cvs pharmacists feeling miserable?

[sosoo]

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do u know any pharmacists who couldnt handle the stress working at cvs, break down and cry during their shifts? i've heard of a few. mainly new grads. how often do u hear these stories?

 

[Rouelle]

And the floodgates of chain pharmacy bashing burst open in 3...2...1...

 

[Wheresmyaricept]

do u know any pharmacists who couldnt handle the stress working at cvs, break down and cry during their shifts? i've heard of a few. mainly new grads. how often do u hear these stories?

Lol.

 

[Jibby321]

All the pharmacists I have talked to at CVS and wags hate their jobs. Small grocery chains tend to be pretty happy.

 

[Angela1234]

I will forever hate CVS. Them accusing me of things whenever I would try to go to the restroom or try to eat a few bites of my sandwhich and walk towards the break room. I hated them especially when they put me in terrible situations like when I was in the pharmacy all by myself or service was slow bc they wouldn't hire enough people.

 

[BMBiology]

I dont work at CVS but whenever i hear that computer generated man voice, "two pharmacy calls" it sends chills up my spine

 

[Angela1234]

Sometimes if I had a really nasty customer I would go in the restroom for some alone time just to get away from people. Most often than not the customer was raging about the wait time which CVS set me up for by not having enough help. I was tired of having to apologize all the time for CVS's incompetence.

 

[MatCauthon]

at cvs women couldn't wear makeup because there were too many smear marks....

 

[Kelp103]

My pharmacist has only cried once. The lady came in for a flu shot and we told her it'd be an hour (we were pretty behind because at this time they were cutting hours even though we were doing more scripts than last year). We offer for people to fill out the paperwork and leave it and come back in an hour, but the lady was not okay coming back.
My pharmacist tried to explain to the lady that we were backed up and she didn't want to make any mistakes. She said, "I'm sorry, I'm doing the best I can." And the lady said, "Well, your best isn't good enough."
People expect having to make an appointment and wait at a doctor's office for a flu shot, but in the pharmacy they expect you to be like fast food. Do you want me to mess up your order as often as Taco Bell does?

 

[rph3664]

I heard about one pharmacist who, after the Osco to CVS transition, was so fed up, she simply closed the pharmacy for the day and walked out, telling the store manager on the way out that she was quitting effective immediately and she didn't care what they or the state board did to her. This was not someone people would have expected to do a thing like this, either, and was probably not an isolated incident.

 

[PharmDstudent]

do u know any pharmacists who couldnt handle the stress working at cvs, break down and cry during their shifts? i've heard of a few. mainly new grads. how often do u hear these stories?

I witnessed a CVS pharmacy manager cry once. It was after Hurricane Katrina had flooded Baton Rouge with evacuees and created so much chaos in the pharmacy that she cried out and laughed off tears.

 

[KidPharmD]

I dont work at CVS but whenever i hear that computer generated man voice, "two pharmacy calls" it sends chills up my spine

Me too. Even when I'm there just as a customer. After a particularly crazy day, I dreamed that that man had taken over my cell phone.

I heard about one pharmacist who, after the Osco to CVS transition, was so fed up, she simply closed the pharmacy for the day and walked out, telling the store manager on the way out that she was quitting effective immediately and she didn't care what they or the state board did to her. This was not someone people would have expected to do a thing like this, either, and was probably not an isolated incident.

I also know of pharmacists who have walked out of CVS. I don't think most boards would have cared as long as she locked up.

I never cried, but there was an old cardboard display in the back that I use to go back and punch when I needed to release some anger.

 

[meister]

I worked for CVS for years and that company is the primary reason I didn't go to pharmacy school.

 

[n64bomb]

Im in the process of leaving CVS right now. It all depends on how much it bothers you for someone else to "own you". If you can be a mindless slave for 20 years, you will be ok at CVS. Otherwise, at some point your frustration with CVS will drive you away.

 

[farmadiazepine]

I f'n hate this company. I try to steal every dollar out of them as possible. They have so much money they will never notice.

This company makes their employees mentally sick and physically sick. I'm an alcoholic because of CVS

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Oddly, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life as a CVS pharmacist.

 

[Cleaveland]

Oddly, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life as a CVS pharmacist.

Tell me what you do there. Are you a floater? What are your main duties and responsibilities.

It seems like 1/10 like their job there.

If you just started, give it more time 🙂


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[sosoo]

usually ppl who work in suburbs and rural areas will like it more. but eventually even these low volume stores will further get reduced tech hours. its a matter of time.

