Pharmacist schedule

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Estrace

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Can a store manager change pharmacist schedule? I have asked every single pharmacist I know and they all said no but my store manager is insisting that he has the authority to do that.
Let say you work at a store that opens 8 am to 10pm and the store manager decides one day that he can force everyone including the pharmacists to come in an hour early because he doesn't like the fact that pharmacy staff stay behind after closing to catch up. I work for Walgreens and we have a market scheduler. I have never heard that a store manager can change pharmacist schedule. Am I missing something here?
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I would be pissed too if my store closes at 10 and I have to wait for the pharmacy people to finish whatever they are doing before I can lock up and leave. Leaving everyday at a different time because pharmacy doesn't have their stuff together.
 
HouTX said:
I would be pissed too if my store closes at 10 and I have to wait for the pharmacy people to finish whatever they are doing before I can lock up and leave. Leaving everyday at a different time because pharmacy doesn't have their stuff together.
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I agree, I would be pissed too but that situation doesn't exist anymore. They did that before I came to the store two months ago. My first two days was rough, I didn't leave till 11 pm so I changed my strategy and I haven't left later than 10.05 pm ever since. I stopped coming in at 7 because it was pointless to me. We are wasting two and half hours of our limited tech hours by having our techs come in at 7.30 Mon-Fri. My store manager made the above comment during the discussion to have our hours adjusted back to normal. We had a little bit of an argument over it because I felt that he was misinformed but he kept insisting that he was right.
 
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can someone who makes less money than u tells u what to do? tell him u already have a boss, and u already have a scheduler. usually store managers are not that dumb.
 
Are you paid for that time?
 
I heard that at Wags, the front store manager has more authority than in other places plus Wags is undergoing middle management changes. I wouldn't be surprised if he has the power to do that as long as you get paid. What does your pharmacy manager say? I know you are staff at that store.
 
M0df said:
I heard that at Wags, the front store manager has more authority than in other places plus Wags is undergoing middle management changes. I wouldn't be surprised if he has the power to do that as long as you get paid. What does your pharmacy manager say? I know you are staff at that store.
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Lol. No. I've never heard of the store manager being able to change pharmacist hours. They are set by the market scheduler and any changes to shifts need to approved by the market scheduler who normally runs weird things like this past the DM (previously supervisor but it was rolled into one with this recent change).

If the store manager wants to change pharmacist hours, he'll need to speak with the DM (who will say no). The most the manager can do is give the pharmacy some more tech hours (which is really just borrowing from the front).
 
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As long as all shifts are covered, I'd imagine the regular schedule doesn't really matter. If you want to work every Tuesday and have off every Wednesday, you can probably work that out among yourselves and it would be fine.

Now if you're asking "is it okay to be scheduled 7-9 instead of 8-10?" the answer is probably "no."

However, I can see a manager saying "we close at 10, get out of here, I don't care what you didn't finish." So it's up to you to figure out a way to get everything done before it all has to be closed. That's probably justified because you're working off the clock if you're staying late, which is technically forbidden.
 
No they can't change the pharmacist schedule. I control the schedule for both the pharmacists and techs. If I need to change a schedule to say accommodate a flu shot clinic I just tell the scheduler. No I won't be able to schedule myself all mornings. Your manager needs to understand that the pharmacy is what brings in a lot of their business and they should be supporting you not fighting against you. Bring it up to the dm and the problem will be solved.

You shouldn't need to stay over 10 anyways.
 
The problem is that the RXM likes the schedule too because she lives 5 minutes away from the store . So she prefer to come in at 7 and leave at 3 which I have a problem with. The store opens at 8 and if she chooses to come in at 7, that's on her. She shouldn't be able to leave an hour early and the techs shouldn't be coming in before the pharmacy opens.
All the reasons they gave me for switching to this schedule before I came to this store could have been fixed without the need to change the pharmacy hours. This is a predominantly Hispanic community and the customers are extremely patient. Both the RXM and SM are acting like I have no right to question or request for the time to be adjusted back. I did tell the DM and that was how we got the hours adjusted back.
I haven't stayed later than 10.05 pm since my first week there.
 
