Member-only story
A Pharmacy Rebound
When pharmacy staff get angry words from patients, what the pharmacy manager says next means something.
Patient 1 (for lack of other names we now call him) went from zero to 100 on us because he had to return for a second trip when we bagged his meds separately. On pick-up the staff gave him the first bag they saw and he walked off. He called them in on different days and we didn’t notice while bagging away for pick-up.
“You guys are out to lunch. Always disorganized. You made me come back again. Have you seen the price of gas?”
Five minutes later, patient 2 (her real name is Jean) arrived complementing us for being so efficient and thanked us for everything we do.
Right after she left, I asked the staff:
“What did we do different between the two interactions?”
“Nothing.”
“Exactly. That tells us everything we need to know. It means it isn’t us, it’s the patient. Patient 1 has words everything he goes; at the bank, at the coffee shop, at the movies. Funny coincidence: problems follow him. Trust that we are doing things the right way.”
