Have an interview scheduled for remote Cigna staff pharmacist

[DoctorRx1986]

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Consulting to PA is your first jump. After one to two years enforcing the formulary and guidelines, you'll be qualified to write the formulary and/or guidelines. Job titles might look sometime like Formulary Development Pharmacist or Clinical Guidelines Pharmacist. These will be salaried jobs. You'll have time to upskill yourself in this role. Learn all the computer stuff you'll need for the next role, maybe work on that MBA during down time which you might have for weeks at a time now. More importantly, there's both room for advancement in this part of the company (it's no longer a director overseeing 600 people)...and depending on what you want to ultimately be doing, you will be mingling with leadership from other areas of your company: industry relations (which is a nice spring board to pharmacy), client management, analytics. I wouldn't worry too much about all this now, you'll figure out where you want to be as you get more experience in the company.

Note: The 9-5 workday is a myth. Everything above PA will feel like you're back in school. If you're not working on the weekend, you'll be worrying about work on the weekend. The grass is brown all over.

Hey, appreciate your insights into some of those roles . Here’s the thing - I love my counseling role , I have excelled in the position , and my supervisor has remarked I am one of her top performers and have great counseling skills and so I feel in that regard a sense of satisfaction and that I am making a difference. I take pride in educating patients on the phone , enlightening them about their medicines , clearing up all their inquiries and doubts about the medicines they take , and having them thank me at the end of the call. I’ve had many tell me they trust their pharmacist more than their doctor and in this role I do feel patients have more respect for the pharmacist than in retail . I get to utilize my knowledge every day in 2 years 3 months in this role vs almost 10 years in retail . Taking back to back calls is tiring but much better than retail . But I want to move into other roles simply because of stagnant pay and honestly it does get tiring being glued down to a desk the entire shift because the job requires it . In most other jobs , including pharmacy jobs , you can take a 5 minute breather here and there and are not required to be focused at all times . So, now that I have put in some time and have nonretail experience under my belt , I do feel I’d like higher paying roles that don’t necessarily require me to be glued to the phone and where I can get my job done and without having to account for every single second . I think it’s a reasonable desire given my years of experience already and that I’m not just a new grad wanting things handed the easy way without putting in the time and effort . I guess we’ll see what happens . I’m already fortunate I left the retail world as plenty of pharmacists have a hard time getting out. Now I just have to find my niche .

 

[projektreverb]

Consulting to PA is your first jump. After one to two years enforcing the formulary and guidelines, you'll be qualified to write the formulary and/or guidelines. Job titles might look sometime like Formulary Development Pharmacist or Clinical Guidelines Pharmacist. These will be salaried jobs. You'll have time to upskill yourself in this role. Learn all the computer stuff you'll need for the next role, maybe work on that MBA during down time which you might have for weeks at a time now. More importantly, there's both room for advancement in this part of the company (it's no longer a director overseeing 600 people)...and depending on what you want to ultimately be doing, you will be mingling with leadership from other areas of your company: industry relations (which is a nice spring board to pharmacy), client management, analytics. I wouldn't worry too much about all this now, you'll figure out where you want to be as you get more experience in the company.

Note: The 9-5 workday is a myth. Everything above PA will feel like you're back in school. If you're not working on the weekend, you'll be worrying about work on the weekend. The grass is brown all over.

That’s a very well presented post and basically sums it up. I’m currently doing PA and it’s very 9-5. Anyone above me is definitely not clocking out. Well frequently ping formulary people at all times with issues. We actually had a formulary pharmacist come back down as a PA supervisor. No published reason but I guess it was the lack of steady hours.

It has me hesitant to take a clinical programs and has basically ruled out a formulary job for me.

 

[projektreverb]

Hey, appreciate your insights into some of those roles . Here’s the thing - I love my counseling role , I have excelled in the position , and my supervisor has remarked I am one of her top performers and have great counseling skills and so I feel in that regard a sense of satisfaction and that I am making a difference. I take pride in educating patients on the phone , enlightening them about their medicines , clearing up all their inquiries and doubts about the medicines they take , and having them thank me at the end of the call. I’ve had many tell me they trust their pharmacist more than their doctor and in this role I do feel patients have more respect for the pharmacist than in retail . I get to utilize my knowledge every day in 2 years 3 months in this role vs almost 10 years in retail . Taking back to back calls is tiring but much better than retail . But I want to move into other roles simply because of stagnant pay and honestly it does get tiring being glued down to a desk the entire shift because the job requires it . In most other jobs , including pharmacy jobs , you can take a 5 minute breather here and there and are not required to be focused at all times . So, now that I have put in some time and have nonretail experience under my belt , I do feel I’d like higher paying roles that don’t necessarily require me to be glued to the phone and where I can get my job done and without having to account for every single second . I think it’s a reasonable desire given my years of experience already and that I’m not just a new grad wanting things handed the easy way without putting in the time and effort . I guess we’ll see what happens . I’m already fortunate I left the retail world as plenty of pharmacists have a hard time getting out. Now I just have to find my niche .

Having to account for every single second was my problem at MTM. It’s not as bad at PA but metrics are still there. Even if you front load your stuff (ie do most of your daily PA goals early in your shift) there’s a chance they might catch on to what you’re doing. But definitely more predictable at PA.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

That’s a very well presented post and basically sums it up. I’m currently doing PA and it’s very 9-5. Anyone above me is definitely not clocking out. Well frequently ping formulary people at all times with issues. We actually had a formulary pharmacist come back down as a PA supervisor. No published reason but I guess it was the lack of steady hours.

It has me hesitant to take a clinical programs and has basically ruled out a formulary job for me.

