rph/ tech ratio- should I report this to the board?

[TianjinNVhai]

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I’m a floater at Walgreens. I noticed that most stores in my district are violating the rph/tech ratio restrictions in my state. There are very minimal rph overlap hours. I’m thinking maybe I should report this to the board. But what are the most possible consequences if I do? Will they increase rph hour? Keep cutting techs? Will I and all the other pharmacists be in trouble?

 

[JustFillIt]

I’m a floater at Walgreens. I noticed that most stores in my district are violating the rph/tech ratio restrictions in my state. There are very minimal rph overlap hours. I’m thinking maybe I should report this to the board. But what are the most possible consequences if I do? Will they increase rph hour? Keep cutting techs? Will I and all the other pharmacists be in trouble?

Lol! Are you a new grad? Did you expect overlap in retail? The answers to most of the questions you asked are grossly obvious... the only leg you have to stand on here is if a violation of state law is actually happening. What state? What is your Pharm:tech ratio? And what is actually happening?

If there is a violation I would first kindly bring it up in conversation with my direct supervisor and request an immediate correction. Then, if there is no response within the week, I would write it up in an email - site the law and what the violation is. Copy your HR department (this will protect you from retaliation which is great because this is a very broad definition and a skilled lawyer can make this work in your favor almost every time).

Then just sit back and see what happens. If the corporation does not comply with the law and you are the “whistleblower” that also brings a whole host of sweet benefits also. Definitely keep this in house at first....

 

[Lnsean]

I’m a floater at Walgreens. I noticed that most stores in my district are violating the rph/tech ratio restrictions in my state. There are very minimal rph overlap hours. I’m thinking maybe I should report this to the board. But what are the most possible consequences if I do? Will they increase rph hour? Keep cutting techs? Will I and all the other pharmacists be in trouble?

Doooooo it.

 

[wagrxm2000]

I’m a floater at Walgreens. I noticed that most stores in my district are violating the rph/tech ratio restrictions in my state. There are very minimal rph overlap hours. I’m thinking maybe I should report this to the board. But what are the most possible consequences if I do? Will they increase rph hour? Keep cutting techs? Will I and all the other pharmacists be in trouble?

May I ask your ratio in your state and what you currently are doing.

The issue you may run into is your company may say that store made a decision to break the ratio.

So are you working a couple techs 8 hours each or a bunch of techs 5 to 6 hours each?A A lot of stores like to work their techs 5 days a week at 6 hours each so they get benefits plus there is more coverage. Don't forget the 4 hours the DHs work.

Also Walgreens used to show a chart that had it's recommendation for how many people should be in the pharmacy at a certain time of day. We don't use that way of scheduling anymore but was it over the ratio?

In the end, you will only hurt that RXM so I say don't worry about it.

 

[letsrun11]

OP please keep us posted if you do report this violation. Ta

 

[sadface]

In my state you can get exceptions to the ratios if you discuss it with the board so perhaps your company did that?

 

[projektreverb]

I was waiting for wagrxm to respond lol

 

[wagrxm2000]

I was waiting for wagrxm to respond lol

Your welcome.

People need to see things from all perspectives.

 

[owlegrad]

When I worked retail the company line was to maintain the ratio and obey all laws blah blah blah and then the scheduling tool and amount of hours we got for RPh vs techs made that practically impossible. One thing I was always told was not to count people who are doing “non-tech” work, like pickup or drivethru. I always wondered if an inspector or the board would agree with that logic but considering I have NEVER met or heard of a pharmacist who was cited as violating that law I guess it must work.

 

[PharmDminus]

I’m a floater at Walgreens. I noticed that most stores in my district are violating the rph/tech ratio restrictions in my state. There are very minimal rph overlap hours. I’m thinking maybe I should report this to the board. But what are the most possible consequences if I do? Will they increase rph hour? Keep cutting techs? Will I and all the other pharmacists be in trouble?

those arent techs they are cashiers!!

 

[genesis09]

When I worked retail the company line was to maintain the ratio and obey all laws blah blah blah and then the scheduling tool and amount of hours we got for RPh vs techs made that practically impossible. One thing I was always told was not to count people who are doing “non-tech” work, like pickup or drivethru. I always wondered if an inspector or the board would agree with that logic but considering I have NEVER met or heard of a pharmacist who was cited as violating that law I guess it must work.

Someone in Wisconsin was cited for violating the tech to rph ratio.

 

[Chrish]

I have yet to work at the store where ratio is followed. And with the amount of overlap vs amount of responsibility, it’s impossible.

So just shut up and get on with it..

 

[wucool33]

Yeah, when I was retail... they just called the extra people “cashiers”, which are excluded from the ratio calculation.

 

[meltyblend]

When I worked retail the company line was to maintain the ratio and obey all laws blah blah blah and then the scheduling tool and amount of hours we got for RPh vs techs made that practically impossible. One thing I was always told was not to count people who are doing “non-tech” work, like pickup or drivethru. I always wondered if an inspector or the board would agree with that logic but considering I have NEVER met or heard of a pharmacist who was cited as violating that law I guess it must work.

