Sick Over A Dollar
MEDICATION, MONEY, PENNSYLVANIA, PHARMACY, PHILADELPHIA, USA | RIGHT | JANUARY 27, 2019
(At our pharmacy, a particular woman has called in three times this week, asking about her prescription prices and wanting to switch stores, calling us terrible, saying we hate her because we overprice her meds, etc. I had the luck to deal with each phone call. Near closing time, I recognize her voice as I’m checking her out.)
Customer: “Why is my prescription $10? Last time it was $9.”
Me: “It looks like the type of discount card you have says you can only use it six times for this particular medication before it runs out.” *I point out where it’s written on the computer screen, even though I already told her this earlier when she called*
Customer: “Well… well, your $4 list says this should only be $4 for a month’s supply!”
Me: “If you look here, our state has a minimum price on this medication that we can’t go under. Without insurance, we have to charge $10.”
Customer: “You’re a bunch of liars. That’s false advertising. That doesn’t make sense.”
Me: “I’m sorry, I thought we had already talked about this over the phone. That’s something our store can’t change; it’s a state requirement.”
Customer: “You mean I could go to Jersey and get it cheaper?”
Me: “New Jersey’s not on the list, so it’s possible. I know you’ve switched a few of your prescriptions to other stores—“
Customer: “You guys are all snakes. This is ridiculous. It shouldn’t be $10.”
Me: “If you like, I can put the prescription back and you can try to get it filled somewhere else.”
Customer: “NO! I will DIE without my medication TONIGHT.” *this was not a drug that would harm you, even if you stopped taking it for over a week* “I need this NOW. Just give me it.”
Me: *quietly hands her the bag after she’s done throwing her change down on the counter at me*
Customer: “I hope you’re happy. I hope you know you’re scamming me and getting away with it. I could’ve needed that extra dollar. Karma will get you and you’re going to go to Hell.”
(The kicker is she called the next day and complained about me being a b**** and saying I was trying to withhold her medication. The lead pharmacist was on that night, and knew she was the irrational one.)
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