Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
I don't know how UK residents can stand that crap. I HATE those packages, with one pill/day in the pop-outs. Hell, I've got this one med that nearly slices my fingertips off, every time I need to use one. You have to peel it back, right, from this harder-than-steel plastic half? Ouch.
I mean, jeeze, what's wrong with just counting them out into a bottle? Sure, I get it, less work for the pharmacist this way, but as has been pointed out, the numbers aren't quite right, and the packaging certainly isn't environmentally friendly, for those who are very aware of such things. I don't see the real advantage to ALL concerned parties.
Hitch
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Yeah, we all hate them. But it's not about less work for the pharmacist, it's about eliminating pharmacists. As long as the package isn't altered or opened, the computer prints out the label (reads the scan code!), and the whole process is handled entirely by non-pharmacists, working under the "supervision" of _one_ registered pharmacist. In large drug stores, where there might have been half a dozen registered pharmacists, there now is one, or at most two. And none of them qualified to do any compounding -- that is a virtually lost skill in the US.
I recently got a refill for a routine medication. My local pharmacist apologized to me because it came in one of those packs, but the regular supplier had a shortage. He assured me that just as soon as he could get the right ones, he would! For those taking multiple medications on different schedules and different times of the day, those packs are impossible. I ended up having to punch out each individual pill and put them in the old jar, and in the daily pill container for the week. If I don't put them in their little compartments, I end up being unsure which pills I've taken and which I haven't.