Interns, how would you react to situations like this ?

[TianjinNVhai]

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This happened tonight at the pharmacy i work at. We have an old lady tech who has an office jobs during daytime. Every evening she came to work at the pharmacy, she won't do anything but staring at computer screens and pout. When customers show up she will boss others around to wait on customers.
Tonight she was on the chart to take out trash, she asked another tech if he could do trash for him.
The other tech said :"why did't ask one of the interns to do it? they're too smart for it?'
She goes :"They think they're too smart for it." yep, in front of all three interns (including me).
Of course, I didn't say anything back to her mainly because this is my last year working here as as intern and i'm in the process of looking for my first pharmacist job.

what would you do if you have to work with a tech with this nasty attitude against interns?

 

[pharm B]

I've worked with plenty of nasty people. I normally just try my best to be the person others want around. You'll find your first real job and move on to better things. She won't.

 

[Rxaunt]

As an intern where I worked we were the ones to take out the trash almost always not the techs. For various reasons a) because we were normally the ones closing with maybe one tech b) we were younger and could lug the trash around easier and c) we had a chore chart that we all would work together to complete before the end of the night so we would each start working on the list until it was done and no one left unless everything was marked off. Honestly in that situation I probably would have walked over and grabbed the trash and took it out myself and not said anything. And moved on with my life, you don't need the negative energy in your head space. You probably aren't going to change their mind, and it sounds like they just need an attitude adjustment in general but maybe just going over to take the trash yourself would shut them up. When you work in a pharmacy you can never think that you are above any job back there. Because you aren't, a good pharmacist or tech or intern just does want needs to be done if it is taking out the trash so be it. And by just going to do something that they think you will think is below you might get them at least to keep their comments to themselves. I am not saying you thought the task was below you are anything like that but clearly they think that is the case so I would have just shocked them into silence by taking the trash out.

 

[animalsasleaders]

As an intern, I've learned to be nice to very unpleasant people (patients, techs, pharmacists, front store, etc.). It's just part of the fun of working in teams. In this position, you have to remember that no task is below you. I've even stocked and faced front store when they had someone call out.
Like pharm B said: be the person others want around.

 

[owlegrad]

Yeah, I am going to echo what others have said. You aren't going to change their mind and getting into any kind of situation where it could look like you are trying to avoid an unpleasant task will only reflect poorly on you. As long as you make it clear that you will do any task without complaint they will have no leg to stand on with their BS about "so and so thinks they are too good for x".

Of course if you are the type that doesn't want to "roll over" you could always get passive aggressive right back at her. "Sure I will be happy to take out the trash, are there more computer screens you need to stare at?". etc etc. Potentially fun but probably not going to reflect well on you. 😉

 

[Corytrade]

Nothing.

 

[sozetone]

This happened tonight at the pharmacy i work at. We have an old lady tech who has an office jobs during daytime. Every evening she came to work at the pharmacy, she won't do anything but staring at computer screens and pout. When customers show up she will boss others around to wait on customers.
Tonight she was on the chart to take out trash, she asked another tech if he could do trash for him.
The other tech said :"why did't ask one of the interns to do it? they're too smart for it?'
She goes :"They think they're too smart for it." yep, in front of all three interns (including me).
Of course, I didn't say anything back to her mainly because this is my last year working here as as intern and i'm in the process of looking for my first pharmacist job.

what would you do if you have to work with a tech with this nasty attitude against interns?

1) SHE is an old, tired judgmental person. Bitter and angry. Move on as a pharmacist.

2) you better get used to taking out the trash! cuz thats what you need to do when you run a pharmacy and close up at night. so your place is clean neat and orderly. Hey, dont forget to vacuum either!.....lol

 

[Sine Cura]

I would cut this trash tech's hours. A manager should never be desperate for trash techs. All chains are cutting tech hours so she can't say **** about age discrimination

Of course if you are the type that doesn't want to "roll over" you could always get passive aggressive right back at her. "Sure I will be happy to take out the trash, are there more computer screens you need to stare at?". etc etc. Potentially fun but probably not going to reflect well on you. 😉

If I had no intention of continuing to work for that company I would get feisty and run my mouth too like this

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Ohhhh boy, here I go again being contrarian:

Once, I was helping Walmart to move a pharmacy to or from its temporary location while the remodel was being done.

It was me, another intern, and a tech.
We all knew eachother.
We were essentially there because Walmart considered interns "management" of a sort.
Anyhow, after a while, we ran out of things to do while the Walmart "handymen" manager was doing his thing with his crew.

