What is going on at CVS? Seriously..

[HaleyRX]

I have worked for CVS for a while..I remember when PCI first came to us..
There has always been "ask for readyfill, make the calls, blah blah"..but lately..it has been shoved down our throats so hard it has left bruises..
Now "you don't ask people to be on readyfill, you inform them that their script will be ready every month. Every customer. TELL them it will be ready, DO NOT ask them." With PCI calls, techs are supposed to counsel patients on the importance of taking meds as prescribed by their doctors and get reasons why patients aren't taking meds..I'm sorry, but that sounds like such an invasion of privacy...I don't want some pharmacy TECH calling me questioning me about why I stopped taking Prozac or why I haven't been using my Nasonex..PLUS when patients have questions, we can't legally answer these..I think even the "counseling" we are supposed to do borders on illegal in our state..(TX)..
Anyways, EVERY DAY we have to fax to our DM the names of each tech that worked that day, how many readyfills they got, how many PCI, how many day 8 (new script) calls they got to agree to come pick up script, etc..
WTF?
Now we are supposed to STOP PRODUCTION, stop filling from the Q, and make calls..any time there is a "cushion" in the Q, when we have an hour or 2 before things are due, we are supposed to stop and make calls..I talked to Rphs in my old district in another state and they were told the same thing..
What gives? Is this company going bankrupt? I just don't understand..I mean does a restaurant stop cooking food for people who have ordered it and go out begging more people to come in and place orders? No...take care of the business you already have before you lose it too...
Also, this does 0 for morale...because the more they rake us across the coals, the less we are trying, to be honest...we were getting 10 readyfills a day, they screamed at us get 30..we got 18, they yelled 40...we got up to 24..they said 45...we gave up, to be honest with you...
CSI also annoys me...I'm in the drive thru---"mrs jones, on your lunesta, would you be interested in switching to a cheaper medicine? it would save you 4 million dollars a year.." Mrs. Jones adjusts her hearing aid and turns her radio down.."what, honey? you don't have my medicine? why not, dear?" ..nevermind, Mrs. Jones. here is your Lunesta.."what, honey? you dont have my little green pill?" Arrghh...the CSI paper goes in the trash...

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[owlegrad]

I have worked for CVS for a while..I remember when PCI first came to us..
There has always been "ask for readyfill, make the calls, blah blah"..but lately..it has been shoved down our throats so hard it has left bruises..
Now "you don't ask people to be on readyfill, you inform them that their script will be ready every month. Every customer. TELL them it will be ready, DO NOT ask them." With PCI calls, techs are supposed to counsel patients on the importance of taking meds as prescribed by their doctors and get reasons why patients aren't taking meds..I'm sorry, but that sounds like such an invasion of privacy...I don't want some pharmacy TECH calling me questioning me about why I stopped taking Prozac or why I haven't been using my Nasonex..PLUS when patients have questions, we can't legally answer these..I think even the "counseling" we are supposed to do borders on illegal in our state..(TX)..
Anyways, EVERY DAY we have to fax to our DM the names of each tech that worked that day, how many readyfills they got, how many PCI, how many day 8 (new script) calls they got to agree to come pick up script, etc..
WTF?
Now we are supposed to STOP PRODUCTION, stop filling from the Q, and make calls..any time there is a "cushion" in the Q, when we have an hour or 2 before things are due, we are supposed to stop and make calls..I talked to Rphs in my old district in another state and they were told the same thing..
What gives? Is this company going bankrupt? I just don't understand..I mean does a restaurant stop cooking food for people who have ordered it and go out begging more people to come in and place orders? No...take care of the business you already have before you lose it too...
Also, this does 0 for morale...because the more they rake us across the coals, the less we are trying, to be honest...we were getting 10 readyfills a day, they screamed at us get 30..we got 18, they yelled 40...we got up to 24..they said 45...we gave up, to be honest with you...
CSI also annoys me...I'm in the drive thru---"mrs jones, on your lunesta, would you be interested in switching to a cheaper medicine? it would save you 4 million dollars a year.." Mrs. Jones adjusts her hearing aid and turns her radio down.."what, honey? you don't have my medicine? why not, dear?" ..nevermind, Mrs. Jones. here is your Lunesta.."what, honey? you dont have my little green pill?" Arrghh...the CSI paper goes in the trash...

Someone who doesn't enjoy working at CVS? How odd. Are there any others who feel the same way?

 

[pharm B]

Someone who doesn't enjoy working at CVS? How odd. Are there any others who feel the same way?

 

[Sparda29]

Cool story brah.

