I remember a long time ago, I have a new account name since then, ya'll could give me an answer to anything so please read my vacation post from earlier today - my other problem is that my neighbor called me tonight and told me she heard the pharmacy people at Walgreen's today talking about me because my doctor was calling in Serax for me - the comment was that is just what she needs more drugs - I am furious and ready to scream at them but I do not want to be over reacting but uuuggghhh I am so mad Aver
That comment was EXTREMELY rude and unprofessional! There is patient confidentiality and the pharmacy crossed that line. I would not stand for that. For one, it is illiegal and two uncalled for!! The nerve of some pharmacists!
Not only is that rude and uncalled for behavior, it is illegal. You need to complain to the manager of the store and to their corporate office and change pharmacies. They have violated the privacy policies they so graciously make you sign for when you pick up prescriptions. Should they be allowed to get away with it this time, they'll continue to do it in the future. I'm very sorry that happened to you.
Hello!
Gosh~Sorry you are dealing with what many of us on pain meds or lots of meds have dealt with sometime or another.
I have pharmacy probalems allllll the time and very similar to what happened to you,even a pharmacist once told my Mom who was picking up my meds for me one evening yrs ago (cuz I was soo sick) the pharmacist said to my Mom that there is nothing wrong w me so I shouldn't be on these meds...and when my Mom defended me by saying well her ct scans/mri's...and her dr's think so,the pharmacist said that I probably never even had any of those tests done....
By law they should not be saying anything at all especially when a customer hears and it gets back to you-you have evry right to go and speak to the head pharmacist at your pharmacy or to discuss it with your Dr.about the things being done and said regarding you and your meds, becasue its not right and they should know better than that to what they are discussing.And obviously u are probably not the only person they may be talking about who uses that pharmacy.
For me I switched pharmacy's becuz it got to the point where I felt discouraged to go in to fill my medications....So stand up for your self and I hope things get better and that these ppl realize they should keep their mouths shut!
Have a good weekend
I have just recently changed my pharmacy because of rude behavior. I go to a little small mom and pop pharmacy now and they are a god send. As someone mentioned earlier not only is it illegal it is very uncalled for. If you let this go, you risk everyone knowing you as a person with many meds. Apparently this pharmacy has no descretion what so ever. Let the wrong person hear this and you may become a target for a robbery or such. I am not trying to scare you but facts are facts. Nobody has any right to treat you this way. Espechially a healthcare professional. Please defend yourself on this one as you may come to regret not doing so. God bless and keep us updated, morgy porgy
__________________
God Bless everyone and pray for a pain manageable day. morgy porgy
I am still in shock that my neighbors are knowledgeable about my meds - they all know of my physical problems but I really am not thrilled that they know of my medication - I too agree that not only is it embarassing to be talked about in public but I believe it to be dangerous - I plan on reporting this but I need to know that there is some consequence for them - this is just fundementally wrong - am I wrong to expect them to have some consequence or is that just not possible - we have great insurance and the pharmacy with my whole familly is getting a baseline of 12,000 monthly from our business - the pharmacy is so convenient for us and I am not sure they would even miss our business but I am so MAD - also this is not a small town, it is Tampa with 3,000,000 people ---uuuggghhhhhh
Tks for listening Aver
well the pharmacy where I had the most trouble tht I was saying afew things that happened-the woman (pharmacist) who was saying there was nothing wrong with me...she got let go so if u stick up 4 yourself and tell how its been affecting your days they have to do something,if they real professionals and if they do nothing I would write to your local paper (annoymoulsy) oops spelling....but it is very important that if the wrong person hears you have this medication (morgy porgy is right) ppl do crazy things for the type of meds were on so becuz of those big mouths at pharmacy that could happen.Sorry again u are going thru this-I am still dealing with it too,perhaps not as bad but some situations I just wanna walk into the pharmacy and scream at everyone LOL! Be strong!
I have had a lot better luck since I started introducing myself to new pharmacist, and giving them a quick rundown of my DX's, surgeries, ect.
They are supposed to be a part of your health care team, but NOTHING excuses them talking about you like that, all these new privacy laws have teeth in them and you have every right to complain to the state pharmacy board and the chain head office.
There are still people working in pharmacys who think anyone on any kind of regular narcotic are addicts, instead of the correct thinking that we are physically dependent. Our meds give us quality of life, addiction destroys lives. It is shameful that there are still people in the medical community in 2007 who don't know that!
Hang in there, and don't take it personal, its not your problem, its thiers, But for all our sakes, please follow up with an email complaint.
