San Diego - CVS $50/hr No Negotiations

[johnpharm01]

If pharmacy A charges fees for this and that and pharmacy B doesn’t. Which pharmacy is going to get more business?

Why not hand out money?

Otc recommendations regulars/ in person only, one time refill request, insurance issue pharmacy calls on some, patients can call for themselves, call other stores on out of stock for acute need ie antibiotics otherwise wait for order, no calls for cheaper meds patient calls themselves

I use this business is still good don't be a sucker and give it all away

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[mentos]

Pharmacists never have been reimbursed for their knowledge.What if
Patient wants OTC suggestion.You agree but tell him it will add 2 dollars to price.
Run out of refills.We will contact MD . 5 dollar surcharge
Insurance issue .We can call.5 dollar surcharge.
Change meds to something cheaper.5 dollar surcharge.
Call another store if out of stock. 5 dollar charge.
Just think what would this do to our workload if we starting actually getting paid for our time.

LoL many patients will fight about a $5 copay for their meds, you think they'll pay $5 to talk to you!

 

[Marzapan]

Exactly. Patients are going to think they are having all of these problems because the pharmacy wants to make more money from them.

Tech: sorry mama, your insurance is rejecting...we have to charge you an extra $5!

Patient (geez, it worked last week)

All the hacks who complain that "pharmacists should be adequately reimbursed for their services" don't realize that money doesn't grow on trees, and that even if they get past corporate/PBMs/the government, the real war is against the general public. What happens when patients refuse to pay for consultations? I guarantee you the P&P of pharmacy chains will change real quick.

 

[sfachine]

LoL many patients will fight about a $5 copay for their meds, you think they'll pay $5 to talk to you!

That may be true but as long as retail is stuck in a pay for dispensing only mindset traditional retail is doomed.

 

[BenJammin]

I think you guys are asking the wrong questions. Do community pharmacists see dangerous interactions? Yes they do. The question that needs to be answered is: can a technician do an equal job at catching these errors? CVS pharmacists in the Chicago error have a 63% error rate. If a technician can perform the same or better, why do we need pharmacists in the community setting?

Pharmacies miss half of dangerous drug combinations

The Tribune reporter walked into an Evanston CVS pharmacy carrying two prescriptions: one for a common antibiotic, the other for a popular anti-cholesterol drug. Taken alone, these two drugs, clari…

www.chicagotribune.com

That may be true but as long as retail is stuck in a pay for dispensing only mindset traditional retail is doomed.

Why do pharmacists constantly say this? "Stuck in a pay for dispensing only mindset". That's retail pharmacy. Period. It's not going to evolve into a mini primary care practice. The future of pharmacists in a community setting will be to serve insurance companies and their bottom line much like what's being done right now. Chain pharmacists are so desperate for a lunch and bathroom break that they're willing to trade in our autonomy to get it. It's one of the greatest throat cuts in the history of health care.

 

[mentos]

I think you guys are asking the wrong questions. Do community pharmacists see dangerous interactions? Yes they do. The question that needs to be answered is: can a technician do an equal job at catching these errors? CVS pharmacists in the Chicago error have a 63% error rate. If a technician can perform the same or better, why do we need pharmacists in the community setting?

Pharmacies miss half of dangerous drug combinations

The Tribune reporter walked into an Evanston CVS pharmacy carrying two prescriptions: one for a common antibiotic, the other for a popular anti-cholesterol drug. Taken alone, these two drugs, clari…

www.chicagotribune.com

Why do pharmacists constantly say this? "Stuck in a pay for dispensing only mindset". That's retail pharmacy. Period. It's not going to evolve into a mini primary care practice. The future of pharmacists in a community setting will be to serve insurance companies and their bottom line much like what's being done right now. Chain pharmacists are so desperate for a lunch and bathroom break that they're willing to trade in our autonomy to get it. It's one of the greatest throat cuts in the history of health care.

If a pharmacist wanted to play doctor then they should have gone to med school.

LoL can you imagine a pt asking for a rebill, then they get charged $5 so they have to go to pickup. Then they go back to drop off to ask for a refill request, and the tech charges another $5 and sends them to pickup again. They'd be walking back and forth all day and nothing would get done.

