Retail Chains without Tech Budgets

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Haha, the pharmacists (and often techs) wish. But you're bored at work anyway, why would they give you more hours.

On a serious note, I believe that your P4 hours don't come from the tech hours at Rite Aid, but rather from the district's budget. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing (would the district pay for an intern in a saturated area?)
 
Haha, the pharmacists (and often techs) wish. But you're bored at work anyway, why would they give you more hours.

On a serious note, I believe that your P4 hours don't come from the tech hours at Rite Aid, but rather from the district's budget. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing (would the district pay for an intern in a saturated area?)

Actually, haven't been bored at work ever since Readyfill came out, especially since all the pharmacists I work with think that you're supposed to complete all the prescriptions that Readyfill generates every day, and never leave a script in the queue for the next day. 😕

Do the Readyfill scripts get counted into the daily script count?
 
Actually, haven't been bored at work ever since Readyfill came out, especially since all the pharmacists I work with think that you're supposed to complete all the prescriptions that Readyfill generates every day, and never leave a script in the queue for the next day. 😕

Do the Readyfill scripts get counted into the daily script count?

For somebody so intelligent, you ask some really silly questions. Read your questions and honestly answer them. You will figure it out.
 
Haha, the pharmacists (and often techs) wish. But you're bored at work anyway, why would they give you more hours.

On a serious note, I believe that your P4 hours don't come from the tech hours at Rite Aid, but rather from the district's budget. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing (would the district pay for an intern in a saturated area?)

Intern hrs dont count against store hrs at Rite Aid. However, they barely cover the store with tech help.

I am an intern there now. There are several hrs each day where the pharmacist is there all by themselves. Usually in the early morning and before closing. It can be difficult handling the window, filling the Rx, checking the Rx, running the register, and handling that damn drive thru all by yourself. And usually there is only one tech there with two techs when it gets busier in the afternoon.

But, I accepted an offer from them since they are willing to work with me and I know the computer system.
 
For somebody so intelligent, you ask some really silly questions. Read your questions and honestly answer them. You will figure it out.

I don't think the Readyfill scripts are counted. Two years ago before readyfill, the daily script count was around 190-230. Now with the extra scripts being done through Readyfill, it's actually around the same, which makes me think that Readyfill is not being counted into the daily count.
 
Intern hrs dont count against store hrs at Rite Aid. However, they barely cover the store with tech help.

I am an intern there now. There are several hrs each day where the pharmacist is there all by themselves. Usually in the early morning and before closing. It can be difficult handling the window, filling the Rx, checking the Rx, running the register, and handling that damn drive thru all by yourself. And usually there is only one tech there with two techs when it gets busier in the afternoon.

But, I accepted an offer from them since they are willing to work with me and I know the computer system.

Oh? In my district, they do count as store hours until P4. I work for them because they hired me, and because they're very flexible with my scheduling (though my hours got cut again).
 
I don't think the Readyfill scripts are counted. Two years ago before readyfill, the daily script count was around 190-230. Now with the extra scripts being done through Readyfill, it's actually around the same, which makes me think that Readyfill is not being counted into the daily count.

They absolutely count young grasshopper......
 
I dont even work for CVS and i had to look up what readyfill is on the internet .. but why would you think that those prescriptions just.. dont have to be filled each day? It's basically like the customer calling in a refill , if they're in readyfill they probably expect to have it ready every month when they need it .. why wouldnt you fill a script cause it was generated by a computer ?
 
Hmm, so either our script count went down, or the most of the people who used to manually refill their prescriptions have switched to the Readyfill system.

That would be my best guess....
 
I dont even work for CVS and i had to look up what readyfill is on the internet .. but why would you think that those prescriptions just.. dont have to be filled each day? It's basically like the customer calling in a refill , if they're in readyfill they probably expect to have it ready every month when they need it .. why wouldnt you fill a script cause it was generated by a computer ?

Because of the due date on the prescription. The prescriptions that Readyfill generates usually go up to 3 days in advance, thus if today is 12/16, and Readyfill generates stuff up until 12/19, you don't HAVE TO fill the stuff due on 12/18 and 12/19.

For example, 2 weeks ago I was working a Saturday. I came in and the people working Friday didn't put the truck order away at all, still about 5-6 crates left to put away. Personally, my plan would have been to fill whatever was due that day and the next day, and then leave the rest of the stuff in the queue, and just work on putting away the truck order, cycle counts, etc.
 
Because of the due date on the prescription. The prescriptions that Readyfill generates usually go up to 3 days in advance, thus if today is 12/16, and Readyfill generates stuff up until 12/19, you don't HAVE TO fill the stuff due on 12/18 and 12/19.

For example, 2 weeks ago I was working a Saturday. I came in and the people working Friday didn't put the truck order away at all, still about 5-6 crates left to put away. Personally, my plan would have been to fill whatever was due that day and the next day, and then leave the rest of the stuff in the queue, and just work on putting away the truck order, cycle counts, etc.

It would be nice to do that, but you'll end up in a loop where you're perpetually behind. All you're doing is pushing work back by three days, not making it go away. One bad Monday comes where you legitimately can't do the work, and you'll be screwed.

Do as much as you can as early as you can, and you'll be fine.
 
Because of the due date on the prescription. The prescriptions that Readyfill generates usually go up to 3 days in advance, thus if today is 12/16, and Readyfill generates stuff up until 12/19, you don't HAVE TO fill the stuff due on 12/18 and 12/19.

