Retail pharmacists- annual review feedback question

[crossurfingers]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

It's my second year as a pharmacist. I was told that my customer service and error rate is above average. 👍 However, they also said that they want me to get to the point where I can handle 500-600 prescriptions a day(24 hour store- 1 morning shift, 1 evening shift, 1 night shift Rph). They have sent me to stores like this before and I just get REALLY backed up. Not to mention the fact that they had the "come in any time for a flu shot" promotion going on. I honestly just don't think that I will ever get to the point of being able to handle a store with that volume comfortably unless there is a midshift. I've worked with some of the regular pharmacists at stores like that and I'm just amazed at how fast they go. I just don't think I'll ever feel comfortable working at that speed and I don't want to sacrifice my error rate.

Do they really expect all pharmacists to be able to handle that volume? I know they wish everyone would, but please tell me there are other pharmacists out there who can't do it either. I can handle 400 comfortably so I know I'm not super slow. They are just making it seem like I am not up to par if I can't increase my output.

 

[johnep34]

On one of the utube dispensing error videos, there is a comment that a pharmacist was expected to deal with 350 scripts per shift. The commentator thought that was an excessive workload suscribing to the error.
johnep

 

[MountainPharmD]

It's my second year as a pharmacist. I was told that my customer service and error rate is above average. 👍 However, they also said that they want me to get to the point where I can handle 500-600 prescriptions a day(24 hour store- 1 morning shift, 1 evening shift, 1 night shift Rph). They have sent me to stores like this before and I just get REALLY backed up. Not to mention the fact that they had the "come in any time for a flu shot" promotion going on. I honestly just don't think that I will ever get to the point of being able to handle a store with that volume comfortably unless there is a midshift. I've worked with some of the regular pharmacists at stores like that and I'm just amazed at how fast they go. I just don't think I'll ever feel comfortable working at that speed and I don't want to sacrifice my error rate.

Do they really expect all pharmacists to be able to handle that volume? I know they wish everyone would, but please tell me there are other pharmacists out there who can't do it either. I can handle 400 comfortably so I know I'm not super slow. They are just making it seem like I am not up to par if I can't increase my output.

Your post really says it all about the state of our profession, at least on the retail side. What a joke this has become. Five years ago I worked for a Walgreens that averaged 750 a day. It was a 24-hour store with a morning, mid, and evening pharmacists and one night pharmacist. It was an absolute total unmanageable disaster. I cannot imagine trying to do that volume without the mid-shift pharmacist. To get a feel for what it is was like imagine your self in the middle of a giant F-5 tornado with everything swirling around you at 300 miles an hour in absolute chaos. It was the worst place and the worst company I have every worked for.

 

[MountainPharmD]

However, they also said that they want me to get to the point where I can handle 500-600 prescriptions a day(24 hour store- 1 morning shift, 1 evening shift, 1 night shift Rph).

You made it through pharmacy school and passed your boards so you are a smart person. This is a big red flag that even a not so smart person should be able to see. Filling and/or verifing 300 to 400 scripts in an 8 hour shift is dangerous. You cannot possibly give your full attention to every single prescription. There is no way in the world you can counsel on every new script, call on any problems, adequatly supervise your technicians and do the 50 other things required of you in a day.

They have sent me to stores like this before and I just get REALLY backed up. Not to mention the fact that they had the "come in any time for a flu shot" promotion going on. I honestly just don't think that I will ever get to the point of being able to handle a store with that volume comfortably unless there is a midshift. I've worked with some of the regular pharmacists at stores like that and I'm just amazed at how fast they go. I just don't think I'll ever feel comfortable working at that speed and I don't want to sacrifice my error rate..

You do not want to get to the point where you are used to doing that volume. The pharmacists you have seen running around like chickens with there heads cut off are idiots. They are no different than the dancing chicken at the old time carnivals. They got the chicken to dance by turning up the hot plate the chicken was standing on. Same concept with these pharmacists. Corporate turns up the hot plate and they dance a little faster. You do not want to be like them.

Do they really expect all pharmacists to be able to handle that volume? I know they wish everyone would, but please tell me there are other pharmacists out there who can't do it either. I can handle 400 comfortably so I know I'm not super slow. They are just making it seem like I am not up to par if I can't increase my output.

Sure they expect all pharmacists to handle that volume. Pharmacists are expensive. They would just as well not have any pharmacists if they could get away with it. With CVS and Walgreens volume and speed are all they care about. For this reason the profession is going to ****.

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

Your post really says it all about the state of our profession, at least on the retail side. What a joke this has become. Five years ago I worked for a Walgreens that averaged 750 a day. It was a 24-hour store with a morning, mid, and evening pharmacists and one night pharmacist. It was an absolute total unmanageable disaster. I cannot imagine trying to do that volume without the mid-shift pharmacist. To get a feel for what it is was like imagine your self in the middle of a giant F-5 tornado with everything swirling around you at 300 miles an hour in absolute chaos. It was the worst place and the worst company I have every worked for.

Do you work for the VA now?

