Anyone here a Target pharmacy technician?

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For all of those Target pharmacy technicians, I have a few questions.

1. How did you apply? I called the Pharmacy Manager at the store that I was applying to (their website said it was the only location with an opening) and she said that all of the application process was handled by the district HR and pharmacy offices. She didn't really seem to know a lot about what they were looking for, but knew around how many hours it would probably be. She told me to apply online, and if they (district HR/pharmacy) liked it they would call for an interview. Is this a normal process? How will all of this work? I have emailed Target through their contact-us to try and get a phone number or email address at HR/pharmacy so that I can ask more questions and make my case.

2. How do they do training?

3. What computer system do they use? I think I have heard that they are getting a new one. If so, when is that due to roll out?

4. Last, but certainly not least, how is it working for Target in the pharmacy?

Thanks so much for everyones help.

I've worked as a tech at Target for about four months (previously employed there as a cashier/guest service team member). I really like working there.
The best way to apply is to go into the actual store where you want to work, and they will have computer kiosks at the entrance of the store (usually the electronics entrance) for employment opportunities. Fill one out, it will have you answer a little questionnairre thing...all the instructions are there. Then the app is automatically submitted instantly back to HR at the store. They will call you within a few days if they are interested in interviewing you, and the process goes from there.
As for the computer system, they use PDX...I've never used anything else so I've gotten used to it, but I have a feeling there could be better systems out there. It takes some practice to get used to, but after about 2 months of working there I felt pretty comfortable with it, and now I hardly ever have questions about it. I started working as a tech at Target with absolutely NO technician experience, so it was a little bit scary at first, but I feel like I am learning how to do things the right way, instead of some other techs who previously worked at other stores and have a lot of issues with the way Target works (initialing the scripts you fill and enter, etc).
The training is pretty straightforward, but will depend on the staff at the pharmacy. They give you paperwork about your job responsibilities, and they give you a training plan (list of things you need to learn how to do, how to do them). The training plan is largely online, and they will show you how to log in, it will guide you through PDX basics and other things you need to know. A lot of my training was done on the job without the training plan, because the store where I was hired does about 3,000 scripts a week and I had to just get down to business and learn a lot on the fly - they couldn't have me just standing around watching and/or taking up a computer for PDX training. So a lot will depend on the script volume of the store. They will show you how to do intake, filling, orders, dr. calls, etc. Probably the first thing you'll be taught is how to run the register.
I really like working at Target - there are a few efficiency issues at the pharmacy where I work, but I really like the ClearRx system (check it out on their website - also a good thing to ask questions about at an interview). The people I work with are awesome! Also something to be aware of is the tuition reimbursement program while you're in pharmacy school, if you work there as an intern.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!

Originally Posted by wellwell

For all of those Target pharmacy technicians, I have a few questions.

1. How did you apply? I called the Pharmacy Manager at the store that I was applying to (their website said it was the only location with an opening) and she said that all of the application process was handled by the district HR and pharmacy offices. She didn't really seem to know a lot about what they were looking for, but knew around how many hours it would probably be. She told me to apply online, and if they (district HR/pharmacy) liked it they would call for an interview. Is this a normal process? How will all of this work? I have emailed Target through their contact-us to try and get a phone number or email address at HR/pharmacy so that I can ask more questions and make my case.

2. How do they do training?

3. What computer system do they use? I think I have heard that they are getting a new one. If so, when is that due to roll out?

4. Last, but certainly not least, how is it working for Target in the pharmacy?

Thanks so much for everyones help.

I've been at Target pharmacy for about a year and a half now, and I really enjoy it there. I always hear horror stories about busier pharmacies and I'm glad I don't have to deal with any of that But don't get me wrong, there are plenty of nuances at Target too!

1. I guess hiring depends on the pharmacy manager. The manager at my pharmacy is super friendly, and it was really easy to get a job there. I came in one day, asked if they were hiring..he told me yes, asked a few questions and basically told me that all I need to do is fill out the online application (it can also be filled out at the store). Then the HR manager will contact you for an informal interview and that's it! The pharmacy manager decides who they want to hire and basically relay that information to HR..at least that's how it works at our pharmacy.

2. First you have to do training at the store. You learn a lot of information that doesn't pertain to you. Then, you have about a week or two of training at the pharmacy underneath the head technician, and you're done! You pick it up pretty quickly, it's not all that complicated.

3. The computer system is PDX. If you don't know any other software it's not bad (I've never used anything else), but I hear that it's really bad compared to other more advanced software. I haven't heard about any upgrades coming anytime soon, but that would be great

4. I think the work environment really depends on the pharmacists. If you have pharmacists that want to be there, want to grow the pharmacy, and if the other techs are nice, then it's a great place to work. Our pharmacy isn't too busy, so there is a lot of down time which is nice. Overall, I can't say I have major complaints.

Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

you will probably like it. some days I love it and others I hate it. I came from a CVS that did 2300 a week & my Target does 1000 a week, so I had really high expectations and got let down.
there is a lot of ridiculous crap that we have to do that cuts into our time. you have to bag stage--write info on each script bag which takes time, and you can only pull 1 drug at a time, only 1 basket can be on the counter at a time. (at least thats how our district is) so a lot of it will depend on how closely your district follows rules.
since you aren't used to another pharmacy and computer system, then you should be okay. i really had a lot of stuff i had to "re-learn". I used to be able to fill 130 scripts on a Saturday with me and a pharmacist at CVS--and most of the time we would be sitting around reading magazines (I know, its against the rules...yeah yeah) or I would go pick up lunch and we would have a leisurely lunch or whatever..but now I do 70 scripts with a pharmacist and there is NO DOWN TIME and I am more stressed than ever. So just because the numbers are better, the stress load isn't.
I never thought I'd miss CVS, but sad to say I do.
Since you are just going in though you'll probably like it. All the techs that are completely new really love it there. good luck!!!!

isn't it awkward for you guys having to walk back and forth to the computers. you seem so far away from them. I work at walgreens and i just feel lost w/o the computer being right infront of me.

i also noticed you write the dob's on the bags before?

ALSO: can you tell me what they offer in terms of grants to pharmacy students?

Originally Posted by HaleyRX

you will probably like it. some days I love it and others I hate it. I came from a CVS that did 2300 a week & my Target does 1000 a week, so I had really high expectations and got let down.
there is a lot of ridiculous crap that we have to do that cuts into our time. you have to bag stage--write info on each script bag which takes time, and you can only pull 1 drug at a time, only 1 basket can be on the counter at a time. (at least thats how our district is) so a lot of it will depend on how closely your district follows rules.
since you aren't used to another pharmacy and computer system, then you should be okay. i really had a lot of stuff i had to "re-learn". I used to be able to fill 130 scripts on a Saturday with me and a pharmacist at CVS--and most of the time we would be sitting around reading magazines (I know, its against the rules...yeah yeah) or I would go pick up lunch and we would have a leisurely lunch or whatever..but now I do 70 scripts with a pharmacist and there is NO DOWN TIME and I am more stressed than ever. So just because the numbers are better, the stress load isn't.
I never thought I'd miss CVS, but sad to say I do.
Since you are just going in though you'll probably like it. All the techs that are completely new really love it there. good luck!!!!

yea i've seen the way they run things, i think it's inefficient.

ive worked for super target for 8+yrs and in the pharmacy for 6+. Loved every minute of it. They way they teach is all dependent on who's in charge, some will obviously be better than others. Our store is tops in the district and we only do about 1300-1400 a week and we get about 160-180 tech hours per week, which compared to other pharmacy's is ridiculously high and there is 2 full time and 1 part time pharmacist at work. Another plus is if you get into pharmacy school they will reimburse you up to $4000 a year for tuition!!! I've worked with a great crew and had some not so great team members, but more positive than negative.

Oh, and with the reimbursement, you do not need to sign any contract to agree to work for them after you graduate to receive this!!! Just stay a team member, well your status will need to change to Pharmacy student and you need to work in the pharmacy, LOA during school year, hahahaha

Originally Posted by imperialto

ive worked for super target for 8+yrs and in the pharmacy for 6+. Loved every minute of it. They way they teach is all dependent on who's in charge, some will obviously be better than others. Our store is tops in the district and we only do about 1300-1400 a week and we get about 160-180 tech hours per week, which compared to other pharmacy's is ridiculously high and there is 2 full time and 1 part time pharmacist at work. Another plus is if you get into pharmacy school they will reimburse you up to $4000 a year for tuition!!! I've worked with a great crew and had some not so great team members, but more positive than negative.

Oh, and with the reimbursement, you do not need to sign any contract to agree to work for them after you graduate to receive this!!! Just stay a team member, well your status will need to change to Pharmacy student and you need to work in the pharmacy, LOA during school year, hahahaha

is it 4k for every year or a tiered sort of thing. who would i talk to about this sort of thing, the manager on duty or a district manager?

at first i thought the Target system was inefficient too, but it really saves for any future problems and really helps with verification.
at cvs, we were told NOT to write anything down...and i need to write things down to remember them, so it clashed with me personally.