 

[StevePerry]

Dude I'm going to exhume Socrates and/or Plato to answer the question on the title of this thread. Actually f--- it, I'll just get Gecko on the phone to answer this one.

 

[MountainPharmD]

The same stuff that has been going on for years. CVS sucks. They are the bottom of the barrel in retail pharmacy. They are the worst of the worst. The only concern CVS has is for making as much money as possible by any means necessary legal or illegal without any regard for the safety or well being of the patient.

CVS is a joke. I do not understand why anyone puts up with it. If I were a customer I would never go to CVS and I certainly would never work for this ****ty company. I do not understand how they are still in business.

 

[Old Timer]

I have worked for CVS for a while..I remember when PCI first came to us..
There has always been "ask for readyfill, make the calls, blah blah"..but lately..it has been shoved down our throats so hard it has left bruises..
Now "you don't ask people to be on readyfill, you inform them that their script will be ready every month. Every customer. TELL them it will be ready, DO NOT ask them." With PCI calls, techs are supposed to counsel patients on the importance of taking meds as prescribed by their doctors and get reasons why patients aren't taking meds..I'm sorry, but that sounds like such an invasion of privacy...I don't want some pharmacy TECH calling me questioning me about why I stopped taking Prozac or why I haven't been using my Nasonex..PLUS when patients have questions, we can't legally answer these..I think even the "counseling" we are supposed to do borders on illegal in our state..(TX)..
Anyways, EVERY DAY we have to fax to our DM the names of each tech that worked that day, how many readyfills they got, how many PCI, how many day 8 (new script) calls they got to agree to come pick up script, etc..
WTF?
Now we are supposed to STOP PRODUCTION, stop filling from the Q, and make calls..any time there is a "cushion" in the Q, when we have an hour or 2 before things are due, we are supposed to stop and make calls..I talked to Rphs in my old district in another state and they were told the same thing..
What gives? Is this company going bankrupt? I just don't understand..I mean does a restaurant stop cooking food for people who have ordered it and go out begging more people to come in and place orders? No...take care of the business you already have before you lose it too...
Also, this does 0 for morale...because the more they rake us across the coals, the less we are trying, to be honest...we were getting 10 readyfills a day, they screamed at us get 30..we got 18, they yelled 40...we got up to 24..they said 45...we gave up, to be honest with you...
CSI also annoys me...I'm in the drive thru---"mrs jones, on your lunesta, would you be interested in switching to a cheaper medicine? it would save you 4 million dollars a year.." Mrs. Jones adjusts her hearing aid and turns her radio down.."what, honey? you don't have my medicine? why not, dear?" ..nevermind, Mrs. Jones. here is your Lunesta.."what, honey? you dont have my little green pill?" Arrghh...the CSI paper goes in the trash...

This is NOT a company policy. This is a region manger or an AVP in trouble because he can't make his numbers or his numbers aren't up to par with others. We had a 5 hour mangers meeting last week and nothing like this was ever said. When you call a neighboring district, it's the same Region and the same area. Sucks to be you guys....

 

[Old]

This is NOT a company policy. This is a region manger or an AVP in trouble because he can't make his numbers or his numbers aren't up to par with others. We had a 5 hour mangers meeting last week and nothing like this was ever said. When you call a neighboring district, it's the same Region and the same area. Sucks to be you guys....

Dear Old Timer-- I really hate to tell you that it is not just that region. I know it is being done in another region far from that one. Same exact s***. Signing people up for ready fill without asking them as per orders from dm. The other things that are occuring is the gradual demise of older 50 plus pharms. Written up for ready fill percent not at target 40%, coffee cups in sink and leaving many rx's in ready fill(not past due ones) and NOT coming in on their day off to get the rx's caught up and work for FREE. Everything that previous post said is true in other regions also and will be coming to you also. Get ready because they will do it in Phila. also. These things were never discussed in managers meetings. They will just crank it up where you are at also. Public safety and health mean nothing next to dollars in the register. I really think they are desperate for dollars and can't hit their projections for the analysts. I really think Tom Ryan is getting out before the ship starts taking on water. Better for his reputation and ruin Merlo's.

