cvs exodus

[mikejones123]

I have worked for cvs for 8 years. I have never seen anything like this. We have had 11 full time pharmacists quit their jobs in the last 2 and 1/2 months in my district. I know cvs is a ****ty company full of bull**** metrics and have seen many people quit their jobs, but I have never seen so many quit their jobs in such a short period of time. What could the reason be??? It has gotten so bad that our supervisor is making it mandatory that every pharmacist in my district pick up an extra shift per pay period. Is that even legal???

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[ancienbon]

My district lost probably as many if not more a couple months ago. Thanks to new grads, the district is fully staffed now.

 

[Dred Pirate]

t has gotten so bad that our supervisor is making it mandatory that every pharmacist in my district pick up an extra shift per pay period. Is that even legal???

look at the bright side - people don't have to worry about getting full time hours - long live the pharmacist shortage

 

[Digsbe]

Even if there are pharmacists to hire from when employees quit there is turnover cost involved. Maybe they'll start valuing employee retention. I've rotated through a few CVS and compared to the other major chains I think they were run the worst in regards to metrics/tech help. Didn't they rank like the 16th worst company to work for in the US (not just healthcare, but company overall)? If things are really so awful I don't see why pharmacists haven't tried to unionize at CVS.

 

[sosoo]

Didn't they rank like the 16th worst company to work for in the US (not just healthcare, but company overall)? If things are really so awful I don't see why pharmacists haven't tried to unionize at CVS.

cvs ranked second from the worst, only express scripts got worst ratings.

 

[NateRobinson]

CVS doesn't have bull**** metrics. Why start this again? Verifying scripts before their promised time is "bull****" to you? What about making prescriber calls to ensure people stay compliant on their maintenance meds? If this is all bull**** to you, then you're in the wrong profession.

Every CVS metric has to do with pleasing the patient. It's what a good pharmacist would do anyway, it's just scored to see who's actually moving at work and whos sitting down playing candy crush all day.

 

[BMBiology]

^ I hope CVS cares for you as much as you care for CVS

 

[pillpharmer14]

And here we go again

 

[ancienbon]

Here we go again

 

[owlegrad]

CVS doesn't have bull**** metrics. Why start this again? Verifying scripts before their promised time is "bull****" to you? What about making prescriber calls to ensure people stay compliant on their maintenance meds? If this is all bull**** to you, then you're in the wrong profession.

Every CVS metric has to do with pleasing the patient. It's what a good pharmacist would do anyway, it's just scored to see who's actually moving at work and whos sitting down playing candy crush all day.

Yes, grading speed over accuracy is bull****. So is grading prescriber calls. The only people who do well on CVS' metrics are the ones who operate so far outside the system that the metrics lose all meaning.

The concepts are mostly valid (sort of), but the execution only rewards people who cheat/game the system. Honestly it is all very demoralizing.

 

[FarmD711]

Yes, grading speed over accuracy is bull****. So is grading prescriber calls. The only people who do well on CVS' metrics are the ones who operate so far outside the system that the metrics lose all meaning.

The concepts are mostly valid (sort of), but the execution only rewards people who cheat/game the system. Honestly it is all very demoralizing.

Most for the metrics ARE valid and would have some semblance of a legitimate purpose. IF we were given adequate tech help and staffing to achieve them.

 

[NateRobinson]

Most for the metrics ARE valid and would have some semblance of a legitimate purpose. IF we were given adequate tech help and staffing to achieve them.

We ARE given adequate tech help and staffing. If you feel that your store isn't, then take a look at myschedule and talk to the person who makes the schedule in your store. Chances are that they aren't scheduling properly and they aren't scheduling to demand. MySchedule gives you the demand that you need to do what you need to do. If you aren't covering the times that you need people in the building, then that's nobody's fault but your own. You have to schedule to the needs of your business.

If your techs suck, then again, that's your fault. Go hire better techs. Hire techs that move and do what needs to be done.

 

[PharmtoCS]

My district lost probably as many if not more a couple months ago. Thanks to new grads, the district is fully staffed now.

Could that be what is inflating the job placement rate of new grads?

 

[ancienbon]

Could that be what is inflating the job placement rate of new grads?

I guess so. No more extra shifts.

 

[Old Timer]

We ARE given adequate tech help and staffing. If you feel that your store isn't, then take a look at myschedule and talk to the person who makes the schedule in your store. Chances are that they aren't scheduling properly and they aren't scheduling to demand. MySchedule gives you the demand that you need to do what you need to do. If you aren't covering the times that you need people in the building, then that's nobody's fault but your own. You have to schedule to the needs of your business.

