HeLp! Started working at CVS in my last year of pharmacy school. Any advice appreciated!

[Zmxn678]

Hey everyone! I specifically created an account on here because im starting to feel pretty discourage with where i'm at right now and can really use some useful advice.

So here's the thing:
I was hired with CVS in November 2014 for a F/T pharmacist position after graduation. I applied through career development at my school and got my first interview on interview day at school. Had a second interview a few weeks later, and was referred by the pharmacy manager who interviewed me to my current supervisor who hired me. Previous work experience: Rite Aid for 2 years (2010-2012) and unpaid internship at a compounding pharmacy for 10 months last year, so I unfortunately had a big gap of unemployment at the time I was hired. Anyways my pharmacy supervisor said that he would hired me as pharmacy intern b/c 1) I made a really good impression at my first two interviews and 2) my chances of getting hired at other pharmacies (retail or not), based on my experience, is not very good.

I honestly was amazed that he hired me at all considering i have not been working for the company throughout pharm school like most students, and apparently it is not common for students to be hired in their last year?? (i heard this from current cvs interns and pharmacists). My family saw it as a good thing but my coworkers have told me he was probably desperate to hire more pharmacists b/c apparently there were a lot of new pharmacists who quit last year in his district.

So starting january this year i was based at one store for 5 months, and majority of time was spent at production and pick-up/drive through. Didn't get much exposure to drop-off and handling QT, and when i tried to get some experience with pharmacist-related tasks (e.g. doctor calls), the pharmacists there were soo busy and agitated that they would tell me to stay at production/pickup and not move. It was only within the last 2 weeks of being there before my grad intern promotion that they started to show me stuff and have me at drop off.

So now that i have graduated and currently a grad intern, I do feel like I am learning a lot more than i ever did the previous months however I can't help but worry since i'm still pretty weak handling stuff like drop-off, QT rejections, and inventory management; basically i still feel behind when it comes to handling some basic pharmacy tasks that both techs and pharmacists do. I also find it kind of intimidating having to go to other stores with other grad interns in my district who have at least 3 yrs experience with the company (one has been working for 10 yrs already!). Lately, i've also noticed myself feeling really lightheaded and feeling exhausted sooner than usual during my shift, and i end up making a lot of careless (well, frankly STUPID) mistakes. I could barely think and/or remember basic things when i'm at work nowadays, and this obviously leads to frustrated coworkers and angry customers. I feel the need to work a lot slower than usual and sneak in a few bites of food whenever I can.

Anyways, what I am wondering now is if I should continue to tough it out and do my best with what little experience i got, or would it be better for me now to look into other pharmacist jobs, perhaps one that is not so fast paced? I'm really concerned about how i'll survive with the company once i become a licensed pharmacist. I just don't think i am really adequately prepared for the position. I do think I can be a great retail pharmacist but since it currently feels like i need to know how to do everything right now before becoming licensed I feel very rushed and frustrated with myself despite my current efforts (watching modules, asking questions and completing tasks at different stores).

Sorry for the long post...again, any advice would be appreciated!

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[trailerpark]

And how do you feel to bust your ass and get into this much debt when you could have just kept your behind on a couch, pop out a baby, go on Medicaid and get everything handed to you without having to work.

 

[Sine Cura]

It's better to focus on verification once you start working as a pharmacist, especially if you lose focus as a result of working too long or not eating. You will be on your own (when there is no weekday overlap or on weekends) so your techs can't help you there, so you shouldn't be expected to know how to "do everything right." Even people who have worked for CVS for a long time as an intern or tech still have to learn how to verify safely and efficiently while fitting in consultation and tolerate working long shifts. Everything else can be delegated, even doctor calls, (except when you have only one tech with you obviously) and you will get better at the other aspects with further exposure and experience. If anything the PIC should be accountable for making sure the techs are doing what they are supposed to when he/she isn't around.

Other than that, good shoes are of the utmost importance so you're not hurting physically after 13-14 hours.

 

[BIOGUY2119]

If you know that you are weak at drop off, start working yourself into drop off when it is not busy. Same goes for other areas that you find you are weak in. Start doing M5 calls on your own and since you are a grad intern now, you can verify under the supervision of an Rph. Just ask the pharmacist when it is not busy to start verifying. At this point you need to be focusing on things like C/L reports, new script pick up, gaps in care, etc. Make sure you know how to ck in all the narcs, etc. The CVS system pretty much makes it dummy prof, you just need to put in the time to become familiar with the system. If your current supervisor is not at all interested in training you then you need to express your concerns to your DM and find a better pharmacist to train under. I hope this helps.