 

[owlegrad]

I have good days and bad days but overall I like my job well enough. I certainly am not physically or mentally ill because of them nor do I feel miserable about my job. It's just a job and one that pays well to boot.

 

[Dred Pirate]

I dont work at CVS but whenever i hear that computer generated man voice, "two pharmacy calls" it sends chills up my spine

i walked into a local cvs and I heard "six pharmacy calls" and apparently I made a face like i just heard the russian were invading us because my fiance looked at me and just about lost it because I froze in my tracts and had a PTSD flashback!!!



that being said, I worked at Osco (when I was an intern) and had a pharmacist who once started crying (she was just simply not cut out for retail - massive OCD, etc) and the old guy pharmacist just looked at her said "there is no crying in pharmacy, now get the **** out of my store" and kicked her out. It was amazingly awesome and awkward at the same time

 

[Dred Pirate]

Sometimes if I had a really nasty customer I would go in the restroom for some alone time just to get away from people. Most often than not the customer was raging about the wait time which CVS set me up for by not having enough help. I was tired of having to apologize all the time for CVS's incompetence.

when I was a floater for this hell hole - I would always give out the district managers cell phone number whenever I had customer complaints and ask them to call them and let them know we did not have enough staff. I am sure the store managers loved me.

 

[worfndata]

I heard one cvs pharmacist got so mad at a whiny customer that he held her down and emptied 3 bottles of laxative down her throat. Before he was led away in handcuffs he said to her "now you can whine about how fast ur shiit is leaving you".

 

[BenJammin]

One thing I will never understand: the most horrific stories about pharmacists crying or quitting on the job all come from CVS, wait times are extremely long, and staffing is horrific yet their stock price is through the roof and customer satisfaction against Walgreens and Walmart is at an all time high. As much as I hate CVS, they must be doing something right by having one pharmacist and one tech do 500 scripts a day.

 

[farmadiazepine]

CVS also got fined 20 million dollars to the SEC. They aren't doing anything right man. They are cheaters just like everyone else.

 

[farmadiazepine]

I was giving out 1 hour wait times because it was just me and 1 tech working. This is in a store that does >4000 scripts a week. This is in the evening, with a line of 15 people at the register, and 20 waits in the computer. F*CK this place.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Tell me what you do there. Are you a floater? What are your main duties and responsibilities.

It seems like 1/10 like their job there.

If you just started, give it more time 🙂


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Night shift. In my 4th year. I really, honestly, don't mind it.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I heard one cvs pharmacist got so mad at a whiny customer that he held her down and emptied 3 bottles of laxative down her throat. Before he was led away in handcuffs he said to her "now you can whine about how fast ur shiit is leaving you".

Please tell me there is a news story. Please. Please, please.

 

[Cleaveland]

Night shift. In my 4th year. I really, honestly, don't mind it.

That's way better


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[Angela1234]

I was giving out 1 hour wait times because it was just me and 1 tech working. This is in a store that does >4000 scripts a week. This is in the evening, with a line of 15 people at the register, and 20 waits in the computer. F*CK this place.

I remember those nights. It is frustrating not having enough help to give customers their orders on time. My favorite is when I was by myself for several hours in a store I had never been to before. My manager at CVS treated me a lot worse than some of the customers did.

 

[Unchained]

One thing I will never understand: the most horrific stories about pharmacists crying or quitting on the job all come from CVS, wait times are extremely long, and staffing is horrific yet their stock price is through the roof and customer satisfaction against Walgreens and Walmart is at an all time high. As much as I hate CVS, they must be doing something right by having one pharmacist and one tech do 500 scripts a day.

They buy their customers through contracts with their employers. The customers have no choice but to go there. I don't know how you figure their customer satisfaction scores are high. Stock prices have all been manipulated up in the last 5 years through clever accounting practices. What has worked to their advantage over the last 15 years is that economies of scale have benefitted the larger corporations. It is very hard for smaller chains who offered better service to survive. Examples would be Happy Harrys in Delaware or Kerr Drug in North Carolina.

 

[Angela1234]

CVS was the only job offer I received years ago, or else I wouldn't have worked there. If only the job market wasn't so impossible so I could find another job, and move on and forget about CVS.

 

[xiphoid2010]

One thing I will never understand: the most horrific stories about pharmacists crying or quitting on the job all come from CVS, wait times are extremely long, and staffing is horrific yet their stock price is through the roof and customer satisfaction against Walgreens and Walmart is at an all time high. As much as I hate CVS, they must be doing something right by having one pharmacist and one tech do 500 scripts a day.