I called the manager at my Walgreen's and complained - I told him I was coming up there Monday for us to discuss some resolution - An hour later the head pharmacists called and asked me to come at 1:00pm on Monday to meet with him and some of his staff - He said he was embarassed that not only had they made me a discussion item in my neighborhood, he was sorry about the fact that what had happened was dangerous sooooo we will see what happeens Monday tks to you all Aver
Good for you. I would like to believe that the majority of our healthcare professionals are compassionate and caring but unfortunetly it is people like this that make us all so frustrated and angry. Once again i am so sorry you have to even mess with this because some idiot in your pharmacy was talking out of his rear end. We have enough to deal with and do not need the people that we depend on to be the problem. GL and i am very proud of you. God bless, morgy porgy
__________________
God Bless everyone and pray for a pain manageable day. morgy porgy
Aver - good for you for sticking up for yourself. I would be so upset. I hope they are incredibly nice and bend over backward saying they are sorry for what happened. I'll look forward to hearing how it goes on Monday. Don't take any crap from them
I am so proud of you. You are not only sticking up for yourself, but potentially hundreds of other patients at this pharmacy. Sadly when we begin this journey with chronic pain, we don't know that we will be called upon as advocates for others. Thank you for stepping up and doing what's right for yourself, and other people.
By the way, despite how this works out on Monday, someone other than the local managers need to know what happened. I would contact the district manager, or write a letter to the corporate office as well. Don't let them sweep this under the rug at the local level, and be done with it. I have a job that requires confidentiality. I cannot tell you how much the importance of confidentiality is drilled into people's heads. This is not a case of they didn't know it was wrong. This is a case of they KNEW, and didn't CARE.
Read up on HIPPA... I know there are some consequences when a pharmacy violates your privacy - specifically on the pharmacist or techs. I think there are fines and/or disciplinary action from their employer.
For instance one time the cashier asked for my name to pick up the prescription and said (loudly) "Ok, so youre picking up the PERCOCET or the SYNTHROID?" I **LOST** it... at the time it was a walgreens in a not so great neighborhood. I insisted that the store manager come and also that the armed guard escort me to my car. Not that I was scared, but I wanted to make a point.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. That is definitely a dangerous situation. A few years ago, I was physically attacked, robbed of my meds, and sexually assaulted by 4 assailants. Guess who tipped them off? A pharmacist (new, young guy) and 2 pharm. techs.
When you are a pain patient, it's so hard to find trust with people, especially the med profession. After that incident, I never wanted to step foot in another pharmacy, but reality sets in, and I know I have to. I now go to a mom and pop pharmacy. I can't tell you how many comments I have heard about patients over the years from bigger chain pharmacies.
You never know who is going to hear what or even if the people you rely on are out to sabotage you. Good for you, Aver, for sticking up for yourself!! I hope this careless pharmacist is fired and loses their license.
Aver,
I am really sorry this happened to you. It is a really crummy situation to be in.
I agree with what several people have said here. I believe you should contact the pharmacy and stand up for yourself.
One little observation and opinion I would like to add is it seems when I have problems at the pharmacy it is really hard to talk to someone who has authority. If you speak to the store manager he says the staff in the pharmacy are not his people. If you speak to the pharmacists working that shift they say you have to call back when the head pharamacist is in. Maybe it's just me, but just because you are a great pharmacist and very smart doesn't mean you are a great manager. I have a feeling that alot of these incidences happen because the employees in the pharmacies aren't properly managed. It seems like there is nobody who is going to give them timely feedback and consequences for what they do.
Well, enough from the world according to Step.
I wish you well,
Step
Welcome to the wonderful world of being treated like a drug addict and all sorts of others opinionated things from the pharmacy workers. I would call the store manager and ask him/her if it was common practice for their pharmacy staff to break hippa laws ( The HIPPA law protects patients from ANYONE discussing anything medically about you to anyone else) I would also ask for his full name and the full name of the head pharmasist, and just tell him it is for legal purposes. I myself have had many rude things said to my face as well as behind my back from these folk who call themselves professionals
I can't believe they did that! It's a good thing your neighbor was there or you wouldn't even know. It always funny that some people working in pharmacies are so quick to judge people by their medications. It's like HELLLLLLLOOOO You should be happy I am on so many meds, it's why you have a job in the first place! If they felt the need to be deciding how much and what kind of medicine a person should be taking they should have became doctors and not pharmacists.
Hi, I'm fairly new but I was so angry when I read what happened to you that I just had to respond. There is no such thing as coincidence. Your neighbor heard it so you can do something about it. I wonder how many other uncalled for comments they make about THEIR CUSTOMERS.
I would love to hear how they respond to your complaint, if you would be willing to share.
I agree with letting the distract manager know, perhaps it will cause a chain reaction for other stores & save other cp patients having to go through this in the future. The amount of posts about pharmacies on here is proof alone that there is a problem with judgemental phamacists. As I have stated in the past dealing with pain everyday is hard, who needs to be treated like that from a proffesional who is getting paid darn good to do their job. This happens because it is allowed, & it should not be. I don't even want to go get my scripts anymore the last time I did I had just paid for them & turned around to see the two pharmacists looking at me & whispering, of course I knew it was about me, I am not being paranoid, the one pharmacist has changed the whole way he speaks to me now that I am on narcotics. I hate taking them & that makes it harder, I am thinking about changing pharmacys but I believe if I do I will explain to the next one why I did. It is not worth being made to feel like a druggie anymore. It is darn right hurtful & so unfair to be jugded. I can tell you if I caught any pharmacist doing what was done to you I would not hesitate to complain to the hightest chain of command, after all your rights were violated & like I said they do this because they are allowed to get away with it. Good luck
Re: Fabby or K'mac anyone 
God bless, morgy porgy