 

[Zmxn678]

Thank you, Sine Cura and BIOGUY2119! Your responses are definitely helpful to me and really helps to take off some of the pressure i am feeling.

 

[Zmxn678]

So about a week ago I got an email from my supervisor who wanted to check on me to see how i have been progressing through my grad internship at CVS. I told him that I did get to touch on every task on the grad intern checklist (inventory/narcotic management, business metrics, WeCare, etc.). For a while now i have been questioning whether or not I really want to continue going further with working as a CVS pharmacist b/c of how overwhelmed I feel and been trying to brainstorm any other areas of pharmacy that I could possibly pursue that aren't too fast-paced like mail order and home infusion. At first I thought I shouldnt tell him how i've been feeling but then after talking to my sister she told me that maybe i should just ask to get more information about the company's mail order program. When I brought it up to my surpervisor he immediately asked if i was already having doubts about working retail and then I told him that despite how overwhelmed i'm feeling and still trying to get used to the fast-pace, i didnt think it would be completely fair of me to say i want to get out of retail until i actually start working as a pharmacist so i am willing to keep an open mind and try my best. I also told him what i was doing in the meantime (going to other pharmacies and asking questions, checking in CII, practice verifying, etc).

So fast forward to now my surpervisor had called me and said " Well i'm calling because I wanted to create dialogue with you now instead of waiting until later once you are a pharmacist, and I want to let you know that your email has made me concerned about whether or not you'll be able to do the job. I'd rather ask you now than wait until later when you have queues with pages and pages of red. I want to know if you know how to handle every work station 100% and therefore completely ready to start working as a pharmacist. I really dont want to wait until later to have another conversation with you about this which might require me to reevaluate what to do with you, do you get what i'm trying to say?"

I told him i did and that i have at least a basic understanding of how to do everything, although i might be a little slow with dropoff. I told him maybe i'm just feeling really nervous about starting as a new pharmacist and that that once i start working perhaps i wont be doing soo bad as i am making it out to be ( i figured since he has worked as a new pharmacist in this district surely he would understand how i must be feeling). I tried to reassure him that i am doing whatever i can to make sure i am prepared by the time i am licensed.

So after that call it got me worrying about the possibility of me not doing so well the first few weeks which would then cause him to call me. What i'd like to ask is could my supervisor consider firing me after the first few weeks of working as a pharmacist if I am not performing so well (leaving several pages of red at the end of my shifts)? Does CVS not have some sort of probationary period for new pharmacists? As much as i'm not liking this work environment, i am willing to work hard to get better but at the same time the thought of leaving CVS as soon as possible to prevent getting fired is not exactly an unpleasant thought to have. But of course since i dont have another job lined up, my loan grace period ending in a couple months, and getting a job elsewhere is near impossible at the moment, i feel like i am stuck and may have to just stick with this and see what happens. I just really hope i dont end up getting fired and have to explain that to any future employers. Any constructive advice/feedback would be great!

 

[lsexie]

I actually got hired by cvs in my final year in 2013. im not with them anymore though, stayed just 3months after my license lol. But I never worked in retail or any type of pharmacy my entire life before getting hired besides my one month rotation at shoppers pharmacy during school lol. I feel you, it was tough learning QT and drop off esp as a grad intern I had techs getting pissed at me for being slow. Basically my advice to you is to work at these stations during slow periods esp now that you still have the pharmacist supervision. I just asked them not to put me on any particular schedule on the board and I worked where I felt I was weak at, while working there let them know that when its slow and a QT problem comes up, they should let you try it out and they can guide you through it. Trust me I got the hang of it eventually and started helping some of the techs that laughed at me initially. Your main job as a pharmacist is the verification anyway so make sure you are on point with that asap cause no one can help you with that once you are licensed as opposed to the others.
Also, im not sure how your DM is but with mine, I was initially at a very busy store every time so I asked to be placed at slower stores on certain days so I could learn at my own pace, or find stores with pharmacists that are willing to help you learn . Basically you need to speak up to someone if you are having issues and with your DM, just reassure them of your commitment to the company. Noone wants to train you the whole way if they think there is a high chance you don't want to stay.
Im not sure about probationary period, there probably is.