 

[lorain]

we do anywhere from 400-600, the manager here has been asking for midshift rph forever and hasnt gotten it

our stars are up, transfers are up, customer complaints are up

but at the same time, there is nothing i can do

flut shots, 400 rx, all the other insurance bs to deal with, there is only so much i can take

 

[Sparda29]

Once the script count rate goes above 16 scripts/hour, errors are going to start happening.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

So when are you passive-aggressive pansies going to make a stand and go on strike? Everyone seems to forget that we hold all of the cards. They need us waaaay more than we need them. If I worked retail, my crazy ass would have already been in the streets with signs that read "Walgreens doesn't want me to take my time with your Rx" and cursing the name of every corporate retail pharmacy in public.

If and when hospital pharmacy gets that bad, you'll see how its done. I'd be like Jimmy ****ing Hoffa making deals with the mafia and ****.

 

[SoonerPharmD]

just increase your wait times; whenever i'm backed up or my techs can't handle it then i tell people 3-4 hr wait times. then as the next shift gets closer and i'm still backed up, i tell people tomorrow afternoon. if you get complaints then so be it, district will get the message sooner or later. i've shut the drive thru down a couple of times b/c i've been so behind b4, the store managers get pissed, but until they get back in the pharmacy and start helping like they are supposed to, it'll stay closed.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Do you work for the VA now?

Still in the application process. When they say it takes forever to get on with the government they mean it.

 

[MountainPharmD]

just increase your wait times; whenever i'm backed up or my techs can't handle it then i tell people 3-4 hr wait times. then as the next shift gets closer and i'm still backed up, i tell people tomorrow afternoon. if you get complaints then so be it, district will get the message sooner or later. i've shut the drive thru down a couple of times b/c i've been so behind b4, the store managers get pissed, but until they get back in the pharmacy and start helping like they are supposed to, it'll stay closed.

This is exactly how you handle it. Do whatever necessary to take care of yourself and your license first.

 

[MyTalon4U2NV]

oh gosh, i feel like at the 24hr cvs i work at, district will literally rip your head off if you closed the drive-thru!

no joke.

 

[EDF5]

So when are you passive-aggressive pansies going to make a stand and go on strike? Everyone seems to forget that we hold all of the cards. They need us waaaay more than we need them. If I worked retail, my crazy ass would have already been in the streets with signs that read "Walgreens doesn't want me to take my time with your Rx" and cursing the name of every corporate retail pharmacy in public.

If and when hospital pharmacy gets that bad, you'll see how its done. I'd be like Jimmy ****ing Hoffa making deals with the mafia and ****.

What happens when there is a line of graduating pharmacy students waiting in line to take your job???

 

[MountainPharmD]

What happens when there is a line of graduating pharmacy students waiting in line to take your job???

We are screwed. New grads will put up with anything with 120k in student loans to pay back.

 

[SheraPharmD]

👍

So when are you passive-aggressive pansies going to make a stand and go on strike? Everyone seems to forget that we hold all of the cards. They need us waaaay more than we need them. If I worked retail, my crazy ass would have already been in the streets with signs that read "Walgreens doesn't want me to take my time with your Rx" and cursing the name of every corporate retail pharmacy in public.

If and when hospital pharmacy gets that bad, you'll see how its done. I'd be like Jimmy ****ing Hoffa making deals with the mafia and ****.

 

[SheraPharmD]

👍 this makes a much better and safer work environment for everyone to get caught up...

just increase your wait times; whenever i'm backed up or my techs can't handle it then i tell people 3-4 hr wait times. then as the next shift gets closer and i'm still backed up, i tell people tomorrow afternoon. if you get complaints then so be it, district will get the message sooner or later. i've shut the drive thru down a couple of times b/c i've been so behind b4, the store managers get pissed, but until they get back in the pharmacy and start helping like they are supposed to, it'll stay closed.

 

[deleted205891]

👍 this makes a much better and safer work environment for everyone to get caught up...

We used to do that if necessary (well, 1 hour, not 3), but now we have to ask everyone if they would like to wait in store and if they do, 15 mins or a gift card. Now we usually have 2 wait times. 15 mins if in store. Usually 30-45 mins if they leave the store, even for a second.

 

[Dr Wario]

Your post really says it all about the state of our profession, at least on the retail side. What a joke this has become. Five years ago I worked for a Walgreens that averaged 750 a day. It was a 24-hour store with a morning, mid, and evening pharmacists and one night pharmacist. It was an absolute total unmanageable disaster. I cannot imagine trying to do that volume without the mid-shift pharmacist. To get a feel for what it is was like imagine your self in the middle of a giant F-5 tornado with everything swirling around you at 300 miles an hour in absolute chaos. It was the worst place and the worst company I have every worked for.

Wow...750 is what we did today with 5 hours rph overlap, 13 hours open, I'm glad I work so hard so the welfare babies can have their rx in 15 minutes or less. Oh yeah, we also put up truck.

 

[nafcillin]

why the hell did a thread from 2009 get bumped?

 

[sap24]

retail pharmacists are expected to be ROBOTS, and if you dont fit in their robotic mould they force and pressure you to fit in it!

i say, be slow and take your time - because if you make a mistake, its your license, they will eventually move you to a slow store as thats their only option

goodluck

 

[blueclassring]

Our bargaining power is gone. Like someone said on this website, we're 10 years too late. 2001 would have been an opportune time to change things in the profession, but with over a 100K in loans not many pharmacists are going to fight their masters.

 

[Ilikechemicals]

why the hell did a thread from 2009 get bumped?

I think its bcause WVU works retail now. Is he going to lead us in open revolt? Only time will tell...