question about cvs

[phar2013]

I just got a job at CVS. Any advice about CVS...

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[Texas PharmDoc]

just warnings....

 

[bellashmella]

just warnings....

I agree, just don't expect to get the pay that you deserve.

 

[simplyv001]

This is the worst job I have ever had I feel more like a servant than a technician. I clean the disgusting bathrooms, bleach the floors, and vaccum and mop the entire store, and I work major holidays like Christmas and thanksgiving..all for 10 bucks an hour.

I can't wait for school to start so i can quit

 

[bigpanda]

working at cvs isn't going to be fun. lots of work and low pay. just take it as experience to learn more about the profession

 

[WhiteSnows]

I don't believe all CVS is like that. My advice is work for them first and see it yourself.

 

[calisoca]

I do not think that reasonably work with csv

Haha what?

 

[simplyv001]

I don't believe all CVS is like that. My advice is work for them first and see it yourself.

definitely..it ultimately depends on your store and pharmacy manager. And hopefully u don't work at a 24 hours one with a drive thru..right next to a major hospital like me.

 

[Transformer]

definitely..it ultimately depends on your store and pharmacy manager. And hopefully u don't work at a 24 hours one with a drive thru..right next to a major hospital like me.

I work for a hospital pharmacy and we are not contracted with all pharmacy insurance/benefits. If it's a common medication, we refer these patients to retail pharmacies like CVS; espcially 24 hour ones. (ER loves to write scripts at 11pm and sadly, we don't take every patients' insurance)

I know how you feel simplyv001, getting hospital discharged orders can be challenging.

 

[Sparda29]

I work for a hospital pharmacy and we are not contracted with all pharmacy insurance/benefits. If it's a common medication, we refer these patients to retail pharmacies like CVS; espcially 24 hour ones. (ER loves to write scripts at 11pm and sadly, we don't take every patients' insurance)

I know how you feel simplyv001, getting hospital discharged orders can be challenging.

I thought that any hospital expense, including prescription drugs would just be thrown onto the hospital bill and charged to the medical insurance?

As for CVS, the guy who said he cleaned the bathrooms, vaccumed the front store, etc. STOP! That's not your ****ing job and tell them to find someone else to do that.

 

[phar2013]

My pharmacy manager and the techs there are really the best. But, I have just worked one day there. I am still in transition!

 

[browneyesbear]

I woked at different CVS stores. The one i am working at right now is great! We are like a family together!!... it's rare to find a store like this.

 

[Transformer]

I thought that any hospital expense, including prescription drugs would just be thrown onto the hospital bill and charged to the medical insurance?

As for CVS, the guy who said he cleaned the bathrooms, vaccumed the front store, etc. STOP! That's not your ****ing job and tell them to find someone else to do that.

Most major hospitals have two pharmacy departments: Outpatient and Inpatient departments.

Medication from Inpatient pharmacies are charged to the hospital bill. Hospitals bill patient's medical policies.

Discharged Medication received by outpatient pharmacies are billed to patient's own prescription insurance companies; just like in retail settings. (Not charged on the hospital bill)

 

[confettiflyer]

I woked at different CVS stores. The one i am working at right now is great! We are like a family together!!... it's rare to find a store like this.

You have time to "be a family?" Your DM is going to come to your store and cut hours in about 3....2.....1......

 

[Artful Dodger]

Yeah, just go for it. However, just make sure when you're weighing your options, especially when they want you working 2 shifts, nights, during class, etc. that school is primary and your job is secondary...otherwise, you'll set yourself up for failure & regret in your pursuit for gaining admission to pharmacy school. My experience..well...i only worked 4 months in a pharmacy...it was cool until they wanted me to ditch school and work full-time 5 days a week.

 

[BillLy120]

I've worked for CVS for 2 years....started as a clerk and now Im an intern...what I would say is give it a shot...the hardest part will be learning hte system cause man its a pain to learn. What i would do is learn the pick up as quick as possible then head over to the drop off and learn that system...once u get the insurance down and reading doctor rxss then ur set.

