mySchedule

[sosoo]

does anyone know how to trick mySchedule so that you will have more techs at certain hours of the day? for example, if i put more scripts promised at a particular time, or put as waiters, or verified more scripts during those hours? which way will make mySchedule think we need more help at that hour?

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[M0df]

It looks at keyboard stokes, whatever that means. I know that if you dump you qp at 1pm, it will show you need help at 1pm. If you want to put every script as a waiter, that will work too.

 

[NateRobinson]

It doesn't work like that. The makers of myschedule didn't make it so that the tool could be manipulated.

Demand is demand and it gives you MORE than enough people in order to work properly. Just follow the tool, follow wecare, stop stressing yourself out and stop looking for shortcuts.

 

[Old]

It doesn't work like that. The makers of myschedule didn't make it so that the tool could be manipulated.

Demand is demand and it gives you MORE than enough people in order to work properly. Just follow the tool, follow wecare, stop stressing yourself out and stop looking for shortcuts.

What flavor was that Kool-aid? Did you request seconds?

 

[NateRobinson]

Say what you want, resort to ad-hominum attacks, but it works. My store runs like clockwork. Instead of bitching about the tool, either leave the company or learn to use it.

 

[NateRobinson]

I'll debate this to the death with you guys. Why do you assume that corporations like CVS are evil and want to make you sweat like a pig while you're at work? That doesnt benefit them. What DOES benefit them is having enough people in the store to man it properly and provide good service. mySchedule works. If its not working for a store, you're either having a really bad day (doing like 150 scripts over budget on that day, something out of the blue like that) or not optimizing enough. If you have blues, you're short and you'll feel it. You have to cover those. If you have oranges, you're over and you can cut back. It makes sound business sense to do so.

If you want to sit in a corner all day and verify and play clash of clans and have techs that sit around just waiting for a phone call to answer it, then I'm sorry, it doesn't work that way. I think of myself as a fast, efficient pharmacist, and mySchedule gives me MORE help than I need. Which makes me think that the tool doesn't expect you to be a super efficient RPH. It's designed for an average pharmacist verifying at average speeds.

 

[HouTX]

one size does not fit all. are you that narrow minded to say all pharmacists are the same? all technicians are the same? your CVS is the exception, not the rule

 

[NateRobinson]

I've been a PM in 2 CVS's since myschedule came out and floated in 6-7 others. Both stores didn't use mySchedule and didnt follow WECare when i got there. They were **** shows. Guess what happened when I made everyone follow wecare and when I scheduled pharmacy staff during peak times? Voila. Problems decreased and everything got better. It's almost like MAGIC! LISTEN TO CORPORATE AND SCHEDULE TO DEMAND. FOLLOW WECARE WORKFLOW. Call patients to tell them their script isn't covered by insurance like the action note expects you to.

It's mind boggling how many pharmacists hate WeCare and mySchedule. If you spent this much energy just following these programs instead of bitching about them, your life would be stress free.

 

[SClENCE]

It might depend on your district but if you go 1 hour over in mine you will be answering to the DM. Do it consistently and you will be written up. Maybe she's extreme but you are making the DM look pretty bad and are probably cutting down their bonus. Skipping cycle counts or doctor calls on a bad day is one thing but going over hours is off limits.

 

[trailerpark]

Why do people who work for CVS have to call the doctor a certain amount of times a day? I don't get it. I call if I have to clarify a rx, but all refills get faxed...

 

[SClENCE]

Why do people who work for CVS have to call the doctor a certain amount of times a day? I don't get it. I call if I have to clarify a rx, but all refills get faxed...

The refills gets faxed by the system automatically 3 times and on the third day if there is no response the call shows up on the pharmacist's que to make the phone call. You have to call the number on file for the doctor and get the script to get credit. Half the time the patient is no longer under the care of that provider/no longer on the med/the provider is no longer at that location/they are on lunch break/wrong office location was entered. It's just a pain in the ass sorting through all of these issues... not to mention you are prompted to call and notify the patient of the result of the call and are measured on that too.

If it were me personally I'd fax the doctor and that's the end of it. Refills requests are merely a courtesy - not a requirement. CVS understandably does this to increase script count and customer satisfaction.

 

[Old Timer]

I've been a PM in 2 CVS's since myschedule came out and floated in 6-7 others. Both stores didn't use mySchedule and didnt follow WECare when i got there. They were **** shows. Guess what happened when I made everyone follow wecare and when I scheduled pharmacy staff during peak times? Voila. Problems decreased and everything got better. It's almost like MAGIC! LISTEN TO CORPORATE AND SCHEDULE TO DEMAND. FOLLOW WECARE WORKFLOW. Call patients to tell them their script isn't covered by insurance like the action note expects you to.

