Retail pharmacists- maximum volume you can handle?

[crossurfingers]

400 with 2 pharmacists doing 8 hour shifts (2 hour overlap). Unfortunately they're sending me to this place that does 500-600 on Mondays with only 2 pharmacists. I can see I'm going to have a horrible day already. I've been here before and just couldn't handle it. My wait times were an hour plus so I got tons of complaints. I told the scheduler that I would prefer another store because of this, but they told me it's the only one available.

I feel like the techs there look at me like I'm incompetent because I'm not as good as their regular staff pharmacists. I don't think I'm overly slow it's just too many things going on. It's a ratio of 3 or 4 techs to 1 pharmacist so of course I'm going to get backed up.

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[loo]

400 with 2 pharmacists doing 8 hour shifts (2 hour overlap). Unfortunately they're sending me to this place that does 500-600 on Mondays with only 2 pharmacists. I can see I'm going to have a horrible day already. I've been here before and just couldn't handle it. My wait times were an hour plus so I got tons of complaints. I told the scheduler that I would prefer another store because of this, but they told me it's the only one available.

I feel like the techs there look at me like I'm incompetent because I'm not as good as their regular staff pharmacists. I don't think I'm overly slow it's just too many things going on. It's a ratio of 3 or 4 techs to 1 pharmacist so of course I'm going to get backed up.

Don't worry. Concentrate on getting things out right, not fast. Fast will come with time. Accuracy is the only thing that counts. People can wait. If they don't like it, they can take it somewhere else.

 

[Sparda29]

Forget about speed. If someone dropped off 10 scripts, finish off those 10 scripts before starting on the 1 that someone dropped off right after them. It doesn't matter if Mary Jane has to wait 2 hours for her Tri-Sprintec.

 

[Old Timer]

It's never how many prescriptions you do, it's how many problems you have. Take them one at a time. Slow and right is better than fast and wrong. But that doesn't mean you take forever. Use your judgment and do the best you can. What else are you going to do?

 

[Doctor M]

efficiency and accuracy will come with time...and yes, its the problems that arise...use the techs...delegate the problems to technicians...fax doctors, fax problems...use them efficiently! They are there to assist you...do not try to do it all yourself...That is how I get through my day...we only have overlap on Mondays and we do like 600+ on mondays. All the other days its 490-550 daily no overlap...So we must use our technicians and cashiers to a maximum...delegate delegate delegate. And do not worry what the techs think...work at your pace...set the pace...Good luck

 

[Doctor M]

It's never how many prescriptions you do, it's how many problems you have. Take them one at a time. Slow and right is better than fast and wrong. But that doesn't mean you take forever. Use your judgment and do the best you can. What else are you going to do?

Pray...





j/k

 

[Megas]

(1) Delegate. (2) Workflow depends on your techs. If they can't process insurance claims correctly and do data entry accurately, the burden falls on you during QA. It's not your fault you don't know their individual shortcomings yet, you will in time, then you will be as good as their regular staff pharmacists (at batting clean-up for them ). (3) Be careful and screw the wait time, this is your license.

 

[Sparda29]

Basically, the techs are trying to rush you because they are the ones who get the brunt of the heat since they talk to the customers the most.

You gotta teach them not to give a **** what the patient thinks when it comes to wait times. If there are other tasks that I gotta get done that day like pulling expireds, cycle counts, etc, I'll increase the wait time.

 

[Doctor M]

Basically, the techs are trying to rush you because they are the ones who get the brunt of the heat since they talk to the customers the most.

You gotta teach them not to give a **** what the patient thinks when it comes to wait times. If there are other tasks that I gotta get done that day like pulling expireds, cycle counts, etc, I'll increase the wait time.

Pulling expires and cycle counts are low priority when you have people waiting...Why would you increase wait time just to get cycle counts and expires done?? Customer service is your number 1 priority...cycle counts and expires can be done during non-peak hours...I come from a training setting where when the patient comes to the counter, you drop what your doing and assist the customer...they are your bread and butter...

 

[RxWildcat]

...Workflow depends on your techs. If they can't process insurance claims correctly and do data entry accurately, the burden falls on you during QA. It's not your fault you don't know their individual shortcomings yet,...

Exactly, it's always the techs fault

 

[Sparda29]

Exactly, it's always the techs fault

It matters quite a lot on the ability of the technician. Friday nights used to me just me and the pharmacist, it was crazy but we got through it fine.

Since I can't work those hours anymore, he's replaced me with 2 newer techs, and it is hell every time.

 

[grizzlesgrizzlies]

Pulling expires and cycle counts are low priority when you have people waiting...Why would you increase wait time just to get cycle counts and expires done?? Customer service is your number 1 priority...cycle counts and expires can be done during non-peak hours...I come from a training setting where when the patient comes to the counter, you drop what your doing and assist the customer...they are your bread and butter...

QFT

is it just me or does this thread sound like a CVS training session?

 

[Doctor M]

QFT

is it just me or does this thread sound like a CVS training session?

