Waiting at Chemist for Medications, a Marketing Ploy?

paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 15:20
Last edited 10/11/2019 - 12:17

So I needed to get some prescription medication from the chemist and there was no one else except me in the pharmacy yet I still had to wait around 15 mins for the medications whilst the pharmacist got it ready

What occurred to me is, when I was trawling the aisles I wondered if this wait was a ploy to try to get people to buy other stuff? Or does it really take 15 mins to dispense some basic antibiotics. Any pharmacists on here who can weigh in ?

EDIT: for people who will see this in the future and assume automatically i'm some kind of a-hole who isn't patient enough to wait for people to do their jobs.

This occured on a day when i had worked an 8am to 7pm shift, then needed to cover a 8pm to 8am shift since a collegue had called in sick last minute.
The antibiotic (augmentin) was for a chronic sinus infection, for which i have been investigated profusely for over the years, but haven't had enough time off to be able to get the curative (or hopefully curative) septoplasty and polypectomy.
I was at no point discourteous to the pharmacist, and ensured to thank her for dispensing the medication to me.
I have only ever self-prescribed twice for a nasal corticosteroid spray never for antibioitcs or anything more serious (again for my sinusitis).
Yes this was s discount chemsit i went to as it was the only one which was open at the time (~7:30pm) and close by.
When i posted this on ozb, i did so because i was genuinely curious, not as an attack to pharamcists or anyone else in the pharmaceutical industry - i'm not sure how some people managed to get that construed view, but i do apologize if that impression somehow came through.

Health & Beauty

Comments

scrimshaw on 02/11/2019 - 15:28

+45

Why does it take so long to get my medication
https://www.guild.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/65384/D…

https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/unfair-and-i…

It's basically a multi-step process involved to ensure you get the right medicine (aka. you don't get sick/ die from taking something you're not supposed to.)
- paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 16:27 Comment score below threshold.
  - serpserpserp on 02/11/2019 - 18:05
    
    +1
    
    plus the prescribing doc was myself
    
    Is that technically ethical?
    - paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 18:33
      
      +14
      
      Ethical, yes. Best practice? No.
      - Kangal on 04/11/2019 - 21:39
        
        +18
        
        @paraneoplastic: Umm, that's not ethical or best practice. It's literally the first thing they teach in Medicine. It's legal, sure.
        
        [Deactivated] on 06/11/2019 - 18:50
        
        +3
        
        @Kangal: Not every where. Not legal in Vic.
        
        virhlpool on 16/11/2019 - 14:57
        
        @[Deactivated]: Wow, it means NSW needs to progress more on this front. How abt other states? Just curious.
        
        [Deactivated] on 16/11/2019 - 20:29
        
        @virhlpool:
        
        Commonwealth, NSW, Queensland, Tasmanian and South Australian laws do not appear to prohibit self-prescribing, prescribing for family or for a third party.
        
        Doctors practising in Victoria cannot prescribe any S4 or S8 medicines for themselves or for a third party.
        
        In the Northern Territory, it is slightly more complicated. Doctors cannot self-prescribe S8 medicines or certain restricted S4 medicines, and cannot prescribe for a third party unless the third party is the partner of a patient being treated for Chlamydia who is also likely to have Chlamydia.
        
        In the ACT, doctors are only prohibited from prescribing for themselves if they are still an intern, or the medicine is a restricted medicine.
        
        WA law simply prohibits prescribing for the purpose of self-administration.
  - vikvance on 02/11/2019 - 18:12
    
    +3
    
    plus the prescribing doc was myself
    
    I was not aware that doctors could do this.
    
    This is a very useful superpower. Wish I had it too. 😀
    
    It's so frustrating dealing with doctors, and specially those low in openness. Even when I know that drug X will work for me, and with less side effects, they will keep on insisting that I take drug Y.
    
    Anyway, regarding your original post:
    
    I always go to a small local independent pharmacy, and it usually only takes a couple of minutes max for them to fill out my prescriptions.
    - paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 18:32
      
      +2
      
      It’s kind of frowned upon, I’ve only ever done it twice, when unable to go to GP. In this instance I had a night shift after completing a whole 8am to 7pm shift and started to get my sinusitis symptoms so thought I’d be proactive and start the meds ASAP.
      
      It’s not against the law or guidelines in qld, but if you start prescribing yourself schedule 8 meds (benzos, opiates etc) I’m sure you’ll get caught within months and made to face the medical board for professional misconduct
      - virhlpool on 16/11/2019 - 14:59
        
        @paraneoplastic:
        
        I’m sure you’ll get caught within months and made to face the medical board for professional misconduct
        
        How? Are those prescriptions closely supervised by some authority? I reckon pharmacists don't care as long as it's a prescription.
  - whooah1979 on 02/11/2019 - 19:24
    
    +36
    
    pplus the prescribing doc was myself (didn’t have time to go to GP after work
    
    Why do you keep us waiting for 1/2 hr or more when we have an appointment?
    - paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 19:32
      
      Not a GP. I don't book patient's appointments. In terms of outpatient clinic - if that's running late, it is literally out of my control (as medical admin and consultants/registrars decide how many appointments to book etc)
      - [Deactivated] on 02/11/2019 - 22:12
        
        +45
        
        @paraneoplastic: A word of advice…
        
        Never blame ancillary staff for any outcome. They are working on your behalf. They are your representative.
        
