The Not So Good Things

 

   I've spent nearly half of my career working in grocery store pharmacies. I chuckle at that now, because when I got out of pharmacy school, I swore I would never do that. Pharmacies located inside other businesses were not really pharmacies, in my opinion, they were just another cog in the big business wheel. While I do still feel that big business has no place in health care, I've also come to realise that health care needs to be where it is accessible. That means places like grocery stores where people can get their groceries and medication in one stop.

   The vast majority of the time I've liked where I work. (The ability to get a quick sandwich from the deli doesn't hurt either.) One of the complaints about social media is that people post only the rosy happy things that go on. No one mentions troubles or not so good things. Today I'm going to write about two not so good things that happened in my store recently.

   A few weeks ago one of the staff noticed that all our Prevagen was gone. Prevagen is a supplement that we carry. We keep it in a glass case in front of the pharmacy. During the day, the case is open so customers can buy what they need without having to ask the staff to open the case. At night the case is locked as some of the items are expensive or likely to be shoplifted. There were no records of any being sold which meant that it had been stolen. 

   Management looked at the cameras located around the store and found the shoplifter. He is a man maybe 40s or 50s wearing a pale blue warm up jacket and a golf cap. He grabbed some Prevagen out of the case. Then he went and got some toilet paper. He broke open the package of toilet paper, took out a roll and hid the Prevagen inside. Then he went back and grabbed the rest of the Prevagen and concealed it. Once he had done this, he left without paying for any of it. 

   Just looking at the pictures makes me angry. There is one where he's looking at the camera and grinning. It almost looks like a mocking sneer as if he knows he's going to get away with it and is pleased with his cleverness. 

   We now keep the Prevagen behind the counter and those who want it have to pay at the pharmacy register. We have a sign in the case letting people know of the change. Part of me wishes that we could put a picture of him in the case with a sign that says, "If you want to know where the Prevagen went, ask this man."

   I don't get it. Taking something that belongs to someone else is stealing, but somehow people think that taking things from stores without paying is perfectly fine. The guy that stole the Prevagen looks old enough to know right from wrong but it seems like he doesn't. What doesn't occur to people is that retailers don't get the merchandise they carry for free and sometimes have to raise prices in order to cover the cost of things that get shoplifted. We all pay when people shoplift.

   The second thing happened earlier this week. A man wanted to get a Novavax vaccine as a booster. The problem is that there are guidelines that I have to follow when giving vaccines. If I don't follow them my job, license, vaccinator certification and the credentials of my employer are all at risk. This man had already called the pharmacy and spoke to my colleague Jill. She told him that the guidelines said that if he had received a booster of of any other vaccine that we could not administer the Novavax. He argued with her and was verbally abusive (I'm told.) Then he hung up.

  I was warned about this and got the written CDC guidelines out in preparation. He came in and told me what he wanted. I told him I couldn't and why. He began to argue with me. He explained to me that vaccines can be mixed and matched. I knew this but Novavax, being a newer vaccine has separate guidelines. He didn't want to hear that. He continued to argue and at one point told me that I was endangering him by refusing to vaccinate as he wanted to be protected. He told me that Novavax was a better vaccine than those currently out there and I had to give it to him. (it's about the same actually) I repeated that I couldn't and why. I also explained the penalties involved from deviating from the guidelines.  He said he'd sign any release so he could get the vaccine he wanted. I still said no.Then he called the CDC. I was impressed that he actually got someone to answer the phone. He told the woman who answered that he was at the pharmacy requesting a booster dose of Novavax and was being refused. He wanted the woman at the CDC to explain to me that I had to give him the dose because vaccines can be mixed and matched. 

   The woman seemed to know that she was in the middle of something not good. She stalled for time by putting us on hold. In the meantime a tech seeing the disturbance this man was causing called a manager over. I went to the back to get a drink of water and briefed the manager on what was happening.

   When she came back on the line again she tried to stall more. I eventually explained to her that the man had had one booster dose of another vaccine. Then I asked her, "Is this man eligible for a Novavax booster?" Her answer was straight and simple. "No" I walked away from the counter. There was no further argument. Jill, the written guidelines, the CDC and I had all given him the same answer. 

   I was deeply angry. I knew exactly what this guy was trying to do. He thought that because I am a woman if he argued long and loud enough he'd get me to do what he wanted. It was also clear that he had read only part of the guidelines.  He had disrespected and disregarded me in every way possible. 

   I also felt a little sorry for him. The guidelines are confusing and sometimes don't make sense. They also change fairly frequently. It's possible that the guidelines could change in a month or so and then he would be eligible.

   One of the techs told me that he was still on the phone yelling at the woman from the CDC. He had moved into the entryway near the pharmacy and she could hear him through the wall. I felt sorry for her and hoped that she would just hang up on him. I went on with my work.

   Most of my work days are good. Some of them are a bit more challenging.......