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Original poster

Pharmacy teams, it's that time of the year again..

82 replies

BastardRanitidine · 03/12/2020 22:02

Christmas is around the corner, the phones won't stop ringing, our patients are filled with Christmas joy no they are not , stress levels are on a new high and let's not forget the bastard mcs drugs keeping us on our toes!

Let's all gather around on this difficult month and vent.

Have your dispensary chocolates at hand and the wine on standby at home. If we only swear 5 times in a day it's an achievement and if the phone accidentally lands on the floor and you happen to be stomping your foot at that very spot it landed..oh well..oops!

AND REMEMBER!

It comes automatically

OP posts:
HunterAngel · 04/12/2020 15:51

Don’t forget the new bastard ‘the GP sent me a text to say it’s ready’ customer gave me a really strange look when I told them that just meant the GP had sent it it didn’t mean the pharmacy had made it up!

sueelleker · 04/12/2020 17:13

If you think it's bad in the UK you should read"tales from the pharmacy" on Reddit-what the US pharmacies have to put up with is horrific!

britnay · 04/12/2020 17:47

Our pharmacy runs on takeout coffee and biscuits brought in by customers.

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General health
Thistles24 · 04/12/2020 17:47

This thread is making me smile- there’s really nowhere like a community pharmacy at ChristmasGrin

Trailing1 · 04/12/2020 19:27

"Our pharmacy runs on takeout coffee and biscuits brought in by customers."
Oh yes the biscuits!!! Last Christmas we had about 80 tins of biscuits and then some chocolate boxes as well.
We ended up divvying it all between us and taking it home to give to our families and local food banks.
We do our own tea and coffee though, it's a bit of an addiction

Moonandstars25 · 04/12/2020 19:43

Big appreciation for community pharmacists and dispensers here. I am a bit biased as my dad is a community pharmacist and I used to be a dispenser.
Also a big thank you to all the pharmacist and technicians in hospital who save us regularly. Couldn’t do my job without you. Signed a very grateful junior doctor.

Original poster
BastardRanitidine · 04/12/2020 19:52

@TrufflyPig

Forgot to say how nice it is to have a positive pharmacy thread too, usually it's just someone moaning that they can't buy 27 boxes of co-codamol 😂
Had someone once being a bit arsey and saying there was nothing stopping him from going to all the pharmacies in the area and buying a box from each place so might as well save him the trip and sell him two now. Erm, no, it's ain't gonna happen.
OP posts:
Original poster
BastardRanitidine · 04/12/2020 20:07

@Ilovemycat13
Yes! Colleagues and I had same situations.
-I have this and this issue I need something for it
-ok ,here you go try this X product

  • what the pharmacist would recommend, though?
Pharmacist: X product

I left dispensing for a few months and I have to say I missed it too, now that I am back I am wondering why the hell did I come back!

OP posts:
Original poster
BastardRanitidine · 04/12/2020 20:14

@HunterAngel

Don’t forget the new bastard ‘the GP sent me a text to say it’s ready’ customer gave me a really strange look when I told them that just meant the GP had sent it it didn’t mean the pharmacy had made it up!
I have heard this one too quite a lot lately, the shock and horror when they are informed that the item has to be ordered in. Cue arguments that Dr said it's ready. Yeah, well last time I checked the doctor wasn't working here and the doctor didn't bother letting us know you were coming and along with your urgent prescription they decided to send another 300 and it's not my fault your last name is at the bottom of the alphabet! And breath Xmas Grin
OP posts:
Gossipgirl2 · 04/12/2020 21:16

Slightly off topic but can any pharmacists/ dispensers shed any light on why Senakot syrup(liquid) has gone please? And if/when it is coming back? After having it on repeat for 20+ years it seems to have disappeared this year! Thank youSmile

HunterAngel · 04/12/2020 22:04

@Gossipgirl2 the licensing changed on senna products so they were unavailable while the product information labels/leaflets were changed. I don’t know why the syrup is still unavailable but the tablets are back in stock now

Takethereigns · 04/12/2020 22:14
  • Had someone once being a bit arsey and saying there was nothing stopping him from going to all the pharmacies in the area and buying a box from each place so might as well save him the trip and sell him two now. Erm, no, it's ain't gonna happen.*

I used to work for boots and there was 3 within a 15 minute walk. We used to call and pre warn each other that co codamol lady was on the hunt again.