It's mind boggling how many pharmacists hate WeCare and mySchedule. If you spent this much energy just following these programs instead of bitching about them, your life would be stress free.

Just so you know, There are less than 10 districts in the entire company that stay within demand hours.

 

[sosoo]

Guess what happened when I made everyone follow wecare and when I scheduled pharmacy staff during peak times? Voila. Problems decreased

what determines peak time for MySchedule? is it QT, QP, or QV? or all above? does MySchedule look at long lines at pickup in consideration? we have 1 pharmacist verify 3,000 scripts last month, and another pharmacist only verify 2,000 scripts. that's a huge difference! she's not pulling her weights. so its really annoying. otherwise i believe the system works. we also have 3 techs who does not know how to type or use the keyboard. they're too slow. otherwise i do believe the system works.

 

[M0df]

Yes, it works when I have my lead techs/interns on and the other help is trained. I have heard of my schedule telling 24 hour stores they don't need 1st tech until 4-5pm on weekends. These are not high volume stores but you still need to make Pcq calls (100+ most weekends).

 

[Sine Cura]

MySchedule does not account for PCQ (I recall it in an email) so you are supposed to schedule "extra" hours accordingly.

WeCare and MySchedule "work" if you have the right people in place, and that is a huge if that takes months if not years (for certain places where RPH H1Bs are still hired) to resolve because of frequent turnover and script volume being cannibalized by increasing competition from mail order and new brick-and-mortar pharmacies (like I am seeing with WM Neighborhood Market). Success begets more success. Failure begets more failure. From what I've seen the most "successful" stores do like 800 a week where substantial growth % can be achieved just from getting 100 more scripts a week whereas the "failures" are the high-volume stores (the ones that are more profitable) that have plateaued on script budget.

 

[doublehh03]

It doesn't work like that. The makers of myschedule didn't make it so that the tool could be manipulated.

Demand is demand and it gives you MORE than enough people in order to work properly. Just follow the tool, follow wecare, stop stressing yourself out and stop looking for shortcuts.

LOL. There's no such thing as "demand." It's budgets by your field managers LOL. I've spoken to MySchedule directly about this.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

MySchedule is bs... it is a useful tool in many instances if we don't take it literally. The problem is the company wants us to take it literally...

This is coming from a PM of a store that does over 4k scripts and have WeCare consistently top 10 percent of company...

MySchedule is suppose to take into account over 300 variables that they wont tell us. To Ops point, the most important variable in my opinion is activity/productivity. This can mean every thing but especially scripts typed at drop off, cash register transactions, scripts verified, etc.

For example, if a newbie is at drop off and it takes 15 minutes to type one prescription, the computer will see one script typed in that 15 minutes. It will not see the line. The same goes for the cash register. If cash registers are not being backed up promptly, the computer will not see the line but see a steady transaction that requires one tech. Furthermore, if it takes the tech a while to find a script, or to resolve a customer complaint while the line gets backed up, the computer will see a gap in transaction and might think we don't even need a tech at that point.

I hope this helps.

 

[owlegrad]

I can't even believe there is a CVS PIC out there that thinks they have "more than enough" hours.

 

[SClENCE]

MySchedule has nothing to do with demand in terms of total hours. Rather, it attempts to tell you how to use the hours you are given in the most efficient way and generally fails at doing it (yeah lets have just 1 tech from 5-9 in a 350+ script a day store)

 

[trailerpark]

Why not just schedule 100% to my schedule and just say f*ck it.

 

[owlegrad]

Why not just schedule 100% to my schedule and just say f*ck it.

Impossible, you would have to have people with like 1 hour shifts with a 15 minute break at some point (it breaks demand into 15 minute increments). For example I would have help from midnight to 1 am (presumably from readyfill). Probably not an easy shift to fill.

I do think MySchedule does a basically ok job allocating hours as long as the scheduler uses a little common sense when doing the schedule. The problem isn't really myschedule, it's not having enough hours to begin with.

 

[SClENCE]

I think whoever made MySchedule really put a lot of thought and time into it - We just need more hours to work with and the formula needs refined to accommodate realistic shifts and take into account a larger number of variables and/or weigh them properly.

 

[sosoo]

variables like putting up truck deliveries that takes a lot of hours. also pulling 2x2 if you're in a 24 hr pharmacy that takes forever. and strongpak processing... whoever came up with MySchedule definitely did not do their homework, or have no clue

 

[owlegrad]

variables like putting up truck deliveries that takes a lot of hours. also pulling 2x2 if you're in a 24 hr pharmacy that takes forever. and strongpak processing... whoever came up with MySchedule definitely did not do their homework, or have no clue

Um, putting up the truck is one of the specific duties that MySchedule accounts for. In fact the scheduler has to tell MySchedule how long it takes and when the pharmacy does it.