 

[Old Timer]

Dear Old Timer-- I really hate to tell you that it is not just that region. I know it is being done in another region far from that one. Same exact s***. Signing people up for ready fill without asking them as per orders from dm. The other things that are occuring is the gradual demise of older 50 plus pharms. Written up for ready fill percent not at target 40%, coffee cups in sink and leaving many rx's in ready fill(not past due ones) and NOT coming in on their day off to get the rx's caught up and work for FREE. Everything that previous post said is true in other regions also and will be coming to you also. Get ready because they will do it in Phila. also. These things were never discussed in managers meetings. They will just crank it up where you are at also. Public safety and health mean nothing next to dollars in the register. I really think they are desperate for dollars and can't hit their projections for the analysts. I really think Tom Ryan is getting out before the ship starts taking on water. Better for his reputation and ruin Merlo's.

I can only tell you it's not happening here. It might be because our district has very high numbers. I realize my experience is only as good as my DM and my Pharmacy Supervisor. If they leave and I get an a-hole, then I could be right where these other folks are.

 

[rph3664]

The same stuff that has been going on for years. CVS sucks. They are the bottom of the barrel in retail pharmacy. They are the worst of the worst. The only concern CVS has is for making as much money as possible by any means necessary legal or illegal without any regard for the safety or well being of the patient.

CVS is a joke. I do not understand why anyone puts up with it. If I were a customer I would never go to CVS and I certainly would never work for this ****ty company. I do not understand how they are still in business.

It's because they bought out Osco a few years ago. I know of 4 cities where EVERY CVS had 100% pharmacy turnover within a matter of days - and some of them had disabled spouses, children in college, that kind of thing, and even walked out the door mid-shift.

BTW, the reason Osco was called Sav-on in heavily Chinese areas is because in one Chinese language, the word "osco" is a slang term for vomiting, along the lines of "hurl" or "blow chunks".

 

[Old]

I can only tell you it's not happening here. It might be because our district has very high numbers. I realize my experience is only as good as my DM and my Pharmacy Supervisor. If they leave and I get an a-hole, then I could be right where these other folks are.

you are a lucky man my friend that the people above you are good. all it will take is one person above you that wants to climb the ladder by getting higher numbers than others and he will make your life h***.

When you say your district has high numbers what are you referring to? High script count? High ready fill rate? High CSI sucess rate? Exceeding your flu shot goals? Everything out of the work load manager in time? Drive thru answered in less than 15 seconds? Doctors line answered in less than 20 seconds? PCI calls done and the correct % of people called(kept them on phone the right amount of time) and coming in to get the scripts you called about? % of eligible ready fill rx's filled each week(40%). People don't wait more than 15 minutes? Doctor detailing done on your days off and reports filled as to what MD's you saw, who you talked to and report filed with office? Tech hours used is less than green sheet projected amount and within guidelines for going above or below budget(11 scripts=1 tech hour up or down)? Lets not forget all interactions and errors caught and harm prevented to the patient by spending the necessary time reviewing the patients dose, history etc and calling the doctor to verify or clarify rx's that could kill someone? WAIT- the last one about the interactions and errors being caught is NOT a metric at CVS- Never was-Never will be.

 

[Sparda29]

Yep, I think I'm quite happy here in this Long Term Care Facility. Even though it's the same money as CVS and less than Costco.

For example:

I'm going to deliver the meds to all the floors. Nurse stops me and asks me where are the meds for the new admission in 3-North. I tell her, you didn't send the order down by 9PM. They don't get their meds until tomorrow. If they really need the meds, just go get them from the Omnicell.

At CVS or Costco - it would be, oh hold on, let me stop myself from closing the pharmacy and finish this up, and in the mean time 3 more customers step up to the counter.

 

[MountainPharmD]

I worked at Osco and left right before CVS bought it out. From what I hear, nobody stayed on at that P.O.S. of a company CVS. They tried to entice the techs to stay by giving them a raise but they were put through hell to "earn" their 1-2 dollar raise. "Blow chunks" is about right.

Nice stats Lea! 107,000 post count and a 10+ year member.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Yep, I think I'm quite happy here in this Long Term Care Facility. Even though it's the same money as CVS and less than Costco.

For example:

I'm going to deliver the meds to all the floors. Nurse stops me and asks me where are the meds for the new admission in 3-North. I tell her, you didn't send the order down by 9PM. They don't get their meds until tomorrow. If they really need the meds, just go get them from the Omnicell.

At CVS or Costco - it would be, oh hold on, let me stop myself from closing the pharmacy and finish this up, and in the mean time 3 more customers step up to the counter.

What happened to Costco?

 

[Sparda29]

What happened to Costco?

It got boring. Over there, I was nothing more than a glorified cashier. They don't allow interns to take MD calls.

