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First day as Rph.. Any advice?
Started by Star30z
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Breathe
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locate the nearest bathroom before the start of your shift 😀
Amateur. By diapers beforehand.
But seriously. I don't have much advice. Stay calm. Don't feel pressured to go faster than you feel is safe. Just do the best you can and it will be over before you know it.
Why? You won't get to use it! Oh right so you can get there as fast as you can as soon as your shift is over before you shart in your pants.
Amateur. Catheter is the way to go
No, so you can direct everyone who walks past it to it when they ask.
Breathe. Don't be afraid to ask questions or call other stores, especially whichever store trained you.
Genius!
Best of luck!
When things get challenging (and they will), remember why you picked a career in pharmacy in the first place.
When things get challenging (and they will), remember why you picked a career in pharmacy in the first place.
Do the bare minimum. Don't be an over achiever. The people who work extremely hard in chain pharmacies are those who burn out the fastest and wind up quitting or getting fired. The harder you work, the more you will be asked questions on "why wasn't this done? or this?" Never will you hear anything good about how hard you worked.
Those who do the bare minimum on a day to day basis are those who have little to no stress. Also, they are the ones who get to hear "great job" or "thank you so much for working so hard".
I have been working by this "code" for the past year and a half and my job keeps getting easier and easier, and I keep getting more and more recognition.
Those who do the bare minimum on a day to day basis are those who have little to no stress. Also, they are the ones who get to hear "great job" or "thank you so much for working so hard".
I have been working by this "code" for the past year and a half and my job keeps getting easier and easier, and I keep getting more and more recognition.
Answer the phone once in a while. Your techs/interns will love you for it.
So true.
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Its easier to do adherence calls and QA type stuff if you don't waste time with stupid clinical calls. (Dont get me wrong, Not talking about all clinical activities) I'm talking typical new grad overcautious things like calling on a dose that is outside of the package range slightly and calling for drug interactions when the evidence level is low or the pt has been on them for years. Just use common sense!
Do not promise anything to the customers, especially if you are just covering that day as a floater.
For example, if someone asks whether you can promise him that his rare brand name med will be at the pharmacy the following Monday, do not promise him.
Rather, tell him that you'll promise that it will be ordered for Monday but you cannot guarantee it will be in by Monday.
Oh yeah, and do not refer customers as patients.
I've had both doctors and customers getting upset at me for that multiple times.
I know the clinical flavored kool aid you've been forced to drink during pharmacy school is probably at its Cmax but it will quickly be out of your system.
For example, if someone asks whether you can promise him that his rare brand name med will be at the pharmacy the following Monday, do not promise him.
Rather, tell him that you'll promise that it will be ordered for Monday but you cannot guarantee it will be in by Monday.
Oh yeah, and do not refer customers as patients.
I've had both doctors and customers getting upset at me for that multiple times.
I know the clinical flavored kool aid you've been forced to drink during pharmacy school is probably at its Cmax but it will quickly be out of your system.
Yeah, I once used the term "patient" for awhile after I graudated pharmacy school back in the days (ah, I still remember the taste of my kool aid) but not any more.
I had doctors being upset that I was referring Mr/Mrs. so and so as our "mutual patient" and had customers correct me that they were not my patients but rather a client/customer.
So, now I use the term "customer" and everyone is happy.
Why keep using a term that the receiving person don't appreciate?
It's not like I don't provide same quality of care depending on whether they are referred as "customers" or "patients."
What's the difference between injecting a customer's arm and a patient's arm?
At the end, they are both vaccinated and I'm happy for meeting my flu shot quota.
Well, I actually meant I'm happy that they have less risk of getting the flu.
So when you call doctors now do you say, "Our mutual customers"? 
So when you call doctors now do you say, "Our mutual customers"?
I either say "I have a patient of yours..." or "we have a patient who sees Dr. so and so" 🙂
So when you call doctors now do you say, "Our mutual customers"?