As for tuition reimbursement, i was told it was 1500/semester...I have yet to contact HR about this, because although I've been accepted to UMD, I don't have a schedule or a student ID number or anything yet. I want to receive this paperwork before meeting with the LOD.

We do about 1300 scripts/week..but I really believe the team that you are working with dictates how busy you feel. It depends on the techs and the pharmacists, some days we do upwards of 250 and at the end of the night I feel bored, like there is nothing left to do. But if some people aren't pulling their weight, I will have to stay late to get everything done and we might not have even met 250 scripts yet.

I really like Target compared to CVS. The pharmacists are a LOT nicer, the techs are too...it makes working much easier.

i'm at walgreens right now, anyone with experience from the 2?

1. How did you apply? I called the Pharmacy Manager at the store that I was applying to (their website said it was the only location with an opening) and she said that all of the application process was handled by the district HR and pharmacy offices. She didn't really seem to know a lot about what they were looking for, but knew around how many hours it would probably be. She told me to apply online, and if they (district HR/pharmacy) liked it they would call for an interview. Is this a normal process? How will all of this work? I have emailed Target through their contact-us to try and get a phone number or email address at HR/pharmacy so that I can ask more questions and make my case.
In my area, there are very few pharmacy technician openings. I went into the local Target as a consumer, and decided to stop by the pharmacy to ask if they were hiring. They said they were not but in a few months, their full-time tech would be relocating and to come back. I came back on a Saturday and was told to fill out the application at the front of the store so it would reach HR directly. Three days later (on a Tues), I went in and spoke to the ETL-Pharmacy Manager and he contacted HR, and they contacted me on the same day to set up an interview. I had the interview on Friday, received a job offer the next Tues, and took a drug test on Wednesday. They scheduled me to start orientation on the next Friday. From the time I applied to the time I have been hired, it took 6 days to get an interview, 10 days for the job offer, and 19 days to start working. Like I said, I had spoken to the pharmacy staff a couple times prior to applying, I got really lucky. I start this Friday.

2. How do they do training?
My experience in unlike others because the full-time tech is leaving at the same time I'm starting, so I've been kind of thrown into the sharks. It's okay, I don't mind but I don't believe my training experience is going to help anyone else since it's a special situation.

3. What computer system do they use? I think I have heard that they are getting a new one. If so, when is that due to roll out?
They use PDX. It's pretty ancient. They started a program called RedRx which has been a trial program in states like RI and NH; however there were a lot of bugs in the program, so many that they have completely stopped working on it and are throwing it out, they are currently starting from scratch as of a couple months ago.

4. Last, but certainly not least, how is it working for Target in the pharmacy?
It's only been a few days, but for me it's absolutely great. There are 2 pharmacists, and 2 part-time techs. Their idea of being busy is far from the retail hell (CVS) busy. The people I work with are very friendly and nice, and in the pharmacy I work with all older (40+) people so there's no drama. I'm so excited to be a tech here.

Originally Posted by thephoenician88

is it 4k for every year or a tiered sort of thing. who would i talk to about this sort of thing, the manager on duty or a district manager?

They actually did away with that program in January of this year. If you were a recipient of it before then, you were grandfathered in and continue to receive it. However, they determined that they were not seeing an increased retention for the students they offered that to, so they have ended the program. There is no tuition help for pharmacy students anymore.

Originally Posted by redheadedrx

They actually did away with that program in January of this year. If you were a recipient of it before then, you were grandfathered in and continue to receive it. However, they determined that they were not seeing an increased retention for the students they offered that to, so they have ended the program. There is no tuition help for pharmacy students anymore.

I was fortunate enough to just been given an offer from Target to start as a pharm tech. Overall seems like a great place to work! I will be starting pharm school this fall and I was getting excited about this tuition re-imbursement program until i read this post =(. But guess I can't complain too much. However is it true that every year your pay rate goes up? Also, am I considered an "intern" already even though technically I haven't started pharm school?

Originally Posted by jballer91

Also, am I considered an "intern" already even though technically I haven't started pharm school?

No. Check with your state BoP for intern licensing.

One of my friends who I study with works as a tech at Target. He says that he really like the enviornment. The people he works with are nice and everyone pulls their own weight.

He also mentioned that people who shop at target are a little different than those who shop at Wal-Mart or other places which you'd think would attract the same exact people. I dunno how they do it but they seem to draw in a higher class clientel even though the price pionts for many of the goods are about the same as at Wal-Mart. Better people tend to be nicer which he says help keep the overall stress level down.

I wouldn't necessarily say "better" but I feel that people who shop at Target are generally more understanding if they see the pharmacy is busy. You get people that are demanding, but overall I feel that the Target clientele are willing to work with you.