CVS Caremark Mail Order Pharmacists

[browneyedbabe491]

Any mail order pharmacists out there? I have potential to be hired on with CVS Caremark mail order upon graduation in May. I have worked for retail the past four years but already feel like I will not be happy with this as a permanent career. I had a rotation with mail order and LOVED it however I want to make sure upon interviewing that I hit all the points I need to.

As a pharmacist/intern in mail order what do you feel are the strong points to your position, how is it better for you in comparison to retail.

Basically how is the best way to sell an intern with retail experience for a mail order position. I want this job more than anything!

ANY input would appreciated!

Thanks!

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[nextyearrx]

what was it like to be working at Mail Order Pharmacy during your rotation? Is the job of a pharmacist way less stressful than the retail pharmacist???

 

[pezdispenser]

Well I sort of have a 'mail-order-like' job. Important points would be efficiency and productivity. Your performance will be measured very easily 'by the numbers', so that is what we focus on. Also because there is no line of customers staring us down or tapping their fingers on the counter and drive-thru, we usually use the performance metrics to keep us motivated and keep a fast pace.

While in retail you do a lot of multi-tasking, mail-order is the opposite where you focus on a single task at a time. Also, the prescription filling process is broken up into small steps and each person does only one of those steps repeatedly. Some people get bored or dazed this way, but you have to be able to remain focused. I find it helps to develop a steady rhythm and be quick at acquiring and processing the prescription details.

It does still help if you have retail experience for the practical knowledge and to be able to visualize all the drug products, because for some tasks in mail-order, you are away from the products, and just in front of a computer or in a call-center.

Of course there are some huge benefits in mail-order. The biggest one is, I get to work from home, and the department I work in has no customer contact. Most of the tasks you get to sit down for. We get two 15 min paid breaks and a 30 min unpaid lunch. We have pretty good schedules and don't work on holidays. Because there is such a large pool of pharmacists, it's not like retail where you may have just 2-3 RPh covering the store. So mail-order is a lot more flexible with shift times and trading schedules with other pharmacists.

 

[shoeguy24]

pezdispenser - That's pretty awesome.

How do you get to work from home? What does a typical day look like for you?

I'm a pharm tech at the moment in a privately owned retail pharm. How are the techs in mail order pharm?

 

[pezdispenser]

Working from home is obviously a highly coveted position. We have to work in the facility for a while and prove that we are fast and accurate before they set us loose.

A typical day starts off with brewing an espresso or caffe latte. We do have fixed schedules so I have to be logged on to the computer during those times. Then we're pretty much just reviewing prescriptions, checking clinical interactions, or resolving insurance issues, and they rotate us through each of these tasks every few hours or so.

I've found the techs are very good because their training is more formalized than in retail. Also, their performance metrics are monitored very closely, and if they're not up to scratch, they get extra coaching, and if they are still not good, they will be shown the door.

 

[vasoolraja]

How to find rotation sites for mail order pharmacies? Thanks for your help!

 

[MrBonita]

I work in Mail order and all the people here are in 60s to 70s. They only got here after doing their time in retail and getting a nice easy job after years of sacrifice. Take it if they are offering to a new grad which is rare. I know other people who work for Costco mail order and its the same thing. Its people who sacrificed years of service and got an easy job after.