 

[Sine Cura]

Hilarious to consider techs replacing pharmacists at this time when you have people asking how to spell the last name "Wright" at pickup and confusing the name of the prescriber with the name of the pt at drop off.

As for those DURs, aside from certain AEDs + contraception wonder what fake DURs those "researchers" came up with. Anything cash pay would also be suspicious too, to ferret out these Fake Concern Trolls doing these pharmacy investigations

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Hilarious to consider techs replacing pharmacists at this time

Why would this happen? At some point, you will basically get a pharmacist for the cost of a tech. Techs won't replace pharmacists. Techs will just stop existing and RPhs will just get paid less.

 

[owlegrad]

Why would this happen? At some point, you will basically get a pharmacist for the cost of a tech. Techs won't replace pharmacists. Techs will just stop existing and RPhs will just get paid less.

I don’t want to like this post, but I do agree with it. If anything techs should be afraid we will replace them...

 

[Marzapan]

As for those DURs, aside from certain AEDs + contraception wonder what fake DURs those "researchers" came up with. Anything cash pay would also be suspicious too, to ferret out these Fake Concern Trolls doing these pharmacy investigations

If the one patient in a clinical trial of n= 80 happened to have hepatotoxicity while enrolled in the study (which may or may not be associated with taking the drug), then the drug will be published as having a side effect of hepatotoxicity, and people will take that as an absolute to make DUR rules against. That is why western medicine is a gigantic failure... because clinical trials are treated as the "gold standard."

 

[NorthTexasPharmacist]

Why would this happen? At some point, you will basically get a pharmacist for the cost of a tech. Techs won't replace pharmacists. Techs will just stop existing and RPhs will just get paid less.

This is how South Korea is. They do not have technicians. Only pharmacists can work in a pharmacy. They get paid about 2/3 of what we get paid but they also just started their pharmd programs. Used to be just a BS program for a pharmacy program and you can get an MS or a Ph.D in pharmacy if you want to advance into academia or clinical. Maybe that's where we are headed. Only difference is they never had saturation problem or having too many schools. Also they're health care or insurance system isn't messed up as ours.

 

[johnpharm01]

Hilarious to consider techs replacing pharmacists at this time when you have people asking how to spell the last name "Wright" at pickup and confusing the name of the prescriber with the name of the pt at drop off.

As for those DURs, aside from certain AEDs + contraception wonder what fake DURs those "researchers" came up with. Anything cash pay would also be suspicious too, to ferret out these Fake Concern Trolls doing these pharmacy investigations

It's amazing how many store managers thought and would say techs make the pharmacy run. They would ignore the fact the pharmacy would not open on time, a good half of the prescriptions would have errors, and there would be no drive to get the work done if techs ran the pharmacy. I say go ahead and let them.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

It's amazing how many store managers thought and would say techs make the pharmacy run. They would ignore the fact the pharmacy would not open on time, a good half of the prescriptions would have errors, and there would be no drive to get the work done if techs ran the pharmacy. I say go ahead and let them.

Front store managers.
Some suck a knob.
Some are just fine.
I could do their job.
They can't do mine.

- Mikey, 2020

 

[PikminOC]

Well the point of the pharmacist is to prevent any negligent dispensing so you'd just end up arguing every example is due to the pharmacist being stupid.

And everything saving the patient from harm due to negligent prescribing is just because the prescriber is stupid.

Look I really thought you guys had it bad. But I know a doctoral trained physical therapist who make $35 an hour and is happy with it. Says that's good pay . I was floored

 

[PikminOC]

What is the #1 reason why someone go to a particular pharmacy? Location, location, location.

That is why you see a pharmacy on every block. I am telling you this not to put pharmacy down but to give you a better perspective.

People would drive an extra mile to see a better doctor or dentist but not pharmacy. That is why you see the same unhappy customers over and over.

So what does this say about the public perception of our value?