If your techs suck, then again, that's your fault. Go hire better techs. Hire techs that move and do what needs to be done.

Nate, in all seriousness, you are a very funny man. There is not nearly enough tech help. I am doing 5.3% over budget and 7.5% over last year and I have less tech hours than last year and I have 5 less hours per week to complete this prescriptions since the store closes at ( instead of 10. There is not nearly enough resources. The reason I know that is on a distract basis, 99% of the districts in the entire company are over demand hours. The budget me to do over 450 prescriptions in one 13 hour shift with no second pharmacist. I have been with CVS for 14 years and MySchedule is nothing but a tech hour grab. Plain and simple. I have been a pharmacist for 33 years and I know how to write a schedule. I know when I need people and when I don't.

 

[ancienbon]

Nate, in all seriousness, you are a very funny man. There is not nearly enough tech help. I am doing 5.3% over budget and 7.5% over last year and I have less tech hours than last year and I have 5 less hours per week to complete this prescriptions since the store closes at ( instead of 10. There is not nearly enough resources. The reason I know that is on a distract basis, 99% of the districts in the entire company are over demand hours. The budget me to do over 450 prescriptions in one 13 hour shift with no second pharmacist. I have been with CVS for 14 years and MySchedule is nothing but a tech hour grab. Plain and simple. I have been a pharmacist for 33 years and I know how to write a schedule. I know when I need people and when I don't.

Thanks for clarifying for him.

 

[FarmD711]

We ARE given adequate tech help and staffing. If you feel that your store isn't, then take a look at myschedule and talk to the person who makes the schedule in your store. Chances are that they aren't scheduling properly and they aren't scheduling to demand. MySchedule gives you the demand that you need to do what you need to do. If you aren't covering the times that you need people in the building, then that's nobody's fault but your own. You have to schedule to the needs of your business.

If your techs suck, then again, that's your fault. Go hire better techs. Hire techs that move and do what needs to be done.

I am the person who makes the schedule and my optimization is consistently 85+. We do not have enough tech help to adequately and thoroughly complete the tasks we are given.

I am right there with you on WeCare and working the metrics to drive results. You lose me with this though. I have seen hours budgets get slashed as script budgets increase and increase. I have also seen good techs leave for better pay and be replaced with the bottom of the barrel who have no business doing it and CVS expects equal performance.

 

[Wheresmyaricept]

If your techs suck, then again, that's your fault. Go hire better techs. Hire techs that move and do what needs to be done.

Until you train them well enough that they get a better job and leave.

 

[Sine Cura]

If only every CVS pharmacy employee were "movers" like NateRobinson, then every store would perform swimmingly. I must not be meeting the needs of the business when, according to MySchedule, as the only pharmacist on duty I need to schedule better because the DLS calls for 3 people performing "pharmacist workflow activities" for more hours in one day than the overlap actually available for the whole week. If you can verify 450-600 as the sole pharmacist on duty operating with a skeleton crew and literally everything gets done and done correctly, more power to you. Meanwhile I guess all these people quitting just can't hack it in a work culture of metric whoring and doing more and more with increasingly less and less.

 

[SpartanLaser]

I'm laughing so much at CVS right now. Enough tech help? What a JOKE! Larry Merlo can just go EFF himself for screwing over so many pharmacists and techs! If it's not enough hours to provide quality customer service and not stress the pharmacy staff to the point of making critical errors, it's not ENOUGH hours.

At any given day at my job after I quit CVS, I have at least 5-6 techs (38-40 tech hours) for 300-400 scripts. I had 1-2 techs (measly 15 tech hours) for 200 scripts + pcq calls at cvs.

 

[mikejones123]

CVS doesn't have bull**** metrics. Why start this again? Verifying scripts before their promised time is "bull****" to you? What about making prescriber calls to ensure people stay compliant on their maintenance meds? If this is all bull**** to you, then you're in the wrong profession.

Every CVS metric has to do with pleasing the patient. It's what a good pharmacist would do anyway, it's just scored to see who's actually moving at work and whos sitting down playing candy crush all day.

You are gonna be in a world of hurt when reality hits you man. Take that cvs suppository out of your butt and wake up. For you to assume that all the pharmacists that left my district are lazy is just ridiculous. Most worked for cvs for over 10 years, some even won that stupid paragon award, some were like you...drinking the cvs koolaid. It is a fact that cvs has provided less and less help to pharmacists over the years while the workload has increased tremendously.