        We earn more than most people, certainly more than our assistants. To turn around and blame them for the instructions we gave or were complicit in giving is poor form.
        
        paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 22:51
        
        +5
        
        @[Deactivated]: In general i completely agree.
        
        however, curretnly in my RMO role, i have no say nor control over the actions of the admin staff in the outpatient department, nor what my reg and consultant decide to do in terms of bookign appointments (that's what i was trying to point out).
        
        patients have ago at me all the time, for having to be on a surgical waiting list for 1 year + then having to wait an extra 1hr after their appointment was meant to start, all i can do is apologize…
        
        [Deactivated] on 02/11/2019 - 22:59
        
        +7
        
        @paraneoplastic:
        
        patients have ago at me all the time, for having to be on a surgical waiting list for 1 year + then having to wait an extra 1hr after their appointment was meant to start, all i can do is apologize…
        
        The "patient" is technically not a patient per se. This person that is complaining is complaining from the position of a customer/client.
        
        In this instance in your role as RMO in a public teaching hospital, the customer/client is Medicare.
        
        You have my (as a fellow sufferer) blessings to tell the person to F off.
        
        (Caution - you will be reprimanded for doing this but I couldn't help myself.)
        
        paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 23:11
        
        @[Deactivated]: hahaha
        
        Deridas on 03/11/2019 - 12:00
        
        +2
        
        @[Deactivated]: tshow, well said
        
        Though if they didn't want to wait a year and get their procedure on the tax payer's purse, they can go private…
        
        [Deactivated] on 03/11/2019 - 13:21
        
        @Deridas: Senior hospital staff and consultants did not share my views and I was quite severely punished.
        
        juki on 06/11/2019 - 17:39
        
        @Deridas: I dont think its "well said", some people just have no idea about healthcare dynamics or hospital roles - isnt it your role to explain nicely and be professional rather than say f-off - thinking that way is probably not in line with the values of the organisation you work for.
        People do get frustrated with doctors as some tend to be arrogant or just listen/talk inadequately to the person in front of them.
        
        I'm not familiar with aus law, but airline companies and doctors certainly dont have the same legal obligations of result - in the EU the doctor would have been automatically granted compensation from the airline company (provided some criteria) - my gran would say two wrongs dont make a right so justifying one flaw with another doesnt seem to work :/
        
        (unless i'm also beside the point being nesb)
        
        abc123z on 03/11/2019 - 13:42
        
        +4
        
        @[Deactivated]:
        
        You have my (as a fellow sufferer) blessings to tell the person to F off.
        
        And I do hope that next time OP or you complain about having to wait for something or any other form of complaint about a service government or private you get told to F off too.
        
        [Deactivated] on 03/11/2019 - 14:41
        
        @abc123z: Clearly you don't see the point.
        
        abc123z on 03/11/2019 - 15:03
        
        +1
        
        @[Deactivated]: Please explain then.
        
        abc123z on 03/11/2019 - 19:36
        
        +9
        
        @[Deactivated]: Just found below again, a letter from a Doctor to an airline complaining about delays etc and wanting compensation and statistics on their delays. Old but good. You must surely be happy with this as a Doctor, if a Doctor telling someone to F off because they complained is OK? This gave me many LOLs now and then. The guy from the airline deserved a raise and a bonus.
        
        Snippents from response from airline for those who can't be bothered reading:
        
        "you are not entitled to anything. I would be curious to know if you would reimburse any of your patients who do not get well after seeing you? If you don't, why not?"
        
        "We are not providing you with the statistics you are requesting for. Perhaps in the medical profession you are used to dispensing information on how long you make your patients wait or how often you misdiagnosed."
        
        Letter from Doc to airline:
        
        Mr Lim Kim Hai
        The Managing Director
        Regional Express Holdings Limited
        PO Box 807
        MASCOT NSW 1460
        
        Dear Sir
        I wish to complain about the service provided by Regional Express to Griffith in particular.
        For about 20 years now I have been providing a cardiology outpatient service at Griffith Hospital on a Friday.
        Over the years there has been a deterioration in the reliability of the service and the ability of REX to inform its passengers and provide reasonable alternatives for getting customers back to Sydney.
        On Friday May 25, having flown down to Griffith on the morning flight, we arrived at the airport for the last afternoon flight back to Sydney.
        It turned out that the plane was stuck at Narrandera. Information for this was provided by passengers who received mobile calls from customers on the flight from Narrandera.
        Eventually we were informed by the ground staff at Griffith that the plane needed repairs and that engineers were being flown out from Wagga to Narrandera and in the meantime we should go on a bus to Narrandera.
        Why this decision was made remains a mystery.
        When we got to Narrandera the plane was still not operational but eventually it was thought to be safe, although the alternative plane was considered only fit to fly engineers and not passengers.
        In any case the plane took off with the stranded Narrandera passengers and flown to Griffith.
        An hour later the plane returned but was unable to land for a quarter of an hour and when it finally did so was stuck on the runway.
        After another hour or so the plane was moved off the runway, further work was done on it. All this time we were provided virtually no information.
        By about 10 o'clock we were told that we could be bussed back to Griffith but there was no guarantee when a plane would be available to take us back to Sydney in the morning.
        We decided to get a taxi to Wagga and acatch the early morning flight from Wagga. The REX official assured us that the flights would be changed to the Wagga flight (658) and we would have no problems getting on that early morning flight.
        There were about 28 people stranded in Narrandera without food; with some reluctance the REX official at Narrandera ordered us some pizzas and three were delivered to feed 28 people.
        We finally arrived in Wagga by taxi ($250.00) extremely hungry at 1 o'clock in the morning and were fortunately able to get a hotel room for a few hours.
        When we got to the airport at Wagga in the morning we found that our seats had not been transferred and the girl there required half an hour of trying to find out whether they had been and then spent another half an hour manually entering us for the boarding pass.
        We finally arrived back in Sydney on Saturday morning.
        It is my experience now over 20 years trying to provide a service to country New South Wales that the REX service has deteriorated dramatically.
        Furthermore information provided and decisions made about how to compensate for malfunctioning planes is totally unsatisfactory.
        I have serious doubts whether I am going to continue to fly to Griffith. Unfortunately there does not seem to be any competition flying to Griffith and I suspect that is why the service is so poor.
        I would be grateful for documentation of how frequently the service to Griffith arrives on time and how often flights are significantly delayed and/or cancelled.
        I would also like documentation as to whether Friday is worse than other days because my only alternative is to move my flights and clinics to another day.
        My out of pocket expenses were:
        Hotel room $205.00
        Taxi $250.00.
        Yours sincerely
        Charles W. Thorburn
        
        Response from airline:
        
        Dear Mr Thorburn
        
        My Chairman Lim Kim Hai has received your letter dated 30 May 2012 and has instructed me to respond as follows:
        
        Rex is not perfect and occasionally we do have failures of equipment and service standards. We are not proud of this and we are truly sorry to have caused any inconvenience to anybody.
        
