"pharmacy experience" - tech vs. cashier

[ChippyChad]

Does pharmacy school ALWAYS prefer tech over cashier? or they don't care as long as u work for a pharmacy?

I work for a pharmacy right now, but i am only a cashier🙁. I always feel ashamed to put down "Position Title" (in pharmcas) as cashier b/c it is the lowest position u can be in the pharmacy. Do you recommend me take a PTCB exam and become a tech?

Another question: for those people who have pharmacy experience, does pharmacy school prefer certain pharmacy? like walgreen, CVS, ect. Do they consider K-mart, Walmart pharmacy as "more ghetto" place than those 2 above? B/c from what I heard and what I saw, people always like walgreen and cvs better 🙁

Thank you so much for your time/advice!

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[KB830]

Do you do anything that a tech does? I work in Shoprite and my title is "Clerk." However, I do everything a tech would do (the only thing the pharmacists don't let us do is fill new rxs). In fact, even the pharmacists consider us techs. It is Shoprite's way of keeping our wages low. 😵

 

[Corolla11]

If you can get lucky and get a tech job take it but if you do not, its better to be cashier than nothing at all.

 

[Project2015]

It will vary based on individual's perceptions.

In fact, I've heard that being a tech is not useful because it commits you to a large number of hours a week.

Anyhow, the most important thing is to get a working knowledge of a pharmacy's operations. So the position doesn't matter unless it occupies so much of your time that you can't be observant.

Now what that means, and some will disagree, is that being in a community pharmacy isn't necessary to get pharmacy experience. Although a community setting comprises of a large portion of pharmacists, it is only but one type of pharmacy that is much different from the others. And those other ones are incredibly difficult if not impossible to get into as a traditional undergraduate student -- the majority of the applicants.

 

[ChippyChad]

Thank yall for the opinions!

I hate to say this, I work at the Wal-Mart pharmacy as cashier. There are SO MANY old ladies work there and they ALL want to become the tech b/c it pays better, more free time for them to run their mouth, ect. So, I don't feel like to join their "war of becoming a pharmacy tech" As result, all the techs are think they are better cashier, and always tell us what to do.....

 

[Corolla11]

There aren't enough tech jobs to go around. If all of these programs want to fill their seats they will have to take people without tech experience. I wish someone would have told me this before I spent $170.00 for the PTCB exam!

 

[PharmOl]

Aww, just take the PCTB ( I hope Wal-Mart pays for it if you pass), and try to go to Kroger or Rite Aid and apply for a job there. Don't worry about the old ladies, they are no competition. Just do your thing 🙂

 

[Corolla11]

i hate to say this, i work at the wal-mart pharmacy as cashier. There are so many old ladies work there and they all want to become the tech b/c it pays better, more free time for them to run their mouth, ect. So, i don't feel like to join their "war of becoming a pharmacy tech" as result, all the techs are think they are better cashier, and always tell us what to do.....

LOL

 

[ChippyChad]

Don't worry about the old ladies, they are no competition. Just do your thing 🙂

I am not sure about this tho. I still remember the first day that I went to work. Those old ladies who had 5+ years experience pwned me around the pharmacy. I took all the hardcore org chem and pharmacology classes and I didn't know what was going on. I had to actually stop and look at the medication and like "yea, I saw this name on the textbook, it is for blah, blah, blah...."

 

[pharmalang]

I agree with what everyone else is saying. Being able to say you worked in a pharmacy as a cashier for a long period of time is better than nothing. So far, my only experience is volunteering in a pharmacy... I would kill for any type of job in a pharmacy.

 

[ChippyChad]

but what should I put "Position Title" for the Pharmcas? cashier? I worried that the pharmacy school gonna say:" oh, this guy just a cashier, that doesn't count....." then I am screwed

 

[musicman123]

but what should I put "Position Title" for the Pharmcas? cashier? I worried that the pharmacy school gonna say:" oh, this guy just a cashier, that doesn't count....." then I am screwed

Say "Ancillary."

 

[charfdorn]

but what should I put "Position Title" for the Pharmcas? cashier? I worried that the pharmacy school gonna say:" oh, this guy just a cashier, that doesn't count....." then I am screwed

22% of my class, including myself, had no pharmacy experience coming into the program. That puts you ahead of about a quarter of accepted applicants. If they say it doesn't count, then you're just tied with all the non-experienced folks. Being a pharmacist is a completely different job than being a tech. A lot of what you learn as a tech can turn into bad habits in school. Of course, it'd be great if you could become a tech, but you are working in a pharmacy and you are seeing the drugs that you will have to learn later. That's the advantage of working in a pharmacy. It's not counting pills into a bottle.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

In CVS, the cashiers who work in the pharmacy are given a bit more of a fancy name - "Pharmacy Service Associate" or PSA. I can't see why you can't use that..

 

[ChippyChad]

jesus... everything is better at CVS, Walgreens...

 

[Project2015]

A lot of what you learn as a tech can turn into bad habits in school.

Explain.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

jesus... everything is better at CVS, Walgreens...

Overworked and underpaid.... ya, everything's better at CVS.

 

[rxlea]

Put pharmacy clerk

 

[Thumper17]

Put pharmacy clerk

👍.

 

[charfdorn]

Explain.

A lot of experienced techs don't understand why they're learning so much science in pharmacy school and get burnt out. They think they know enough about these drugs to dispense them, and they're probably right, but that won't help you pass the course.

 

[Project2015]

A lot of experienced techs don't understand why they're learning so much science in pharmacy school and get burnt out. They think they know enough about these drugs to dispense them, and they're probably right, but that won't help you pass the course.

Ahh. Thanks. So why are they learning so much science in pharmacy school? I've heard people here say that pharmacists (I assume community) don't use science much...

 

[By3Times1Minus1]

Ahh. Thanks. So why are they learning so much science in pharmacy school? I've heard people here say that pharmacists (I assume community) don't use science much...

I would say you don't use AS MUCH in the retail setting (that's a blanket statement and there are exceptions of course), but it depends on what you do with your degree. If you go into something like clinical, research, or academia then you will most likely apply much more of the material you learned in school on a regular basis.

And also, OP, regarding your question about one corporation vs another on apps, I don't think that matters. No one is going to look at your application and pick someone else over you because they worked at a Walgreen's/CVS and you work at Wal-Mart, all else being equal. Become a tech if you can. I think that will show you are truly motivated and ambitious about pursuing a career in pharmacy. It will also be easier to get jobs elsewhere if you want to switch and you're already certified.