For example, 2 weeks ago I was working a Saturday. I came in and the people working Friday didn't put the truck order away at all, still about 5-6 crates left to put away. Personally, my plan would have been to fill whatever was due that day and the next day, and then leave the rest of the stuff in the queue, and just work on putting away the truck order, cycle counts, etc.

So basically your philosophy is: why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?
 
How much quieter can 200 scripts/day get? :meanie:

The store I was at Monday had 1000 (yes that's 3 zeros) when I left at 10PM. Still had 2 hours to go. Heck they had more than 200 when the day shift came in at 8AM. Once of the easier days I have gad in a long time.
 
Are there any chain pharmacies out there that don't have a tech budget and just let the pharmacist schedule whatever they want?

Target is the worst! They keep cutting down hours! There is one Target store that is so slow that are only 15 tech hours PER WEEK!!! 😱 I don't see how the pharmacist there can survive like that. 🙄
 
The store I was at Monday had 1000 (yes that's 3 zeros) when I left at 10PM. Still had 2 hours to go. Heck they had more than 200 when the day shift came in at 8AM. Once of the easier days I have gad in a long time.

There is a store in my district that averages over 7000 rxs a week and there is a wags right next door. It's in a rural town of about 50000 but has a lot of visitors, especially in the winter.
 
Target is the worst! They keep cutting down hours! There is one Target store that is so slow that are only 15 tech hours PER WEEK!!! 😱 I don't see how the pharmacist there can survive like that. 🙄

If the store is so slow then why do they need a bunch of tech hours? I don't see how the pharmacists can survive being so bored. At Target they work 12 hour shifts. 12 hours can last forever if there is nothing to do.
 
Target is the worst! They keep cutting down hours! There is one Target store that is so slow that are only 15 tech hours PER WEEK!!! 😱 I don't see how the pharmacist there can survive like that. 🙄

I noticed your post was in 2009, today my store and many more at Target are given zero tech hour. If your store fill less than 325 per week you get none, at 325 you get 8 hours a week. Where the hell do you find a tech only wants to work 8 hours a week. Other retail pharmacists don't realize that at Target we have a lot more in store traffic/guests needing help within a Target store than pharmacies that are tucked away in the corner. We fill 70 scripts in 9.5 hours but we do't have 9.5 hours to fill 70 scripts. After spending hours on the phone with doctors, insurance companies, and guests in store, it's more like filling 70 scripts in 3 hours. Also Target now requires 1.5 CEU for all pharmacists every 3 months. So they basically think we have an hour and a half to do their extra training. I am never bored filling 300 scripts a week, there is always something to do, from filling scripts to dusting shelves because I don't have a tech.
 
Last edited:
Are there any chain pharmacies out there that don't have a tech budget and just let the pharmacist schedule whatever they want?

This post should be about pharmacies without any tech hours these days, not an unlimited budget...:boom:
 
Hy-Vee, a Midwestern chain, was that way when I worked for them, although I left there 10 years ago. IDK what their policy is now, but whenever I'm in one, there's almost always at least one pharmacist, and at least one tech, even on Sundays.

At my store, we always tried to have tech coverage, but one Saturday, we didn't so we had our relief pharmacist come in. He had to leave at noon to go to his other job; another pharmacist complained that we were just going to have a (at the time) $30 an hour tech, but honestly, I needed a second pharmacist that morning more than I needed a tech. We were a medium volume store, and rarely did more than 50 on a weekend day but that morning was much busier than usual.
 
I noticed your post was in 2009, today my store and many more at Target are given zero tech hour. If your store fill less than 325 per week you get none, at 325 you get 8 hours a week. Where the hell do you find a tech only wants to work 8 hours a week. Other retail pharmacists don't realize that at Target we have a lot more in store traffic/guests needing help within a Target store than pharmacies that are tucked away in the corner. We fill 70 scripts in 9.5 hours but we do't have 9.5 hours to fill 70 scripts. After spending hours on the phone with doctors, insurance companies, and guests in store, it's more like filling 70 scripts in 3 hours. Also Target now requires 1.5 CEU for all pharmacists every 3 months. So they basically think we have an hour and a half to do their extra training. I am never bored filling 300 scripts a week, there is always something to do, from filling scripts to dusting shelves because I don't have a tech.

If I were you I would find another job. If Target has stores filling less than 500 rx's a week it won't be long before Target pulls out of the pharmacy business. They have done it before.

Sounds like a great job...Dusting shelves and all because you have no techs.
 
If I were you I would find another job. If Target has stores filling less than 500 rx's a week it won't be long before Target pulls out of the pharmacy business. They have done it before.

Sounds like a great job...Dusting shelves and all because you have no techs.

:laugh: Actually when they did the tech hour cuts to zero, I think they were trying to get pharmacists to quit, then close the pharmacies. I wouldn't be surprised if my pharmacy closes. I don't have all day to dust shelves or what not. A lot of other store employees thought I was bored, but a lot of times I had 2 minutes left before the end of my shift, I'd be rushing to clean the dirt on the counter I saw earlier because no one else would have time to clean it later. Right now I'm doing all I can as an employee to keep my pharmacy up to basic standard, and unfortunately it includes cleaning... I'm just taking one day at a time 🤣🤣🤣
 
Last edited:
Top