CVS wants me to work as intern after licensed...

[redmuskan]

I got hired by CVS few months ago as a pharmacist. They said that they promote all graduates on Sundays after they get their Pharmacist license. I got my license today, but my manager told me that he is concerned about my speed and would like to keep me as an intern so that I can work on my speed (while I work with another pharmacist) I feel that this is unfair....What do you guys think?

Another way to think about this is... if a pharmacist is starting a new job at CVS and previously worked at Walgreens..Is it fair to pay them as intern??

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[SClENCE]

They don't pay other new hires intern pay until they are good at their job... they become good at their job while working as a pharmacist. I don't see how a new graduate should be different but I guess CVS can do whatever they want. How are you supposed to get faster working as an intern? How do they even know you are slow? It's not like you are verifying scripts as an intern

 

[BMBiology]

Sure, it is unfair but what choice do you have?

The truth is CVS hires more new graduates than they actually need. A good number will not be there after a year either because they hate working there and have found a new job or because CVS does not give them enough hours.

Assuming he is right about your speed. What are you doing to improve on your speed? Not familiar with the drugs? Clinically, you are not sure? This is something you need to work on. With time you will get better.

If I were you I would work really hard and be prepared to work my butt off. Know the drugs well. Know how to delegate responsibilities. I would also keep on applying for other opportunities. There is a reason why CVS has such a horrible reputation. Don't put all your eggs in the CVS basket.

 

[Old Timer]

I got hired by CVS few months ago as a pharmacist. They said that they promote all graduates on Sundays after they get their Pharmacist license. I got my license today, but my manager told me that he is concerned about my speed and would like to keep me as an intern so that I can work on my speed (while I work with another pharmacist) I feel that this is unfair....What do you guys think?

Another way to think about this is... if a pharmacist is starting a new job at CVS and previously worked at Walgreens..Is it fair to pay them as intern??

Were you an intern at CVS?
Have you verified anything yet?
Is this the supervisor or the pharmacy Manager?

 

[redmuskan]

This is a Superviser. I have been working for CVS for a few months now...I feel pretty comfortable with all aspects. I only have had opportunities to verify about 30-50 scripts though. I was intern with Target for 4 years and I feel very comfortable with drugs and counseling aspect.

My friend is at Walgreens (new hire) and they are not having her work as an intern. They are letting her work under a pharmacist for a week and paying her pharmacist salary.

 

[M0df]

Like BMB said, they hire too many people during grad period. My guess is they don't have the hours to give every incoming pharmacist. Rather than pay you for no reason (HUB - hours under base) or put you in as overlap (waste on payroll), your sup is trying to manage his payroll by not promoting you from grad intern status. I seriously doubt it has anything to do with verification speed as every incoming grad will start out slow. As soon as they actually need you to step in and be the pharmacist (vacation, sick calls, etc.), they will promote you.

You can go to HR and see how they feel about it. Or you can simply not verify scripts because you are not responsible for that if you are not a pharmacist in the system, even if your board of pharmacy says you are.

 

[Corpseman]

You can go to HR and see how they feel about it. Or you can simply not verify scripts because you are not responsible for that if you are not a pharmacist in the system, even if your board of pharmacy says you are.

I would do that while looking for a new job.

 

[SClENCE]

I don't really think it's ethical to intentionally over hire and expect pharmacists to work for intern pay to reserve their position...

 

[PharmtoCS]

The next step is to keep licensed pharmacists as perpetual interns to do consultations, flu shots, etc. while paying them intern rates.

 

[Leper Messiah]

It's started...

 

[SClENCE]

I expect CVS to roll out a "Post-grad" intern rate of 25 dollars an hour so you can work a fifth intern year to "improve your speed". CVS will call it an innovative career building opportunity and you will work in stores who need pharmacist overlap.