 

[NateRobinson]

It might depend on your district but if you go 1 hour over in mine you will be answering to the DM. Do it consistently and you will be written up. Maybe she's extreme but you are making the DM look pretty bad and are probably cutting down their bonus. Skipping cycle counts or doctor calls on a bad day is one thing but going over hours is off limits.

Yeah, I'll give you that. That's asinine. I'm lucky to have a DM who'll send nasty emails (not nasty, but more like WTF??) when we blow payroll. But he never goes crazy over it and unless you're over like 2o hours a week every week, he leaves you alone. Plus, I've never really heard of any PM getting written up for going over hours, unless, like i said, you're over alot of hours every week, week after week. If you want to cheat the system, which I don't really reccomend, go over one week, fall back the next week, go over like 4o hours the week after that, schedule to demand the week after that, etc.

LOL. There's no such thing as "demand." It's budgets by your field managers LOL. I've spoken to MySchedule directly about this.

Wow, I can't believe there really are people like you out there. Conspiracy theorists like you entertain me. Do you also believe that Jay Z and Beyonce run the illuminati? That aliens are the 1% and secretly control the world? My best friend is an emerging leader in New Jersey and this is NOT how it works. Field managers do not have access to demand. AREA VICE PRESIDENTS don't even have access to demand. Demand is generated by corporate according to a formula they use that looks at over 100 different actions in a pharmacy. Average incoming phone calls, averaging incoming doctor calls, voicemails left, register transactions (so if someone comes and wants to pay for their iced tea on your register, by all means, GO FOR IT!!), printing the QP, average incoming load in QT, etc. You get the drift. The formula is the same for every store in the chain. It's not like my district manager goes "you know what, Nate is a good guy, let me give him more demand on Tuesdays." It simply doesn't work like that, and if you truly think it does, you're mistaken and a complete liar when you say mySchedule told you that.

Yes, it works when I have my lead techs/interns on and the other help is trained. I have heard of my schedule telling 24 hour stores they don't need 1st tech until 4-5pm on weekends. These are not high volume stores but you still need to make Pcq calls (100+ most weekends).

That's simply not true, and if it's happening to you, I would email mySchedule ASAP and have them fix it for you. It has to be a glitch. I get 8 pages of PCQ that populate every saturday, and I get a 4 person spike at 9 am on saturdays. The call window for PCQ is 9 am to 11 am on saturdays and sundays and 4-8 pm on weekdays. In both of the stores where I was a PM, including the one I'm at now, I get a sudden spike at exactly 9 am. It calls for 5 techs plus the pharmacist. I'm thinking it wants at least one tech to JUST stand in the corner and make PCQ calls, which is exactly what I do.

Lastly, guys, learn to mold CVS to make it work for you. If you have interns, code them RVC and you get a few extra hours here and there. Be efficient, follow WeCare, and don't go nuts worrying about things you can't control.

 

[Old Timer]

LOL. There's no such thing as "demand." It's budgets by your field managers LOL. I've spoken to MySchedule directly about this.

Really, shows you are less than clueless. My Schedule takes in 41 bazillion data points and determines exactly when you need each tech. I especially like the 11:15AM until 2:45 pm shift. Or the times it thinks I should be alone with no techs even though we are doing over 2800 scripts a week and I haven't finished checking by 8PM, ever. The most important data point that is taken into consideration is this.

 

[SClENCE]

I'v come to the conclusion that if CVS was trying to survive as a pharmacy alone we would have more hours. Rather... the huge push to become a "healthcare" company and make several acquisitions is where the tight scheduling and inventory comes from.

By the time CVS is finally running drug companies, insurance companies, PBM's, MTM, mail orders, and urgent care clinics we might get appropriate tech hours. Too bad by the time that happens pharmacist salary will be degraded to crumbs as CVS will employ everyone.

I know this is extreme and won't happen in the real world but to an extent this seems to be the path CVS is trying to take. I don't have a problem with big/profitable companies but I struggle to see the benefit for the profession.

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

"My best friend is an emerging leader in New Jersey and this is NOT how it works."


Wow, you have really got the inside track there!

 

[sosoo]

Um, putting up the truck is one of the specific duties that MySchedule accounts for. In fact the scheduler has to tell MySchedule how long it takes and when the pharmacy does it.

and does MySchedule accounts for those hours outside the tech budgets or constrain within tech budgets? b/c the tech budgets are specific for script filling.

