01.19.2011, Crazy People and Drugs

So, today for me was an interesting day. It's amazing how a single sentence can affect your entire mentality.

For those who do not know, I actually work at a pharmacy. I am a technician and have been working for CVS/Pharmacy for about 3 years. As all may indeed have read, learned and experienced, health care in America is shameful. I have been dealing with patients constantly for the past 3 years with problems in their insurances, doctors, prescriptions, etc. In fact, people love to see me first, because I'm the only that actually cares...

Well, that's the part that gets interesting. After working for 3 years, I have become, sadly immune, to a lot of the problems patients face. In fact, I grew tired of people yelling at me for problems that aren't really me. It's their insurance and our government's fault. The reason your prescription costs 200 dollars this month is either A. you are 65+ and you have medicare, and you are in the donut hole and now have to pay 1500 dollars to 3000 dollars worth of medication costs before the cost of your prescription goes down again to $1.10. or B. Your deductible went up this year C. the cost of medication has risen (which is seen every. single. year.)

But one day last week, my old me clicked in and I fought for a ladies prescription. She had Cal-optima, which is government insurance and pays for all costs of prescriptions. Unfortunately, half the prescriptions that doctors prescribe are usually not covered and no one likes dealing with it. Circumstance: she came in after visiting the ER for an ear infection. She came to pick up her antibiotic serum for her ear, and the insurance didn't cover it. They required a Prior Authorization because she was older than 19. Now, to put it in perspective, a prior authorization can take up to 2 days or 3 months. Depends on the physician. This physician was in the ER. I worked in Hoag Hospital's ER, and let's just say it would have be longer than 3 months.

The pharmacist, who is a bitch, wanted the lady to go home and tell her that the Prior Authorization would be done. I stepped in. I told the pharmacist that she needed to change the prescription and call the doctor, because you cannot leave a patient without any medication for an ear infection.

She quickly turned her head and picked up the phone. She realized, huge lawsuit.

So, I walked out for lunch, came back and it was taken care of. I went home and I told my mom the situation. I talked to her for a while and she was proud of me that I stood up against the crack head manager. She also said to me "People who come to the pharmacy are sick, Behshied. Remember that when they are cranky and upset."

I took that statement in.

A lady came in today screaming for her depression pills. My mom's words just rang through my head, "she is upset and sick." I let her scream and she was baffled that I didn't even hesitate. I told her 5 minutes. This included her insurance problem that I had to call as well.

At the end of it all, "She said, Thank you for your help.'' I know I'm not a hero. But if I were to have left that with any other person in the pharmacy, including the crack head pharmacist, it would have had been an uproar. People think they have to defend themselves when someone raises their voice, no. You really don't, it's just someone wanting to be heard.

People helping people. To my future health care workers, remember that. Everyone that comes to see you, crazy, angry, difficult, whatever, they are there for you help. Your job, take care of them, the best possibly way. Because if you don't, trust me, no one else will.