New Manager Advice

[clarkbar]

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For a new pharmacy operations manager, what advice would you have to be efficient in understanding systems, troubleshooting, e.g. pyxis, pharmacy verification, employee management?
What are the main goals for such a manager, vis-a-vis the pharmacy director? 🙂

 

[TheBlaah]

Is this for an external hire?

Ideally, an operations manager would be internal since so many of their responsibilities are specific to the hospital.

If you're asking how to learn how to understand order entry, troubleshooting, filling, pyxis, ect....you've got a lot to catch up on quite frankly. So much of the stuff you learn on the job.

However, as manager, you're the one who's expected to troubleshoot the weird problems that the normal staff are unable to address, which makes it even harder.

I guess my advice would be to get to know your staff/coworkers and what their strengths/weaknesses are. That way, if something comes up, you know who you can ask for help or to educate yourself about something.

 

[Dred Pirate]

sounds like us- we keep hiring someone who just finished a PGY-2 in admin and comes in not having any clue on how a pharmacy actually runs. I seriously should not have to explain to my manager how to fix simply pyxis issues...

Also - verification? Like, how can manage people if you can't do their job????

 

[sunnyandseventytwo]

Things I wish someone had told me 15 years ago: You likely have an expert on all these things already.

For Pyxis, it's a technician who's worked there since Pyxis was brought online. Read the Pyxis manual sometime when you have a little time. There's guidance in there on everything your facility is doing wrong.

Systems troubleshooting, is probably a pharmacist who plays a lot of video games. Learn at least enough so that you know what your staff is complaining about when something goes wrong.

Verify enough orders so you can understand/properly coach staff when errors are made.

People management is what most pharmacy managers get very wrong. I disagree with the above response(s) that managers should be promoted from within. That causes all kinds of problems with having to lead your former friends/coworkers. I've had some pretty terrible bosses that were great in their former roles. Take a course at your community college if your hospital doesn't offer something. Read a book. Don't underestimate how well a well timed compliment will pay off. You can catch your reports doing something wrong whenever you want. Expend a little effort and catch them doing something right.

I always considered my job managing operations as a buffer for my boss to not be involved in the day to day running of the pharmacy. Never tell your reports "We're doing this because the director said we're doing this." Have your disagreements with leadership in private.

 

[Dred Pirate]

People management is what most pharmacy managers get very wrong. I disagree with the above response(s) that managers should be promoted from within. That causes all kinds of problems with having to lead your former friends/coworkers. I've had some pretty terrible bosses that were great in their former roles. Take a course at your community college if your hospital doesn't offer something. Read a book. Don't underestimate how well a well timed compliment will pay off. You can catch your reports doing something wrong whenever you want. Expend a little effort and catch them doing something right.

I always considered my job managing operations as a buffer for my boss to not be involved in the day to day running of the pharmacy. Never tell your reports "We're doing this because the director said we're doing this." Have your disagreements with leadership in private.

1. as someone who was promoted from within - I agree- it sucks going from being friends to being your friends boss.
2. and yes - you cannot throw upper mgmt under the bus, you will soon be hated from both sides top and bottom

 

[TheBlaah]

sounds like us- we keep hiring someone who just finished a PGY-2 in admin and comes in not having any clue on how a pharmacy actually runs. I seriously should not have to explain to my manager how to fix simply pyxis issues...

Also - verification? Like, how can manage people if you can't do their job????

Yeah. The verification thing happened to us; supervisor that was never responsible for verifying is not supposed for personnel training on verification.