Overnight pharmacist Advice

[Pharma7]

Hello one and all,

I am considering accepting an overnight retail pharmacist position. I am excited but super nervous as I dont have a great deal of experience.

Any advice on what challenges I may face working this shift? Any tips on how to prepare?
I know there is the likelihood that some scripts will be fake, what should I look out for? What do you usually see?

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[angryrx]

I've worked pretty much every shift in the retail and inpatient setting.... and found the hardest part of working overnights is SLEEP. At first my body was quick in adjusting between my week on nights and my week off on days. About a year into it, it became harder and harder. And my shifts were easy. I easily slept 2 hours per 10 hour shift during the slow hours.

I slept 12+ hours on some days and still did not feel rested. When I switched back to a more normal schedule I forgot what I had been missing. Some people seem to adjust to this well and it does not bother them, but I couldn't do it for too long.

Here are some important questions in the overnight retail setting:
1. How large of an area will you serve? (Meaning...where are the nearest 24 hour pharmacies in all directions...so you have an idea of who you will be serving and how far they will be traveling to see you). If you're the only game in town, it will be rough when people realize their pharmacies are cloesd and somehow it's your fault. When an area 24hour Pharmacy goes to normal business hours WOW you will get absolutely killed.
2. Workload? How many scripts do they expect per shift? And keep in mind 100 scripts overnight is more work than 100 scripts in normal business hours because you will have transient patients, transfers from other stores, "I ran out and my regular pharmacy is closed."
3. Support? How late will the last technician/pharmacist stay and what is expected on your shift?

Hope this helps.

 

[farmadiazepine]

I'm an overnight RPh, you can PM if you have questions. I don't want to say everything on a public forum.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Hello one and all,

I am considering accepting an overnight retail pharmacist position. I am excited but super nervous as I dont have a great deal of experience.

Any advice on what challenges I may face working this shift? Any tips on how to prepare?
I know there is the likelihood that some scripts will be fake, what should I look out for? What do you usually see?

Narcotics are easy.

If its from somewhere you can call, you can fill it. So everyone with a script from the local (emphasis on local) EDs or urgent cares gets it filled. (These are legitimate most of the time). Also, people with a history of pain control from a single physician I'll dispense to. Everyone else...if I've never seen them before...I tell them to pound sand unless I can keep the script until the physicians' office opens. This pretty much eliminates all fakes.

At 12:01AM on the first of the month, you'll have a line of opiate addicts queued with their scripts from the local pain management clinic. That's always a hoot. They'll argue over who was there first...

The sleep thing you'll get used to in a few weeks. I don't even get slightly sleepy anymore.

Anything particular you want to ask about?

 

[illusions]

I would just like to issue a word of caution. Make sure you have at least experienced working overnight before or truly have a heart to heart with yourself and make sure you can do it.

Night shift IS NOT for everyone thats why they usually pay more or have a modified schedule. I did it for 6 months and hated every minute of it. I just couldnt adjust...getting up at 9PM to go to work, just seemed sooo wrong and messed my clock completely up. Good luck to you though!

 

[PharmDstudent]

If you're the type to pull all-nighters, then you'll be fine. If not, then good luck!