They didn't like it when I went out onto the floor to make OTC recommendations. (This probably because when I did this, I'd often disappear for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reason being, you help out one customer with OTC recommendations, the other 40 customers in the aisle swarm you for questions about OTCs. Honestly, I liked that part of the job but the manager didn't like it because you're a person short at the pick up line.)

They don't like too much change there. I guess the manager's objective at that Costco is to get people into the store, have them shop around a bit, and then come back to the pharmacy when they are done.

I was trying to get some changes in utilizing the consultation/education room next to the pharmacy via trying to set up a blood pressure/diabetes monitoring clinic. Manager didn't want a part of that, so when I realized that the next 2 years were gonna be just counting pills, stocking the pharmacy, and handling the register, I decided to call up my preceptor from the LTC rotation and I got the job there.

 

[rxlea]

Nice stats Lea! 107,000 post count and a 10+ year member.

You dig it, huh

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Nice stats Lea! 107,000 post count and a 10+ year member.

They started cheating their stats because of me.

I rather enjoy the indirect power I wield. Like how the Mongolians must have felt when they saw a bunch of Chinese building a giant ass wall...

 

[HaleyRX]

This is NOT a company policy. This is a region manger or an AVP in trouble because he can't make his numbers or his numbers aren't up to par with others. We had a 5 hour mangers meeting last week and nothing like this was ever said. When you call a neighboring district, it's the same Region and the same area. Sucks to be you guys....

Thanks to everyone for your responses..I used to think that CVS was generally a good place that wanted to help customers but I have to admit that it just gets worse and worse...Old Timer, it does seem like it could just be our DM or regional whatever..every night we have a "blue chip recap" (something about poker and keeping track of your blue chips..its a metaphor, I think..I don't play poker)..and I haven't heard of anyone else having that.
It is just a pain in the ass because we fill Mrs. Senior Citizen's scripts on readyfill, she picks them up, and then calls screaming because she doesn't want them yet...so we refund them, what choice do we have?, so she'll be happy..taking up time to fill, sell, and then refund..all the while we are told "THE MOST IMPORTANT THING GOING ON IN YOUR PHARMACY TODAY IS PCI CALLS. THAT IS THE #1 PRIORITY" ?
our PIC just put in his two weeks..he works 104 hours every 2 weeks..so our store is about to go downhill..as of right now, the pharmacist on the schedule to work for us on Thursday is still "???" ....

 

[Rebel78]

High script count?
High ready fill rate?
High CSI sucess rate?
Exceeding your flu shot goals?
Everything out of the work load manager in time? Drive thru answered in less than 15 seconds?
Doctors line answered in less than 20 seconds?
PCI calls done and the correct % of people called(kept them on phone the right amount of time) and coming in to get the scripts you called about?
% of eligible ready fill rx's filled each week(40%).
People don't wait more than 15 minutes?
Doctor detailing done on your days off and reports filled as to what MD's you saw, who you talked to and report filed with office?
Tech hours used is less than green sheet projected amount and within guidelines for going above or below budget(11 scripts=1 tech hour up or down)?
Lets not forget all interactions and errors caught and harm prevented to the patient by spending the necessary time reviewing the patients dose, history etc and calling the doctor to verify or clarify rx's that could kill someone? WAIT- the last one about the interactions and errors being caught is NOT a metric at CVS- Never was-Never will be.

Good grief!!! Do they count farts per shift?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Good grief!!! Do they count farts per shift?

Yes they do. More than five per shift and you get written for wasting to much time. Instead of farting you should have been doing PCI calls.

 

[type b pharmD]

maybe this has something to do with the fact that cvs is either under investigation or soon will be and will probably face some serious trouble for shady business practices?

that plus their current financial issues ... i agree with the poster who said that somebody's trying to squeeze as much out as they can before **** hits the fan .. seems like i've seen this before at other businesses

 

[aboveliquidice]

Yes they do. More than five per shift and you get written for wasting to much time. Instead of farting you should have been doing PCI calls.

Which is BS... I can totally do both of these at the same time. Problem is, once they find out you can multitask such things, it becomes required.

 

[rph3664]

maybe this has something to do with the fact that cvs is either under investigation or soon will be and will probably face some serious trouble for shady business practices?

that plus their current financial issues ... i agree with the poster who said that somebody's trying to squeeze as much out as they can before **** hits the fan .. seems like i've seen this before at other businesses

Phar-Mor certainly did things like this, as much as they could with the available technology. The whole chain went belly up about 10 years ago.

 

[Old Timer]

I really hate to disappoint you people, but CVS is not losing money. They are growing over last year but not making their forecast. Besides Nordstrams, who is these days? It's a nasty economy out there and they are doing their best to cut costs and increase business. That's what all business do when the economy goes south.

