Dealing with lazy techs in retail pharmacy

[humbeez]

I am a recent grad, I have been a pharmacist for a few months. I work for a retail chain and get along with the people I work with well. However, there is one technician that is lazy. I used to be a tech before becoming a pharmacist and always worked my butt off and knew what my duties/roles were in the pharmacy. With that being said, this person would rather stand at the computer, pretending to do things, when there are no images to type and 20 or more labels on the counter. It comes to the point where I have to say, "we need help in the filling station please." The most annoying thing of all is when this person lets people wait at the counter..forever..before going to wait on them or won't even go over at all, to the point where I have to go wait on them or they would be standing there forever, it seems like. I don't feel like I am a lazy pharmacist. I fill, get the phones, help customers etc. And of course if there is only 1 tech working and 2 or more people at the counter or drive thru, I will back them up and help out. But I don't feel like its my job to run and back and forth from the counter to my workstation every 5 seconds, when there is a tech working. I have doctor calls, reviewing to do, etc. I call myself addressing this several times, by saying nicely "can you help him or her standing at the counter please" Why should I have to say this if you see them standing there!! Am I wrong? Is it not primarily their (techs) job to wait on the customers if they are just picking up/dropping off scripts and don't have any questions? Am I being unreasonable to expect them to wait on the customer as soon as they come to the counter, instead of making them wait all day? Pharmacist and Techs feel free to chime in.

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[DustinfromCA]

I feel your pain because I'm not a naturally bossy person (I just expect people to work hard and know to do their jobs), and I've dealt with all types of techs/pharmacists b/c I used to be a floater for a major chain... and i have to say most techs i've worked with were awesome. That said.. there are some that are.. less than awesome.

You just have to do your job as "captain of the ship" and don't be afraid to delegate. its your job first and foremost to verify prescriptions and make sure the drugs are typed and filled correctly, that is your #1 priority. If a tech is being lazy, you just have to step it up and delegate them to a task.. and don't let it up. Its not fair to you or to the other techs who are pulling their own weight, they are looking to you to be a leader and delegate delegate delegate.... its your show.. don't get pushed around. its for your own benefit and for everyone else's benefit to be a boss in this situation, makes for a much easier work environment when there is a clear leader in the pharmacy in this type of situation.

 

[Corpseman]

Run the pharmacy, don't let the pharmacy run you.

 

[humbeez]

I feel your pain because I'm not a naturally bossy person (I just expect people to work hard and know to do their jobs), and I've dealt with all types of techs/pharmacists b/c I used to be a floater for a major chain... and i have to say most techs i've worked with were awesome. That said.. there are some that are.. less than awesome.

You just have to do your job as "captain of the ship" and don't be afraid to delegate. its your job first and foremost to verify prescriptions and make sure the drugs are typed and filled correctly, that is your #1 priority. If a tech is being lazy, you just have to step it up and delegate them to a task.. and don't let it up. Its not fair to you or to the other techs who are pulling their own weight, they are looking to you to be a leader and delegate delegate delegate.... its your show.. don't get pushed around. its for your own benefit and for everyone else's benefit to be a boss in this situation, makes for a much easier work environment when there is a clear leader in the pharmacy in this type of situation.

I just started at this store a few months ago and this has been like this the entire time. I am a staff pharmacist and the pharmacy manager doesn't deal with this at all, its like an elephant in the room, the manager just goes and helps the person almost every single time. The thing is, I don't think the manager minds doing it and the techs have gotten used to that. Of course staying on in and not letting up is easier said than done, but it HAS to be done. I don't want to have to be a drill sergeant and say "please help them" every time some one is there. At the same time I can't keep dealing with this. I just don't want to have a problem with this tech, because I have to work with this person almost everyday and I would hate to be miserable at work and dislike going to work. At this point I like my job and my store.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

You should speak directly with the technician and make your expectations clear. Don't back down. If the tech wants to argue or say that " the other pharmacist" does it a different way, just politely tell the tech that you have your way of managing workload while you are the pharmacist. Then, be consistent. If a patient approaches the counter and the tech doesn't move to wait on him or her, just politely say, "I need a technician at the counter, please." Smile and tell the patient, "someone will be with you shortly,"

I am lucky to work with great technicians but even they are distracted at times. I just firmly say, "I need a cashier please." The other thing is the phone. Sometimes I have to ask, "who has the phone?" because people get wrapped up in what they are doing and think someone else will get it.

