you (i'd love to help you and recommend the wrong thing and get you out of the pharmacy as fast as i can so i can go about my job as a tech) but I tell you to go wait at the counselling area for a reason so don't fucking huff and puff at me when i can't help you. I don't have the education to help you and i certainly don't get paid the money to answer your medical questions, so go down and wait for the pharmacist and if they are busy then leave....don't waste my time with questions because there isn't going to be ANY time where i will recommend something for you, your child, or your heroin addicted girlfriend who needs something to put on her sores on her arms.

The pharmacist's at my store are very overworked and rarely have any time to do things they need to do and i have the utmost respect for all pharmacists and i realize this, that is why i di everything in my power to help them out as much as possible, because I hate to break this to you, but they are human too and can't do everything. So to all the customers who stand at the counter and have piles of groceries and demand wht pharmacist to help find something that is not on the shelf but it is in the flyer....FUCK YOU! There is a customer service sign at the front ot the store for a reason...go use it! Don't waste the pharmacist's time when they could actually be doing something important like counselling the lineup of patients on their meds that your dumb ass held up with your stupid questions.

I hate when customers call and automatically they demand to speak to the pharmacist. I'm sure I can help you with 90% of your calls. I have a hand and can write down your prescription refill numbers you can ask me if we can deliver your prescription, so don't bother the pharmacist. You don't call your doctor's office and demand to speak to the doctor to book your appointment so don't do that kind of shit to me, it only pisses me off, but pisses the pharmacist off for wasting their time on your lame ass.

Being a male technician, I find that customers don't talk back to me as much or give me a hassle. I don't know if they are scared of me (they shouldn't be, i couldn't hurt a fly) or whether it is the fact that I won't fall for their bullshit and won't let them get to me and they can see that. Maybe they mistaken me for a pharmacist since you know...all pharmacists are young men. Am I wearing a lab coat and a name tag that says pharmacist? NO! so learn to read, give me your prescription to count and come back in 20 minutes, and if you are a young attractive girl waiting for your birth control, maybe it will even be done in 5 minutes, since i know you have better things to do than wait in the pharmacy for your Rx....but yeah, i'm sure i'll dedicate a whole blog to "wait times" since that is a very complex issue to most patients.

Hope you enjoyed my first blog and please feel free to leave me comments!!! I'd love to get your points of views on certain things and see what makes your blood boil.

TAPT