Reader Beth writes in to share her mom’s recent experience with a Walgreen’s pharmacist:
Last week my mom told me about the unfortunate experience she had at Walgreen’s. She had recently switched to a new antidepressant and when she came down with a cold was concerned about taking OTC cold medicine with it.
She went to the pharmacy counter and asked the pharmacist (at least she assumed it was the pharmacist, they were wearing the lab coat) if it was safe to take cold medicine with the Effexor. The pharmacist replied that they didn’t know. Not exactly a helpful answer, but I am sure there was a valid reason they couldn’t answer the question. What happened next was disturbing. My mom then asked if it would be ok to skip her Effexor for a day, so she could take the cold medicine without worrying. The pharmacist responded that “If you don’t take that Effexor no one will want to be within 25 ft of you.”
Now my mom isn’t ashamed of her depression, can laugh about it and is comfortable talking about. But this made her extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable about using the pharmacy. My mom is not dangerously depressed, but this pharmacist should have known better than to say this to a depressed person. You never know how unstable a person is. My mom chose not to complain, but I thought this was an example of how one employee can really alienate a customer.
Thanks,
Beth
That pharmacist was an unprofessional jerk! We want to hang out with your Mom no matter what. Give her a big hug from the Consumerist.
(Photo:meghannmarco)
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You HAVE to believe someone if they are wearing a ‘White Lab Coat’ – remember “Dinosaurs”??
“NOT THE MAMA!!!” (BAM!)
“You do that again, I’ll throw you across the room!”
I say the pharmacist didn’t go far enough.
“If you don’t take these pills, nobody will ever love you ever again.”
That oughta help cure the depression!
And because I know there are some thickies out there on the internet… lets play a game! It is called “Find the Sarcasm.”
I am a Certified Pharmacy Technician, and I know that pharmacy techs can wear labcoats too. What they CAN’T do is counsel you about drugs. In Texas, if you ask a pharmacy tech for a recommendation for an OTC pain reliever, he or she has to get the pharmcist to answer your question. I believe that is the case in every state. Plenty of techs break this law, but they shouldn’t. So either way, Beth’s mother should report the incident to Walgreen’s corporate and probably to the state board, since she didn’t get the answer to an important question which probably could have been answered by perusing the information on the drug that comes stapled to the bag. It’s a the pharmacist’s job to answer your questions, and pharmacists who don’t do their jobs should find another career.
Please, encourage your mom to talk to a manager, write a letter, and file a complaint with your state’s Pharmacy Board.
I can’t begin to imagine how hard it was to hear that, and for some people, I’m sure they would stop taking their medications.
Also, consider going elsewhere. Walgreens pharmacy seems to attract the worst sorts of people.
I’ve personally had awesome luck with Target – they always take a moment and find the answer to any question I’ve had, and have never messed up a pharmacy order, whereas I cannot say either is true with Walgreens.
Yesterday I (an American) was in a discussion (with an American) how Americans don’t react well to rude comments or personal criticism… Confirmed.
This reminds me of the time, years ago, when I went to the bookstore and was checking out with a pile of self-help titles along the lines of, “How to not be batshit crazy”, and “So, you’re almost agoraphobic? How to be normal”. The woman at the counter hassled me about filling out one of those discount card things… I told her no and she got all snippy with me. I remember thinking, can’t you see the types of books I’m getting? Can’t you see that I don’t really need your hassles? ugh
@johnarlington: I think the locals can be hit and miss. I love my local pharmacy — not only do they take the time to explain how to take the drugs and any side effects, but they actually do care about their customers. More times than I could count, I’ve had prescription issues due to DR and Insurance screwups and they’ve always offered to give me three days worth of medicine to get me through until everything gets straightened out. They don’t charge me, and just take it out of the final count when I come back when all is settled.
I know that I can get my generics cheaper at Target at times, but I’ll keep going back to my local pharmacy due to their great customer service.
@rochec: You should really peruse the other comments… the *job* of a pharmacist is to be that expert on drugs and drug interactions.
[en.wikipedia.org]
Not defending the “pharmacist” but as an FYI, the withdrawal symptoms from Effexor are extreme. I’ve been on it for anxiety for months now, missing one dose usually gives flu-like symptoms along with muscle pain. It also gives some central nervous system issues, my doctor calls them “zips and zings”, Effexor messes with your chemical receptors different from Prozac or Zoloft, so your spacial receptors end up being influenced. Wonderful drug eh :-
Just a few words.