 

[Old Timer]

and does MySchedule accounts for those hours outside the tech budgets or constrain within tech budgets? b/c the tech budgets are specific for script filling.

It adds nothing. Waiting Bin Inventory, NO, audits, NO, inventory prep, NO, It takes into account script filling, putting away truck and ringing people up, and it does not take anything near reality.

You are not looking far enough ahead. This is bad on every level. It is basically a static staffing model on a dynamic process. So the last two weeks I was 7.1% and 7.7% over budget and I could not add more hours. How does that make sense? This is all about controlling costs in the short term and the long term. This is about them managing everything from R.I. They are going to get rid of the Pharmacy Supervisor and District Manager position. Not next week, but that's the way I see it.....

 

[owlegrad]

and does MySchedule accounts for those hours outside the tech budgets or constrain within tech budgets? b/c the tech budgets are specific for script filling.

Everything MySchedule accounts for is done within the tech budget, no? It was the same before MySchedule; you had to get the truck put up with the tech hours you were given (which supposedly accounts for the need to put up truck). The tech budget is meant to include everything the techs do. I am not arguing that it actually does, only that it is meant to.

I don't think I really understand your question. Everything you are supposed to do is done within the hours budget, right?

 

[Old Timer]

Everything MySchedule accounts for is done within the tech budget, no? It was the same before MySchedule; you had to get the truck put up with the tech hours you were given (which supposedly accounts for the need to put up truck). The tech budget is meant to include everything the techs do. I am not arguing that it actually does, only that it is meant to.

I don't think I really understand your question. Everything you are supposed to do is done within the hours budget, right?

Look at your budgeted hours on your green sheets and your my schedule hours. You will see the shortfall and then look at what you did last year. They upped your budgeted number of scripts and decreased your my schedule hours.....

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

Look at your budgeted hours on your green sheets and your my schedule hours. You will see the shortfall and then look at what you did last year. They upped your budgeted number of scripts and decreased your my schedule hours.....

This exactly. If I am making budget and my green sheet says my budget is x amount of hours, I should be able to schedule to that.

But to your previous point, if you are 7 percent over the last two weeks, it is based on previous and forward demand average...

Before forward demand in March, Myschedule was even worst. It would average the last 5 weeks and when you factor in holidays and ****, you have nobody on days like Thursday (Think Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc).

There are excuses for everything like you are suppose to upload a MySchedule holiday template etc but that **** should be in there. I don't have time to spend 3 hours on the schedule every ****ing week just so we wont be 1 hour over. I get paid 70 an hour, time 3 is 210. That is equivalent to 20 tech hours. WTF!

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

and does MySchedule accounts for those hours outside the tech budgets or constrain within tech budgets? b/c the tech budgets are specific for script filling.

It does. Truck has its own designated hours that you input manually into MySchedule.

Other activities like 2x2, cycle counts, etc fall under daily activities...

Technician workflow activities should be designated as tech work flow activities, and Pharmacist vice versa.

If an intern is doing dr phone calls, designate intern as pharmacist work flow activities...

MySchedule is sold as not us losing hours, but a tool to help us allocate hours efficiently. I will give it credit for helping us allocate hours efficiently but **** takes hours away from us most definitely!

 

[Old Timer]

It does. Truck has its own designated hours that you input manually into MySchedule.

Other activities like 2x2, cycle counts, etc fall under daily activities...

Technician workflow activities should be designated as tech work flow activities, and Pharmacist vice versa.

Watch your optimization plummet....

 

[FarmD711]

Watch your optimization plummet....

My optimization plummets when I DONT do what he is saying. Always increases when I designate activities as tech workflow and pharmacist workflow activities.

 

[doublehh03]

Really, shows you are less than clueless. My Schedule takes in 41 bazillion data points and determines exactly when you need each tech. I especially like the 11:15AM until 2:45 pm shift. Or the times it thinks I should be alone with no techs even though we are doing over 2800 scripts a week and I haven't finished checking by 8PM, ever. The most important data point that is taken into consideration is this.

I've spoken in person over the phone to MySchedule so I'm sure I know what I'm talking about. I have the email to back it up.

Here's a summary of what was stated, "My Schedule's demand is aligned to budget that was clearly defined by the field management team, which is based on the predictable scripts trend."

Keep believing MySchedule takes into account a bazillion data points and determines when you need each tech. It doesn't. I work at my store 5 days a week, some weeks up to 45-48 hours a week. I think I know when my store peaks, and what days are the busiest. It doesn't take into account PCQ calls, waiting bins, or the amount of C2s a store does, or even vaccinations (we do a ton of shingles shots at our store).

