Does all Walgreen push things like this?

[pharmkelly]

I worked at Walgreen as a graduate Intern.
Anyone who worked at walgreen should know their PPL(people plus learning)which is a 2 week programme.
I was pushed to finish all PPL within 3.5 days and started to work independently at In-window.Gosh,after 2 weeks, I will be called to float to any store to cover sick tech or something.
I don't know if it is the typical behavior of walgreen or chain pharmacy?I only worked at independent before and compared to walgreen, the independent one is paradise.

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[jmkraus]

It's required that you finish the ppl, but it's so much crap that there's no way you will remember or be comfortable with it all when you finish. I think the reason they want you to finish it so fast is because you really won't learn the system until you've spent some time using it for real. After two weeks you should be way more confident with the system and able to complete your tasks. Also, each store usually has a tech or two that know the program inside out and can help you. good luck.

 

[Pharmguy07]

Not that way at all for me at Walgreens. They did want me to finish the PPL training quickly, but I'm essentially extra help. I'm not factored into their staffing, so I never really have to work at any station independently.

I just help out where needed, and spend a lot of time learning about management/pharmacist duties. I'm sure it mostly has to do with how the particular district pharmacy supervisor/pharmacy manager like to utilize their graduate interns. I work at an extremely busy store, but I may have just gotten lucky with the pharmacy manager. She seems to really want me to learn different things rather than just having me cover tech shifts.

 

[Zeta09]

I will admit to you now the advice I will give will be cynical.

That being said I had been with Walgreens for 10 years (check the new member post)

PharmKelly you might be in a market where they need you to strap on your boots and go cover the RPh that is going to be on maternity leave or that nutcase that they hired to be the part time floater and he/she/it is pissing off the staff. Either way PPL+ in 3.5 days COULD be done I suppose if say you could operate on 3 & 1/2 hours sleep. For normal people that will be garbage in garbage out.

Here's what you need to know and do. When you do float and mesh with a experienced tech or head tech. GET SO NESTLED under their wing you smell deodorant (hopefully like Suave or something soft). YEAH I said tech because when it comes down to it no matter where you go (perhaps not if you are a "clinical" RPh in a hospital setting) techs can make or break your day. They will remember how you treated them and they will remember you if your on the schedule. It goes a long way on getting placed in a store as well.

Just my 2 cents

 

[pharmkelly]

I will admit to you now the advice I will give will be cynical.

That being said I had been with Walgreens for 10 years (check the new member post)

PharmKelly you might be in a market where they need you to strap on your boots and go cover the RPh that is going to be on maternity leave or that nutcase that they hired to be the part time floater and he/she/it is pissing off the staff. Either way PPL+ in 3.5 days COULD be done I suppose if say you could operate on 3 & 1/2 hours sleep. For normal people that will be garbage in garbage out.

Here's what you need to know and do. When you do float and mesh with a experienced tech or head tech. GET SO NESTLED under their wing you smell deodorant (hopefully like Suave or something soft). YEAH I said tech because when it comes down to it no matter where you go (perhaps not if you are a "clinical" RPh in a hospital setting) techs can make or break your day. They will remember how you treated them and they will remember you if your on the schedule. It goes a long way on getting placed in a store as well.

Just my 2 cents

I think nobody knows better than you on the tech part since you've been a tech at walgreen for 5 years.Actually, I did not have 3 and half days for PPL since the system is alway on and off, I think ,maximal, 2 full days.
I am just not comfortable for this rushing things to be done kinda behavior of Walgreen.But I guess all chain stores are the same.

 

[Jeddevil]

I think nobody knows better than you on the tech part since you've been a tech at walgreen for 5 years.Actually, I did not have 3 and half days for PPL since the system is alway on and off, I think ,maximal, 2 full days.
I am just not comfortable for this rushing things to be done kinda behavior of Walgreen.But I guess all chain stores are the same.

Suck it up! Walgreens isn't the place for whiners. They will pay you well and give you great benefits, but you are going to work your butt off for it. You should know that going in. Don't expect to be pampered and don't expect to be able to take weeks to learn the system. They will throw you in the fire and see if you burn or not. All chain stores are not the same and Walgreens is not for everyone. There is always Target if you want a slow, easy job.