        That being the case, we think we are still much better than all the airlines in Australia and most of the airlines in the world.
        
        Your entitlement to compensation is governed by our conditions of carriage which you have accepted. In this case you are not entitled to anything. If, as you say, you find the conditons unsatisfactory, why did you accept them in the first place? I would be curious to know if you would reimburse any of your patients who do not get well after seeing you? If you don't, why not?
        
        We are not providing you with the statistics you are requesting for. Perhaps in the medical profession you are used to dispensing information on how long you make your patients wait or how often you misdiagnosed.
        
        I am not aware of any particular pattern of cancellations/delays. If this could be foreseen in advance believe me it would not have happened.
        
        Regards
        Irwin Tan
        GM Corporate Service
        
        [Deactivated] on 03/11/2019 - 19:42
        
        -3
        
        @abc123z: You clearly don't see the point.
        
        The "patient" is technically not a patient per se. This person that is complaining is complaining from the position of a customer/client.
        
        In this instance in your role as RMO in a public teaching hospital, the customer/client is Medicare.
        
        The explanation is already there. Patients have a right to complain to their doctors. The complaint of a patient would be their care. If the doctor hasn't yet treated a person, they are not a patient.
        
        The person isn't a customer either. Medicare foots the bill. Medicare is the client.
        
        If you still don't get it, I can't help you understand.
        
        Ps. Your wall of text is irrelevant. That is an example of a complaint from an actual paying customer.
        
        abc123z on 03/11/2019 - 20:03
        
        +8
        
        @[Deactivated]: I believe what you are trying to say is that because you have not yet treated the potential patient no doctor/patient relationship exists, therefore you have the right to use foul language at them simply because they annoyed you.
        
        This incident where you told the patient to F off, you imply you were working in a public hospital at the time as OP does and you encourage OP to tell patients to F off too. If you work in a public hospital, you have no right to tell a potential patient to F off and refuse to treat them just because they annoyed you. Any Doctor that does that should not be allowed to practice in a public hospital.
        
        I bet you would be complaining if a police officer told you to F off or a teacher at your kids school told you to F off or if you complained in a restaurant and they told you to F off. Much less if a patient told you to F off. But this is OK for you because you are a Doctor.
        
        [Deactivated] on 03/11/2019 - 23:49
        
        -1
        
        @abc123z:
        
        If you work in a public hospital, you have no right to tell a potential patient to F off and refuse to treat them just because they annoyed you.
        
        Where did I mention refusing treatment?
        
        Quote me from any thread. Go on.
        
        But this is OK for you because you are a Doctor.
        
        Where did I mention it is okay because of my occupation?
        
        Quote me from any thread. Go on.
        
        It is okay because the "patient" is being unreasonable and inappropriate. It has nothing to do with the relationship between patient and doctor, victim and police, parent and teacher… or you still don't get it?
        
        ajca256 on 04/11/2019 - 09:00
        
        +2
        
        @[Deactivated]: I think it's not reasonable for any person to be unreasonable and inappropriate to other - nothing to do with relationship. (As I also think OP is being unreasonable with the original post).
        
        To say that in this case the customer is Medicare is a valid thought process. The same way as we can say for media company, newspaper, facebook, etc - the customers are the advertisers, not the readers/consumers/users.
        
        A different school of thought is that the readers/consumers/users are the customers that the companies must focus on. If companies look after them as their customers, the advertisers will want to work with them. They are sponsors.
        
        Of course medicare and other government services can't be directly compared to advertisers, as they have no choice but to sponsor, and the consumers have no option on which sponsors to choose.
        
        I prefer the later school of thought, but I appreciate the former too.
        
        None of that however make abusive and entitled "customers" to be acceptable.
        
        abc123z on 04/11/2019 - 16:25
        
        @[Deactivated]:
        
        Where did I mention refusing treatment?
        
        Quote me from any thread. Go on.
        
        So you are saying after you told this person to F off, they did not in fact F off and you went on treat them? If they had in fact Fed off after you told them to, would that not have been denying them treatment because they did as you instructed them to?
        
        It is okay because the "patient" is being unreasonable and inappropriate.
        
        So you are saying that because someone says something that is in your opinion say inappropriate (and there is little information to judge how inappropriate or not it was) it is OK to respond with something that is equally, or more, inappropriate, like swearing? I totally get that you might feel it was justified to tell the person to F off and might want to say this, it's human nature and we all feel like that sometimes but you actually feel this is acceptable to actually do whilst representing your workplace/employer?
        
        In any workplace most people are expected to behave to a certain standard and it wouldn't actually have mattered whether this was a patient or not, whether they were denied treatment or not, it could have been a cleaner, nurse, visitor, a random person who asked you something in the hallway, that annoyed you, it wouldn't be OK to tell them to F off because you are expected to behave to a certain standard at work.
        
