That Was Humiliating...

[taxguykarl]

Yep, that's right. People were actually inserting the foil-wrapped suppositories , and then complaining that they didn't work.

You mean those aren't urban legends?! Of course, stupidity shouldn't surprise me.

As for the OP, I would complain to corporate about that sort of thing.

[dalesys]

My mother once complained to her doctor that the calcium pills he prescribed were *almost* too big to swallow... (they were chewables)

[Primer]

...and then being a young naive female, I was always glad I was never prescribed suppositories...I never knew just where they were supposed to be inserted.

A lot like when the gals at work were talking about using yogurt for a yeast infection...erm, ok...but in which end?

how in the world did I ever survive!!

[DGoddessChardonnay]

As a rule, I always make sure to write in the directions that they must unwrap them and insert them rectally.

As opposed to orally . . . I had a stepbrother who lived with us for a time (my stepdad's son from a previous marriage) when I was in high school.

He was dumb enough to go into the fridge in the kitchen and help himself to a couple of suppositories thinking they were cheese pellets.

Mom's retort: well, at least you don't have to worry about oral hemmoroids.

He didnt' live that one down for a loooong time afterwards. Even my stepdad (who was told about the incident after he'd come home from work that evening) just

[PepperElf]

hippa makes me giggle.

cos im reminded of the gal who was complaining to one of the doc-chiefs on my first ship that word got out about her std. so she figured one of the corpsman spread the news about her.

the irony being that... now I knew about her std too cos... she was blabbing her personal issues in public.



but yeah... im sure he would have flinched at at that one

[Ellain]

He should NOT have done that- if you want to, you could get him in a bit of trouble. HIPAA exists for a reason! It is a privacy law not a guideline. Pharmacies are supposed to have separate areas now for counseling, just to give that extra bit of privacy. Not to mention, how hard is it, really, to walk across a room to ask a question? Anywhoo, if you want to, I can probably find some info on how to make a formal complaint.

For laughs:

One of the pharmacists got a call from a little old lady that he has never forgotten. She asked him, almost in tears, when it would be okay to start eating again. Puzzled, he asked what she meant.

"I haven't eaten anything since I got my prescription 5 days ago. The insert in the bottle said not to."

He wracked his memory for a medication like that, and, after coming up blank, asded her for more detail on that insert.

"Well, its a white plastic cylinder with the words "Do Not Eat" in bold letters"

He had a hard time not laughing- she described the packets included in our stock bottles that absorb moisture to keep the pills dry..

[jedimaster91]

You know, the way to stop that is to look the pharmacist in the eyes and say, "HIPPA." One of the things anyone dealing with the medical field fear.

Ugh. HIPPA lawyers are vicious. I'm always paranoid I'm going to get busted because I'm trying to be discreet, but my patient can't hear a bullhorn, so I have to shout.

[Aethian]

I know those are the usual ones that people are given...but when I had gotten backed up once I was given a liquid that made me have to go soon and fast.

[blas]

Oh, these little bullets had me going in less than 15 minutes!

Needless to say, I didn't need to take them for very long before everything was back to normal again.

[AnaKhouri]

There was a Saturday Night Live skit like that a while back, where Cristina Aguilera was a pharmacy clerk. When people came in buying sensitive stuff like condoms, or Preparation-H, she would get on the PA and call for price checks for "THAT LADY RIGHT THERE." and didn't understand why customers stomped out.

It was kind of funny on TV but definitely NOT in real life.

[lineswine]

blas87 - if you're so embarrassed by all this talk of "shoving stuff up your bum", why are you posting it for all here to read? *grins & runs off, giggling*

[MaggieTheCat]

I feel your pain, Blas. Back home (in Wisconsin -- what's with Wisconsin pharmacists??) I had a very similar situation happen. I was prescribed a gel-medication for something similar to a yeast infection...of course, I'd never had anything like that before...so the pharmacists had to explain how to use it...loudly...in front of other customers...

If I'd thought about bringing up HIPPA I would have (should have, too, I WORKED in the department that dealt with HIPPA at the time) but I just wanted to get out of there ASAP!

Glad you're feeling better now, at least.

[blas]

In all honesty, I would have rather had the one pharmacist yell in loud detail on how to apply and use the cervical cream than the damn suppositories.

[Dave1982]

In all honesty, I would have rather had the one pharmacist yell in loud detail on how to apply and use the cervical cream than the damn suppositories.

Could be worse, Blas. The doctor could have told you to use an enema!

If it makes you feel any better, I am very prone to......shall we say "gastric disturbances" myself, such that I buy the largest bottle of (generic) Immodium they sell, and always keep some in my car for emergencies. It takes me quite a long time to go through a whole bottle, but it's still rather embarrassing to have to buy them. But at least I don't have to see the pharmacist about it.

(And before anyone says anything....YES I've been to the doctor about that.)

[Andara Bledin]

I have found that drinking extra water helps keep things flowing, as it were.

This is particularly important when dealing with illnesses where you tend to not drink enough to begin with, then you either sweat or vomit it all out, too.

^-.-^