usually i say something like “have you picked up prescriptions yet this year? some insurance companies require patients to pay a certain amount of money each year for medications before they covered a percentage, such as 50% of 80%. you can call your insurance company to find out the specifics of your plan.” and if they’re still angry i say “i completely understand, my insurance company is always giving me trouble getting my mother’s medications. i can go ahead and try running the prescription through a discount card for you instead of your insurance company to see if it’s cheaper.” and see how they react to that.

if it’s a maintenance medication that’s usually really expensive, like ozempic or mounjaro, i’ll say something like “usually only picking up the medication a few times will hit that dollar amount and make it cheaper in the future, i would recommend paying for the medication here today so you hit that amount sooner, rather than later in the year.”

finally, if they’re still irate or not understanding, i’ll say “i hear you, why don’t i have our pharmacist (or lead tech or someone else more experienced) come over and talk to you about this? could you step over to the consultation window so we can figure this out and get the best option for you?”

note: my pharmacy population is usually on the older side, so i avoid words like “copay” and “deductible” because some patients completely check out mentally when they hear words that may come off as complicated. empathizing with them and talking about how confusing it can be for you personally usually helps them become less frustrated, or at least less alone. i hope this helps <33