Life after leaving a certain chain

[rxglasshalffull]

Hi all,

Just wanted to share that it's been three weeks since I left working for a certain chain and transitioned into my new job. IT HAS BEEN AMAZING. Obviously I know no job is perfect, but my quality of life at work and outside of work has improved so much...to a degree that I can't even explain.

In hindsight, I can't believe I put up with working for that chain for 13 months. It was so toxic. It really affected me negatively, more than I realized.

I used to be ashamed of this, but I am able to finally talk about it. I was under a lot of stress and pressure working for chain, a few weeks into this job, I started experiencing anxiety. I had a few mental breakdowns where I was crying in the bathroom and almost quit my job and handed in my keys right there. As I gained more experience as a retail pharmacist (used to interned for a hospital, was brand new to retail), as my skin grew thicker, my anxiety slowly lessened, though my baseline anxiety was always there. Some days it was really bad, other days were better. In general, I just couldn't relax, whether it was at work, or at home, thinking about how much I dreaded going to work.I talked to a few fellow pharmacists about it, I found out a good number of pharmacists in that chain are on anti-depressants and anxiety meds, I really didn't want to be on those meds because of my job, 4 months into my chain job, I knew I was leaving, it was just a matter of when. I admit that I am not cut out for that kind of job. Most importantly, I don't deserve that kind of working conditions. I deserve more.

All in all, leaving that chain is the best decision I've ever made, and for the first time as a pharmacist,I am happy to go to work and happy when I leave work. I feel so blessed that I had the chance to leave that toxic job, and I didn't even have to move.

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[BMBiology]

That is great. I left the chain as an intern when they were waiving sign on bonus in front of our eager faces. It was probably one of the best decisions I made.

 

[68quebec]

thx for your sharing. so are you currently working at hospital or private pharmacy store? I don't even go to any chain pharmacy because of harsh environment (short staff, extreme busy schedule, not enough time to double check order, etc...).

I applaud your decision

 

[Unchained]

The DM's who work for That Chain around me are all using some type of drug to deal with the stress. When it gets to that point you have to decide what is important in life. I applaud your decision and bravery to make it.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Sound like me the week after I was out of hospital pharmacy.

 

[rxglasshalffull]

during my several months with this chain, i requested to be scheduled at most 32 hours/week, i was a third pharmacist for one store so i was there half the week, and the other few days i just floated. not working full-time helped ease the anxiety and pain a little lol

 

[farmadiazepine]

First, congratulations! A lot of people who work for a chain pharmacy (not everyone, but a lot) feel as if they cannot quit because they have no where else to go, or they won't get hired anywhere else, or they don't know what other opportunities actually exist, or they can't afford quitting and taking a break. It takes a lot of guts to quit a job that pays an excellent pay every 2 weeks and provides a lot of benefits including vacation, sick time, 401k, health insurances, HSA, stock options, stocks at a discount, etc. You should be really proud of yourself. Don't ever feel down! The decisions you make are to make your life better, and not to please anyone else.

After I quit, I thought to myself, WTF did I just do. How did I do this to myself? I just gave up X amount of money every 2 weeks for something stupid. In all reality, after a few days, I realized I was better off. There are so many job opportunities out there, and if you can't find one, you realize you have to make one.

I don't even take meds, but I know I had some sort of anxiety going into CVS. I would get anxious, or fearful, or just fuc*ing hate the place. I had real hate in my heart, and that's when I knew this isn't going to fly anymore, I'm out. F' it, I'm out!

Sometimes you want to take a pillow and just scream into it. Sometimes you want to punch the wall, Some days you just want to break stuff. Some days you want to cry. Some days you want to yell. You have to do something to get rid of all that misery and frustration and tension and anxiety, and working for a chain doesn't make any of those things better.

I promised myself I won't work for a chain anymore. It's a promise I'm looking to keep for myself.

Congratulations and all the best

 

[Estrace]

Good for you. I have never felt the way you did and I work for a chain.

 

[rxglasshalffull]

First, congratulations! A lot of people who work for a chain pharmacy (not everyone, but a lot) feel as if they cannot quit because they have no where else to go, or they won't get hired anywhere else, or they don't know what other opportunities actually exist, or they can't afford quitting and taking a break. It takes a lot of guts to quit a job that pays an excellent pay every 2 weeks and provides a lot of benefits including vacation, sick time, 401k, health insurances, HSA, stock options, stocks at a discount, etc. You should be really proud of yourself. Don't ever feel down! The decisions you make are to make your life better, and not to please anyone else.

After I quit, I thought to myself, WTF did I just do. How did I do this to myself? I just gave up X amount of money every 2 weeks for something stupid. In all reality, after a few days, I realized I was better off. There are so many job opportunities out there, and if you can't find one, you realize you have to make one.

I don't even take meds, but I know I had some sort of anxiety going into CVS. I would get anxious, or fearful, or just fuc*ing hate the place. I had real hate in my heart, and that's when I knew this isn't going to fly anymore, I'm out. F' it, I'm out!

Sometimes you want to take a pillow and just scream into it. Sometimes you want to punch the wall, Some days you just want to break stuff. Some days you want to cry. Some days you want to yell. You have to do something to get rid of all that misery and frustration and tension and anxiety, and working for a chain doesn't make any of those things better.

I promised myself I won't work for a chain anymore. It's a promise I'm looking to keep for myself.

Congratulations and all the best

i relate to everything you said....but "I don't even take meds, but I know I had some sort of anxiety going into CVS. I would get anxious, or fearful, or just fuc*ing hate the place. I had real hate in my heart," this hit home with me

 

[ExpressMaiL]

I have a question for y'all that worked at and decided to quit retail - was there anything positive from working there?

 

[BMBiology]

I realized retails don't care about how much you know or where you graduated from. They are just looking for "yes" people. I also realized the saturation was coming and retail will get worse.

 

[rxglasshalffull]

I have a question for y'all that worked at and decided to quit retail - was there anything positive from working there?

you live in OC? you know there are NO retail openings in OC, even for experienced in-house pharmacists. unless you know someone well, or unless you wait in line for years. and yes there were positives aspects of working in a chain, it was like bootcamp, it helped me prepare for my next job and the one after. it also makes everything else so easy

 

[ExpressMaiL]

you live in OC? you know there are NO retail openings in OC, even for experienced in-house pharmacists. unless you know someone well, or unless you wait in line for years. and yes there were positives aspects of working in a chain, it was like bootcamp, it helped me prepare for my next job and the one after. it also makes everything else so easy

Yes, I live in OC. I'd say there's always an opening; it may not be full-time or ideal hours, but something can always be found if you look hard enough. Anyways, OC is a big place...
That's great you got "training" from retail. Another life experience that you can talk about in the future!