Seeking wise mind...

[acetyl]

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to explain to me why there are no chairs, desks, or even stools in many pharmacies?

First off, I am not a pharmacist, nor do I 'officially' work in a retail setting. I am applying this year to pharmacy schools and have had substantial volunteer exposure, but in only two pharmacies/clinics. I was asked by the pharmacist at one of the clinics last week why no pharmacies have chairs, or the aforementioned furniture (which was weird because she's the pharmacist). I don't know exactly how it is in retail pharmacies but from what I've seen and what I do at our pharmacy, it seems very plausible to be able to sit down and do your work. Especially if you are working at a computer typing scripts. I would think there might be some health concerns for people standing up all day long in the same position.

So what's the deal here guys? I'm sure it has to do with, 'because it's the way it's always been done' , but if there is something specific you know about, please share it with me because I'm dying to know!

 

[Requiem]

Well, our pharmacy has a chair and a stool so you're wrong on that part..

It's just not very plausible to be sitting for the majority of your day. You need to get to the phone/ "patients"/ drugs / books, you're doing a lot of moving around.

There's really no way you could get a desk big enough to have everything you'd need on it. Even in the most lazy situation whereby you don't even retrieve any pills and just verify what the tech puts in front of you, you're still going to have to get up every 4-5 Rx's or so and go speak to the patient.
And let me know how long your techs keep working with you if you do no computer work or helping out 😛.

P.S why you actually care about this, or are "dying to know" is beyond me. There's bigger things than CHAIRS going on in the pharmacy. Focus young prepharmer.

 

[Jennay41]

There's bigger things than CHAIRS going on in the pharmacy. Focus young prepharmer.

For real. Like Walgreens is planning on getting rid of in-window in the pretty near future 😱 Is it just me (and every single other tech/intern in my district) or does this seem absolutely stupid?

 

[aznboyee]

We do have chairs/stools around, but I think they get in the way. We just put in the corner, till around 7-8pm when it dies down.

2 cents

 

[acetyl]

Well, our pharmacy has a chair and a stool so you're wrong on that part..

It's just not very plausible to be sitting for the majority of your day. You need to get to the phone/ "patients"/ drugs / books, you're doing a lot of moving around.

There's really no way you could get a desk big enough to have everything you'd need on it. Even in the most lazy situation whereby you don't even retrieve any pills and just verify what the tech puts in front of you, you're still going to have to get up every 4-5 Rx's or so and go speak to the patient.
And let me know how long your techs keep working with you if you do no computer work or helping out 😛.

First of all, I mentioned that this was the case in 'many' pharmacies- ones that I've volunteered at, and in the case of many that I have seen with my own eyes. Simply because it is not the case where you work does not mean that I'm wrong in this observation.

In a number of pharmacies, techs, interns and pharmacists are assigned to different duties for their shift, whether inputting, helping patients at the pick-up or drive-through window, counting pills, checking post-dispensing or doing phone business. For some of these jobs, it would completely irrational to sit down and try to do this, but this isn't always the case, which is why the pharmacist I was speaking to was discussing this topic with me. People do manage to work even if they aren't on their feet. Perhaps you need the gravity weighing upon you to feel motivated to work, but I know this isn't the case with me or many students in pharmacy that I know.

P.S why you actually care about this, or are "dying to know" is beyond me. There's bigger things than CHAIRS going on in the pharmacy. Focus young prepharmer.

Obviously. Not everything discussed on this board needs to be of monumental life-threatening concern. This is just a social topic that my pharmacist and I thought was ironic when compared to the majority of careers. Or better yet, why don't you give me a list of approved topics that are 'bigger' and we can exchange intelligent and fulfilling conversation?

 

[Requiem]

First of all, I mentioned that this was the case in 'many' pharmacies- ones that I've volunteered at, and in the case of many that I have seen with my own eyes. Simply because it is not the case where you work does not mean that I'm wrong in this observation.

In a number of pharmacies, techs, interns and pharmacists are assigned to different duties for their shift, whether inputting, helping patients at the pick-up or drive-through window, counting pills, checking post-dispensing or doing phone business. For some of these jobs, it would completely irrational to sit down and try to do this, but this isn't always the case, which is why the pharmacist I was speaking to was discussing this topic with me. People do manage to work even if they aren't on their feet. Perhaps you need the gravity weighing upon you to feel motivated to work, but I know this isn't the case with me or many students in pharmacy that I know.




