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Blood Pressure Machine

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Jul. 14th, 2009 | 08:57 pm
location: In the bubble of the OC.
mood: tired tired
music: Ratatat - Gettysburg

So today, I am at the drop-off window, typing up a new prescription, when this middle-aged man pops up out of now where, and begins to question me about the blood pressure machine.

Him: How accurate is the blood pressure machine?
Me: I don't know within range it is capable of detecting your blood pressure, but It'll tell you if your in the hypertensive range.
Him: It says here something about lowering my blood pressure. So this machine will lower my blood pressure?
Me: Thinking: WHATTT? You really did not ask that right? - Saying: No - the machine can't lower your blood pressure sir.
Him: No, I think it will, my doctor said this will lower my blood pressure.
Me: Thinking: Wow...just wow - Saying: No sir, I'm fairly sure he meant to say you need to monitor your blood pressure, and need to do things to lower your blood pressure if it is too high.
Him: I'm going to try this out - lets see if it works, I wonder how much it'll drop my blood pressure.
Me: Thinking: How come I never get this moments on camera to prove that weird shit happens to me? - Saying: Ok, give it a try, but I'm pretty sure its not going to do anything but tell you what your blood pressure is. 
Him: Its working. Look, the numbers are showing how much my blood pressure is being reduced by. 
Me: Walked away to find a place to slam my head into. 

Am I the only one that gets subjected to this? Do I some how attract the odd, strange, just not quite there, patients? I just don't get it. I really don't. Sigh
 

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Comments {7}

Blorp

(no subject)

from: [info]scsi
date: Jul. 15th, 2009 06:31 am (UTC)
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No, its everywhere.

Welcome to pharmacy.

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(no subject)

from: anonymous
date: Jul. 16th, 2009 05:07 am (UTC)
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We had quite a few of those "What is WRONG with you?" type patients today at work.

As for the blood pressure reading, I recently had a patient who took their blood pressure and realized it was high. They wanted to then take it standing up. Thankfully, I talked them out of it. (Not sure how they would have done that standing up anyway... more like painfully slouched over.) They were a nice patient. One of the few patients who could actually use MTM services. :(
(Nerd Note: I know "they" is really plural, but I wanted to keep the gender a secret.)

BTW, you disappointed me with that song. I am a Civil War buff of sorts. I looked up the song on YouTube expecting 1860's sounding music. Wasn't that at all.

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(no subject)

from: anonymous
date: Jul. 20th, 2009 03:43 pm (UTC)
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WOW and you never once thought what a great opportunity to educate a patient about hypertension...... just keep put'n them little pills in them little bottles.....you sure don't think like a cliancian!!

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(no subject)

from: anonymous
date: Jul. 25th, 2009 03:37 pm (UTC)
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Uh, the guy was clearly not listening to anything he was saying. It would have been a total waste of breath. Can't help people who don't want help.

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Haha....

from: [info]limelicious.wordpress.com
date: Jul. 22nd, 2009 04:12 am (UTC)
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Just found you through The Angry Pharmacist.

I'm a fellow intern =) Usually I stay at the "dumbfounded-at-lack-of-patients'-brain-activity" stage, but once in a while I get all the way up to "angry."

Keep on keepin' on!

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(no subject)

from: anonymous
date: Aug. 13th, 2009 08:57 pm (UTC)
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Hi I just read your blog and I find your blogs really interesting. You have a great way of being animated and funny when telling your stories. Prior to interning/working at the pharmacy have you ever had a job in which you interacted with customers? I ask this becuase it seems like you did not know that the average joe is stupid. My freshman year of college I worked at the mall and I encountered a lot of stupid questions and I remember having the same thought process as you. In my head I was always like "are you kidding me?" ...so anyways, I just wanted to know becuase I have a cousin going through Pharm school right now and she never had work experience where she interacted with customers until now that shes interning. And honestly, I thought...Pharmacists don't just fill prescriptions a majority of their time is also spent interacting with customers so I just thought that my cousin was in for a BIG surprise since she always thought she was too good to work in the "service" industry. Also, do you like what you do? It seems as though every time I go to get a prescription filled the pharmacist is in a bad mood. What made you want to pursue a career in pharmacy?.

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Blood Pressure Monitor

from: anonymous
date: Aug. 26th, 2009 07:51 pm (UTC)
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Did it ever occur to you that this "middle-aged" guy gets a high blood pressure reading at his doctor's office due to "white coat syndrome", and perhaps his doctor suggested to him that he purchase a machine to take his pressure at home where it will probably show lower? Judgmental much?

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