i feel lame for not having much to write about concerning work/pharmacy/stupid people/etc. but it's either been a) so busy at work that the day flies by in a blur after which i come home and pass out only to repeat it the next day or b) so slow i miss the oxycontin addicts who used to fill my days with endless amusement.
i'm assuming everyone else has noticed the downward spiral of oxycontin use. my pharmacist said the other day that it's sad how you can't trust ANYONE to take that medication responsibly - even those patients who i could have sworn were not abusing/selling it have suddenly had it "stop working" for them.
oh! i did get a good laugh the other day. ms. crazypants called to say that her meds had been stolen - but ONLY her controlled meds. she even said "isn't it funny that they didn't take anything else?" yeah. absolutely hilarious. hilarious that you think i would believe you.
is everyone else seeing the price increases for common generic products? like gabapentin, fluticasone, metformin, etc.? what is up with that? the rumor i heard from one of our sales reps was that lisinopril and simvastatin are next to jump up. of course, she could have just been lying to me. like how she lied to me about hyoscyamine so i would buy an entire year's worth only for me to find out the price had dropped a month later. yeah, awesome.
if anyone has news about norgesic forte or midrin, i'd be glad to hear it. we have patients on both meds and idiotic doctors who STILL haven't decided what to prescribe to replace midrin.
enough about the industry talk. it's making me depressed. i've been starting to realize just how much of my brain is dedicated to random pharmacy knowledge that i really couldn't care less about.
the friday five
1. have you ever really lived outside the country of your birth? why or why not?
nope. never had the opportunity to but i would like to live somewhere else and might end up moving out of the country if i go work for a drug manufacturer.
2. what was your first record/cassette tape/cd?
i can't remember my first cassette but the first cd i bought with my own money was celine dion's "let's talk about love." i was 11 years old.
3. what do you think of your parents?
my parents are usually awesome, when they're not being paranoid and overprotective.
4. what is your relationship with your hair?
my hair is the one vanity i allow myself. even though it's pulled back in a ponytail 95% of the time, i wouldn't dream of cutting it. i've recently come to grips with my natural waves which has made me love and appreciate my hair so much more.
5. what kind of pens do you like?
do free pens count? i actually do like drug rep pens. because they're free. otherwise, i prefer the clicky-top pens with a cushy grip. they're the easiest to use when you pick up the phone and a doctor/nurse starts spewing out info for a new prescription before you can manage to say "hello."
Showing posts with label drug companies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drug companies. Show all posts
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
searches & drug addicts
i was looking over my blogger viewer stats for the first time in months/years and noticed 2 searches that popped up repeatedly:
also, thank you parental unit for thinking i'm a drug addict. first of all, i work in a pharmacy with very intelligent people who would notice immediately any signs of addiction and they would not hesitate to tell you. second, i work in a pharmacy and see on a daily basis people who have ruined their lives over drugs. third, i'm on ONE controlled substance prescription and #120 pills lasted me a year. not really addict behavior there. i work in this industry, i know what i'm doing. have a little faith in the kid that fills your meds, mkay?
- "cardinal health" evil
- how to write a percocet script
also, thank you parental unit for thinking i'm a drug addict. first of all, i work in a pharmacy with very intelligent people who would notice immediately any signs of addiction and they would not hesitate to tell you. second, i work in a pharmacy and see on a daily basis people who have ruined their lives over drugs. third, i'm on ONE controlled substance prescription and #120 pills lasted me a year. not really addict behavior there. i work in this industry, i know what i'm doing. have a little faith in the kid that fills your meds, mkay?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
medicaid
here are the brilliant formulary changes my state's medicaid program has made:
-the only PPIs they will cover are Aciphex (the last of the Rx ones that's only brand name) and OTC Prilosec
-they will ONLY pay for BRAND NAME Duragesic patches and MS Contin.
and people want to give our government more control over our healthcare? maybe if they weren't being lobbied by drug companies to make all these backdoor deals.
-the only PPIs they will cover are Aciphex (the last of the Rx ones that's only brand name) and OTC Prilosec
-they will ONLY pay for BRAND NAME Duragesic patches and MS Contin.
and people want to give our government more control over our healthcare? maybe if they weren't being lobbied by drug companies to make all these backdoor deals.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
why anda is the best wholesaler in the world
a.k.a. "i am shallow and you can buy my loyalty." (to be followed by an entry titled "i love our benicar rep.")
1. next day delivery, including saturdays.
2. unlike cardinal, they always manage to correctly print their stickers.
3. also unlike cardinal, they actually remember to GIVE you your stickers.
4. their crazy packing makes me laugh (one box and 3 of those air-puff packs for one bottle of budeprion?)
5. our anda rep ROCKS. she called me back last night approximately 30 seconds after i finished leaving a message. she knew my voice when i answered the phone and didn't even bother with formalities, just jumped right in and started answering my question. she's extremely friendly and is so helpful.
6. that handy anda scanning machine. no entering item numbers to order stuff!
7. free stuffed pandas in our orders!
