Edit: sorry, the pic was lost during a site upgrade.
Because of the long holiday weekend, we had to do a big order of our top 200 drugs, a large percentage of which are birth controls. The above is a picture of all the birth control we got in on Friday. (can you tell my pharmacy prefers Barr generics?)
For those of you not in the know, insurance companies use code numbers for various rejections (for non matched card id, prior authorization, plan limits exceeded, etc.)
It just so happens that for one particular insurance processor, the code for “filled after coverage terminated” is 69. (It might be the same for all processors; I’ve never really paid attention before now.)
That got me to thinking: “So, if you get a 69, is your insurance company screwing you both ways?” Too dirty? Yes, I know. The pharmacist got a kick out of it though.
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The more I think about that CVS pharmacist that was shot yesterday, the more angry I am that pharmacies even have drive-through windows. On top of the fact that it just puts patients in that fast food state of mind, they’re just plain dangerous. They allow robbers (or a would-be robber in this case) to quickly make a getaway, making pharmacists and techs more of a target.
Anyway, after all of the news of the past few weeks, from Virginia Tech on through the KC mall shooting, I wonder what will happen next. To quote Jerry Springer: “Why can’t we all just get along?”
Some other interesting things that happened to me today:
We had a prescription brought in for Zyrtec liquid for a kid that has hives. The nurse had written #1 (as in one bottle, which comes in 16oz. bottles.)
I was ringing up a man out for his Viagra. He purchased a few other items, bringing the total to… $69.69. Prophetic or what?
Today seemed to be copy (rx transfer) day. It seems Shopper’s has a $30 giftcard coupon (and we always match those). Plus, the closest Shopper’s closed down and moved all the scripts to another store further away, so we’re getting a lot of them. Well, at least it raised our script count.
Today, I went to “Something Scottish,” a Scottish/Celtic music and dance show put on by a local dance school/group called the Thistle Dancers. It was held at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria.
As an amateur tin whistler, I was more interested in the music than the dancing, especially the pan-Celtic music group Iona. The whole show was definitely an enjoyable experience. If you ever have a chance to watch this group.
Afterwards, I hopped on Metro to head into town and waste some time and money. As the yellow line train approached Pentagon station, the train operator announced, “Next stop, Pentagon, last and final stop in the Commonwealth of Northern Virginia.”
My first thought was, “last and final?” Somewhat redundant, though that’s a common error amongst metro operators. My second thought was, “Since when did Northern Virginia become its own state?”
Note to Metro: maybe you should send your operators back to high school to learn basic English and Geography.
Well, It’s finally Friday. Our prescription count so far for the week (I’ll have to wait until Monday for the final total) is:
Sun: 29
Mon: 113
Tue: 121
Wed: 99
Thu: 90
Fri: 85
Total so far: 537. I think last week we did about 430 for the whole week. Yes, again, I know that’s not a lot compared to say, the CVS in downtown DC, but it’s a lot for us.
I actually got to get off early tonight (score!) because the technician that was supposed to work Thursday morning called out. I was called in early, which meant I had to leave early, and cut into the hours worked today (it sucks that retail hourly employees can’t work over 40 hours.)
Last night I went to see Ghost Rider, which was about an hour longer than I thought it would be. It’s definitely a “special effects” movie, but there was a decent enough plot to keep it interesting. The romantic angle seemed a bit forced, but what’s new in a Nick Cage movie.
(Yes, that’s the second movie this week. They’re great for escaping visions of counting trays, not to mention a good way to waste $25.)
Ok, so I (almost) forgot the Oscars were on tonight. (Thanks merujo for reminding me by blogging about it). I happened to tune in right before the “people we lost” montage. That’s usually my favorite part. Is it bad that I only knew five of the names they showed (at least enough to tell you something they were in)? And two of them were Star Trek alums. They were (in order of listing):
Finally, things I realized while watching:
And the Oscars are…over. I like the arrangement of music they are using for the credits, especially the chimney song from Mary Poppins, my favorite song from that movie. Chiminey chim chim, chim chim cheroo…
I just found this rhyme on another blog:
Oh the things you can fill
For the folks who are ill
With your bright shiny spatula
Oh, what a thrill!Besmocked and bedecked out
In Pharmacist
Ah, the little things in life. Sometimes they amaze you, sometimes they annoy the heck out of you.
Like when a prescription bottle has a tab to help you pull off the foil,
Or when I’m forced to utter the phrase in the title of this blog.When one patient just stops by to say thanks for all your hard work,
Or when another patient yells at you because their compound won’t be ready until tomorrow.When you pour out exactly the right amount of a medication,
Or when you only have 29 tablets and the patient gets 30.When the price of a patient’s medicine goes way down,
Or when insurance companies have a lower copay for brand than generic.When a doctor calls you right back to answer your question,
Or when the doctor insists on brand, even though the generic is $100 less.
Sometimes, the little things matter, and sometimes they don’t; but they sure make life interesting.
