Phones... Where We're Going We Don't Need Phones...

Technology is truly a wondrous invention. The ease at which helps complex tasks be accomplished is truly astounding at times.

Then there are the times when technology is employed for the sake of using technology. In pharmacy, we refer to these as e-Prescriptions.

In any case, I had devised a solution to help get a patient's med paid by her insurance. She was on a funky dose and I was able to appease her insurance by filling it under 3 different strengths. Tedious, yes, but she would have had to pay several hundred dollars extra out of pocket to meet her dosing.

I decided that I would be a good little pharmacy tech and call the office instead of faxing them. My logic was that it wouldn't be impossible to adequately explain everything over the three small lines we have on our faxes.

So I call the office and speak to the 'head nurse'. All of the other nurses and the doc in question are occupied at the moment. I then asked if I could have the doc's voice mail so I could just leave the message verbally. The answer I received made my jaw drop.

"We don't have voice mail at our office anymore."

Excuse me? I inquired as to what options I have to relay this information.

"Well you can fax it or send it over e-Rx."

Let me get this straight, this office has decided to rely, SOLELY, on an electronic messaging system for communication. I did a little more digging and confirmed that they truly no longer have a voice mail system.

Call their office right now and you hear a kind voice asking you to please call back during regular office hours.

Now how in the hell is this possible? I understand the need to want to use the newest and bestest, yes I said bestest, technology, but this is just freakin' ridiculous.

Why even have phones? You could just have the pharmacy and your patients email the office!

Oh shit, maybe I just gave them an idea...