I’m a manger at one of their stores. You should have talk to the manger he would have taken care of the issue. Somethings the Pharmacy manger is on and they will take of a issue that a Pharmacy tech is causing. At one of the Pharmacy windows ask for the pharmacist. They are never near the register. I hope this never happens to you again
Oh please, so we are taking the mad rantings of this women seriously? Sounds like she got the right answer.
@darkinfero:
sometimes
duck…duck…duck…PHARMACIST
@chemicalx9:
I don’t have a dim view. If you are a pharmacist, you should know full well the risks of telling random people what they can and cannot take. I’m not saying that pharmacists don’t know anything by any means, there are plenty of very knowledgeable ones. The point is a person should be asking their doctor what they can and cannot take together. A pharmacist doesn’t know a thing about their medical history or whatever medications they may be taking.
@ionerox:
Thanks for the pointless, smart ass reply. They can know all they want about the medications, it’s the patient they should be concerned with.
The Walgreens I went to was exceptionally nice, then I moved, and the Walgreens nearest to me out here is terrible. I told them that I had switched insurance, and to take the previous one off of my record and SURPISE! I get a bill about 6 months later for all the prescriptions that the pharmacist decided to charge to the defunct insurance because it was “less exepensive”. Whaaaaaat???
And that was the end of that chapter.
To the OP – ignore the advice that not taking Effexor for one day will be OK.
I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on television. If I miss my daily Effexor, I’m in a world of hurt. Heck, if I’m off by 4-5 hours I can feel the bad effects. The drug in Effexor has a half-life of I believe 6 hours, this means that by the time for your next dose a day later, there’s very little left in your system. (again, I’m not a doctor)
That said, it doesn’t excuse the Walgreens staff from their actions. In the future, make sure you are talking to the pharmacist, it is usually indicated on their name badge. You can get a Pharmacy Tech job with a 16 week course in some places – these people are authorized to count pills, not much else.
They will have several huge books behind the counter that list drug interactions – Though I would stop trusting that pharmacist if they reply “I don’t know”, you should be able to ask if it’s in the drug interactions book.
Our state has laws on what the drug company representatives can do as far as influencing physicians. Physicians have to attend a many hours of CME (Continuing Medical Education) each year to stay on top of new procedures and new drugs.
As far as generics and substitutions, that’s a case were the physician should work with the patient directly. There are programs for doctors to look up what drugs are covered by particular insurers; my wife has it in her EHR (Electronic Health Record) software, and on her Palm Pilot. If your doctors don’t have up to date EER you may want to start looking for a new doctor for this and other reasons.
Walgreens tends to be one of the most expensive pharmacies out there, with many insurance companies not covering them specifically. Target and the evil Wal-Mart tend to have lower prices. Costco tends to have among the lowest prices of anyone, and our state does not allow them to exclude non-members from their pharmacy.
A pharmacist will look up anything you need, if only to protect against lawsuits. If you have questions, ask the pharmacist (make sure it is a pharmacist). If you don’t get an answer you like call your doctors and go to another pharmacy.
Kevin
[velcroman98.googlepages.com]
Something like this happened to me at CVS. The corporate office loves to hear about this kind of faux pas. And then a learning experience can be had by the asshat that treated the ‘customer’ that way.
I think beth is being a sensitive drama queen.
As evidenced by the fact that her mom didn’t even care all that much. Beth, stop being an oversensitive dramatic little girl and start being a woman. People suck, get accustomed to it, move on and stop writing letters to everyone that steps on your toes. Again, this is something your mom realized and a reason why you should continue to learn from her.
Can someone PLEASE explain to me how this joke/insult is different than the one with the WalMart employee below, and why the comments are so goddamn different?!?
I’m really not seeing a difference in the stories – a paying customer was insulted. In one story, we get a battle over what constitutes a sense of humor and why we should all conform to the lowest societal standards, and in another story we get consumer outrage and mocking of a career choice.
I haven’t graphed which commenters appear in both threads and what their take on each situation is, but I’m seriously wondering WTH!?
amen…I lived in Phoenix for 11 years and had sinus infections almost constantly, as did one of my daughters. Her ENT actually said “she’s allergic to Phoenix” Apparently it was mainly the olive trees we both had problems with, but the dust is horrible as well. And we both have allergies to evergreen pollen which blows everywhere during the monsoons..Maybe 50 years ago Phoenix was the place to go for allergies, but not anymore..Probably due to overbuilding and people insisting that they want their native plants to grow in Phoenix (um, it’s a desert people) Moved back to Maryland sinus infections are way down…@SoCalGNX:
I have a friend who has worked as a Walgreens Pharm Tech for quite a while. She has told me about the extensive quality of their pharmacy database and why she thinks pharmacists are overpaid. All they have to do is refer to this database because they don’t have to recall anything they learned getting the degree. Even if this “pharmacists” didn’t know the answer to the question, Walgreens pharmacy database would have given them the information necessary to make a claim not just being rude to the customer.
