how to survive in a grocery pharmacy?

[PharmGirl31]

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I recently got hired into Safeway as a Floater. I thought this would be great! A pharmacy with only about 1000 script a week. Being a new grad, I was happy about the pharmacy not being busy. Then again, with the saturated market, I was happy to just get hired into anywhere. Anyway, it was then that during training, one RPh told me this company is way understaffed. It seem you only get 1 tech and 1 Rph at one time. I can already see the situation I will be in. Any tips on how to stay calm and handle busy situation?

thank you for any comments.

 

[KARM12]

I recently got hired into Safeway as a Floater. I thought this would be great! A pharmacy with only about 1000 script a week. Being a new grad, I was happy about the pharmacy not being busy. Then again, with the saturated market, I was happy to just get hired into anywhere. Anyway, it was then that during training, one RPh told me this company is way understaffed. It seem you only get 1 tech and 1 Rph at one time. I can already see the situation I will be in. Any tips on how to stay calm and handle busy situation?

thank you for any comments.

I actually liked being a retail pharmacist when I was at Safeway. It can get busy at times, but really depends on the store. I worked at one that filled ~50 scripts a day and one that was closer to ~200. I felt like customers weren't breathing down my neck most of the time because they generally had a few items they needed to pick up or get coffee at the Starbucks. I don't think it is any different from any other retail...you may get less help, but you're also filling less scripts. The tech😛harm script ratio is about the same. This was 4 yrs ago, so I am sure there are some changes.

 

[BrightLight]

For a store that's only 1000 scripts per week, one RPh + one tech sounds about the way everywhere else (retail-wise)

 

[PharmGirl31]

I was surprised because when I did a rotation with Fry's (also a grocery pharmacy), they had 3 techs at one time. I thought Safeway would be the same.

 

[Farmercyst]

I actually liked being a retail pharmacist when I was at Safeway. It can get busy at times, but really depends on the store. I worked at one that filled ~50 scripts a day and one that was closer to ~200. I felt like customers weren't breathing down my neck most of the time because they generally had a few items they needed to pick up or get coffee at the Starbucks. I don't think it is any different from any other retail...you may get less help, but you're also filling less scripts. The tech😛harm script ratio is about the same. This was 4 yrs ago, so I am sure there are some changes.

love how the tech : pharm turned into tech😛harm

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

I was surprised because when I did a rotation with Fry's (also a grocery pharmacy), they had 3 techs at one time. I thought Safeway would be the same.

This is why you ASK questions during the interview.

I did a rotation at Safeway during my 4th year and they bare bones staff compared to other chains I have seen. The full time pharmacist and pharmacy manager from when I was there have both quit within the last year due to the tech hour cuts and poor regional management. One went to LTC and the other went to a compounding pharmacy. From their emails, they sound leaps and bounds happier.

 

[ValeRx]

I've never worked for Wags/CVS/any other pharmacy-only oriented chain. I've worked at 5 locations within the same company in the area but having the pharmacy as a part of the grocery store doesn't make it much better. I thought it would when I first started. Grocery is where they make their money, pharmacy helps get people in the door with $4 generics. Most people still want their stuff done in 5 minutes and the fact that they have a whole store to shop in before returning to the pharmacy doesn't always happen as much as you'd like it to.

 

[pharm B]

Grocery is where they make their money, pharmacy helps get people in the door with $4 generics. Most people still want their stuff done in 5 minutes and the fact that they have a whole store to shop in before returning to the pharmacy doesn't always happen as much as you'd like it to.

I don't know the numbers, but it was stressed to me by the general manager, district guy, and PIC that at Walmart the pharmacy is what brings in the money. If it wasn't, they wouldn't have invested more than 100 million on their computer system.

 

[Notecard]

One tech and a pharmacist shouldn't be too bad for that many. There are far less waiters in grocery store pharmacies. For the ones that do come in most of the time you can quote them 30 mins or so and they just say "okay" and walk off with an empty cart.

 

[Ackj]

One tech and a pharmacist shouldn't be too bad for that many. There are far less waiters in grocery store pharmacies. For the ones that do come in most of the time you can quote them 30 mins or so and they just say "okay" and walk off with an empty cart.

I'll agree with them being okay with a 30 min wait time, but I would think this means more waiters, rather than less. The fact that people come to a grocery store more times per week anyway might mean they'll come back in a few days instead of wait, but I'm less inclined to believe this.

Also, very few grocery store pharmacies have drive through, so that's always good.

 

[MountainPharmD]

I recently got hired into Safeway as a Floater. I thought this would be great! A pharmacy with only about 1000 script a week. Being a new grad, I was happy about the pharmacy not being busy. Then again, with the saturated market, I was happy to just get hired into anywhere. Anyway, it was then that during training, one RPh told me this company is way understaffed. It seem you only get 1 tech and 1 Rph at one time. I can already see the situation I will be in. Any tips on how to stay calm and handle busy situation?

thank you for any comments.

Safeway is one of the worst companies to work for other than CVS. I think in a very short period of time they will go out of business or start scaling back and selling stores like Albertson's. The company is very poorly run not just in the Pharmacy but also on the grocery side. Safeways labor model would make CVS pround. To say you are understaffed is an understatement.

My philosophy is I can only do what I can do with the limited resources the company gives me. Do not stress out. Practice good pharmacy and take the time you need to accuratly a safetly fill prescriptions. If it takes an hour it takes an hour so what.

 

[MountainPharmD]

I actually liked being a retail pharmacist when I was at Safeway. It can get busy at times, but really depends on the store. I worked at one that filled ~50 scripts a day and one that was closer to ~200. I felt like customers weren't breathing down my neck most of the time because they generally had a few items they needed to pick up or get coffee at the Starbucks. I don't think it is any different from any other retail...you may get less help, but you're also filling less scripts. The tech😛harm script ratio is about the same. This was 4 yrs ago, so I am sure there are some changes.

Oh my there has been some big changes since then. The labor model has been changed 3 times resulting in a 20% reduction in tech hours.

 

[gmuskie]

I don't know the numbers, but it was stressed to me by the general manager, district guy, and PIC that at Walmart the pharmacy is what brings in the money. If it wasn't, they wouldn't have invested more than 100 million on their computer system.

The research I've seen from the GM locally is what the pharmacy does is create a more loyal customer who spends more money. All about the overall profit.