Thursday 20 November 2008

Crap Day

I started this blog because I've had a crap day.
I've pretty much felt angry the whole day.
Let's start with S. S is the receptionist where I work. She irritates me because she thinks she knows everything and accuses you for doing things you didn't do. These things can include not cleaning teaspoons after using them; keeping half-eaten food in the fridge; moving things on her desk; writing names of wards on labels when they don't want the names of wards written on them; taking particular phone calls etc. So basically anything and everything. And basically everything I didn't do. But she will just look at me with those "I'm not being judgemental (or slightly racist) but I know it was you" look. Even when it wasn't me.
Anyway, the reason I was pissed off with her today was because she was moaning about me behind my back. I know this because P told me and I trust her. Basically, S had told my manager that J and I shouldn't be allowed to help out at the hatch because we hadn't be trained. That's a laugh. The hatch is basically the counter where we deal with patients: take in scripts, give out tickets, take payments, hand out meds, counsel patients, answer questions etc. Now, I've been dealing with the hatch for over one and a half months now. And apparently they've only had "troubles" with me now. Let me start by saying I was never formally trained at the hatch. I taught myself by asking fellow colleagues etc. For christsake I was a pharmacist back home and I could do outpatients. God. I know how to take in scripts and add them on the computer. I know how to give out a ticket. It's not goddamn rocket science.
Anyway, so now management have told me that I'm not allowed to do anything at the hatch. Well, fine. I don't care. I'm glad P told me before I went to see management. At least I was prepared. I just think it's funny that it's taken them this long to complain about me. I mean, the last few weeks have been busy because we've been short staffed. I've helped out everywhere and done more that I really should have. I've dealt with idiot patients at the hatch, handed out meds and counselled patients more thoroughly than anyone else I reckon. It's like in the UK they don't tell patients about side effects or anything. Geez.
But no more. I'm not going near the hatch. And I don't care if it gets busy. I don't even get paid to counsel patients. So why should I bother? I haven't been "trained". Ha! Oh, and I asked if I'm allowed to answer the phone or not as I haven't been "trained" yet. They said I could still answer the phone. Oh dear! I hope I don't mess up! Like...I hope I don't say "Goodbye" instead of "Hello". *gasp* Or say "Podiatry" instead of "Pharmacy".
So I'm pissed off about the hatch thing. So all I'm going to do is dispense and answer phones. Anything else...I won't attempt because I haven't been "trained" yet and I may pose a "risk". Ha! I don't remember them complaining last week when we were so short staffed. The other receptionist, A, even thanked me for helping out so much. Well, whatever. Screw them.
Well, my day didn't get much better after that. Now, we have this sarcastic, bitter old man of a locum pharmacist working there. He reckon's he's funny but he's not. I knew when I first met him that we wouldn't get along and he just confirmed that today. I mean I've tried being nice to him and all the last few weeks, but today just sealed the deal. No more Mr Nice Guy. D is a prick. He comes up to me when I'm dispencing, glances at my rosary bead bracelet on my wrist and says, "That's rather girly". I ignore him and brush it off with a weak smile. But then about five minutes later he comes back to me and says, "Do you like crossdressing?" I look at him with a puzzled and pissed off look and say, "No, why?" He glances at my bracelet and points to it.
"You're a cross dresser," he says.
I was really pissed off with him now. It's like he had nothing better to do than to make lames jokes that nobody thought was funny. So instead of doing the nice Edwin "Haha..you're so funny, you shoulda been a stand up comedian" smile, I stand my ground and look at him sternly straight in the eyes.
"This is a religious bracelet. I'm Buddhist. It's just like how Christians wear chains around their necks with crosses on them." I turn away and go back to dispensing. He can see how pissed off I am. He mumbles something like, "Oh, I stand corrected." No...he didn't even apologise. What a prick. What an offensive, insensitive bastard. I was really annoyed. Gah! I coulda made a really big scene but I didn't. With these people, there's no point. At least now he knows that I'll stand up for myself. The stupid idiot.
Later he accuses me of making a mistake on a script even though it wasn't me who dispensed it. I tell him, "Actually P dispensed it, but I can fix it up for you." I say it all nice and sweet but with a little hint of "pissed offness" in it. He doesn't even admit he made a mistake. Ha!
I was so glad to get out of there. As soon as I initialled that last label, I threw down my pen, grabbed my jacket and left. And then J called me when I got home. God, J annoys me too sometimes. Since I met him on Monday, I knew he was a user. He just tells people what he wants them to do. He wanted to come over to use the internet again. Like hell. The last thing I wanted was to have a guest over in my room. I wanted to be alone so I could type this stupid blog. So when he calls, he's all annoyed coz he said he waited for me after work. I make up some lame ass excuse that I've got a headache and so I left. He doesn't quite seem to understand that "feeling unwell" does not mean "come right on over". So he says, "I'm coming over."
"No," I say, "I have a headache. Can you please NOT come over tonight." Of course, being me, I kept saying "sorry" etc. I could tell he was annoyed. Sorry, I guess he won't be reading his online Nigerian newspaper tonight. Why the hell can't he just read it at lunchtime at work? Geez. It's not like my laptop's the only thing with internet on it in the whole of this stupid city.
Oh and another thing. Southampton has one of the UK's highest teenage pregnancy rates. And there's no fluoride in the water here. What the hell is this place? It's just full of people with bad teeth and STDs scamming free doxycycline and Warticon. And income support. Stop screwing around and get a job.

3 comments:

Dianna said...

Hey Eddie, sounds like a really shitty day...but good on you for standing up for yourself. Hey there are strange and disturbing parallels between that locum pharmacist and that dimwitted waiter at Southbank...LOL...(i have this belief that everyone has a double floating somewhere in the globe)...btw I've been skimming over your blog for friends/family...it sounds like u r having loads of fun over in london (err but maybe not at work hehe)

Dianna said...

btw if you are bored, just google "The angry pharmacist blog". It's the best pharmacist blog i've read so far with very sharp sarcasm and irreverent unpolitically correct humour...It's american, but its still highly applicable to pharmacy life in australia

Ed said...

Di! I've read his blog! it is soooo incredibly funny and soooo incredibly (and sadly) accurate! hehe. thanks!