How do you survive at busy cvs?

[ineeddrug]

---

Members don't see this ad.

How do you survive at busy cvs store?
I mean..how do you do QA, answering phones, doctor calls, pcq calls especially when there are only 2 techs (simetimes only one tech) except you?
I asked my manager to schedule more tech but he said "i schedule whatever myschedule tells me to do".

We are doing 400-450 per day. We have scriptpro. Production is strong. But not drop-off.
Qt comes by pages. We are right next to hospital.
We have drive-thru. Non stop.
Three techs quitted. Hired new tech recently.

I was transferred from other store (which does 250-300 per day) last month and still struggling.
I was able to do dr's call, pcq and even tar when i was at my old store. But i do not know how to handle all these at current store.
My manager keeps telling me to do pcq, m5 and scriptsync call. But really, i am just being busy chasing red qa.


Any advice?

 

[trailerpark]

1 store in my district has a drive through and I refuse to learn how to use it, but I'm always like what the hell is that sound when it goes off. The board visited that pharmacy and said the pharmacist must council every drive thru even if it's a refill because they consider it a tele-pharmacy. But I get my meds mail order and no one calls me in this state. Hmm...

 

[rxsurf23]

You won't be able to catch up until you get your new techs trained, that's the reality of it. Keep sticking them at drop-off until they start to feel comfortable. And then you're going to have to bounce around from QV and QT just to make sure it doesn't go red. It's tough with the drive-thru too because it throws off the ratio. If you're following the 2:1 standard, that leaves you a person at drop off, drive thru and a person at register (who doesn't count). Which means no one at production (another job for you).

 

[MyRealNameIs]

I work at Walgreens as a tech with similar work condition.

Our store pulls the store manager or assistant store managers constantly to ring out customers along with one tech. The other tech fills.
Pharmacist moves between counseling, calls, immunizations and help whatever station needs help.
Store managers complain about not getting any of their work done but what can you do? After all, most of the profit is from pharmacy anyways.

This is common practice in Walgreens. Is CVS not allowed to ask store managers for help?

 

[pillpharmer14]

You can ask, but most of the time you get a response over the loud speaker "psshhhkk we have a line psshhhkk"

 

[Old Timer]

How do you survive at busy cvs store?
I mean..how do you do QA, answering phones, doctor calls, pcq calls especially when there are only 2 techs (simetimes only one tech) except you?
I asked my manager to schedule more tech but he said "i schedule whatever myschedule tells me to do".

We are doing 400-450 per day. We have scriptpro. Production is strong. But not drop-off.
Qt comes by pages. We are right next to hospital.
We have drive-thru. Non stop.
Three techs quitted. Hired new tech recently.

I was transferred from other store (which does 250-300 per day) last month and still struggling.
I was able to do dr's call, pcq and even tar when i was at my old store. But i do not know how to handle all these at current store.
My manager keeps telling me to do pcq, m5 and scriptsync call. But really, i am just being busy chasing red qa.


Any advice?

What is your weekly number of scripts and what is your weekly allotment of tech hours.?

 

[30Percent]

Like rxsurf said it won't go smoothly until your new techs are trained up. Just focus on verifying prescriptions and other pharmacist related duties if you have time. Make sure your new techs are trained well on drop off. Having a fast drop off person will make everything go smoothly. The new hires will struggle and everything in QT will turn red, but they have to learn it. Filling and pick up are easy to learn.

This is common practice in Walgreens. Is CVS not allowed to ask store managers for help?

It is policy for the front store to back up pharmacy at the register, but it depends on the relationship of front store with pharmacy. I've noticed most front store staff will say no.

 

[MyRealNameIs]

I have worked at three different stores and I believe store managers are required to show up and help whenever someone calls IC3 whether it be pharmacy or store.

Some of them actually have tech license. If they are not required to help, I see no reason why company will spend money and give raise to managers with tech license.

I am surprised that some front staff will say no

Maybe it depends on the area and the district manager.

 

[30Percent]

I have worked at three different stores and I believe store managers are required to show up and help whenever someone calls IC3 whether it be pharmacy or store.

Some of them actually have tech license. If they are not required to help, I see no reason why company will spend money and give raise to managers with tech license.

I am surprised that some front staff will say no

Maybe it depends on the area and the district manager.

They don't say no without a reason. They usually say they have a line or they need to put away their stock.

Are you working on the west coast? I know with Longs they had store managers with tech licenses. Once CVS took over, the new store managers I've encountered don't have a tech license.

 

[SpartanLaser]

You don't survive. You get crushed, mentally, physically, and spiritually

 

[ineeddrug]

What is your weekly number of scripts and what is your weekly allotment of tech hours.?

We do 3000-3500 per week. I dont know how many tech hours are given yet. But since experienced tech quitted & have new tech work only at pickup, it is hard to work.
When someone calls in sick, no one can come help because it is ot for them.

 

[Old Timer]

We do 3000-3500 per week. I dont know how many tech hours are given yet. But since experienced tech quitted & have new tech work only at pickup, it is hard to work.
When someone calls in sick, no one can come help because it is ot for them.

