Express Scripts / Medco merger completed

[rxlea]

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I'm glad you two made up although, I must day, I kinda miss the entertainment 😛

 

[Rxnupe]

I'm glad you two made up although, I must day, I kinda miss the entertainment 😛

yeah it was great entertainment funny thing was I was at one time strongly leaning towards going to CRK- can you imagine MPD and I were next to each other that would have been something for the ages lol.

 

[BuckPharmer2010]

It does sound like a dream come true!

Are you at a regional health plan or a national PBM? Do you see advancements being a real possibility within a PBM?

National. Advancements are an absolute possibility. The company prefers to hire from within and encourages people to apply/interview for job postings.

 

[UConn101]

National. Advancements are an absolute possibility. The company prefers to hire from within and encourages people to apply/interview for job postings.

Do you see any advantages of doing a managed care residency?

Are there any pharmacists that have completed such a residency; if so, how do their roles differ from the ones without residency training?

 

[MountainPharmD]

MPD again glad you are happy in your new role- I was actually leaning very heavy to apply for the supervisor position over the medicaid PBM's money is no longer and issue even if I were to take a pay cut- look at it this way if you were making 130k a year at Retail and the PBM's were paying you 104k a year- you are still going to be living the same lifestyle- it's not like someone is going to 120k to 50k a year, but I like CRK model and hope they continually to do well obviously I have stock in CVS/Caremark so it's good news for me when the CRK side does well- MPD- I just hope CRK continues the great job they are doing on their side.

Ahhhhh man you should have applied! You would love working there. They actually talked to me about interviewing for it when I was hired. I didn't since I have never worked at a PBM. Plus I have taken supervisor jobs at other companies and it is hard to do when you haven't been around.

Nupe they have one more PA pharmacist slot to fill. I think now is your chance. They talk as if this is going to be it for awhile. You have to take the opportunities when they come up because you never know when they wil be back.

 

[BuckPharmer2010]

Do you see any advantages of doing a managed care residency?

Are there any pharmacists that have completed such a residency; if so, how do their roles differ from the ones without residency training?

It wasn't a requirement for my job, nor have I heard of anyone in my department doing a residency. I'm sure there are some advantages to that but I'm not a good source of info for that.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Networking helped a lot, but the job was also posted on their website. Another RPh was hired at the same time as me and that's how they found out about the gig.

They actually prefer people with retail experience. They like people who can multitask (i.e. talk to customers, look up info, type in notes all at the same time) and prioritize well. It probably helps that when they hire former retail people, they feel like they're in a country club and that keeps morale very high haha.

Exactly! I had a conversation about this with my supervisor just after I was hired. She only hires former retail pharmacists. She cited the same reasons hospitals do not hire retail pharmacists. They are two completely different areas that have little to no cross over. She had a story about a hospital pharmacist she hired once. They lasted less than two months. It did my little retail heart some good to know I finally found something that you need retail experience to do

 

[MountainPharmD]

Do you see any advantages of doing a managed care residency?

Are there any pharmacists that have completed such a residency; if so, how do their roles differ from the ones without residency training?

I was going to mention this earlier when you asked about advancement opportunities and I forgot. I had a conversation with my partner about this. To get the job you do not need a residency. Retail experience seems to be the key requirement they look for. However, if you want to move high up in the organization my partner told me having a managed care residency and/or an MBA is the ticket. I am talking about depatment managers and VP positions. To be a staff phrmacist or a first line supervisor it is not necessary.

 

[MountainPharmD]

yeah it was great entertainment funny thing was I was at one time strongly leaning towards going to CRK- can you imagine MPD and I were next to each other that would have been something for the ages lol.

When ever you are ready to cross over we will fully chronicle it here on SDN to include pictures! The day the world's biggest CVS hater and the worlds biggest CVS supporter (other than Oldtimer) joined forces to rule the PBM world! It would be epic!

 

[rxlea]

Mountain, your sig.... is it from the movie "Beaches"? When Barbara Hershey's character decides to stay with her best friend?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Mountain, your sig.... is it from the movie "Beaches"? When Barbara Hershey's character decides to stay with her best friend?

Seriously you do not know where that quote came from? Its not an exact quote which is why I did cite the author. Its close enough I probably should have. I changed we to I. Someone tell me if I should give the author credit.

It is the last line of the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963.

"And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

 

[rxlea]

Seriously you do not know where that quote came from? Its not an exact quote which is why I did cite the author. Its close enough I probably should have. I changed we to I. Someone tell me if I should give the author credit.

It is the last line of the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963.

