Don't Shoot Me, I'm Just The Pharmacist!
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009
by Michael Ramzy
delusionthread.com
Another beautiful day in America and everyone is complaining about health care, it seems. Or l
ack of health care reform. Many have written about it here on Searchwarp, myself included, and yet there still seems to be a sharp divide about what to do.
One thing that seems to have slipped notice is behavior at the pharmacy. I know, sounds silly, right? I mean, everyone wants to blame everyone else, and no where is that more prevalent than at the pharmacy itself. You would think people would be happy to pick up their prescriptions and do so in an orderly manner, yet you would be surprised to find this is rarely the case. And for the most part, the patient is to blame and the one who can fix it. That's right: not the insurance company, not the doctor.
This ought to be interesting, right?
Let me explain: Most people go to the doctor, get a prescription, then go to the pharmacy. They believe their insurance company or doctor knows what is best for them and has their best interest in mind, and they don't think twice about a doctor prescribing a specific drug over another, or how much the insurance company will pay (or not pay). They believe since they have insurance from work, or some other source, everything will take care of itself. They believe they simply have to go to the pharmacy and pick up their prescription. It's only when they are at the pharmacy (and for the most part in some kind of pain) do they realize they are being taken to the cleaners. The patient has to lash out at someone, and since the doctor and insurance company are not there, the pharmacist bears the brunt of the attack. This happens all of the time, and believe me, there is something you can do about it.
Some things to remember:
1) When you are at the doctor's office and you are given a prescription, ask questions. How much is this drug going to cost you? If it's expensive, why not get a generic substitute? If there is no generic available, is there a similar yet cheaper drug that will do the trick?
2) Find out exactly how your insurance company does your deductable. Almost every insurance company changes the drugs they cover every fiscal year (starting in September), or changes the amount of the drug they will cover. Some insurance companies do this monthly. That drug that cost you $20 in August might cost you $200 in September because of your new co-pay. Find out by calling your insurance company, and read the fine print.
3) Reading the fine print is the key! Remember, insurance is great, yet it is not in the insurance companies' best interest to make your life easier, it is in their best interest to have you pay premiums. If a drug isn't covered, ask why. If they increase your premiums or change your deductable, find out why. If you aren't satisfied with the answer, switch companies.
4) If you have changed insurance companies, bring your card in and expect to wait a few minutes. If you go to the pharmacy and there are eight people in front of you in line and all of them have some insurance problems since they didn't do their homework, expect to be there awhile. And remember, is it the pharmacy to blame?
5) The past few months, since this health-care debacle (er, I mean debate), I have noticed people lashing out at pharmacy personel for things they themselves can fix. Remember, if your insurance company stops covering a drug your doctor says you must have, it is not the pharmacy's fault. If your doctor says he's going to call in the prescription and doesn't, it is not the pharmacy's fault. Just last night I had a patient lash out at me because her doctor didn't call in her prescription. She couldn't understand why I couldn't just give her the drugs and I told her I had to wait for the doctor. She lashed out at everyone in the building before finally telling me her doctor does this all of the time. The cure to this is simple: Get the prescription from the doctor before leaving his office! Or, at least be there when he calls it in.
Shop around, get the best price for insurance, and keep your insurance company honest. The same with your doctor. Do you really need that expensive drug, or will a generic do the same at a fraction of the price? If you have no insurance, forget about brand-name drugs unless you are willing to pay an exhorbitant price.
Some things to remember. Not all pharmacies are perfect, I know. Yet for the most part they are trying to get your drugs to you in a timely manner. It is not in the pharmacy's interest for you to take your business elsewhere.
You hold the key to your health, remember. Don't get run off the rails by something you can control.
This Article has been viewed 1,440 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)You make some good suggestions here Mike. Luckily I get my medications through the VA, I pay $8.00 per prescription. Some of these medications would cost over $100.00 at a pharmacy.Thanks. Good thing you have the VA. Watch the coming months, though, to make certain none of your benefits are 'adjusted'. With the health care stuff going through Congress, I have a feeling nothing is off the table.
Hi Michael.Good tips! Now If we could just afford medical insurance ... :)My husband is an optician and the resident insurance specialist where he works. It's not just at the pharmacy that you run into people who have no idea how their insurance works: what's covered, what's not, amount of co-pay, is it just a discount plan, that sort of thing. I hope everyone reads your article.Thanks,DianneThanks for reading and commenting. I wrote this basically because the past few weeks people at the pharmacy have been overly . . . rude. I guess I was venting. Thanks again.
h michael,this was a well written, interesting article that hopefully will ring true enough to some that they think twice about their demeanor next time they are at the pharmacy. no one should have to be under so much stress while helping the public, and just trying to get a paycheck.i was left with no insurance when i got divorced and the price of medications is staggering. have had to resort to ordering off the internet, and getting some medication from canada. if not, i wouldn't be able to afford it.tiny little pills cost hundreds of dollars. it doesn't make sense.BUT, it's not the pharmacist's fault.hang in there,my best,sueActually, the job itself is easy and I have some seriously thick skin, so hanging in there is okay. The real thing I have a problem with, though, is what you mentioned: someone coming to pick up a prescription and having to pay hundreds of dollars. Many (most, actually) do so without batting an eyelash, yet every now and then I see someone pay that kind of money and I feel for them. I can understand the stress and the anxiety, and it rends my heart to see that.So, thanks as always for the comment. And you hang in there.
What a truly great article. You may want to consider putting up a sign for the public:
1.) We are here to HELP YOU. "Don't Shoot The Messenger."
2.) Know what you have to pay for and have your insurance papers in order. This will speed up your wait.
3.) Ask your doctor to write out the prescription before you leave the office.
4.) Take responsibility for your healthcare.
I would love to put up a sign, yet the powers that be probably would think it is 'talking down' to the patients. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Are you suggesting that the insurance company would place making a huge profit over a clients health? Are you madd?!?!Seriously, I am glad to hear your "venting" over this issue, Michael. It's unfortunate that by the time a patient comes to your window all of the patience they may have started out with that day is long gone, and you get the rage.I, for one, appreciate your work.Thanks. Some have some legitimate grievances, yet most are just frustrated. I can understand that frustration, yet people have to stop thinking they are powerless. Thanks for reading and commenting, as always.
Michael,Great article and I can only imagine your frustration. I really appreciate my pharmacy and have great respect for my pharmacists. It is a stressful job and your orders are never-ending. I'm just thankful that some of those who are 'in front of the counter' are not filling my prescriptions!Many thanks,NancyAnd thanks for reading. I only wish people would read up on their benefits and coverage. I mean, it's in their best interest to know what they are covered for and what their prescriptions will cost.
Good article with good points. I especially appreciate the idea of taking personal responsibility. It is amazing to me in all this hoopla over healthcare reform that people think insurance should pay for everything like it is a social program or something. Insurance is, well, insurance. It is a tool for risk management. When we expect insurance to pay for all our drugs, I think we have gotten to the point where we are misusing insurance, which is why the premiums are skyrocketing. There is a great government program in place that most people don't know about called the Health Savings Account, and it makes it possible to make less insurance claims and allows you to save at least 30% on premiums. So this is another thing that patients can do to keep from strangling their pharmacist. Rethink their strategy for how they use insurance, and take responsibility for it.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.