It's on the RXM if she wants to come in at 7. Take it up with the DM. I come into work 20-30 mins early on days I open but that's on me. I also know some RPhs that don't give any extra time but they are running around with their head cut off because they are not prepared. Your RXM sounds selfish.
 
I'm RXM for wags and I stay late to clean up stuff on some days but the pharmacy closes at 9pm while the store is open til 10pm. I would not make anyone up front wait for me though, so I dont ever stay past 10pm. It's on you if you want to come in early or stay late, just obviously, don't inconvenience other staff. The store manager has no say in your schedule.
 
I have no issue with coming in at 7 and getting the day started on the right foot and leaving at 3. It actually makes the day easier as long as you partner is filling scripts. I actually think all stores should do this. Its not out of the norm to have 50 scripts due by 10 from overnight refills. The techs however should be used evenly between the two of you or I would bring that up to the dm.
 
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This is precisely why Walgreens sucks ass. The SM's in walgreens have so much power, and many of them decide to abuse that power and extend their authority over the pharmacy. It makes them giddy to flex their muscle over licensed professionals.

It's not like that CVS. CVS makes it clear that the SM is there to support the pharmacy no matter what, since RX is 60% of the business.

Then again, I don't know your situation. If you have an incompetent pharmacy staff who is slow and takes forever to get things done, then I understand the SMs frustrations. He already works like a dog and has to make sure he's meeting sales and everything like that. Now he has to stay an hour extra every night just so that the pharmacy can catch up? Sorry, but that's not fair to him. Maybe you guys should schedule better and have the right people in the building so that you don't have to make him work more just to cover your deficiencies...
 
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wagrxm2000 said:
I have no issue with coming in at 7 and getting the day started on the right foot and leaving at 3. It actually makes the day easier as long as you partner is filling scripts. I actually think all stores should do this. Its not out of the norm to have 50 scripts due by 10 from overnight refills. The techs however should be used evenly between the two of you or I would bring that up to the dm.
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As a RXM, you can't make that call on your own if your staff pharmacist is not on board. We have two hours overlap for a reason and if the RXM is leaving at 3, it is unfair to the staff pharmacist. We don't have 50 scripts printed in the morning. Before I came to the store, they used to have a lot of 6 am scripts printed every morning. In my opinion, coming in at 7 is not the solution to this . You clear your work queue up till 8 am the night before and you wont have 6 am scripts anymore. It took me 2 days to figure it out . I will understand this if the store is extremely busy but it's not.
What's really sad is that a lot of RXM have zero problem solving skill. I come in most days few minutes before 8 and never had a problem.
 
NateRobinson said:
This is precisely why Walgreens sucks ass. The SM's in walgreens have so much power, and many of them decide to abuse that power and extend their authority over the pharmacy. It makes them giddy to flex their muscle over licensed professionals.

It's not like that CVS. CVS makes it clear that the SM is there to support the pharmacy no matter what, since RX is 60% of the business.

Then again, I don't know your situation. If you have an incompetent pharmacy staff who is slow and takes forever to get things done, then I understand the SMs frustrations. He already works like a dog and has to make sure he's meeting sales and everything like that. Now he has to stay an hour extra every night just so that the pharmacy can catch up? Sorry, but that's not fair to him. Maybe you guys should schedule better and have the right people in the building so that you don't have to make him work more just to cover your deficiencies...
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I definitely do not think our staff are incompetent .I don't want to speculate on what happened at the store before I got there but that situation does not exist anymore as far as I'm concerned . Like I said earlier , I come in at 8 am and leave at 10 pm on most days. We have our busy days which is normal at every store and what you do on those days is schedule more techs.
If the RXM is having problem leaving at 10, then the SM should be getting on her about that. This store is a piece of cake compare to the store I transferred from.
 