 

[Pharmpills]

I did a 6 week rotation at multiple CVS with the DM and i can tell you that I thought no other chain could be worse until I worked there. I mean in my honest opinion they are far by a milestone worse than wags or RAD, although other retail chains are moving closer to them. The amount of stuff you have to do, listen to "1,2,3,4 pharmacy calls" that's so loud plus with limited help can drive you nuts. I honestly think if I had chosen to work there as a tech before pharm school then their's no way on earth I would've enter the field. I've never seen any pharmacist cried personally but I did hear one story of a pharmacist who had so much waiters, super long lines that the whole pharmacy was in chaos that she went in the back and cried. As for CVS customer surveys it's a waste of time bc everyone just goes around the system by asking the nice customers to call in.

 

[worfndata]

Please tell me there is a news story. Please. Please, please.

sry just making a joke. 🙂

 

[Tiger Wong]

usually ppl who work in suburbs and rural areas will like it more. but eventually even these low volume stores will further get reduced tech hours. its a matter of time.

Volume in rural areas usually tends to be significantly higher than major cities. Stores doing 3000+/ week are almost always located in/ around rural towns due to much lower concentration of pharmacies.

But anyways, just was talking to a cvs pharmacist, and he told me he graduated 3 years ago and now he is the 2nd most senior pharmacist of his district!! Lol!! everyone from his district is trying to quit.. Also spoke with one cvs pharmacist today for copy and she told me their store does 3000/week (non-24 hr store) and they get pharmacist overlap only for 4 hours only three days a week!!! .. In my opinion if your store is doing 3000/ week, you should have some rph overlap on every weekday at least. Doing 400+ rx by yourself on a daily basis sounds bit ridiculous to me.

 

[diastole]

I haven't broken down yet but I have made two techs cry since the start of the year. I got roped into writing the schedule and they cut our hours in January. I got to break the news to people and things did not go well. Today I just found out they they are cutting hours even more so I get to go back for round two. Fun times ahead.

 

[Jibby321]

Volume in rural areas usually tends to be significantly higher than major cities. Stores doing 3000+/ week are almost always located in/ around rural towns due to much lower concentration of pharmacies.

But anyways, just was talking to a cvs pharmacist, and he told me he graduated 3 years ago and now he is the 2nd most senior pharmacist of his district!! Lol!! everyone from his district is trying to quit.. Also spoke with one cvs pharmacist today for copy and she told me their store does 3000/week (non-24 hr store) and they get pharmacist overlap only for 4 hours only three days a week!!! .. In my opinion if your store is doing 3000/ week, you should have some rph overlap on every weekday at least. Doing 400+ rx by yourself on a daily basis sounds bit ridiculous to me.

When I worked at cvs this was the norm for the Rph. They had overlap for 6 hrs a week. And that store on average did 450-500 daily.

 

[farmadiazepine]

Worst f*ckin company

 

[Dred Pirate]

They buy their customers through contracts with their employers. The customers have no choice but to go there. I don't know how you figure their customer satisfaction scores are high. Stock prices have all been manipulated up in the last 5 years through clever accounting practices. What has worked to their advantage over the last 15 years is that economies of scale have benefitted the larger corporations. It is very hard for smaller chains who offered better service to survive. Examples would be Happy Harrys in Delaware or Kerr Drug in North Carolina.

kerr drug was bought out by Walgrees - sadness

 

[Unchained]

kerr drug was bought out by Walgrees - sadness

Examples of small chains being bought out by large chains dummy.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Examples of small chains being bought out by large chains dummy.

I misread your post - was just skimming, I though you were mentioning them as a good place to work as an alternative to the big boys

 

[Unchained]

I misread your post - was just skimming, I though you were mentioning them as a good place to work as an alternative to the big boys

Ok. Cool. Taking it back.

 

[Oreo Milk Shake]

Worked for CVS hell for about a good 8 months as a new grad before I straight up gave up and the keys and dipped out. Just recently signed on with Sam's Club.

Only positive thing I can take from CVS is that since I've worked through CVS hell, I am better prepared to handle the worst crap and scenarios retail pharmacy throws my way at my new job. Most of the time CVS is a stepping stool to train you for better positions and knowing how to handle stress.

Most new grads dip out a year or two into their employment. CVS always has this huge mass hire orientation (mostly new grads) during the summer to "replenish" their pharmacist supply that always runs short during the year.

