Intern Responsibilities

[pharmd4eva]

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I need some advice. I am a P3 and an intern at a Target pharmacy in the D.C area. Currently my responsibilities include all the responsibilites of a tech (except that I get to compound prescriptions). At Target, the empasis is on being a "team" so I also have to work the register. Although I would rather not be a cashier, I have always consistenlty helped out and have done my part. However, recently I have noticed that some of the techs intentionally avoid "ringing up customers". It is to the point where I have even asked for help on numerous occasions from the techs, only to be given an excuse as to why they can't help at the time. The on-duty pharmacist can see what is happening, but does nothing. Unfortunately, the lines get long, it gets busy and am the only person "ringing" people up. Everyone is too busy doing other things. Somehow, I am the only person that can pull away from the prescription that I may be doing at the time.

NOTE: Today, at least 70% of my time was spent on the register. I was working with one tech and a pharmacist.

So my questions to you are:
1. What types of responsibilities do you have as a pharmacy intern? (also include your level in pharmacy school)
2. Is there a difference between your responsibilities and that a tech?
3. How do you think I should approach this sticky situation with the least amount of conflict? (if that's even possible)

I really need your advice...I've only been here for four months, and I'm very frustrated. 😱

 

[letjin]

I think "intern work condition" depends on who your pharmacy manager is and how much they want you to grow + train you. I have a great pharmacy manager and I feel like I am learning to become a better pharmacist whenever I go to work. I am P2 and work in a busy 24-hour Walgreens. I get to do everything techs do + pharmacists do minus final product verification. I do order entry, filling, stock, cashier, drive-thru, insurance, doctor calls, called-in Rx, transfer/copy Rx, compounding, and answering OTC, drug interaction questions....
If your other techs really annoy you about not getting register, you should talk to your pharmacy manager about that. If he doesn't care, you are out of luck. But if your 'why am I the only one ringing up' mentality is based on "I am the pharmacy INTERN and I am superior to techs" just grow up.
The pharmacists that gets praised for their characters are the ones that are not afraid to get drive-thru when the tech is tied up with phone/customer. Also...ringing up customers are a great way to start conversation about possible questions they might have and some counseling.

 

[psychoandy]

So my questions to you are:
1. What types of responsibilities do you have as a pharmacy intern? (also include your level in pharmacy school)
2. Is there a difference between your responsibilities and that a tech?
3. How do you think I should approach this sticky situation with the least amount of conflict? (if that's even possible)

1.) I'm a P1/P2, and I worked in an outpatient pharmacy; my responsibilities were pretty much the same as a tech, except i'm expected to "know more" since i'm an intern. Every 2 hours we rotated between certain areas, i.e. x person would be at drop-off, y person would be at register, and z person would be at the bench. As an intern, I would routinely be placed at the register 2 or 3 times per day, whereas the lifers would be scheduled once or less. While this did suck (arguing over copays, dealing with idiots in the line), the register is where you actually interact with patients, as opposed to running insurance or double counting percocets. Any tech can lick and stick, but you can counsel, which is pretty much the main learning experience in retail, assuming you already know how to do insurances and crap. It's kinda bogus that you might also have to ring up random stuff, but that's life.

2.) Legally only interns and RPhs could counsel...but some of the techs would field easy questions (how to use a golytely, or when to take meds). Other than that, techs could do pretty much anything an intern could, from doing a transfer to taking a phone rx.

3.) Hard to say. Lifers will obviously be really pissy if you ask them yourself to do work...My suggestion would be to talk to your pharmacist first; sure, they can see and might not do anything, but sometimes if you bother/annoy them enough they'll listen. If there was a huge line and an open spot for someone, I would suggest (nicely) that we need an extra person at the register. If that didn't work, I would get pissy and start saying that there's a huge line and we really need someone else. By then, I mean, if there's a huge line, then the pharmacy looks bad, people get pissier, and the "losing customers" factor starts coming in, so even if the pharmacist is a wussbag, they should be doing something then.

If all of that doesn't work, talk to your pharmacy manager, without using names. Tell him/her/it what you told us; that there are long lines, the techs never help you, it looks bad, and patient care/revenue/RX's per day suffering or some crap.

 

[sdn1977]

pharmd4eva....I think you are existing in somewhat of a "black hole". Your example of working with one tech & one pharmacist today is a good example of that. You have 2 permanent positions (the tech & the pharmacist), both of whom are more experienced in everything than you.

