I’ve been a pharmacy technician for a year. For context, the initial event happened while I was off, but my significant other (also a technician at the same pharmacy) told me the story.
A patient comes in early in the morning looking for his medication.
Patient: “I’m here to pick up my prescription.”
Tech: “I’m sorry, sir, but there are no refills remaining. We’ll have to fax your doctor a refill request.”
Patient: “So you’re not giving me my medicine?”
Tech: “We can offer you a three-day loan while we wait for the doctor to authorize more refills.”
The patient loses. His. Marbles.
Patient: “This is absolutely insane! Give me my f****** medicine!”
The pharmacist-in-charge that morning comes over to help defuse the situation.
Pharmacist-In-Charge: “I’m sorry, sir. I can try calling the doctor’s office while you finish your shopping to see about getting more refills quicker. I can also give you three days’ worth as a loan while we wait to hear back.”
Patient: “You’re such a b****! How dare you skimp me on my medicine? There have to be refills! You guys are idiots!”
Pharmacist-In-Charge: “Those are the options legally available to us. I can call the doctor, fax a refill request, and provide a three-day loan.”
Patient: “I don’t want three days! I want my medicine!”
Pharmacist-In-Charge: “We can’t dispense the full prescription without authorization from your doctor.”
Our pharmacist-in-charge continues trying to calm the situation down, offering the same solutions that we can legally provide, but the patient only becomes more irate.
Then, all of a sudden, the guy CHUCKS A HUGE PACK OF RAMEN WRAPPED IN PANTS AT OUR PHARMACIST’S HEAD.
Thankfully, the sneeze guards are still in place and keep it from hitting her, but the force knocks the sneeze guard off the Velcro and onto the floor. The patient keeps screaming and throwing things.
Our pharmacist-in-charge immediately pages the store manager on duty.
Pharmacist-In-Charge: *Over the intercom.* “Manager to the pharmacy immediately, please.”
The manager arrives with security.
Manager: “Sir, you need to leave the store.”
Patient: “I’m not going anywhere!”
Manager: “You have thrown merchandise at our pharmacist. You are leaving now.”
The manager and security escort the patient toward the doors, where he starts throwing more things and nearly breaks the sliding doors’ glass by throwing carts. They call the police, but he runs off before the officers arrive.
Pharmacist-In-Charge: “You are no longer welcome in this store! If you return, the police will be called!”
Our pharmacist-in-charge also lets the doctor’s office know. They promptly don’t listen and send his prescriptions to us anyway.
Fast-forward two days, and I’m working. I’ve been chair-bound with a broken foot at data entry, but all is fine.
One of the technicians working at the release counter approaches my significant other, who is dispensing prescriptions.
Release Tech: “There’s a waiter to fill.”
A ‘waiter’ is a prescription that needs to be filled immediately because the patient is waiting inside the store.
My Significant Other: “Who is it?”
Release Tech: “The patient from Monday.”
My pharmacist-in-charge and he look at each other, then look at the patient’s profile. Sure enough, it’s him.
Pharmacist-In-Charge: “Call the manager immediately.”
It happens to be the same manager from Monday.
Release Tech: “Should I say something to the patient?”
Pharmacist-In-Charge: “No. He’s been violent before. Don’t approach him.”
The manager calls the police. When the officers arrive, we point out the patient.
Apparently, they were initially going to remove him for trespassing because he had been banned from the store. However, according to the police, they discovered that he had a warrant for violating an emergency protective order and arrested him.
We still don’t know how this guy thought he was going to get away with it, but seeing justice served makes working here bearable.