Location and where their insurance covers

 

[mentos]

Ok kidding aside, what exactly do you want in an example? I can think of countless ways for a pharmacist to make a mistake that could kill a patient. They could put warfarin in a bottle that should contain something that isn’t warfarin. They could miss an allergy and the patient could die.

What exactly do you mean when you say you have never seen a way for a retail pharmacists to make a fatal error?

I mean what are the chances of putting a different pill in a warfarin script? The bar code is scanned at production then put into a basket after filled. At verification you dump the entire vial into that blue tray and inspect all the pills to make sure they match the photo. Warfarin pills each have a distinct color. If one stray pill somehow makes its way in there, the patient will most likely call the pharmacy and ask why it looks different.

 

[Deja]

for all the people that are saying you can't kill someone from dispensing error in a retail pharmacy, all you guys have to do is do a google search and you'll find your examples

 

[mentos]

for all the people that are saying you can't kill someone from dispensing error in a retail pharmacy, all you guys have to do is do a google search and you'll find your examples

Someone said you can't kill someone with a hamburger, but if you do a Google search you'll find examples too.

 

[Marzapan]

Someone said you can't kill someone with a hamburger, but if you do a Google search you'll find examples too.

You can get sued for millions of dollars as a McDonalds worker too. Case in point: the hot coffee case (Liebeck vs. McDonalds)

 

[Deja]

Someone said you can't kill someone with a hamburger, but if you do a Google search you'll find examples too.

yeah you are an idiot

 

[mentos]

yeah you are an idiot

At least I don't work somewhere that needs 2 pharmacists to verify one script! What a waste of time LoL. Let's see how long that lasts.

 

[Deja]

At least I don't work somewhere that needs 2 pharmacists to verify one script! What a waste of time LoL. Let's see how long that lasts.

no you are just an idiot that doesn't understand workflow at a 600 scripts per day store... idk how you are working for CVS and doesn't know what production review is, you are a joke

 

[mentos]

no you are just an idiot that doesn't understand workflow at a 600 scripts per day store... idk how you are working for CVS and doesn't know what production review is, you are a joke

You're still stuck at CVS, joke's on you!

 

[Deja]

You're still stuck at CVS, joke's on you!

so you don't work for CVS right now? so you are an idiot and a poser lol

 

[mentos]

so you don't work for CVS right now? so you are an idiot and a poser lol

Nope never said I did! I left 2 years ago. Have fun hearing "One pharmacy call. Two pharmacy calls. Three pharmacy calls" all day!

 

[Deja]

Nope never said I did! I left 2 years ago.

like I said an idiot and a poser

 

[mentos]

like I said an idiot and a poser

Instead of calling me names, I think you should focus on your PCQ calls with SOAP notes. Are you meeting your flu shot goal? I would like an action plan by the end of the week!

 

[Deja]

Instead of calling me names, I think you should focus on your PCQ calls with SOAP notes. Are you meeting your flu shot goal? I would like an action plan by the end of the week!

ah a special kind of stupid

 

[Sine Cura]

Input verification/DUR => filling => product verification is not a new thing in retail pharmacy. At WM stores w/ 2 pharmacists they both are required to work both queues (equiv of QV1 and QV2) as work comes up.

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

At least I don't work somewhere that needs 2 pharmacists to verify one script! What a waste of time LoL. Let's see how long that lasts.

Curious how this takes more time. Split verification saves you from counting incorrect meds if data entry is wrong or there are therapeutic issues that techs don't notice

 

[Rockinacoustic]

$50/hr Is still enough to live off delicious $2 fish tacos... for you and your 2+ roommates.

 

[ValeRx]

... on top of the GREAT weather in California, you can also add half your state burning to the ground as another perk of living in the USSC.

 

[sadface]

Why all this hospital vs retail fighting? It's supposed to be us vs the nurses

 

[mentos]

Why all this hospital vs retail fighting? It's supposed to be us vs the nurses

Do not engage with nurses. They always win.

 

[projektreverb]

Why all this hospital vs retail fighting? It's supposed to be us vs the nurses

Why are you surprised? The infighting is representative of why our profession turned to ****.

 

[confettiflyer]

... on top of the GREAT weather in California, you can also add half your state burning to the ground as another perk of living in the USSC.