Oh boy, let me tell you something... As much as i've preached my feelings on this forum let me also add that i do whatever i can for myself; i want my day to go by smooth and efficiently... ill be damned if a technician is going to be pulling expires and doing cycle counts while people are dropping off and picking up...and I wasnt trained at CVS...I was trained by a pharmacist in 2000 working for VIX/Drug emporium...Yeah, like I said, i dont care, but I do provide top notch customer service...cause it makes my day much easier...and people go home happy...so dont attribute me to CVS training...cause i was the way I am before i worked for any other corporation...

 

[Doctor M]

(1) Delegate. (2) Workflow depends on your techs. If they can't process insurance claims correctly and do data entry accurately, the burden falls on you during QA. It's not your fault you don't know their individual shortcomings yet, you will in time, then you will be as good as their regular staff pharmacists (at batting clean-up for them ). (3) Be careful and screw the wait time, this is your license.

Well, I have to agree with you...Technicians are there to do just that...insurance rejects, production, answer the phones...and it is there shortcomings...its the truth...Why hide it? If a technician cannot learn insurance rejections or how to solve a problem, then they really have no business being there, honestly...At least they wouldnt be in my store...What the hell are they there for? They need to be able to solve ins rejects and solve problems...now that doesnt mean a pharmacist should not learn it themselves...They have too...I did..it just makes the day go by smoother...If everyone knows, the better it is...

 

[MountainPharmD]

400 with 2 pharmacists doing 8 hour shifts (2 hour overlap). Unfortunately they're sending me to this place that does 500-600 on Mondays with only 2 pharmacists. I can see I'm going to have a horrible day already. I've been here before and just couldn't handle it. My wait times were an hour plus so I got tons of complaints. I told the scheduler that I would prefer another store because of this, but they told me it's the only one available.

I feel like the techs there look at me like I'm incompetent because I'm not as good as their regular staff pharmacists. I don't think I'm overly slow it's just too many things going on. It's a ratio of 3 or 4 techs to 1 pharmacist so of course I'm going to get backed up.

Find another job my friend. Preverably one that does not have the letters C, V or S in it. That is no way to live.

 

[Doctor M]

Find another job my friend. Preverably one that does not have the letters C, V or S in it. That is no way to live.

Do you mean C, V, S or C,A,R,E,M,A,R or K in it? Cause they changed their name last year...Monopoly?? I heard Walgreens was merging with MEDCO, did that ever happen?

 

[dangerdog]

retail will always be looking out for the all mighty $. If you can do 300, they'll make you do 400, then 500, until you fall over. That's just how they do it. Give them and any impatient customer the finger, and if they complain, be professional, then ask them if they want liability law suit or wrong meds to go with that.

 

[genesis09]

Do you mean C, V, S or C,A,R,E,M,A,R or K in it? Cause they changed their name last year...Monopoly?? I heard Walgreens was merging with MEDCO, did that ever happen?

No. Walgreens does have its own PBM, WHI, but it is not as big as Caremark or Medco.

 

[Doctor M]

retail will always be looking out for the all mighty $. If you can do 300, they'll make you do 400, then 500, until you fall over. That's just how they do it. Give them and any impatient customer the finger, and if they complain, be professional, then ask them if they want liability law suit or wrong meds to go with that.

Uumm, cause pharmacy is a business...im surprised many of you havent understood this...Yes yes yes, your compassionate and you care for your patient and do what you can, but insurance companies dictate how you practice...they have the money...you need to fill rx's to stay open...you avg $10-12 an rx gross profit per rx...do the math...so yeah, if your doing 300 a day, next year you will need to do 350-375...As a business, you want to grow.

 

[BMBiology]

Did you email them? Don't just talk to them but put it in writing. The Corps are always wary of lawsuits so when you put it in the writing, they take that into consideration and put you in a store that you can handle.

 

[dangerdog]

Uumm, cause pharmacy is a business...im surprised many of you havent understood this...Yes yes yes, your compassionate and you care for your patient and do what you can, but insurance companies dictate how you practice...they have the money...you need to fill rx's to stay open...you avg $10-12 an rx gross profit per rx...do the math...so yeah, if your doing 300 a day, next year you will need to do 350-375...As a business, you want to grow.

I think nobody is naive enough to not know pharmacy is a business. But we all know it's also a profession, which gives us more self-regulation/rights than non-professions. We hold licenses, and that's on the line when we make mistake. I'm not losing mine for anyone, certainly not my boss or a pissed off customer. If I can only do 200 rx safely, then that's what I'll do. If they don't like it, I got plenty of other places that would love to hire me.

And just to add, I love my hospital ER internship, meanwhile I do walgreen twice a month to pad my resume. I plan to work hospital after graduation, and float a few shifts in community until I pay off my loans. So if the customers hate me, too bad, I won't see them again.