I can’t really say anything bad about Walgreens because my dad’s a manager there (and he’s taken all the pharmacy tech tests, photo counter training, etc. so he’s a jack of all trades there).
But as far as Effexor goes…I wouldn’t skip a day on it. I used to be on Effexor and if I missed a dose, my body went through HORRIBLE withdrawals. When I finally forced myself off it, I was in withdrawal for over a month.
I’m on Lexapro now and have missed a dose here and there without any ill effects. Effexor is just unsafe in any circumstance.
If her mom wanted a real and valid answer she should have called her primary care physician, not talked to Walgreens staff. This is exactly how people end up hurting themselves. It takes two seconds to make that call. Most clinics utilize a computer program called Lexi-Interact (or similar) that scans through and checks for possible negative drug interactions. People really need to stop questioning unreliable sources when it’s their health.
Additionally, if someone had said this to me I would have laughed hysterically. I do think she’s overreacting. But if she called her PCP she wouldn’t have had to deal with this and she would have gotten the correct answer. So it’s her own fault for asking an underpaid retail pharmacy staff member for important medical information. Consider the source here. They are not medical professionals.
As a few have said – and to add another dissenting voice against those who said otherwise – Effexor is NOT something you can just skip here or there without side effects. Someone said it can take a long time for an anti-depressant to be out of your system…maybe as far as a blood test is concerned, but as far as the physical and emotional impact on your body, not true at all. Effexor in particular has pretty harsh side effects if you miss a dose (the main one I experienced was nausea…whee fun). Also, my last boyfriend was annoyingly accurate at being able to tell if I’d skipped a dose based solely on my behavior, within less than 24 hours. It says in all of the medication literature not to skip doses and any doctor worth his salt would say the same thing.
Of course, the pharmacy tech here was a total shithead for saying what he said. He certainly could have gotten the message across in a better way, and I hope his store manager, you know…TAKES IT SERIOUSLY.
The point is a person should be asking their doctor what they can and cannot take together. A pharmacist doesn’t know a thing about their medical history or whatever medications they may be taking.
@rochec:
1) The pharmacist does know all of the medications you’re taking because they ask. If they don’t ask you should be telling them.
2) You don’t have to know anyone’s medical history to be able to tell them whether or not drug A reacts badly with drug B. For example: St. John’s Wart and antibiotics reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills. That’s true no matter what health problems you do or don’t have. A doctor might not know this but a pharmacist shoult.
If he didn’T know he probably wasn’t a pharmacist. Just a random pill counting clerk asshole…
There are so many ways he could’ve said it gently, such as “Your cold will go away by itself, it’s better to just cope with the symptoms than to skip a vital medicine no matter what.”
Another case of someone overreacting to a statement made by someone else…grow some thicker skin. If something like this traumatizes you and makes you upset, you need to take your Effexor, because I don’t want to be within 25 feet of you.
The problem is not about whether or not a pharmacy tech should have been commenting on drug interactions or whether or not missing effexor doses will make you turn into a frothing animal. The problem is that someone in a retail store said a completely rude thing to a customer, seemingly with no provocation.
That’s wrong. However, I do not believe that retail staff should have to deal with crap from customers, either. My partner used to work at OfficeMax and every so often, there’d be someone who was basically belligerent and after a while, you just have to say, “Your attitude isn’t helping you.”
Unprofessional for certain, but probably 100% accurate.
Can someone PLEASE explain to me how this joke/insult is different than the one with the WalMart employee below…
@That70sHeidi:
It’s not different.
…and why the comments are so goddamn different?!?
Apparently none of the commentors have anything against people with depression.
Another case of someone overreacting…
@Saboth: How is this an overreaction? Suddenly sending an e-mail to Consumerist is going overboard?
If you don’t want to read about people complaining about poor customer service you are at the wrong web site.
