Lockup Doc

Very true. It’s like there’s an imaginary cone of silence – we certainly all behave like we can’t be heard. We probably see it as anonymous – but of course it often isn’t: ” Hi Mr Jones, here’s your olanzapine”.

I agree there’s a need for more privacy at the pharmacy.

Excellent observation. I have had many embarrassing moments such as these and i tend to speak up, but not always, if someone makes me uncomfortable. Of course i get the mean glares from others when i do as if i was the one who broke an unethical rule though.

Very true. It’s like there’s an imaginary cone of silence – we certainly all behave like we can’t be heard. We probably see it as anonymous – but of course it often isn’t: ” Hi Mr Jones, here’s your olanzapine”.

I agree there’s a need for more privacy at the pharmacy.

Excellent observation. I have had many embarrassing moments such as these and i tend to speak up, but not always, if someone makes me uncomfortable. Of course i get the mean glares from others when i do as if i was the one who broke an unethical rule though.

And yes, i agree a private booth of some sort is a great suggestion to eliminate this kind of humiliation.

And yes, i agree a private booth of some sort is a great suggestion to eliminate this kind of humiliation.

Wow! Great post! I was just thinking that the other day. I went to the pharmacy and this young man was getting a prep kit for a lower GI study. How did I know this? Because the girl behind the pharmacy held it up and twirled it around in her hands in front of the guy and made a “little joke” about it. Then proceeded to tell him what to do for it.

I thought you idiot. This is a young man. This probably isn’t for a screening. Something is wrong and this person and he is not feeling well. So you just humiliate him.

I should have spoke up about it to them after he left. I regret I didn’t.

Wow! Great post! I was just thinking that the other day. I went to the pharmacy and this young man was getting a prep kit for a lower GI study. How did I know this? Because the girl behind the pharmacy held it up and twirled it around in her hands in front of the guy and made a “little joke” about it. Then proceeded to tell him what to do for it.

I thought you idiot. This is a young man. This probably isn’t for a screening. Something is wrong and this person and he is not feeling well. So you just humiliate him.

I should have spoke up about it to them after he left. I regret I didn’t.

Not a screening over 50 I mean, and I meant to say something is obviously wrong and the man was already not feeling well.

Not a screening over 50 I mean, and I meant to say something is obviously wrong and the man was already not feeling well.

I agree with the privacy concerns but even worse is the entire pharmacy system. The cranky clerks, the waiting in line, the medication that is never ready even when you have waited hours and then you are told it isn’t covered by your insurance and will cost $368.00 for a handful of pills. The entire process is broken. I went to the DMV last week (yes, the DMV!) and they had a more streamlined system than my local pharmacy(s). This is one area where competition seems not to have worked!

I agree with the privacy concerns but even worse is the entire pharmacy system. The cranky clerks, the waiting in line, the medication that is never ready even when you have waited hours and then you are told it isn’t covered by your insurance and will cost $368.00 for a handful of pills. The entire process is broken. I went to the DMV last week (yes, the DMV!) and they had a more streamlined system than my local pharmacy(s). This is one area where competition seems not to have worked!

Thanks to all of you for your comments–interesting!

Dr. Brayer–it’s interesting that you mention the “entire pharmacy system”–it certainly does leave a lot to be desired. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it compared with the DMV, though, especially where the DMV came out ahead.

Thanks to all of you for your comments–interesting!

Dr. Brayer–it’s interesting that you mention the “entire pharmacy system”–it certainly does leave a lot to be desired. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it compared with the DMV, though, especially where the DMV came out ahead.

Guess I’ve been lucky. I’ve been very happy with the privacy at both my old and new pharmacies. They each have a line taped to the floor about ten feet from the pharmacy counter, and a sign saying, “For patient privacy, please wait here.” I’ve never overheard what was told other patients and doubt that others have heard any of my conversations with the pharmacy staff. One time I had kids with me when filing a new script, and the pharmacist suggested a place for the kids to go sit where they wouldn’t overhear when he taught me about the new med.

