pharmacy manager - Retail

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khydroxide

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What are the additional responsibilities of a pharmacy manager in a retail pharmacy?advantages vs disadvantages? Is it worth it?
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The most thankless and ungratifying job known to man. Oh wait, it's the second most thankless job after being a distric manager.

The only reason to do it would be if you wanted to open your own pharmacy, you could learn some useful things as a manager... but not otherwise, the small difference in pay doesn't nearly make up for the all the extra **** you have to deal with.
 
but it's the only way to make it up the corporate ladder, so if that's your game you have to do it
 
IndustryPharmD said:
The most thankless and ungratifying job known to man. Oh wait, it's the second most thankless job after being a distric manager.

The only reason to do it would be if you wanted to open your own pharmacy, you could learn some useful things as a manager... but not otherwise, the small difference in pay doesn't nearly make up for the all the extra **** you have to deal with.
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I was hoping you could clarify. I always thought that District Managers made a ton of $ ( I know mine makes ~$250k) and didn't have a lot of a the stressful responsibilities of a PIC like dealing with customers all the time.

What is it about DMs that makes their jobs so horrible?
 
Auriel619 said:
I was hoping you could clarify. I always thought that District Managers made a ton of $ ( I know mine makes ~$250k) and didn't have a lot of a the stressful responsibilities of a PIC like dealing with customers all the time.

What is it about DMs that makes their jobs so horrible?
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Is that straight cash or stock, bonus, etc.?

I know I never heard those numbers or I would not have gone for MD at this point.

I know my DM has like a 24/7 job and always has to put up with BS that gets bumped up from PICs. Worth 250k; not 125K.
 
I've gotten e-mails/calls from my rx supervisor from very early in the morning (before 7am), weekend mornings, and late at night. The supervisor must put in a lot of hours and travel.
 
Not sure what level we are taking about, but in general the level above a PIC is your pharmacy supervisor at CVS. Base salary there im guessing is around 150k+ with bonus potential for a total of 170k. A DM may see 200k from what I understand. They deal with a lot of pressure from further up the corporate ladder. You just have to be that type of person that knows how to constantly say yes when corporate wants something.

Tough job.
 
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Auriel619 said:
I was hoping you could clarify. I always thought that District Managers made a ton of $ ( I know mine makes ~$250k) and didn't have a lot of a the stressful responsibilities of a PIC like dealing with customers all the time.

What is it about DMs that makes their jobs so horrible?
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What fantasy world is this? The district managers/regional pharmacy managers/pharmacy supervisors at the companies I have worked for barley make more them a PIC. The advantage and incentive for the job is not have to work in the sweat shop store any more.

Who gave you the impression a DM does not have a lot of responsibilites or stress? Usually thay have 25 to 30 stores. They deal with customer complaints all the time. Hell I forward idiots to my DM all the time. I do not have the time or the patients to deal with them. The DMs also have to 25 or 30 pharmacy managers bitching and complaining about everything. Plus they have the corporate higer ups bitching at them.

Shoot if there is a job worse than a pharmacy manager it would be a pharmacy DM. The only reason being a pharmacy manager is worse is because you are in the pharmacy filling scripts for the 10, 12 and 14 hour shifts with no breaks.
 
Auriel619 said:
What is it about DMs that makes their jobs so horrible?
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Because you are stuck maneuring between corporate trying to squeeze everything possible and impossible out of your district and your pharmacy managers complaining and saying that their jobs are already impossible as is, they can't squeeze anymore saving/cut anymore tech hours/do physician visits on top of what they already must do/comply with other corporate request. And all the nastier customers or more serious mistakes get forwarded to the DM. And they are the ones stuck dealing with the Board of Pharmacy. And try to be everywhere at the same time, which is even more of an issue if your district stretches a long distance... I have met a few people who used to be pharmacy DMs who then went back to being pharmacists as a result of their chains being bought out by bigger chains - they all said that they would never, ever do DM job again. And the pay difference from pharmacy manager is not that big either, not enough to justify even more extra pressure they have to deal with.
 
IndustryPharmD said:
Because you are stuck maneuring between corporate trying to squeeze everything possible and impossible out of your district and your pharmacy managers complaining and saying that their jobs are already impossible as is, they can't squeeze anymore saving/cut anymore tech hours/do physician visits on top of what they already must do/comply with other corporate request. And all the nastier customers or more serious mistakes get forwarded to the DM. And they are the ones stuck dealing with the Board of Pharmacy. And try to be everywhere at the same time, which is even more of an issue if your district stretches a long distance... I have met a few people who used to be pharmacy DMs who then went back to being pharmacists as a result of their chains being bought out by bigger chains - they all said that they would never, ever do DM job again. And the pay difference from pharmacy manager is not that big either, not enough to justify even more extra pressure they have to deal with.
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Exactly! The DM is stuck in the middle which is a ****ty place to be.

My current partner used to be a DM for a grocery store chain. He said it was so terrible he would never be a pharmacy manager let alone a DM again.
 
So why does anyone chase or accept these positions? Simply because it is a promotion so they figure it's worth trying? Because everyone likes a little more money even if it's just a little more?

I guess it's similar to my wondering why people become retail pharmacists at all when they have so many negative things to say about it.
 
jnmnh said:
So why does anyone chase or accept these positions? Simply because it is a promotion so they figure it's worth trying? Because everyone likes a little more money even if it's just a little more?

