I've read a few times on this board of people complaining that when they go to get thier ADD medications filled that the pharmacist gives them suspicious looks and asks stupid questions... Now just recently being diagnosed myself and having worked in a pharmacy for a long time, I felt the need to clear something up. The reason most pharmacists act this way is because we get a ton of people everyday who fake perscriptions for stimulants....so we are suspicious of everyone. It usually is nothing personal, and dealing with insurance and stuff is a real *****. I mean there are always those pharmacists who are jerks no matter what, but usually we have to be very very careful or we have to file DEA reports and answer a lot of questions. Not that it dosn't suck to be treated like your a drug fiend, but it's not usually just cause they want to give you a hard time.

Welcome to the forums Valek2664

pharmacist gives them suspicious looks and asks stupid questions


I do appreciate your sharing this from a pharmacy worker perspective however as a person in the medical profession I know first hand that stupid questions can be asked with out the suspicious looks or insinuations.

Yes I agree the stupid questions and ID ect...are a necessary thing to this I will attest to.

I have run into many a drug seeker myself and I understand that it can seem like every one is "up to no good" but this is more of a reflection of my attitude because drug seeker usually have noticeable behaviors, there are ways of checking into these inconsistencies ect...

Besides how does one fake a triplicate and doctor's DEA the number required on said triplicate. I mean the doctors DEA numbers are mathematically set up so that faking this number would be able to be picked up on by way of (undisclosed ) math mathematical formula.

I circumvent this problem by using the same pharmacy every month. I will add this had the pharmacist or the pharmacy personnel made presumptuous presumptions about my intentions before check out the facts they would not be my "regular pharmacy"...

I am a big peropent of using one pharmacy on a regular basis to fill all medications. Not only will using the same pharmacy detour this inappropriate behavior but this habit will also allow all the prescription medication one is on to be in the "system" decreasing the chances of accidentally having two meds that don't "gel well" together.

I understand your point of view Valek, but I disagree with the predjudiced stance that some pharmacists take. I expect them to be nothing less than professionals when it comes to dealing with me and my needs. When I provide an accurate, valid prescription for a legal medication I expect it to be filled without being made to feel as if I asked the pharmacist to do something unethical or illegal. I don't care if 60 people came in right before me with fake prescriptions. If there is something wrong with my prescription then question me about it. If not, fill it without giving me the evil eye so I can be on my way.

I work in the securities industry and we have regulations to deal with as it pertains to the patriot act and terrorists. We have anti-money laundering regulations that must be maintained. Every one of our accounts is scrutinized for suspicious activity and we must ask probing questions. We do not however make every customer feel as though he is a potential terrorist even though we may have to by law determine that he is not.

I have several friends who are pharmacists. I know from them and my own experience that not every pharmacist treats his clients in the manner some of us have experienced. I was put through the paces by a pharmacist who seemed to have it out for me only because of my ADD related prescription. I say this because I had been filling prescriptions there for years for myself and my family without any trouble. Once I started having a stimulant prescription filled there her whole demeanor towards me and my family changed. It finally stopped once they filled one of my prescriptions wrong and they expected me to treat it as an honest mistake when they wouldn't treat me as an honest client. I now fill my prescriptions elsewhere and haven't yet had even a raised eyebrow.

I really do understand what you are saying regarding pharmacists, but I still believe they can fulfill their job requirements without making honest people feel dishonest.