8. the fact that they carry oxycontin cr generic again.
9. they told me yasmin was going generic about a month before it actually was available. i checked andanet every freaking day for a MONTH. i practically cried with joy when i saw it was available to order.
10. the super nice rep at the ce conference. she was handing out free pandas!
AND BEST OF ALL....
11. they gave me a free ipod! technically i won it at the ce conference, but i secretly think the rep rigged it in my favor because i chatted her up.
proof that you CAN buy my love: i'm going to check every generic we get on monday and see if we can get it even a penny cheaper through anda (most likely), at which point i will then order 10 of EVERYTHING! not really. but i do <3 anda. i wish they would carry brand name stuff too. then i would never ever have to deal with stupid cardinal ever ever again.
1. next day delivery, including saturdays.
2. unlike cardinal, they always manage to correctly print their stickers.
3. also unlike cardinal, they actually remember to GIVE you your stickers.
4. their crazy packing makes me laugh (one box and 3 of those air-puff packs for one bottle of budeprion?)
5. our anda rep ROCKS. she called me back last night approximately 30 seconds after i finished leaving a message. she knew my voice when i answered the phone and didn't even bother with formalities, just jumped right in and started answering my question. she's extremely friendly and is so helpful.
6. that handy anda scanning machine. no entering item numbers to order stuff!
7. free stuffed pandas in our orders!
8. the fact that they carry oxycontin cr generic again.
9. they told me yasmin was going generic about a month before it actually was available. i checked andanet every freaking day for a MONTH. i practically cried with joy when i saw it was available to order.
10. the super nice rep at the ce conference. she was handing out free pandas!
AND BEST OF ALL....
11. they gave me a free ipod! technically i won it at the ce conference, but i secretly think the rep rigged it in my favor because i chatted her up.
proof that you CAN buy my love: i'm going to check every generic we get on monday and see if we can get it even a penny cheaper through anda (most likely), at which point i will then order 10 of EVERYTHING! not really. but i do <3 anda. i wish they would carry brand name stuff too. then i would never ever have to deal with stupid cardinal ever ever again.
Friday, May 16, 2008
i never thought i'd say this...
...but obviously congress is LISTENING!
YES!
for the past few months we have been receiving several calls at the pharmacy regarding the FDA's ban of estriol-containing medications. since the FDA decided to follow the advice of wyeth (insert appropriate swear words here) and decide that they knew better than all of europe, where estriol has been tested and tried for YEARS, insurance companies have been refusing to pay for any hormone replacement therapy billed under an estriol NDC.
and our government is actually telling the FDA that they are wrong. i have since become even MORE excited to learn that the house's resolution has moved on to the committee on energy and commerce, of which my house representative is a member. my rep is ALSO a member of the health subcommittee. make no mistake, i will be writing to him immediately.
as for wyeth pharmaceuticals, can you say HYPOCRISY? so apparently estriol is dangerous for american women, but you feel quite happy about your decision to market not one but TWO estriol containing medications to european women? i suppose you're just more concerned about americans. that or you're all gigantic TOOLS. oh, and what was that other little thing? oh, that's right. wyeth is also the company that manufactures PremPro and Premarin which, unlike estriol, have been PROVEN to cause heart disease, strokes, and cancer. thanks for marketing THAT.
on the other hand, unlike wyeth's SYNTHETIC hormones, estriol has been found to not only be quite safe, but may actually make estrone and estradiol safer to use than if they are used on their own.
as you can tell, i'm a bit worked up. if you want to read up more about the estriol "controversy" (a.k.a. the FDA and wyeth having their heads shoved up their rear ends) i recommend the following sites:
The House Resolution
wyeth's amazing ability to be complete tools
Oxford study on safety and efficacy of estriol
our own NIH's research
a study done in california on estriol safety FIVE years ago
see if your representative is on the health subcommittee
now, do your research. become informed. and then tell your house rep that you don't want big drug manufacturers telling you (or the special women in your life) what you can or cannot take.
(oh, and as an added bonus, estriol might also help relieve symptoms of MS!)
if only commissioner von Eschenbach could change from a 67 year old man to a 67 year old woman suffering from hot flashes. maybe then he'd think twice before listening to ANOTHER middle aged man (bernard poussot, ceo of wyeth). trust me guys, i've seen 50 and 60 year old women when they can't get their HRT right then. they get mad. if i were you, i'd go into hiding.
last of all, a big DUH goes out to the study funded by GSK that showed people who have higher copays are more likely to be noncompliant with their drug routines. so when i tell my patient that they have a $50 copay for some new brand diabetic drug, i'll then tell them that the drug companies charge pharmacies an arm and a leg and those high costs are then filtered down to the patient. but don't worry! that $600 a year is going to research and funding studies! just like this one. next time GSK, just come ask me. i could have told you that in five minutes. and i would have only asked that you give me a month supply of one medication free, instead of spending millions to fund this "study."