Haha that's a good one . Might try it sometime!
The computer flags just about everything! It makes me nervous Bc I keep 'overriding all'... About how often is something significant?
Thanks everyone for the advice
Seriously? They've got nothing better to do?
Well, at least people who were correcting me with the terms did not flie a complaint to the corporate.
I once had this customer who wanted to correct me with the pharmacy's address.
She asked me where my pharmacy was located and I told her "It's located at 1st st & A Ave."
She started to say "NO! You guys are located at 2nd st & A Ave!"
My pharmacy was located beween 1st and 2nd st on A Ave, so I told her that "that would work too."
She wasn't satisfied with with my answer.
She started to raise her voice and start saying "Your pharmacy is closer to 2nd st than 1st st. You need to start giving accurate information mister!"
I told her that we have been telling our customers that we were located at 1st st & A Ave for past 30 years and nobody had problem finding us.
She demanded the corporate number and filed a complaint that the pharmacist was giving out wrong location to the pharmacy.
My PDM was cracking up when I told him what was going on but he still wanted me to call her and apologize for not knowing my pharmacy's address.
So I called her to apologize but it got her even more upset because I said "This is so and so, the pharmacist from X pharmacy located at 1st & A Ave... eh.. I mean 2nd st & A Ave calling...." (I was saying that even without thinking because that's how I open conversations when I call customers or the prescribers.)
My PDM took it from there but at least customers correcting me with the terms did not complain to the corporate that I was referring them as "patients."
It's Friday 
Do not get backed up. When there are things to do, prioritize fill.
Do not make mistakes. We are human, but accuracy is more important than speed. Speed is only of secondary importance.
Do not allow customers to mishandle all of your time. If something looks like it will bog down, offer to take down/confirm customer contact information, information relevant to the problem, and reassure them, then handle it later when you have time. Make notes for yourself or others as needed so it's not forgotten
Do not get backed up. When there are things to do, prioritize fill.
Do not make mistakes. We are human, but accuracy is more important than speed. Speed is only of secondary importance.
Do not allow customers to mishandle all of your time. If something looks like it will bog down, offer to take down/confirm customer contact information, information relevant to the problem, and reassure them, then handle it later when you have time. Make notes for yourself or others as needed so it's not forgotten
you must have some spoiled ass patients. do you work in Beverly hills or something? bunch of preppy snobs who look their noses down on everyone? the people who come into my pharmacy wouldn't give a **** if I called them my flooneymcfloogyflooges as long as they get their meds quickly
Use real world clinical judgement. Not the academic type. You'll need to override the vast majority of things so don't let that in itself scare you. Your primary goal should be to avoid alert fatigue. You will need to actually look into some of them (5%? 15%? Idk) which is really your clinically and medically most important job function.
Yeah, I feel like I override so many DUR alerts...It is easy to imagine something important slipping by.
I think maybe that's what knight on horse was getting at with quality vs quantity (slowing down) .. I feel like going faster actually increases alert fatigue. . Taking a reasonable minute or so to think about things during a questionable override helps me sleep better at night. And It helps me be less worried about future qty of overrides.. although maybe you could argue that being less worried in itself is an alert fatigue lol! I guess balance in everything!
Like they say in the courtroom ... the reasonable person/pharmacist standard
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only worry about interactions DURs that are completely contraindicated (if you have lexicomp it will give give you the level of interaction and only pay attention when its a D and X) if you work at a busy store. ALso make sure that you have allergies updated especially when dispensing antibiotics. I currently work for the the most "evil" of all the chains and dapsone doesnt flag as a sulfa drug in the DUR, WTF?
