CVS Employees -- Read this!

[rxblitzrx]

I'm sure other pharmacists can relate to this situation.

I'm sick and tired of walking into a QA that says 15 pages and not knowing how much work got done the day before. My store isn't very high volume so it's usually just myself and one technician all day long. We're expected to clear the queue every day and 15 pages between two people is EFFING RIDICULOUS. I work my ***** off and I feel like people are doing less because they know I'll pick up the slack.

The worst part is, you never know if your partner (the other pharmacist) did any work the day before, resulting in a 15 page queue.

What I want to know is... Which report shows how many scripts were verified out the day before?

There has to be a way to keep people in check!!

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[Dr Wario]

The wait time/promised time report shows a breakdown of scripts verified by rph and the total store (and what % were on time) for the date range entered. I sadly have had to use this against partners who refused to verify anything not dated/timed for their shift. These reports automatically print in the Sunday bundle but you can also get them on demand.

 

[rxblitzrx]

The wait time/promised time report shows a breakdown of scripts verified by rph and the total store (and what % were on time) for the date range entered. I sadly have had to use this against partners who refused to verify anything not dated/timed for their shift. These reports automatically print in the Sunday bundle but you can also get them on demand.

That's M1, 8 right?

Are these reports COMPLETE and available the following morning?

I've heard mixed reviews about that report. What if they just re-time stuff for the next day?


I also hear that "pharmacist summary" report that prints every morning just shows how many Rx were typed into the computer... either a new Rx, or a refill request... is this true?

 

[Old Timer]

I'm pretty sure you can just do a dispensing time report M1,5 for the day before as soon as you get in but before you print any labels. You can then repeat the report at the end of the day and look at the changes. You can also look at the QP and see if there are any scripts that are dated two days from today at the end of the day. Those would be readyfills from the day before that were not done. Finally, as you are doing Q/A, look at the date filled on each one. How many were dated the day before? Fifteen pages is a lot of rxs unless your readyfill rate is close to 60%. Also, don't worry about QA, look at QP.

 

[tommyg313]

I think a lot of the times some pharmacist only verify the prescriptions that are going to be picked up that day or the following afternoon. I've worked in CVSs where pharmacists generally stand around doing nothing while there are 5+ pages on the QP. If anything, print out the report from M1-> 5 and look at how many scripts were done the day before. Talk to your partner about it or else it'll most likely happen again.

 

[nnguyenc]

the dispensing time report isn't accurate....it will say that there were 30 scripts done between 2 or 3 am when our store isn't even 24hrs.

 

[Its Z]

This thread is not complete until mountain pharmdood contributes followed by farmnupe.

 

[Old Timer]

the dispensing time report isn't accurate....it will say that there were 30 scripts done between 2 or 3 am when our store isn't even 24hrs.

Those are the readyfills.

 

[Its Z]

Those are the readyfills.

Yall speak a language i dont comprehend.

 

[Old Timer]

Yall speak a language i dont comprehend.

Those are the automatic refills. So for example if you are on HCTZ 25mg/day. The computer automatically fills it three days before it's due and dumps it in the queue to be filled. They dump them in at 1AM...

 

[rxblitzrx]

I'm pretty sure you can just do a dispensing time report M1,5 for the day before as soon as you get in but before you print any labels. You can then repeat the report at the end of the day and look at the changes. You can also look at the QP and see if there are any scripts that are dated two days from today at the end of the day. Those would be readyfills from the day before that were not done. Finally, as you are doing Q/A, look at the date filled on each one. How many were dated the day before? Fifteen pages is a lot of rxs unless your readyfill rate is close to 60%. Also, don't worry about QA, look at QP.

It sounds like you really know the CVS system! Couple of questions please...

1. You said to do M1,5 as soon as you get in, but BEFORE YOU PRINT LABELS. How does printing labels change the numbers? I often walk in and see a ton of labels on the printer and a bunch of baskets (filled) waiting to be verified.

2. What exactly does M1,5 show you?

 

[farmadiazepine]

printing labels does not change the number on dispensing time report. the only thing that changes the number on dispensing time report is when an rx is entered into the computer either by a member of the staff or by a customer on/over the phone, that's it.

i know bc when i have worked overnights, all the readyfills will come up at12:15 am, i look at the report and it says x # of rx's on the dispensing time report. Whether i delete 20 of them, all of them, or fill all of them, at the end of my shift, when i go back to the report, it is the same # on the dispensing time report.

like i said, that report only shows you the rx's that were entered either by a staff member or by a customer.


check the end of day reports. it is not all that detailed, but it will show you how many rx's were verified by your partner the day before. it will literally say their name, and how many total rx's verified.