I can tell you that middle management is putting pressure on store to reach goals and some of that pressure is stupid. I agree it's dumb to fill Mrs. Jones prescriptions and have to refund them and return them to stock.

I do like PCI calls (Not making them) as they give you a chance to engage the customer about why they are not refilling their medication. Sometimes the doctor stopped it, sometimes it's temporary fill when they usually use mail order. Once in a while you get a discussion about needing to take the HCTZ every day for their BP or altering them to change medication to a cheaper version. Had a case last week where a guy had his hours cut at his job and couldn't afford the $35.00 copy on his Lotrel 10/40 (NO generic). Called him on the PCI list and had a conversation and was able to convince him to let me call the MD and change the Rx to generic Lotrel 5/20. Take 2 at a time with a $10.00 copay. Some people get pissed off and some people are generally appreciative. I only work every 4th weekend so I don't do it every other but I get some good feedback from patients appreciative of the efforts.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Phar-Mor certainly did things like this, as much as they could with the available technology. The whole chain went belly up about 10 years ago.

Hell yeah. That joint was awesome. I remember that they had the most epic liquor section I've ever seen to this day in my life. And then when it closed, they turned it into a Steve & Barry's....which is also now defunct...

 

[type b pharmD]

I really hate to disappoint you people, but CVS is not losing money. They are growing over last year but not making their forecast. Besides Nordstrams, who is these days? It's a nasty economy out there and they are doing their best to cut costs and increase business. That's what all business do when the economy goes south.

I can tell you that middle management is putting pressure on store to reach goals and some of that pressure is stupid. I agree it's dumb to fill Mrs. Jones prescriptions and have to refund them and return them to stock.

I do like PCI calls (Not making them) as they give you a chance to engage the customer about why they are not refilling their medication. Sometimes the doctor stopped it, sometimes it's temporary fill when they usually use mail order. Once in a while you get a discussion about needing to take the HCTZ every day for their BP or altering them to change medication to a cheaper version. Had a case last week where a guy had his hours cut at his job and couldn't afford the $35.00 copy on his Lotrel 10/40 (NO generic). Called him on the PCI list and had a conversation and was able to convince him to let me call the MD and change the Rx to generic Lotrel 5/20. Take 2 at a time with a $10.00 copay. Some people get pissed off and some people are generally appreciative. I only work every 4th weekend so I don't do it every other but I get some good feedback from patients appreciative of the efforts.

what about shady anti-competitive practices caremark? not saying cvs is the devil incarnate .. but will they have an explanation when the ftc comes calling?

 

[Old Timer]

what about shady anti-competitive practices caremark? not saying cvs is the devil incarnate .. but will they have an explanation when the ftc comes calling?

The merger was approved and you are smoking something if you think the FDA will disallow it....

 

[MountainPharmD]

The merger was approved and you are smoking something if you think the FDA will disallow it....

You are right...the FDA will not disallow it.

However the FTC, various State Attorney Generals as well as the current administaration in Washinton just may. You can have you head shoved as far up CVS's ass as you want but the facts are still the facts. CVS engages in shady and illegal practices in order to maximize their profit to the detrimet of thier customers. The CVS Carmark merger never should have been allowed. From what I have been reading CVS is going to get smacked down hard for illegally abusing the relationship. It is only a matter of time.

 

[MountainPharmD]

OldTimer may I suggest you read something other than the propagande being spewed out of Rhode Island....

http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.co...-retire/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/671831

For one thing, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into a charge by independent pharmacists that he is using Caremark's pharmacy benefit manager muscle to force customers to switch their prescriptions to CVS. He is also the subject of other government probes, including one into allegations of insider trading.

Both the FTC's consumer protection bureau and its competition bureau are spearheading an investigation into monopolistic practices alleged to have been practiced by CVS Caremark since Ryan spearheaded the acquisition of Caremark in 2007. The nonpublic investigation has been ongoing since last August.