You need to speak to your supe about OT. It's better to have OT than a 40 on your we care and you quit from the stress.....

 

[ineeddrug]

You need to speak to your supe about OT. It's better to have OT than a 40 on your we care and you quit from the stress.....

My pic is ok to have them OT but the thing is that no one wants to stay longer anymore.
We have not enough techs to work so they have been doing ot already for many weeks now and they started getting sick.
We are hiring more techs but it takes too long. I dont know how long I/ my team can survive..

 

[ineeddrug]

Would I look bad if I tell my dm that i want to go to different store or step down to a floater?

I feel exhaused everyday & just want to escape. 🙁

 

[Deja]

jesus....

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

It keeps getting harder to become a tech. Licensing, finger printing, national certification, CE. On top of that the job performance expectations at retail keep increasing and the hours keep getting worse with short shifts and odd hours. On top of all that the pay is about the same as you could make working at The Gap with no stress. They are going to need to improve tech pay and working conditions at retail or these stores are going to do down the toilet. We pay and treat our techs great. We hire the best people and they never quit.

 

[farmadiazepine]

Heavily self medicate with alcohol to black out status after every shift at CVS.

 

[BMBiology]

It keeps getting harder to become a tech. Licensing, finger printing, national certification, CE. On top of that the job performance expectations at retail keep increasing and the hours keep getting worse with short shifts and odd hours. On top of all that the pay is about the same as you could make working at The Gap with no stress. They are going to need to improve tech pay and working conditions at retail or these stores are going to do down the toilet. We pay and treat our techs great. We hire the best people and they never quit.

Exactly and they expect the techs to dress professional...nice shirt + tie. Rents in the big cities are going thru the roof. All of this crap so they can make a few dollars above the minimum wage?

 

[ancienbon]

Exactly and they expect the techs to dress professional...nice shirt + tie. Rents in the big cities are going thru the roof. All of this crap so they can make a few dollars above the minimum wage?

And they only want to hire part time only. They expect them to have open availability

 

[BMBiology]

And they only want to hire part time only. They expect them to have open availability

From what I hear, CVS is pushing a lot of people to per diem and part time status (anybody who works less than 30 hours a week) so CVS doesn't have to give them benefits like health insurance (ironic of a healthcare company), 401 k (don't want the veterans around), etc. All of these benefits are tax free/tax defer too.

I said this was coming a while back. I knew it would happen because the new grads are too ignorant to realize the importance of benefits. All they care about is the hourly rate.

 

[Digsbe]

It keeps getting harder to become a tech. Licensing, finger printing, national certification, CE. On top of that the job performance expectations at retail keep increasing and the hours keep getting worse with short shifts and odd hours. On top of all that the pay is about the same as you could make working at The Gap with no stress. They are going to need to improve tech pay and working conditions at retail or these stores are going to do down the toilet. We pay and treat our techs great. We hire the best people and they never quit.

My first tech job was minimum wage. I had to get licensed with the state and go through some basic training to be registered.My 2nd tech job I was able to make $2 above minimum wage. For people handling medications, having responsibility like that and the fact that a knowledgeable and skilled tech GREATLY aids in how productive the pharmacy is you'd hope chains and other places would value them enough to pay them well and work on employee retention. Sometimes I wonder if companies aren't factoring in turnover cost (as most people don't stay long) and lost revenue due to inefficiencies with having inexperienced staff and constantly having to train new people. With CPhT, state licensing requirements, and the need to know some aspects of pharmacy law and brand/generics I'd say it's beyond minimum wage pay, especially given the setting and responsibilities. If I ever owned my own independent I'd treat my techs right.

 

[Old Timer]

From what I hear, CVS is pushing a lot of people to per diem and part time status (anybody who works less than 30 hours a week) so CVS doesn't have to give them benefits like health insurance (ironic of a healthcare company), 401 k (don't want the veterans around), etc. All of these benefits are tax free/tax defer too.

I said this was coming a while back. I knew it would happen because the new grads are too ignorant to realize the importance of benefits. All they care about is the hourly rate.

Your hearing is impaired. Not happening where I am....

 

[maria1oh]

I have read emails from DM and Sup about not hiring full time and hiring part time instead.

 

[Old Timer]

I have read emails from DM and Sup about not hiring full time and hiring part time instead.

Did you read carefully? I think not., BMB was speaking about pharmacist hiring. There are no per diem techs nor are there new graduate techs.

From what I hear, CVS is pushing a lot of people to per diem and part time status (anybody who works less than 30 hours a week) so CVS doesn't have to give them benefits like health insurance (ironic of a healthcare company), 401 k (don't want the veterans around), etc. All of these benefits are tax free/tax defer too.

I said this was coming a while back. I knew it would happen because the new grads are too ignorant to realize the importance of benefits. All they care about is the hourly rate.

 

[Apotheker2015]

Would I look bad if I tell my dm that i want to go to different store or step down to a floater?

I feel exhaused everyday & just want to escape. 🙁

@ineeddrug
There is your answer... escape...