'I smiled [and] turned around': Pharmacist gets snappy and denies customer their prescription, gets put in her place when it turns out the doctor is right there

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Oct 5, 2023 11:00 PM EDT

Traveling while on a prescription can be very stressful. You have to make sure you have enough for the amount of time you are gone, and, of course, you have to remember it! When you forget the prescription, however, it's usually not the end of the world because you can simply call your doctor and have them prescribe you more at a pharmacy near wherever you are. 

The thing about pharmacies though, at least in the U.S., is that things tend to get messed up often. Sometimes the script just doesn't go through, maybe your insurance flags it all of a sudden because they don't recognize the pharmacy and now you're over paying by hundreds, etc. So, no matter what, it's stressful.

Unless, apparently, the reason you're traveling is because you're friends with your doctor and you went on a trip with them. That is exactly what happened for this Reddit poster. 

They went traveling and forgot their script. Luckily, the were traveling with their doctor, so they sent the script in. When OP went to go pic it up, the pharmacist was getting snappy. They told them it was in the system, they can't help them, etc. etc. Finally, OP asked what would happen if the doctor was right here and could write the script. The pharmacist said that would work, but didn't seem to believe that was even possible. 

OP smirked, turned around, and called her doctor over who was able to write the script right there. The pharmacist didn't even know what hit 'em! 

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  • 01
    Product - MEDS SudaGest MIX SudoGest SudoGest SudoGest Muonoist DSquare 8 012-
    via Defense Visual Information Distribution Service via picryl
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/Intrepid Quantity760 1 day ago I bring my Doctor with me to the pharmacy. S OC 2
    via u/Intrepid_Quantity760
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    Font - This summer I flew out of state to visit and vacay with an old friend who happens to be a doctor. When I got to his house and unpacked I realized I had forgotten to bring a prescription medicine that I need to take everyday. He said it was no problem and called a prescription in to the pharmacy at Wa**art.
    via u/Intrepid_Quantity760
  • 04
    Font - Then we went out hiking and playing and getting dirty, dressed kinda outdoor scroungy. When we were done playing we went to the pharmacy to pick up my pills. I went to the pharmacy counter while my Dr. buddy stood back 6' behind me. It probably looked like he was the next customer in line behind me.
    via u/Intrepid_Quantity760
  • 05
    Font - Honestly, we both looked kinda grungy from a day of fun. The young lady behind the counter tried to look up my presc. and dismissively said she couldn't find any record of it in their system. period. Frustrated, I sarcastically said, "well if my doctor were standing here could he write this prescription for me?"
    via u/Intrepid_Quantity760
  • 06
    Font - She said "Yes." So I smiled, turned around and motioned to my doctor buddy to come to the counter as I said "well he's right here." He stepped up, identified himself, asked for a prescription pad and wrote out my prescription. Not very malicious but we guessed that that was a first for her.
    via u/Intrepid_Quantity760
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    Font - Individual-Donut-543. 1 day ago Reminds me of something in my family. My dad is a doctor (ob/gyn). My grandma is on oxygen, and needs to have a doctor's note to fly with her oxygen concentration machine.
    via u/Individual-Donut-543 ·
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    Font - Grandma did one trip where she flew one way with one airline, and back with another (multi- stage trip). When we dropped her off at the airport to go home, the check-in person said they couldn't accept the doctor's note because it was written on another airline's letterhead. They said, "This is exactly what we need, just on out letterhead."
    via u/Individual-Donut-543 ·
  • 09
    Font - "So if a doctor hand wrote a note on your stationary, you'd accept it?" I asked. They said yes. "Got any paper?" I asked, then shouted, "Hey Dad, can you come here for a sec?"
    via u/Individual-Donut-543 ·
  • 10
    Font - The airline agent left to go find paper. It took a while, but eventually they returned, Dad wrote a note, and Grandma was able to get her flight.
    via u/Individual-Donut-543 ·
  • 11
    Font - So: official document from my grandma's general practitioner? Unacceptable! Handwritten letter by her OB/GYN son-in-law? Perfect!
    via u/Individual-Donut-543 ·
  • 12
    Font - angmarsilar 23 hr. ago Waiting to get an inhaler for my son late at night. "I'm sorry, but we don't carry the spacer that was ordered by the doctor and we're not allowed to substitute. We tried calling the office, but it's closed now. We can have the spacer in 2 days."
    via u/angmarsilar
  • 13
    Font - You need a new script just for a spacer? Give me a blank pad. It comes in very handy having a license. I have used it from time to time for my family, but fortunately not often.
    via u/angmarsilar
  • 14
    Font - mcdray2 1 day ago I've done this with my wife. It's nice to be married to someone who can write prescriptions.
    via u/mcdray2
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    Font - 1920MCMLibrarian 21 hr. ago Is it legal for a doctor to just write prescriptions for anyone? Vote Reply Share mcdray2 20 hr. ago Yes. They're liable if they prescribe something that ends up being harmful, so they usually won't do it unless they've examined you or at least had a consultation of some kind. ●●
    via u/1920MCMLibrarian
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    Font - Goose_Is_Awesome 21 hr. ago Sometimes the pharmacy DOESN'T get the script, like it literally doesn't send. Or sometimes it does send but not to the right location. Then again, sometimes they're just wary if it's a new patient with a maintenance dose of a control.
    via u/Goose_Is_Awesome
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    Font - It's often so difficult to get in contact with prescribers as well. If it were me behind the counter I'd be legitimately thrilled that the prescriber was actually there and able to write a new rx as it makes life so much easier.
    via u/Goose_Is_Awesome
  • 18
    Font - Medarco 11 hr. ago Professor in pharmacy school told us about the time he took a script on the lid of a pizza box. That would be a great board audit to sit in on.
    via u/Medarco
  • 19
    Rectangle - Legend_Drug 19 hr. ago Peak Reddit is thinking this is some sort of gotcha moment. Believe me the pharmacist was relieved they didn't have to deal with you
    via u/Legend_Drvg

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pharmacy employee failblog doctor stories malicious compliance pharmacist story satsifying pharmacy Reddit pharmacist funny off duty doctor
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