Waiting in the Pharmacy: When Patients Don't Have Patience

Michael Schneider, Pharm.D. Candidate 2009
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy
Prepared during Consumer Health Information Corporation Clerkship
McLean, VA

“What do you mean my prescription is going to take 15 min!? I need it now!” These are the words I often here at my pharmacy at 5:30 in the evening when patients come by in a mad rush weary and tired from work. All they want to do is grab their prescription and go.

Have you ever wondered why it takes that long to get a prescription filled? There is a complex system in place behind that tiny room where technicians and pharmacists work hard to process your prescription. When each new prescription is dropped off, a series of cautionary measures are made to ensure that your medicine will be safe to take.

Here are some steps to ensure you get your prescription filled in a timely manner. It is important that your pharmacist have the following information before you hand him or her your prescription:

• Your complete name, birthday, phone number, and current address. Sometimes there are several people with your name in the computer. To be able to fill your prescription correctly, the pharmacy needs to be able to distinguish you from others.

• Complete current insurance information. If you have never filled out a prescription at a pharmacy, they have no record of it. You will need to show the pharmacist or technician your current insurance card when you drop off your prescription.

• Complete allergy information. It is very important that you present your pharmacist with a complete list of things you’re allergic to (food, medication, over-the-counter products (OTC), natural remedies, etc.). Sometimes being allergic to certain foods or medications can increase your risk of being allergic to other medications.

• A current list of prescription and OTC medications. Your pharmacist will check to make sure that your new prescription medicine does not interact with any of the current medication you are taking.

• Driver’s License or Social Security Number (if your prescription is for a controlled substance). Since many of these drugs can cause addiction, people sometimes try to fill prescriptions that don’t belong to them. The pharmacist has a personal and legal responsibility to make sure this doesn’t happen.

After all this information is presented, special care is taken in filling your prescription.

•The prescription information is entered into the computer.

• The pharmacist makes sure that the medication your doctor prescribed does not interact with anything else on your medication profile. (If you are filling your medication at anywhere other than your regular pharmacy, MAKE SURE that the pharmacist has a complete list of all the medications that you’re currently taking.)

• When this initial check is complete, your pharmacist makes sure that the dose that is ordered is right for your age, weight, and medical condition. In case your pharmacist has a dosing question, he or she will call the ordering physician to make sure that the ordered dose is correct.

• If your dose is correct and your medication does not interact with any other medicines you are taking, the pharmacist submits your prescription to your insurance company for approval. If it is not covered and your pharmacist is aware of a less costly alternative, he or she may have to phone your physician to get it changed. If the physician is not available, the pharmacist will have to wait for the physician to return the call. This can add to your wait time.

• The prescription label and patient medication instructions on how to take the drug are then printed out.

• The prescription is checked against the bulk medicine container. This is the first check for safety and accuracy. The medicine is counted and placed into a prescription vial. The label is checked against the original prescription to make sure it is correct. The original container is then checked a second time to make sure the right medicine and the right dose and right quantity is being dispensed. The prescription label is attached to the vial or bottle of liquid.

• Your pharmacist is given the original prescription, original container, and the labeled vial to check the prescription the third time for accuracy. Once your prescription is ready, your pharmacist will ask if you have any questions. This is one of the best times to ask questions about how to take your medicine safely. Some great ones to ask include:

• What is this medication used for?
• How will I know if this medication is working?
• How do I take it?
• How often do I take it?
• What are some possible side effects? What should I do if I
   develop any of these side effects?

These measures can sometimes lead to a longer wait time. But, this is all done in the best interest of your safety. So, just remember the next time you drop by the pharmacy, follow these tips. You’ll save yourself from grief and frustration, and we’ll get you home in no time.

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