Dealing with internship

[rxforlife2004]

Hi all fellow Pharm students:

I'm currently doing my summer internship at a local Walgreens and just wanna complain here.. When I chose it, I didn't know it would be that busy (450 scripts/day, 2 RPh, 3 Tech, 1 on training tech). So what happens is I don't really feel I can learn a lot from here because everyone's so busy, including myself working my ass off to fill Rx. I'll be done in 5 more weeks, and this has been non-stop working. ANother thing is I can't get out earlier...must be 8 hrs/day nonpaid, and sometimes even more than that... The tech is also very rude and doesn't wanna teach me new things ( i used to do my externship at CostCo...so this is like total new system with computer and high tech stuff), and sometimes they made me feel so stupid! ANyone in the same shoes like me? Alrite...stop whining here...
I'd like to see how other students from other schools do their internship...and share some experiences.

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[vegasgirl]

I know exactly what you mean. I am also a P1 student doing my summer internship here in Las Vegas (USN, right?)---My pharmacy isn't as busy as Walgreens---but I feel like the pharmacist treats me like I'm an idiot---it is only week two and I'm fed up with the snide comments. For now I'm just trying to work with the techs to learn as much as I can from them. My goal is to get a good start on learning the top 200 so I won't be so overwhelmed next year---but I'm finding that I don't remember alot of the pharmacology from the P1 year----it all sounds familiar but I can't really say that I feel like I actually know it. I have talked to some P2 students from our school and they said they too felt somewhat lost at the end of the first year and that it all came together during the second year. What are your thoughts?

 

[rxforlife2004]

Hey fellow classmate

I am still in the learning process because this place is so busy. Basically, I hardly get trained on anything besides the fact to find out on my own. The pharmacists are okie, but one of the tech is pretty anal and kind of picking on me...(maybe she likes me... ).

Oh well...second week is almost over...I'm actually doing my CPPE in CA now...the trade off is the weather...

Hope you feel better and learn good things at your place...just ignore the cons...who cares...we'll be out in 3-4 more weeks

 

[rxforlife2004]

Do you have a chance to do counseling? Usually when i fill an Rx, I try to look in the back to see what this Rx is for...and brand name/generic name, ADRs...
It's actually helpful ...

 

[ChemAngel]

hey rxforlife

actually 450 prescriptions isn't bad at all. you got lucky...you got a less busy walgreens. I also make that much prescriptions here in miami....but my store is a slower store.

most stores do over 1000 prescriptions.

Since I've been working as a tech...I have it a little different from you. But I understand what you are saying. Sometimes it depends of the pharmacist who you are working with. Some are willing to teach interns...and some aren't.

I'm lucky enough to have two pharmacists that really want to show me how it is done.

you should be able to do some counseling at the store. Basically, you listen to them...tell the pharmacist the situation and what you would recommend....and they tell you whether that is correct or not.

I've been doing that for a while now and I've learned alot. Sometimes by just filling and typing Rxs you also learn. The medications that I've learned in class are constantly popping up....and I quiz myself to see how much I've learned.---


but here is something very importatnt...so PLEASE READ THIS PART:

Walgreen's internship isn't only about working....once a week all interns have to meet someplace (they pay you for 6 hours when you are only there for like 3 hours)...there they teach you certain stuff (ie how to take blood pressure medication exc....) they also give you projects you ahve to fullfill (ie going to a local public place and taking free blood pressures and consultation)


You have to contact the head at your branch and ask them when and where that meeting is at....I hope that helps you...at least that place will help you learn a little more.

Good luck

 

[OSURxgirl]

I'm sorry...I don't know where you get your information...but most stores do NOT do over 1000 scripts per day.

 

[bananaface]

Florida is an oddity.

 

[dgroulx]

I'm sorry...I don't know where you get your information...but most stores do NOT do over 1000 scripts per day.

My store does about 700 a day. Within a five mile stretch, there are 3 other pharmacies. I worked at one of those last year and they did about 600. I suppose if they were spaced out to one pharmacy every 10 miles, then they would all do 1000 a day.

 

[dgroulx]

Today a script came in for azithromycin 500mg #7. We did not have it in stock, so I heard the pharmacist tell the tech to double up the 250mg pills. I went to fill it and she had typed quantity 6. When I questioned her, she said "that's all his insurance will pay for". I told her that we shouldn't do that because of building bacterial resisitance and she said, "don't get pissy with me". Eventually the pharmacist and another tech got involved and it was discovered that the insurance would cover 500mg for 6 days. We had one tri-pack left and the script was partialed.

When the patient picked it up, he said that he would pay for what the insurance didn't cover because that's what the doctor wanted him to take.

What would have happened if he couldn't afford it? At my internship last summer, the pharmacists would never partially fill an antibiotic. If we didn't have it, we phoned other stores. If it wasn't totally covered, the patient was informed and we got the doctor to write for something else.

I told the tech that patient welfare is more important than getting something to go through on their insurance. She wouldn't speak to me the rest of the day, glared my way, whispered behind my back to other techs, etc.

I thought we were supposed to intervene on the patients behalf.

 

[ChemAngel]

I'm sorry...I don't know where you get your information...but most stores do NOT do over 1000 scripts per day.

Actually...I'm in Miami. It is a very busy city with alot of older people. A ton of them are on medicaid and don't care that they have 14+ prescriptions. If you work in Miami, especially in a 24 hour store. you WILL do more than 1000 Rx( unless you are in a very small part of town). Anyone in Florida can detest to the fact that we do more Rxs than usual (at least 400+) because of all the retirees living here.