I went off Effexor abruptly because I ran out of medicine on a trip once. Worst idea ever. The lab tech (who should not have made that comment) was probably right. I broke out into sweats, I had a fever, I had tremors…you don’t go off this stuff unless you’re under a doctor’s supervision. Period.
I really don’t understand why common courtesy and being treated politely, if not with respect, is such an alien freaking concept any more. Why is this attitude to “stop whining” when you’re treated poorly?
I’m also really disappointed in people’s apparent willingness to let these behaviors pass as being a joke, or needing thick skin. It’s not nice, or funny, or appropriate to be insulted, even jokingly, whether in public or in private.
Disgusting, both the story and the comments
@Saboth: Talk about overreacting. No one said they were “traumatized”, just that it was an inappropriate thing to say. Is it so much to want employees to be polite to their customers?
@Rectilinear Propagation:
I wasn’t referring to A and B. I’m talking about C or D or an allergy. Anything a pharmacist might not know.
Obviously some things are pretty basic and don’t need a knowledge of any history. The funny thing is the supposed tech was right. As inappropriate as their comment was, you shouldn’t be asking them about stopping medications or for much more than info about a specific medication. That’s what doctors are for.
A lot of pharmacists can’t even tell you what to put on poison ivy. By no means do I think pharmacists are some idiotic group, but this is your body you are dealing with. Not having a doctor who can answer all of these questions is pretty stupid and relying on some person behind a counter that you don’t know in any form is a bad choice.
@SoCalGNX: “Moving to Arizona will not help your allergies. The pollen from the desert plants is as bad or worse than any other place”
It depends. Often you are most allergic to the pollens where you grew up, which your immune system got pissed off at early on. (Though sometimes to somewhere else’s pollens, as I discovered when I moved to NC.) It depends on what, specifically, you are allergic to. And the dry desert air often helps allergy symptoms FEEL less-bad, even if you’re still reacting.
When I moved to London I wasn’t allergic to a damned thing and it was fanfuckingtastic, even though my boogers turned black from the diesel fuel emissions. I find Arizona/New Mexico reasonably good for my allergies; I’m just not allergic to much down there. North Carolina, on the other hand, I turn into a ball of phlegm the minute I step off the plane.
@snead: “I don’t think you can generalize this to the chain though”
Yeah, I have a fanTAStic pharmacist at my local Walgreens, with a very service-oriented tech staff. I choose them over every other pharmacy in town. But that’s the point — my LOCAL Walgreens. I’ve certainly been to Walgreenses(?) where the pharmacy was apparently run by very angry semi-literate monkeys.
@Trump48257: I apologize to the doctors that are ethical and truly put the patients first. It’s unfortunate but many people that I know and I have experienced the ‘lazy physician’ that immediately assumes that certain symptoms equal a certain condition–in fact a close relative of mine just passed away because of a doctor’s blatant misdiagnosis.
It’s difficult to keep up with all of the updated information that continually comes out in the medical field but there are several doctors that just stop keeping their knowledge up to date. A shame, really, when not so intelligent people completely trust their health in the hands of someone who doesn’t really care. Finding a doctor that works hard throughout his career is rare and definitely worth keeping.
That isn’t to say that all pharmacists are saints; there are plenty of lazy ones in that profession as well.
A word of warning about using the corner local drugs store. If both you and his locations get blown away by some natural disaster and you did not take your meds with you and your’s may have no access for possibly some time. At least with the big guy if you get relocated to Timbuktu it in the computer system.
Now try talking to a pharmacist with Walgreens mail service, good luck, they make it nearly impossibe. Unfortunately with my drug plan its the only option for long term maintenance drugs.
@bohemian: I’ve never had a problem with Walgreens before. There is generally only one pharmacist on site at any one point, so you’re more likely to actually talk to their technicians. If you have a bad experience with a technician ask to speak with the pharmacist. If it was the pharmacist you should talk to the Store Manager.
am i the only here who enjoys that Beth’s mother can laugh at her depression? i’m loving it. it’s got to be one of the best oxymorons i’ve read/heard.
* no offense intended. just loving the wording.