That’s why you buy two houses, when one is on fire, live in the other one.

 

[Mambo#5]

Curious how this takes more time. Split verification saves you from counting incorrect meds if data entry is wrong or there are therapeutic issues that techs don't notice

It happens often where you are verifying Q2 and someone else had verified Q1. I always checked again.

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

It happens often where you are verifying Q2 and someone else had verified Q1. I always checked again.

Either rite aid's system isn't as similar as I thought, but why would you redo something that another pharmacist already did? Sounds like the issue is you making more work rather than the system being inefficient...

 

[quickpic007]

Either rite aid's system isn't as similar as I thought, but why would you redo something that another pharmacist already did? Sounds like the issue is you making more work rather than the system being inefficient...

How often do you look over the hardcopy on a refill? Sure it's not mandatory, but after catching outrageous mistakes on the 7th refill (I MISS CVS) I tend to look over the hardcopy even at my current company which has much safer software and work flow

 

[NorthTexasPharmacist]

Nope never said I did! I left 2 years ago. Have fun hearing "One pharmacy call. Two pharmacy calls. Three pharmacy calls" all day!

Not sure if anyone working for CVS enjoys working there or is choosing to be there. I'm pretty sure 100% CVS employees will leave if they can lol

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

How often do you look over the hardcopy on a refill? Sure it's not mandatory, but after catching outrageous mistakes on the 7th refill (I MISS CVS) I tend to look over the hardcopy even at my current company which has much safer software and work flow

Very rarely. Essentially only when our system prompts me to do so

 

[Sine Cura]

Checking the original image for discrepancies takes only 5 seconds max, so only up to ~42 minutes in a day if you doing 500 product verification

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

Checking the original image for discrepancies takes only 5 seconds max, so only up to ~42 minutes in a day if you doing 500 product verification

That's a lot of time when you have stores where pharmacists are already pressured to come early/stay late to clean up.

But after some thought I should probably amend my previous statement. I do only check the hard copy when prompted, but that does happen with a decent amount of my refills.

With rite aid's system, refills can sometimes skip our Data Review screen (which I'm assuming is comparable to QV1 at CVS - though that may be a bad assumption) and go straight to either DUR check or ready to fill. In those cases, I do not check the hard copy.

 

[Mambo#5]

Either rite aid's system isn't as similar as I thought, but why would you redo something that another pharmacist already did? Sounds like the issue is you making more work rather than the system being inefficient...

So, you’ve never caught a sign verified incorrectly by another pharmacist?

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

So, you’ve never caught a sign verified incorrectly by another pharmacist?

Sure, just not when doing product review. As far as I'm concerned, rechecking data review at that point would be no different than rechecking something in will call. It isn't going out under my name/license and I can't be expected to redo another pharmacist's work.

 

[mentos]

Sure, just not when doing product review. As far as I'm concerned, rechecking data review at that point would be no different than rechecking something in will call. It isn't going out under my name/license and I can't be expected to redo another pharmacist's work.

My PIC showed me an error for a refill that I checked during product review. The original pharmacist who checked it made the mistake, but my name was on it 3-4 times cause it kept getting refilled every month.

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

I was told that if our system skips data review the original pharmacist is still responsible. That is not true if I were to check again, and a note is added to the rx stating that I viewed the original image if I do pull it up.

But that's also getting away from my original point which was not tied to refills at all. If another pharmacist verifies data review, I'm not going to recheck it while doing product review.

 

[Sine Cura]

I'd check data review on a new rx

Walmart forces 2nd pharmacist data review on NTI meds (if a 2nd pharmacist is avail)

 

[NorthTexasPharmacist]

Just interviewed a tech that demanded $23/hr since that's how much she's getting paid at the hospital. Interestingly, the hospital she works at is laying off people... lol. If you're paying techs $23/hr, you're just not managing the pharmacy right lol.

 

[Sine Cura]

Kaiser Permanente can pay union outpatient techs over $30/hr and they seem to be doing ok.

Inpatient more (I "heard" > $40/hr)

Something something self-contained HMO something something