 

[Old Timer]

printing labels does not change the number on dispensing time report. the only thing that changes the number on dispensing time report is when an rx is entered into the computer either by a member of the staff or by a customer on/over the phone, that's it.

i know bc when i have worked overnights, all the readyfills will come up at12:15 am, i look at the report and it says x # of rx's on the dispensing time report. Whether i delete 20 of them, all of them, or fill all of them, at the end of my shift, when i go back to the report, it is the same # on the dispensing time report.

like i said, that report only shows you the rx's that were entered either by a staff member or by a customer.


check the end of day reports. it is not all that detailed, but it will show you how many rx's were verified by your partner the day before. it will literally say their name, and how many total rx's verified.

No that is not true. If you delete an rx, the dispensing time report will change. Try it yourself.

 

[farmadiazepine]

i'm pretty sure i tried it. as soon as readyfills comes up, i check the dispensing time report. then i delete all the bs readyfills and ones i am too lazy to fill and ones that i know the customer doesn't want. at the end of finishing, guess what, its the same number in the dispensing time report.

but... i will try again and let you know. i can always be wrong, after all

 

[kvl1027]

Those are the automatic refills. So for example if you are on HCTZ 25mg/day. The computer automatically fills it three days before it's due and dumps it in the queue to be filled. They dump them in at 1AM...

Do you guys autorefill all maintenance meds, or do patients have to sign up for auto-refill?

 

[ethyl]

Do you guys autorefill all maintenance meds, or do patients have to sign up for auto-refill?

Ideally, patients sign up for auto-refill after you ask them at the register or drop off. In reality, the majority of stores will automatically enroll every patient at script drop off in order to reach their minimum autorefill numbers.

 

[owlegrad]

This is my experience as well. Some meds it just makes sense. OC, long term meds, etc. Where you can upset people is enrolling them without asking on new meds or stuff that truthfully does not make sense to auto-enroll (topicals, etc). In general most pharmacists seem to work under the impression that it is easier to unenroll some one if they complain than it is to ask every person if they want it to begin with.

Ideally, patients sign up for auto-refill after you ask them at the register or drop off. In reality, the majority of stores will automatically enroll every patient at script drop off in order to reach their minimum autorefill numbers.

 

[CVSstinks]

There is a report you can run that shows all prescriptions that have been filled by all the pharmacists. It breaks it down by pharmacist name and the number of prescriptions filled... If I had a CVS monitor in front of me I could tell you but fortunately... I escaped.
I will try to ask one of my friends who still works for the Red Giant.

 

[kvl1027]

Ideally, patients sign up for auto-refill after you ask them at the register or drop off. In reality, the majority of stores will automatically enroll every patient at script drop off in order to reach their minimum autorefill numbers.

I am not saying it is write or wrong one way or the other, but I guess the insurance companies would not be crazy about people automatically signed up for autorefill. I am sure though that CVS has that somehow built into their software, that when someone picks up the script and signs the signature pad they are also agreeing to the autorefill program.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

I am not saying it is write or wrong one way or the other, but I guess the insurance companies would not be crazy about people automatically signed up for autorefill. I am sure though that CVS has that somehow built into their software, that when someone picks up the script and signs the signature pad they are also agreeing to the autorefill program.

Not true- There is no agreement. Its either the patient wants their script automaticaly filled or not. To be honest, the best way to get your numbers is ask the patient and enroll them correctly.

Stores that automatically enroll everybody are doing them a huge disfavor. How hard is it to say mr, mrs, do you want us to fill this script for u automaticaly next month?

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

I'm pretty sure you can just do a dispensing time report M1,5 for the day before as soon as you get in but before you print any labels. You can then repeat the report at the end of the day and look at the changes. You can also look at the QP and see if there are any scripts that are dated two days from today at the end of the day. Those would be readyfills from the day before that were not done. Finally, as you are doing Q/A, look at the date filled on each one. How many were dated the day before? Fifteen pages is a lot of rxs unless your readyfill rate is close to 60%. Also, don't worry about QA, look at QP.

The best way to know is look at the m1/5 report for the date before before you print out any labels. The report counts a script being fill once it is printed. At the end of your day after you clear the queue, look at the report again. The increase in number from that day is the number of scripts that was left for you from the date before.

