CVS- 'Properly Set Waiter Expectations'

[josh6718]

Every month when our stores MyImpact scores are released, we fall rather short on being able to come close to 100% on 'properly set waiter expectations'.

This seems like it should be the easiest metric to achieve, yet something just isn't adding up. Every technician I've talked with swear that they never put in waiters for anything more than 15 minutes.

Am I missing something else this is measuring or are the technicians simply lying/not realizing they are?

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[FarmD711]

If you print the promised wait time reports from the m1 menu you can see the average promised wait time for each day/pharmacist/however you set up the report.

I've had a similar problem with waiter expectations and found some interesting info on this report.


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[SouthernRetailRPH]

it also lists the percent for each individual on the monthly myImpact reports I believe

 

[farmadiazepine]

Maybe if you had enough staffing you can actually pump out waiters when you promised them. A person at drop off, a dedicated person at production, a person or two at pick up, and a pharmacist. If all goes right, you can get the waiter out.

But its CVS. I wouldn't expect it to be done when promised.

 

[maria1oh]

It's the electronic scripts that get sent over. The system programs an unrealistic wait time for them. Even if you edit the promise time the system still tracks the original time. If you work at a store with a minute clinic the nurse usually sends over every script as a waiter or an acute. I would always see w or w15 being used. The w would set it as 10 min waiter.

 

[FarmD711]

It's the electronic scripts that get sent over. The system programs an unrealistic wait time for them. Even if you edit the promise time the system still tracks the original time. If you work at a store with a minute clinic the nurse usually sends over every script as a waiter or an acute. I would always see w or w15 being used. The w would set it as 10 min waiter.

This may all be true but has zero impact on the metric being talked about.

Also the nurse doesn't decide if the script is a waiter or acute. All minute clinic scripts are coded as waiters.


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[ldiot]

I was told always to put "W" for waiters so that the system automatically generates a waite times; as opposed to "W15". Apparently they specifically watch for this. If you put "W15" and get it done in 15 minutes I'm assuming it doesn't count against you so I doubt this is the problem though.

Some people have said if you put a script in as a waiter and the patient changes their mind so you put it on hold or change the wait time it might still count as not ready when promised. Also, if you put in a waiter and then realize the drug is out of stock and put it in the QI it counts as not ready when promised (I guess the computer still looks at the origional promised time even after you change it). I'm not sure how true all of this is but it seems like these are unavoidable ways in which you could lose points if it is true. If a script is put in as a waiter and the patient says they will be back in an hour I think the best thing to do is just finish it on time as a waiter vs changing the promised time.

Then of course you may just not realize it and some of them are just not done by the promised time. They will not turn red after they are past due so you might just not notice when one is a few minutes late.

 

[maria1oh]

Thanks FarmD for the clarification 🙂
Tell the techs to never enter waiters. Put everything as 1H and then put in a red basket. Only the rph should use the W15 function and only on easy scripts like a zpak or medrol dose pack. This works only if your store does not have any floaters. Otherwise blame it on the floaters.

Off topic by the way but does anyone know off hand what the "medrol" sig code generates as the text? Something like "take 6 tabs on day 1 then decrease by 1 tab daily"

 

[sosoo]

i put all waiters 1-2 hours and then just print them out in yellow basket. except for 1 item that i know i can verify very quickly, then i set it as waiter. my score for wait time is always 100%.

 

[Sine Cura]

The WeCare guide simply says (or said?) % of waiters timed at 15 minutes or fewer, so if you get 20 minutes for just putting "W," that will count against you. Basically CVS is saying, "why are you putting in another waiter if the wait time is more than 15 minutes based on what you have coming up according to RxConnect? IF the patient or patient's agent is allowed to wait (and remember that you are supposed to ask "when would you like to pick this up?"), it should be up to 15 minutes at most."

If a waiter script goes red, it shouldn't count against you because that would be penalizing the WeCare score twice, one for not ready when promised and one for not meeting waiter expectations.

Theoretically it should be really easy to get 100%, though I've never seen a 100 WeCare store ever get 100% on PSWE. Perhaps if you put a rebill as a waiter you get dinged.

 

[owlegrad]

Thanks FarmD for the clarification 🙂
Tell the techs to never enter waiters. Put everything as 1H and then put in a red basket. Only the rph should use the W15 function and only on easy scripts like a zpak or medrol dose pack. This works only if your store does not have any floaters. Otherwise blame it on the floaters.

Off topic by the way but does anyone know off hand what the "medrol" sig code generates as the text? Something like "take 6 tabs on day 1 then decrease by 1 tab daily"

It's 'medrol'.

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[owlegrad]

The WeCare guide simply says (or said?) % of waiters timed at 15 minutes or fewer, so if you get 20 minutes for just putting "W," that will count against you. Basically CVS is saying, "why are you putting in another waiter if the wait time is more than 15 minutes based on what you have coming up according to RxConnect? IF the patient or patient's agent is allowed to wait (and remember that you are supposed to ask "when would you like to pick this up?"), it should be up to 15 minutes at most."

If a waiter script goes red, it shouldn't count against you because that would be penalizing the WeCare score twice, one for not ready when promised and one for not meeting waiter expectations.

Theoretically it should be really easy to get 100%, though I've never seen a 100 WeCare store ever get 100% on PSWE. Perhaps if you put a rebill as a waiter you get dinged.

