Here's to you, Super Tech.

[1800callsaul]

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This post is dedicated to SuperTechs.

I love SuperTechs.

I floated for about 1 month before finding a home for myself as a staff RPh at a store. During that month, I noticed certain stores were much easier to work at than others INDEPENDENT of total daily Rx volume. Almost 100% of the time stores that were easy had SuperTechs. Fortunately, the store I've landed at has one.

Here's to you, SuperTech:

1. You've been working longer than anyone else in the pharmacy.

2. You know damn near all the customers and their weird idiosyncrasies. You alert me to potential problem patients or their said idiosyncrasies.

3. You shield me from unnecessary interruptions. You screen phone calls. You don't say "lets ask the pharmacist" for every single thing. You TRY to figure out things for yourself before getting me involved.

4. At the same rate, you know when to get me involved. You know what questions are for a pharmacist. You respect my knowledge and expertise in medications.

5. You don't talk about random **** all day long. At work, you give a damn about getting scripts in and out of the pharmacy.You don't chit-chat about random crap. You work while at work. If you do talk about random crap, it's not during a time when we're getting both-barrels.

6. You know where everything is located in the store.

7. You call customers about all potential problems. Out of stock, refill too soon, partial fills.

8. You make very few mistakes. You don't make me send scripts back your way at any crazy high frequency. You are attentive to the little things like refills and dates of prescriptions.

9. You're fast. You type, count, & pull drugs fast.

10. You don't over-clutter the pharmacy counter. You put stuff back.

11. You don't act bothered or start any hissy-fit when you need to go attend to the register or a drive thru.

Here's to all Super Techs out there. Thank you for everything you've done for me. You're a joy to work with. This one is for you, Super Tech. The pharmacy would be screwed without you.

 

[trailerpark]

How much money do these super techs make? 10 dollars an hour? Why don't they wise up and enter a profession with opportunities for upward advancement? After working in retail (IPPE/APPE) it baffles me why people work as a tech. As pre-pharmacy I wouldn't even work as a tech. I waited till I got into pharmacy school and started as an intern with a non retail pharmacy setting.

 

[Estrace]

This post is dedicated to SuperTechs.

I love SuperTechs.

I floated for about 1 month before finding a home for myself as a staff RPh at a store. During that month, I noticed certain stores were much easier to work at than others INDEPENDENT of total daily Rx volume. Almost 100% of the time stores that were easy had SuperTechs. Fortunately, the store I've landed at has one.

Here's to you, SuperTech:

1. You've been working longer than anyone else in the pharmacy.

2. You know damn near all the customers and their weird idiosyncrasies. You alert me to potential problem patients or their said idiosyncrasies.

3. You shield me from unnecessary interruptions. You screen phone calls. You don't say "lets ask the pharmacist" for every single thing. You TRY to figure out things for yourself before getting me involved.

4. At the same rate, you know when to get me involved. You know what questions are for a pharmacist. You respect my knowledge and expertise in medications.

5. You don't talk about random **** all day long. At work, you give a damn about getting scripts in and out of the pharmacy.You don't chit-chat about random crap. You work while at work. If you do talk about random crap, it's not during a time when we're getting both-barrels.

6. You know where everything is located in the store.

7. You call customers about all potential problems. Out of stock, refill too soon, partial fills.

8. You make very few mistakes. You don't make me send scripts back your way at any crazy high frequency. You are attentive to the little things like refills and dates of prescriptions.

9. You're fast. You type, count, & pull drugs fast.

10. You don't over-clutter the pharmacy counter. You put stuff back.

11. You don't act bothered or start any hissy-fit when you need to go attend to the register or a drive thru.

Here's to all Super Techs out there. Thank you for everything you've done for me. You're a joy to work with. This one is for you, Super Tech. The pharmacy would be screwed without you.

Floating definitely makes you appreciate a good tech when you see one. I used to have 5 awesome techs. They weren't all super techs but they were and still are a joy to work with. Things aren't the same anymore at my store because of the RXM and one of the techs left but I still appreciate working with my techs.