People, c’mon. If someone insults you to your face, do you normally all just sit there and take it up the ass? Because really, I’ve seen quite a few posts where someone said something completely rude and inappropriate, and although the initial reaction is always shock, there’s never a follow up reaction, such as:
I GUESS YOU FORGOT TO TAKE YOUR ANTI-DOUCHE MEDICINE TODAY BECAUSE IM DETECTING HIGH LEVELS OF DOUCHEBAGGERY IN THIS AREA
WELL, I DON’T SEE ANYONE ELSE WITHIN 25 FT OF YOU, SO THAT MUST MEAN YOU FORGOT TO TAKE YOUR ANTI-DOUCHE MEDICATION
GOOD THING I TOOK MY EFFEXOR TODAY. THAT WAY I CAN GET NICE AND CLOSE TO YOU WHILE I BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU
or some other appropriate response. You can’t just let people get away with this crap or it will continue and continue, and they’ll never realize what a terrible douche they are until a picture of them pops up on the internet with a motivational blurb about not being a douche.
Also, I’ve taken quite a few anti-depressants (none worked, so I switched around a lot before giving up), and the withdrawal can be absolutely terrible. Perhaps that’s what he was talking about, but there are better ways to say “well, it might really suck because of the withdrawal” than what he said.
In all fairness to the Walgreens pharmacist unless you have taken effexor you have no idea what they meant…
I have been on effexor for 2 years now and I can tell you that if I even take my next pill an hour late I will suffer horrendous withdrawals. My eyes feel strained and I get incredibly irritable.
Google effexor withdrawals and you will find endless testimonials as to just how yucky it can make you feel.
I feel pretty confident that that is what they meant. Most Pharmacists have been informed of this side effect and have been very sensitive with me on many occasions. For instance I had failed to pick up my prescription on time and had to suffer through a full work day without my meds. The withdrawals were almost unbearable as I tried to complete the excel spread sheet I was working on. By the time I got to Walgreens I was so over it. I voiced my frustration to the pharmacist and they kindly sympathized and encouraged me to drive safe. Was I offended? No. Am I crazy and insecure? No… Sadly my meds just make me a bit of a wack-a-doo when I don’t take them on time and the educated Pharmacist knew how I must feel.
@burgundyyears:
Re: consult your Dr vs your pharmacist:
You have it ass-backwards. A pharmacist is educated in pharmaceuticals i.e. drugs. Physicians receive their contemporary drug-knowledge mostly from pharmaceutical reps/salespersons; they are not as informed about contraindications as are pharmacists.
That you had “advice” from a Walgreen’s assclown is not a reason to discount the ability of a qualified pharmacist to advise you wisely.
The advice to Google the drug in question is a good one, BTW. (This sometimes results in scary information.)
-E
What a total asshole. Having been on anti-depressants for post-partum depression, I have an idea where your mom’s coming from. Depression is never made better by being insulted
I would have paused for a moment, insulted and shocked and hurt… then I would have started sobbing about how he’d hurt my feelings until he apologized profusely. (Nah, not really, but I would have wanted to do something to hit him in the gut like he’d hit me.)
While she didn’t complain at the time, I suggest she write a strong letter of complaint to Walgreens corporate and to that store; it will probably make her feel better on top of alerting them to their jerk employee. Also, switch all your prescriptions to a different pharmacy as soon as possible. Even a pharmacy tech should be able to respond with an explanation of WHY they can’t help (a simple “we’ll need to ask the pharmacist about that” too much work?) instead of dismissing a customer’s important question.
Oh, and she shouldn’t just go off the meds without discussing with the doctor (talk to a pharmacist about drug interactions, but a doctor about actually taking a prescription). When I was weaning myself off the Zoloft completely, I was a bit of a mess and had really bad dizzy spells for a week while my brain adjusted. (People did come within 25 feet of me, but I couldn’t drive while the world was wobbling.)
@stre:
Good on you! I’m a depressive, yet I can see the humour in my bursting into tears at the opening of a K-Mart….
- E
As someone who took Effexor for a long time, and went through the terrible “brain zaps” and withdrawal [I'm sorry, I meant "sudden discontinuation syndrome"] from coming off of it, I will have to agree with the pharmacist.
This isn’t the pharmacist saying she will be terribly depressed because she comes off the meds, but is warning her of the severe consequences of missing a day of effexor. She won’t want to be within 25 feet of herself, much less other people.
While it was a bad way of saying it, the pharmacist is totally correct.
Wait…has anyone blamed the customer for this one yet?
My advice: If you have insurance, switch to a small, local pharmacy. Much nicer people, more personal attention, shorter wait time, and some even deliver. Prices tend to be a wee bit more expensive, but if you’re insured, your insurance will usually eat the added expense (you’ll have the same co-pay). And you certainly won’t get lip like this from them.
In all honesty, this seems to be the best solution for most of the corporate consumer woes posted to this site: avoid big chains like the plague.