Times, they are a changing, and with these changes I am one of the privileged many to test new computer software, phone systems, and new ways to bring the pharmacist back to the patient and away from the pill counting.
Working by myself at night can be very hectic with phones ringing, a line of cars, and a line of people waiting to ask questions or pick up their meds. Add the easy listening "all suicide network" that is piped in and it is a veritable cluster f*ck of sensory overload. Many days it is more than a sane person can take but since I am "nuts" it only gets bad on occasion.
While I was off one week we were uploaded to the new central operating system. It consists of many teams dedicated to specific tasks such as data entry, verification, phones, and filling next day pick up prescriptions for shipments to stores. It works as if I had beaten the cookies out of the Keebler elves and made them my b*tches. As if by unicorn tears and rainbow wishes my prescriptions are entered, checked, printed, and in many cases my robot friend (I call it Twiki) has them filled for me when I get back from the drive-thru or out window and consultation areas.
What it amounts to is that I now have the luxury of actually using my education to help people achieve better therapeutic outcomes. Hallef*ckin'lujah! All these years I worked retail and it was all about how fast you can complete 1,000 tasks at the same time where now I can actually take time out to really help people by answering questions and addressing concerns with their health. Sure it has some drawbacks and needs to be tweaked here and there but we are a test market so these things are to be expected. When all the bugs get worked out it will be a brave new world where patients get real health care without feeling neglected by their pharmacist.
Yep kids, I drank the corporate Kool-Aid and it tasted like magic.
Oh Yeah!
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11 comments:
So glad you like the power!!
Do you think that machines like this will ever make pharmacists obsolete, or at least less in demand?
i think it is about time to form a union and teach those basterds how to treat a pharmacist as a human
Yes, let's form that union! We'll hold weekly two hour classes with a cupcake break between. Basterds.
Machines will never replace a pharmacist. Just like WebMD and similar sites will not replace real doctors.
Just imagine all of the people who would inadvertently kill themselves or someone else because they had open access to all medications. We definitely wouldn't have an issue with population control or medical malpractice because the blame would lie with the individual and their uneducated choices.
I have even gotten in arguments with patients who thought they knew more than I did and how dare I tell them that they did not need Zoloft because they read the literature and they do need Zoloft so they should be able to prescribe it to themselves without a doctor.
I also do not believe a union for pharmacists would be good. Look what unions did to the big 3 automakers in Detroit... Unions foster laziness, arrogance, and retirement fund mismanagement. They also cost people jobs and ruin industry. The financial system we have now does not support the activity of unions because they drastically increase the profits necessary to cover union activity which results in a lack of competitive pricing on goods and services which ultimately drives a business into the ground. When the unions fall, so does the union member's healthcare coverage and retirement. I am not willing to leave that in the hands of others.
lacking the power, in the past two years in retail i have seriously counseled perhaps two dozen patients. the rest of the time i am a robot-- check, fill, check, phone, check, fill, check, phone. someone please just kill me
It sounds so magical! I am a wee bit envious. Keebler elves.. you have a way with words.
I am about positive we work for the same chain and willin to put money on the fact that I hate muskrat love just as much as you do. And I can't wait until I no longer have to type
Actually I have heard the same music playlist at the grocery store too. I even had a friend send me a nasty e-mail because every time she goes grocery shopping she notices the Hall & Oates songs because I complain about them sooooo much.
Hey Anonymous, I think you missed the memo that pharmacists are lower than dirt and should be treated with the respect of the homeless people in the Bum Figthts videos...
Just imagine all of the people who would inadvertently kill themselves or someone else because they had open access to all medications.
If I had access to all meds, I would still go to my dr and pharmacist for advice. I don't put anything in my body, even wild plants, without extensive research and expert advice. Just sayin.
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