 

[pharmalt82]

Good techs easily deserve 20 bucks an hour. It's ridiculous how underpaid they are for the work they do.
Some techs on the other hand...minimum wage is too much.

 

[pharmerjohn]

This post is dedicated to SuperTechs.

I love SuperTechs.

I floated for about 1 month before finding a home for myself as a staff RPh at a store. During that month, I noticed certain stores were much easier to work at than others INDEPENDENT of total daily Rx volume. Almost 100% of the time stores that were easy had SuperTechs. Fortunately, the store I've landed at has one.

Here's to you, SuperTech:

1. You've been working longer than anyone else in the pharmacy.

2. You know damn near all the customers and their weird idiosyncrasies. You alert me to potential problem patients or their said idiosyncrasies.

3. You shield me from unnecessary interruptions. You screen phone calls. You don't say "lets ask the pharmacist" for every single thing. You TRY to figure out things for yourself before getting me involved.

4. At the same rate, you know when to get me involved. You know what questions are for a pharmacist. You respect my knowledge and expertise in medications.

5. You don't talk about random **** all day long. At work, you give a damn about getting scripts in and out of the pharmacy.You don't chit-chat about random crap. You work while at work. If you do talk about random crap, it's not during a time when we're getting both-barrels.

6. You know where everything is located in the store.

7. You call customers about all potential problems. Out of stock, refill too soon, partial fills.

8. You make very few mistakes. You don't make me send scripts back your way at any crazy high frequency. You are attentive to the little things like refills and dates of prescriptions.

9. You're fast. You type, count, & pull drugs fast.

10. You don't over-clutter the pharmacy counter. You put stuff back.

11. You don't act bothered or start any hissy-fit when you need to go attend to the register or a drive thru.

Here's to all Super Techs out there. Thank you for everything you've done for me. You're a joy to work with. This one is for you, Super Tech. The pharmacy would be screwed without you.

On behalf of all the wonderful, hard-working techs that I know, the ones who come into work with the focus of doing the best darn job they can, then leave for the day tired and exhausted, only to come back and do it again the next day... I'd like to say: thank you! 🙂 A little bit of appreciation goes a long way, especially in retail.

 

[pharmerjohn]

How much money do these super techs make? 10 dollars an hour? Why don't they wise up and enter a profession with opportunities for upward advancement? After working in retail (IPPE/APPE) it baffles me why people work as a tech. As pre-pharmacy I wouldn't even work as a tech. I waited till I got into pharmacy school and started as an intern with a non retail pharmacy setting.

Walk a mile in other people's shoes before you start passing judgments. People have their reasons that are often not so conspicuous to the uninformed observer.

 

[radio frequency]

How much money do these super techs make? 10 dollars an hour? Why don't they wise up and enter a profession with opportunities for upward advancement? After working in retail (IPPE/APPE) it baffles me why people work as a tech. As pre-pharmacy I wouldn't even work as a tech. I waited till I got into pharmacy school and started as an intern with a non retail pharmacy setting.

A lot of supertechs do just fine. They're worth their weight in gold and their employers pay them well. A lot of them don't have the education to do as well outside pharmacy, but that doesn't make them any less valuable.

I can't believe you wouldn't work as a tech before pharmacy school. That's outrageous and should have been a big red flag on your application.

 

[1800callsaul]

Good techs easily deserve 20 bucks an hour. It's ridiculous how underpaid they are for the work they do.
Some techs on the other hand...minimum wage is too much.

Yeah, I really wish they were paid more. Man o man the job is just as tough and as physically demanding. I try to treat them to lunch/ dinner as often as I can because I want to make it crystal clear that they are appreciated. A "good" pharmacist (in the eyes of corporate) is only as good as his/her techs.

 

[owlegrad]

I can't believe you wouldn't work as a tech before pharmacy school. That's outrageous and should have been a big red flag on your application.

Uhh... Lots of pharmacy students did not work as technicians before hand.