 

[Old Timer]

The best way to know is look at the m1/5 report for the date before before you print out any labels. The report counts a script being fill once it is printed. At the end of your day after you clear the queue, look at the report again. The increase in number from that day is the number of scripts that was left for you from the date before.

This is what I was driving at. I checked it today.

There were to Rxs in QP.
Ran the report 225 Rxs.
Added and Rx for myself.
Ran the report 225 Rxs
Printed the rx for myself
Ran the report 226 rxs
Deleted the RX for myself
Ran the report 225 rxs
Printed the other 2 labels
Ran the report 227 rxs.....

 

[Old Timer]

I am not saying it is write or wrong one way or the other,

There is a right way and a wrong way. Enrolling everyone or enrolling people w/o asking them is the wrong way.

but I guess the insurance companies would not be crazy about people automatically signed up for autorefill.

Generally they are not. There are some insurance companies that prohibit this and the system will not let you enroll the patient if they have one of those insurance companies.

I am sure though that CVS has that somehow built into their software, that when someone picks up the script and signs the signature pad they are also agreeing to the autorefill program.

This is FALSE.
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If you over enroll, you get too many RTS prescriptions and that's a PITA. (Dumb on so many levels)
If you over enroll you make people angry at you. (Dumb on so many levels)
If you over enroll you run the risk of giving the patient inappropriate medication. (Dumb on so many levels)

 

[Ackj]

If you over enroll, you get too many RTS prescriptions and that's a PITA. (Dumb on so many levels)
If you over enroll you make people angry at you. (Dumb on so many levels)
If you over enroll you run the risk of giving the patient inappropriate medication. (Dumb on so many levels)

We had a big push for auto-refills in the summer of 2011, but that quickly fell off due to all of those problems. To this day, I would estimate 80-90% of RTS is from automatic refill, which is just a huge waste of time and effort. Patients think that it sounds good at first, but then they realize that they're not as compliant as they should be, and they get automated phone calls when they still have 10 days left on their 30 day rx that was filled 31 days ago. Then they get annoyed with the phone calls and complain to us about them. Or we do the refill, days go by, we RTS, the patient shows up the next week and wants to know why the rx isn't ready for him, he's in that program you know.

It's a nice program for select patients, but it is really not one that you can put every patient on, or even one that management should be pushing you to get a certain % of your patients.

 

[Old Timer]

We had a big push for auto-refills in the summer of 2011, but that quickly fell off due to all of those problems. To this day, I would estimate 80-90% of RTS is from automatic refill, which is just a huge waste of time and effort.

Why estimate. It's right on the list which ones were readyfill.

Patients think that it sounds good at first, but then they realize that they're not as compliant as they should be, and they get automated phone calls when they still have 10 days left on their 30 day rx that was filled 31 days ago.

Now is your chance to do something besides dispense. Have a discussion about the importance of compliance. The dangers of non compliance and what barriers the patient has to compliance.

 

[Ackj]

Why estimate. It's right on the list which ones were readyfill.

I'm not at CVS, we don't have all of those metric reports (at least not that I'm aware of).

Now is your chance to do something besides dispense. Have a discussion about the importance of compliance. The dangers of non compliance and what barriers the patient has to compliance

Believe me, I would love to do that and actually help somebody out, but it sucks that the majority don't seem to care about what you're saying. Yeah, yeah, I know I have to take it. It's your health! How can you not be concerned about it? It's pretty demoralizing when you try to explain it to them and they just brush you off.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

We had a big push for auto-refills in the summer of 2011, but that quickly fell off due to all of those problems. To this day, I would estimate 80-90% of RTS is from automatic refill, which is just a huge waste of time and effort. Patients think that it sounds good at first, but then they realize that they're not as compliant as they should be, and they get automated phone calls when they still have 10 days left on their 30 day rx that was filled 31 days ago. Then they get annoyed with the phone calls and complain to us about them. Or we do the refill, days go by, we RTS, the patient shows up the next week and wants to know why the rx isn't ready for him, he's in that program you know.

It's a nice program for select patients, but it is really not one that you can put every patient on, or even one that management should be pushing you to get a certain % of your patients.

I find that if the program is done properly, it works for the majority of my patients.

Examples: A customer brings in a prescription and sees a huge line. They ask how long do I have to wait for this? I informed them that their medication is already ready for them since they were enrolled in the automatic program last month. They just have to step over down to pickup. I had this happen to two patients in a row yesterday morning when I opened.