Obviously. Not everything discussed on this board needs to be of monumental life-threatening concern. This is just a social topic that my pharmacist and I thought was ironic when compared to the majority of careers. Or better yet, why don't you give me a list of approved topics that are 'bigger' and we can exchange intelligent and fulfilling conversation?

Hahahha. If by some chance you get into pharmacy school, I WEEP for your classmates that will have to put up with your being immensely ANAL. You seem just like my classmate that wanted to spend a class discussing whether or not a pharmacist should have their full name on their name tags. When my class heard this awesome idea, let me tell you the cheers echoed for hours. You're gonna get the same reaction, I can feel it in my bones prepharmer!

Get over it, if you wanna sit on a chair go bring your own. Hell, i'm sure you should just ask every pharmacist you see why they do, or don't have a chair nearby. I'm sure they're all dying to discuss this matter with some anal prepharmer. By the way, maybe you should tell the "many students in pharmacy you know" (realistically probably 10 max) that gravity is upon you whether you're sitting or standing, or is that just me being anal? oops!

Thread Sub-Topic: How many drawers does the fridge in your pharmacy have? I was discussing this with a few of my pharmacy student friends (and there's a few of them! lol!) and I'm just dying to know if it's above 3 or not! So what's the deal here guys? I'm sure it's the same old "I gotta fit the insulin in there", but if it's something specific could you share it please? I CAN'T WAIT TO READ ON!!!

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I've worked in two Krogers and one Walgreens. One Kroger had no seats, none. The pharmacy manager did not believe in ever sitting down.

The other Kroger had stools you could use to prop or lean when you were doing computer work, etc. I liked it because it allowed some rest.

The Walgreens had no places to sit.

Even though I did not sit very much at the store with stools, I was always felt better at the end of my shifts there, probably because I had been able to get a little rest, off my feet, etc.

It does make a difference as far as work environment goes.

to explain to me why there are no chairs, desks, or even stools in many pharmacies?

First off, I am not a pharmacist, nor do I 'officially' work in a retail setting. I am applying this year to pharmacy schools and have had substantial volunteer exposure, but in only two pharmacies/clinics. I was asked by the pharmacist at one of the clinics last week why no pharmacies have chairs, or the aforementioned furniture (which was weird because she's the pharmacist). I don't know exactly how it is in retail pharmacies but from what I've seen and what I do at our pharmacy, it seems very plausible to be able to sit down and do your work. Especially if you are working at a computer typing scripts. I would think there might be some health concerns for people standing up all day long in the same position.

So what's the deal here guys? I'm sure it has to do with, 'because it's the way it's always been done' , but if there is something specific you know about, please share it with me because I'm dying to know!

 

[tartaufraise]

I used to work as a tech in a hospital, rarely any stools/chairs because honestly I wouldn't have time to sit down & relax! Pharmacists do, but not techs (that's why I become a pharmacist now 😀 )

 

[DrugDealer]

If you want to use the stools that most pharmacies do have but are likely tucked into a corner, go to Target. I sat on that thing all the time.

 

[acetyl]

Hahahha. If by some chance you get into pharmacy school, I WEEP for your classmates that will have to put up with your being immensely ANAL.

LORD forbid a medical professional be an anal person. I care about as much as half of one of your brain cells how cool a professional I become. Obviously it's on the top of your list.

Please stop trolling.

 

[Requiem]

I care about as much as half of one of your brain cells how cool a professional I become.

Worst. Analogy. Ever.

Shouldn't you be interviewing couches or something?

 

[bananaface]

Let's keep away from the personal insults, please.

 

[DHG]

Totally a guess here...

Pharmacists used to compound and make all the medications that they dispensed, really. Their counter was a lab bench. You don't sit at a lab bench (usually) for safety reasons and also just because you can't reach everything sitting down.

Just a guess from the historical perspective.