I get alot of people floating into my store, and they always tell me the number of Rxs they do....they vary from 500-1000.

 

[nguyenkd]

hey guys. i need some much needed advice. i started the walmart internship program at the beginning of this summer. i had previously been a tech there for 2 yrs. i had a really great pharmacy manager who got promoted, so they transferred me to another store in the district. my old store was supposed to hire someone to replace my shift on the weekends (they were supposed to hire someone to replace me even if i hadn't transferred). guess what? i'm still working weekends!

the pharmacy asst manager at my old store, who is now the new manager, told me to give him a month. well, it's been over a month and he still hasn't found somebody. he's not even trying to look. i called to speak with him about it and told him that this upcoming weekend would be my last cause i've made plans. he told me that we had an agreement (we did not). and that he'd 'use me' until school starts. i spoke with my dm about this, and my current manager spoke to him about this also. all he could say was that they're looking.

the internship ends in about 3.5 weeks and i figure that's not too long. but i'm really tired of being used as free hours. my dm asked me to go to my old store tomorrow to do this perpetual inventory thing they're starting up. when i asked the manager at my old store what it was, he told me to go ask someone else. a few days later, i tried asking him again and he told me that he's having someone else do it and that i'll be doing tech work (free work, again)

my current manager supports me and wouldn't even mind if i didn't show up for my weekend shift at my old store. however, i dont think he is my boss per say. i think my dm is? anyways, i could never do that cause i'd feel really bad leaving the pharmacist with no help.

the manager at my old store is just a big %$#%. he's all 'holier than thou' and talks to the techs like they're crap. how he became manager is beyond me. he doesn't know how to do anything. he's above working the register and calling dr's offices and insurance companies. he even had me doing the rx returns for him and he took credit for it. he's just an all around jerk.

ok ok, long post. any advices or thoughts? what would you guys do?

 

[bicoid]

Yuck! I've worked for Walmart for a year now and I am getting ready to turn in my notice when I go back to school. I'm not in the internship program, but my manager likes to use the pharmacy students as "fill-ins" whenever possible because he is too lazy to hire anybody---whether the stocker, tech, or cashier is gone too. After I had to work 14 days in a row, I decided that I can't take it anymore.

Since you are in the internship program, your pay comes out of home office. So, I think that it is best to say that your DM has the final say on everything as far as your concerned. I know that if one of the stores in our area is short-handed, they can pull an intern into another store. I would try to voice my concerns to your DM and tell him what was going on.

Good luck---3.5 weeks will be finished before you know it!!

 

[Trancelucent1]

hey guys. i need some much needed advice. i started the walmart internship program at the beginning of this summer. i had previously been a tech there for 2 yrs. i had a really great pharmacy manager who got promoted, so they transferred me to another store in the district. my old store was supposed to hire someone to replace my shift on the weekends (they were supposed to hire someone to replace me even if i hadn't transferred). guess what? i'm still working weekends!

the pharmacy asst manager at my old store, who is now the new manager, told me to give him a month. well, it's been over a month and he still hasn't found somebody. he's not even trying to look. i called to speak with him about it and told him that this upcoming weekend would be my last cause i've made plans. he told me that we had an agreement (we did not). and that he'd 'use me' until school starts. i spoke with my dm about this, and my current manager spoke to him about this also. all he could say was that they're looking.

the internship ends in about 3.5 weeks and i figure that's not too long. but i'm really tired of being used as free hours. my dm asked me to go to my old store tomorrow to do this perpetual inventory thing they're starting up. when i asked the manager at my old store what it was, he told me to go ask someone else. a few days later, i tried asking him again and he told me that he's having someone else do it and that i'll be doing tech work (free work, again)

my current manager supports me and wouldn't even mind if i didn't show up for my weekend shift at my old store. however, i dont think he is my boss per say. i think my dm is? anyways, i could never do that cause i'd feel really bad leaving the pharmacist with no help.

the manager at my old store is just a big %$#%. he's all 'holier than thou' and talks to the techs like they're crap. how he became manager is beyond me. he doesn't know how to do anything. he's above working the register and calling dr's offices and insurance companies. he even had me doing the rx returns for him and he took credit for it. he's just an all around jerk.

ok ok, long post. any advices or thoughts? what would you guys do?

I'm sorry that your internship isn't going well. I'm really enjoying mine but as I've said before, I have a great supporting staff (DM and Pharmacy manager). Also we're doing the new PI thing too. Except all the interns (3 or us) went to help out today. It wasn't bad at all b/c we got to hang out. I wish yours was going well though! That sucks!

 

[OSURxgirl]

I understand what it's like to work with people that aren't interested in teaching you or techs who seem to have inferiority complexes. But at the same time, we are pharmacy students and are old enough to be active participants in our own learning. If you want to know something, ASK someone how to do it. If you ask enough times, someone will show you. Volunteer to do things. Show initiative. A day in a pharmacy presents tons of little opportunities to learn. Take advantage of those opportunites in spite of those who are less than willing to teach. Remember, when you sit for the boards and become a licensed RPh you cannot go and blame your preceptors for your not being ready to practice. Whether it may be difficult or not, it is your responsibility to learn what you need to know. With that being said, you definitely should talk with you school (and if you're brave enough, your preceptor) about the situation if the placement was assigned by the school. In the future, you should also try and talk to other students who have had the same preceptor before accepting future internships. I know for my rotations in my 4th year, I'm only requesting rotations that other students I've talked to have enjoyed.