Have you ever went into a restaurant and see the wait staff wiping down the table and seats after someone has left.. using with a diluted solution of bleach.. to help make sure that germs are killed and limit the transmission of germs.
Here is a picture that showed up in my email.. when do you think that the last time that this table & chair had been wiped down? Magazines, posters, some sort of statue in the corner.
It would appear that this is in a rather public area.. and there lies a pt’s receipt and PHI … isn’t that a HIPAA violation?
The poor pts of this store.. coming in to get a flu shot or some other vaccination and end up picking up some germ from the people that sat in that chair before them… with their arm on the table and maybe even sneezed while they were there..but.. hey… we are in the business of selling drugs… the more people get sick.. the more money we make…
Filed under: General Problems
This sort of thing is something I have thought about a lot. Lets take the free bloodpressure machines that some pharmacies have. People stick their arms inside the cuff and press the button. Just think…that person is exposed to germs that all the other users before him were carrying. Suppose the person before him had a contagious skin disorder?
During this flu season, there are a thousand and one ways for a sick person to spread their flu. Suppose they put their hands on the pharmacy check out counter. The next person in line may do the same thing and the flu is spread to another person. What about the shopping carts? They are good carriers of germs. Handle them and you are exposed to those germs. Lets say you get the germs on your hands from the carts, get in your auto, and handle the steering wheel. Your steering wheel is contaminated. Handle the steering wheel and then touch your eye, your mouth, or your nose.
Most people have no sense of germs. They are oblivious to spreading them or from realizing that they need to keep their hands away from their face when they are out in public. Touch a door, then touch your nose…welcome to the flu! And, what about all these folks coughing. One of the worst places to work in the pharmacy is either the drop off station or the register. The workers that do those jobs are highly exposed to the flu. They had better have taken the flu shot. I have urged all our techs to take the flu shot. Our cashier did not take it and she came down with the flu. It taught her a lesson because she said she is taking it next year.
Medical offices usually have barriers to aid in keeping conversations private and protecting the employees from germs. These chain pharmacies do not have such barriers. Here we are, pharmacists and techs, and we are dealing with sick people, but have no protection from acquiring air borne germs from the customers. These chains do not care about their employees. If they did, then they would take measures to protect them. If they had any care about their employees, they would not be working them on holidays. If they cared, then they would design pharmacies where pharmacists and techs would not be constantly exposed to noise and interruptions. It does not take a genius to realize that these companies are only going to do just the minimal amount to help their employees and provide a better working environment.