Rite Aid or CVS or Walgreens as a pharmacist?

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vinny808

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In your experience what are the pros and cons working for one these 3 chains as a pharmacist? Rite Aid or CVS or Walgreeens? In Cali. Thank you.
 
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depends on what district you are talking about.
 
Lets say Cali area lol.
 
CVS is profit driven- I was terminated for being too suspicious of narcotic prescriptions (one of which was a certified fraud per the "prescribing" physician), another was a woman trying to fill her daughters Adipex for her own use (she VOLUNTEERED this information). And you are forced to work 14 hour shifts.

Walgreens is better in the case that you work 8 hour shifts, but they will write you up for being 2 MINUTES LATE in a snowstorm...


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile
 
I had a good experience at RiteAid the two years I worked there - but this was as an intern and in Ohio. The PDMs seemed very patient experience oriented - it was always "try to always give the patient what they want"... which was annoying.
 
vinny808 said:
In your experience what are the pros and cons working for one these 3 chains as a pharmacist? Rite Aid or CVS or Walgreeens? In Cali. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I cant speak for Walgreens... but here are some pros and cons of CVS.

Target driven incentives.. (the better you are with numbers, the more you get paid), 401k match, stable company with lots of opportunities, good mentors (and colleagues), and generally, they leave you alone as long as you do the right things.

Cons... same as other chains, high volume with little help, a lot of paper work ie (monthly SOS visit, and lots of regulatory compliance audits), a lot of meetings for pharmacy managers outside of work schedule, and crappy computer system that crashes a lot.


For Rite Aid, I don't remember much pros except they didn't care about numbers that much.

Cons.. it is run by the front end. Their CEOs and most of their management teams are from the front end unlike CVS and Wags which are run by pharmacists. The company is also not stable which might mean low job security.
 
Try to find a job at an independent pharmacy!! YES.
I have worked at a major retail, a lot of stress on rph; untrained techs who can be threaten to your license; mtm, immunizations which can interrupt in the process of filling scripts, insurance issues, lots of narcotics to fill; AND no time to EAT!! I would also try to find a job at hospital, much better environment, be careful there though everything in critical (working with IVs).
 
1bad45calgirl said:
CVS is profit driven- I was terminated for being too suspicious of narcotic prescriptions (one of which was a certified fraud per the "prescribing" physician), another was a woman trying to fill her daughters Adipex for her own use (she VOLUNTEERED this information). And you are forced to work 14 hour shifts.

Walgreens is better in the case that you work 8 hour shifts, but they will write you up for being 2 MINUTES LATE in a snowstorm...


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...

My BFF was fired from Walgreens at the end of 2012. He had to work 14-hour shifts, and also had to do overnight travel.
 
nextyearrx said:
Try to find a job at an independent pharmacy!! YES.
I have worked at a major retail, a lot of stress on rph; untrained techs who can be threaten to your license; mtm, immunizations which can interrupt in the process of filling scripts, insurance issues, lots of narcotics to fill; AND no time to EAT!! I would also try to find a job at hospital, much better environment, be careful there though everything in critical (working with IVs).
Click to expand...

Of course I would love a job at either of the above- I have dropped off resumes and contacted independents- no openings.
Hospitals always want someone with experience or a residency...
The above were the only reasons I took chain positions.
 
1bad45calgirl said:
CVS is profit driven- I was terminated for being too suspicious of narcotic prescriptions (one of which was a certified fraud per the "prescribing" physician), another was a woman trying to fill her daughters Adipex for her own use (she VOLUNTEERED this information). And you are forced to work 14 hour shifts.
Click to expand...

That is completely against corporate policy and whoever fired you for that is violating the corporate pharmacy operation manual. You could sue the **** out of CVS. Its written in ink that pharmacists don't have to fill something a narcotic if it is against their professional judgement that it isn't being used or a legitimate medical purpose.
 
ancienbon said:
Would take heart disease anytime. hiv or cancer?
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If you're compliant with HIV meds your life span is what..6 months less? Regardless, it would depend on the type of cancer. So maybe cancer but thats a tough one.