Estrace said:
As a RXM, you can't make that call on your own if your staff pharmacist is not on board. We have two hours overlap for a reason and if the RXM is leaving at 3, it is unfair to the staff pharmacist. We don't have 50 scripts printed in the morning. Before I came to the store, they used to have a lot of 6 am scripts printed every morning. In my opinion, coming in at 7 is not the solution to this . You clear your work queue up till 8 am the night before and you wont have 6 am scripts anymore. It took me 2 days to figure it out . I will understand this if the store is extremely busy but it's not.
What's really sad is that a lot of RXM have zero problem solving skill. I come in most days few minutes before 8 and never had a problem.
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Lol um yes I can and I do. That's how the scheduler posts it too.
 
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estrace and wagrxm2000 works at the same store
 
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wagrxm2000 said:
Lol um yes I can and I do. That's how the scheduler posts it too.[/QUOTE


You can't do that because we have two hours overlap for lunch breaks. If Walgreens wants you to make that decision, there won't be any need for a market scheduler. At my old store, my RXM could not make any change to the schedule except we both agreed on it. It wasn't even an issue. Even after we agree on it and she emails our DM for approval, I still get an email from our DM to make sure she discussed the change with me. So no, you can't do that. If you do it now without being in agreement with your staff, then it's wrong. If you choose to come in early, it's on you.
And our scheduler doesn't post it that way. RXMS here have extended hours (8 am to 5.30 pm) on some days.
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I've never worked anywhere were a store manager could change a pharmacist's schedule. They've almost always been handled by district management, in most places pharmacists are also scheduled separate from the techs. I've never worked anywhere were the hours for the pharmacist were paid for by the store or store budget, it's all been done separately so they wouldn't have the authority to extend or alter hours since they aren't the ones paying from their budget.

I worked one place where the store manager could request that a tech work for the store, but they had to ask the pharmacist first in case the pharmacy wasn't too busy.
 
When I became rxm of my current store I asked the scheduler about the schedule. She said send her how I want it and she will make that the rotation.

The two hour overlap isn't really for lunch breaks. I use that time to detail, do quick flu clinics (I sometimes change the schedule for longer clinics where the overlap will be taken completely out on other days), etc. The rxm shouldn't be wasting their overlap in the pharmacy. There are plenty of 9 to 9 stores that have no overlap for this so called lunch break
 
HouTX said:
It's on the RXM if she wants to come in at 7. Take it up with the DM. I come into work 20-30 mins early on days I open but that's on me. I also know some RPhs that don't give any extra time but they are running around with their head cut off because they are not prepared. Your RXM sounds selfish.
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Agreed. RXM should be scheduled during hours of operation not what he/she wants. As an RXM myself, she should know the needs of the business should come before needs of the individual
 
wagrxm2000 said:
When I became rxm of my current store I asked the scheduler about the schedule. She said send her how I want it and she will make that the rotation.

The two hour overlap isn't really for lunch breaks. I use that time to detail, do quick flu clinics (I sometimes change the schedule for longer clinics where the overlap will be taken completely out on other days), etc. The rxm shouldn't be wasting their overlap in the pharmacy. There are plenty of 9 to 9 stores that have no overlap for this so called lunch break
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Then you are one of those RXM. I worked at a 9 to 9 store for 3 months and we still took lunch breaks. On the days you work alone for 12 hours, you're allowed a 30 mins break inside the pharmacy uninterrupted. The tech will tell patients that the pharmacist is on lunch break . The overlap is for lunch breaks, go ask anyone. It's up to individual pharmacist to decided if they want to take the lunch break or skip it. You have no right to deny them the privilege. RXMs are scheduled extended hours on some says for detailing. The overlap is not for flu clinics and detailing.
Also, you have no right to change the pharmacist schedule at your store if your staff pharmacist doesn't agree with the change. Before my former RXM took over the store, we did 10 days straight and 4 days off. She convinced me first that it will be better to have one day off the first week, then 3 days weekend just to break the 10 days exhaustion. I don't have any problem with issues like this as long as its done with respect. If she had gone to the scheduler without talking to me about it, I would have said no. Don't be a selfish RXM, pharmacy decisions shouldn't be based on your preference alone.
 