This only applies to some stores, but: Don't show emotion at all. Be inhuman like that. If they think that you're just another human with real emotions, they will take advantage of that fact and add stress to your life. For example, don't respond to anger with anger. Never get excited. Period. Play poker. One of the pharmacists I work under had an extremely rude customer BANGING on the drive-thru window with his fist after he stepped out of his car. He yelled about his wait time, insurance, control not being filled, etc. Every curse in the dictionary. This pharmacist was cool as an ice-pack, got the issue dealt with, and didn't break a sweat. The customer felt like an idiot. The customer is still with us by the way. He's still a little rowdy but now knows that he can't incite us, period. So, he doesn't bother to yell.
make sure you have someone you can call in a pinch
It's been almost a week. How is it going?
Very good advice there. Also on a side note, has anyone figured out how to get your initials to appear on the label all the time for that new policy? I am in desperate need of a solution. The steps given by CVS don't work. I have printed a label, checked it and still the prior rphs initials pop up especially on the ready fills. How can you solve this? Please any solutions. Thanks.
Me and my techs had a good laugh when we read that policy. Who has time for that?
So no I do not have a solution.
First couple of weeks have been a roller coaster. Good days and not so good days. For instance, not enough tech help! I can't imagine adding flu shots to all this....not happy about my career choice right now. Some shifts I wasn't even able to eat were so swamped. Just saying.. It was much easier being a tech/intern. Oh well now!
Btw... The rxm I work many shifts with (chain) has a per diem at a hospital, she doesn't want anyone to know. I happen to know Bc I met her there on rotations. She calls out @ her chain job more than normal, I feel like she doesn't focus on properly training the techs, it makes running the pharmacy so much more stressful. What do you guys think? As the new pharmacist I'm not up to bringing such issues up but I'm not happy with the situation either, it's a busy store!
Welcome to being a retail pharmacist. Things will get better as you get used to your new role. As for the added immunizations and lack of tech help... sorry I can't say the same.
Document, but keep quiet. Keep track of whenever she calls in sick (is she calling in sick to work at the hospital.....try to find out) Keep track of how she is leaving the pharmacy after her shifts, and how it is affecting you. BUT, only bring it up if you ever need it as a defense, ie if she starts blaming you for the problems in the pharmacy. Otherwise keep quiet, if you bring it up out of the blue, even if management takes your complaints seriously, they will still view you as a "bad" teamplayer & none of your co-workers will trust you. And if management doesn't believe you, or doesn't care....it will make your job very bad (and bear in mind nothing you say to upper management, even if you ask they keep it in confidence, will be kept in confidence). Perhaps not fair, but that is the way it works. And also keep in mind, a replacement manager could end up much worse than your current manager.
Good luck with your pharmacy career.
I appreciate the in-sight.
Kind of a lose/lose here. If you say it out of the blue, you look like a jerk, and it might go nowhere. If you try to save the info for a rainy day, it could be "Why didn't you say something sooner?!"
That said, I'm sure she only has so many sick/personal/vacation days. I'm sure she's not calling in beyond that limit, because in that case some action would probably be taken.
so what's the complaint here? I was under the impression that what somebody does with their paid personal days is up to their own discretion. taking off and getting paid and working somewhere else and doubling up on your salary is a good business decision. Maybe she is hard up on money? whatever the reason, as long as she doesn't surpass her alotted personal days, you really have no case.
It's not like she's taking off to go to the bar and get twisted and pick up random men. I give her props for the hustle. I would probably do the same if i had the opportunity
I agree with you, I don't blame her for bringing in extra cash. My concern is that I get the feeling that she is not fully focused on properly training techs (who are all new) and organizing/running the pharmacy as any rxm should be. Without that, it makes other pharmacists' job more stressful and really sets me up for error.
Businesses requires paid personal days to be approved in advance. When she is calling in sick, when she's really not sick, that would be against company policy (and if she is actually calling in sick to work at another job, that is probably a firable offense at her company.) Calling in sick definitely puts a stress on the other employees as they must work short-handed or try to find someone else to cover the shift at the last minute--it is very rude to call in sick, when not actually sick.
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