My store does 3500+ per week, has 2 dual drive through, and a lot of weeks our "demand" is 220-230 tech hours. Really??

 

[owlegrad]

I love the concept of calling and talking to MySchedule. It is like talking to Skynet?

 

[Old Timer]

I've spoken in person over the phone to MySchedule so I'm sure I know what I'm talking about. I have the email to back it up.

Here's a summary of what was stated, "My Schedule's demand is aligned to budget that was clearly defined by the field management team, which is based on the predictable scripts trend."

Keep believing MySchedule takes into account a bazillion data points and determines when you need each tech. It doesn't. I work at my store 5 days a week, some weeks up to 45-48 hours a week. I think I know when my store peaks, and what days are the busiest. It doesn't take into account PCQ calls, waiting bins, or the amount of C2s a store does, or even vaccinations (we do a ton of shingles shots at our store).

My store does 3500+ per week, has 2 dual drive through, and a lot of weeks our "demand" is 220-230 tech hours. Really??

You are clueless. Your field team has no control over this. Zip, none zero. Please get me the number so I can call Mr. My Schedule.

 

[doublehh03]

You are clueless. Your field team has no control over this. Zip, none zero. Please get me the number so I can call Mr. My Schedule.

Ask your sup and then call my Schedule. Your sup has to trigger the process and you need explanation of why you are unhappy with your demand and what are your reasons so. After a few emails, it will escalate and they will provide you a number and you can directly discuss. I can PM you the name of the person I spoke to directly and you can ask for that person lol. You guys are simply brainwashed over this MySchdule BS.

 

[doublehh03]

I love the concept of calling and talking to MySchedule. It is like talking to Skynet?

If you tried, you would know. But I guess everyone here accepted "demand." It's simply a budget. The MySchedule team simply inputs in budgets that were set out at the beginning of the year by the field team and I'm sure with the help of corporate (area and field managers - your supervisor or DMS have no involvement in this) based on script trends from last year.

There's a reason why "demand" or budget is so bad b/c the field teams don't know much, but at the end of the day, if you stay within "demand," their bonuses will skyrocket.

The only time you can flex up or down (no longer the 11 scripts per hour from before) is if you 6 week trending script average is +/- 150 scripts.

Again, they preach, "GO BY DEMAND," it takes into account a bajillion points of the store's activities in order to generate it. So do so.

 

[trailerpark]

Do CVS staff pharmacists have to worry about all this ridiculousness or just the managers? I'm curious in case my pharmacy gets bought by CVS.

 

[zelman]

Do CVS staff pharmacists have to worry about all this ridiculousness or just the managers? I'm curious in case my pharmacy gets bought by CVS.

Managers...unless it gets delegated to you

 

[Old Timer]

If you tried, you would know. But I guess everyone here accepted "demand." It's simply a budget. The MySchedule team simply inputs in budgets that were set out at the beginning of the year by the field team and I'm sure with the help of corporate (area and field managers - your supervisor or DMS have no involvement in this) based on script trends from last year.

There's a reason why "demand" or budget is so bad b/c the field teams don't know much, but at the end of the day, if you stay within "demand," their bonuses will skyrocket.

The only time you can flex up or down (no longer the 11 scripts per hour from before) is if you 6 week trending script average is +/- 150 scripts.

Again, they preach, "GO BY DEMAND," it takes into account a bajillion points of the store's activities in order to generate it. So do so.

PM me the number, You are full of:

 

[trailerpark]

A manager can delegate myschedule to a staff? eff that #notmyjob

 

[HouTX]

not working at CVS but I can and do delegate tasks off to my staff. why? if I'm not there, the show goes on. I vacuum, sweep, and take out the trash too. I'm not above it and my staff should not be either

 

[doublehh03]

PM me the number, You are full of:

Sent my friend. I would PM you the email but it has my store's information.

 

[sosoo]

my manager delegates all his PIC duties to another staff pharmacist, including myschedule. all that the manager does is fill scripts, and he's terrible at it. making tons of errors, got a lawsuit. leaving a lot of mess behind. im always amaze why one supervisor after another always seem to like him and protect him. oh and he's always late and leave on the dot. what manager does that?

 

[Old Timer]

Sent my friend. I would PM you the email but it has my store's information.

So, I called the number you gave me and it's to a person in R.I. who is no longer on the myschedule team. Oh well, I'll try to send them an e-mail. But for now, your proof has amnesia.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

You can email [email protected] ...

I think that is the correct email. If it is, they usually respond pretty quickly depending on the issue.

However the demand hours is given by corporate- and can be re-allocated accordingly by your supervisor with regional's approval...