You're both *****s.

1) If your district scheduler is making your rotation for you, the lack of leadership at your store is HILARIOUS.
2) Overlap isn't for lunch breaks, nor is it necessarily for doing flu clinics and detailing. Overlap is for getting **** out the door at the busiest part of the day. Walgreens makes the RXM schedule themselves to work 2 hours extra a week. Those two hours are the time you're supposed to "detail and flu clinic and catch up on management paperwork" If you think that all stores can function just fine without overlap, I welcome you to learn what it's like working at a busy store.
3) I'm going to assume the "you have no right to deny them their lunch break privilege" is something that you're extrapolating your state's rules for the country's rules.
4) The pharmacy manager has every right to set the schedule however they want to. It's a dick move to not try to approve it with their partner, but the staff pharmacist has no more authority to override the schedule than a floater does when the market scheduler sends them somewhere far.
5) While the store manager technically has the authority to change the schedule of his pharmacists, as that's how WAG's power structure is set up, it's not something that happens in practice, and I would flip my **** if my store manager did something like that.

That said, your operating pharmacist budget is to be utilized within the store's business hours. If they're saying that they're scheduled when the store is not open, they're cheating payroll and it should be taken up with your DM.
 
just because the RXM can do something doesn't mean they should. you're trying to build a cohesive team that runs whether you are there or not.

I treat my asst, techs, clerks with respect. and u know what? they work harder for me when I need them to. it's teamwork. if your staff sees that it is fair across the board, they won't try to undermine you or each other
 
CynicalIntern said:
You're both *****s.

1) If your district scheduler is making your rotation for you, the lack of leadership at your store is HILARIOUS.
2) Overlap isn't for lunch breaks, nor is it necessarily for doing flu clinics and detailing. Overlap is for getting **** out the door at the busiest part of the day. Walgreens makes the RXM schedule themselves to work 2 hours extra a week. Those two hours are the time you're supposed to "detail and flu clinic and catch up on management paperwork" If you think that all stores can function just fine without overlap, I welcome you to learn what it's like working at a busy store.
3) I'm going to assume the "you have no right to deny them their lunch break privilege" is something that you're extrapolating your state's rules for the country's rules.
4) The pharmacy manager has every right to set the schedule however they want to. It's a dick move to not try to approve it with their partner, but the staff pharmacist has no more authority to override the schedule than a floater does when the market scheduler sends them somewhere far.
5) While the store manager technically has the authority to change the schedule of his pharmacists, as that's how WAG's power structure is set up, it's not something that happens in practice, and I would flip my **** if my store manager did something like that.

That said, your operating pharmacist budget is to be utilized within the store's business hours. If they're saying that they're scheduled when the store is not open, they're cheating payroll and it should be taken up with your DM.
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Um you just agreed with everything I said. Oh and I work at one of the busiest stores in my area
 
I'll just say this everything I do is to benefit the store. I come in early to start the day on the right foot and we're never behind. I use the overlap to bring in business again to benefit the store. No one should be working extra hours to detail, flu clinics, community events. All those hours come out of the overlap.

If you are forcing your customers to come back in 30 minutes so you can take a lunch you should not be getting paid for that and I would be writing you up. You eat on the job like everyone else.
 
CynicalIntern said:
You're both *****s.