CVS is also being probed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General for allegedly offering potential customers gift cards, cash, merchandise, or discounts for transferring their prescriptions to CVS. The investigation is part of a larger probe by the HHS into "possible false or improper" Medicare and Medicaid claims made by the company, reported by the Providence Business News in May.

http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=15345

June 17, 2010 · West Virginia is one of at least 25 states and the federal government investigating complaints that CVS Caremark is treating other pharmacies unfairly.
The issue has been escalating for about three years since the drug store operator CVS bought Caremark, the insurance benefits manager

http://www2.turnto10.com/news/2009/..._regulators_to_examine_cvs_caremark-ar-45733/

The National Community Pharmacists Association has accused Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS of using sensitive patient information and copayment manipulation to steer patients to its pharmacies and drug mail-order businesses. The Alexandria, Va.-based association met with the Federal Trade Commission and also has talked to members of Congress.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-21239879.html

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating allegations of improper business practices by a firm that provides prescription drug services for health insurance companies that cover most federal employees.
In a series of letters last year, a bipartisan group of members of Congress outlined a number of allegations against CVS Caremark. The group urged the FTC to investigate the company, which was formed in a 2007 merger of CVS and Caremark Rx.

And the hits just keep on rolling!!! It is only a matter of time before CVS gets smacked down. The only question is how hard?

 

[rph3664]

Hell yeah. That joint was awesome. I remember that they had the most epic liquor section I've ever seen to this day in my life. And then when it closed, they turned it into a Steve & Barry's....which is also now defunct...

I did some relief work for Phar-Mor, and one time, a cashier came back and said, "I don't know how this place stays open because we get so many complaints about the pharmacy."

 

[WhYMee]

I was just forced to float until i beome an immunizer, then i can go back to a store.

 

[CVSstinks]

And the hits just keep on rolling!!! It is only a matter of time before CVS gets smacked down. The only question is how hard?

I can't wait till this all goes down.

 

[StevePerry]

I can't wait till this all goes down.

By any chance did your wife give birth to a child that looks too much like Tom Ryan or something?

 

[MountainPharmD]

By any chance did your wife give birth to a child that looks too much like Tom Ryan or something?

I do not know about that but I heard Tom Ryan took a big dump and OldTimer popped out!

 

[The Sonoran]

Dude I'm going to exhume Socrates and/or Plato to answer the question on the title of this thread. Actually f--- it, I'll just get Gecko on the phone to answer this one.

This is actually a picture of Gekko describing the cause of his throat cancer.

 

[RealistRPh]

you are a lucky man my friend that the people above you are good. all it will take is one person above you that wants to climb the ladder by getting higher numbers than others and he will make your life h***.

When you say your district has high numbers what are you referring to? High script count? High ready fill rate? High CSI sucess rate? Exceeding your flu shot goals? Everything out of the work load manager in time? Drive thru answered in less than 15 seconds? Doctors line answered in less than 20 seconds? PCI calls done and the correct % of people called(kept them on phone the right amount of time) and coming in to get the scripts you called about? % of eligible ready fill rx's filled each week(40%). People don't wait more than 15 minutes? Doctor detailing done on your days off and reports filled as to what MD's you saw, who you talked to and report filed with office? Tech hours used is less than green sheet projected amount and within guidelines for going above or below budget(11 scripts=1 tech hour up or down)? Lets not forget all interactions and errors caught and harm prevented to the patient by spending the necessary time reviewing the patients dose, history etc and calling the doctor to verify or clarify rx's that could kill someone? WAIT- the last one about the interactions and errors being caught is NOT a metric at CVS- Never was-Never will be.

This is SO true! I always asked this exact question..... why is this metric not ever,ever looked at!! Just shows where their priorities are.

 

[Old]

The same stuff that has been going on for years. CVS sucks. They are the bottom of the barrel in retail pharmacy. They are the worst of the worst. The only concern CVS has is for making as much money as possible by any means necessary legal or illegal without any regard for the safety or well being of the patient.

CVS is a joke. I do not understand why anyone puts up with it. If I were a customer I would never go to CVS and I certainly would never work for this ****ty company. I do not understand how they are still in business.

''


I have been hearing CVS is consolidating 3 or 4 areas of stores. Area VP's getting let go(darn shame). Will probably filter down to less regional dm's and less field dm's. Wouldn't surprise me if they cut tech hours again. Probably have to bring your family in to work with you for free. As long as the kids are tall enough to reach the register. Just doesn't sound like a company making enough money to hit projections. Wonder why? Store morale is great everywhere. Store managers and pharms aren't quiting the best company in the world. Triple S and execution scores are fine tuning the stores. Ready fill percentage will probably go from the required 40 to 100. Maybe Tom Ryan will be a floater pharmacist/immunizer.