 

[Son_Goku]

I actually got hired by cvs in my final year in 2013. im not with them anymore though, stayed just 3months after my license lol. But I never worked in retail or any type of pharmacy my entire life before getting hired besides my one month rotation at shoppers pharmacy during school lol. I feel you, it was tough learning QT and drop off esp as a grad intern I had techs getting pissed at me for being slow. Basically my advice to you is to work at these stations during slow periods esp now that you still have the pharmacist supervision. I just asked them not to put me on any particular schedule on the board and I worked where I felt I was weak at, while working there let them know that when its slow and a QT problem comes up, they should let you try it out and they can guide you through it. Trust me I got the hang of it eventually and started helping some of the techs that laughed at me initially. Your main job as a pharmacist is the verification anyway so make sure you are on point with that asap cause no one can help you with that once you are licensed as opposed to the others.
Also, im not sure how your DM is but with mine, I was initially at a very busy store every time so I asked to be placed at slower stores on certain days so I could learn at my own pace, or find stores with pharmacists that are willing to help you learn . Basically you need to speak up to someone if you are having issues and with your DM, just reassure them of your commitment to the company. Noone wants to train you the whole way if they think there is a high chance you don't want to stay.
Im not sure about probationary period, there probably is.

So where do you work now?

 

[thecoolpharmboi]

So about a week ago I got an email from my supervisor who wanted to check on me to see how i have been progressing through my grad internship at CVS. I told him that I did get to touch on every task on the grad intern checklist (inventory/narcotic management, business metrics, WeCare, etc.). For a while now i have been questioning whether or not I really want to continue going further with working as a CVS pharmacist b/c of how overwhelmed I feel and been trying to brainstorm any other areas of pharmacy that I could possibly pursue that aren't too fast-paced like mail order and home infusion. At first I thought I shouldnt tell him how i've been feeling but then after talking to my sister she told me that maybe i should just ask to get more information about the company's mail order program. When I brought it up to my surpervisor he immediately asked if i was already having doubts about working retail and then I told him that despite how overwhelmed i'm feeling and still trying to get used to the fast-pace, i didnt think it would be completely fair of me to say i want to get out of retail until i actually start working as a pharmacist so i am willing to keep an open mind and try my best. I also told him what i was doing in the meantime (going to other pharmacies and asking questions, checking in CII, practice verifying, etc).

So fast forward to now my surpervisor had called me and said " Well i'm calling because I wanted to create dialogue with you now instead of waiting until later once you are a pharmacist, and I want to let you know that your email has made me concerned about whether or not you'll be able to do the job. I'd rather ask you now than wait until later when you have queues with pages and pages of red. I want to know if you know how to handle every work station 100% and therefore completely ready to start working as a pharmacist. I really dont want to wait until later to have another conversation with you about this which might require me to reevaluate what to do with you, do you get what i'm trying to say?"

I told him i did and that i have at least a basic understanding of how to do everything, although i might be a little slow with dropoff. I told him maybe i'm just feeling really nervous about starting as a new pharmacist and that that once i start working perhaps i wont be doing soo bad as i am making it out to be ( i figured since he has worked as a new pharmacist in this district surely he would understand how i must be feeling). I tried to reassure him that i am doing whatever i can to make sure i am prepared by the time i am licensed.

So after that call it got me worrying about the possibility of me not doing so well the first few weeks which would then cause him to call me. What i'd like to ask is could my supervisor consider firing me after the first few weeks of working as a pharmacist if I am not performing so well (leaving several pages of red at the end of my shifts)? Does CVS not have some sort of probationary period for new pharmacists? As much as i'm not liking this work environment, i am willing to work hard to get better but at the same time the thought of leaving CVS as soon as possible to prevent getting fired is not exactly an unpleasant thought to have. But of course since i dont have another job lined up, my loan grace period ending in a couple months, and getting a job elsewhere is near impossible at the moment, i feel like i am stuck and mahave to just stick with this and see what happens. I just really hope i dont end up getting fired and have to explain that to any future employers. Any constructive advice/feedback would be great!