 

[Sine Cura]

Sounds like B.S. to me. In my experience new hires get 40 hours of OTJ training then immediately start working, new grad or not. Everyone is going to be slow in the beginning as you are adapting to the idiosyncrasies of the RxConnect verification process, are a new pharmacist, or both. At least someone who previously interned for CVS knows the system and workflow. But again what can you do? Call HR?

 

[BMBiology]

Sounds like B.S. to me. In my experience new hires get 40 hours of OTJ training then immediately start working, new grad or not. At least someone who previously interned for CVS knows the system and workflow. But again what can you do? Call HR?

What is HR going to do? This is not illegal and HR is going to protect the company (hence, the supervisor).

 

[BMBiology]

Every new pharmacist at CVS needs to keep on applying for another job!

 

[Sine Cura]

What is HR going to do? This is not illegal and HR is going to protect the company (hence, the supervisor).

What about a delayed job transfer? Similar idea where the self-serving interests of the supervisor potentially hinder the company's best interests, i.e., retaining an employee who was good enough to be hired or good enough for the receiving district to be willing to take the transfer rather than risk losing them and loss of investment.

 

[NateRobinson]

Nothing has "started." You guys love making **** up and acting like the sky is falling.

I'm sorry, but part of being a pharmacist in retail means verifying scripts out on time. Waiters are 15 minutes, so if you spend 10 minutes producing them, that means you have 5 minutes to verify a script. I personally verify a script in 30-60 seconds depending on what it is, but lets not compare ourselves.

The bottom line is, you have to get quicker. If you were efficient, able to verify quick and work good, you wouldn't be in this predicament. Your SUP wouldbe salivating at the mouth at the thought of putting you in a store and get you started. The fact that he isnt, means you aren't meeting expectations.

Instead of complaining, I'd ask him for feedback, ask what you're doing wrong. Look at your RWP report. Are you below target? IF so, why is that? Do you spend too much time staring at every script before you verify? Or maybe you just type slow or can't move fast enough?

This isn't the hospital where you sit in a basement all day and night and pretend to impact patient care. This is retail pharmacy, where you move fast and efficiently to get patients in and out. It is what it is, and I'll tell you the truth, not give you a sob story about how CVS sucks or whatever.

 

[redmuskan]

Nothing has "started." You guys love making **** up and acting like the sky is falling.

I'm sorry, but part of being a pharmacist in retail means verifying scripts out on time. Waiters are 15 minutes, so if you spend 10 minutes producing them, that means you have 5 minutes to verify a script. I personally verify a script in 30-60 seconds depending on what it is, but lets not compare ourselves.

The bottom line is, you have to get quicker. If you were efficient, able to verify quick and work good, you wouldn't be in this predicament. Your SUP wouldbe salivating at the mouth at the thought of putting you in a store and get you started. The fact that he isnt, means you aren't meeting expectations.

Instead of complaining, I'd ask him for feedback, ask what you're doing wrong. Look at your RWP report. Are you below target? IF so, why is that? Do you spend too much time staring at every script before you verify? Or maybe you just type slow or can't move fast enough?

This isn't the hospital where you sit in a basement all day and night and pretend to impact patient care. This is retail pharmacy, where you move fast and efficiently to get patients in and out. It is what it is, and I'll tell you the truth, not give you a sob story about how CVS sucks or whatever.

This is not a sob story. I have worked for retail for years (2 yrs at Eckerd, 4 yrs Target Pharmacy) and I choose to go to pharmacy school knowing the fact that working retail is no joke. This is a question of fairness and what is right. Not only for me , but for the pharmacy profession. I do not hate CVS and for that matter I do not hate anything.
Although I know that you are trying to be helpful, choose your words wisely. you do not want to hurt people.

 

[zelman]

I got hired by CVS few months ago as a pharmacist. They said that they promote all graduates on Sundays after they get their Pharmacist license. I got my license today, but my manager told me that he is concerned about my speed and would like to keep me as an intern so that I can work on my speed (while I work with another pharmacist) I feel that this is unfair....What do you guys think?