 

[StevePerry]

''


I have been hearing CVS is consolidating 3 or 4 areas of stores. Area VP's getting let go(darn shame). Will probably filter down to less regional dm's and less field dm's. Wouldn't surprise me if they cut tech hours again. Probably have to bring your family in to work with you for free. As long as the kids are tall enough to reach the register. Just doesn't sound like a company making enough money to hit projections. Wonder why? Store morale is great everywhere. Store managers and pharms aren't quiting the best company in the world. Triple S and execution scores are fine tuning the stores. Ready fill percentage will probably go from the required 40 to 100. Maybe Tom Ryan will be a floater pharmacist/immunizer.

Wow, CVS is at the point of consolidating areas/territories/districts/etc.? Can anyone else lend credence to that? Are the other chains doing (or recently done) this (Wags, RAD, WMT, etc.)?

 

[genesis09]

There used to be 4 Milwaukee districts, but last year Walgreens consolidated one of them into the other three.

 

[HaleyRX]

Wow, CVS is at the point of consolidating areas/territories/districts/etc.? Can anyone else lend credence to that? Are the other chains doing (or recently done) this (Wags, RAD, WMT, etc.)?

I believe that is what is going on, yes...at CVS we got an email from our regional supervisor that listed all of the areas and who they now report to...and then at the bottom it said "we are also announcing the departure of..." and it listed 3 (I think?) AVP (area vice presidents, I'm assuming) that are leaving..one had been with the company almost 30 years..don't remember their names..just said that they were moving on..
They are really trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip..readyfill logs at drop off, production, drive thru, pick up, with each person having a quota to meet at each station...?? Yet we get our 2% raises and oddly, we don't care enough to work any harder..I know, I know "the economy is bad, be glad you have a job"...if that's how you feel, come work here!
Feel bad for a girl I work with..she's a "tech in training" has her permit, didn't pass PTCB exam yet, basically a single mom..works 40 hours every week but they won't put her as "full time" so she can't get benefits. She always tried really hard to do all their programs, and then she got her raise last week, 18 cents...you think she is all gung-ho about readyfill and PCI and CSI and helping the company make more profits? Nope.

 

[Old]

Feel bad for a girl I work with..she's a "tech in training" has her permit, didn't pass PTCB exam yet, basically a single mom..works 40 hours every week but they won't put her as "full time" so she can't get benefits. She always tried really hard to do all their programs, and then she got her raise last week, 18 cents...you think she is all gung-ho about readyfill and PCI and CSI and helping the company make more profits? Nope.

Sad isn't it. Not fair in any way shape or form. I have seen that for years. They work their hearts out and get nothing in return.Not even included in any store bonus if there is any. Then there is always the occasional arrogant pharm that tells them about his new hummer,vacation or how much money he has and makes. Its like slap in the face.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Sad isn't it. Not fair in any way shape or form. I have seen that for years. They work their hearts out and get nothing in return.Not even included in any store bonus if there is any. Then there is always the occasional arrogant pharm that tells them about his new hummer,vacation or how much money he has and makes. Its like slap in the face.

Being a pharmacy tech is probably one of the worst jobs in the US. First off its retail, which sucks in any capacity. Second, it is retail pharmacy, which increases the suck factor by at least 10.

I have enormous respect for my techs. They work their asses off. They get treated like **** by customers and the company and they come back day after day.

 

[Momus]

Obviously, they are looking for another job while they are working... They WILL be gone in an instant if they have a better offer.

Thing is no one will hire them with only High school Diploma (1 in 10 people in USA is unemployed, 2 in 10 people are underemployed). This is especially hard to look for a job when there is an opening and 30 other people applying for the same job. And if you are 50 yo, forget trying to get a job, no one will hire you... Even if someone hires them, they'd be flipping burger or work in an office getting paid even less than what they make in the pharmacy with even crappy benefit... They are only here for "fake" job security that health care associate believe

Last night, one of my co-worker talks about how he wants to earn more money. Our conversation goes:
He : “How many years you go to school?”
I : “ 6 years minimum… student loan is about $40k/year and my take home pay is around $6000/month for most pharmacists.”
He : “OMG, I wanted to be you! Is the school real hard? In a scale 1-10”
I : “I’d say 8 while I was in school with lots of science subjects. But looking back it's probably a 6 now”
He : “Man, I don’t like that”
I: “Just study hard, you’ll be fine”
He : “I just don’t like studying… I like practical things where I can put my hands on work on cars~”
I : “Well, why don’t you get get a degree in engineering, your pay is going to go up significantly. Statistically, people who don’t have a degree normally stuck in a low paying job almost forever. Or, you could open your own business if you don’t have a good degree”
He : “Stop talking trash”

At this point, this dude is beyond repair. **** generations nowadays. End is the day where someone puts a real effort in to get something back. Now is the day “I just want to do absolutely nothing and get rewarded.”