        I am sure you will disagree with the above and think it is fine to keep telling potential patients to F off and similar so go ahead if you think you can get away with that at your current practice. I don't know what this person responded with on this occassion when you told them F off but many people are going to respond by escalating their behaviour up a level from just annoying. I guess you will respond in kind, and so on. Eventually you will push the wrong patient too far and they will use you as a human punching bag. You will get loads of sympathy from the general public at the abuse you Doctors have to put up with.
        
        It may not really be about the wait times or whatever else the potential patient was complaining about. They may have decades of (at least from their perspective) mistreatment from Doctors that they are angry about and they just hate Doctors (probably far more than you may hate patients, which I get the impression you do). If you were approached by a drunken/drugged person in the street who was annoying you, would you tell them to F off or would you take a less confrontational approach out of self preservation? If you think the angry patient is any less potentially dangerous I suspect you are not aware of how some people feel about doctors.
        
        [Deactivated] on 04/11/2019 - 18:31
        
        -4
        
        @abc123z:
        
        So you are saying after you told this person to F off, they did not in fact F off and you went on treat them?
        
        Yes. I do my job. If your job is making wild presumptions, you're doing your job too.
        
        it wouldn't be OK to tell them to F off because you are expected to behave to a certain standard at work.
        
        My standard at work is to work, not be your personal local MP.
        
        So you are saying that because someone says something that is in your opinion say inappropriate
        
        It's not "my opinion". Try yelling at the empty fuel can. Is it the fuel can's opinion it is empty?
        
        If you were approached by a drunken/drugged person in the street who was annoying you, would you tell them to F off or would you take a less confrontational approach out of self preservation?
        
        So my role in a hospital is self preservation? Who would have thought.
        
        If you think the angry patient is any less potentially dangerous I suspect you are not aware of how some people feel about doctors.
        
        I couldn't care less what the patient feels towards me. My job is to treat, not make patients feel warm and fuzzy. You may have been mistaking doctors for prostitutes.
        
        abc123z on 04/11/2019 - 22:01
        
        +6
        
        @[Deactivated]:
        
        You may have been mistaking doctors for prostitutes.
        
        No one would ever mistake a doctor for a prostitute because a prostitute would never try to kick you out before your time is up when you haven't even finished yet.
        
        bmerigan on 04/11/2019 - 23:11
        
        +1
        
        @abc123z: Pretty sure they would
        
        abc123z on 05/11/2019 - 01:20
        
        +1
        
        @bmerigan: Now now it doesn't sound like you have experience of this behaviour yourself so I think it is a bit unfair of you to assume that prostitutes have no ethical standards and would rip off their clients in such a manner.
        
        bmerigan on 05/11/2019 - 11:04
        
        +1
        
        @abc123z: How is that ripping someone off?
        You pay for time not a result.
        
        abc123z on 05/11/2019 - 11:30
        
        @bmerigan: I think you might have misinterpreted my post?
        
        Not implying prostitute would let you have longer for free.
        
        I am saying, if you pay prostitute for 30 minutes, and haven't finished after 15 minutes, prostitute does not say you've had long enough I'm moving on to the next client.
        
        bmerigan on 05/11/2019 - 17:46
        
        @abc123z: Ooohh, right. My bad.
        
        p1 ama on 05/11/2019 - 18:20
        
        +1
        
        @[Deactivated]:
        
        I couldn't care less what the patient feels towards me. My job is to treat, not make patients feel warm and fuzzy. You may have been mistaking doctors for prostitutes.
        
        I hope that you're simply just stating this in spite or that you're a surgeon, because this statement sounds particularly troublesome to me.
        
        Sure, I agree that what the patient thinks of you on a personal level is irrelevant, but ensuring that you and the patient have a good relationship is pretty important in treating their illness, wouldn't you say? Your job description might not be to make patients feel warm and fuzzy, but fostering an environment where they do feel warm and fuzzy will lead to more openness and probably better patient outcomes (I haven't seen any research on this, but I'm sure this could be a potential research topic).
        
        Ahyao17 on 05/12/2019 - 10:57
        
        @abc123z: Actual I think this letter is very poor showing for Rex. If I was Rex's boss, I would sack this guy. Imaging this letter coming from Qantas, I am sure your reactions would be very different (although in Qanta's condition of carriage, they specified they will look after you in cases of delay/cancellation).
        
        I disagree with 2. I fly with Rex many times a year. Where I can I use another airline.
        
        With 3. I think he is comparing apples to oranges. Airline's obligation is take you from A to B. Doctor's contract with patient is to treat them (cure/improvement is not guaranteed and this is not in the contract or obligation).
        
        Although the first part of 3 is correct but the condition of carriage for Rex is fairly crap compare to Qantas. If the flight screw you up then it is your problem. So yes according to the terms and conditions, Dr Thornburn have no right to any claims. But does he have any other choice if he wants to continue his clinic in Griffith? not really. Unless he wants to drive there
        
        Rex is the only airline to many rural places and people have no other choices. And Rex's fair isnt exactly cheap either. And at one stage I was flying to Coffs Harbour then hire a car up to Grafton (which is cheaper than flying to Grafton by Rex if only staying overnight).
        
        [Deactivated] on 04/11/2019 - 18:31
        
        @paraneoplastic: Just a part of the job sadly. At least you're in a surgical clinic (I'm guessing). Those same patients get cross at me for their surgical issues and I'm gen med/pharmacology. They just don't have a good understanding of the structure of the work place, and are frustrated. Try not to take it personally. Although keep in mind we shouldn't tolerate outright abuse and you should stand firm against it, but be professional.
        
        paraneoplastic on 04/11/2019 - 19:17
        
        @[Deactivated]: yeah mate, surgical - neurosurg / ortho. Took me a while before i started to not take things in and be resiliant to it haha.
        
