Time To Prescribe Some Common Sense
PHARMACY | RIGHT | OCTOBER 25, 2016
(Our pharmacy automatically substitutes a generic for brand name medication when a generic is available. The exception is if the doctor writes “brand name only,” or the patient specifically requests brand name. Of course, the generic names aren’t as well known, so the customers will sometimes be confused as to what prescription they have until we explain that the medication is a generic and does the exact same thing as the brand, though at a lower cost. The information about the drug is also printed on a pamphlet, including the brand names, in case they don’t believe us.)
Me: “Hello, [Pharmacy]. [My Name] speaking. How can I help?”
Customer: “I didn’t get [Brand Sleep Medication]. I got it with something extra! I just want the regular type.”
Me: “I’m sorry, something extra?”
Customer: “Yeah I got [poorly pronounced Generic] instead, and you guys gave me extra.”
Me: “Ma’am, that’s the generic name of [Brand]; there’s nothing extra in it.”
Customer: “I don’t want the extended release, just the [Brand].”
Me: “Ma’am, that IS the regular strength. That’s just the name they use.”
Customer: *finally getting the point* “So, this [Brand]?”
Me: *giving up trying to explain generic* “Yes, ma’am, it is [Brand].”
Customer: “So there’s nothing extra in it?”
Me: “Right. Here, what’s your name, so I can look it up?”
(She gives me her name and DOB so I can verify she does in fact have the generic.)
Me: “Okay, I looked it up, that is the [Brand], regular strength.”
Customer: *finally getting the idea* “Okay, thank you!”
(I get off the phone, and the pharmacist, who has been listening to my call the whole time, is trying not to laugh as he’s talking.)
Pharmacist: “So she DIDN’T have ‘extra stuff’ in her medication?”
Me: “No, she didn’t. It was just [Generic]. Why don’t they just read the information labels?”
Pharmacist: “That would take away half of our job description.”
|