 

[zelman]

Uhh... Lots of pharmacy students did not work his technicians before hand.

Didn't isn't wouldn't.

 

[pharmalt82]

Yeah, I really wish they were paid more. Man o man the job is just as tough and as physically demanding. I try to treat them to lunch/ dinner as often as I can because I want to make it crystal clear that they are appreciated. A "good" pharmacist (in the eyes of corporate) is only as good as his/her techs.

At some locations the job is 10x more physically demanding than that of the RPh. No doubt about that. It makes me feel lucky becoming an RPh.

 

[StellargalS]

Physically demanding?

 

[Sparda29]

Meh, those crates and boxes aren't that heavy unless you're a 5'1" 95 lb 24 year old female pharmacist, then yeah it might be difficult.

 

[Pharmgrlnxdor]

Hell yes it is physically demanding! There are days I go in to CVS and I, as the only tech, run circles around my RPh. I am at the drive through, then drop off, the pickup, lather rinse repeat 60 more times. I am moving nearly constantly.

 

[owlegrad]

Hell yes it is physically demanding! There are days I go in to CVS and I, as the only tech, run circles around my RPh. I am at the drive through, then drop off, the pickup, lather rinse repeat 60 more times. I am moving nearly constantly.

Yeah the techs run around more for sure. OTOH, not working a 14 hour day...just sayin'. 😉

 

[pharm B]

Yeah the techs run around more for sure. OTOH, not working a 14 hour day...just sayin'. 😉

Bingo. The super techs normally have established their role as the alpha non-RPh. With that usually comes a set schedule, better negotiation for time off, etc.

 

[1800callsaul]

Meh, those crates and boxes aren't that heavy unless you're a 5'1" 95 lb 24 year old female pharmacist, then yeah it might be difficult.

Not acute physical difficulty like construction or manual labor work per se. Chronic low-level cumulative stuff does exist in the job though. Standing for 8 hours, running here and there to grab drugs, go to register, etc. Techs are pretty much in constant motion. It's a hell of a lot more active than 99% of jobs in America. Now that I'm out of school and working retail full time, I've lost weight (dont need or want to). My diet hasn't changed. I don't sit on my ass studying all day anymore though.

And the other poster is right: I move around a lot less as an RPh, ESPECIALLY at high volume stores when all I really have time to do is process e-rx's and QA.

 

[Pharmgrlnxdor]

Actually, on Sundays I pull a 13 as I work 7 hours in the pharmacy and then go cover the front register for 6 more. That is after working 8 on Saturday and about 50 more hours at my hospital rotation during the week, just sayin. ; )

 

[68quebec]

I absolutely agree no more than anyone else about this. i know two best ever techs in out pharmacy. guess wut, they get same damn freaking pay as other lazy big ass techs. it really makes me mad. its like a group work with one girl doing everything while the others just put their names on title

 

[MindOverMatter]

I currently work with the absolute best tech I have ever worked with, seen or even heard about, and I just found out that I'm being moved to a new store after next week. Seriously the thing that I am dreading the most is leaving this tech. I wish I could bring her with me.

 

[Jibby321]

I currently work with the absolute best tech I have ever worked with, seen or even heard about, and I just found out that I'm being moved to a new store after next week. Seriously the thing that I am dreading the most is leaving this tech. I wish I could bring her with me.

I've been working for a tech for just over three years now and when my manager was leaving his old job for his new one he offered me a position at his new place so he took me with him.

So take her with you!

 

[trailerpark]

I've been working for a tech for just over three years now and when my manager was leaving his old job for his new one he offered me a position at his new place so he took me with him.

So take her with you!

Did he offer you more money?

 

[owlegrad]

When my PIC moved to my store she brought a tech with her.

 

[Jibby321]

Did he offer you more money?

Sure did. So it really was a no brainer for me.

 

[MindOverMatter]

Hmm, I might have to inquire about that. If I could bring this tech with me, it would make the transition a lot more bearable. She's already maxed out in pay though, which sucks. I've been fighting with corporate to give her a raise for months now, and they haven't budged. She hasn't had a raise in 5 years. How is that even possible?