If you use 'w' you will never get a wait time over 15 minutes. Never. To get a wait time over 15 minutes you specifically have to enter 'w#', like 'w20'.

I have heard that entering rebuilds as waiters counts against you. I never figured out a way to test that. I guess the philosophy is you're supposed to have it resolved the first time around without the patient having to come in and wait for it.

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[zelman]

If you use 'w' you will never get a wait time over 15 minutes. Never. To get a wait time over 15 minutes you specifically have to enter 'w#', like 'w20'.

I have heard that entering rebuilds as waiters counts against you. I never figured out a way to test that. I guess the philosophy is you're supposed to have it resolved the first time around without the patient having to come in and wait for it.

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Try putting that there are 99 rx's in the order and then use "W". It will estimate over 15 minutes.

 

[mentos]

My store tells me that if the customer doesn't pick up the script within 15 minutes, it counts against you. So we only use "W" when they are sitting there waiting. Otherwise I'll put 10am as promised time. This supposedly helps our scores.

 

[FarmD711]

If you use 'w' you will never get a wait time over 15 minutes. Never. To get a wait time over 15 minutes you specifically have to enter 'w#', like 'w20'.

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This is not accurate. You can definitely get over 15 minutes based on the number of scripts you say are in the order. I don't know the number that bumps it from 15 to 20 and there is no way we would ever enter 15+ waiters at once but it can happen.


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[FarmD711]

My store tells me that if the customer doesn't pick up the script within 15 minutes, it counts against you. So we only use "W" when they are sitting there waiting. Otherwise I'll put 10am as promised time. This supposedly helps our scores.

It helps "waiters served as promised" which does not count for any points on the wecare anymore.






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[Old Timer]

The Properly Set Waiters metric is very simple. Did you place a time for more than the wait time calculator says. Just put W15 for everything and you will get the points. It counts against you at 830PM when the queue is empty and 1 rx comes in and you put W15 when if you put W it would put a time of 10 minutes. But those times are few and far between. Just put W15 and you will be good to go. My YTD WE care is 88.

 

[owlegrad]

This is not accurate. You can definitely get over 15 minutes based on the number of scripts you say are in the order. I don't know the number that bumps it from 15 to 20 and there is no way we would ever enter 15+ waiters at once but it can happen.


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I wish I could check it; I recall playing around with it and I could never get it to give me more than 15 minutes. But obviously I am wrong, sorry to have spread misinformation. It seems odd to me that you can get dinging for using the system the way it is designed (letting it pick the time), but hey that is CVS for you.

 

[lane one]

My store tells me that if the customer doesn't pick up the script within 15 minutes, it counts against you. So we only use "W" when they are sitting there waiting. Otherwise I'll put 10am as promised time. This supposedly helps our scores.

I think pick-up time is a component, but I would estimate the "pick-up target time" is more like 6 hours. If it were 10-15min to fill AND pick-up scores would be much worse. But I do know that pick-up time factors in. At one store we would type anything as a waiter if it was slow, regardless of when the customer wanted to pick up and scores fell pretty dramatically.

 

[maria1oh]

Be careful about putting scripts in as waiters if you work at a 24/7 store. If you fill a script at 1am as waiter even if its not a waiter they will get a call or text waking them up. If you fill it with a regular time phone call/text will not go out until morning 8-10am

 

[BidAsk]

And at no point in this whole shenanigan are we taking a step back and give a concrete look at what is going on. We are talking about expending time and energy into figuring out how to get high 'scores', for scripts which you are filling regardless. A murky system to which no one has concrete answers, but everyone chases each others tail around, all to still attain imperfection, which at the end of the day, by cvs standards, is utter failure on your part.
I do not miss that place.

I dont get it with CVS with the race against time, but I guess thats their business model. But its totally unnecessary. The biggest lesson I learned since switching to a grocery store environment is that customer relationships are more important than anything, and you would be surprised by how much slack a customer can cut you as long as you treat them right. And they are still wayyy more satisfied customers than the cvs lunacy.

 

[lane one]

And at no point in this whole shenanigan are we taking a step back and give a concrete look at what is going on. We are talking about expending time and energy into figuring out how to get high 'scores', for scripts which you are filling regardless. A murky system to which no one has concrete answers, but everyone chases each others tail around, all to still attain imperfection, which at the end of the day, by cvs standards, is utter failure on your part.
I do not miss that place.

Exactly. They've created a side show with pharmacists spending half of their time manipulating metrics. I get the utility of metrics, but they are only useful if they aren't being manipulated. By creating a culture of cheating the metrics, all they have achieved is doubling the work of the pharmacy staff without gaining useful feedback from the metrics. SOME are useful, but the most part its a side show.

I dont get it with CVS with the race against time, but I guess thats their business model. But its totally unnecessary. The biggest lesson I learned since switching to a grocery store environment is that customer relationships are more important than anything, and you would be surprised by how much slack a customer can cut you as long as you treat them right. And they are still wayyy more satisfied customers than the cvs lunacy.

I don't disagree with you, but I think their goal is to grab all the market share through volume and expansion. They really don't try to provide good customer care, just enough to keep people around. I think they're constantly trying to find the profitable balance of "How terribly can we treat people before they actually transfer all their scripts out?"