YES!
for the past few months we have been receiving several calls at the pharmacy regarding the FDA's ban of estriol-containing medications. since the FDA decided to follow the advice of wyeth (insert appropriate swear words here) and decide that they knew better than all of europe, where estriol has been tested and tried for YEARS, insurance companies have been refusing to pay for any hormone replacement therapy billed under an estriol NDC.
and our government is actually telling the FDA that they are wrong. i have since become even MORE excited to learn that the house's resolution has moved on to the committee on energy and commerce, of which my house representative is a member. my rep is ALSO a member of the health subcommittee. make no mistake, i will be writing to him immediately.
as for wyeth pharmaceuticals, can you say HYPOCRISY? so apparently estriol is dangerous for american women, but you feel quite happy about your decision to market not one but TWO estriol containing medications to european women? i suppose you're just more concerned about americans. that or you're all gigantic TOOLS. oh, and what was that other little thing? oh, that's right. wyeth is also the company that manufactures PremPro and Premarin which, unlike estriol, have been PROVEN to cause heart disease, strokes, and cancer. thanks for marketing THAT.
on the other hand, unlike wyeth's SYNTHETIC hormones, estriol has been found to not only be quite safe, but may actually make estrone and estradiol safer to use than if they are used on their own.
as you can tell, i'm a bit worked up. if you want to read up more about the estriol "controversy" (a.k.a. the FDA and wyeth having their heads shoved up their rear ends) i recommend the following sites:
The House Resolution
wyeth's amazing ability to be complete tools
Oxford study on safety and efficacy of estriol
our own NIH's research
a study done in california on estriol safety FIVE years ago
see if your representative is on the health subcommittee
now, do your research. become informed. and then tell your house rep that you don't want big drug manufacturers telling you (or the special women in your life) what you can or cannot take.
(oh, and as an added bonus, estriol might also help relieve symptoms of MS!)
if only commissioner von Eschenbach could change from a 67 year old man to a 67 year old woman suffering from hot flashes. maybe then he'd think twice before listening to ANOTHER middle aged man (bernard poussot, ceo of wyeth). trust me guys, i've seen 50 and 60 year old women when they can't get their HRT right then. they get mad. if i were you, i'd go into hiding.
last of all, a big DUH goes out to the study funded by GSK that showed people who have higher copays are more likely to be noncompliant with their drug routines. so when i tell my patient that they have a $50 copay for some new brand diabetic drug, i'll then tell them that the drug companies charge pharmacies an arm and a leg and those high costs are then filtered down to the patient. but don't worry! that $600 a year is going to research and funding studies! just like this one. next time GSK, just come ask me. i could have told you that in five minutes. and i would have only asked that you give me a month supply of one medication free, instead of spending millions to fund this "study."
Monday, April 14, 2008
cardinal health = evil incarnate?
i have long suspected that cardinal health was run by the spawn of satan. or complete imbeciles. especially since it seems that most of their employees are incapable of correctly loading labels into a printer and then matching those labels with the correct order, or even simply remembering to print labels. i seem to have been proven correct.
today while driving to my parents' house for dinner, i noticed a car i was driving behind had a license plate cover that said "Cardinal Health: Proud to be a Respiratory Therapist." the passenger in the car was smoking. that's one amazing respiratory therapist.
today while driving to my parents' house for dinner, i noticed a car i was driving behind had a license plate cover that said "Cardinal Health: Proud to be a Respiratory Therapist." the passenger in the car was smoking. that's one amazing respiratory therapist.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
an oxycontin fun-filled day!
i want this sign hung up in my pharmacy.
"a lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."
if you're going to come get your girlfriend's oxycontin filled 10 minutes before we close, i don't want to have to wait 10 minutes after we're closed for your brother to bring the money to pay for it.
and if you can afford $630 worth of oxycontin, surely you can afford to go see a dentist every once in a while. at least 2 of the oxy patients i saw today had less than 10% of their teeth remaining. both also smelled strongly of cigarette smoke.
on a note to the purdue drug-whores, i can't believe you had the nerve to even step foot in a pharmacy, let alone try and push your "new and improved" 60 mg oxycontin tablets on us. it's because of your addiction-causing drugs that i'm forced to stay after closing hours 99% of the time. and i don't exactly appreciate the type of clientele the oxy scripts bring into us. i hope you choke on your own tablets.
"a lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."
if you're going to come get your girlfriend's oxycontin filled 10 minutes before we close, i don't want to have to wait 10 minutes after we're closed for your brother to bring the money to pay for it.
and if you can afford $630 worth of oxycontin, surely you can afford to go see a dentist every once in a while. at least 2 of the oxy patients i saw today had less than 10% of their teeth remaining. both also smelled strongly of cigarette smoke.
on a note to the purdue drug-whores, i can't believe you had the nerve to even step foot in a pharmacy, let alone try and push your "new and improved" 60 mg oxycontin tablets on us. it's because of your addiction-causing drugs that i'm forced to stay after closing hours 99% of the time. and i don't exactly appreciate the type of clientele the oxy scripts bring into us. i hope you choke on your own tablets.
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