That's exactly how it works. Friend's store got a board visit the other day and they basically said the tech working the register is only doing cashier work. As long as the tech isn't seen doing pharmacy duty by the inspector, I think you can explain that one away.

I do feel bad for my friend's PIC though. Poor guy got a visit from both the board and the CEO's wife on the same day. Guess who the DL cared more about.

 

[thecoolpharmboi]

My store always follow the rph-tech ratio. It isn’t up to the district, RXM or whoever he/she delegates it to— does the technician scheduling. So if law is broken then it is on the PIC not the company.

 

[grumpyRph]

what i've been told and understood is, the only sole tech duty is filling. anyone else can do anything else. the ratio only counts if the tech is doing tech-only duties, which is filling or even assisting in filling. so the cashier or "typist" (the greenz likes to designate people as typists), is not allowed to pull a drug from the shelf for a waiter. that's a tech duty, so they would violate the ratio potentially.

 

[owlegrad]

what i've been told and understood is, the only sole tech duty is filling. anyone else can do anything else. the ratio only counts if the tech is doing tech-only duties, which is filling or even assisting in filling. so the cashier or "typist" (the greenz likes to designate people as typists), is not allowed to pull a drug from the shelf for a waiter. that's a tech duty, so they would violate the ratio potentially.

Which to me is crazy as the vast majority of errors I have encountered in my career have been typing errors not filling errors. Although the whole concept of the ratio is pretty backwards to me. I have never felt like I had too many techs to manage and I doubt many RPhs want less help.

 

[owlegrad]

My store always follow the rph-tech ratio. It isn’t up to the district, RXM or whoever he/she delegates it to— does the technician scheduling. So if law is broken then it is on the PIC not the company.

What is the ratio for your state, if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[BidingMyTime]

Hmmm, I suspect if you actually reported this, the company would say you were at fault for not sending the "extra" person/people home in order to keep the ratio legal.

But what are the most possible consequences if I do?

you get fired, it's at will employment.

Will they increase rph hour?

I highly doubt it.

Keep cutting techs?

Most likely, if this is what is needed to get your store into legal compliance.

Will I and all the other pharmacists be in trouble?

Yes, because all the techs will be made at you for getting their hours cut, plus all that workload the cut techs were doing will fall on you and the other pharmacist.

I live in a state with no ratios, so as I see it, more techs is always good. Even if I'm (the pharmacist) bottleneck, it's still good to have more techs. They can answer the phones, distract customers, keep track of the waiters,etc. Like others have said, quite possibly your store is "legal" because some technicians are being counted as cashiers. You should talk to one of your fellow pharmacists in the store and ask them their opinion, and that will probably help you understand the situation better.

 

[HandsomeVampire]

Wouldn't the violation apply to you. Since you are the pharmacist in charge during the shift.
Maybe you just change their name tags. One tech is filling. Others are doing non-tech work. switch out the name tag to Cashier/Clerk. The tech->now cashier/clerk cannot do tech work - e.g. pulling/filling rx.

 

[masterdix]

I’m just here to be jealous that y’all still have enough tech hours to be worried about ratio. I don’t have to worry about that. I am the “cashier” most days.

 

[APN-59 rph]

As A general rule it's best not to get involved with these boards....Have you checked to see if the chain has an employee on this board? If so they have only the chains interest in mind and could easily cite you...You could get the heave ho and a fine...Some of the big boyz have a budget larger than your whole state...Notice the YOU..You...You.in this reply...?

 

[thecoolpharmboi]

What is the ratio for your state, if you don’t mind me asking?

1:4

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

I’m a floater at Walgreens. I noticed that most stores in my district are violating the rph/tech ratio restrictions in my state. There are very minimal rph overlap hours. I’m thinking maybe I should report this to the board. But what are the most possible consequences if I do? Will they increase rph hour? Keep cutting techs? Will I and all the other pharmacists be in trouble?

Definitely report it

 

[zelman]

Chains don’t follow ratios unless fines exceed RPh payroll shortages. You’ll just get nothing or lose tech hours.

 

[MilknCheerios]

If I were in your shoes, I would not report it unless customers were being harmed

I've always been the type of guy that believes the laws of God are above the laws of men. So, you have more people in the pharmacy than a group of lawmakers saw fit in the **insert year the ratio was created.** Are customers being helped in a respectable amount of time? Is the service provided adequate? Are you training inexperienced staff members? If you and the public are benefiting from violating the ratio, then perhaps the law needs to be revisited to reflect today's standards.

From a different point of view, reporting this violation is going to require much work on your part. You will have to document times and dates of violations to provide evidence. Say the problem is corrected via management, you will have less staff during flu shot season which equates to more stress for you and fellow pharmacists.

Finally, I doubt a whistle-blow on this violation would even receive a financial reward.