How many scripts is too many to fill by yourself?

[vardenafil]

I'm curious as to what your opinions are. How much is too much? How many scripts do you think a pharmacist can safely fill by him/herself in a work day.

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[zelman]

Probably an average of 1 Rx per 5 minutes is a safe number. That's about 100 in an 8 hour shift.

 

[molyhelp]

Pharmacy record of over a year (record of 2 experienced pharmacists: regular pharmacy staff and pharmacy manager): AVERAGE about 5 scripts per hour. This is LONELY pharmacist working TOTALLY ALONE on Saturday and Sunday who will have to do EVERYTHING from:
taking in new script, answering calls and calls,
typing, answering calls and calls,
billing and trouble shooting insurance hiccup, calling insurance for new ID..., ring ring...answering calls and calls,
counting, answering phone calls and calls, checking voicemails...
ring ring...getting new phone scripts,
answering: Where is the restroom? (for the 30th time already, come on, have a NEON sign, CORPORATE SMART? Anyone out there? We are wasting time and productivity here.)
calling doctor for new scripts....
paging doctor for new scripts...
solving complaints and mistakes...
selling, ring ring...sorry, please hold, have 2 lines ahead of you, sorry...
cleaning up....answering calls and calls, ...
ring ring...
causing AVERAGE 5 scripts per hour ALONE without any helper at all (meaning: in some hours, we can make more at 6 or 7, in some hours, we can make less at 2 or 3.)
5 scripts per hour ALONE, net about 40 in 8 hours.
Still loving to serve the community...you will see me out there with a smile. Cheers.

 

[FarmD711]

Well I did 350 today in 9 hours so....

But I did have 3 technicians.

 

[CynicalIntern]

The most I've done is 180 in a 12 hour shift by myself. That was probably too much. I'd put it probably at about 150 in 12 hours safely. 120 to actually get everything done that I wanted to get done.

 

[owlegrad]

I never work alone, so I am not sure. Even 100 sounds like a lot to me, but I guess you get used to having to do everything yourself with no help.

 

[brianuseruser]

I can do over 100 in 8 hrs with a drive through no help... Oh ya that day I miscounted a cii. Guess not safely

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[Estrace]

I once did 148 alone on a Sunday because my tech called in that morning. It wasn't so bad. I did get some help from the assistant store manager during rush hours.

 

[Ackj]

Depends on more factors than straight up script number. Number of people picking up, asking questions, phone calls, etc is what will make or break it. If the door was closed, phones off, I could fill 100s with no problem. On the other hand, when the phone is ringing off the hook, there are insurance issues, need to call prescribers for clarification, most of the rx are waiters, you have a few immunizations, even 50 can get hectic.

 

[atgat1323]

What do you mean 'by yourself'? You mean as the only RPh on duty?

300-400/day is the norm per RPh per 12 hour day in any retail establishment. Put up or shut up

 

[zelman]

What do you mean 'by yourself'? You mean as the only RPh on duty?

300-400/day is the norm per RPh per 12 hour day in any retail establishment. Put up or shut up

Based on the survey options, it seems they mean you are the only human in the pharmacy.

 

[DAW2]

if it's all new ones i have to type/dispense/verify not many at all. if it's all refills i can zip through that shiz

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Well I worked at Target and I can tell you that 100 per day in a 10 hour day is a lot. Most days I had a tech for a few hours, at most. Once I had 80 RXs on a Sunday (5.5 hour shift) with no tech and I didn't get them all finished. Target sucked that way.

 

[Sparda29]

When you say by yourself, do you mean I'm working alone with no techs or I have a tech or two.

 

[owlegrad]

When you say by yourself, do you mean I'm working alone with no techs or I have a tech or two.

Huh?

 

[Sparda29]

Huh?

Does by myself mean no tech help or no other pharmacists?

 

[owlegrad]

Does by myself mean no tech help or no other pharmacists?

Gotcha. By the numbers posted the only thing that makes sense would be no tech help. 75 scripts a day with multiple rphs would be pretty awesome, lol

 

[Sparda29]

Gotcha. By the numbers posted the only thing that makes sense would be no tech help. 75 scripts a day with multiple rphs would be pretty awesome, lol

By myself without any techs, I can do probably up to 100 assuming the phones are also ringing and whatnot.

The most I've done with me and one tech is 290.
The most I've done ever as the only RPh is 680 but I had 2 techs, 2 interns, 2 cashiers.

 

[BidingMyTime]

The most I've done ever as the only RPh is 680 but I had 2 techs, 2 interns, 2 cashiers.