1) If your district scheduler is making your rotation for you, the lack of leadership at your store is HILARIOUS.
2) Overlap isn't for lunch breaks, nor is it necessarily for doing flu clinics and detailing. Overlap is for getting **** out the door at the busiest part of the day. Walgreens makes the RXM schedule themselves to work 2 hours extra a week. Those two hours are the time you're supposed to "detail and flu clinic and catch up on management paperwork" If you think that all stores can function just fine without overlap, I welcome you to learn what it's like working at a busy store.
3) I'm going to assume the "you have no right to deny them their lunch break privilege" is something that you're extrapolating your state's rules for the country's rules.
4) The pharmacy manager has every right to set the schedule however they want to. It's a dick move to not try to approve it with their partner, but the staff pharmacist has no more authority to override the schedule than a floater does when the market scheduler sends them somewhere far.
5) While the store manager technically has the authority to change the schedule of his pharmacists, as that's how WAG's power structure is set up, it's not something that happens in practice, and I would flip my **** if my store manager did something like that.

That said, your operating pharmacist budget is to be utilized within the store's business hours. If they're saying that they're scheduled when the store is not open, they're cheating payroll and it should be taken up with your DM.
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You could have written all of that without calling anyone a *****.
Yes, overlap is for lunch breaks. It's up to you if you want to take it or not. Walgreens allows me a 30 mins break on a 8 hours shift and you're supposed to take that break when you have another pharmacist to relieve you so you can leave the store if you wish. In my 3 years with walgreens including my floating days, I have never had a RXM insist I can not take a lunch break during the overlap. There are other things we do during overlap as well like health testing.
 
wagrxm2000 said:
I'll just say this everything I do is to benefit the store. I come in early to start the day on the right foot and we're never behind. I use the overlap to bring in business again to benefit the store. No one should be working extra hours to detail, flu clinics, community events. All those hours come out of the overlap.

If you are forcing your customers to come back in 30 minutes so you can take a lunch you should not be getting paid for that and I would be writing you up. You eat on the job like everyone else.
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You are hilarious. ...lol
Have you ever worked a 12 hrs shift at a 9 to 9 store before? It's standard to take 30 mins breaks uninterrupted and you can't write anyone up for it. It's allowed by the company. Our previous DM used to insist we take the lunch breaks.
 
HouTX said:
just because the RXM can do something doesn't mean they should. you're trying to build a cohesive team that runs whether you are there or not.

I treat my asst, techs, clerks with respect. and u know what? they work harder for me when I need them to. it's teamwork. if your staff sees that it is fair across the board, they won't try to undermine you or each other
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This is the right answer and the right way to manage a team.
 
Estrace said:
You are hilarious. ...lol
Have you ever worked a 12 hrs shift at a 9 to 9 store before? It's standard to take 30 mins breaks uninterrupted and you can't write anyone up for it. It's allowed by the company. Our previous DM used to insist we take the lunch breaks.
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Yes I used to work at one. I have never heard of any dm say take a 30 minute break and make the customers come back later in my 15 years with the company. I can't imagine how far behind you get by doing that
 
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I would imagine I would hate having you as a staff pharmacist coming in you would be behind and immediately say well I'm going to lunch.

On the other hand you would have me completely caught up when you come in and I would have already had lunch. Id leave at 3 but you would have an easy end of day.
 
wagrxm2000 said:
I would imagine I would hate having you as a staff pharmacist coming in you would be behind and immediately say well I'm going to lunch.

On the other hand you would have me completely caught up when you come in and I would have already had lunch. Id leave at 3 but you would have an easy end of day.
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How about you come in and I would be completely caught up and wanted to go get something to eat because I have every right to do so.
Assuming that I won't be caught up just because I took lunch break is hilarious. You can come in at 7 am and still be behind when the closing pharmacist comes in. It depends on how good you are, how busy your day is and how much help you have. Respecting your staff pharmacist would even make them stay to help if it's really busy. I never took lunch break at my old store just because I prefer to leave at 4 pm until my RXM became unbearable. I didn't care anymore at that point. The store could be on fire and I would be walking out the day.
 
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