        Once had a patient tell me they'd kill themselves since i'd told him surgery wouldn't help, consultant came in and agreed with my paln of conservative only and then left, patient then told me he'd write my name on his suicide note and that he'd haunt me lol. The consultant then came in and told him to F off… how blissful it must be to have such senority to be able to tell a rude patient to f off.
        
        abc123z on 04/11/2019 - 22:28
        
        +6
        
        @paraneoplastic: So you think LOL at a suicidal patient and think it is awesome that they got told to f off?
        
        Had this patient even been referred to mental health services or any other services that might have helped him cope with his condition?
        
        What would you have thought if being told to F off had tipped him over the edge and he had gone home to kill himself? LOL thank god I don't have to deal with that patient again?
        
        [Deactivated] on 05/11/2019 - 09:51
        
        @abc123z:
        
        So you think LOL at a suicidal patient and think it is awesome that they got told to f off?
        
        Lol. Now everypatient is suicidal.
        
        My god. I hope those cashiers and truckers don't get annoyed at all those suicidal people.
        
        abc123z on 05/11/2019 - 15:19
        
        @[Deactivated]:
        
        Lol. Now everypatient is suicidal.
        
        Who is suggesting every patient is suicidal? We are referring to one single patient who paraneoplastic said said he would kill himself. You are not trying to suggest that this is something patients commonly say even though they have zero actual intent are you? Perhaps I misunderstand you.
        
        My god. I hope those cashiers and truckers don't get annoyed at all those suicidal people.
        
        It's not the same thing at all. Noone tells a random cashier they are going to kill themselves.
        
        You can't see the difference between a person say, asking for a refund from a cashier and being told to f off, and telling your doctor you are going to kill yourself and being told to f off?
        
        [Deactivated] on 05/11/2019 - 15:44
        
        +1
        
        @abc123z: You mean it is not possible that non suicidal patients could be threatening self harm to advance their own agenda?
        
        Gasp. That'll be like attention seeking. That's so ridiculous I may kill myself.
        
        Quick. Someone call the psychiatric board. I think we have discovered a new phenomenon.
        
        abc123z on 05/11/2019 - 16:34
        
        @[Deactivated]: Yeah OK, so patients threatening self harm are attention seeking, patients complaining of pain must be drug seeking, patients on disability etc must be faking, did I miss anything?
        
        [Deactivated] on 05/11/2019 - 17:19
        
        +2
        
        @abc123z: Clearly missing the opportunities to complain and be entitled.
    - [Deactivated] on 04/11/2019 - 18:28
      
      +1
      
      In terms of my outpatient clinic it could be many reasons. When I do OPD I also have a ward full of patients to see and while generally I can see those necessary in the hour I have before clinic, sometimes people are sick and I'm delayed starting. Then in the clinic itself that quick review booked before you might have turned into a lengthy admission process. Or then I get patients where it's hard to discern what they've actually been referred for. Sometimes a vulnerable patient just needs that bit of extra time with you to deal with whatever they're facing and tapping your watch and saying 'that's our time' might not be what they need.
      
      Often when I bring a patient into the room to see them I've spent more time going through their results and background than I spend with the patient in the room. Sometimes I have to do a quick bit of research of medical literature or guidelines if they have a particularly complex issue. I figure you'd rather sit in the waiting room with a book or the TV while I work, rather than watch me look through notes.
      
      Also I'm just very bad at sticking to one issue that someone has been referred for and I'm bad at keeping to the time allocated. I tend to allocate 'chart reviews' for patients that I may never intend to see again to make sure that they're getting the planned follow up/investigations/treatments that they need which means that my clinic tends to be a little bit more full than it really needs to be.
      
      Then while I'm down in the clinic, my patients on the ward don't cease to exist, nor does my responsibilities for phone advice and consultations from other teams.
      
      So there's lots of reasons. Some are on me. Some are on the referrer. Some are on the patient. Some are on the fact of trying to run a healthcare system that we can afford.
    - OzzyOzbourne on 04/11/2019 - 23:51
      
      -1
      
      Because they atrive 1 hour late at work so every appointment is late that day… But most people think the doctor is just busy… Because they are a doctor right?
  - [Deactivated] on 02/11/2019 - 22:08
    
    +3
    
    Perhaps I have too high a expectations for efficiency
    
    Why do we charge as if we've done 15 minutes work for a 5-10 minute consult.
    
    We have unseen work.
    
    The pharmacist has it too.
  - kallico on 03/11/2019 - 08:34
    
    +2
    
    No you don't have high expectations.I worked in pharmacy for over 30 years dispensing prescriptions. In the late 60's early 70's prescriptions were transcribed by hand into large books for keeping records and labels handwritten or a typewriter used, medication came in bulk and was counted by hand or even mixed from scratch. Over the years computers were introduced and everything came pre packaged. Yes checks and balances are in place, but to wait 15mins for a pack of antibiotics to be typed in the computer, label affixed, double checked for safety is unacceptable. It riles me that I am now the customer and have to wait like you
    - [Deactivated] on 03/11/2019 - 22:08
      
      +8
      
      You do realise that sometimes the pharmacist has multiple scripts from patients who drop off the script to be picked up later, or they were quiet and are halfway through doing websters or similar.
      
      I really feel for chemists as they get the raw end of the deal - if they're slow, the customers are upset, if they overlook at doctor's error, they face board mediation.
      
      Even people who have worked in pharmacy piles on.
      