 

[R xxx]

I know a CVS tech that made $25 an hour. When you can bring in the business. They will pay you. She left for another pharmacy after more than 20 years there and took 20% of the business with her. That store filled over 1000 a day. So imagine all the money they lost.

 

[Jibby321]

Hmm, I might have to inquire about that. If I could bring this tech with me, it would make the transition a lot more bearable. She's already maxed out in pay though, which sucks. I've been fighting with corporate to give her a raise for months now, and they haven't budged. She hasn't had a raise in 5 years. How is that even possible?

No raise in 5 years??? That's crazy I would have left a long time ago.

 

[Jibby321]

I know a CVS tech that made $25 an hour. When you can bring in the business. They will pay you. She left for another pharmacy after more than 20 years there and took 20% of the business with her. That store filled over 1000 a day. So imagine all the money they lost.

I knew one of these too. They were with the company before they turned into money grubbing and all about the metrics etc.

They also kept pushing her to retire even though economically she was not ready. They just didn't want to pay her $25 and hour.

 

[StellargalS]

Touche! I hear working the drive through puts an extra special triple whipped double fudge frosting on the job cake. The problem is: that set up is crap! No value add with all that running around.

They need to centralize the pitching hole for the drug sacks, hook up the self check out and add a script feed. No one will miss the distant face of the frustrated big box worker mouthing the inaudible and insincere pleasantries from up above behind two panes of glass. Give them the Chopin interlude and the bionical voice responder. They have no say, there is no where else to go! DONE!

RE: Physically demanding. I waited tables whenever I got the chance from high school up until I passed the board. Waiting tables was physically demanding. We worked 16 hour doubles, and wore buzzers because the kitchen could be 5 dinning halls away. Yadah yadah yadah.

My point is physically demanding is tolerable. Techs could swing from a trapeze and I still wouldn't be impressed because they work 8 hours and they always take a lunch and their breaks. The last time I worked for big box I was 25 years old, so a lack of glucose was part of my routine. The worst of it was the same thing that occasionally still gets me today which is: the pharmacist's social "autonomy". C'est la via.

 

[pharmalt82]

Touche! I hear working the drive through puts an extra special triple whipped double fudge frosting on the job cake. The problem is: that set up is crap! No value add with all that running around.

They need to centralize the pitching hole for the drug sacks, hook up the self check out and add a script feed. No one will miss the distant face of the frustrated big box worker mouthing the inaudible and insincere pleasantries from up above behind two panes of glass. Give them the Chopin interlude and the bionical voice responder. They have no say, there is no where else to go! DONE!

RE: Physically demanding. I waited tables whenever I got the chance from high school up until I passed the board. Waiting tables was physically demanding. We worked 16 hour doubles, and wore buzzers because the kitchen could be 5 dinning halls away. Yadah yadah yadah.

My point is physically demanding is tolerable. Techs could swing from a trapeze and I still wouldn't be impressed because they work 8 hours and they always take a lunch and their breaks. The last time I worked for big box I was 25 years old, so a lack of glucose was part of my routine. The worst of it was the same thing that occasionally still gets me today which is: the pharmacist's social "autonomy". C'est la via.

What do you mean by: the pharmacist's social autonomy?

Also, let's face one big thing: there are plenty of jobs that let you sit and earn 30-50k. Period. End of Discussion for why techs should get paid more but also have higher working standards.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

No raise in 5 years??? That's crazy I would have left a long time ago.

If they are maxed out, they are making way over 20 dollars an hour. At that point, you have to ask yourself if they are worth 3 techs? I know of a tech that is maxed out... and she is NOT.

Do you guys know how much insurance pays for us to fill their aspirin? lisinopril? Amox?

I think super techs should get paid 15-16 dollars. We just have to find a way to lower ****ty tech wages so super techs get paid more.

 

[owlegrad]

No raise in 5 years??? That's crazy I would have left a long time ago.