Wow, just wow. No wonder you don't have any problems getting jobs in a saturated area. Wow.

 

[Sparda29]

Wow, just wow. No wonder you don't have any problems getting jobs in a saturated area. Wow.

Micromerchant is an easy system. I have a super tech there who does all the order entry and insurance rejections. I haven't caught a mistake from her in the last 2 years. Another tech does the counting, I'll catch like one error every 2-3 months from her. Cashiers deal with all the customers/phone calls. Counseling is rarely needed here but if necessary I have the interns who also act as the translators (fluent in Arabic and English).

When you have awesome techs/interns, your job is infinitely easier. Our cashiers get $12/hr. Tech gets $17/hr, super-tech gets $30/hr, interns get $20/hr.

 

[owlegrad]

290 with one tech is like CVS' wet dream. Beyond unthinkable, lol

 

[Deja]

By myself without any techs, I can do probably up to 100 assuming the phones are also ringing and whatnot.

The most I've done with me and one tech is 290.
The most I've done ever as the only RPh is 680 but I had 2 techs, 2 interns, 2 cashiers.

wtf 680?! are you really checking at that rate or are you just letting everything go through?! esp if you are talking about a 8hr day, even 12 hr day is unthinkable

 

[M0df]

When it comes to NYC, nothing surprises me anymore. And if you notice, looks like rph:tech ratio is in full compliance too as interns and cashiers wouldn't count against it.

There are too many variables - new scripts, refills, phone, drive-thru, physical setup, narcs, etc... 100 in 8 hour shift is a good number.

 

[Sparda29]

wtf 680?! are you really checking at that rate or are you just letting everything go through?! esp if you are talking about a 8hr day, even 12 hr day is unthinkable

9am-830pm, owner brings by platters for breakfast lunch and dinner. My cashiers refill my car's meter for me and make sure I don't get a parking ticket.

And yeah, I'm really checking at that rate. A lot of these are auto-refills that we process on a daily basis, maybe 250 new scripts. A lot of the new scripts are from a pediatric office who pretty much sends the same thing for every patient (amoxicillin, silapap, siltussin, siladryl, chewable vitamins, albuterol nebulizers). The rest of the scripts are your diabetes, htn, hyperlipidemia meds, asthma, copd meds.

 

[Deja]

9am-830pm, owner brings by platters for breakfast lunch and dinner. My cashiers refill my car's meter for me and make sure I don't get a parking ticket.

And yeah, I'm really checking at that rate. A lot of these are auto-refills that we process on a daily basis, maybe 250 new scripts. A lot of the new scripts are from a pediatric office who pretty much sends the same thing for every patient (amoxicillin, silapap, siltussin, siladryl, chewable vitamins, albuterol nebulizers). The rest of the scripts are your diabetes, htn, hyperlipidemia meds, asthma, copd meds.

i still maintain that there is no possible way that you can safely check 680 scripts in 10 or 11 hours by yourself, i hope to god no family member of mine get their meds from a pharmacist that is this reckless

 

[sosoo]

without customers i'm guessing 30 scripts per hour.

 

[Sparda29]

i still maintain that there is no possible way that you can safely check 680 scripts in 10 or 11 hours by yourself, i hope to god no family member of mine get their meds from a pharmacist that is this reckless

So what would you do, just not fill as many scripts?

 

[zelman]

So what would you do, just not fill as many scripts?

Yes. If I have enough time to spend 30 seconds verifying prescriptions, I don't check them in 30 seconds. I check them at a safe rate and half don't get done.

 

[fcrc]

i think i can comfortably do about 50 scripts by myself in an 8 hour day. any more by myself, and i really feel like it's taking time out of other pharmacist duties besides filling (inventory, outdates, returns, counseling, doctor calls, clarifications, cleaning, etc.)

 

[Ackj]

And yeah, I'm really checking at that rate.

"Checking" as in what? Rx matches label matches product? Maybe you can do that many. No way you're doing any kind of DUR though.

 

[SpartanLaser]

I did about 100 in a day when my tech called out sick on a sunday in 7.5 hours. Wasn't terrible...I just hate insurance calls

 

[Sparda29]

"Checking" as in what? Rx matches label matches product? Maybe you can do that many. No way you're doing any kind of DUR though.

DUR. Yeah, that only happens when something gets flagged and the tech or intern calls me over. Otherwise, there is no review of all the patients medications, etc happening unless I'm also doing order entry. There is no computer verification here.