Is working as a pharmacy tech really hard?

[crazybob]

I could have convinced her with the price tag

Isn't it kinda rare to find an OTC drug that is cheaper than an insurance co-pay if the claim goes through?

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[rxlea]

Isn't it kinda rare to find an OTC drug that is cheaper than an insurance co-pay if the claim goes through?

I wasn't aware that Clarinex was OTC. I thought only Claritin is OTC. Many insurances don't cover Clarinex and, if they do, the copay will be a Brand drug copay (usually around 20-30 dollars, sometimes more).

EDIT: of course I have been in hospital pharmacy for over 3 years now so I might be out of the loop on the retail side of things.

 

[johnconner]

Truth is a lot of times it is the tech's fault whenever there is a problem. But why are you scaring yourself before you even try... all of the reasons you listed are pretty dumb.

I have to disagree. A lot of times it's the customer who does not understand their own insurance plan.

IE: They don't understand what a deductible is. They don't understand what a co-pay is or why their co-pay is what it is. They don't understand what a prior auth is. They don't understand what refill too soon is. They think that their insurance automatically updates in our system when they get a new insurance plan.

And when you explain it to them, only two things can happen. 1.) They understand or 2.) They bite off your head.

Just the other day a lady yelled at me and accused me of raising her co-pays. And that apparently I do it all the time. I guess I'll have to tell my techs to stop raising customer co-pays.

 

[exsomnis]

No, Clarinex is still an RX.

The only time I've seen copays cheaper than its OTC counterpart are the times they cover omeprazole 20mg for a generic copay, or lansoprazole. Even then some insurance companies still charge a brand copay because an OTC version is available. It's more expensive if the MD wanted omeprazole 40mg or lansoprazole 30mg, since only 20mg and 15mg (respectively) are available OTC for those medications so they have to buy twice as much.

 

[crazybob]

I wasn't aware that Clarinex was OTC. I thought only Claritin is OTC. Many insurances don't cover Clarinex and, if they do, the copay will be a Brand drug copay (usually around 20-30 dollars, sometimes more).

EDIT: of course I have been in hospital pharmacy for over 3 years now so I might be out of the loop on the retail side of things.

I was comparing Claritin (OTC) with Clarinex.

You said you would show her the price tag for one of them, so I assumed you'd show the price tag for Claritin and compare it with the price for Clarinex.

 

[orthomyxo]

I would have assumed the script had the patient's name on it.

That's just me... and every other tech on the face of the earth.

LOL that was epic.

Really? You would assume that the person dropping off is the person for which the script is written? That's pretty dumb, especially considering that this particular patient specifically told me otherwise...which brings me back to your bright idea of asking for a DOB. Totally useless if we have absolutely no records on file.

 

[NaOH]

Really? You would assume that the person dropping off is the person for which the script is written? That's pretty dumb, especially considering that this particular patient specifically told me otherwise...which brings me back to your bright idea of asking for a DOB. Totally useless if we have absolutely no records on file.

I suppose the best you'd be able to do is set up a dummy profile, go ahead and scan/enter the script, and tell them it'll be ready in XX minutes and that they'll need to contrive to get the patient's info when they come to pick it up. What I would probably do, I guess.

 

[orthomyxo]

Think outside the box. You could've told the known patient to tell the unknown patient to give the pharmacy a call (and gathered that patient's info at that time) and then to bring the unknown patient's insurance card when the prescription is being picked up.

Sure, I could've done that, but this person was waiting for the script in-store and God forbid they have to leave and come back. I mean, c'mon, they almost had a heart attack when I asked them to fill out a fairly brief profile sheet.

 

[ShadowRX]

Really? You would assume that the person dropping off is the person for which the script is written? That's pretty dumb, especially considering that this particular patient specifically told me otherwise...which brings me back to your bright idea of asking for a DOB. Totally useless if we have absolutely no records on file.

Sorry... didn't see the detail about the patient not being in the system before. Gotcha... yeah, once in a blue moon, this happens. No, I wouldn't assume that the patient is the person dropping the script off, because by the time I ask "Has the patient been to a Walgreens in the last 6 months?", I get my answer if they're in the system or not. (Sometimes, yes, some idiots go "Uhh... maybe?" and I go on with the further inquisitions.)

If I haven't seen the patient before, or I don't know the patient on a regular basis, I will ask that question every time.

 

[trung08]

Does anyone know when this school is accepting applications?

 

[charfdorn]

Does anyone know when this school is accepting applications?

I'm fairly certain you're on the wrong thread.