posted
So, last week, when Tova had her little breathing episode, we were at Walgreens, waiting for them to get her prescriptions ready. Havah is sitting on some chairs they have there with Tova, who is utterly miserable.
Twenty minutes go by, and nothing. When I'd gone to the counter (figuring the stuff should be ready already), they'd told me to sit and wait. But I thought 20 minutes was a lot of time to wait, so I went back up to the counter, and started pestering this guy Gary who was supposed to be taking care of it.
Gary clearly hadn't a clue what he was doing. And he kept doing other things instead of working on Tova's prescriptions. Meanwhile, she's sitting and wheezing.
So I started tapping my fingers on the counter. Loudly. Loud enough, actually, that I bruised the tip of my little finger. It was quite rhythmic, actually, and the pharmacists in the back definitely noticed it as well. Each time Gary would finish with someone in line, I'd ask him how the 'scrip was going, and he'd do a little and then go off to do something else. So I called Tova over and said, "Cough for the nice man, honey." She obliged with a few hacking coughs, which got Gary to do a little more.
At this point it'd been about half an hour, and my fingers were sore, so I started building towers with the drugs they have on display on the counter. I have to say that this one box of Mucinex had the weirdest center of gravity. I think the tower would have gotten much higher before falling if it hadn't been for that. But it did fall right onto Gary's keyboard, which was kind of nice.
We finally got out of there about 40 minutes after we'd walked in. Very annoying.
This morning, Havah sent me this thing from her work e-mail. It's probably apocryphal, but given my experience at Walgreens, who knows?
quote: Subject: Shopping Companion My wife insists that I accompany her on trips to Target.
Unfortunately, like most men, I find shopping boring and prefer to get in, get what I need, and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women; she loves to browse.
Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target.
Dear Mrs. Samsel,
Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior any longer and have been forced to ban both you and your husband from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Samsel, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.
1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.
2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in House wares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in House wares. Get on it right away?. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.
5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.
6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.
8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.
9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.
10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.
12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.
13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'
And last, but not least:
15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.' One of the clerks passed out.
posted
Completely apocryphal. I disliked it from the opening paragraph, where it talks about her husband like he was a mentally damaged six-year-old. I don't like "husbands are stupid" kind of humor.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I've been routinely told that filling a prescription takes about 40 minutes. I'm sure you were just worried about Tova Lisa, but try to show a bit more restraint, for all you know there are reasons (that perhaps even he hates) he can't just waltz into the med cabinets and get the prescription.
The email definitely sounds embellished if not completely made up.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Where does a prescription "routinely" take 40 minutes? If I am in a store, waiting for it, I've rarely waited longer than 10 minutes.
Maybe it's a regional thing or a population issue...perhaps my pharmacies are just not as busy as where you live. But honestly, I think 40 minutes would be extreme, unless it was the busiest time of day and the middle of the worst of the flu season.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
It was ridiculously long. Normally, I go from the doctor's to Walgreens, and the 'scrip is waiting. Even when I bring one in, it never takes longer than 15 minutes. This guy was just lame. At one point he realized that he'd put in the wrong something or other and then waited to hand it off to one of the pharmacists. Who looked at him like he was an idiot and said, "Why didn't you just change the name?"
And at one point, he thought he had the scrip ready, and I asked him where the aerochamber thing was. He looked blank and checked the computer, and it wasn't there. I was about to tell him to call the doctor, when one of the pharmacists came over and pointed him to a fax that had the order for the aerochamber on it and said, "That's what she's talking about." As Douglas Adams might have said, this guy was a total kneebiter.
Kat, see, the thing I didn't like about it was the "my wife is like most women; she loves to browse".
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I've routinely waited more than an hour at Walgreens. But I thought waiting 30-40 minutes was normal, too. I plan on it. I usually drop off the prescription and go home while they're filling it.
Is it just me, or is a drive-thru prescription window about the biggest waste of gas there is?
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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quote:Originally posted by katharina: Completely apocryphal. I disliked it from the opening paragraph, where it talks about her husband like he was a mentally damaged six-year-old. I don't like "husbands are stupid" kind of humor.
Am I the only one who found the husband to be incredibly smart and devious in that story?
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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For the most part, I believe the delay is usually because of necessary verification with health insurance and possibly the doctor.
My wife and son have health insurance, and their prescriptions take 40 minutes to an hour.