Another way to think about this is... if a pharmacist is starting a new job at CVS and previously worked at Walgreens..Is it fair to pay them as intern??

Call your pharmacy supervisor ASAP.

 

[M0df]

Nothing has "started." You guys love making **** up and acting like the sky is falling.

I'm sorry, but part of being a pharmacist in retail means verifying scripts out on time. Waiters are 15 minutes, so if you spend 10 minutes producing them, that means you have 5 minutes to verify a script. I personally verify a script in 30-60 seconds depending on what it is, but lets not compare ourselves.

The bottom line is, you have to get quicker. If you were efficient, able to verify quick and work good, you wouldn't be in this predicament. Your SUP wouldbe salivating at the mouth at the thought of putting you in a store and get you started. The fact that he isnt, means you aren't meeting expectations.

Instead of complaining, I'd ask him for feedback, ask what you're doing wrong. Look at your RWP report. Are you below target? IF so, why is that? Do you spend too much time staring at every script before you verify? Or maybe you just type slow or can't move fast enough?

This isn't the hospital where you sit in a basement all day and night and pretend to impact patient care. This is retail pharmacy, where you move fast and efficiently to get patients in and out. It is what it is, and I'll tell you the truth, not give you a sob story about how CVS sucks or whatever.

There was a corporate email last year saying that grad interns are NOT allowed to perform final verification. So how does his SUP know how fast he can verify?

I agree with the rest of the thought process though.

 

[MountainPharmD]

good 'ole CVS! I love it...all he is worried about is your speed.

 

[wagrxm2000]

There was a corporate email last year saying that grad interns are NOT allowed to perform final verification. So how does his SUP know how fast he can verify?

I agree with the rest of the thought process though.

Under pharmacist watch they can verify

 

[Corpseman]

Under pharmacist watch they can verify

Depends on company policy as well. Legally I can verify scripts, but if I am caught I violated company policy and can lose my job.

 

[M0df]

Nope, the memo said verification credentials used has to be of the pharmacist. Maybe they changed it this year but that was last year. So your grad intern would have to do fake verification, and pharmacist would still have to put in his credentials.

 

[owlegrad]

Our sup just sent out an email asking to let grad interns verify with the RPh verifying after them so that the grad interns can get the experience. CVS policy is still that interns cannot do final verification.

 

[farmadiazepine]

LMFAO. You are a licensed pharmacist, and they won't let you work as a pharmacist? LMFAO!

If you allow them to do that, they are going to walk all over you for the rest of your time at CVS. You are a Registered Pharmacist with a license to practice pharmacy. Why would you stay at a place and get paid as an intern? You're a professional, not an intern. Learn to say no, and learn to quit.

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

They will let him WORK as a pharmacist -- you really can't NOT work as a pharmacist if you are one -- they just don't want to PAY him as a pharmacist.

 

[redmuskan]

I appreciate all of your thoughts about this problem. After reading all of this, I came to the conclusion that.....I should talk to my manager and it would be wrong for me to accept this. This would in long run not only impact me adversely but also the future pharmacist. Corporate should know that we also have a voice and can stand up on our grounds and say no.
After a long chat with my manager and her manager, I am finally being promoted as a pharmacist...just how it should have been in the first place.
I once again like to thank all of you for your posts!

 

[M0df]

I doubt this idea came from corporate. So if anything, this board will you how things should be. I am glad you weren't taken advantage of. Just watch that pay stub to make sure the rate is right and the hours are correct (especially if you will float).

Edit: You can access pay stub Wed on my hr - much earlier than your printed copy. The rate adjustments are also on my hr.

 

[owlegrad]

Good for you, standing up for yourself. I agree with the others that if you let them roll over you now it would only get worse. Now just focus on improving as quickly as you safely can.

 

[sosoo]

this is unethical and u should call the ethics hotline.

 

[pillpharmer14]

Is this new to the CVS bag of tricks? I honestly don't get this one from good ole CVS. Interns are expensive technicians (especially when you consider what they pay their technicians). Unless they're actually trying to get you to verify stuff as an intern, I don't understand why they want to pay you a bunch to do tech work.