This is the reality, dimwit… Unless you win a lottery or inherited a vast wealth from your parents/spouse, you WILL NOT advance in this world by staying stagnant. You’d be just one of those people who got paid $10/hour to do whatever they want you to do because you don’t have anything better to offer. Heck, why the **** we want to pay you $10/hour anyway… If I am a huge corporation with tons of money, instead, I will hire people from Vietnam where the average worker earns ~$80/month and send the products they make here. You damn right this is already happening at this exact moment. You get it!? The only reason someone hiring you is because you are in the service industry… They need a body to flip burgers and serve it to someone who writes your pay check. If your value can be outsourced to a different country you are going to lose your job flipping burger.

 

[Mosep]

The only reason someone hiring you is because you are in the service industry… They need a body to flip burgers and serve it to someone who writes your pay check. If your value can be outsourced to a different country you are going to lose your job flipping burger.

This quote can just as easily apply to pharmacists as it can for techs. There's no law that's says someone must earn a good salary just because they spent 6 years in college. Of course, their is a law that says a pharmacist must be on duty when dispensing medications. However, everybody and their brother are opening pharmacy schools right now and it's just a matter of time before the PharmD becomes just another depreciated commodity. You better believe a sizable chunk of these newly minted, unemployed, heavily indebted students would gladly do your job at a lower rate.

 

[WhYMee]

you are a lucky man my friend that the people above you are good. all it will take is one person above you that wants to climb the ladder by getting higher numbers than others and he will make your life h***.

When you say your district has high numbers what are you referring to? High script count? High ready fill rate? High CSI sucess rate? Exceeding your flu shot goals? Everything out of the work load manager in time? Drive thru answered in less than 15 seconds? Doctors line answered in less than 20 seconds? PCI calls done and the correct % of people called(kept them on phone the right amount of time) and coming in to get the scripts you called about? % of eligible ready fill rx's filled each week(40%). People don't wait more than 15 minutes? Doctor detailing done on your days off and reports filled as to what MD's you saw, who you talked to and report filed with office? Tech hours used is less than green sheet projected amount and within guidelines for going above or below budget(11 scripts=1 tech hour up or down)? Lets not forget all interactions and errors caught and harm prevented to the patient by spending the necessary time reviewing the patients dose, history etc and calling the doctor to verify or clarify rx's that could kill someone? WAIT- the last one about the interactions and errors being caught is NOT a metric at CVS- Never was-Never will be.

That was awesome. I want to email that quote to all my colleagues at CVS. Hillarious

 

[velvet75]

Anyways, EVERY DAY we have to fax to our DM the names of each tech that worked that day, how many readyfills they got, how many PCI, how many day 8 (new script) calls they got to agree to come pick up script, etc..
WTF?
Now we are supposed to STOP PRODUCTION, stop filling from the Q, and make calls..any time there is a "cushion" in the Q, when we have an hour or 2 before things are due, we are supposed to stop and make calls..I talked to Rphs in my old district in another state and they were told the same thing..
What gives? Is this company going bankrupt? I just don't understand..I mean does a restaurant stop cooking food for people who have ordered it and go out begging more people to come in and place orders? No...take care of the business you already have before you lose it too...
Also, this does 0 for morale...because the more they rake us across the coals, the less we are trying, to be honest...we were getting 10 readyfills a day, they screamed at us get 30..we got 18, they yelled 40...we got up to 24..they said 45...we gave up, to be honest with you...
CSI also annoys me...I'm in the drive thru---"mrs jones, on your lunesta, would you be interested in switching to a cheaper medicine? it would save you 4 million dollars a year.." Mrs. Jones adjusts her hearing aid and turns her radio down.."what, honey? you don't have my medicine? why not, dear?" ..nevermind, Mrs. Jones. here is your Lunesta.."what, honey? you dont have my little green pill?" Arrghh...the CSI paper goes in the trash...

Wow! This totally reminds of Caremark! As a Pharm Tech we were required to make a certain number of calls per hour and ask the doctors if they could change a patient's medication from brand to generic or from a non-formulary med to one that is formulary. We had to tell the doctor that this would save the patient money. Then at the end of our shift we had to document how many calls we made and how many hours we were on the phone. Plus we had to document how many conversions we got for the day. In fact we had to document what you did every minute of your shift, including any breaks & lunches. And our pay was dependent on how many calls were made per hour. I sooo hated working there. Every morning I would dread going into work but I had to cause my husband wasn't working at the time. But as soon as my husband finished school and got a job I was out of there!