 

[kvl1027]

I had the same problem, all4mydaughter's advice is spot on. You are very green and even though you are highly educated there are going to be some people who test you. If you back down they will walk all over you. With that being said, they know you are in charge and if you let them know that in a professional way and stay very consistant they will follow you.
If you work for a big corporate pharmacy they likely have tools youc an utilize for motivation like write-ups if this tech does not get the hint or wants to continue to test you.

So long as you continue to walk up to the counter to help customers because your tech is not doing their job, that tech will continue to let you do more work. When a customer walks up to my counter I greet them right away and that is my staffs que to get up there and take care of them. Good luck!

 

[Hebes123]

Have you discussed the lazy tech with your manager? Maybe your manager agrees but has never done anything about it. You need to have a word with the tech in private, but it 's better with the manager's support so that the tech takes you more seriously. After one or two private conversations, if things don't improve, then I agree a formal write-up is necessary. Hopefully that would solve the issue.

 

[owlegrad]

Do you have a workflow assignment board or anything similiar? Some people think it is corny, but if you have a consistent tool that outlines everyone's responsibilities, that can help. Some people really need something they can see. Plus no one can say it is unfair or that anyone is being singled out - it's right on the board!

I hope things get better for you. 👍

 

[kvl1027]

Do you have a workflow assignment board or anything similiar? Some people think it is corny, but if you have a consistent tool that outlines everyone's responsibilities, that can help. Some people really need something they can see. Plus no one can say it is unfair or that anyone is being singled out - it's right on the board!

I hope things get better for you. 👍

This is a great idea. Is this tech one of your older more experienced techs that is just stuck in their ways? In our workflow we have a tech dedicated to entering scripts and two techs packaging. That doesn't mean that each tech is not also responsible for bouncing around as needed.

I took my most experienced tech was always assigned to data entry in the past, but when I took over and saw the constant power struggle and assumed "head tech" mentality. My solution was to rotate the positions out daily. There were two reasons to do this, one was to get one of my other techs up to speed in case my more experience tech was sick or took a vacation, I would have someone else who was up to par. The other reason was to put my "problem" tech in place and let her know that she was not any more important that anyone else.

It has made a world of difference. She is not always in the best mood when she is in packaging, but my other tech is getting better and now she has some competition and knows she has to keep her s**t together because it would be easy to replace her or put her in packaging permanently.

This was a bit of a passive agressive move, which normally I dont recommend, but there were a multiple reasons for the rotation and that is how I rationalize the decision.

 

[owlegrad]

This is a great idea.

Thanks. 😳

I agree with rotating stations as well. It's more fair that way. Helps keep moral up and no one can think they are getting singled out. Plus it helps when everyone in the pharmacy can pitch in wherever they are needed. It helps with many things actually.

 

[ValeRx]

Lazy techs always suck but so do lazy pharmacists. I know ones that just surf the net for a while and when you're busy taking care of something, they'll use the whole, "Someone will be with you shortly..." then say, "Hey, can you get them?" There's nothing in Pre-verification, nothing in dispensing and nothing in verification. They're just surfing the web... and they expect you to drop the actual work you're doing.

These are the worst kind... because as an intern, you learn by observing the pharmacist. Lots of interns out there see the pharmacist shopping online and will hide behind the monitor and refuse to help a patient at the counter.

 

[rxlea]

Communication. As A4MD mentioned, you need to make your expectations clear. It's ok to be firm when necessary. It can be hard to work on a team when you're new, especially if those people have worked together a long time. If you are consistent and emphasize teamwork and patient care, your pharmacy will become a well oiled machine before you know it. With that said, you also want to make yourself approachable so that technicians feel comfortable taking about and resolving issues with you. I can't tell you how many times technicians harbored resentment and were less productive because they felt like they couldn't voice their issues to the pharmacist. This goes for any work setting though. You don't always have to be there to make friends; your primary goal should be patient care. However, I have found that when there is open communication, people tend to be more productive. More work gets done efficiently reducing stress for everyone... so that should be a priority too.

Having a duty board is important so all your bases are covered. Rotating people through those shifts prevents burn out.

