CVS fax pile ups?

[radiohead7272]

I have been working at CVS for a month now and it seems like every few customers that come in have third party rejects, or have awaiting faxes from the doctor (which have been processed). I was wondering if any one of you have this same problem or is it just that my pharmacy isn't doing a good job of getting those faxes into the computer system fast enough so that there will not be as much problems when the customer comes to pick up the medications. Every shift I work there is at least 25 fax papers from doctors just sitting there, anyone else have this problem a lot? Also, any recommendations for a better pharmacy to work at? Im considering Rite Aid.

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[Sparda29]

I have been working at CVS for a month now and it seems like every few customers that come in have third party rejects, or have awaiting faxes from the doctor (which have been processed). I was wondering if any one of you have this same problem or is it just that my pharmacy isn't doing a good job of getting those faxes into the computer system fast enough so that there will not be as much problems when the customer comes to pick up the medications. Every shift I work there is at least 25 fax papers from doctors just sitting there, anyone else have this problem a lot? Also, any recommendations for a better pharmacy to work at? Im considering Rite Aid.

Everyone gets rejections from third parties, however at our pharmacy we jump on the faxes once they come in so they do not pile up. At the low volume store that I work at, they come in and the drop off person handles it.

However, at the high volume CVS I work at, 1 person is assigned to that specific task of faxes, checking the QR, and taking MD calls.

 

[thephoenician88]

the faxes are just as important as the prescriptions being handed to you

"my rx was faxed in 2 hrs ago"
:"oh it's on the printer

yikes....

 

[rxlynn]

I have been working at CVS for a month now and it seems like every few customers that come in have third party rejects, or have awaiting faxes from the doctor (which have been processed). I was wondering if any one of you have this same problem or is it just that my pharmacy isn't doing a good job of getting those faxes into the computer system fast enough so that there will not be as much problems when the customer comes to pick up the medications. Every shift I work there is at least 25 fax papers from doctors just sitting there, anyone else have this problem a lot? Also, any recommendations for a better pharmacy to work at? Im considering Rite Aid.

Yeah - pulling the faxes off the printer (or the new electronic-Rxs off the screen) and typing them in is supposed to be done by whoever is handling drop-off. At my store we will typically handle people waiting in the store first, and then type in all the faxes. If I am too busy with waiters to get them all done, then I will type in one or two of the faxes in between my waiters, just putting in a later pickup time on the faxes. That way, if the patient shows up, at the least the Rx is already typed and in the queue so it can be quickly printed out and filled.

The third party rejects are a different story, especially this time of year. I don't know how you avoid that, especially since patients seem to forget that we need to have a current card.

 

[Frederico Albin]

Im sorry but I have a dumb question. What do you guys mean when you say "third party rejects"? Sounds like a good name for a rock band.

 

[pharmplz11]

A third party reject is when an insurance company denies payment for a patients medication for whatever reason. Could be prior auth, drug not covered, or the patient has new insurance.

 

[radiohead7272]

I knew there was something not right with my pharmacy because it seems like there is ALWAYS a pile of faxes on the printer and people get pissed off. We have one pharmacist, one tech doing the filling, one person doing drop off, and one person at pick up (me). So you guys are saying the person at drop off should take care of the faxes right away? What if he/she is helping a long line of people at drop off or is a slow worker (like at my store)?We are always busy so there is barely any time to even look at the faxes....

 

[Sparda29]

I knew there was something not right with my pharmacy because it seems like there is ALWAYS a pile of faxes on the printer and people get pissed off. We have one pharmacist, one tech doing the filling, one person doing drop off, and one person at pick up (me). So you guys are saying the person at drop off should take care of the faxes right away? What if he/she is helping a long line of people at drop off or is a slow worker (like at my store)?We are always busy so there is barely any time to even look at the faxes....

It sounds like there is a mismanagement of resources. Someone does not have to always be at pick-up or production. The pharmacist can usually handle production by themselves as long as the drop-off person does a good job of pulling items from stock at the same time as entering prescriptions into the system.

 

[ValeRx]

What does this have to do with Pre-Pharmacy????? Just wondering.

 

[Jaded03]

What does this have to do with Pre-Pharmacy????? Just wondering.

Little except pre-pharmacy students can answer it and future pharmacists can get a glimpse of retail. I don't think this is completely random.

 

[radiohead7272]

and you talking about ohio state football in the other thread relates so much to pharmacy huh vale uc.

