Quitting

[PharFromNormal]

Metrics on their own aren’t bad. How people use metrics is where problems arise.
I’ve met countless people that want to know how their boss, higher level leadership, or just general company determines if they are doing well or being successful. IMO everyone generally wants to be successful in whatever they do. Performance Metrics provide a framework for articulating tangible things that can be pointed to as success metrics. Now if people aren’t aligned to the metrics being what’s important or there is unrealistic targets/goals for metrics is where you’ll start to see divergence. If someone doesn’t hit a goal and they weren’t involved in the goal setting, who’s to say the person missed on expectations or that expectations were unrealistic to begin with. Either way the metric, the calculation isn’t the problem. It’s how it’s being used.

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[iamapharmacist]

Metrics on their own aren’t bad. How people use metrics is where problems arise.
I’ve met countless people that want to know how their boss, higher level leadership, or just general company determines if they are doing well or being successful. IMO everyone generally wants to be successful in whatever they do. Performance Metrics provide a framework for articulating tangible things that can be pointed to as success metrics. Now if people aren’t aligned to the metrics being what’s important or there is unrealistic targets/goals for metrics is where you’ll start to see divergence. If someone doesn’t hit a goal and they weren’t involved in the goal setting, who’s to say the person missed on expectations or that expectations were unrealistic to begin with. Either way the metric, the calculation isn’t the problem. It’s how it’s being used.

Wouldnt it metter “what” it calculates though? If pharmacy metrics calculated how healthy patients are doing or how much they improved on their bp or blood sugar, I would comply the heck out of those metrics. But most if not all metrics are purely profit driven. Just numbers game. It does not help you as a pharmacist or the patient to get better.

 

[owlegrad]

Wouldnt it metter “what” it calculates though? If pharmacy metrics calculated how healthy patients are doing or how much they improved on their bp or blood sugar, I would comply the heck out of those metrics. But most if not all metrics are purely profit driven. Just numbers game. It does not help you as a pharmacist or the patient to get better.

Be careful what you wish for. I personally would not want my compensation to be tied to how well my patients modified their lifestyle and risk factors and were compliant on their medications.

 

[Sine Cura]

You think the current "practice" of retail pharmacy would accommodate such a focus, one that has normalized this "fish bowl" accessibility model and drive-thru? Metrics such as PDC and payer star ratings are a ****ing joke.

At least at Rite Aid you can get ice cream from the cream parlor while you wait (former Thrifty's only or newer locations?)

 

[iamapharmacist]

Be careful what you wish for. I personally would not want my compensation to be tied to how well my patients modified their lifestyle and risk factors and were compliant on their medications.

Wishful thinking I suppose. I am a strong believer that metrics exist only to benefit those who created them.

 

[iamapharmacist]

You think the current "practice" of retail pharmacy would accommodate such a focus, one that has normalized this "fish bowl" accessibility model and drive-thru? Metrics such as PDC and payer star ratings are a ****ing joke.

At least at Rite Aid you can get ice cream from the cream parlor while you wait (former Thrifty's only or newer locations?)

Star rating is one of the major factors killing our health care system. It needs to disappear along with PBMs.

 

[lord999]

Wishful thinking I suppose. I am a strong believer that metrics exist only to benefit those who created them.

Well duh, it's a measure of Taylorism.

You realize you can juke the stats, there are ways. If your management is numbers focused, you make the numbers work, who cares about the business?

 

[BidingMyTime]

You think the current "practice" of retail pharmacy would accommodate such a focus, one that has normalized this "fish bowl" accessibility model and drive-thru? Metrics such as PDC and payer star ratings are a ****ing joke.

At least at Rite Aid you can get ice cream from the cream parlor while you wait (former Thrifty's only or newer locations?)

Thrifty's! Now that is a blast from the past. I worked at a former Thrifty's while going to pharmacy school (it was a SuperRx when I worked at it.) It went through several changes of hands before ending up as a CVS.

 

[mentos]

Thrifty's! Now that is a blast from the past. I worked at a former Thrifty's while going to pharmacy school (it was a SuperRx when I worked at it.) It went through several changes of hands before ending up as a CVS.

Those cylindrical scoops for 10 cents are my childhood.