Most jobs have a wage ceiling.

 

[StellargalS]

Moving forward I need to take a moment to review the directions for posting. 😕The brain is not processing for me currently so I will just say back @ pharmalt82 my post was in response to responses re: my initial interjection of "physically demanding?" To me running around is easier than standing so perhaps there was more. The drive through was noteworthy

I did not broach the monetary component. But I am all for appropriate technician remuneration in any setting. I have traditionally sought out independent employers. They pay their techs well i.e. $25/hr and give them performance bonuses along with pharmacists. We are team and that is how it should be.

RE: Socially autonomous meaning I am usually the only pharmacist on duty. I work open to close without relief from duty and I take on the work of others when they go to lunch. Performance: As a pharmacist my line of thinking and acting is based on my sense of obligation to facilitate the physician's intended plan of care for his/her patient. I don't like taking heat or getting called out for dropping the ball but it is secondary and merely par for the course. Techs are more concerned with pissing someone off, or letting them down or getting called out. If confrontation doesn't surface they figure no harm done (in general). Productivity: pharmacist(s) and tech(s) work side by side on the same production line to deliver the scripts. True! The difference between us is that I can provide a particular assistance which cannot be reciprocated by them. We, pharmacists, busted our humps to gain the knowledge to work the kinks out of dispensing. Without us production slams to a halt. Yet no one REALLY cares that we don't get a break or that we have to take the heat when they forget or slack. Why? Cuz pharmacists make bank! To me there is a disconnect in that line of thinking and in that I am alone.

 

[Jibby321]

If they are maxed out, they are making way over 20 dollars an hour. At that point, you have to ask yourself if they are worth 3 techs? I know of a tech that is maxed out... and she is NOT.

Do you guys know how much insurance pays for us to fill their aspirin? lisinopril? Amox?

I think super techs should get paid 15-16 dollars. We just have to find a way to lower ****ty tech wages so super techs get paid more.

Agreed. It shouldn't be so political to be able to let the ****ty techs go. But then that's when all the lawsuits come about.

 

[Jibby321]

Most jobs have a wage ceiling.

Yes, the only people who reach that are the techs who have been there forever. The person I knew was at eckard before cvs bought them out, and eckard was more generous in yearly reviews than cvs.

 

[nextyearrx]

This post is dedicated to SuperTechs.

I love SuperTechs.

I floated for about 1 month before finding a home for myself as a staff RPh at a store. During that month, I noticed certain stores were much easier to work at than others INDEPENDENT of total daily Rx volume. Almost 100% of the time stores that were easy had SuperTechs. Fortunately, the store I've landed at has one.

Here's to you, SuperTech:

1. You've been working longer than anyone else in the pharmacy.

2. You know damn near all the customers and their weird idiosyncrasies. You alert me to potential problem patients or their said idiosyncrasies.

3. You shield me from unnecessary interruptions. You screen phone calls. You don't say "lets ask the pharmacist" for every single thing. You TRY to figure out things for yourself before getting me involved.

4. At the same rate, you know when to get me involved. You know what questions are for a pharmacist. You respect my knowledge and expertise in medications.

5. You don't talk about random **** all day long. At work, you give a damn about getting scripts in and out of the pharmacy.You don't chit-chat about random crap. You work while at work. If you do talk about random crap, it's not during a time when we're getting both-barrels.

6. You know where everything is located in the store.

7. You call customers about all potential problems. Out of stock, refill too soon, partial fills.

8. You make very few mistakes. You don't make me send scripts back your way at any crazy high frequency. You are attentive to the little things like refills and dates of prescriptions.

9. You're fast. You type, count, & pull drugs fast.

10. You don't over-clutter the pharmacy counter. You put stuff back.

11. You don't act bothered or start any hissy-fit when you need to go attend to the register or a drive thru.

Here's to all Super Techs out there. Thank you for everything you've done for me. You're a joy to work with. This one is for you, Super Tech. The pharmacy would be screwed without you.

lol, I wish I had MANY super techs at my store!!