 

[Jaded03]

If you want my input, I suggest you learn to adapt in your own pharmacy. When you are a PharmD you aren't going to get your choice. The stack indicates either poor work delegation or high volume. You should learn to clear the faxes and handle the rejections yourself, I do. It's good practice.

 

[bkiskadd]

It sounds like there is a mismanagement of resources. Someone does not have to always be at pick-up or production. The pharmacist can usually handle production by themselves as long as the drop-off person does a good job of pulling items from stock at the same time as entering prescriptions into the system.

I don't know what pharmacy you work at but there is no way the pharmacist handles production at my store. (Maybe I should transfer!) Today was the busiest day I have ever worked. We had over 10 pages in the queue to fill and left with just about the same. I don't know how we're every going to catch up. We have really good workers too, so I'm not sure what's going on.

 

[Jaded03]

I don't know what pharmacy you work at but there is no way the pharmacist handles production at my store. (Maybe I should transfer!) Today was the busiest day I have ever worked. We had over 10 pages in the queue to fill and left with just about the same. I don't know how we're every going to catch up. We have really good workers too, so I'm not sure what's going on.

Well, each pharmacy is different. You won't fine any two pharmacies dynamic really quite the same because the community differs from store to store.
Some factors:
1. If you have the new system (I won't mention details) then you are inherently working more slowly, I don't care who tells you otherwise. It IS impossible to keep up with work when you have a slow system.
2. You are working during the busiest time of the year. You will get new insurance problems (terminated insurance rejects), high volume new medications (flu season), and of course, angry, needy, ill customers. All will impede workflow.
3. Staffing is unorganized. After enough experience when you feel you can do everything, multitasking for yourself goes up. This is a danger to workflow. Multitasking at CVS should be kept at a minimum. The more you're doing things outside of your assigned workstation, the less work your actually doing. Ironic, but true.
Final Note:
Running away from problems is not a good learning experience. I could understand if this is your career and you need to be happy, but chances are you are a pre-pharm hoping to move on from your tech position. Learn to handle workflow yourself and search for ways to improve workflow if not in others, then in yourself. Guess what? A pharmacist would.

 

[Sparda29]

I don't know what pharmacy you work at but there is no way the pharmacist handles production at my store. (Maybe I should transfer!) Today was the busiest day I have ever worked. We had over 10 pages in the queue to fill and left with just about the same. I don't know how we're every going to catch up. We have really good workers too, so I'm not sure what's going on.

Basically, I get the prescriptions from the patients and enter them into the system. A rule established at the pharmacy I work at is that only the drop-off person is allowed to print stuff out of the queue.

Thus, I print at the pace I want the pharmacy to move at and once I hit print I run over, grab the stock items, toss them in the basket along with the corresponding printed materials and set them in production.

Pharmacist counts them and verifies them (actually makes the verification job much easier since the pharmacist can open the verification screen, make sure the pills and the pill image match, and then can start counting.

Pickup n00b has to put the stock items back onto the shelves.

 

[bkiskadd]

Basically, I get the prescriptions from the patients and enter them into the system. A rule established at the pharmacy I work at is that only the drop-off person is allowed to print stuff out of the queue.

Thus, I print at the pace I want the pharmacy to move at and once I hit print I run over, grab the stock items, toss them in the basket along with the corresponding printed materials and set them in production.

Pharmacist counts them and verifies them (actually makes the verification job much easier since the pharmacist can open the verification screen, make sure the pills and the pill image match, and then can start counting.

Pickup n00b has to put the stock items back onto the shelves.

Wow that is very different format, but we usually have about 2 pharmacists and 4-5 techs working at the busiest time of day. How many scripts do you do a week?

 

[bkiskadd]

Well, each pharmacy is different. You won't fine any two pharmacies dynamic really quite the same because the community differs from store to store.
Some factors:
1. If you have the new system (I won't mention details) then you are inherently working more slowly, I don't care who tells you otherwise. It IS impossible to keep up with work when you have a slow system.
2. You are working during the busiest time of the year. You will get new insurance problems (terminated insurance rejects), high volume new medications (flu season), and of course, angry, needy, ill customers. All will impede workflow.
3. Staffing is unorganized. After enough experience when you feel you can do everything, multitasking for yourself goes up. This is a danger to workflow. Multitasking at CVS should be kept at a minimum. The more you're doing things outside of your assigned workstation, the less work your actually doing. Ironic, but true.
Final Note:
Running away from problems is not a good learning experience. I could understand if this is your career and you need to be happy, but chances are you are a pre-pharm hoping to move on from your tech position. Learn to handle workflow yourself and search for ways to improve workflow if not in others, then in yourself. Guess what? A pharmacist would.

