Great day back at work

[chain]

Working as a pharmacist has its perks I suppose, however dealing with nutjobs on a continous basis isn't one of them. Im not at liberty to discuss names, however I can tell the story. Today I had a gentlemen call in and ask for a pharmacist, I drew short straw and picked the phone up. Introduced myself and asked what the issue was. Here is what he says; "Yea sonny, My Balls Itch, you gotcha any medicine for that?" Ironically I didn't even laugh, didn't even bat an eye, I composed and simply asked him; "Have you tried scratching them?"
I deal with things such as this on a daily basis, from someone screaming at the top of their lungs about not having a refill on their pain meds to someone relieving themself in our waiting area simply out of spite that they can't get their medicine. Last year the shredder boy got his arm caught outside in the machine and it ripped it off at the shoulder. They didn't get it re-attached. He's a nice kid too. Didn't deserve that.
I suppose im just venting after another crazy day, so come on folks. Lay it on me. Make me feel better about my job. Tell me how terrible you have it.

 

[1snapple]

All I have to say is that stupid people irritate me...... Couldn't be a Pharmacist, or a doctor.

 

[gemmy]

I remember my worse day at work. I was working at a pizza place and all the drivers called out, so I had to deliver. Then, it happened. I was robbed at gunpoint and carjacked. Luckily, I made it through the ordeal okay, but it was extremely scary. Needless to say, I changed jobs after that.

 

[chain]

Good lord that is frightening and sounds like a genuinely horrendous day. Thank goodness you made it through all of that unscathed

I, thank goodness, have never had to deal with any type of robbery situation yet, however pharmacies are viable targets and as such I do have a couple of concealed weapons carry licenses and I carry 2 handguns at all times.
Doctors definitely have it worse snapple; However dealing with them directly can be a big pain if they aren't cooperative. Most doctors are very decent people who genuinely care for the well being of the patients involved, however I have encountered a rare few who honestly don't give a crap. These are the ones to watch out for.

 

[novahobbies]

Oh my friend you and I could swap stories. I was a pharmacy tech for almost 10 years. I've done retail, mail order, and all the little shades of grey in between. In Gainesville, FL I was a "Floating Tech," meaning I went wherever the regional manager told me to go because of shortages during the day. Let's see.....
...There was the time a woman started screaming at me one late friday night because her BC script had run out of refills. She had no recourse but to wait until her office opened on Monday for a new fill. She flipped her lid, yelling at the top of her lungs...and I quote.... "If I get pregnant this weekend, it's going to be ALL YOUR FAULT!"
I calmly explained that I wasn't going to take responsibility for another man's fun night out, and that some restraint over the weekend might be in order. I think I got reprimanded for that....
...Then there was the old man who started having explosive....potty problems.... in the middle of the isle. He ran back to the bathroom, which rmeant he had to run through the back stockroom door and turn to the right into the bathroom. The entrance to the pharmacy was the door to the LEFT. Guess which door he started pounding on to try and get in? Here was this old guy, crappin' all over our floor, pounding on the door with a crazed look on his face while one of my junior techs was holding the door shut while shouting at him through the glass window to turn around and go to the men's room. Needless to say he finished his business before he got his directional markers figured out.
...Yup. Been held up at gunpoint also. Crazy loon stuck a handgun in my face and demanded all the hydrocodone 5/500. Not the Lortab, mind you....he knew the generic was in the automatic hopper, and he wanted as much as he could get in a short amount of time. My pharmacist at the time was a young woman who was barely 5 foot tall and younger than me, so she was freaking out. She got the hopper detached, I stuck it in a bag and sent him on his way. Got a nice long look at him.....and I'm happy to say the police caught him a week later. And yes -- of course I was freaked out too; you don't look down the barrel of ANY gun without your heart pounding. Felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. We closed the pharmacy after that guy left and went the heck home for the day.
...One more funny one. Setting: Palatka, FL. The town that's more "Hick" than many southern country boys can stand. Guy came through the drive through for his Oxycontin Rx. He's in the driver's seat, one hand on the wheel, the other curled protectively around his beer. A good, tasty beer too -- Nat Lite. His buddy's in the passenger seat, holding a Playboy up sideways so he can get a good look at the centerfold. I told him he had to dump the beer out before I would give him his Oxy. His response?
"Why?? I need somethin' to wash my pills down with, boy!"
LOL Yes, I still made him pour it out. And yes....I got his license plate # as he pulled away and called the cops. Not like I expected them to do anything about it in that town....
Isn't it fun working in a pharmacy? I could go on and on. Like I said, we should swap funnies one day.

