New Pharmacist Activist issue: good stuff

[deleted205891]

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One of our professors does a newsletter called The Pharmacist Activist.

http://www.pharmacistactivist.com/2011/April_2011.shtml

This month's issue is pretty much what this forum has been talking about for ages.
I wonder if the PA board will listen to him. Probably not.

 

[CVSstinks]

I agree with the article. Funny thing... I was thinking about the 30 minute Domino's guarantee versus pharmacy promised wait time just today.

 

[konkan]

One of our professors does a newsletter called The Pharmacist Activist.

http://www.pharmacistactivist.com/2011/April_2011.shtml

This month's issue is pretty much what this forum has been talking about for ages.
I wonder if the PA board will listen to him. Probably not.

I like that part where at RA customers are hiding until 15 min period is going to expire and they are getting that 5$ coupon or whatever...

 

[BrightLight]

Nice website. I encourage everyone who likes the articles share a link on his or her facebook page.

 

[MountainPharmD]

One of our professors does a newsletter called The Pharmacist Activist.

http://www.pharmacistactivist.com/2011/April_2011.shtml

This month's issue is pretty much what this forum has been talking about for ages.
I wonder if the PA board will listen to him. Probably not.

Nice link. I guess if enough people shout about it eventually someone has to take notice...right?

Best part of the whole article:

The May 2011 issue of Consumer Reports includes an article, "Best Drugstores," in which more than 43,000 readers rate pharmacies on factors such as accuracy, knowledge, helpfulness, and personal service. Thirty-three pharmacy chains and other entities were evaluated and the five receiving the lowest ratings are the following:
29-31 - tie between CVS, Giant Eagle, and Walgreens
32 - Rite Aid
33 - Walmart

The five receiving the highest ratings are the following:
1 - Independent drugstores
2-3 - tie between Health Mart and The Medicine Shoppe
4-5 - tie between Bi-Mart and Publix

No surprise there at the bottom. All fine examples of corporations who are destroying the profession. I can not for the life of me figure out why anyone gets prescriptions filled at CVS or Walgreens. Wal-Mart has the whole we suck and we know it but our drugs are $4 thing going. Rite-Aid will be bankrupt any day now and I do not know a thing about Giant Eagle except they give their drugs away for free so they are likely out of business soon.

If people were smart, and they are not as anyone who works retail can attest to, they would go to an independant or to a nice little grocery store pharmacy.

 

[MountainPharmD]

I agree with the article. Funny thing... I was thinking about the 30 minute Domino's guarantee versus pharmacy promised wait time just today.

Or answer the phone in 20 seconds or the drive through in 30 seconds or all the other stupid things CVS does. It is hard to tell the difference between the hamburger flipper at McDonalds and the Pharmacist at CVS.

 

[PharmD RPh]

I could sit on the Internet and blog about all of those issues too but is blogging going to change anything? We have dug a ditch that will be hard to get out of as a profession. Our national groups do little to advance the profession or address issues facing the profession. As a group we need leadership from these large national organizations that will represent that opinion as a loud voice. We have acknowledged and owned the problem but now we have to have leaders that will solve it. Who are those leaders?

 

[MountainPharmD]

I could sit on the Internet and blog about all of those issues too but is blogging going to change anything? We have dug a ditch that will be hard to get out of as a profession. Our national groups do little to advance the profession or address issues facing the profession. As a group we need leadership from these large national organizations that will represent that opinion as a loud voice. We have acknowledged and owned the problem but now we have to have leaders that will solve it. Who are those leaders?

They get to much money from CVS and Walgreens. I was shocked to see The Drug Monkey's column in DrugTopics take on Walgreens. They get alot of money from them as well

 

[jnmnh]

I could sit on the Internet and blog about all of those issues too but is blogging going to change anything? We have dug a ditch that will be hard to get out of as a profession. Our national groups do little to advance the profession or address issues facing the profession. As a group we need leadership from these large national organizations that will represent that opinion as a loud voice. We have acknowledged and owned the problem but now we have to have leaders that will solve it. Who are those leaders?

Obviously not you?

I am new here but I am definitely aware of the SDN vibe that "our national organizations need to do something!" Though I haven't heard 2 people agree on anything they could specifically do, nor have I seen anyone interested in getting involved with national orgs. I just keep hearing that "they" should do "something".