As far as stools go, I will refuse to work anyplace that forbids them. Whether I use it or not, the idea of management FORBIDING a stool on the premesis, for WHATEVER reason, is just evil. 👎

 

[golf299]

I agree, the absence of a stool or the like is absurd. I work at Rite Aid and the "big-wigs" came in and informed us that we needed to remove all our stools. Their half-hearted reason was that patients don't like to see them behind the counter. I seriously doubt they have conducted well controlled studies of how patients feel about the pharmacist sitting down during 8 to 12 hours shifts. After management left the pharmacy manager declined to fulfill their request. That's the way it should be.

 

[soul21]

I heard that dispensing pharmacist sit down at a stool a lot while working with the computer. Being able to sit down at my future job is important since there is a lot of lower back pain in my family history. I cant imagine standing for 8 hours a day with lower back pain. Having a stool to sit is definatly a must for me in the future. Can anyone tell me how common dispensing pharmacy jobs are?

 

[Requiem]

Let's keep away from the personal insults, please.

Ahh Banana, such the complacent mediator of SDN.

😍

(she keeps me in check).

 

[sdn1977]

DHG has a bit of the history right - they were just too cumbersome. But thats from the past & not relevant to how we work today.

My hospital has chairs for order entry at each computer - a requirement. They have tall stools for the counters for the repetetive work. The compounding & unit dose area have no chairs - just too much moving involved. The IV area has a chair which makes it easy to work, but it has to be swabbed down - thats a pain right there.

My retail had no chairs - an old fashioned pharmacist. I had surgery & one of the requirements for my return was a chair. Easy! If that hadn't been the case he & I would have gone nose to nose about the chair.

Its a dumb thing to get worked up about, but there are many times in the day I don't use it because I'm just too busy moving around. But...its there when I want it!

 

[DHG]

Its a dumb thing to get worked up about,...

I don't think so. And for the others that said there was too much "whining" about this, I'd like to point out that these kind of considerations say a LOT about the culture of the company that you work for. Maybe in the long run a chair isn't that important to you. But what should be important is what an unbending refusal to allow chairs says about how this company values you as a worker. I would BET that you would find reflections of this inflexible (and unreasonable) attitude in other, more important, policies like scheduling, vacation time, advancement, etc.

A company is really the sum of its policies. This no chair policy says LOUD AND CLEAR that this company does not respect the decision making, work ethic, or the health of its pharmacists.

No chair policy? No thanks.

Disclaimer: No chairs in compounding area is acceptable. It makes sense. No chairs at computer or at counter does not make sense, and is evil.


/rant over

 

[sdn1977]

I don't think so. And for the others that said there was too much "whining" about this, I'd like to point out that these kind of considerations say a LOT about the culture of the company that you work for. Maybe in the long run a chair isn't that important to you. But what should be important is what an unbending refusal to allow chairs says about how this company values you as a worker. I would BET that you would find reflections of this inflexible (and unreasonable) attitude in other, more important, policies like scheduling, vacation time, advancement, etc.

A company is really the sum of its policies. This no chair policy says LOUD AND CLEAR that this company does not respect the decision making, work ethic, or the health of its pharmacists.

No chair policy? No thanks.

Disclaimer: No chairs in compounding area is acceptable. It makes sense. No chairs at computer or at counter does not make sense, and is evil.


/rant over

My point exactly! So...what is the worst that can happen? You leave the company & if every pharmacist stands up (or sits down as the case may be 😉 ) for civilized, proper & courteous treatment of pharmacists (including lunch breaks which allow you to go OUTSIDE the pharmacy, restroom breaks, overtime pay for overtime situations & all the other stuff pharmacists are willing to put up with) then the environment will change.

Otherwise...as long as someone is fearful & unwilling to confront their managment about that which is important, nothing will change. We - each of us, is the force for change.

If you don't do something about it & be willing to really, really do something - like quit your job.....then it is a dumb thing to complain about & does indeed reflect back on the company & the value it places its professional staff. If you put up with it & you complain, it reflects back on your own values alsol - as you pointed out so well.

 

[AtomicLuv]

Hi everyone!
Im in undergrad now, doing pre-reqs, but I just wanted to say that not having chairs around for pharmacists when they need them (even if its for 10 minutes or so between running around to patients.etc), is ridiculous! I just think it should be obvious that there should be chairs in pharmacies for all the workers to be able to sit down when they need to. Maybe I'm being an idealist or whatever, but if I become a pharmacist in the future, there is absolutely no way I am working in a place that does not allow me to sit down! It's comical really.
And whoever said that companies are made up from policies, and a no chair policy would be reflected in their vacation policies, etc, I completely agree with that!