 

[Dr Wario]

For me, I try to not let it get me stressed out because even though our store has had a pharmacist hole for over 6 months, 7 of my techs (the best ones) have now left to go to hospital (the exact same hospital) and flu shot season is upon us, what can CVS really do to me? The reality is that no one is smart enough to do my job, yet just stupid enough to actually stay, so who else is CVS going to find?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Nate, in all seriousness, you are a very funny man. There is not nearly enough tech help. I am doing 5.3% over budget and 7.5% over last year and I have less tech hours than last year and I have 5 less hours per week to complete this prescriptions since the store closes at ( instead of 10. There is not nearly enough resources. The reason I know that is on a distract basis, 99% of the districts in the entire company are over demand hours. The budget me to do over 450 prescriptions in one 13 hour shift with no second pharmacist. I have been with CVS for 14 years and MySchedule is nothing but a tech hour grab. Plain and simple. I have been a pharmacist for 33 years and I know how to write a schedule. I know when I need people and when I don't.

Wow...OldTimer is starting to feel the heat.

 

[FarmD711]

I want to leave but don't want to leave my higher rate, vacation, employee stock purchase, and 401k matching

 

[M0df]

I'm almost out the door myself with CVS. The stock options just became vested, which is nice.

It is really telling that even as new grads are coming in, some districts are still short on people. It is great logic for sups and DMs to use... people quit due to low job satisfaction - mandatory extra shifts for remaining people - push job satisfaction even lower.

Nate, have you worked for any other company besides CVS?

 

[BMBiology]

I want to leave but don't want to leave my higher rate, vacation, employee stock purchase, and 401k matching

This is what I don't get about CVS pharmacists. They are miserable. They have options but yet they still stay. They are basically trading in their health and peace of mind for some $.

Pay off your debt. Live below your means. And get the hell out of CVS. Do it while you are still healthy.

 

[FarmD711]

This is what I don't get about CVS pharmacists. They are miserable. They have options but yet they still stay. They are basically trading in their health and peace of mind for some $.

Pay off your debt. Live below your means. And get the hell out of CVS. Do it while you are still healthy.

That is the plan. Being as aggressive as I can with debt now to be in a better position.

The vacation is the killer though. The thought of going back to two weeks kills me.

 

[pillpharmer14]

We ARE given adequate tech help and staffing. If you feel that your store isn't, then take a look at myschedule and talk to the person who makes the schedule in your store. Chances are that they aren't scheduling properly and they aren't scheduling to demand. MySchedule gives you the demand that you need to do what you need to do. If you aren't covering the times that you need people in the building, then that's nobody's fault but your own. You have to schedule to the needs of your business.

If your techs suck, then again, that's your fault. Go hire better techs. Hire techs that move and do what needs to be done.

Starting to think this guy is just trolling. Every time he drops some CVS love we all lose our minds

 

[samuricool]

Wow...OldTimer is starting to feel the heat.

Yah this is like his third negative post about CVS in as many weeks. He's starting to worry me.

 

[BenJammin]

I love CVS metrics. This is why I tell my interns and other pharmacists when I work shifts at the outpatient pharmacy here to call CVS on their doc line for transfers.

 

[Dr Wario]

I love CVS metrics. This is why I tell my interns and other pharmacists when I work shifts at the outpatient pharmacy here to call CVS on their doc line for transfers.

And that is why you instantly get put on hold if you try that at my store, I make sure it takes longer when people try that stuff.

 

[Momus]

That is the plan. Being as aggressive as I can with debt now to be in a better position.

The vacation is the killer though. The thought of going back to two weeks kills me.

You are lucky if you get 2 weeks to start at retail, some only give 1 week AFTER 1 year.

 

[FarmD711]

You are lucky if you get 2 weeks to start at retail, some only give 1 week AFTER 1 year.

Yeah and I'll be at 4 weeks next year so its a tough sell to give that up.

 

[Old Timer]

Wow...OldTimer is starting to feel the heat.

I just call it the way I see it. The company has changed and not for the better. Alas, I have golden hand cuffs. Worked independent for the first 20 years. Low pay, no pension. I need that 5% 401K match and giant salary to make up for lost time. I do the best I can. They can replace me at any time they want. I work at an urban store that does 2800 per week. MY MCE is low, but I have the top KPM, top 25% on SOS & WeCare and I'm 5.5% over budget and 7.5% over last year. If they have someone better, it's ok with me.....