I can understand the more demanding nature of those other positions higher up in rank above your PA gig, but if you also feel pharmacy pay is stagnant , you wouldn’t think it’s worth the pay bump ? I have no idea how much those other positions pay , but if you could earn $150-$180k a year in those roles for perhaps a little extra work/more of an on call nature , do you feel it’s not worth it ? Here’s the thing - a standard pharmacist , be it a retail position , PA like you , or in a consult role like mine , the reality is our pay remains stagnant because these roles are considered “entry level “. I feel today part of the problem in pharmacy is in order to get more than your typical $110-$130k a year , you have to take on a more mid level to senior role to get those bigger paychecks that put you at the top in terms of pharmacist pay . Either some type of position in which you’re creating guidelines , are not just limited to 40 hours a week , OR you go into management- these are the types of positions in which you can make more and not get stuck with stagnant pay . I think the ideal solution would be to find a higher paying role that is not management related and doesn’t require your “soul “ and can leave work at work . If retail paid $75-$80 an hour as standard , you could even just work 30-32 hours a week and make bank without dedicating so much time to work for more money . Personally , retail pay is mediocre these days , but if the pay were at least $75-80 an hour , I’d go back , float , and just work 30-32 hours a week and collect good money without the bs of making $150k a year or more and having to work in excess of 40 hours a week , being on call , or never unplugging from work .

 

[projektreverb]

I can understand the more demanding nature of those other positions higher up in rank above your PA gig, but if you also feel pharmacy pay is stagnant , you wouldn’t think it’s worth the pay bump ? I have no idea how much those other positions pay , but if you could earn $150-$180k a year in those roles for perhaps a little extra work/more of an on call nature , do you feel it’s not worth it ? Here’s the thing - a standard pharmacist , be it a retail position , PA like you , or in a consult role like mine , the reality is our pay remains stagnant because these roles are considered “entry level “. I feel today part of the problem in pharmacy is in order to get more than your typical $110-$130k a year , you have to take on a more mid level to senior role to get those bigger paychecks that put you at the top in terms of pharmacist pay . Either some type of position in which you’re creating guidelines , are not just limited to 40 hours a week , OR you go into management- these are the types of positions in which you can make more and not get stuck with stagnant pay . I think the ideal solution would be to find a higher paying role that is not management related and doesn’t require your “soul “ and can leave work at work . If retail paid $75-$80 an hour as standard , you could even just work 30-32 hours a week and make bank without dedicating so much time to work for more money . Personally , retail pay is mediocre these days , but if the pay were at least $75-80 an hour , I’d go back , float , and just work 30-32 hours a week and collect good money without the bs of making $150k a year or more and having to work in excess of 40 hours a week , being on call , or never unplugging from work .

So here’s an interesting question that I don’t know the answer to: those higher positions that pay more, does their salary go up at a faster pace than ours? Likely not, I’m sure they probably get the same COLA raises we do. The only benefit is the higher salary itself but it comes at the price of your peace. When you factor in the extra hours they likely work, it’s going to dilute the pay bump.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

So here’s an interesting question that I don’t know the answer to: those higher positions that pay more, does their salary go up at a faster pace than ours? Likely not, I’m sure they probably get the same COLA raises we do. The only benefit is the higher salary itself but it comes at the price of your peace. When you factor in the extra hours they likely work, it’s going to dilute the pay bump.

Yes, this is true , it may not be worth the increased pay if it results in more hours working beyond 40 and higher stress . Let me ask you a question - what do you think and how do you feel about PA positions ? I imagine it should be pretty chill , you’re not on the phone all day like I am , etc . Is it tedious after a while ? Are you constantly glued to your desk ? I believe with my employer if you finish your quota early , you can go finish the day and get paid the entire day . Basically , like a flex system which would be super nice to finish early and get paid for the entire day as long as you reach your target . How does it work with you ? Also, I know pay depends on the company , but a typical PA position pays what ?

 

[projektreverb]

Yes, this is true , it may not be worth the increased pay if it results in more hours working beyond 40 and higher stress . Let me ask you a question - what do you think and how do you feel about PA positions ? I imagine it should be pretty chill , you’re not on the phone all day like I am , etc . Is it tedious after a while ? Are you constantly glued to your desk ? I believe with my employer if you finish your quota early , you can go finish the day and get paid the entire day . Basically , like a flex system which would be super nice to finish early and get paid for the entire day as long as you reach your target . How does it work with you ? Also, I know pay depends on the company , but a typical PA position pays what ?

I can’t speak for pay as like you said it’s going to vary from company to company. But with my company, our daily load is less than most larger PBM. However they do track computer activity and expect 7.5 hours of daily use so finishing early and clocking out isn’t an option. I do feel like I’m compensated accordingly based on the work I’m doing, considering my retail peers make less than me for way more work, but I do feel it should have gone up over the last two years. We’ve all effectively gotten a paycut these last 4 years.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Totally get it. I’m making 63 an hour at a PBM working remotely as well. When I left wags I was at 58$ an hour in a higher COL city. Once you factor in no commute my pay increases, or at least to me it does. Luckily I’ll be moving to a lower COL city next month since I’m remote as well.

Like you said, no stress of retail etc but it definitely feels like my salary doesn’t go as far as I’d does when I first graduated 6 years ago despite the fact that I make more. Only way I see is to Segway out of pharmacy with how stagnant our pay it. There has to be a major shift in our pay….

Totally agree. People drastically underestimate the value of WFH.
I did WFH during the pandemic and it was amazing.

I'm making ~$75 an hour now doing pseudo clinical work for a specialty pharmacy, and i would give up like $5 an hour to wfh. Lol