You see I was confused because you put "I'm free at last" lol I didn't pick up on it. My bad.... I'm an idiot 🙂

 

[pezdispenser]

Hey this thread is great! 😍 People coming out and saying there are great pharmacist jobs out there besides snobby clinical pharmacist jobs! 😛

If anyone is lucky enough to get a chance to take a job at a PBM (as long as it's not as a verifying RPh - and even some like that kind of work), I would highly recommend it.

Actually I am one of those verifying RPhs, and I love it! The best thing is I get to work at home 😀 Verifying lots of scripts may seem daunting at first, but it's such a simple repetitive task, that eventually you learn to do it on 'auto-pilot'. 🙂

 

[rxlea]

Dialogue from the movie:

"CC Bloom: Well, l-- I know it's not Buckingham Palace, but it's home to me.
Hillary: You don't understand. I’m crying because I’m happy.
It just hit me that I’m free. You don't know what it's been like for me. My father controlled everything I did, even down to the kind of law I practiced. And now, for the first time in my life, I’m doing exactly what I want to do... rather than what I’ve been trained to do. I feel like shouting, ''Free at last, free at last ! Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last !''

 

[UConn101]

Hey this thread is great! 😍 People coming out and saying there are great pharmacist jobs out there besides snobby clinical pharmacist jobs! 😛

Actually I am one of those verifying RPhs, and I love it! The best thing is I get to work at home 😀 Verifying lots of scripts may seem daunting at first, but it's such a simple repetitive task, that eventually you learn to do it on 'auto-pilot'. 🙂

So awesome!

If you don't mind, can you share how you got the position? Is it with a chain pharmacy with central fill?

That is my dream!

 

[MountainPharmD]

Dialogue from the movie:

"CC Bloom: Well, l-- I know it's not Buckingham Palace, but it's home to me.
Hillary: You don't understand. I’m crying because I’m happy.
It just hit me that I’m free. You don't know what it's been like for me. My father controlled everything I did, even down to the kind of law I practiced. And now, for the first time in my life, I’m doing exactly what I want to do... rather than what I’ve been trained to do. I feel like shouting, ''Free at last, free at last ! Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last !''

Cool, they basically did the same thing in the movie I did. Took the quote and modified it a bit.

 

[BuckPharmer2010]

Actually I am one of those verifying RPhs, and I love it! The best thing is I get to work at home 😀 Verifying lots of scripts may seem daunting at first, but it's such a simple repetitive task, that eventually you learn to do it on 'auto-pilot'. 🙂

The people who do it for my company definitely seem to like their jobs so it's definitely a good option for some. Personally, I wouldn't enjoy that... but working from home is pretty awesome! Congrats on landing a job you love!

 

[pezdispenser]

So awesome!

If you don't mind, can you share how you got the position? Is it with a chain pharmacy with central fill?

That is my dream!

It was a long and winding road that I don't really want to share in public. I'm just glad I finally made it 🙂 It's with Walgreens Power.

 

[joetrisman]

It was a long and winding road that I don't really want to share in public. I'm just glad I finally made it 🙂 It's with Walgreens Power.

I think I've heard of that...Walgreens Pharmacists Out of Work and Extra Revenue Program. Seriously though, I'd like some feedback about operations from someone who actually works there. What's the deal?

 

[UConn101]

It was a long and winding road that I don't really want to share in public. I'm just glad I finally made it 🙂 It's with Walgreens Power.

I respect that!

Would you have any isues going over your work day? Expectations? How they evaluate your performance (metrics)?

Thank you so much!

 

[pezdispenser]

I can't really say much. Need to keep the 'mystique'... 😛

A typical workday is pretty simple. Wake up as little as a few minutes before schedule start. Make myself a latte 🙂 Log on to computer and verify scripts. 2 x 15 min breaks, 30 min lunch. Log off on the dot at the end of shift, and go do whatever I want 😀

No commute. No angry customers or doctors yelling at me. Just blissful peace and quiet to concentrate on my job. Actually I bought myself a really good pair of headphones (Sennheiser HD 600) to enjoy some music while I work 🙂 Sure beats the tunes they play overhead in the stores 😛

 

[NorthwestRph]

I can't really say much. Need to keep the 'mystique'... 😛

A typical workday is pretty simple. Wake up as little as a few minutes before schedule start. Make myself a latte 🙂 Log on to computer and verify scripts. 2 x 15 min breaks, 30 min lunch. Log off on the dot at the end of shift, and go do whatever I want 😀

No commute. No angry customers or doctors yelling at me. Just blissful peace and quiet to concentrate on my job. Actually I bought myself a really good pair of headphones (Sennheiser HD 600) to enjoy some music while I work 🙂 Sure beats the tunes they play overhead in the stores 😛

I wouldn't be able to do that. Too lonesome. There wouldn't be anyone except the cat to talk to.
And then family would expect the house will be spotless and dinner cooked when they come home..