My readyfill queue had 3 medications that were expensive and my TIL on it is 0. I get to order it for them 3 days in advance. Their medication was ready and I dont have to spend 5 minutes listening to them why their medications are never in stock. (I recently took on a new assignment and this store has a lot of compaints. I offered readyfill as a solution to these customers. I remember them because they were for werid medications like Trivizor or Dapsone).

On the other hand, the only complaints that I got are from people that got enrolled in the program improperly. If the technician had ask, they would have found out that the script was a one time deal or just testing the medication.

If a customer doesnt like the program, we can unenroll them. Np.

Management wants 40 percent of eligible scripts filled. That is not too hard considering I have met target with many stores easily.

 

[clachan3]

It's been a long time since I worked at CVS so I don't know how to print reports and such, but I remember when my techs told me my pharmacy manager would not let them print/fill anything that were not due during his scheduled shift. He would just sit around, talk on the phone a few times with his wife, eat fast food during his 6 hour shift.

He thought the afternoon pharmacist didn't have enough to do. It was quite irritating. Not only that, he cut tech hours in the evenings too, and he never worked a single evening shift when I worked there. I mean, it's okay if you can't verify all the scripts that are filled, it happens because there are 3 techs and only one pharmacist, but at least they are mostly done so all you need to do is check them if the customers show up early. I can handle that, but when it's busy in the afternoon, I'll have to fill the scripts before I can check them when they could have filled the rx before when they had nothing to do.

That is taking my techs away from helping drop off and pick up during the 5pm rush. I'm glad I don't work there anymore, and that pharmacy manager was one of the reasons why. Just saying 🙄

 

[owlegrad]

Believe me, I would love to do that and actually help somebody out, but it sucks that the majority don't seem to care about what you're saying. Yeah, yeah, I know I have to take it. It's your health! How can you not be concerned about it? It's pretty demoralizing when you try to explain it to them and they just brush you off.

I agree with that comment.

 

[StevePerry]

It's been a long time since I worked at CVS so I don't know how to print reports and such, but I remember when my techs told me my pharmacy manager would not let them print/fill anything that were not due during his scheduled shift. He would just sit around, talk on the phone a few times with his wife, eat fast food during his 6 hour shift.

He thought the afternoon pharmacist didn't have enough to do. It was quite irritating. Not only that, he cut tech hours in the evenings too, and he never worked a single evening shift when I worked there. I mean, it's okay if you can't verify all the scripts that are filled, it happens because there are 3 techs and only one pharmacist, but at least they are mostly done so all you need to do is check them if the customers show up early. I can handle that, but when it's busy in the afternoon, I'll have to fill the scripts before I can check them when they could have filled the rx before when they had nothing to do.

That is taking my techs away from helping drop off and pick up during the 5pm rush. I'm glad I don't work there anymore, and that pharmacy manager was one of the reasons why. Just saying 🙄

What a douche-sniffer that guy is.

 

[kvl1027]

This is FALSE.

So you don't have to document in any way that the patient opt'd in for auto refill? I know in one of the grocery chain pharmacies in my area, when you pick up your rx, the signature pad jumps to a screen and says would you like to have your medications automatically refilled, choose yes or no, then sign.

At my pharmacy we have a sign up sheet that we keep on file for our auto-refill patients. There have a been a lot of independents burned for refilling prescriptions without authorization from the patients.

 

[pharm B]

So you don't have to document in any way that the patient opt'd in for auto refill? I know in one of the grocery chain pharmacies in my area, when you pick up your rx, the signature pad jumps to a screen and says would you like to have your medications automatically refilled, choose yes or no, then sign.

At my pharmacy we have a sign up sheet that we keep on file for our auto-refill patients. There have a been a lot of independents burned for refilling prescriptions without authorization from the patients.

Where I worked previously, you literally just checked a box on the patient's profile with no other documentation.

 

[rxblitzrx]

This is what I was driving at. I checked it today.

There were to Rxs in QP.
Ran the report 225 Rxs.
Added and Rx for myself.
Ran the report 225 Rxs
Printed the rx for myself
Ran the report 226 rxs
Deleted the RX for myself
Ran the report 225 rxs
Printed the other 2 labels
Ran the report 227 rxs.....

So M1,5 shows you how many Rx were PRINTED each day?

What does the Pharmacist Summary report show you (M1,2,11)? It's the one that prints out in the stack of stuff every morning.