Have you ever counted the number of “customer service points” that the typical Rx dept has… maybe two drive-thru lanes, maybe two registers, how many phone lines?…plus the fax machine and now the E-que.
I read today that the typical nurse-in-a-box charge for a visit has moved from the $40’s to $70… If you have a such a health practitioner in your pharmacy… how many customer service points do they have … one plus maybe a phone… if he/she does have a phone… do they drop everything to answer the phone? Do they push vaccination requests ahead of other people waiting?
Throwing into the same “pot” the increasing number of health screening/vaccinations that we are being asked to provide.. and the very well know fact that interruptions and multitasking is a sure path to making mistakes. Does anyone see the “wall” that we are getting ready to run into?
Why do we tell people dropping things off at the drive thru to “come back in a hour or two”…. they drop off their Rxs to be filled .. we tell them.. it will be a hour or two.. depending on how deep the pile is…
The phone rings.. why do we drop everything and answer the phone… if a patient on the phone has a question… do you stop what you are doing to take their question?
The vaccinations.. ON DEMAND.. really??? Why not set up a hourly process to give vaccinations… anyone who has their paperwork completed by 0:15 of the hour … will get their vaccination starting at 0:30 of the hour.
Patients lives are in our hands… and we are letting everyone else dictate how we manage our time… and the proper “management of time” is a safety issue… AND what is more important part of your job than PATIENT SAFETY?
Filed under: General Problems
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