 

[BMBiology]

Yeah and I'll be at 4 weeks next year so its a tough sell to give that up.

how many years have you been with CVS?

 

[doublehh03]

Yeah and I'll be at 4 weeks next year so its a tough sell to give that up.

That's pretty much the same reasons I'm still with CVS, and the pay of course lol.

But CVS is making it harder, esp. this year with the budget cuts. That's my biggest complaint. I'm fine with any metric they drop down, but they are spewing lies with these "demand" by MySchedule and it's for the store's benefit. Just a bunch of BS.

Just say you're freaking cutting hours and be straight up with your employees.

 

[MountainPharmD]

OldTimer, why did you spend all those years working FOR someone else? Did you ever consider opening your own store? I took the plunge a year and a half ago. Things are not like they were back in the day and the future is cloudy but I'm still making it. I would love to jump back 20 or 30 years and have a pharmacy.

 

[BenJammin]

And that is why you instantly get put on hold if you try that at my store, I make sure it takes longer when people try that stuff.

We have 8 phone lines for a reason

 

[BenJammin]

By the way when you guys say you get 4 weeks vacation, is that 4 full weeks you use 4 times a year or 28 days off that you can use in pairs, trios, etc?

 

[Old Timer]

OldTimer, why did you spend all those years working FOR someone else? Did you ever consider opening your own store? I took the plunge a year and a half ago. Things are not like they were back in the day and the future is cloudy but I'm still making it. I would love to jump back 20 or 30 years and have a pharmacy.

Too old for that.....

 

[FarmD711]

By the way when you guys say you get 4 weeks vacation, is that 4 full weeks you use 4 times a year or 28 days off that you can use in pairs, trios, etc?

Either way

 

[Dr Wario]

By the way when you guys say you get 4 weeks vacation, is that 4 full weeks you use 4 times a year or 28 days off that you can use in pairs, trios, etc?

When people say 4 weeks vacation what they really mean is 4 x (weekly base hours). So if your base is to work 44 hours per week, having 4 weeks of vacation means you have 176 hours of vacation. Typically they want you to use vacation in weekly increments with one week able to be split.

 

[Old Timer]

Either way

In my district you can take them any way you want. Once you give 7 weeks notice and they accept it's on them.

 

[Louper]

We ARE given adequate tech help and staffing. If you feel that your store isn't, then take a look at myschedule and talk to the person who makes the schedule in your store. Chances are that they aren't scheduling properly and they aren't scheduling to demand. MySchedule gives you the demand that you need to do what you need to do. If you aren't covering the times that you need people in the building, then that's nobody's fault but your own. You have to schedule to the needs of your business.

If your techs suck, then again, that's your fault. Go hire better techs. Hire techs that move and do what needs to be done.

Another CVS corporate douchebag who drinks the kool-aid...

 

[Louper]

Food for thought: What if every pharmacist and tech at CVS decided to stop doing PCQ calls and other unnecessary metrics?

 

[farmadiazepine]

Started at hospital with 15 days vacation, 12 days sick, 9 holidays, and 6 personal days = 42 days off a year. 42 days x 8 hours = 336 paid hours off. That totally kills the 129 hours vacation (3 weeks x 43 base hours per week) I got with CVS.

 

[farmadiazepine]

I'm almost out the door myself with CVS. The stock options just became vested, which is nice.

It is really telling that even as new grads are coming in, some districts are still short on people. It is great logic for sups and DMs to use... people quit due to low job satisfaction - mandatory extra shifts for remaining people - push job satisfaction even lower.

Nate, have you worked for any other company besides CVS?

If you decide to leave CVS make sure you sell the vested shares and take the money. After you leave the company they will take a few days and remove the shares from you. I made a mistake like that. I left, and I kept checking E-TRADE daily and it showed I still had the vested shares for 5 days, and a couple days later they were all gone. I missed out on taking home an extra $4,000 profit. SO, SELL IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Yeah and I'll be at 4 weeks next year so its a tough sell to give that up.

go to hospital - I know some that start at 7 weeks, I started at 5 - and now am at 7

 

[Lnsean]

Wow...OldTimer is starting to feel the heat.

Boy...times have changed indeed. I would have never thought I would live to see this day.

 

[BF7]

And that is why you instantly get put on hold if you try that at my store, I make sure it takes longer when people try that stuff.

When people say 4 weeks vacation what they really mean is 4 x (weekly base hours). So if your base is to work 44 hours per week, having 4 weeks of vacation means you have 176 hours of vacation. Typically they want you to use vacation in weekly increments with one week able to be split.