The iMac gave me a scare after I had backed it up. I restarted it to complete some installations, and it did not start. I pressed the button on the back, it did not start. I tried the keyboard command, it did not start. I walked away. A little later I came back and unplugged it from the power bar, moved the computer desk over near an outlet, and plugged it directly into the outlet. It started up as soon as I touched the start button on the back. The power bar was dead. I guess they wear out easily, the computer is older than the power bar.
This morning we received a deluge of rain. The work we had done on our foundation did its magic, no leaks, nary a one. By early afternoon the rain had abated, and I struck out on my daily walk. A jogger who passed me commented, “Nice April weather we are having!” we both laughed.
There was another unpleasantness at the drug store today when I went to pick up my prescription. The pharmacist asked me what other medication I was taking, so I told him, although it should have been in his computer. He fetched a form and wrote it all down, then asked me to sign it. I looked at it, it was funded by the Ontario government, it was called MedCheck, but I didn’t know what that was. I had to insist that the pharmacist add my allergen to the allergy list. This guy has been dealing with this issue with me for more than a week. It should be in their system, but it is not. He did not add it to their computer, but scribbled in the name of my allergen on the form. I felt the way he dealt with it was slipshod.
The form seemed harmless so I signed it.
When I got home I researched MedCheck, and discovered that it is supposed to be a 30 minute interview with a pharmacist, who will record all pertinent data about the medications you take, your medical conditions and any allergies you might have.
This was no 30 minute interview, it was less than two minutes and at no time did I have any clear idea what we were doing. I noticed then that the form he filled out did not mention that my allergy is fatal, he had left the reaction space blank.
Back to the drug store to get the form filled in correctly. When arrived at the counter with the form, before I could speak, he asked me if I wanted to cancel it. Alarm bells went off, how screwed up could this actually get! This is a life threatening issue for me. If he couldn’t fill in the form correctly to start with, what would happen if he tried to cancel it? Was he behaving in this way deliberately? It was beginning to seem that way. So I declined the offer to cancel and asked that he amend the form. The word “amend” was unknown to him, or so he said, so I had to explain that it meant correct the form. He scribbled in anaphylactic shock, but did not correct the computer file.
That was the last straw.
I asked myself, “Is this guy playing some sort of head game?”
This was the same fellow that advised me that if I wanted to know if my allergen was in a medication, that I would have to “try it”. What part of anaphylactic shock does this fella not understand! Yep, if I try it and I die, well, that would mean the allergen is in the medication. Yep, that sure does answer the question, definitely. Whatever his problem is, I want nothing more to do with him.
I went directly from talking to him to another drug store in town. I had to wait quite a while in line, and I took it as a sign. The woman in front of me was responsible for someone with Alzheimer’s, and the woman behind the counter was helping her figure what to do about medications. I was very impressed with the concern, respect, and knowledge level of the staff person. When my turn came, I requested that my prescriptions be transferred to this new drug store. The employee was just as helpful to me, as I had seen her with the customer in front of me. The catch is that the fees here are $6.11 per prescription, which is not a competitive rate at all. But as Attila says, it is a small price to pay for peace of mind, and if these people are as good as I hope they are, they will have earned it. When I got back to my vehicle my whole body slumped, as I let the relief flow through me. What a nightmare this has been!
There will be hurdles to jump to get my medication mess figured out, the new prescription isn’t quite right, and the safety of the products sold at the new drug store will have to be evaluated, and substitutions made if needed, even if it means having to apply to the government for special consideration. But I am very confident that when it comes time to jump the hurdles, the team at the new pharmacy will be on my side.
I miss the pharmacist we had in the country, he was a gem. Come to think of it, all the people who worked at that pharmacy were excellent. Doing a good job meant a lot to them, and it showed.
I drove home carefully, knowing that I was upset and exhausted. As the car approached the house, there was Attila waiting for me in the driveway, smiling at my return. He was supposed to be sleeping so that he can work all night, but he was concerned about me, so he couldn’t sleep. It was so wonderful to see him there!
As frustrating as today was, it ended with a good decision, and the distinct hint of a light at the end of tunnel.
Attila went back to bed and slept soundly, he is sleeping still.