I don't work for CVS but you are not alone in feeling this way. I never worked in retail pharmacy, and now work for Walgreens. I also don't feel "ready" and there are a lot of things that I do not know. I'm slow as well, but if it's busy I'll just be mostly verifying and counseling and I think that part is easier. It's harder to get used to dealing with drop off and Rx entry. I think having great techs will help. Find someone at CVS (mentor, fellow colleague, etc) that you can lean on. That's what I'll be doing. I will probably call their stores when I'm by myself if I run into problems. Or lean on my techs.

I'm also slow. So you're not alone. But I've had very good supportive pharmacists and techs. They told me that you'll get faster with time. So for now...don't worry too much. If it helps, come in few minutes early to your shift to get up to speed in case.

If you need help or helping hand or moral support, we can get through it together because I'm feeling the anxiety as you are as well. PM me for anything and I'll do the same. Good luck.

 

[Son_Goku]

I don't work for CVS but you are not alone in feeling this way. I never worked in retail pharmacy, and now work for Walgreens. I also don't feel "ready" and there are a lot of things that I do not know. I'm slow as well, but if it's busy I'll just be mostly verifying and counseling and I think that part is easier. It's harder to get used to dealing with drop off and Rx entry. I think having great techs will help. Find someone at CVS (mentor, fellow colleague, etc) that you can lean on. That's what I'll be doing. I will probably call their stores when I'm by myself if I run into problems. Or lean on my techs.

I'm also slow. So you're not alone. But I've had very good supportive pharmacists and techs. They told me that you'll get faster with time. So for now...don't worry too much. If it helps, come in few minutes early to your shift to get up to speed in case.

If you need help or helping hand or moral support, we can get through it together because I'm feeling the anxiety as you are as well. PM me for anything and I'll do the same. Good luck.

This is why it's imperative that you get major work experience while in school if you've never worked in a pharmacy before. Techs can tell if a new pharmacist has ever been an inter/tech before and they can make life hell for you right off the bat if they don't respect you. You're right about the RX entry though. It's pretty annoying on certain drugs they don't tell you the strength of said medication that you are inputting. You need to physically look for the medication to verify the strength and that can be annoying if you don't know where it is kept (most of this stuff is OTC). These corporations should give us a handout of the entire OTC section telling us which items are carried along with the labels.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Do you think any other employer will give you better training? Sadly, most employers do give minimal training, and then its sink or swim. I'd stick it out, take copious notes, and hopefully you will be a swimmer.

 

[thecoolpharmboi]

This is why it's imperative that you get major work experience while in school if you've never worked in a pharmacy before. Techs can tell if a new pharmacist has ever been an inter/tech before and they can make life hell for you right off the bat if they don't respect you. You're right about the RX entry though. It's pretty annoying on certain drugs they don't tell you the strength of said medication that you are inputting. You need to physically look for the medication to verify the strength and that can be annoying if you don't know where it is kept (most of this stuff is OTC). These corporations should give us a handout of the entire OTC section telling us which items are carried along with the labels.

I agree with you. I've been lucky enough to have nice techs so far, but I'll be floating so that might not last long. Although it would have been preferable to work during school, things don't always pan out as you planned. Anyways, don't get me started on the OTC products...

 

[trailerpark]

I thought Walmart's training was superb. They were so accommodating and just great with onboarding.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I thought Walmart's training was superb. They were so accommodating and just great with onboarding.
View attachment 195058

That is good to know (although I'll admit when I first scanned your post, I thought you said waterboarding, not onboarding. ) I have actually had great training at pretty much all of the jobs I've held, but it seems like the people being hired currently are given very minimal training.

 

[Deja]

all I thought about while reading these replies is what the hell is C/L reports and gaps in care, there is so many terms used everytime I see a CVS post lol

as for me, to get used to the system, I first started with typing e-scripts, then moved on to drop off window, also answer calls can get you used to the systems as well... as for verification, it's pretty stright forward and you have to use your own clinical judgement (there's a couple thread on it as well)... main thing is you need to know the workflow well so you can delegate tasks to your techs once you are the pharmacists

 

[sosoo]

u seem to be where i was in my last year. i picked up more and more each day. once u become licensed and ready, you'll catch up like everyone else. there were things that i didn't learn in school, or while working as intern, that i keep getting introduced to once become licensed. then it all comes to place. // also, once licensed, you're most likely going to be a floater. so no sweat! ^_^.,

