Need some guidance

[2012PharmDgrad]

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I have 7 months experience as a floater pharmacist (Class of 2012) at WAGS and everything has been pretty good up until the last week or so. I have been to a variety of stores, especially 24 hour stores, and have worked in relatively well-staffed pharmacies with experienced techs. I haven't had a bad day in a long time until the last week or so.

Since last week, I have been working at one particular store that, from my perspective, is understaffed and extremely hectic during my 2-10 pm shifts. The lines are ridiculous, the drive-thru is non-stop, and everything is always disorganized. When people come pick up their medication, at least 30-40% of the time, nothing has been filled or the work has not been completed. To top it all off, I am stuck with two relatively new techs who are always depending on me for help. I have more than enough on my plate and feel overwhelmed at this particular store. The experienced techs usually work the morning shift and leave within a few hours of the start of my 2-10 shift.

I have worked only once with one of the experienced techs and that night, as one of the other techs was leaving, we were the only 2 working to deal with drive-thru, lines, patient consultations, insurance bull****, and a number of problems.

I have NEVER had a smooth day or pleasant experience at this pharmacy. This isn't normal. My scheduler just prepared my schedule through 9/25 and I have been scheduled to work in this hellish pharmacy 7 more times. I want out. I am thinking of calling her and explaining the situation, but I don't know if that is the correct approach. I'd like to ask her to please modify it and send me to a variety of other stores (as she has always done) and stop sending me there because I am not receiving adequate assistance. However, I'm afraid she may not like this and may be jeopardizing my job.

I have worked at some of the BUSIEST pharmacies in the district and NONE have induced the level of stress and malaise I am experiencing from working in this particular pharmacy. I've been to stores that do 800 scripts a day. The difference? It seems to be that most of the other pharmacies I've been to are adequately staffed. This is funny because this is not a 24-hr pharmacy and it is a nut house. I found out that this pharmacy has cut hours and I certainly believe that is the problem. I feel like I'm about to crack in this pharmacy and problems seem to be all too common here. What do I do?

 

[BMBiology]

If you are working in retail, you should keep on applying and looking for another job. Sooner or later you will crack and when you do, it's better to have something already lined up

 

[PriorAuth]

Tell the scheduler that you would prefer to work at other stores than the one you that's giving you problems.

Why do you think the scheduler is putting you at that store so often for next few weeks?

More likely than not, other pharmacists in the district probably know that it is a problem store and avoids it like there's no tomorrow, which forces the scheduler to go with the new rph.

If you don't speak up now, the scheduler will place you there whenever he/she needs coverage.

They might even put you there as a permanent staff in the near future if you don't say anything thinking 'Wow. Unlike the other rphs who complained about this store, this guy/gal seems to be have no issues there.'

 

[MindOverMatter]

Are you covering vacations? Or is this a store where they constantly schedule floaters to cover the extra shifts.

Unfortunately, you're the newbie pharmacist, and a floater, so you don't get much say on where they place you. I would just suck it up, and keep humming the mantra that it's only temporary. Use this experience as a learning tool to help you run your pharmacy when you get your own store.

I would NOT say anything to the scheduler about this. You don't want to come across as the complainer, as this will only further delay you getting placed in a store.

 

[PriorAuth]

Dont be afraid to speak up, especially if you've been good with the scheduler for past 7 months.

Its the dispensing errors, patient complaints and not meeting the metrics that will jeopardize your job, not speaking up to the scheduler.

 

[farmadiazepine]

find a new job. one where they treat you right.

but for real.. i would tell your scheduler that you have a lot of problems at that store, that you would prefer not to work there. if they can't accommodate you, it would be wise to tell your rx sup

 

[thisoneorthat]

Yeeeeah, of the 10 stores I've floated to already, there are two that I absolutely dread. I'm always nervous when initially viewing my schedule to see those two store numbers.

I have mentioned in-passing to my scheduler about my preferences, in particular those two stores, but nothing has changed in regards to the frequency to my schedule. I'm sure she knows those are undesirable stores, but as a newer employee, it's difficult to be choosy so I simply keep my mouth shut now.

The only good thing about going to those stores is that I have learned to prioritize my time more efficiently & be more firm w/the newer techs in regards to direction <--I dislike doing so since "I'm just a floater" but hey, I'll be damned if the pharmacy goes down in chaos because I was too timid to take control.

 

[genesis09]

Every district has a store or two like that. Normally these are stores with high pharmacist turnover. You need to establish yourself as the pharmacist and make sure the techs don't get the better of you. Also, you can make a complaint about fair scheduling.

 

[waiter]

I floated for 2 days as a new grad before getting plugged in as permanent staff at a troubled store like this.

 

[zelman]

Tell your scheduler your preference, but be a team player. If they need you, do what you can and leave when your shift ends. Better to float to mostly good stores than be staff at a bad one.

 

[thephoenician88]

have you spoken to the pharm manager at all?

 

[Jell0]

I'm in a very similar situation as you are except I was forced to staff in a nuthouse right off graduation, a store that all floaters refused...speak up now or soon ur DM puts you there permanently

 

[BenJammin]

Speak up. Seriously. If you don't then the scheduler will think "Oh wow, this new RPh has been working a lot of days at X store and hasn't complained. I should tell the DM about this and maybe give them that store permanently."

Think it won't happen? Hahaha I'd put money on it happening.

 

[boriqua]

i would speak up. you worked there 1 shift and didn't say nothing and now you are scheduled to work there for 7 shifts. what do you think will happen next month if you don't speak up this month? chances are, your scheduler knows that it's an awful store and is just pinpointing the idiots who dont complain about the store and putting them there on purpose. Yes, it's true that you are new and it's bad to start making waves, but i think it would be even worse to make a mistake in an understaffed pharmacy and jeopardize your license.

 

[Estrace]

Speak up now if possible to your DS. You also need to speak to the RMX because he/she is the one in charge of making sure that the store is organized. I used to float at a store like that when I first started and one time I had to meet with my DS about something unrelated, I mentioned how difficult it was working at that store. The next time I was scheduled to work at that store, it was completely different. They forced the RMX to organize the store. It was like night and day.

 

[2012PharmDgrad]

Good news: I spoke to my scheduler and voiced my concerns about this chaotic, understaffed pharmacy and how I felt I could not perform my duties effectively in this type of environment. She listened to me without interruption and understood my concerns.

She agreed to change my schedule and continue sending me to a variety of other pharmacies as she has always done. The reason she was sending me to that store consistently was to make it easier so I wouldn't have to float all over (according to her). However, I kindly explained that I would rather work in different settings daily than work consistently in an environment of absolute lunacy. I told her I don't like to complain, but I had to speak up because even in the busiest stores in the district, I've never had a similar problem.

Thank you guys for the feedback. 👍

 

[thephoenician88]

good to hear, that's good news

sometimes schedulers will keep you at one store to "make things easier" for you and the store. But in this case, it was a good move