At one point, we were basically standing and talking about the logistics of the pharmacy move. It was a pain.
We were cracking up, and the handyman manager thought we were in the way.

He got angry, and came over to make some comments "What are you even doing. You're in the way. "

We were taken aback for a second before i told him, essentially, to stay in his lane and that we didn't need to explain anything to him. He literally stormed off, mumbling under his breath.
Luckily, our district manager was there, said "what the hell was that?" and followed him to chew him out.

As far as techs go, I had one try to bully me at an independent as an Intern.
I told her that everything I do is under the direct supervision of her boss, so I could relay her comments and criticism of what her boss had told me / her to do to her boss.
The guy was a grumpy ~80 year old that took no **** from anyone.
That was that.

Stupid people like that don't understand reasoning and kindness.

 

[Prosperity8]

Don't think it gets any better once you become a pharmacist. A lot of techs are bittered, burnout or just hate people. I have encounter many of these kind during my career. They have stabbed me in the back, talked trash about me to floaters, spreaded rumors etc. Confronting them and getting into "battle" with them will only make you look worst. I learned a valuable lesson of don't stoop down to their level. I know it's hard but do the best job, have good work ethic and let your actions speak.

 

[VictorOfHungerGames]

This happened tonight at the pharmacy i work at. We have an old lady tech who has an office jobs during daytime. Every evening she came to work at the pharmacy, she won't do anything but staring at computer screens and pout. When customers show up she will boss others around to wait on customers.
Tonight she was on the chart to take out trash, she asked another tech if he could do trash for him.
The other tech said :"why did't ask one of the interns to do it? they're too smart for it?'
She goes :"They think they're too smart for it." yep, in front of all three interns (including me).
Of course, I didn't say anything back to her mainly because this is my last year working here as as intern and i'm in the process of looking for my first pharmacist job.

what would you do if you have to work with a tech with this nasty attitude against interns?

Try not to pull yourself down her level. If anything, try to go through the proper process. Report her behavior to superiors. If that doesn't work, call HR or ethics line. That type of behavior should not be tolerated. She is putting others at risk including patients.

 

[RxPreceptor]

Report her behavior to superiors/RPh on duty; you should not have to work around other employees or cater to her behavior.
If she can not do as instructed &/or continues to have an attitude, she can find another job.

Plenty of "hot shot" techs in need of a serving of humble pie & to know their place

 

[PA_dud3]

I've literally never been anything but nice to all of the RPhs and what few interns I've worked with. It would eat me up inside to think I was this rude to others. Dinosaur techs are the worst for this, in my opinion.

 

[DrVader]

This happened tonight at the pharmacy i work at. We have an old lady tech who has an office jobs during daytime. Every evening she came to work at the pharmacy, she won't do anything but staring at computer screens and pout. When customers show up she will boss others around to wait on customers.
Tonight she was on the chart to take out trash, she asked another tech if he could do trash for him.
The other tech said :"why did't ask one of the interns to do it? they're too smart for it?'
She goes :"They think they're too smart for it." yep, in front of all three interns (including me).
Of course, I didn't say anything back to her mainly because this is my last year working here as as intern and i'm in the process of looking for my first pharmacist job.

what would you do if you have to work with a tech with this nasty attitude against interns?

At CVS you are expected to do every dirty job imaginable. But as a intern you outrank a tech, so I would have made my displeasure known.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Don't think it gets any better once you become a pharmacist. A lot of techs are bittered, burnout or just hate people. I have encounter many of these kind during my career. They have stabbed me in the back, talked trash about me to floaters, spreaded rumors etc. Confronting them and getting into "battle" with them will only make you look worst. I learned a valuable lesson of don't stoop down to their level. I know it's hard but do the best job, have good work ethic and let your actions speak.

This is bad advice.

There's a huge difference between a student intern and a pharmacist

 

[sozetone]

This is bad advice.

There's a huge difference between a student intern and a pharmacist

Don't listen to this guy. Technicians can cause major grief for a pharmacist if they want to. I have seen many pharms written up or fired because of HR complaints and other issues that were erroneous. IF you are in big corporate just keep your head down, do the right things, follow protocol, and don't interact too much with that tech, always have a witness present if you must...etc. dont worry though, they are on self destruct.

 

[TerryTerry]

Not exactly sure what is the issue here.

Both techs have wrong attitude, but they still seem to be keeping the issue within themselves.
If they ask you or say anything to interns directly it would be different story though. Just focus on getting out of there quietly as intern. Do not cause unnecessary fuss. You got nothing to gain from them but have much to lose.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

I'd tell that tech to start pulling her weight or else in a few years when you become pharmacist, she'll be needing to find a new job.