The tech knows so much more about the patients, the insurances, the "scammers", the rejections & the new insurances which pts want on file for next week - Jan 1.

The pharmacist is the final stop - the rate limiting step. He/she cannot just "let you go" with a pile of rxs unless he/she knows those folks won't come in for a few hours or days. He/she also knows no matter how long you take to process the rx - he/she still needs to check it.

Right now....the week before a major 3 (or in all practical aspects 4) day holiday weekend - you are the cashier. So much needs to get done & finalized this week and there are always those folks who are leaving in a day & they need their rxs - which they should have called in days before...but that is a whole different thread.

Bottom line - this is a really, really busy time of year. Its the end of the calendar year, the end of an insurance year and you just don't know that much to be fast.

However...when things do indeed slow down - lets say after the first of Jan....ask the pharmacist if you can move more to pharmacist-type activities. That would be a reasonable request to make, particularly if you appeal to his/her mentoring capabilities.

Just recoginize - right now - fast is important....and you, after 4 months, are just not that fast on the practical aspects of the work. We all want to get out of work on time at this time of year....and if I or my tech has to redo too many of your rxs.....I have to stay late - which I've been doing for 2 weeks already & I'm tired! Are you staying until close? Do you know when the pharmacist is actually leaving?

Now...come back in Jan & see if things are different. Good luck, stay positive, make the most out of the opportunities you've been given - as another poster mentioned & most of all - Happy Holidays!

 

[eddie269]

Back at WAGs when I was a clerk, the interns were interchangeable with tech's. If tech #1 can't work Saturday, an intern can take her hours. All they did was fill fill fill and the occassional consulting. Since I was the clerk, I did the ringing up but when no clerk is working, a tech handles it (which meant an intern would too).

That was the way our manager wanted it so that's the way it was. My gf is an intern at CVS (P-2) and she never touched the register in her life. It's 95% filling and 4% consulting and 1% everything else (transfers, doctor calls, etc). She said she never types/processes either. Just fills all day b/c they are a high volume store. She does compound a lot though.

Oh yeah, I don't know what's so bad about ringing up customers all day anyways. Even my pharmacy mgr took over the register for an hour sometimes while I was stocking the shelves for her. It's all about team work and getting the job done.

 

[Caverject]

pharmd4eva....I think you are existing in somewhat of a "black hole". Your example of working with one tech & one pharmacist today is a good example of that. You have 2 permanent positions (the tech & the pharmacist), both of whom are more experienced in everything than you.

The tech knows so much more about the patients, the insurances, the "scammers", the rejections & the new insurances which pts want on file for next week - Jan 1.

The pharmacist is the final stop - the rate limiting step. He/she cannot just "let you go" with a pile of rxs unless he/she knows those folks won't come in for a few hours or days. He/she also knows no matter how long you take to process the rx - he/she still needs to check it.

Right now....the week before a major 3 (or in all practical aspects 4) day holiday weekend - you are the cashier. So much needs to get done & finalized this week and there are always those folks who are leaving in a day & they need their rxs - which they should have called in days before...but that is a whole different thread.

Bottom line - this is a really, really busy time of year. Its the end of the calendar year, the end of an insurance year and you just don't know that much to be fast.

However...when things do indeed slow down - lets say after the first of Jan....ask the pharmacist if you can move more to pharmacist-type activities. That would be a reasonable request to make, particularly if you appeal to his/her mentoring capabilities.

Just recoginize - right now - fast is important....and you, after 4 months, are just not that fast on the practical aspects of the work. We all want to get out of work on time at this time of year....and if I or my tech has to redo too many of your rxs.....I have to stay late - which I've been doing for 2 weeks already & I'm tired! Are you staying until close? Do you know when the pharmacist is actually leaving?

Now...come back in Jan & see if things are different. Good luck, stay positive, make the most out of the opportunities you've been given - as another poster mentioned & most of all - Happy Holidays!