 

[Zmxn678]

I don't work for CVS but you are not alone in feeling this way. I never worked in retail pharmacy, and now work for Walgreens. I also don't feel "ready" and there are a lot of things that I do not know. I'm slow as well, but if it's busy I'll just be mostly verifying and counseling and I think that part is easier. It's harder to get used to dealing with drop off and Rx entry. I think having great techs will help. Find someone at CVS (mentor, fellow colleague, etc) that you can lean on. That's what I'll be doing. I will probably call their stores when I'm by myself if I run into problems. Or lean on my techs.

I'm also slow. So you're not alone. But I've had very good supportive pharmacists and techs. They told me that you'll get faster with time. So for now...don't worry too much. If it helps, come in few minutes early to your shift to get up to speed in case.

If you need help or helping hand or moral support, we can get through it together because I'm feeling the anxiety as you are as well. PM me for anything and I'll do the same. Good luck.

Thank you, its really comforting hearing that im not the only one facing this issue and that my worries are justified I have also been told by pharmacists that with time i should be ok but im thinking maybe my concern right now has more to do with upper management (specifically with my supervisor) who now seems to be fully convinced that I am going to leave and therefore would rather i consider doing it now than waiting until i actually start working as a pharmacist. I want to try and stick it out while also maybe trying to change my attitude about the situation, like instead of dreading the thought of working as a pharmacist and feeling like i am not going to be able to handle it, i should instead put my doubts aside and think objectively when handling everything in the pharmacy. By thinking this way im hoping my performance will reflect this mentality and hopefully my supervisor will change his mind about me. And who knows? maybe this approach might also make me change my mind about how i feel about working retail/CVS, or at the very least feel like it is something that i can handle and do well in.

 

[Zmxn678]

After reading these posts i really do appreciate everyones advice and knowing that it's a struggle for everyone getting aclimated to the retail setting right out of school, especially at CVS. But does anyone know if a pharmacy supervisor can actually fire me if im doing terribly after a few shifts, like having pages and pages of red in QV,QP,etc? I thought that as a new pharmacist the supervisor would not consider doing that unless its over something REALLY serious. From the recent phone call i had with him he left me feeling like i was actually in trouble without flatout saying it.

 

[trailerpark]

He sounds shady. Start applying all over elsewhere. CVS is no better than a sweat shop for children in China. You sound like you dread going to work there. Put your health first.

 

[M0df]

He probably can not fire out outright but that also depends on your location (state/city and if there is a union). If you follow all CVS policies and procedures, it is fairly long process to get fired for performance. Some sups might try to intimidate you. They might make your life miserable. They might put you in difficult stores. But all that is for you to quit on your own. You seem to concern yourself too much with how your supervisor feels about you. It sounds like you have other things you should worry about. There are also things such as ethics line and HR business partner if you want to use those. If I were you, I would stop volunteering any information your sup can use against you.

 

[Zmxn678]

Just a thought, but what if I request to work part-time for now instead of full-time, and that i would let him know asap if my availability has changed? It doesnt completely solve my problem but i figure maybe working a little less often can help me to transition into the pharmacist job a little more relaxed. I could always switch back to full-time once i feel comfortable with my job. I am working on getting MTM certification and my mother can use my help around the house due to her osetoarthritis (she's getting knee replacement in a couple months) so if asked for a reason maybe i can just tell him its because of other personal responsibilities? again, its just a thought....i think he probably would think i am just flaking if i say this but i just hope he wont fire me just for asking to work part-time and hopefully i wont have to explain my personal reasons to him in order for him to consider.

 

[Sine Cura]

If you ask for that and they downgrade you to part time floater or PT staff pharmacist, it probably will make your bad situation (already having expressed doubts to your sup) even worse. They probably will schedule you minimally if at all and you won't be able to get health insurance.

The best option is to suck it up and get some experience under your belt. You are going to get your license soon. You might as well use it. They don't want to fire you and if they do it takes a long time to do so for performance as opposed to gross violations. My main rules for QV are 1) have they had it before? **** it unless it's something that could really risk your license and 2) close enough (as a floater don't nitpick stuff that doesn't really matter like wrong written date for a no-refill non-control script or missing route of administration if it's oral; it's not your fault the manager there didn't train the techs or fire them for being stupid).