 

[BC_89]

This happened tonight at the pharmacy i work at. We have an old lady tech who has an office jobs during daytime. Every evening she came to work at the pharmacy, she won't do anything but staring at computer screens and pout. When customers show up she will boss others around to wait on customers.
Tonight she was on the chart to take out trash, she asked another tech if he could do trash for him.
The other tech said :"why did't ask one of the interns to do it? they're too smart for it?'
She goes :"They think they're too smart for it." yep, in front of all three interns (including me).
Of course, I didn't say anything back to her mainly because this is my last year working here as as intern and i'm in the process of looking for my first pharmacist job.

what would you do if you have to work with a tech with this nasty attitude against interns?

Reading this, I played out about six different scenarios in my head of what I’d do and it’s more than just passive aggressive...

In reality though, I would have taken out the trash, came back, and asked a sincere question about the pharmacy. It could be anything. “How do I look up a patients prior authorization form?” / “How do you know how much overstock needs to be ordered?”/ “What’s your opinion of the best time to contact specific physicians about a script?” Even if I know most of what’s going on, It gives me the opportunity to avoid silent-conflict while keeping myself and the techs engaged.

In the end, you move on and at least put off the notion that nothings below you.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Don't listen to this guy. Pharmacists can cause major grief for a district manager if they want to. I have seen many DMs written up or fired because of HR complaints and other issues that were erroneous. IF you are in big corporate just keep your head down, do the right things, follow protocol, and don't interact too much with that RPh, always have a witness present if you must...etc. dont worry though, they are on self destruct.

I edited your post a little bit.
Is it still true?
If you get outmaneuvered by a technician, you deserve to be unemployed.

Also, the PIC or RPh team probably disliked those pharmacists.

Corporations have clear and defined hierarchy. I wrote an HBA team member for insubordination once when they made a negative comment to a person receiving a flu shot.
You can write them up. You can PIP them.

It's called leverage.

They can't do it to you

 

[RxPreceptor]

Task takes like 2-3 minutes...instead attitude issue is dragged out by complaining, defiance, & having a negative attitude.
Time management says to quit your b*tching & do as you are told by your superiors without question/haggling tasks/chores with others (this isn't like she is being asked by RPh to kill someone for him/her...it's a simple , straightforward task) or find a new source of income.

Enough b*tching in pharmacy already...energy better spent say filling prescriptions, helping people, etc. It literally kills me how much time daytime shift workers bicker with each other on the dumbest of matters (in general why I would rather work alone with a 99.5% cooperative robot)

 

[projektreverb]

I would always take the trash out on close, even with one or two techs present. Gave me a chance to get my steps in considering the trash was across the store because of the layout of the grocery store. Also used the chance to sweet talk the cashiers/front end leads and ask them to promote the flu shot with some pamphlets on my way back.

I honestly wouldn't care about that tech and the attitude. Odds are you won't even be placed at that store once you're a pharmacist.

 

[sozetone]

I edited your post a little bit.
Is it still true?
If you get outmaneuvered by a technician, you deserve to be unemployed.

Also, the PIC or RPh team probably disliked those pharmacists.

Corporations have clear and defined hierarchy. I wrote an HBA team member for insubordination once when they made a negative comment to a person receiving a flu shot.
You can write them up. You can PIP them.

It's called leverage.

They can't do it to you

Yeah, you must be an awesome manager to work for. Just PIP them.....Everybody needs an arrogant boss like you, dont they?

 

[owlegrad]

Task takes like 2-3 minutes...instead attitude issue is dragged out by complaining, defiance, & having a negative attitude.
Time management says to quit your b*tching & do as you are told by your superiors without question/haggling tasks/chores with others (this isn't like she is being asked by RPh to kill someone for him/her...it's a simple , straightforward task) or find a new source of income.

Enough b*tching in pharmacy already...energy better spent say filling prescriptions, helping people, etc. It literally kills me how much time daytime shift workers bicker with each other on the dumbest of matters (in general why I would rather work alone with a 99.5% cooperative robot)

This post speaks to my soul. The amount of attitude that goes into each and every script can be unbelievable. Not to mention the amount of work put into not working.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Yeah, you must be an awesome manager to work for. Just PIP them.....Everybody needs an arrogant boss like you, dont they?

You sound like the salty topping of a PIPeroni pizza.

I'd rather be arrogant than a beta working for a corporation they hate but don't have the guts to do anything about so they just make threads whining on SDN.