When it comes to CVS its true they dont pay as well as Walgreens but the experience really depends on the store...so stick wit it and learn as much as u can

 

[LostTexan]

I have been working as a pharmacy tech at CVS for 3 years and I absolutely love it. My brother wants to become a pharmacist too and he now works in the pharmacy with me. I have amazing pharmacists who are excellent examples of what a pharmacist should be.

It's true that CVS doesn't pay nearly what some of the other chains pay. I joke with my pharmacist that I'm really just volunteering there and they pay me for gas money. We have a pretty slow store (about 200 scripts/day) since we have 5 other pharmacies in a 5-mile radius, but we have a lot of patient loyalty because we have a great pharmacy team.

I recommend trying it out, its really hard to find a job in a pharmacy (at least in my area) so I would take anything that is offered to you. Oh, and if you work in the pharmacy you should never be asked to clean any part of the store outside of the pharmacy.

 

[Kirbypuff]

REALLY? I don't understand anyone who works for CVS as a pharm tech. They don't even give you a raise if you pass the PTCE. Walgreen's pays you better initially, pays for courses to pass the PTCE, pays for the exam and travel expenses, then adds $1.50/hr to your pay. Oh and you don't have to clean the bathroom.

 

[confettiflyer]

REALLY? I don't understand anyone who works for CVS as a pharm tech. They don't even give you a raise if you pass the PTCE. Walgreen's pays you better initially, pays for courses to pass the PTCE, pays for the exam and travel expenses, then adds $1.50/hr to your pay. Oh and you don't have to clean the bathroom.

I got a raise after passing PTCE (w/ subsequent tech licensure in my state). Pay went up $3 for me (mostly due to the tech license...but who the hell goes to pharm tech school??)

If you become "lead tech" (PTCB cert required), you get a whopping dollar.

Retail is a wasteland anyway...never working there again unless I have to for intern hours.

 

[Kirbypuff]

I got a raise after passing PTCE (w/ subsequent tech licensure in my state). Pay went up $3 for me (mostly due to the tech license...but who the hell goes to pharm tech school??)

If you become "lead tech" (PTCB cert required), you get a whopping dollar.

Retail is a wasteland anyway...never working there again unless I have to for intern hours.

If you become "senior tech," you get $2.50 on top of the $1.50.

Walgreen's >> CVS

Oh, we had a CVS employee asking for a job the other day. I bet it doesn't happen the other way around.

P.S. Sorry for being such a CVS hater... truth be told... I applied to CVS a long time ago and I never heard back from them! x)

 

[confettiflyer]

If you become "senior tech," you get $2.50 on top of the $1.50.

Walgreen's >> CVS

Oh, we had a CVS employee asking for a job the other day. I bet it doesn't happen the other way around.

P.S. Sorry for being such a CVS hater... truth be told... I applied to CVS a long time ago and I never heard back from them! x)

They're all the same. Retail in general is a f-ckin' sh-thole. Haha, be sure to seek other employment options once you get into pharm school.

I only like CVS because their Rx bottles are streamlined and I travel a lot (more locations from their crazy acquisitions the past few years).


As for employment....you gotta know the system! Electronic apps get sent to the store you designated but if they're not hiring, well...they're not hiring. Head to another one and have them look up your app on unicrew (not exactly automatic). Plus, we never followed up on the apps that came in...ONLY if the person came in to talk to the manager did we bother doing anything.

 

[rxlynn]

...
As for employment....you gotta know the system! Electronic apps get sent to the store you designated but if they're not hiring, well...they're not hiring. Head to another one and have them look up your app on unicrew (not exactly automatic). Plus, we never followed up on the apps that came in...ONLY if the person came in to talk to the manager did we bother doing anything.

Yeah - I'll second this. My observation has been that whether you get hired as a tech at CVS has a lot to do with when you happen to show up as an applicant vs. whether the store needs a tech. I was hired with zero pharmacy experience and was not even interviewed by the store's pharmacists. For all they knew, I was drug-seeking - there was nothing in my background to suggest that I was interested in pharmacy. I later found out that the store had essentially been without one of their tech positions for several months, so I guess they were desparate and I showed up at the right time.