 

[MountainPharmD]

I am a recent grad, I have been a pharmacist for a few months. I work for a retail chain and get along with the people I work with well. However, there is one technician that is lazy. I used to be a tech before becoming a pharmacist and always worked my butt off and knew what my duties/roles were in the pharmacy. With that being said, this person would rather stand at the computer, pretending to do things, when there are no images to type and 20 or more labels on the counter. It comes to the point where I have to say, "we need help in the filling station please." The most annoying thing of all is when this person lets people wait at the counter..forever..before going to wait on them or won't even go over at all, to the point where I have to go wait on them or they would be standing there forever, it seems like. I don't feel like I am a lazy pharmacist. I fill, get the phones, help customers etc. And of course if there is only 1 tech working and 2 or more people at the counter or drive thru, I will back them up and help out. But I don't feel like its my job to run and back and forth from the counter to my workstation every 5 seconds, when there is a tech working. I have doctor calls, reviewing to do, etc. I call myself addressing this several times, by saying nicely "can you help him or her standing at the counter please" Why should I have to say this if you see them standing there!! Am I wrong? Is it not primarily their (techs) job to wait on the customers if they are just picking up/dropping off scripts and don't have any questions? Am I being unreasonable to expect them to wait on the customer as soon as they come to the counter, instead of making them wait all day? Pharmacist and Techs feel free to chime in.

Wow....I have the exact same situation where I work. Fortunatly I am the PIC so said employee and myself will be sitting down for a little chat after the first of the year. From my perspective some people are not cut out for retail pharmact. As the hours continue to get slashed it is very hard for a lazy tech to hide like they used to. Now everyone has to be running at 110% percent because you are operating with 2 or 3 people less than you really need.

Your situation is a little different since you are not the PIC. You can either go to the PIC and explain the problem and ask him to do something about it or you can take matters into your own hands and speak with the technician yourself.

 

[JThornton661]

Sorry you have to deal with some techs who are lazy, or just don't understand the priorities while working in a retail pharmacy.

I'm still in school, and have a tech license in the mean time, and can't get a job because of a lack of experience, while these tarts are just standing around at the counter doing nothing.

I do have experience as a shift lead for a pharmacy (the retail side of it) so I know what you mean about lazy techs (annnnnd lazy pharmacists...) but as far as the techs go, I feel like that because the pay difference is so vast, they feel like they don't have to work as hard. Which... I can see that POV, but the pharmacist is the one whose license is at stake should there be an error, and has the training to prevent mistakes.

It may also have to do with what the tech has going on in his/her personal life and is affecting their work. This is NOT a good excuse, because as employees we have a responsibility to leave personal drama at the door.

Honestly, the best thing you can do, if this is a major chain, is to have the PIC talk to this tech. This will cover your ass, because if you're a new pharmacist, an angry co-worker may retaliate somehow... but if the PIC isn't going to make an effort to support you on this, you're going to have to pull the person aside, as others have already suggested, and mention that they really need to step up their game and focus on customers. Whatever the tech is doing at the counter can wait (assuming entering scripts?) but the customer who is standing their waiting to pick up a script takes priority because it's only going to take a moment to ring up their order.

 

[Bkobe7]

I use one of these

And one of these

 

[farmadiazepine]

Send them to the register all day.

 

[StevePerry]

Lazy techs always suck but so do lazy pharmacists. I know ones that just surf the net for a while and when you're busy taking care of something, they'll use the whole, "Someone will be with you shortly..." then say, "Hey, can you get them?" There's nothing in Pre-verification, nothing in dispensing and nothing in verification. They're just surfing the web... and they expect you to drop the actual work you're doing.

These are the worst kind... because as an intern, you learn by observing the pharmacist. Lots of interns out there see the pharmacist shopping online and will hide behind the monitor and refuse to help a patient at the counter.

Jeez looks like Hannity Jr. has a problem with authority.

 

[Sparda29]

I have a problem with pharmacists who don't do anything other than order entry and verification, especially when they suck with computers.

In my mind I'm yelling at them as they are pecking away at the keyboard at a slow ass rate of 10-20 WPM, when they could put me on order entry since I could probably hit 110 WPM while they switch over to verifying and pulling meds.