 

[rph3664]

One thing I will never understand: the most horrific stories about pharmacists crying or quitting on the job all come from CVS, wait times are extremely long, and staffing is horrific yet their stock price is through the roof and customer satisfaction against Walgreens and Walmart is at an all time high. As much as I hate CVS, they must be doing something right by having one pharmacist and one tech do 500 scripts a day.

15 years ago, this would have described Phar-Mor. No big surprise that this company went under.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

15 years ago, this would have described Phar-Mor. No big surprise that this company went under.

I loved Phar Mor. It was in my hometown's mall. I used that joint to smuggle in mad 25 cent sodas and candy bars into the movies.

Then it closed and I was sad.

Then it turned into a Steve & Barry's and I was happy.

Then Steve & Barry's went bankrupt and I was sad again.

****, I miss S&B. That place was awesome. Everything in the store for like $6.99. Hoodies, jeans, cargo pants, Starbury shoes. Why do the good die young?

 

[rph3664]

Steve & Barry's went under because their merchandise was such poor quality.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Steve & Barry's went under because their merchandise was such poor quality.

No, it was because they expanded too fast. I still have S&B stuff. Its decent stuff. Their hoodies were very well made. Sometimes I break out the old school Starbury hoodie for nostalgia reasons.

 

[Humble Sloth]

Volume in rural areas usually tends to be significantly higher than major cities. Stores doing 3000+/ week are almost always located in/ around rural towns due to much lower concentration of pharmacies.

But anyways, just was talking to a cvs pharmacist, and he told me he graduated 3 years ago and now he is the 2nd most senior pharmacist of his district!! Lol!! everyone from his district is trying to quit.. Also spoke with one cvs pharmacist today for copy and she told me their store does 3000/week (non-24 hr store) and they get pharmacist overlap only for 4 hours only three days a week!!! .. In my opinion if your store is doing 3000/ week, you should have some rph overlap on every weekday at least. Doing 400+ rx by yourself on a daily basis sounds bit ridiculous to me.

THREE BIG RED LETTERS is by far the worst company i have ever worked for in my life. I don't work for them now but when I did many days I felt like killing myself. I would walk home from THREE BIG RED LETTERS to my apartment and there was an overpass and I would wanna jump because of how stressful and metric driven that environment is. Working a in a bad area with high script count and only 2 techs. We were robbed twice. Techs would steal pills but I couldn't do anything bc we were already short staffed so when I reported them nothing was done. Very very poor people that can't read would come in demanding that their insurance pay for brand name pharmacuticals. The metrics. I was spit on and was repromanded when I told the man not to come into the store again.

DO NOT WORK AT THREE BIG RED LETTERS. THEY CARE 0% for their employees and will drain you of your soul over working you till you die. The last straw was a young kid was stealing OTCs and I yelled at him and he pulled out a gun on me before walking out of the store. I reported the incidence to police and was repromaned by management for calling the police. I never went back. Not even a two week notice. I'm so glad THREE BIG RED LETTERS's stock is starting to tank. I hope they go bankrupt. Their management is literally full of degenerates.

 

[BMBiology]

^ that is why I always tell people....if you are not willing to slave away at CVS then you shouldn't become a pharmacist. The chance of you working there and being miserable is pretty good.

The sad part is a lot of pharmacists don't know any better. They think a big house, a nice car and taking fancy vacations will make them happy. So, they take on more and more debt. When they realized those things don't matter, it is already too late. They can't leave because of their mountain of debt and because they can't get out of retail. CVS knows this so they treat them like crap.


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[gwarm01]

^ that is why I always tell people....if you are not willing to slave away at CVS then you shouldn't become a pharmacist. The chance of you working there and being miserable is pretty good.

The sad part is a lot of pharmacists don't know any better. They think a big house, a nice car and taking fancy vacations will make them happy. So, they take on more and more debt. When they realized those things don't matter, it is already too late. They can't leave because of their mountain of debt and because they can't get out of retail. CVS knows this so they treat them like crap.


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I went into pharmacy school with the mindset that I was 100% going to be a hospital pharmacist (well, 50/50 between hospital and nuclear before the latter's job market had a meltdown), but man that saturation kicked in so fast. By the time I graduated we were solidly in the era of expecting a PGY1 to get your foot in the door. I'm very lucky that I was able to land that first job and build up experience, because I would have been absolutely miserable working for CVS or Walgreens. I probably would have just gone back to school to do something else after a few years of that.