Worldly Distractions
Weather
8°C
Date: 7:00 PM EST Wednesday 3 February 2016
Condition: Not observed
Pressure: 100.4 kPa
Tendency: rising
Temperature: 7.5°C
Dewpoint: 5.3°C
Humidity: 85%
Wind: SSW 31 gust 41 km/h
Quote
“It takes in reality only one to make a quarrel. It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favour of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion.”
William Ralph Inge
1860 – 1954
The notification software would not allow me to send my email to those who receive email notices, because I am allowed one mailing day, and I used it this morning. I will try to remember to send it out in the morning, but knowing my memory…
Found it anyway. 🙂
I do hope the medication business gets sorted quickly. It sounds as if that first pharmacist needs to have his license investigated.
Hi Wendy!
I’ve met people like him before, passive aggressive bullies, they push things just to the limit, then retreat smiling once they have caused a reaction. Because I have a vulnerability, I am a target for this personality type. It is rare though, that they are in a position to upset me. This guy will meet his nemesis, it just won’t be me, I am bailing. The thing is, after his success with me, he will be bolder with his next victim, and perhaps a little bit careless. What goes around comes around.
There must be some governing agency you can report him to. Does he own the store? I know that we reported our old pharmacist to the store manager, then to the corporate office. She caused problems with our script transfers. I find it funny that the same prescription can be a different price “next door”. Even in the States where there is some price regulation, and with the same insurance!
How welcoming of Attila to be waiting. Isn’t nice when partners do that small thing for us?
Lee Ann, I am sure there is a governing agency. He is an employee, but I suspect he is a relative of the owner. I have spent enough time wrangling with his personality, I won’t waste any more of my short enough life span dealing with his problems. The staff there know, they just look at the floor when he is fiddling about. It is a sad situation, but I am not spending my precious life force righting it, I just want out.
The fee for dispensing is set by the government, and it is $6.11 cents for my plan. Drug stores compete by lowering this cost, but the quality of service suffers. I will pay less than $100 a years for dispensing fees, as long as I don’t get sick. It is worth $100 a year to be free of the profit focus. The drug store I moved to focuses on employing local people, and paying them a living wage, something I can support.
It was lovely to have Attila waiting! It is the little things, isn’t it, that improve the quality of life!
Wow. I don’t take any meds so I never have these experiences. Paul does, but he hasn’t had any problems. He gets his prescriptions at our (former) supermarket, Stop & Shop (they are priced too high for groceries now so we use Market Basket) but S&S is only 1/4th mile up the road so it’s convenient for his meds.
That pharmacist needs to be reported… maybe by letter to someone.
Wow! It is terrible that that completely uncaring lazy jerk should be allowed to put people’s lives in risk. I’m glad you found a better drugstore!
Bex, this is the first time I have ever had this much trouble with a drug store pharmacist. The drug store near our country house was great, and very accommodating.
I know he should be reported, but I just can’t see my way clear for spending the time, since it upsets me to the core. I would rather someone without a life-threatening condition go after the jerk, He will trip up somewhere down the line. I briefly looked for a manager to contact, but there was only a posted name and no contact information, it was a chain drug store, Shoppers Drug Mart, they are all over the place here and the drug store section is a franchise. I have to chose my battles, and this one is not for me.
Joan, I am hoping that he slips up with someone powerful, then it won’t take much to take much effort on their part to see that he is dealt with.
As it is, I am perceived as an hysterical woman, because I get sooooo upset when someone tells me to play Russian Roulette with my medication. The situation calls for someone with a cool head and determination. I am far too emotional about dying to approach this rationally. The feeling of betrayal is just too strong.
I have found a better drug store, I hope, but time will tell. I was a bit emotional when I went in, which may not have gone down well. If here is a problem I will keep looking for another pharmacist. There are hundreds within driving distance, it will be a matter of trial and error. Hopefully the new one will work out fine.
The next person he does this to, Maggie, might take his advice, consume the medication, and die. I hope you will find a way to stop that from happening, even if it’s an unholy challenge for you. Maybe in a few days you’ll feel up to it. What a prick!
You make an excellent point Kate. It is on my mind. It remains to be seen if I can muster the strength to tackle this one. Perhaps once I am well out of his clutches I will feel differently, but for now I need to push forward with what I need to survive. I am one small human error away from the end, I have to keep focused on my own welfare, to keep my chops up looking out for myself, first and foremost. It is quite possible there are another few rounds to go with this individual.
The guy is a piece of work.