SteeperThanHell · 05/12/2020 00:17

@Spaghettibetty345

I work for 111 and we have many people wanting their repeat prescriptions. All we do is write the name and dosage of the medication and an email referral gets sent to the pharmacy. But why are they calling us, we are just going by what they are telling us?! Why can’t the pharmacy access their records showing them they have the medication on repeat? I know some are able to but the majority of the time not.

It must be difficult working in a pharmacy. People always demanding their medication now, or they’re going on holiday tomoro and haven’t put in a repeat etc

If a patient comes straight to the pharmacy we can only issue as an emergency supply and the patient pays the full cost of the drug plus a fee - which can be very costly.

If they go via 111 the referral come via the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service. With this service (after making the appropriate checks) I can issue up to 28 days of meds (but not CDs) - the supply is free if the patient is exempt or a standard prescription charge applies.

SteeperThanHell · 05/12/2020 00:20

@HunterAngel

Don’t forget the new bastard ‘the GP sent me a text to say it’s ready’ customer gave me a really strange look when I told them that just meant the GP had sent it it didn’t mean the pharmacy had made it up!
I have asked our CCG to get a message out to GPs to ask them to stop doing this - we have had some really aggressive patients as a result of these messages.
TrufflyPig · 05/12/2020 16:06

Had someone once being a bit arsey and saying there was nothing stopping him from going to all the pharmacies in the area and buying a box from each place

I used to hate this, like I care what someone else does on their own time 😂. My standard response was: no, there is absolutely nothing to stop you from doing that if you wish. Now would you like ONE box?

Nocaloriesinchocolate · 05/12/2020 18:09

Our GP have their own pharmacy on site which is brilliant because a GP can prescribe and you get it 5 minutes later.

My previous GP didn't have that setup. I remember one day going to the local pharmacy and the pharmacist called me aside for what was apparently a regular routine medication review. He was terribly embarrassed at having to ask me about HRT - because he was at school with DS so to him I was Mrs Nocalories, DS' mum!

TeenPlusTwenties · 05/12/2020 18:47

I tried to be organised. Sad DD has been put on something that the consultant said she will likely need for at least 6 months.
The first repeat comes around. 4 weeks supply runs out 28th December, so I asked for 6 weeks to see us into the new year. Did I get prescribed it? No.

britnay · 10/12/2020 09:34

Got threatened with calling the police on us because we wouldn't issue an emergency supply of a controlled drug ?! :S

muddledmidget · 10/12/2020 11:59

You should have handed them the phone! I hate emergency supplies, the customer always feels so entitled, and expects them to be done immediately, even if its their own fault they don't have medication. My favourite was a guy who came to the SW on holiday without insulin. It wasn't an insulin on the formulary down here, and on a Saturday afternoon, wouldnt arrive until Monday afternoon. His answer was, he'd be dead by then, what was I going to do about it? He really didn't like the answer of there was actually very little I could do, he was welcome to phone all pharmacies in the region to arrange for an emergency supply that he could pay for, but it would probably be quicker, easier and cheaper to drive home and get his own out the fridge.

pharmagal · 13/12/2020 14:41

I could go on forever about the joys of emergency supplies... The lady who phoned to ask for a Ventolin inhaler while the surgeries were open. When I politely and gently reminded her that it was best to always keep a spare, she said that she didn't have a crystal ball so how was she supposed to know when she'd need it Confused.

sueelleker · 13/12/2020 15:20

My DH keeps a spare, but it sometimes goes out of date.

Original poster
BastardRanitidine · 24/12/2020 20:45

It's over, we survived another year..just about...I felt like pulling my hair this week.

Hope your week went well.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Wine

See you on the Easter rush! Xmas Grin

OP posts:
britnay · 26/12/2020 16:53

Its been a blissfully quiet day today. I've finally got myself caught up on all my jobs/training/ready for end of month :D

Original poster
BastardRanitidine · 26/12/2020 20:53

@britnay

Its been a blissfully quiet day today. I've finally got myself caught up on all my jobs/training/ready for end of month :D
That sounds like a dream! I am back in next week and I am hoping patients are too full of food and drink to get out of their house, so I can catch up with things as well.
OP posts:
britnay · 03/01/2021 14:21

December had an extra 25% items compared with other months, and it sure felt like it. Not helped by bank holidays and having random locum pharmacists in!

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