Herpes or Diabetes? I would choose herpes over diabetes all day.
 
rxgolfer said:
If you're compliant with HIV meds your life span is what..6 months less? Regardless, it would depend on the type of cancer. So maybe cancer but thats a tough one.

Herpes or Diabetes? I would choose herpes over diabetes all day.
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I don't even know how to respond to this...
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
That is completely against corporate policy and whoever fired you for that is violating the corporate pharmacy operation manual. You could sue the **** out of CVS. Its written in ink that pharmacists don't have to fill something a narcotic if it is against their professional judgement that it isn't being used or a legitimate medical purpose.
Click to expand...

That's why my reason for termination was having my damned register login credentials on a post it in my lab coat pocket- which was turned around to be a violation of the PSE policy.
Wtf people??
Let's face it. I was fu$&ed over.
 
You can't play nice with these companies. If they say you have a login written down in your pocket just deny it. You seriously have to lie to them and if they keep pushing say you will get your lawyer. Never admit anything.
 
Maybe the post it was found during a staff search? Can't deny that.
 
Hello2000 said:
Maybe the post it was found during a staff search? Can't deny that.
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Retail is getting worse if they now have people coming in demanding to search your pockets. What a work environment, what a country!
 
It's very 1984 Orwell at CVS. They want total control over your life. They snoop on you with cameras, have phone call monitors, fill time monitors, invade your privacy and brainwash you into thinking their metrics really matter and make a difference. They give you 60 hours of work to complete in a 40 hour work week. You would never think we have doctorates they way they treat us.
 
North Carolina seems to have a lot of open positions particularly in the Burlington-Mebane area. A friend of mine is a Walgreens pharmacy technician while in undergrad at unc and already has a promised position. If they can already promise them a position, surely there's room now for people who are unemployed with pharmacy experience. North Carolina is definitely the land of opportunity for pharmacists! I also know of other classmates in pharmacy school who are graduating with immediate pharmacist offers at walgreens, cvs and rite aid in the raleigh durham, burlington, mebane and greensboro area. Trust me NC is the place for a pharmacist to be!
 
futuredoctort93 said:
North Carolina seems to have a lot of open positions particularly in the Burlington-Mebane area. A friend of mine is a Walgreens pharmacy technician while in undergrad at unc and already has a promised position. If they can already promise them a position, surely there's room now for people who are unemployed with pharmacy experience. North Carolina is definitely the land of opportunity for pharmacists! I also know of other classmates in pharmacy school who are graduating with immediate pharmacist offers at walgreens, cvs and rite aid in the raleigh durham, burlington, mebane and greensboro area. Trust me NC is the place for a pharmacist to be!
Click to expand...


This means nothing. Trust me, I signed up for the walgreens scholarship during undergrad...had good relationship with my DM...and was interning for a year there as well. When I graduated in 2010...my DM was gone, I had to interview over again...and they were being wishy washy with their contracts (even though I signed one). Apparently, all this means is YOU have to fulfill your end of the bargain...THEY DON'T.
 
I am so effing glad I got out of Rite Aid after a year and am in a good job now in a hospital. I moonlighted at CVS and I always tell people the reason I did it is to remind me of how much I HATE retail - even though the real reason is I had a money grubbing wife who was biopolar and spent money like it was growing on trees. I amputated the ex wife and now don't have to work there anymore.
 
1bad45calgirl said:
CVS is profit driven- I was terminated for being too suspicious of narcotic prescriptions (one of which was a certified fraud per the "prescribing" physician), another was a woman trying to fill her daughters Adipex for her own use (she VOLUNTEERED this information). And you are forced to work 14 hour shifts.

Walgreens is better in the case that you work 8 hour shifts, but they will write you up for being 2 MINUTES LATE in a snowstorm...


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile
Click to expand...
Liar Liar pants on fire!!!!! I agree that CVS is profit driven and so is any company that has stock options- so that's a no brainer, but no way in hell would I believe you were terminated for being too suspicious- In order to be fired from CVS- they would have to have a history and a trail- meaning numerous write ups- if you were fired for not filling controls- HR would have been involved and you would be a rich person because of wrongful termination. You are a bold face liar- please tell us why you really got fired!!!!
 
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