Who said I was running away from problems?

 

[ValeRx]

Who said I was running away from problems?

Don't run away from your feelings, Richard!

 

[Sparda29]

Wow that is very different format, but we usually have about 2 pharmacists and 4-5 techs working at the busiest time of day. How many scripts do you do a week?

That store does 1300 scripts/week. And there are always no more than 4 people on at the same time.

However, I also work at a store that does 3700/week and that store works by a format similar to what you said.

 

[creativemind]

CVS new system is definitely slowing down the pace at which we can type/fill prescriptions. the darn thing freezes often too. I like the layout but i think they should have tested the speed before they converted the stores. Every day my store has like 4 pages of rejects at closing.

 

[radiohead7272]

I hate my pharmacy. The pharmacy manager is always out of control and on edge. She hates it when people ask her questions even if they are a yes or no question. When you ask her, she replies "don't ask me any questions I'm off my shift" when she really has 15 more minutes of her shift left. Also, the other day we had at least 50 pages of approved faxes from doctors needed to be processed just sitting next to the copy machine and one of the techs just starting the shift (the same time as me) asked one of the other techs that was getting off her shift why there were so many and all she said was "I don't know, but I'm glad I'm going home..". So of course I had to deal with a constant line at pick up and only had about a few minutes to work on the pile myself. Transferring to a new pharmacy seems really enticing right now..any thoughts?

 

[creativemind]

I hate my pharmacy. The pharmacy manager is always out of control and on edge. She hates it when people ask her questions even if they are a yes or no question. When you ask her, she replies "don't ask me any questions I'm off my shift" when she really has 15 more minutes of her shift left. Also, the other day we had at least 50 pages of approved faxes from doctors needed to be processed just sitting next to the copy machine and one of the techs just starting the shift (the same time as me) asked one of the other techs that was getting off her shift why there were so many and all she said was "I don't know, but I'm glad I'm going home..". So of course I had to deal with a constant line at pick up and only had about a few minutes to work on the pile myself. Transferring to a new pharmacy seems really enticing right now..any thoughts?

what city, state do you work in?

 

[radiohead7272]

what city, state do you work in?

Torrance, California CVS. THis is my first job at a pharmacy and was wondering if any one of you have this kind of problem too.

 

[creativemind]

you have to keep in mind that winter is the busiest time of the year in the pharmacy. In the summer, you will complain that there's nothing to do but stand around.

 

[Sparda29]

My boss has this tendency to put me on the permanent schedule when I agree to cover a shift for one day.

I agreed to cover someone's shift last Friday night. I came in to check the schedule on Sunday and he had already put me on for this Friday without asking me. He doesn't get that sometimes I'm covering the shift as a favor and that I don't want to permanently work that shift. Yes, I am the most experienced part-timer at the pharmacy and stuff runs a lot smoother when I'm there, but that's not an excuse to schedule me for that day.

 

[sw3etpea]

I'm currently a tech at Longs Drugs that has been bought out by CVS and the store I'm working for is closing and merging with the CVS a couple blocks away. I've heard soooo many nightmare stories about that particular store, with customers automatically transferring their medications after hearing the news.

In fact, so far, I haven't heard ANYTHING good about CVS from anybody...they have kept us Longs workers so much in the dark with the merger. In the beginning, they promised that everybody will have a position at CVS, and that they will be "here for us" if we need anything. But...even with the closure/move only a week away, and many people STILL do not have a job.

Anyways, I'm just wondering, since I am going to be a CVS employee soon, if there are any content CVS workers out there?

 

[Code Gray]

I normally don't reply on this forum but I just have to make a comment. I was the CVS trainer for the stores converting to the new system. Instead, I was mostly used for helping stores to get caught up. After working with couple of stores in a short period, I realized that management is the biggest factor. The busiest store in our district transitioned smoothly. It also depends on the community too. I worked in one store that has doctors writing prescriptions for maintenance drugs for one fill only and the patient might have like 7 prescriptions to be typed. The workers at the store did not have the time to focus on the fax since there are always patients coming in with prescriptions.