      Give them a break. I have said this multiple times but pharmacy is the worst career choice in Australia.
      - John Kimble on 03/11/2019 - 23:45
        
        @[Deactivated]: Pretty sure taxi or bus drivers are worse careers
        
        [Deactivated] on 03/11/2019 - 23:47
        
        +1
        
        @John Kimble: Those may not be a "choice" to the same degree as pharmacy.
      - [Deactivated] on 04/11/2019 - 18:33
        
        @[Deactivated]: For all that now there's no real money in community pharmacy. I sympathise.
  - ajca256 on 03/11/2019 - 09:51
    
    Didn't realise that there's a different process that a pharmacist needs to follow if the medicine is prescribed by the doc himself/herself and the medicine is "mundane".
  - psylence on 05/11/2019 - 08:37
    
    +1
    
    Doctor without knowing the role of a pharmacist? I'm an RN and thought this post must be from a medically naive person
- striker5950 on 04/11/2019 - 16:02
  
  +2
  
  actually they cooked mine up on the spot, i thought i was ordering some takeaway, they give you the ticket and buzzer while they start the cook and when the med is ready to serve the buzzer rings you go pick it up.
- Godric on 05/11/2019 - 18:56
  
  That's a handy read interesting to know
JimmyF on 02/11/2019 - 15:28

+2

when I was trawling the aisles I wondered if this wait was a ploy to try to get people to buy other stuff?

Yes and No

does it really take 15 mins to dispense some basic antibiotics

They have to update the records, do checks to make sure you are not over your allowed limits etc, this takes time, but yes not 15 mins. So its a bit of both really.

There is waiting and there is hope that you buy something else while you wait.
bdl on 02/11/2019 - 15:33

+12

Yes, they want you to stand there and browse Ozbargain on your phone while you wait. Many a dollar has been lost in this way…
- WhyAmICommenting on 04/11/2019 - 23:36
  
  +1
  
  Haha, been there, done that.
resubaehtgnolhcs on 02/11/2019 - 15:48

+5

The pharmacist could be doing something else (like packing webster packs), that they need to finish, before getting to your scripts.
- paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 16:08
  
  Was at 8pm and she was just on her phone before I got to the counter, so don’t think she was doing anything else job related anyway
  - Pythagoras on 05/11/2019 - 20:01
    
    +4
    
    Prob calling the Dr advising them of an incorrectly prescribed dose
UserNameAlreadyTaken on 02/11/2019 - 15:55

I usually just stand there near the counter and watch them. They are usually pretty quick if I am the only one waiting. I think trawling the aisles would lessen the urgency to dispense to you?
- paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 16:16
  
  +3
  
  She told me to just have a browse after taking the script, didn’t want to be socially weird and me like na I’ll stand here and watch u lol
  - UserNameAlreadyTaken on 02/11/2019 - 16:37
    
    +6
    
    Lol @ socially weird. I would call it I am here waiting for my script and don't need to trawl your aisles for anything else.
  - sparkles on 04/11/2019 - 22:10
    
    +5
    
    If you were "socially weird" you might have got your script quicker.
    - kev98 on 05/11/2019 - 21:24
      
      +1
      
      MUCH quicker lol
Donaldhump on 02/11/2019 - 16:15

maybe same reason supermarkets put commonly bought pairs of items of completely different genres at opposing ends of shops
Stewardo on 02/11/2019 - 16:19

Obviously, that’s why it’s at the back and the medication is cheaper than the traditional chemist. Like supermarkets or department stores are in the back of the shopping centre. You go in for one thing and go home with bags full.
- paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 16:28
  
  Good point didn’t even think of that
- mingofmongo on 03/11/2019 - 09:41
  
  +8
  
  No, it's at the back to keep it secure. Usually behind the dispensary there is a store (often containing narcotic safe). Wouldn't want to be moving stuff between these two locations unsecurely, so they are adjacent/adjoining.
atris17 on 02/11/2019 - 16:29

+9
I was a pharmacy student, before I switch course
I can understand why it take some time to process the prescription
The computer programs LOTS i used had to to several things with the prescription

verify the prescriber number / doctor ID/ doctor practice

verify whether you r eligible for Medicare or else full price

verify whether the medication is PBS approve for subsidy or else full price

verify etc, it been 8years since I last dispense

In addition to that, there a mechanism to check that the medication is dispense correctly
Correct direction, correct dose, correct warning, correct packaging
Having gone through the process, it a lot of hardwork and it require constant focus
A misstep can be fatal

It a classic case of if you never going through the experience, you know nothing
- paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 16:57
  
  -5
  
  again, i understand that whole process for a trepidous medication, say a noac or warfarin etc. completely agree a misstep in dispensing that could be fatal.
  
  but this was for augmentin (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid) the antibiotics, it won't require immense concentration. Only comes in one dosage and is a per oral medication. the only fallacy would be dispending the wrong antibiotic, which i would notice (since i wrote the precritpion for myself).
  - serpserpserp on 02/11/2019 - 18:13
    
    +2
    
    the only fallacy would be dispending the wrong antibiotic, which i would notice (since i wrote the prescription for myself).
    
    The chemist doesn't know you are the prescribing doctor? Or did you announce that at the counter when you handed the script over?
    - paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 18:28
      
      -2
      
      Says my name + prescriber number on the script, I’m guessing she knew
      - serpserpserp on 02/11/2019 - 18:37
        
        +1
        
        @paraneoplastic:
        
        I’m guessing she knew
        
        I've been with Doctors when they've done the same thing you have and many times it is quite clear they have not put the two and two together! ie. They came and questioned the script and asked if they had taken the drug before etc. then they had the discussion that they were the doctor prescribing to themselves.
        
        paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 19:22
        
        @serpserpserp: fair enough, it was getting close to closing time as well, she was probably looking forward to getting home!
      - [Deactivated] on 04/11/2019 - 20:40
        
        @paraneoplastic: As an RMO, what did you write the script on? Or was it electronic/printed?
        
        diazepam on 12/11/2019 - 02:14
        
        @[Deactivated]: Probably a script pad. It's what we use in Vic (and incidentally where you're from).
        Not sure how you're going to attach it to a patient file though so I'm curious how I could have prescribed for myself as well… (noting that it is illegal in Vic).
        
