Why does it take the pharmacist so long to fill a script?

Question

I mean all's they have to do is count the pills and stick um in a bottle. They tell me it's a 25 minute wait?

Answer 1

such a perfect question for me to answer! I'm a pharmacy tech and have worked in my pharmacy for 3.5 years. here's the set up (at least in my pharmacy): verification of patient being at the pharmacy, get the date of birth, correct spelling of last name, ask if any changes in insurance, double check to see if the med is in stock, hand the prescription to the pharmacist (from here on it will be rph for registered pharmacist), depending on if there are other prescriptions ahead of yours - there will be an approximately 20 minute wait. if the wait is longer the rph will tell us and we'll tell the patient. the reasoning behind a longer wait (for the pharmacy that i work at) is: problems with insurance, reading the doctor's handwriting (we've seen so bad, that the doctor couldn't remember so he had to check the patients chart to verify what med he prescribed!), if there is a snow storm/blizzard on the way, or the holidays. the rphs that i work with....i feel bad....Monday through Friday they work 13 hour day. Saturdays the work 9.5 hours and Sunday they work 5.5 hours. if you don't think bad....try this on for comfort: they are complying with the rules of the store and have to wear what they'd wear if they had a desk (or any job) at an office! that means :khaki pants, dress shoes, skirt, etc! thats just for the pharmacist!
what i do is: get the label (the patient print out: patients info (name address) and the name of the med that they are getting that day), go to the shelve, get the med, verify the ndc number, count the out the med, put the meds in a bottle, close the lid, label the bottle...while i'm doing this, i am also answering the phone, dealing with patients at the register, processing a different prescription through insurance on the second computer. i am doing all this with patients yelling at me.
now you see what you go through for self-absorbed pain in the asses like you. if there's such a long wait at your pharmacy and you have to wait (heaven forbid you have to wait with the "common folk") run errands, be nice to the staff in the pharmacy, get gas in your car!

Answer 2

Because you have no idea how many people are in line ahead of you, they were all told how long it would be and they went off. Then pharmacists must also be available to answer the questions about all prescription and non-prescription drugs from anyone who walks up to the counter or even calls in.

Sometimes they can fill a prescription right away, sometimes they can not. Deal with it. Pharmacists are highly paid professional and stores can't afford an extra one just for the peak hours, so just go during the less busy hours. In fact most pharmacists make more than family doctors per hour.

BTW PHARMACISTS ARE DOCTORS. (Get your facts straight people)





And I suppose you never have to wait for a table if you show up at a restaraunt without a reservation during a peak time.

Answer 3

they could enter the prescription into the computing device, anticipate the insurance organisation to pay the declare, anticipate the printer to print the label, count huge type to medicine, label the bottle, double verify the label for typos and double verify to make beneficial the your best option medicine have been given into the bottle. If there's a typo redo it.(You being a repeat shopper basically makes the prescription take 2 minutes decrease than a clean shopper). each and every of the on a similar time as answer the telephone, answer the questions of shoppers that come to window, help shoppers that prefer to %. up their prescription, help shoppers that prefer to drop off their prescription. opportunities are high at 5 am there is fairly a million individual working to do each and every little thing. Giving a protracted time and getting your prescription completed swifter is powerful. Giving too short a time and assembly that factor is undesirable and ends up in lawsuits.

Answer 4

Well.. they have alot to do besides count the pills. They have to check your insurance and make sure they can fill it and if it is a narcotic.. they have to have approval from your Doctor and Ins. company to fill it. And you are not the only person asking to have a medication filled.. there are others in front of you as well. So have some patience with them.. if they hurry mistakes can happen. Good luck.

Answer 5

Just MAYBE it's because there are a dozen or so people ahead of you. You DO realize that you can leave your prescription and maybe run an errand, read a text book, etc.... don't you? Since they are doing MUCH MORE than "count the pills" it takes a little time to do their job properly and safely.

Are you so extremely self-absorbed that you can't understand this?!?

Answer 6

There are others beside you there and dont you want the CORRECT Meds for your child. There is no hurry as it could be life and death matters over the wrong Meds being given IF they hurry and just pick up the wrong bottle to fill it.

Answer 7

For one there might be the insurance to file your script with, people in front of you, checking to see if it might interact with meds you are already taking, and lastly, the people who where there before you.

Count yourself lucky, I have been told that I would have to wait 4 hours for my script to be filled before!

Answer 8

It's not McDonalds, what do you want it fast and deadly? You trust them because they get it right. It takes time to make very sure they get it right.

Answer 9

i usually tell my pharmacist when i need them it helps him that way he does not have to rush to fill mine when i dont need it
but then when i need something right away i get them right away

Answer 10

Have you ever tried reading a doctors handwriting?