I have no health insurance, and I can get prescriptions in 10-15 minutes. Hell, they gave me Hydrocodone in less than five minutes...
Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002
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quote:Originally posted by katharina: Completely apocryphal. I disliked it from the opening paragraph, where it talks about her husband like he was a mentally damaged six-year-old. I don't like "husbands are stupid" kind of humor.
Am I the only one who found the husband to be incredibly smart and devious in that story?
Well, I thought #3 and #6 were seriously gross, but other than that, I was laughing my way through it when I got it.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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That list has been around in various forms since at least the late 90s. Typically it's presented (with more items) as "50 fun things to do at Wal-Mart".
Posts: 1658 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Verification of health insurance is usually done by computer within seconds. If it's not your first visit to that pharmacy, and you are already in the computer, it's no delay at all.
I'm wondering if I should take my pharmacists a thank you card or something. They sound like they are very efficient compared to other places!
By the way, I go to a Publix supermarket pharmacy. They are wonderful, kind, and very quick to fill prescriptions.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:Originally posted by advice for robots: Is it just me, or is a drive-thru prescription window about the biggest waste of gas there is?
If you call in your refills and drive through to pick them up it's very handy. I wouldn't go to the window with a new prescription, though.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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I've never waited more than 15 minutes at my Walgreens... ever. Granted, I live in a VERY rural area.
Posts: 340 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I use the local pharmacy, and I don't think I've ever waited more than 5 minutes. Small town, everyone knows everyone, and all that... Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Belle: Where does a prescription "routinely" take 40 minutes? If I am in a store, waiting for it, I've rarely waited longer than 10 minutes.
Maybe it's a regional thing or a population issue...perhaps my pharmacies are just not as busy as where you live. But honestly, I think 40 minutes would be extreme, unless it was the busiest time of day and the middle of the worst of the flu season.
It is not long, and it is rare in most parts of the country to get a perscription in less than half an hour.
Also, techs can't dispense. They aren't allowed to do so by law.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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My friend Kathy and I used to play hide and seek in a super-store around here. She'd have 5 minutes to hide, and then send me text messages with clues where she was at every minute until I found her.
Needless to say, it did not make us popular with said store.
Posts: 2222 | Registered: Dec 2008
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quote:Originally posted by advice for robots: Is it just me, or is a drive-thru prescription window about the biggest waste of gas there is?
If you call in your refills and drive through to pick them up it's very handy. I wouldn't go to the window with a new prescription, though.
I've called them in, or had them called in. I made the mistake of trying the drive-thru exactly once--with a called-in prescription. There were about 3 cars ahead of me. I do not think I would have gotten out of there in less than an hour, judging from how long I waited before I gave up and pulled out of line.
So I went into the store and stood in line to find out about my prescription. They told me it would be about 45 minutes.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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My regular pharmacy fills things in about 5 minutes. The reason I go there is that all of the big chain pharmacies around here, including Walgreens, CVS, etc. take about an hour. I have no idea what they're doing the other 55 minutes. Seriously, it really makes me curious why all the big chains take so long.
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Another anecdotal case in point - yesterday my daughter has to go to the doctor for a sinus infection. The doctor says, yep you have a sinus infection, let me call in an antibiotic. He says he'll call it into Publix, because it will be free. He does so, and we drive from the doctor's office to Publix (less than three miles). When we arrive at the window, the pharmacist (not a tech, there was no tech on duty) smiles and says "Is this Natalie?" We say yes, she hands us the prescription says "I hope you feel better" and we go home without paying anything.
quote:Also, techs can't dispense. They aren't allowed to do so by law.
I know. The tech, however, should take care of all the insurance issues and the computer. That's what they normally do, and the pharmacist then focuses on the script itself.
I also wonder how much of this has to do with insurance issues. You're at the mercy of the pharmacy computer and the computer's ability to talk with the computer at your insurance company and verify that you are covered and that the drug is covered. I have Blue Cross, and it seems to work extremely well.
One reason why my antibiotic prescription went so quickly is most likely due to the fact that there was no charge, so they didn't even need to verify the insurance.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I know, my wife was a tech for years. Most of the time the delays are not because of YOUR insurance, it's because the 5 people in front of you have changed companies, and their co-pays have changed.
Also, depending on the prescription, some have to be verified because of transcription errors of medication complications/counter indications. Verification can take hours, sometimes even days.....the DR has to call back often.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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