I guess it's similar to my wondering why people become retail pharmacists at all when they have so many negative things to say about it.
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Think about it. If you worked retail for 10 years and had a chance to get out from behind the counter wouldn't you take it? Hell anything is better than working 10, 12 and 14 hour shifts and taking all the crap we do on a daily basis. If you were a DM you would still have to take alot of crap but at least you could do it sitting down at a desk from 9-5 with weekends and holiddays off.
 
my dm doesnt do anything...seems like all the lackeys do everything for him. really, i have yet to see him do anything but yap. must be nice, somebodys looking out for him
 
Being the pharmacy manager isn't that bad. When I started, we didn't have one -- it was just me and my partner keeping things afloat. It was awful because we ran on 50 hours of tech help even though we were scheduled for 100+.

Being in charge allows me to handle things at store level much more easily and since our store makes the company the most money in the entire city, we get very few interference from corporate. Is it worth it for the extra $2/hour plus $3,500 annual bonus (before taxes)? Sometimes it doesn't feel like it. But I like being in charge and making sure my pharmacy runs as smoothly as possible.
 
jnmnh said:
So why does anyone chase or accept these positions?
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Chase them? In a Walgreen's district that shall remain nameless several years ago and in another Walgreen's district that shall also remain nameless fewer years ago there were situations then were would be as many as six pharmacy manager positions open at the same time - while there were no staff pharmacists' positions available at all. Because no one really wanted to be a pharmacy manager. 😀

Different people who do it have different reasons - some like more money, others like being in charge, some like an extra challenge...
 
how about being a pharmacy manager for k-mart or target? I feel like it wouldnt be as bad but at the same time....what exactly are the additional responsibilities?
By the way what are NON-walgreens/cvs/rite aid pharmacies called? Are they still considered chain pharmacies ?
 
khydroxide said:
how about being a pharmacy manager for k-mart or target? I feel like it wouldnt be as bad but at the same time....what exactly are the additional responsibilities?
By the way what are NON-walgreens/cvs/rite aid pharmacies called? Are they still considered chain pharmacies ?
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how about just retail....
 
MountainPharmD said:
Think about it. If you worked retail for 10 years and had a chance to get out from behind the counter wouldn't you take it? Hell anything is better than working 10, 12 and 14 hour shifts and taking all the crap we do on a daily basis. If you were a DM you would still have to take alot of crap but at least you could do it sitting down at a desk from 9-5 with weekends and holiddays off.
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My DM has an office she never sees. She is on the road constantly...call her at 8PM and she is still going....

And they make maybe 10K more than a staff pharmacist and slightly more than a PIC.

Why?

Hell from the top and the bottom.

I would only be a staff pharmacist. Let someone else deal with the crap....👍
 
walgreens/cvs = chain drug stores

stop and shop/wegmans/ralphs/kroger=supermarkets

walmart/kmart/target = ??

discount retailer is what i found on google. just out of curiosity if anyone knows a different term please post. thanks.
 
khydroxide said:
walgreens/cvs = chain drug stores

stop and shop/wegmans/ralphs/kroger=supermarkets

walmart/kmart/target = ??

discount retailer is what i found on google. just out of curiosity if anyone knows a different term please post. thanks.
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Mass Merchandiser
 
khydroxide said:
how about being a pharmacy manager for k-mart or target? I feel like it wouldnt be as bad but at the same time....what exactly are the additional responsibilities?
By the way what are NON-walgreens/cvs/rite aid pharmacies called? Are they still considered chain pharmacies ?
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Great idea except both will be out of business in 5 years. Kmart completely and Target just the pharmacy.
 
MountainPharmD said:
Great idea except both will be out of business in 5 years. Kmart completely and Target just the pharmacy.
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Doubt Target will get out the biz....Kmart going under...I can see that.

The problem with both them and being a DM is that the jobs are far and few between since there are less of them.

I have heard they are hard to get and you usually have to be with the company for some yrs.
 
My rx supervisor is in the office once a week on Mondays. If you need to talk with him on other days, you should e-mail or call his cell.

My manager tells me all the extra work is not worth the slightly extra pay. Last week, he had to count up all the controls in the pharmacy.
 
genesis09 said:
My rx supervisor is in the office once a week on Mondays. If you need to talk with him on other days, you should e-mail or call his cell.

My manager tells me all the extra work is not worth the slightly extra pay. Last week, he had to count up all the controls in the pharmacy.
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If your manager tells you that, what is his motivation to be one in the first place and why hasn't he stepped down since then?
 
PIC or DM of retail pharmacy = my idea of hell on earth.
 
I'm assuming pharmacy managers would also need another degree in like Business Management. Correct?
 
abdc said:
I'm assuming pharmacy managers would also need another degree in like Business Management. Correct?
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The Pharmacist in Charge that I work with doesn't have a business degree, but I think our DM has an MBA.

Certainly can't hurt
 
abdc said:
I'm assuming pharmacy managers would also need another degree in like Business Management. Correct?
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I dont think alot do, but I def could see where it could help.

I know because I have a MBA I was offered a DM job but I turned it down rather quickly after a little research into exactly what they do.
 
JDUB I've seen you say a few times that you have an MBA and have declined retail management, but I haven't heard what exactly, it is, you DO. I'm curious because I'm also considering earning an MBA while I'm stuck in school.

bobs.jpg


J DUB said:
I dont think alot do, but I def could see where it could help.

I know because I have a MBA I was offered a DM job but I turned it down rather quickly after a little research into exactly what they do.
Click to expand...
 
jnmnh said:
JDUB I've seen you say a few times that you have an MBA and have declined retail management, but I haven't heard what exactly, it is, you DO. I'm curious because I'm also considering earning an MBA while I'm stuck in school.

bobs.jpg
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Best post of the week on SDN! The Bobs rock! So what is it you DO here?
 
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