When The Patients Aren’t

It’s a busy morning in the pharmacy; we’ve had tons of new prescriptions coming in to fill, people are picking up their stuff that’s ready, the phones are ringing non-stop, we’re putting away our medication order, and we’ve given at least thirty vaccinations in the couple of hours since we opened.

My coworker is ringing people up at the drive-thru. There’s been a constant line all morning, and she’s selling the prescriptions as fast as she can. Then, she gets this customer.

Coworker: “Hi, how can I help you?”

Customer: “Ugh, I’ve been waiting forever to pick up my prescription.”

Coworker: “Sorry about that, it’s been really busy here today. Can I get your name and date of birth?”

The customer gives her the information.

Coworker: “Okay, it looks like that prescription just came through from the doctor, so it’s not ready yet. If you can give us about fifteen minutes, we’ll have it for you. I’ll just need you to pull around to the end of the line while—”

Customer: “What do you mean, it’s not ready yet?! I’m not moving! If you all weren’t so lazy in there, it would be ready already!”

My pharmacist hears this and comes over to the drive-thru.

Pharmacist: “Ma’am, where would you like your prescription transferred to?”

Customer: “What?”

Pharmacist: “Which pharmacy would you like your prescription transferred to?”

Customer: “I don’t want it transferred!”

Pharmacist: “Well, the technician told you that your prescription has just barely arrived from the doctor’s office. So you can either go to the end of the line while we get it ready for you, or I will transfer it to another pharmacy. But you can’t stay where you’re at now.”

Customer: “Fine!”

She went to the end of the line.