 

[Caverject]

I worked at Walgreen as a graduate Intern.
Anyone who worked at walgreen should know their PPL(people plus learning)which is a 2 week programme.
I was pushed to finish all PPL within 3.5 days and started to work independently at In-window.Gosh,after 2 weeks, I will be called to float to any store to cover sick tech or something.
I don't know if it is the typical behavior of walgreen or chain pharmacy?I only worked at independent before and compared to walgreen, the independent one is paradise.

Getting thrown into the fire is the best way to learn...

 

[tussionex]

i've only been to a walgreens' once, to buy toothpaste or something....
but anywhere....
trial by fire IS a good way to learn.
you will prove yourself to your superiors as well as to yourself.
suck it up and go for it...pharmacy isn't supposed to be easy!😀

 

[Zeta09]

Trial by fire is the ONLY way you will get to learn as a professional.

No one company has the time nor staff nor resources to truly train you as they should so that's why you're a pro (or going to be) because you will go home and bone up on what you need to know and tear up (most likely). You won't know everything nor will that guy who has an answer for everything from Rachel Ray's last recipe to the indications of each of the MAO inhibitors (remember them?).

Still all of us have a level of knowledge that we feel comfortable with the true issue as I see in my experience is that you may not have all the time you should staying current.

For now be a sponge and try to truly understand why things work and your mistakes. You won't have time to analyze it later

 

[Old Timer]

This August will be 25 years since I graduated from Pharmacy School. I can tell your from experience the only way to learn is to do. Just go in and do the best job you can. Have some confidence in yourself and your ability.You have are at the peak as far as knowledge. With time you will also gain wisdom. This is just another obstacle on the road of life. How well you navigate these obstacles will determine how happy you will be, not just as in pharmacy but in life.

 

[BiOGoly]

PPL is a 40+ hour course, it would be nigh-on impossible to complete it in 3.5 eight hour days. It's mostly BS anyway, but if they are expecting you to spend 14 hour shifts stuck in front of a crappy monitor in the back room I'd take that as a "sign of things to come". Wag's has a great system, I'll give them that, but they definitely run a skeleton crew and no amount of money is worth an aneurism before you turn 30.

And to the guy who was bragging about Wag's benefits and wages, man have you drank the cool-aid🙄 . Wages at Wag's are competitive, just. If you think Wag's benefits are in anyway generous that's just plain sad. Truth is, due to cost cutting measures, benefits pretty much suck across the board nowadays, but Wag's benefit package looks mediocre even in a rogues gallery. They like to pull out examples of retirement riches through their stock purchasing program...which is a great deal, if you were graduating in 1987. FAT chance Wag stock will see returns like that again EVER. Wag's is America's pharmacy now and everyone knows they plan to open a store on every street corner, that growth expectation is already built into their stock price.

Wags isn't the worse place in Pharmacy to work, but having shopped around I'm here to say it certainly is not easy to make the case for it being the best.

(yes, i work there, no i'm not bitter...yet)

 

[kkelloww]

I did it in 2½ Saturdays. Nothing stuck, but it wouldn't even if it took you a month. The only way to learn is to do it. And they do flat out pat the best when you factor in OT.

 

[Old Timer]

I did it in 2½ Saturdays. Nothing stuck, but it wouldn't even if it took you a month. The only way to learn is to do it. And they do flat out pat the best when you factor in OT.

It depends on the market. If you are in a market where they have a need, yes. In the Philadelphia market where they are number three in store count and they only moved up from number four because 2&3 merged, they are NOT the highest paid.

And even if they were the highest, the spread between them and #2 is not going to be so great that bad working conditions would be worth the extra couple of bucks....

 

[Jeddevil]

Wages at Wag's are competitive, just.

What other companies will pay you time and a half consistently? How many times is target or your local grocery store, outside of Kroger going to pay you $80/hr to pick up an extra shift? How does CVS compensate their employees for picking up extra shifts? They get you to work 14 hour days, then pey you pennies for bailing them out with OT when they need it.

And no, I'm not talking about areas like Philadelphia where every other person is running to the exit to get the hell out of there. I am talking about areas of high growth and expansion. Don't expect to get OT shifts in areas where population is stagnet to declining. Here in the west, southwest, and probably florida, OT is not too hard to find the majority of the year. That is a benefit that is worth bringing up for anyone in the market to knock out high school debt.