Don't be so quick to blame the doctor. With that track record, it sounds like it certainly could be the nursing staff; however, I nursed. I cannot tell you how many Rx the PHARMACY looses. It's awful being on the other line with an irrate, embarassed patient who is at the Pharmacy trying to pick up the script. It's infuriating to go and get their chart and say, "Well, Mr. Smith. I called that in at 12:47 yesterday afternoon and left it on the prescription answering machine."
There's this unspoken "game" a lot of the Pharmacy and the nursing staff play. It's how fast can I say all this so that you can just barely write it down. I hated it. I always made sure to speak clearly and carefully when calling the Pharmacy. There were some of the other girls in the office that didn't. The Pharmacist figured out the days I worked and spoke clearly and nicely on my days. When I'd cover for someone else, you couldn't understand the same Pharmacist.... I told you it was a game. Edit to add: My point is that if you speak too quickly or too mumble-jumble, no one can understand it. They may just delete the Rx request knowing someone will come looking for it and it puts the ball right back in the doctor's court.
In this case, it sounds like it could be the nursing staff. It could also be the Pharmacy. Next time, call the Pharmacy before you go in to pick anything up. Call during your doctor's business hours. If yuo call the Rx ad they say it's not there, call the Doctor's office and request that it be done pronto. Call the Rx back a bit later and be sure it's there. Now, mind you, a lot of people will call the Rxs in all at once. It's a lot easier calling 5 into one Pharmacy and 3 into the next instead of making 8 different calls. Don't call back to the Pharmacy in the next 30-90 minutes and expect it to be there. If that doesn't work, go in and pick up a hand-written Rx each time and hand-deliver it to the Pharmacy.
Edit to add, also: Bring it up with your doctor. He may not even know it's going on. Remember, they don't take the messages off the nursing station machine for script requests. It may be something going on with the nursing staff... something he/she
needs to be made aware of. It's their medical practice, and nurses handle a lot of the paperwork (like the surgey packets). It comes back to haunt them, ultimately. I cannot tell you how many nurses my parents fired over the years becuase they could't spell, were rude to a patient, or were generally forgetful.
One last thing- be sure the doctor and Pharmacy has your name spelled correctly, is using your current (not maiden or something) name, the date of birth is correct, and that the telephone on record is right. If for some reason they are calling it in with any of that information different, the Rx may not have you "on file" becuase it doesn't match. Make sure it's correct on the outside of the chart as well as the first (usually left hand) paper that has all your contact information. Make sure the Rx profile in the computer is correct.
So sorry to hear about all this! I know it can be
incredibly frustrating.