 

[MountainPharmD]

Obviously not you?

I am new here but I am definitely aware of the SDN vibe that "our national organizations need to do something!" Though I haven't heard 2 people agree on anything they could specifically do, nor have I seen anyone interested in getting involved with national orgs. I just keep hearing that "they" should do "something".

I am not giving money to any of our so called national organizations. They are so out of touch with reality they may never be relevant.

Wouldn't it be refreshing if the president fo APhA made a stand against the retail corporations that are destroying the profession? Instead they take thier money and remain quiet planning thier counselling competions and MTM BS talk.

 

[The Sonoran]

Who owns and operates this newsletter?

 

[WVUPharm2007]

The reality is that its too late for this.

I tried complaining about ridiculous conditions (I.E. one pharmacist alone during a day shift with a census of 160+) and putting out feelers for joining the SEIU at my last job. I got badgered and beaten until I couldn't take it anymore and let go a 20 minutes, curse filled rant at the director about how incompetent he was and how ridiculously poor the department was run. Needless to say, that job was no longer mine.

If you try to unionize (and, yes, I know this is illegal...but that means little these days), they will target and get rid of you.

Its pretty easy to sit in a college somewhere and talk about how everyone should rise up and refuse to perform bull**** tasks...but the reality is with the impending surplus, you can't. I did at my last job....didn't do much good. I see trying something like that even more futile in this new job. They will find something to fire you for and get someone more compliant. They have the power now. We blew it when we had power.

This country is a plutocracy now.

 

[deleted205891]

Who owns and operates this newsletter?

Dr. Daniel Hussar does. The newsletter is not affiliated with the university.

 

[pharm B]

The reality is that its too late for this.

I tried complaining about ridiculous conditions (I.E. one pharmacist alone during a day shift with a census of 160+) and putting out feelers for joining the SEIU at my last job. I got badgered and beaten until I couldn't take it anymore and let go a 20 minutes, curse filled rant at the director about how incompetent he was and how ridiculously poor the department was run. Needless to say, that job was no longer mine.

If you try to unionize (and, yes, I know this is illegal...but that means little these days), they will target and get rid of you.

Its pretty easy to sit in a college somewhere and talk about how everyone should rise up and refuse to perform bull**** tasks...but the reality is with the impending surplus, you can't. I did at my last job....didn't do much good. I see trying something like that even more futile in this new job. They will find something to fire you for and get someone more compliant. They have the power now. We blew it when we had power.

This country is a plutocracy now.

But aren't there better ways to solve a problem than to throw a fit? When kids throw tantrums, no one listens.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

But aren't there better ways to solve a problem than to throw a fit? When kids throw tantrums, no one listens.

I always told my daughter and still tell my nieces and nephews that I can't hear them when they whine. And if they threw a tantrum or hissy over something, the answer was always no with immediate removal from the source of the problem. Such as, "Crying over a toy at the store - we go home." Or "fighting over the TV with your cousin" - TV goes off and no one watches. And "arguing or fighting at the playground" - playdate's over.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

But aren't there better ways to solve a problem than to throw a fit? When kids throw tantrums, no one listens.

Generally, "negotiating" with management means they win.

This is a documented fact throughout the history of labor. Convincing a hospital administrator that having two people for day shift on weekends when the census is 180 is generally considered the sane thing to do is often ignored when it means he has to budget another $100k salary to do it.

 

[PharmaTope]

The reality is that its too late for this.

I tried complaining about ridiculous conditions (I.E. one pharmacist alone during a day shift with a census of 160+) and putting out feelers for joining the SEIU at my last job. I got badgered and beaten until I couldn't take it anymore and let go a 20 minutes, curse filled rant at the director about how incompetent he was and how ridiculously poor the department was run. Needless to say, that job was no longer mine.

If you try to unionize (and, yes, I know this is illegal...but that means little these days), they will target and get rid of you.

Its pretty easy to sit in a college somewhere and talk about how everyone should rise up and refuse to perform bull**** tasks...but the reality is with the impending surplus, you can't. I did at my last job....didn't do much good. I see trying something like that even more futile in this new job. They will find something to fire you for and get someone more compliant. They have the power now. We blew it when we had power.