 

[deejeff442]

try pulling a dead person out of a mangled car or listening to people in car wrecks screaming in pain while you try to get them on a back board.going to the trailer park and having to call the sheriffs first so the trailer trash dont pull a gun.i dont mind any of that but the worst is when we get a lift assist call to go pick up a 400 lb. person off the floor because they cant get up and crap themselves.plus i dont get paid for it ;o)
the upside is i know all the sheriffs and troopers around here and wont get a ticket

 

[chain]

Yes we definitely should Nova lol, Yes crazy things abound, but the upside is there is usually never a dull moment. Ive always said people would be amazed at which of their neighbors are hooked on prescription pain meds. The number has to be astronomical. Ive even had police officers get angry over pain med refills. In some cases it is warranted, however alot of the dosages these people are taking would indicate they are in so much pain they should technically be 'terminal'. I have to wonder when the doctor needs to say enough is enough and pull the dosage. I have even had one customer call in and attempted to have his cough medicine prescription changed to what he called "the purple juice", in better terms its Promethazine with Codeine. He said he couldn't sell the other one on the streets, but the 'purple stuff' sold great. Some people hugh?
deejeff, I couldn't imagine being an EMT and i've heard horror stories from a few. Thats one job that requires someone of strong mental character to deal with those types of things every day. I had one guy say they had to demolish half of a persons house just so they could get them outside. A made an assumption that your were an EMT, however now that I think of it a firefighter deals with that stuff also. Firefighters probably get called to the situations which would warrant their need, so I would assume if they are called the situation is worse then it would normally be. I couldn't imagine being a firefighter either. Alot of people think they just simply fight fires; thats hardly the case.

 

[flower]

What a great read..Thanks for the chukkles.
I work alone in a train all night, no people but my coworkers that I see when I first get in. The only way to avoid the crazy folks is a job like I have. Those who work with the public, like the doctors or pharmacists will all have horror stories and funny tales to tell. Why?? Because people are crazy when they are sick, in pain, or need to get high.
And as a woman who got pregnant if her husband so much as hic upped...I sympathize with the poor woman who couldn't get her BC before the end of no doubt, a very long weekend. Many husbands do not here the word NO from their wives...Poor dear, she probably got pregnant, and it was all your fault. LOL
On behalf of all of us crazy people who make up "The public"...Thank you for your understanding.
People who work fast foods have the funniest stories. I hope a few of those chime in with their tales of woe.
deejeff442...I'm always greateful for folks like you. Remember, that the ones you pulled out not dead are alive today because of you. You have to feel pretty darn happy with yourself for that...What a wonderful job you have.

 

[deejeff442]

well its not my job just volunteer.but it has its percs.i meet alot of great people.95% of what we get called for isnt fighting fires.although i have been on some big ones.
when we get a fatality accident we have to meet up with a paster and talk about it after.to make sure we arent messed up.it is our job to get the victum out of the vehicle not the ambulance emt's or anyone else.we have to wait for the coroner to get there before we move them to pronounce them dead.we try to respect them by covering them and holding blankets to block traffic from seeing what we are doing luckily (and i hope it never happens)i havnt been to a scene where someone died while we were there.not sure how that would sit.
tell ya what though we do see some pretty funny stuff.i love when people lie to the police and think the officer will believe them.some good stories out there

 

[deejeff442]

hey flower , not to steal the thread but i know you used to play piano.i have been playing alot lately especially with the weather.i bought a sweet digital but now i am looking into a new upright.talking to some players alot of them say its great therapeutics for arthritis.also medics are studying the help it brings to people with early stages of alzheimer's disease.
this new hobby is sure going to cut into my fish budget.

 

[novahobbies]

Deejeff, I know where you're coming from. A close friend of mine started in the service as an EMT, then moved to firefighting, before going to the academy and becoming an officer. Now she's one of the overnight DUI cops in Palm Bay, and she's had her share of stories -- funny, horrifying, and heartbreaking -- to tell. I love listening to her DUI stories, and let me tell you the night we all got hammered on tequila and she tried (while snitfaced) to show us the standard DUI procedure was priceless. Still have that episode on my phone video, in fact.
I could handle the dead ones. I don't think I could calmly help any situation if the person was still alive and screaming in pain. My hat is off to you and everyone who can do that job.
Flower: the girl in question in that particular story was relatively young, and I know she was unmarried at the time. If she got preggers, I'm very darn certain that it wasn't because of me. ;-)
Chain, that's funny. I forgot all about the joys of sizzurp! You know I think that someone actually patented that name and is marketing a product drink now? Hopefully there's no prometh in theirs! LOL

