URxProbablyRxight
Meds & Counsel without Patience for Patients
Ever heard of Dick’s Last Resort? Never been to the restaurant myself, but I love the concept. It’s like the court jester in medieval times being able to tell the King the harsh truth since everything he said was in—you guessed it—jest. Why has no pharmacy taken up this business practice? If patients expect harsh but fair truth from the pharmacy team, they’ll accept it readily.
Welcome to URxProbablyRxight. The pharmacy of the future where we provide “Meds & Counsel without Patience for Patients.”
Hard-Copy Phone-in
[Tech]: “Thanks for calling ‘You Are Probably Right.’ This is Lesley. What can I do for you?”
[Patient]: “Yeah, hey, I just need to get my prescription filled.”
[Tech]: “I can help you with that. I’ll take the prescription number or your date of birth.”
[Pt]: “Well, I umm, I don’t have a prescription number.”
[Tech]: “Alright, well if you pull out your driver’s license, there should be a section labeled DOB. If you’d just—”
[Pt]: “February 4, 1973.”
[Tech]: “And somewhere near the top of that license should be your name.”
[Pt]: “John Anderson.”
[Tech]: “Alright, I got you here, John. What is it you need filled today?”
[Pt]: “Shit, I have no idea how to pronounce it. I’ll try and spell it: C-I-P-N-O-F-L-A-X-A-C-I-N.”
[Tech]: “Ciprofloxacin. Hmm, I don’t see that on your profile.”
[Pt]: “Well, I got the prescription right here.”
[Tech]: “Okay, let’s try this again—what’s the prescription number on the bottle?”
[Pt]: “I don’t got any bottle. I never had this before.”
[Tech]: “So what, do you have the handwritten prescription that your doctor wrote and handed you?”
[Pt]: “Yeah. It’s for 28 pills. And then it says, ‘I bid until—’”
[Tech]: “No, no, no, you can’t just tell me what it says. You have to bring that in here before we can fill it.”
[Pt]: “Well, I’ll just tell you what it’s for so you can get it ready, and I’ll give you the paper when I get there. Save us both some time.”
[Tech]: “Save us both some—! How is this conversation saving me any time?”
[Pt]: “You’re the one making this tough. How ‘bout I just text you a picture or something?”
[Tech]: “Only your doctor can call in prescriptions or send them electronically. If they give you a written copy, you gotta bring it in.”
[Pt]: “How ‘bout email, then?”
[Tech]: “How ‘bout bring it in!”
[Pt]: “Whatever. I’ll just call my doctor and have him send it over to you.”
[Tech]: “Great. Saving time for all of us.”
[Pt]: “You know, I don’t really appreciate your attitude.”
[Tech]: “You’ve read our company mantra, right? Frankly, you’re lucky I didn’t say . . .”