 

[Megas]

Exactly, it's always the techs fault

You misunderstand, it is not my intent to insult, ever (except in that one thread about female orgasms, I just couldn't help myself). Everyone has their shortcomings, including the pharmacist, and the technicians. From a corporate QA perspective, everything is ultimately the pharmacist's fault. Workflow goes better once you are aware of what errors you can determine may occur when certain people are working that you need to be mindful of during the QA process. Until that time, you need to go slower because nobody is completely accurate all the time and the pharmacist is the last chance to get it right. Now I know when one person is working, they will be very kind to the patient, accurate in their data entry, but fall behind so I need to do data entry those days as well. When another person is working, I know they are quick, but screw up the math all the time, so they can do all the data entry but I need to scrutinize any calculations. These things take time to learn about people. Until then it is better to go slow, scrutinize everything, and have your techs think you're an idiot.

 

[lumos]

Megas: You are spending too much time at the ashram.

 

[Megas]

Megas: You are spending too much time at the ashram.

It's good for me, and I can quit anytime I want!

 

[clachan3]

Don't worry. Concentrate on getting things out right, not fast. Fast will come with time. Accuracy is the only thing that counts. People can wait. If they don't like it, they can take it somewhere else.

My experienced pharmacy manager who has been a pharmacist for probably 30+ years said I should be faster because I just got out of school. It didn't make much sense to me. We are not robots, I am going to take all the time I need to check my scripts at least twice for new rx. I don't want to check it so fast that I am still thinking and worrying about the last script I checked because I went too fast. Once the drugs are dispensed, its hard to get them back. I hated it when I had to fix other pharmacists mistakes, so I try really hard not to make one. One time the manager pretty much told me that she was not happy that I was behind (meaning not having everything verified by the time she comes in for overlap while everything I completed was done on time). She was talking to me like I was slacking all day, and I always work my butt off, I was quite upset when she talked to me the way she did. I thought the whole reason we had overlap was because we are busy and can work together.

I think no pharmacist should check prescription at a speed that you feel uncomfortable. I am comfortable with my current speed and confident with my quality of work with CVS RxConnect, ~10 seconds for refills, probably less than a minute for simple new rx, longer for more complicated directions & dosing. No one has complained about my speed so far but I do get behind sometimes because of doctor calls, voice mails, customer issues, counseling, compounding, transfers, PCI, workload manager, check email-which I'm not good at- boy we do multitask.

Anyway, back to volume, I think everybody got their own maximum. Like everybody said I think you are going to get better over time. Pharmacies with overlap can do a lot more even just for couple hours. I remember one time with another pharmacist checked 100 rx in an hour, I think it helps when one pharmacist can still verify rx when the other is tied up on the phone or something else. I learned not to overreact to what my techs might think, I am just going to take the time I need (not forever, but enough time). I don't need my techs to teach me how to check prescriptions, if I feel the need to call the doctor I will call to double check. At some stores the tech would stand right next to you while you check the rx, I'd just tell them to help the next person in line or something if I don't feel comfortable being watched.

I am not going to risk the safety of my patients. I think I did get faster compared to the year I graduated, but I did float for a whole year to different stores and waited until I found an opening at a store with volume I felt like I could handle at the time. Okay, I hope this would help some of you

Good Luck ~

 

[renetto]

400 with 2 pharmacists doing 8 hour shifts (2 hour overlap). Unfortunately they're sending me to this place that does 500-600 on Mondays with only 2 pharmacists. I can see I'm going to have a horrible day already. I've been here before and just couldn't handle it. My wait times were an hour plus so I got tons of complaints. I told the scheduler that I would prefer another store because of this, but they told me it's the only one available.

Maybe I worked at a very efficient pharmacy but we did 600+ with 1 pharmacist and 3 techs (including myself) on the 1st of the month every month.

I've never understood the complaints from people who have 2 pharmacists staffed with 7 techs or whatever. Must be a chain thing. I think Old Timer summed it up very nicely.

It's never how many prescriptions you do, it's how many problems you have. Take them one at a time. Slow and right is better than fast and wrong. But that doesn't mean you take forever. Use your judgment and do the best you can. What else are you going to do?

 

[lorain]

i dont mind doing 400--600 as long as there are no problems

but its those BS problems that just ruin the day and slow you down

1) people want controls early
2) insurance timed out
3) medicare and supplemental billing problems for supplies
4) the damn phone calls
5) etc

 

[SClENCE]

1) people want controls early - they can take their prescription elsewhere or it goes on hold. End of story. Shouldn't waste too much time
2) insurance timed out- Make tech deal with it
3) medicare and supplemental billing problems for supplies - Make tech deal with it
4) the damn phone calls - Cannot avoid this

Stick to verifying. When you see that you are pulling ahead of the production tech, print a page and pull it for production and then go back to verifying. Dealing with ins rejections/billing wastes way too much time. If drop off tech is getting behind due to this crap, you could always pull up QT and type a few escripts in for them.

 

[504poboy]

I used to work at the Walmart in Deming, New Mexico. The highest I ever did was 1500 a day. We had 4 make pharmacists. We had like 7 technicians and 3 clerks at all times.