Looking for a lot of input on various retail pharmacies

[Sharwood]

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Hey,

I've been working at a CVS in South Carolina as a pharmacy tech for just over two years, and I was just accepted to South Carolina College of Pharmacy (Columbia campus).

I'm looking for opinions from techs, pharmacists, and interns about CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and various grocery-store chains concerning...

1)the work environment, what you like/hate, what volume type store do you work at...100-200/day, 500/day, 800-1000/day, more?

2)opinion of the company as a whole

3)great and horrible experiences (from the company side, not necessarily the day-to-day interactions with the patients)

4)pay/how you're paid/pay raises/raise policies/good and bad experiences concerning raises or pay/etc.

5)if you've worked at multiple pharmacies, your favorite, your least favorite, and why?

6)problems with being understaffed?

7)stupid policies that should be changed

I may add to these questions later, and I know this is a lot of information. I've just been reading threads mentioning how bad CVS evidently is. So, I'm curious if I'm lucky or if I'm naive, and I'm also just curious what else is out there and how my experiences compare to others.

Thanks for any information!!

 

[dgroulx]

I found that the individual store is more important than the chain. Volume doesn't matter as long as you have good techs.

 

[SELDANE]

First of all, congradulations on being accecpted to pharmacy school. I have worked for a local grocery store chain, hospital pharmacy, the VA hosptial and for a short time with Walgreens. The VA hospital was very enjoyable. I earned less than most pharmacists, but the pharmacy interns and the ones pursuing their Pharm D degree were very enthusiastic and motivated. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Hospital pharmacy also was enjoyable. The grocery chain was/is fun because the patients that come in truly have questions and you can't help but feel that you are making a difference. Walgreens was completely short staffed. In short, I just had a bad vibe the whole 9 months that I worked there. Granted, if I worked over 40 hours I was paid time and a half. However, the money wasn't worth it.