 

[SClENCE]

Probably some non pharmacist RM thinking that working as an intern will help you learn to verify more efficiently. Firstly you are not verifying so you aren't going to learn to verify faster, secondly if you are verifying then the pharmacist on duty is verifying it again so of course verification times will be slower with two people verifying it. Common sense.

Oh, not to mention even if working as an intern would help you learn to verify faster it is still unethical if they hired you as a pharmacist.

All it amounts to is some clueless idiot in middle management with no comprehension of reality trying to increase his/her bonus.

 

[BidingMyTime]

This isn't the hospital where you sit in a basement all day and night and pretend to impact patient care. This is retail pharmacy, where you move fast and efficiently to get patients in and out. It is what it is, and I'll tell you the truth, not give you a sob story about how CVS sucks or whatever.

Um, where do you get the idea that pharmacists in hospital also don't have to work quickly & efficiently? Or that they just "pretend" to impact patient care?

Just because the patient isn't breathing down your neck at the pharmacy window, doesn't mean you don't have their nurse calling you every 5 minutes wanting to know why you haven't OK'd their ASAP drug yet so they can get it out of Pyxis/Omnicell/whatever.

 

[NateRobinson]

Um, where do you get the idea that pharmacists in hospital also don't have to work quickly & efficiently? Or that they just "pretend" to impact patient care?

Just because the patient isn't breathing down your neck at the pharmacy window, doesn't mean you don't have their nurse calling you every 5 minutes wanting to know why you haven't OK'd their ASAP drug yet so they can get it out of Pyxis/Omnicell/whatever.

Hospital pharmacy is a joke compared to retail. Don't even start this argument. It's not as stressful, not even close. There's a reason why we get paid thousands more per year than you guys, and it's not just because of reimbursements. You guys bring your ipads to work and leave for 30 minutes to go get lunch. We don't do that at retail.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Hospital pharmacy is a joke compared to retail. Don't even start this argument. It's not as stressful, not even close. There's a reason why we get paid thousands more per year than you guys, and it's not just because of reimbursements. You guys bring your ipads to work and leave for 30 minutes to go get lunch. We don't do that at retail.

Whatever. I do successfully work at both, and I understand the stresses (and rewards) of both jobs. As far as I know, its only been a hospital pharmacist sent to prison for murder (because of an error of a technician.) It is far more likely that a pharmacy error in a hospital can kill someone, then a pharmacy error in a retail pharmacy. I find that thought far more stressful, then dealing with irate customers. Pharmacists who aren't stressed by everything that can go wrong with hospital pharmacy (and how the pharmacist is at the mercy that the IV tech is telling them the truth about how an IV was prepared).....anyone who isn't stressed by this, has given proper thought to everything that can go wrong.

As for why retail pays more than pharmacy....there are several different factors at play, and the stress level of dealing with customers is just one of those factors.

 

[pillpharmer14]

Hospital pharmacy is a joke compared to retail. Don't even start this argument. It's not as stressful, not even close. There's a reason why we get paid thousands more per year than you guys, and it's not just because of reimbursements. You guys bring your ipads to work and leave for 30 minutes to go get lunch. We don't do that at retail.

One could easily argue that retail pharmacy is a "joke" compared to hospital due to the lack of expertise that is required to count by fives. Those are some pretty inflammatory statements you just made to your colleagues. Is there some clan war I didn't know about between "you guys" and "us guys"?

 

[npage148]

They will let him WORK as a pharmacist -- you really can't NOT work as a pharmacist if you are one -- they just don't want to PAY him as a pharmacist.

Yup. He's not working as an intern. He's working as a pharmacist for the pay of an intern.

 

[NateRobinson]

Guys, you need ot understand that CVS is a corporate entity that will never, ever do anything to put themsleves ina compromised position. Horror stories about CVS rarely come from the company itself. It's due to individuals who are pricks who feel the need to make life miserable for others.

