I have problems with pharmacies. I don't know why. The system seems pretty simple. Your doctor writes a prescription or phones it in to the drug store. You go over. They fill the prescription. You pay for the prescription. You take home the prescribed item. Why does it so rarely work like that?
Last night, I had to go pick up a prescription for my mother. I called the pharmacy, they said they had it in stock and about two hours later, I went over to get it…and it's worth noting that this wasn't one where anyone had to mix anything. They didn't even have to count out pills. Someone just had to take a tube of ointment off a shelf, slap a label on it and hand it over to me. When I went in, a nice lady said, "It'll take ten or fifteen minutes." Okay, fine. I sat down with my iPhone and did iPhone-type stuff for the next thirty minutes before a different, not-as-nice lady called me to the window and I had the following exchange…
SHE: I'm sorry. We're out of this medication.
ME: I called up two hours ago and I was told you had it.
SHE: Well, maybe someone came in during that time and got the last tube we had of it.
ME: It took you a half-hour to figure that out? Shouldn't someone tell me that when I bring the prescription in?
SHE: Yes, they do. The computer's supposed to tell us that when we take your order. (Checks computer) Oh, I see. We weren't out of it when you brought the prescription in. We sold our last tube of it about ten minutes ago.
ME: While I was waiting for the prescription that I was told would be ready twenty minutes ago.
SHE: That can't be right. (Checks computer again) Okay, I see now. We had a tube for you when we accepted the prescription but then someone else came in with a prescription for the same medication and somehow, they got the last tube.
ME: They came in after me?
SHE: According to the time stamp here, yes.
ME: Okay, so let me see if I have this right. I came in. I handed her (points to nice lady) the prescription. She checked the computer and it told her you had it in stock…
SHE: Correct.
ME: And then someone else came in with a prescription for the same medicine and she checked the computer and it told her you still had it in stock…
SHE: Correct.
ME: …even though you only had the one tube.
SHE: Correct.
ME: And then you gave it to that person instead of me.
SHE: Correct.
ME: Even though I was here first.
SHE: Correct.
ME: Shouldn't the computer have indicated that you didn't have a tube for that other person?
SHE: No, because when we took that order, we weren't out of it.
ME: Because you hadn't yet filled my order? The one that I was told would take ten or fifteen minutes?
SHE: Correct.
ME: Shouldn't I have gotten that tube?
SHE: I'm sorry. It's first come, first served.
ME: Yes but I was here first.
SHE: True but the other customer was served first.
ME: Let's move on from this. When I can get this ointment for my mother?
SHE: I'll make sure we order it and we should have it the day after tomorrow. Better call first to make sure we have it before you drive over.
ME: I called first today and you said you had it so I drove over. And then when I got here, they told me you still had it.
SHE: Yes.
ME: So how do I make sure that next time you tell me you have it, you still have it when you get around to filling my order?
SHE: (Thinks for a second, then…) I guess you just have to trust us.
There was then a brief discussion of me maybe going over that evening to another pharmacy in the same chain. The computer said they had the ointment in stock but it didn't say how much they had of it, nor could it guarantee that they wouldn't sell what they had before I got there and they got around to filling my order. The way my mother's insurance is configured, it will cost about $100 more to take it to a druggist outside this chain. I think they're doing all this to give me a headache so I'll need to buy my own prescription.