For the first time ever, I went to the pharmacy to fill a prescription for Vicodin.
What a strange experience.
I actually felt weird passing the prescription to the pharmacist.
She looked at the prescription, then looked me up and down.
“What is your address, sir?”
I gave her my address. No I’m not coming from out of town to fill a script at a new pharmacy to avoid getting busted.
“OK, give me about 20 minutes.”
I watched her go to the computer and start typing. The screen was angled away from the customers, but I could see the reflection of the screen off of one of the signs behind the counter. Sure enough. She went to the computer and pulled up the state web site where all of the narcotic prescriptions are listed.
Heh! Not on there, am I?
Another good thing about not living where you work. None of the pharmacists know who you are.
I wandered around the store for a while going back and forth in my head.
“Dang. Half the cold medicines are behind the counter now. Meth heads rule.”
“Do I look like a drug seeker?”
“If I wore a suit and tie, would she still have given me that look? She was prolly just checking out my rippling pecs under my T-shirt.”
“How do the real drug seekers look when they come up to the counter, anyway? Do they limp in with a pained expression on their faces, limp away from the pharmacy counter when their prescription is filled, and then hop up in the air and kick their feet together once they get outside the pharmacy with their prescription in hand?”
“Is there a Press-Ganey for pharmacies?”
“Do pharmacy chain managers give pharmacists the same line about making all the customers happy all the time – even if they are abusing drugs?”
“Do the pharmacy managers even know how to check a drug interaction?”
“Would I even be worried about any of this if I wasn’t an ED physician?”
“Mr. WhiteCoat to the pharmacy counter, please.”
Wow. Twenty cents a pill for pain relief. Same pills go for a good ten bucks each at a nightclub for a fix (or so I’m told).
With that kind of mark up I can see why some frequent flyers are so persistent.
I always try to fill the prescription in good faith. I trust you guys, and assume you did a thorough enough exam and questioning to be comfortable prescribing the narcotic. If a patient brings up red flags, such as multiple ER visits, notes on the profile, or pain contracts we may call you to inform so that you can get a more complete picture and decide if what you prescribed is still appropriate. I do see a number of ER frequent flyers, but more often than not they have a chronic pain issue but no insurance to see a regular doctor for appropriate treatment. I am more interested in people getting the proper treatment than filling as many prescriptions as I can, but my district manager may feel otherwise.
Perhaps you could get The Angry Pharmacist to do a guest blog on drug seekers. He loooooovvesss them.
I second the motion… on your next repose, WC
I know some of our local pharmacists… great guys/girls all around. Almost nurse-like they way they can smell a seeker. And yes, they fall victim to the predatory satisfaction surveys. Enough complaints and like us, they are gone too.
Feel better, WC.
“How do the real drug seekers look when they come up to the counter, anyway? Do they limp in with a pained expression on their faces, limp away from the pharmacy counter when their prescription is filled, and then hop up in the air and kick their feet together once they get outside the pharmacy with their prescription in hand?”
Yes, I have seen many try and look as pathetic as possible. As soon as they leave the store with the prescription, they can magically walk normally!
“Do pharmacy chain managers give pharmacists the same line about making all the customers happy all the time – even if they are abusing drugs?”
Yes they do. That is why I got out of retail pharmacy. Ironically now I work as a ED Pharmacist!
The people at CVS love my husband and I. We never go in there unless we are picking up something for pain.
My husband was on Percocet for what seemed like forever (months). I just recently went in for some Vicodin and the Pharmacist said “it’s you that got hurt this time huh?”
Please note below I am referring to drug “seekers” not individuals with chronic pain. You can work a week in a retail pharmacy and know the difference.
Real drug seekers call before they come in to the pharmacy–usually multiple times. What time are you closing, how much is my prescription, can I get the pain pill without the antibiotic, what brand do you have etc etc. The generic brand is very important. Generic Soma imprinted with “DAN 350″ apparently works better than any other generic as do the blue generic hydrocodone/apap and pink propoxyphene/apap. Don’t even get me started on generic Xanax.
Over time you catch on to what is going on. There is nothing more thrilling for a retail pharmacist then having someone arrested by an undercover cop. I love it! Once I saw a guy trying to pass a fake rx and he passed out on the waiting room bench and another time the undercover cop scared the seeker so bad he peed his pants. My list goes on and on. Sad but true.
I filled a Percocet Rx for my wife and amazingly got none of those looks and zero problems.
I was kind of disappointed that vicodin didn’t make me high when I took it after I burnt my foot.
It mostly made my tummy hurt.
“Heh! Not on there, am I?”
You’re so funny.
I hope you feel better.
Sucks to have real pain. Sorry dude.
Pain sure does suck. Sorry you are hurting.
Also sucks to have people look at you funny when you are in pain, and need meds. I do think it’s a good thing for docs to realize how that feels as well. I’m sorry you had to discover it by being in pain though – I hope you feel better soon.