Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy  Yeah, he leaves some at the bottom. I know what you are saying, but this guy is just messing with the system, big time. I spoke to his worker and he is more than happy to accommodate withdrawl if that is the case - he attends a drug service not done through a gp surgery. |
I've met plenty of those types too! Just keep firm and stand your ground. If he starts trying to threaten you, don't listen to him - interrupt him and tell one of the staff to call the police and tell them a drug addict is threatening the pharmacist.
I've always found that a word along the lines of "any more trouble from you, and I'll call every chemist in this town, and you'll be going 30 miles a day to get your methadone - is THAT what you want????"
It's always best to try to keep them calm though. If you are polite you are on the winning side, so I've only ever used these in extreme situations!
Most methadone patients are not like this, so don't give up the service because of one rotten apple. The pharmacy I often work at with 150+ addicts only has a few that aren't very nice. Most of them are actually quite nice people, and tend to respond positively with gratitude if you treat them like a regular person. Just a simple "hi, how are you doing?" often goes a long way, as most people that they meet treat them like dirt. If you get to know them better, often their lives have been tragic really. One guy once lifted his shirt and showed me a back full of scars that looked like he'd been wipped with a cat of nine tails!
Stay cool, keep calm and polite, but be assertive. Let us know how you get on.
Good luck.