        I've heard of consultants prescribing e.g. pred for their kid's croup or whatever but haven't had the effort to ask how they do it but I'm assuming script pad and keep all 3 copies for yourself because there would be no file to attach to. Also if you did that, I think you'll have to use your own provider number (i.e. not be an intern when everyone uses the hospital provider number for ease)
DiLs on 02/11/2019 - 16:39

+2

Stop thinking that much
abc123z on 02/11/2019 - 19:09

+17

So OP is a Doctor complaining about having to wait 15 minutes at the pharmacy and thinks this is so totally unreasonable that it is worth complaining about online and also perhaps some kind of conspiracy to make them spend more money LOL! Even though OP is priviliged enough to be able to write scripts for themselves thus avoiding the cost of going to a doc and having to wait X days for an appointment then waiting an hour past their appointment time to get said script which make the 15 minute wait at the pharmacy insignificant.

However if a patient would suggest that the reason they have to wait much more than 15 minutes past their appointment time for a Doctor, was due to Doctor overbooking to make more money or simply turning up half an hour after their supposed first appointment as part of some some similar conspiracy you would be slamming them for saying that stating how Doctors always had emergencies, were spending extra time with patients etc etc.

I am curious as to what investigations you did OP before deciding you needed antibiotics? A patient is not provided antibiotics these days until there is proof they need them, just having a cold/cough/whatever symptoms that doesn't go away for an extended period of time etc doesn't cut it, patients are denied the antibiotics for the "greater good" until the evidence proves they have a bacterial infection, why should Doctors be able to prescribe antibiotics for themselves without proof they need it any more than they should be allowed to prescribe controlled substances/pain meds for themselves?
- UserNameAlreadyTaken on 02/11/2019 - 19:15
  
  +4
  
  Yikes!!!
- paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 19:29
  
  +5
  
  I never said it was unreasonable. What i was curious was, why does it take so long? Yesterday when this happened, i'd just done a 8am to 7pm and then had 1.5 hr gap till i needed to start a night shift since a co-worker had called in sick last minute. Hence why i wrote my self the prescription, i didn't have time to go to even an after hours GP.
  
  When i go to the GP i've never had to wait days, i simply ring around and just go to one which has the earliest appointment… not sure what you are ranting about there. Also, you can always go to a bulk billing GP with no Gap…
  
  I'm not a GP i don't make money by seeing more patients in a day.
  
  In terms of investigations i've had done: 3 CT sinus, 3 blood tests, 2 mucus cultures, 2 flexible scopes. And multiple ENT vists.
  
  I think it's pretty unfair for you to discount my medical knowledge, on knowing when i need a medication or not. I've had to study years to be able to dertmine that.
  
  When did i say i prescribed myself controlled substances or pain meds (which are schedule 8). I never have and never will that's asking for deregistration. The twice i've prescrbied for myself where for a corticosteroid inhaler (again for sinusitis). And this time for antiboitcs. You have assumed alot in your attack mate…
  - abc123z on 02/11/2019 - 20:26
    
    I think it's pretty unfair for you to discount my medical knowledge, on knowing when i need a medication or not. I've had to study years to be able to dertmine that.
    
    I don't think it is about medical knowledge in this case. You are saying you have the evidence and knowledge that in the past, you have recurring sinus infections that required antibiotics. Fair enough.
    
    On this occassion, you have no evidence. You are going off the fact that you know your own symptoms/body and this is the same thing you had before.
    
    That doesn't cut it for a patient wanting antibiotics out of a Doctor. No way they are going to give you antibiotics based on something you have been coming down with for a day or something because "I feel it coming on and had it before and I always needed antibiotics before". In fact they will probably get pretty angry and give you a lecture about antibiotic resistance and how it doesn't work on viruses and this is probably a virus and so on.
    
    I would respect your opinion on your body that you probably needed the antibiotics again on this occassion, but given that Doctor's do not respect the patients opinion about their own bodies nor anything they say and patients have to jump through substantial hoops and wait an extended period of time for the supposed "virus" to pass, for the "greater good" of preventing antibiotic resistance, Doctors should have to go through the same.
    - paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 21:25
      
      +3
      
      Due to the chronic nature of sinus infections (where there is an anatomical defect) - no further tests need to be done. As I’d just be exposing my self to more and more radiation.
      
      If a kid with cystic fibrosis comes in with a cough or feeling unwell, with a history of previous pneumonia , I’d give them tobramycin without a second thought, without testing, as they know their body. And if not treated early a pneumonia could kill them.
      
      I think you’ve missed the nature of chronic sinusitis, it isn’t caused by a viral infection, (although viral infections can exacerbate it, it won’t produce the cardinal symptoms)
      
      It comes down to liability, If docs weren’t liable and abided by everything a patient asked for with them being fully aware of the consequences of their own decisions, then sure all docs would dispense whatever the patient wanted. Heck, there wouldn’t be a need for docs then anyway, as the patient can google and medicate themselves…
      
      I think your caught up on the whole viral vs bacterial thing. There are many conditions where 90+ % of the time is caused by viruses e.g. the common cold, pharyngitis, ACUTE sinusitis etc.
      - abc123z on 02/11/2019 - 23:20
        
        +1
        
        @paraneoplastic:
        
        It comes down to liability, If docs weren’t liable and abided by everything a patient asked for with them being fully aware of the consequences of their own decisions, then sure all docs would dispense whatever the patient wanted. Heck, there wouldn’t be a need for docs then anyway, as the patient can google and medicate themselves…
        
        My understanding is these days in Australia docs are monitored for their prescribing of antibiotics and get a please explain if they are within the top number of prescribers. Thus I think it is that the docs are rationing the antibiotics to those that they think might drop dead if they don't get them now even it is only "just in case" more than that they are worried about serious side effects from prescribing antibiotics to someone who hasn't proven 100% they need them.
        
