thanks for the memories 103:32 Feb 22 2009
Times Read: 578
This is a look into the past in my life in the "pill counting" profession. The following incident actually happened several years ago.
One day I was working the cash register at the pharmacy counter. This is the aspect of my job which I like the least because you have to deal directly with the slack jawwed public. Anyway, this customer was picking up a prescription for a Maxair Autohaler. Part of my job at the register is to ask every customer whether or not they have any questions about their medication and to get them to sign a document verifying they were asked and that they picked up their order. So, I looked this man straight in the eye and asked him if he had any questions about the inhaler or how to use it or anything like that.
The man got a uppitty and said NO, he most certainly did not have any questions and that he KNEW how to use an inhaler, thank you very much. His tone was to imply that by my merely asking him if he had questions meant that I thought he was dumb, when it is only something I have to ask everyone. Well, also, I looked him in the eye and made SURE to ask specifically if he knew how to use it because I know Maxair Autohalers are DIFFERENT from "normal" inhalers. They have a switch at the top that no other inhaler has, so even if you are used to inahlers, you may not know how to use this one. After he checked the "no councilling" box and signed, gave me his money and left, I turned to the pharmacist and said "that guy is an idiot. I'll bet you any money we'll be hearing back from him today."
Two hours later, sure enough, the guy came back with his little paper prescription bag in hand. I could see him coming down the aisle and I got a little smug tingle in me. He approached the counter and said "I need to know how to use this" and turned his bag over, empying it. Now, I expected to see the blue inhaler box slide out, or maybe the inahler and the box. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened. It seems that Maxair Autohalers are WAY more complex than even I knew because out of this bag poured little gears and springs and screws. THIS MAN HAD TAKEN THE INHALER APART AND STILL WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO USE IT. I have no idea what this man was doing for the last 2 hours at home and what made him decide the best solution to using the mystery inhaler was to go after it with a goddamn screw driver. I know it's a complex device, but no inhaler is going to be so hard to use that it requires outside tools. Seriously, dude. (also, I should mention that instructions WITH PICTURES were printed right on the box)
At this point I am completely taken aback, and not knowing what else to do, I called the pharmacist over, and holding back hysterical laughter, ask him to instruct Mr Nimrod on how to use his inhaler, please. The pharmacist was even more flabberghasted than I was when he saw the pile of springs and tiny parts that awaited him on the counter and said "what's all this??" To which the man replied "that's my inhaler. I need you to fix it and tell me how to use it. The doctor says I need it."
(side note: "the doctor says i need it" has become one of my most hated phrases to hear at work. thought you should know)
So, the pharmacist gathers up all of the bits of what used to be an inhaler and takes it all to his work area so that I can help the next person in line. God bless him, he actually tries to reassemble the thing with the screw driver for his glasses. Failing that, he got on the horn with the manufacturer, who were shocked and amazed that this had happened to one of their products. They were very nice and said that if we gave the patient a new one, they would send us another over night at no charge and to save the pieces to send back to them in the same box. Which is what we did. The pharmacist printed up a new pharmacy sticker and stuck it on another Maxair Autohaler and spent a good twenty minutes explaining to Sir Dumbass about that tricky little flip-switch on the top of it and how it works.
Ah, memories of the good times.
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