 

[ranger99rx]

Wouldnt it metter “what” it calculates though? If pharmacy metrics calculated how healthy patients are doing or how much they improved on their bp or blood sugar, I would comply the heck out of those metrics. But most if not all metrics are purely profit driven. Just numbers game. It does not help you as a pharmacist or the patient to get better.

We wouldn't have our job if our store doesn't meet the metric or turn profit, basic economic for all for profit companies.

 

[iamapharmacist]

We wouldn't have our job if our store doesn't meet the metric or turn profit, basic economic for all for profit companies.

Yes... not sure why that needed to be said but yes, that would be correct. Capitalism 101. My point wasnt that we shouldnt make profit but how you make that profit and what type of profit matter, especially in healthcare. Cvs generated $1 billion this past quarter on net profit. Yet, no cvs store has proper amount of staff. So, they are basically making money at the cost of patients’ and their employees’ health and safety.

 

[VA77]

Yes... not sure why that needed to be said but yes, that would be correct. Capitalism 101. My point wasnt that we shouldnt make profit but how you make that profit and what type of profit matter, especially in healthcare. Cvs generated $1 billion this past quarter on net profit. Yet, no cvs store has proper amount of staff. So, they are basically making money at the cost of patients’ and their employees’ health and safety.

And this is why even with recent SCOTUS ruling against PBMs, the chains will make even more $$$. They won't use that Xtra money to improve staffing because they are used to burning everyone out and pocketing the remainder. If a company made 10 trillion dollars the DM still wouldn't approve OT.

 

[ranger99rx]

And this is why even with recent SCOTUS ruling against PBMs, the chains will make even more $$$. They won't use that Xtra money to improve staffing because they are used to burning everyone out and pocketing the remainder. If a company made 10 trillion dollars the DM still wouldn't approve OT.

I'm glad my DM actually wants me to schedule more tech hours than the projection since we are still growing in double digits. We only do about 1400/week (picked up) but our projection is 180 to 200 hours per week of tech help and she wants me to schedule at least 220.

 

[VA77]

I'm glad my DM actually wants me to schedule more tech hours than the projection since we are still growing in double digits. We only do about 1400/week (picked up) but our projection is 180 to 200 hours per week of tech help and she wants me to schedule at least 220.

I glad to hear a positive story cause all I hear is the opposite. I'm at at store that does 1k a week but is the top 15% profitable due to inventory management and labor costs. No overlap. 100 tech hours.

 

[Sine Cura]

TBF Walmart seems very lenient on payroll (at least in California) compared to CVS, prob because of call outs left and right and indefinite self-quarantine.

I have never once gotten any DM complaint while at Walmart about actual optimization deviating from scheduled optimization (I am using the CVS term here).

 

[ranger99rx]

I glad to hear a positive story cause all I hear is the opposite. I'm at at store that does 1k a week but is the top 15% profitable due to inventory management and labor costs. No overlap. 100 tech hours.

I work for Wal-Mart though. I worked as a tech for Giant (grocery store) and People (now CVS), then pharmacist with Farm Fresh (grocery store) then Rite Aid and finally Walmart. So far Wal-Mart give the most support for their pharmacists IMO. CVS wasn't bad back then 25 years ago!

 

[mentos]

Yes... not sure why that needed to be said but yes, that would be correct. Capitalism 101. My point wasnt that we shouldnt make profit but how you make that profit and what type of profit matter, especially in healthcare. Cvs generated $1 billion this past quarter on net profit. Yet, no cvs store has proper amount of staff. So, they are basically making money at the cost of patients’ and their employees’ health and safety.

Healthcare is a business, it's all about the money. The big wigs could give a rat's ass about people's health and safety or working conditions. They will let people die, sweep it under a rug, and burn out as many employees as they can as long as they keep getting their billions. That's why I don't invest in these corrupt companies.

 

[iamapharmacist]

And this is why even with recent SCOTUS ruling against PBMs, the chains will make even more $$$. They won't use that Xtra money to improve staffing because they are used to burning everyone out and pocketing the remainder. If a company made 10 trillion dollars the DM still wouldn't approve OT.

Well the problem is actually worse. With the Rutledge case, ERISA is irrelevant which then forces PBMs to fairly reimburse across the board. Meaning, instead of making more, they will make less. Theyre forced to pay everyone else the same reimbursements. Leading to more hours cut and less staffing. Only ones that will benefit are the ones that have been getting screwed for years which are independents and hospitals.