Guess I’ve been lucky. I’ve been very happy with the privacy at both my old and new pharmacies. They each have a line taped to the floor about ten feet from the pharmacy counter, and a sign saying, “For patient privacy, please wait here.” I’ve never overheard what was told other patients and doubt that others have heard any of my conversations with the pharmacy staff. One time I had kids with me when filing a new script, and the pharmacist suggested a place for the kids to go sit where they wouldn’t overhear when he taught me about the new med.

Hi Warmsocks–thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you’ve had a more positive experience than many others. My pharmacy (let’s just say the name starts with the letter “W”) has a line also, but it’s not nearly far enough back from the counter for privacy. And like I said, the drive-through lane really isn’t private, either. I think if we were talking about a medical clinic here instead of a pharmacy, this sloppiness about privacy wouldn’t be allowed to continue…

Hi Warmsocks–thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you’ve had a more positive experience than many others. My pharmacy (let’s just say the name starts with the letter “W”) has a line also, but it’s not nearly far enough back from the counter for privacy. And like I said, the drive-through lane really isn’t private, either. I think if we were talking about a medical clinic here instead of a pharmacy, this sloppiness about privacy wouldn’t be allowed to continue…

My pharmacy also has the “privacy” line. It needs to be set back about 10 more feet if it is to work. Even then, there is product on the shelves that protrude into the “privacy” zone, so if someone is looking at products on the shelf, they are going to hear your conversation with the pharm tech. Recently, my large chain drugstore that begins with the letter “R” and ends with the letter “D” made a small room available for pharmacist consultations. I think they carved it out of the storage or break-room area.

The private room is all well and good, but when I recently brought in a prescription for an OLD, generic medication and found out it would have cost me $60+ for a one-month supply, I left immediately and brought it to “W” (the superstore) where it cost me $7 for a THREE-month supply. It’s a very unpleasant environment and it’s jammed with people at all times… there really is no privacy and it’s out of my comfort zone when it comes to the neighborhood it’s in, but I am willing to put up with this to save $159 every 3 months. This left me feeling as though I had been severely ripped off by my original pharmacy… probably for many years.

And I agree with you that this sloppiness over privacy would not be permitted in a medical clinic. I have often wondered why pharmacies are held to a different (lesser) standard. It could be because they’re also selling magazines, diapers and milk… I don’t know.

I will also add that I think PBMs (Pharmacy Benefit Managers) are a HUGE problem on multiple levels, but I’ll leave it at that because I doubt you or your readers would appreciate a tome.

My pharmacy also has the “privacy” line. It needs to be set back about 10 more feet if it is to work. Even then, there is product on the shelves that protrude into the “privacy” zone, so if someone is looking at products on the shelf, they are going to hear your conversation with the pharm tech. Recently, my large chain drugstore that begins with the letter “R” and ends with the letter “D” made a small room available for pharmacist consultations. I think they carved it out of the storage or break-room area.

The private room is all well and good, but when I recently brought in a prescription for an OLD, generic medication and found out it would have cost me $60+ for a one-month supply, I left immediately and brought it to “W” (the superstore) where it cost me $7 for a THREE-month supply. It’s a very unpleasant environment and it’s jammed with people at all times… there really is no privacy and it’s out of my comfort zone when it comes to the neighborhood it’s in, but I am willing to put up with this to save $159 every 3 months. This left me feeling as though I had been severely ripped off by my original pharmacy… probably for many years.

And I agree with you that this sloppiness over privacy would not be permitted in a medical clinic. I have often wondered why pharmacies are held to a different (lesser) standard. It could be because they’re also selling magazines, diapers and milk… I don’t know.

I will also add that I think PBMs (Pharmacy Benefit Managers) are a HUGE problem on multiple levels, but I’ll leave it at that because I doubt you or your readers would appreciate a tome.

Also, it would be great if you would email a link to this page to the customer service people listed on the big pharmacy company web pages. It might do some good!

Also, it would be great if you would email a link to this page to the customer service people listed on the big pharmacy company web pages. It might do some good!