For your sup to say "handling every station 100%" for a new grad is kind of a joke assumption. What every happened to "SMART?" LOLOLOLOL ****, I went to stores where the techs didn't know the most basic **** or thought they knew **** (seriously my lead tech didn't even understand what an "auto process error" was) and they were there for years.

 

[ineeddrug]

Just a thought, but what if I request to work part-time for now instead of full-time, and that i would let him know asap if my availability has changed? It doesnt completely solve my problem but i figure maybe working a little less often can help me to transition into the pharmacist job a little more relaxed. I could always switch back to full-time once i feel comfortable with my job. I am working on getting MTM certification and my mother can use my help around the house due to her osetoarthritis (she's getting knee replacement in a couple months) so if asked for a reason maybe i can just tell him its because of other personal responsibilities? again, its just a thought....i think he probably would think i am just flaking if i say this but i just hope he wont fire me just for asking to work part-time and hopefully i wont have to explain my personal reasons to him in order for him to consider.

I don't think it is good idea either.
The more you work, the sooner/better you will get.
part timer floaters do not get any benefit,& no hours guaranteed. You will get whatever shifts left after all full timer take their shift.
It can be zero to 1-2 shift per week.
Do you really think you can learn that way?

 

[Zmxn678]

UPDATE: After 1 month of being a PT floater pharmacist for CVS, I just got a job offer with Walmart!!! A close friend of mine works for them and got me a job offer to work FT at one of there top-performing stores, AND she can train me--properly! lol I really want to consider leaving CVS but I first want to know what i'll be getting myself into with walmart. Does anyone think switching to walmart would be a good move, or no different? What are some pros and cons to working in Walmart as opposed to CVS? Is the work environment any better?

 

[M0df]

What is with this decision paralysis. If you follow postings on these boards, Walmart generally has positive reviews unless you start making too many errors. Take the job. Obviously, your DM/Sup don't value you. How many hours a week were you getting as part time? Are you happy with those hours and stores you were put to float in? Is there any possibility of stable position as staff? That is what it boils down to. And seriously, you have a 'close friend' who got you the job. That is your best source of info on Walmart.

 

[CrCl]

UPDATE: After 1 month of being a PT floater pharmacist for CVS, I just got a job offer with Walmart!!! A close friend of mine works for them and got me a job offer to work FT at one of there top-performing stores, AND she can train me--properly! lol I really want to consider leaving CVS but I first want to know what i'll be getting myself into with walmart. Does anyone think switching to walmart would be a good move, or no different? What are some pros and cons to working in Walmart as opposed to CVS? Is the work environment any better?

I was an intern for Walmart. In my opinion, they're probably the best retail chain to work for as a pharmacist. I recommend you take the offer and run with it!

Albeit, it can be as busy any another retail, depending on the location. Regardless, you will get proper training. Plus, you already have a friend in there

 

[Sine Cura]

PT floater at CVS versus FT at a good Walmart.

**** CVS and **** your sup.

 

[TheBlaah]

Congratulations. You've hit the jackpot. C'mon, just think about it.

Wal-Mart: Usually have lunch breaks, may have additional support since many of them have cashier help, a decent computer system, training, LESS METRICS, and the possibility to obtain the unicorn job: Sam's Club.

 

[CrCl]

Congratulations. You've hit the jackpot. C'mon, just think about it.

Wal-Mart: Usually have lunch breaks, may have additional support since many of them have cashier help, a decent computer system, training, LESS METRICS, and the possibility to obtain the unicorn job: Sam's Club.

Personally, I'd prefer working for Walmart to working for Sam's, as a pharmacist.

The few times that I had to cover a shift for a tech, it always felt like I was a mile away from loosing my mind to boredom.

But you know what they say, "one man's food; another man's poison."

 

[SpartanLaser]

And how do you feel to bust your ass and get into this much debt when you could have just kept your behind on a couch, pop out a baby, go on Medicaid and get everything handed to you without having to work.

I think I'm going to quit being a pharmacist and have my wife pop out 10 babies. Then Uncle Sam will have me covered for life. So much better than working for CVS for a paltry 35 dollars an hour after tax

 

[farmadiazepine]

Advice? Leave.