This is a great thread. I really enjoyed reading it. Finally, some choices other than clinical or retail.

 

[pezdispenser]

I wouldn't be able to do that. Too lonesome. There wouldn't be anyone except the cat to talk to.

It's definitely not a job for everyone. I was also skeptical at first on whether I would like it, but after doing it, I love it!

And then family would expect the house will be spotless and dinner cooked when they come home..

This is a great thread. I really enjoyed reading it. Finally, some choices other than clinical or retail.

I think this is a common misconception. This is not a project/results based job where I am free to set my own schedule and roam around the house doing whatever. Quite the opposite. I have a very strict schedule and am practically glued to my seat because customers are waiting to have their scripts filled in real time.

 

[ForgetMeNot]

I think this is a common misconception. This is not a project/results based job where I am free to set my own schedule and roam around the house doing whatever.

🙂 I work from home and am free to set my own schedule, as long as I get all of the work hours in between 1201a and 1159pm on my set days.

I work for the newly formed Express Scripts Holding Co. 👍

 

[PharmaTope]

I can't really say much. Need to keep the 'mystique'... 😛

A typical workday is pretty simple. Wake up as little as a few minutes before schedule start. Make myself a latte 🙂 Log on to computer and verify scripts. 2 x 15 min breaks, 30 min lunch. Log off on the dot at the end of shift, and go do whatever I want 😀

No commute. No angry customers or doctors yelling at me. Just blissful peace and quiet to concentrate on my job. Actually I bought myself a really good pair of headphones (Sennheiser HD 600) to enjoy some music while I work 🙂 Sure beats the tunes they play overhead in the stores 😛

this actually happens?

🙂 I work from home and am free to set my own schedule, as long as I get all of the work hours in between 1201a and 1159pm on my set days.

I work for the newly formed Express Scripts Holding Co. 👍

this actually happens?

 

[eagleface]

🙂 I work from home and am free to set my own schedule, as long as I get all of the work hours in between 1201a and 1159pm on my set days.

I work for the newly formed Express Scripts Holding Co. 👍

Doesn't Express Scripts seek to destroy the Pharmacy profession according to George Paz?

 

[pezdispenser]

this actually happens?

Yes. Why not? Does it sound like too much of a pharmacy utopia?

 

[ForgetMeNot]

this actually happens?

Yes. Every week. Except during vacation weeks. 😀

 

[lamasacrerx]

Farmadiazepine it seems that your really taking too much of those benzos haha. Have you ever processed any Rx thru third party?

 

[owlegrad]

http://studentdoctor.net/2012/06/pharmacy-benefit-managers-recent-developments-and-implications/

This one is for you Mountain!

 

[schamj01]

well, that article makes me feel great about the future.

I hope I'm not paying to ride on a sinking ship.

 

[owlegrad]

well, that article makes me feel great about the future.

I hope I'm not paying to ride on a sinking ship.

That really was not the point of the article at all. It is about the big bad PBM's, not that pharmacy is doomed or anything like that.

 

[UConn101]

That really was not the point of the article at all. It is about the big bad PBM's, not that pharmacy is doomed or anything like that.

Owle,

After researching for the article, what's your take on pharmacists that work within PBMs? Has your perception changed from what it was before?

 

[owlegrad]

Owle,

After researching for the article, what's your take on pharmacists that work within PBMs? Has your perception changed from what it was before?

They are the enemy.

I kid, I kid. The more research I did for the article, the more I wondered how PBM's exist. They are terrible, IMO. Just terrible. But please do not take that to mean that I think pharmacists cannot play a positive role at a PBM. I am sure there are many pharmacists who do important work that they are proud of at PBM's. I just think the companies they work for extract money from the healthcare system that could be better spent on patient care.

Thanks for asking. 😳

And feel free to leave a comment on the article page! 😀

 

[southpharmindy]

Go check out Express Scripts stock. Went from 3 dollars a share back in 2000 to close to 60 dollars today.

That says it all about PBM's. Mysteriously their boon in the last 10 years coincides with a significant decline in pharmacy reimbursement.

Its a shame when health care dollars are diverted and the middleman makes more than the pharmacist or drug manufacturer.

 

[MountainPharmD]

http://studentdoctor.net/2012/06/pharmacy-benefit-managers-recent-developments-and-implications/

This one is for you Mountain!

No one knows what the future holds for the US healthcare system, but one thing seems certain, PBMs are here to stay. They can play a legitimate role in developing formularies, processing claims, and offering plans to payers.

Oh yeah baby! And a job for me! I wonder if Medco/Express Scripts is hiring?

Nice article. Love 'em or hate'em I am afraid they are here to stay.

 

[pharm B]

Love 'em or hate'em I am afraid...

This is what I was thinking.