From the other side of the counter, being a pharmacist seems easy enough, right? A doctor calls saying someone needs medicine, so you find the bottle of pills, put it in a bag with the patient’s name on it, and wait for said patient to pick it up.
Of course, that’s not actually the complete—or accurate—job description. There’s much more to being a pharmacist than just pushing pills around, and a lot of it involves dealing with sick, frustrated, or confused people who need medicine to get better. Plus, pharmacists often get caught in the middle between patients, doctor’s offices, and insurance companies. Sounds fun, right?
So in between the prescription filling and phone calls to the insurance companies, is your pharmacist playing Candy Crush or swiping right on Tinder to pass the time? And are they secretly judging you or thinking about your personal life when you go in to pick up a not-so-subtle prescription? (The short answers: no and no.) Here’s what these anonymous pharmacists want their patients to know.
“When the first of the year rolls around and you get a new insurance card, bring that card to the pharmacy. We don’t have a secret portal to look up your new information. You’ll be in and out much quicker if you bring that new card with you.” —Penelope, New York, NY
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, when your doctor said he or she would send your prescription to the pharmacy and told you to go pick it up, they haven’t actually sent the prescription yet. That’s why it’s not ready when you come to pick it up. Call first. Actually, follow up with your doctor first, make sure the script was actually sent, and then call us to see if it’s ready.” —Paige, Bronxville, NY
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“If your medication needs a prior authorization and it’s taking awhile, it’s most likely because your insurance company is waiting for more information from your doctor to make sure this treatment is safe and effective, and that it’ll help you instead of harm you. Follow up with your doctor’s office and make sure they’ve provided all of the appropriate information to your insurance company.” —Emily, Santa Monica, CA
Find out what you MUST do the next time you go to the doctor:
“No, we’re not judging you. Seriously. We may take note of what medication you’re getting, and if we see you frequently, we make take interest in you and ask how you’re feeling or if there’s anything we can do to help. But we’re definitely not judging you, whether you’re picking up your herpes meds or Viagra for your husband.” —Jarron, Chicago, IL
Related: 8 Prescription Meds that Make It Harder to Lose Weight
“Sometimes, I wish I were playing Candy Crush or Bumbling on my phone during work hours. But just like any other job, this one keeps me busy, and my colleagues and I rarely have time to run out for a salad for lunch let alone hide in the aisles perusing dating apps or trying to level up.” —Jacqueline, Missoula, MT
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“If the pharmacy opens at 8 a.m., don’t call at exactly 8 a.m. Do you want to take a phone call the minute you walk into your office?” —Allyson, Portland, OR
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“You just came from your doctor’s office and need to fill a prescription. We know you’ve definitely waited for an hour or more to see your doctor for 15 measly minutes. We feel for you, really we do. But please don’t get mad and yell at us if we’re also busy and tell you your prescription will take an hour. You didn’t yell at your doctor when you had to wait there (right?). We want to get your prescription filled as quickly as we can for you. But ask yourself, do you really want your pharmacist to rush filling your prescription? Or do you want us to do our job and make sure we’re keeping you safe and double-checking everything?” —Sarah, Boston, MA