 

[deejeff442]

about an hour after i was on here yesterday .we had a call to help pick someone up.well the man died on the toilet .he was dead for a while his whole head was dark purple .but the rest of him was fine in color.i would guess a stroke or aneurysm.not a heart attack.most people that die of a heart attack ,you will find them with their hands on their chest.so we had to get him out of the house and into the body bag and to the coroners truck.this time the daughter and grand daughter found him and they were there when we showed up.so the sherriff told them to wait outside on the other side of the house.i look at it this way,it just needs to be done and i dont mind helping.
funny about the dui's most of the time i feel sorry for the people being arrested most of os have driven drunk but just lucky not to get caught.but since i joined the dept. and see the accidents from drinking i dont do it anymore.well maybe a couple beers but thats it.

 

[ironeagle2006]

This is from years ago for me. I was an OTR driver before I devolped my Epilepsy and I was also a Trainer at one company, Meaning I got to take Brand new drivers fresh out of a CDL training school aka Driver Mill as we call them and teach them how to Actually drive on the Road. Well I was what the Company called a Finish Trainer meaning if they got me they had Screwed up with their first one and they either passed me or they were fired. Got my trainee on he was okay at driving we are in Utah at the top of Parley Summit heading for Salt Lake City on our way to Stockton CA was a normal run for us. I am laying down in the Bunk resting been 10 hours since I had slept was Tired all of a sudden I feel the Truck get thrown in Neutral and my Trainee SCREAM WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. Here is the Situation I was in Truck is not in Gear going down a 7% grade accelarating quickly I grabbed the trainee Threw him out of the seat jumped in the drvers seat wearing nothing but my Underwear.
Stood on the Brakes to slow us down got the truck to a speed where I could get it in gear with the engine brakes engaged set them to screaming. Looked in my mirror all I am seeing in SMOKE from my brakes. I went those brakes are Screwed. Qualcomm is screaming at me. Grabbed it they went what is going on. I went my Trainee just threw the truck in Neutral on Parley I have it Under Control he is off the Truck Effective NOW. I then went what was the Top speed I hit. They went 85 MPH. I sent back no wonder I fried the brakes will be needing NEW ones at Sapps were he is getting off. They went no Problem. Ended up needing 5 axles of brakes replaced craked 5 Drums burned 3 sets of shoes out and cracked the other 2 linings. Was not a pretty sight. But at least I did not wreck the truck.

 

[stdreb27]

I used to work retail, on the outskirts of a large forest, with what I'd call the woods people. And dealing with them was pretty comical. The best one was I had this couple walk in. They man VERY VERY adjitated walked up to me, and I asked how is it going, and he made some snide, well we'll see how bad you screw me... He handed me a phone that look like it had been run over by a truck. I looked at him, and laughed, and asked what the hell do you want me to do with this? He said warentee it out. To which I laughed again, and asked are you serious?
After going round and round with the dude, him insulting me, proving his ignorance, lying saying he woke up and it just fell apart, (the does it blend?eyefoney looked better than what he handed me) then cussing me out. At this point, I told him and his wife, to leave, So then she lit into him, (on my defense) so then he starts swinging at her, (she took care of herself and had him on the ground in seconds). I was pretty shocked that he went after her, and even more shocked when he whooped his butt. Anyway she drug him out by the ear. And we laughed our butt off for a while.

 

[mantisman51]

I work for a credit card company reward program. I have nothing to do with the credit or billing side. Just the silly points program. Since my company markets mainly to the wealthy, I deal with the whole "Do you know who I am?" routine everyday. Too many stories to pick one. But everyday I am called names, told I am going to lose my job(I could only hope for that) and get yelled at by the rich and famous. A well known hip hop singer/producer gets whatever he wants whenever he calls(by orders from the executive office) , but ALWAYS has to call names and drop his name and ask if we know who we're talking to. We have to verify people's ID with security questions; it's for their protection. But you would think we were telling Yo Mamma jokes to him and his assistants. "I'm going to Amsterdam in 1 hour, I don't have time for this". Then maybe you should have called a day or two in advance, wouldn't you think? " I used my points for this 60" tv and it was delivered smashed. I want to return it." It was delivered 2 months ago and you just now called? As I said, the issues are usually trivial (relative to mangled bodies and guns in people's faces), but the vitriol and name-calling is just as vicious as anywhere. Spoiled, wealthy elites make what should be a fun job into a mentally draining drudgery. I just am glad I'm not looking at dead bodies and out working in the summer heat or something really nasty. But it sure is tiresome.