Just wanted to point out the longest post in this thread so far... 😉

 

[acetyl]

Just wanted to point out the longest post in this thread so far... 😉

Yeah, she likes to talk, but I like to read what she says. 🙂

 

[Shmy2008]

So my questions to you are:
1. What types of responsibilities do you have as a pharmacy intern? (also include your level in pharmacy school)
2. Is there a difference between your responsibilities and that a tech?
3. How do you think I should approach this sticky situation with the least amount of conflict? (if that's even possible)

I've worked for Target for nearly 10 years. I'm currently a P3 intern. During the school year, "interns" are technicians. You are using store hours to pay your salary, and there are daily tasks that must be completed - collecting money for your product is one of those tasks. I hate running the register as much as the next guy, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

So to answer your questions:
1. I have no "responsibilities" that aren't those of a technician. I choose to take and receive transfers, take called-in prescriptions, and counsel patients. During the school year, the title of "intern" is used for pay purposes and classifications - the day-to-day responsibilities must be covered before you can start to "learn." As the intern, the pharmacists will occasionally call upon me to see if I have any information on topics that they aren't familiar with ("the new drug for this..." or "an OTC for such-and-such").
2. No difference, except for the things I can do that are above and beyond (see #1)
3. Push the backup cashier button where there are more than two people in line. Thats why its there. If that doesn't work, perhaps suggest a scheduling scheme to your preceptor - one where each person's shift is equally divided between the register, technician tasks (counting, labeling, answering phones), and "other" (for you, that could be "interning"). That way, everybody spends equal time doing the things they love most 😀

 

[sdn1977]

Just wanted to point out the longest post in this thread so far... 😉

Just think what my husband & bosses (are you listening Zpak???) have to put up with????

I'm worse in real life! I'll talk your ear off - especially about pharmacy....

Now....if we're talking about football....I'll go make the nachos....😀

 

[august83]

Well, here in England, we don't call it Intern, but pre-registration (after graduation) or during Summer, Level 1 -3 student usually participate in Summer Placement, either in hospital or community pharmacy. I've been for a few Hospital Pharmacy Summer Placement, it's usually 4 weeks, and it was a great experience. I had to do a Portfolio of the work experience, and even got homework!

I suppose, because I am still an undergraduate, I didn't have to do much work during the Placement, but there were lots of 'observation' going on and I undergone training in all departments, but usually I was in Medicine Information and Clinical Ward Rounds (following pharmacists around). When I was there, there were 3 pre-reg students, and they basically have to do what other pharmacists do, except that they do not make interventions in treatment and they were kinda still 'under training'. They got days off for revisions and socialising activities with other pre-reg students.

But for Community pharmacy, yep, most of the time, the summer placement also mean the students = cashiers (most of the time) and if they are lucky enough they'll get to do some pharmacy jobs. It's common that when you're just about to start off, you have to do other general work as well... It's just part of getting to know how the system works. But once you've registered, you don't have to! Because I am sure they don't have enough hand that are qualified to do the real pharmacist job!

So just hang in there okay? It's all good experience. 😉

 

[alwaystired]

Well, here in England, we don't call it Intern, but pre-registration (after graduation) or during Summer, Level 1 -3 student usually participate in Summer Placement, either in hospital or community pharmacy. I've been for a few Hospital Pharmacy Summer Placement, it's usually 4 weeks, and it was a great experience. I had to do a Portfolio of the work experience, and even got homework!

I suppose, because I am still an undergraduate, I didn't have to do much work during the Placement, but there were lots of 'observation' going on and I undergone training in all departments, but usually I was in Medicine Information and Clinical Ward Rounds (following pharmacists around). When I was there, there were 3 pre-reg students, and they basically have to do what other pharmacists do, except that they do not make interventions in treatment and they were kinda still 'under training'. They got days off for revisions and socialising activities with other pre-reg students.

But for Community pharmacy, yep, most of the time, the summer placement also mean the students = cashiers (most of the time) and if they are lucky enough they'll get to do some pharmacy jobs. It's common that when you're just about to start off, you have to do other general work as well... It's just part of getting to know how the system works. But once you've registered, you don't have to! Because I am sure they don't have enough hand that are qualified to do the real pharmacist job!

So just hang in there okay? It's all good experience. 😉

I don't think you understand. P3 means almost done.....and you can not just show up once your licensed and do the job. Training and practice is required and that is why they have an internship, not to learn how to ring a register, which can be tricky, but not a part of the pharmacy education.

 

[pharmd4eva]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all the great responses. Your insight provided some much-needed clarification. I've spoken with my boss about add'l responsibilities (aka: more "pharmacist type" duties), and she agreed to get me more involved in the new year.

Happy New Year to everyone!