By the way, as someone who is very close to an RXSUP, I know for a fact that it is IMPOSSIBLE for a pharmacist to work as an intern. The thought process is that if the individual isn't good enough to be a pharmacist, then they will flat out fire him. Nobody is going to get paid as an intern. Thats complete and total BS, fake, and a lie. Whoever said that would get fired immeidately if corporate found out.

An intern is an intern. A pharmacist is a pharmacist. There is absoltely no need for a pharmacist to work as an intern when the company can just hire another intern, homegrow them and turn them into a stud when they graduate.

Again, this is all stemming from the fact that the person in quesiton just quite simply isn't meeting expectations. BELIEVE ME, as a PM, I would salivate at the prospect of a good intern turning into a pharmacist. So would any sane RXSUP. Good pharmacists are hard to come by, and if you are good, there will always be room for you. It doesn't matter if the "sky is falling" like some of you gusy say or that the market is saturated. Let me repeat that- if you are good at what you do, THERE WILL ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be room for you.

 

[NateRobinson]

By the way, because I know it's coming.....Define a good pharmacist? In CVS terms, a good pharmacist is efficient, gets scripts out the door, has excellent customer and patient service, doesn't spend 30 minutes counseling people, and drives company initiatives such as Action note follow through and WeCare as a whole for that matter.

You guys act like there are hundreds of interns who are excellent at what they do, and there are no jobs for them. That's not the case at all. The more likely scenario is that there are hundreds of interns, and out of all of them there are maybe 20-25 who are excellent and can run a store either as a staff or as a manager. There will always be room for those guys no matter what.

 

[SClENCE]

By the way, because I know it's coming.....Define a good pharmacist? In CVS terms, a good pharmacist is efficient, gets scripts out the door, has excellent customer and patient service, doesn't spend 30 minutes counseling people, and drives company initiatives such as Action note follow through and WeCare as a whole for that matter.

You guys act like there are hundreds of interns who are excellent at what they do, and there are no jobs for them. That's not the case at all. The more likely scenario is that there are hundreds of interns, and out of all of them there are maybe 20-25 who are excellent and can run a store either as a staff or as a manager. There will always be room for those guys no matter what.

This is all very true - I know a PIC at CVS who they essentially use to rebuild "challenge" stores. She's by no means some kind of miracle worker or magician but she gets things done in a way that no other pharmacist is able to. You have to a have "can do" attitude. Ready by promised and triage time scores are excellent and all of the PCQ calls/prescriber calls are knocked out quick. You must also have a strong relationship with your techs - be their friend while at the same time demand their respect. I'm lucky to have seen both great and terrible pharmacists (in terms of metrics/workload management/efficiency) and like Nate said if you are what they are looking for there is room for you in any area.

When I started at CVS it was a terrible store and my view of retail was pretty one dimensional - I'm not saying that my eyes have now been opened and CVS is great BUT I have discovered what a good "CVS pharmacist" looks like and in terms of job prospects down the road I have learned what I need to do in the present to get a job offer. I think interns tend to forget that every day they go to work they need to be of the mindset that they are showcasing their ability if they want to be hired. Instead, many of them just view it as a low wage side job.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Hospital pharmacy is a joke compared to retail. Don't even start this argument. It's not as stressful, not even close. There's a reason why we get paid thousands more per year than you guys, and it's not just because of reimbursements. You guys bring your ipads to work and leave for 30 minutes to go get lunch. We don't do that at retail.

lets not start this BS again - each area has its challenges. I make more than retail rph's in my area when you figure in total compensation (shift diff, 8 weeks PDO, pension, 403b contributions) and it isn't stressful when you see three people die in front of you in one day as you are running around trying to save their life? (we do more than click on a computer and verify drugs) - we do chest compressions, we insert IO's, we make dose decisions for the MD, we pull drugs from crash carts and administer. Both jobs have their stressors. Don't go there - you are a trolling fool.