        I think your caught up on the whole viral vs bacterial thing. There are many conditions where 90+ % of the time is caused by viruses e.g. the common cold, pharyngitis, ACUTE sinusitis etc.
        
        Yeah I understand the common cold is caused by viruses I am not silly. But the common cold only lasts a short time and starts to improve quickly. I am talking about when something isn't improving within a few weeks or months, or it is getting much worse, it isn't plausible to suggest it is a cold or really any common type of virus anymore, yet still the Doctor will insist it is an unspecified viral infection indefinitely.
        
        Latest for me is 4 months of symptoms worsening and still being told by gps I have a virus despite medical evidence I have to the contrary. So I do think if this rationing of antibiotics applies to patients it should apply to doctors too, doctors should have to prove they need them to another doctor. If Doctors sometimes get denied access to things they think they need and are left visiting multiple doctors over an extended period of time whilst sick and being disbelieved by doctors they would also get a feel for what it is like to be in patients shoes most of the time which hopefully would be a good thing when it comes to treating their own patients.
        
        paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 23:32
        
        +1
        
        @abc123z: I can't attest to your personal anecdote, but if your not happy with the care you were getting from one GP perhaps go to another, particulary if you have evidence proving you have a bacterial infection?
        
        few months ago, i had a deceased patients son ring up extremeley angry that on his fathers death certificate it was listed he had mixed dementia. For some reason he wasn't happy about this and kept re-iterating that his GP of 20 years had never said anything about dementia and that we were stupid. I then politely told him the evidence we had proving his father had dementia (MRI and MOCA scores) and told him not to direct his anger towards me due to his GPs incompitence. Like all things, Doctors vary in intellegence and practice principals.
        
        abc123z on 03/11/2019 - 01:45
        
        @paraneoplastic: Just go to another Doctor. Says everyone who has probably never had the experience of going to numerous doctors over an extended period of time even for a common, obvious problem let alone a rare hard to diagnose one. All the while being told it is all in your head or similar (more common if you are female).
        
        Then in the end, it only gets diagnosed and treated if it gets to the point where you end up with an obvious emergency and get sent to hospital etc.
        
        Orion au on 05/11/2019 - 18:46
        
        +1
        
        @abc123z: Wow mate, calm down.
        
        eldudebrothers on 05/11/2019 - 14:08
        
        +1
        
        @abc123z: GP here. The reason why we withhold antibiotics is because 1. you are unlikely to have a bacterial infection 2. antibiotics can have side effects which range from mild diarrhoea to life threatening anaphylaxis. 3. even if you have a bacterial infection, if its mild, the antibiotics probably wont do anything. 4. after taking antis, you can potentially get resistant bacteria in YOUR system that can last from days to years. 5.If a patient gets severely unwell from antibiotics, we have to be able to defend our decision.I can go on and on about this.
- funnysht on 04/11/2019 - 13:45
  
  that's why forums exists to rant mate.
  
  i feel like creating another post about people ranting about people ranting on forums.
- [Deactivated] on 04/11/2019 - 18:41
  
  +2
  
  We aren't denying you antibiotics just 'for the greater' good. It's for your good also. The vast majority of people with infections do not need them and will see no benefit from them. They are not benign medications and do cause harm. They do cost the tax payer unnecessary amounts of money. They do breed deadly resistant organisms in you which you then spread on to the rest of the country, which causes suffering and death. Investigations aren't always necessary to diagnose a bacterial infection.
  
  Antimicrobial stewardship is good medicine. Yes doctors should be good stewards with their own treatments.
John Kimble on 02/11/2019 - 21:41

+19

You're all wrong.

It takes 14 minutes just to decipher/translate doctor scribble…1 minute to actually print a sticker to put on your meds.

You're welcome :p
- UserNameAlreadyTaken on 02/11/2019 - 21:47
  
  +1
  
  Yup… Welcome to the age of entitlement.
- paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 22:04
  
  Hahah fair
- funnysht on 04/11/2019 - 13:46
  
  haha prob more truth than fiction there.
Fiximol on 02/11/2019 - 22:04

+8

It is certainly a tactic used in some stores (though personally I like to get people out of there ASAP) but there are plenty of logical reasons why you had to wait.

Unless you were privy to her phone call it is unclear whether she was completing another professional task with the call being a part of it and therefore delayed getting to your script.

There could very well be other patients who left scripts before you that she was dispensing, and just because you can't see someone else there physically it doesn't mean no one was there before you (this is by far the most common scenario - a person drops of a dozen prescriptions and they know they take a while so they will leave the premises rather than sitting there and wait).

There may be also have been delay due to double checking that self prescribing was legal in the state she was in (e.g. self prescribing of any S4 and S8 is illegal in Victoria) and that she satisfied her professional duties. Now that AHPRA is doing national registrations instead of each state individually, state based drugs and poisons law is not part of the examination for registration so this is plausible.

Or delays just happens. The spacebar gets stuck and the instructions become nonsensical when printed so it has to be redone, or the stock inventory was wrong and you actually didn't have the brand selected in stock etc. Maybe the printer ran out of labels or repeat paper and she had to find it and replace before the computer lets you proceed (damn label printers don't have warnings until it runs out).

As a rule I tell everyone 15 minutes at least. As the saying goes, "Fast, cheap, accurate - pick two of three." :P
- paraneoplastic on 02/11/2019 - 22:55
  
  Fair enough,
  
  interesting, i didn't know it was illegal in VIC, i wonder why they put the restriction on S4 as well, S8 i understand - i think that should be nationwide

Waiting at Chemist for Medications, a Marketing Ploy?

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