I volunteered in a pharmacy this past summer, and there were plenty of chairs, hehe. The pharmacists were all able to sit down when using the computer. In the offices where they mixed IVs, there was no chair when that was being done, but in that same room, there was a desk with a chair to sit at when you were done mixing.

I think being able to rest at work will contribute to better workers and there's no way companies can keep no chair policies if the workers demand that these policies be destroyed.

😀

 

[DownonthePharm]

Everyone has little things that make their work tolerable or not. I think I would like a place to sit for a moment or two if I felt a moment of tiredness or dizzyness. Unless you have your butt plopped on it not moving all day I dont see the problem with it. My dealbreaker will be a company that gives me grief about restroom useage. I have a small bladder, and I drink a healthy amount of water, so you see where that leads me.

Hey, did someone say above Walgreens is going to get rid of the drive through? Is that true?

 

[ZpackSux]

One day last week, I was working on Stroke Protocols. I must have worked about 4 straigh hours sitting on my arse in my office... I got up and couldn't feel my behind...

Sitting down while working is overrated.

 

[Caverject]

Let's keep away from the personal insults, please.

gosh...what a bitch!

 

[sdn1977]

One day last week, I was working on Stroke Protocols. I must have worked about 4 straigh hours sitting on my arse in my office... I got up and couldn't feel my behind...

Sitting down while working is overrated.

maybe you had a mild tia which affected nerve conduction to the gluteus maximus? I've know dops who've had them which affected their sense of well being.....they walked out of their offices with a fierce demeanor....

I really think you should look into something which might decrease platelet aggregation since you are so sedentary.....

and you're in Texas....you eat all that fat from that bar-be-cued stuff.......

I think I'm on to something - an interventon perhaps!!!!

Get Zpack off his ass - on to the night shift for you!!!😀

 

[crossurfingers]

I know one pharmacist who ended up having knee surgery because of all the standing he's done in his 40+ years of working. After one of his replacement surgeries the company wouldn't let him come back because he wasn't able to do whole shifts standing.

My own personal concerns are what happens as I get older or if I get pregnant in the future. It's probably been done, but can you imagine an 8 months pregnant pharmacist standing for 8 hour shifts 5 days a week?

 

[sdn1977]

I know one pharmacist who ended up having knee surgery because of all the standing he's done in his 40+ years of working. After one of his replacement surgeries the company wouldn't let him come back because he wasn't able to do whole shifts standing.

My own personal concerns are what happens as I get older or if I get pregnant in the future. It's probably been done, but can you imagine an 8 months pregnant pharmacist standing for 8 hour shifts 5 days a week?

Yep....been there & done that more than once & for more than 8 hours at a time & at 38 wks gestation. I've also had the surgery to repair the damage 23 years later.......go for the chairs & don't let anyone tell you that you are less of a pharmacist for it!

After all - what's the worst they can do - fire you? Ok - well....you didn't want to be there anyway. Too bad! Your health is worth more than their idea of chairs or no chairs! There are far too may jobs out there to put up with someon's idea of what some corporate's idea of what is professional or not is.

Also...downonthepharm....just exuse yourself - you don't have go give a reason...just say you'll be right back. Unlesss you are snorting coke or drinking (which I had a tech who did, by the way....unmistakable...) no one cares... The rxs will still be there, the patients will still be there...the dr's on hold will still be there,, but you'll be more comfortable..

Again...this can be damaging over time - take it from me - I had surgery to repair it - you don't want that!

 

[acetyl]

Interesting, I knew there was an issue here.

 

[ZpackSux]

maybe you had a mild tia which affected nerve conduction to the gluteus maximus? I've know dops who've had them which affected their sense of well being.....they walked out of their offices with a fierce demeanor....

I really think you should look into something which might decrease platelet aggregation since you are so sedentary.....

and you're in Texas....you eat all that fat from that bar-be-cued stuff.......

I think I'm on to something - an interventon perhaps!!!!

Get Zpack off his ass - on to the night shift for you!!!😀

WOW!!! Whos is this and what did you do with my sweet young SDN1977!!! Did she forget to log off??