This country is a plutocracy now.

i remember when you posted about this happening. administrators dont give a ****. they just do the bare min to cover their asses. there are high turnovers in those jobs generally unless you know how to do some shady things.

you can complain politely so many times but it falls on deaf ears. nobody will ever support you though.

i wish there were unions but people do not stick together the way they used to back in the old days. so with that being said it is a lost cause. pharmacists do not stand up for each other like they do in other professions. check out nursing, they all stand together STRONG.

a lot of people on these boards will pretend that pharmacy is all peachy and there are plenty of jobs.

LISTEN TO WVU, he has moved around a bunch. there are no jobs out there.

 

[Praziquantel86]

i remember when you posted about this happening. administrators dont give a ****. they just do the bare min to cover their asses. there are high turnovers in those jobs generally unless you know how to do some shady things.

you can complain politely so many times but it falls on deaf ears. nobody will ever support you though.

i wish there were unions but people do not stick together the way they used to back in the old days. so with that being said it is a lost cause. pharmacists do not stand up for each other like they do in other professions. check out nursing, they all stand together STRONG.

a lot of people on these boards will pretend that pharmacy is all peachy and there are plenty of jobs.

LISTEN TO WVU, he has moved around a bunch. there are no jobs out there.

Really? I just saw the CVS hiring sheet for the New England/Southern New York area and it looked like plenty of people were hired. In fact, every single person who interned for CVS was offered a position in their market of choice (in that area, I can't speak for others).

The Hudson Valley market also has several hospital pharmacist positions available (and have been for several months now).

I think a more accurate statement would be "There are relatively fewer jobs than there used to be, with competitive markets likely to be saturated in the upcoming future."

I agree with the job sentiment - something needs to be done. I don't think meaningless and inaccurate hyperbole is helpful to anyone.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Really? I just saw the CVS hiring sheet for the New England/Southern New York area and it looked like plenty of people were hired. In fact, every single person who interned for CVS was offered a position in their market of choice (in that area, I can't speak for others).

The Hudson Valley market also has several hospital pharmacist positions available (and have been for several months now).

I think a more accurate statement would be "There are relatively fewer jobs than there used to be, with competitive markets likely to be saturated in the upcoming future."

I agree with the job sentiment - something needs to be done. I don't think meaningless and inaccurate hyperbole is helpful to anyone.

Great post!!

I'm tired of the exaggerations. No, things aren't what they used to be. But no one every promised us a stable and unchanging economic situation, did they? The mega doom and gloom business is getting boring and old.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Really? I just saw the CVS hiring sheet for the New England/Southern New York area and it looked like plenty of people were hired. In fact, every single person who interned for CVS was offered a position in their market of choice (in that area, I can't speak for others).

The Hudson Valley market also has several hospital pharmacist positions available (and have been for several months now).

I think a more accurate statement would be "There are relatively fewer jobs than there used to be, with competitive markets likely to be saturated in the upcoming future."

I agree with the job sentiment - something needs to be done. I don't think meaningless and inaccurate hyperbole is helpful to anyone.

Yeah, but how many outside people did they hire?

If you did an internship at a hospital, try to get on somewhere right now. It's tough.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Great post!!

I'm tired of the exaggerations. No, things aren't what they used to be. But no one every promised us a stable and unchanging economic situation, did they? The mega doom and gloom business is getting boring and old.

It may be getting boring and old but that doesn't change the reality of it.

 

[Praziquantel86]

Yeah, but how many outside people did they hire?

If you did an internship at a hospital, try to get on somewhere right now. It's tough.

I know of a few people who have been able to get jobs with the chains. Granted, it's not necessarily in their home market, but it's not BFE either. I don't think anyone in my class that has actually started looking for a job is without at least one offer.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

It may be getting boring and old but that doesn't change the reality of it.

I didn't say I was tired of realistic discussion. I think that's fine, and important to maintain. I'm tired of people making up statistics, exaggerating claims and generally acting like the world is ending. It's unhelpful.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I know of a few people who have been able to get jobs with the chains. Granted, it's not necessarily in their home market, but it's not BFE either. I don't think anyone in my class that has actually started looking for a job is without at least one offer.

At this point, all of my core group of friends in school have jobs. In this market, although a few had to cross the river to another state (literally two miles away). A few are relocating but it's by choice (Nashville and Key West).

There are people in my class who don't have jobs, but most of them are from California and want to go back there. Most of them have not worked during school so they are at an automatic disadvantage.