Seeking retail advice; possible to be a cushy staff rph forever?

[lidocainejelly]

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I am very happy as a staff pharmacist in my current CVS. I am involved with my store and have a good relationship with the PIC, techs, and customers. Make good money. I've had 2 stents as "temporary pic" at this and another store and did very well both times. I feel pressured by my sup and DM to move into a PIC position asap. I know I'd do well, but I just don't think the added stress is worth the small pay increase. My fiancée is a pharmacist too so my main priority right now is just to keep a comfortable job. There's a lot of turnover in my district and I've turned down 4 pic offers this year.

My question is am I putting my career with CVS in jeopardy by continuously refusing PIC openings when I know I'd probably succeed and could be a big help to our district? Do these companies still value strong staff pharmicists who want to be nothing more than that? Will they get frustrated with me and eventually start to hold a grudge and "coach me out"? Have you seen that happen?

 

[mursepharmd]

You can but since you've done well being a temporary PIC you're not under the radar anymore and you will be asked all the time. Ive seen pharmacists who declined PIC positions transferred to horribly managed stores or undesirable areas in town until they are either forced to quit or accept the PIC position. My advice is stay under the radar as much as possible, be mediocre but still look competent. Either that or if you have an option to work for a grocery pharmacy in your area do that now since in a couple years the saturation will be a big problem

 

[M0df]

What is this career you speak of? Since I have had all kinds of pharmacy supervisors, you can't really predict their behavior. Most will eventually push you into the spot where they want you to be. It also depends on staffing levels for that particular district. It is also possible that the next time you become a "temporary pic", they will just keep you as one. I would be very careful agreeing to be anything temporary.

Last factor to consider is the salary. If you stay long enough, you might be making lower tier pic money. They have no reason for you to make pic money and work as staff.

 

[zelman]

If I was in your position, I'd figure out the monetary value for me to become a PIC, and be upfront about it. Next time it comes up, just say, "Are you willing to pay me $97 per hour? Okay, let me know when you are and we can talk."

 

[quickpic007]

def. stay staff and fly under radar

 

[6GodPharm]

I can't imagine working for CVS and not being a PIC. You're in charge of hours, where you place techs and who comes and goes in your pharmacy. Also you make a lot compared to staff (I make $7.50/hr more than what new grads are getting). Is there more pressure as a PIC? Of course, but I run my place the way I want it to be run. I don't have to worry about being short staffed because I do the schedule and set policies on call outs. Good luck doing that as a staff.

 

[Momus]

Staff and happy. Still making a lot over my manager + my investments. I turned down the position at least 5 times. No reason to be one here.

 

[radio frequency]

If I was in your position, I'd figure out the monetary value for me to become a PIC, and be upfront about it. Next time it comes up, just say, "Are you willing to pay me $97 per hour? Okay, let me know when you are and we can talk."

Let me tell you from experience: this totally works. Name your price. They'll back off if they think they can find another sucker cheaper. This is a free market economy and you are selling your time.

 

[Sine Cura]

I don't know about CVS in California, but Walmart has an extremely generous attendance policy that makes it harder to get rid of employees in CA. Up to 50% of accrued PTO is job-protected (per the "kin care" law) and THEN a tech has to blow through 9 unprotected absences or equivalent in a rolling 6 months before you can terminate. So you can have someone with ~100 hours of protected PTO to burn off and then you have the other 9 unauthorized absences to accrue. Of course you can fire for performance but that comes with its own set of documentation hassles etc. Just one of several unpalatable tasks associated with being RXM.

I rather liked working at CVS just because it is far easier to get rid of holdover dead-weight techs.

As to whether you can stay as a staff RPH forever, if you are productive it would be hard to get rid of you just because the alternative would probably be some random new grad. Field managers definitely can retaliate, like making you float 1 hour one way with no compensation and putting you in only ****ty stores. It's up to you if you want to push back.

 

[sosoo]

a friend of mine was staffing and doing comfortably as well. she too keeps declining the pic position, and so her sup took her out of that store n kept her as a floater... it really depends who your sup is, n your relationship with him. if its a low volume store, might as well be a pic.

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

I've had 2 stents as "temporary pic" at this and another store and did very well both times. I feel pressured by my sup and DM to move into a PIC position asap.

Listen to me. You need to go full ******.


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[SmallPharma]

Do you think it is feasible to start a career in pharmacy now and be "protected" for a 25-30 year career? With all the talks of downsizing, store closings, and "hiring new grads" to reduce salary costs, I feels like you need to be a little more than competent to be protected.

 

[Gombrich12]

Do you think it is feasible to start a career in pharmacy now and be "protected" for a 25-30 year career? With all the talks of downsizing, store closings, and "hiring new grads" to reduce salary costs, I feels like you need to be a little more than competent to be protected.

No, but what career offers that kind of protection anymore? We have computers driving cars and beating humans at Jeopardy these days. Whatever you do keep your debt load low and keep in mind there is a decent chance you will have to switch careers in 10-15 years.

 

[ldiot]

Would they rather have a fantastic staff pharmacist who doesn't want to be PIC or fire him and gamble on somebody new to fill that staff position? Nobody in their right mind would fire you for not accepting a PIC position.

With that being said, I've heard of district managers moving staff pharmacists to different stores without even asking them. While you won't get fired for turning down a PIC position they may just move you to a poorly managed store as a staff pharmacist in hopes that having a good staff pharmacist there improves the situation. I've heard of this happening to new hires but honestly I'm not sure that they would do this to someone who is well established at a specific store. I guess it really just depends on the individual manager and from some of the stories I've heard it's a real possibility.