Should I transfer work environments? [retail]

[confettiflyer]

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Current situation: I'm currently working as a pharmacy technician for CVS at a high volume store (~2500-2800 scripts per week avg). Our store is constantly busy and our workflow constantly breaking down (high number of floaters, ambivalent PIC, tons of low income/non-English speaking patients, etc...).

Everytime I come into work at around 2pm, there are pages and pages of red on the QT to deal with...and on top of that, there are least 7-10 people in line dropping scripts off with another 15 people in the out window line (basically constant from 2pm until 7pm).

It's crazy...and I float from the in-window, production, and out-window as needed (invariably a clerk will be dealing with TP issues so I jump in at a register) and deal with lots of patient anger. This is about as bad as it gets. I've been yelled at, cursed at, had bottles thrown at me, etc.... I have the urge to tell some patients off, but end up being snarky and condescending instead.

Future possibility and question: A floater pharmacist whose home store is very much closer to where I live (a more affluent community--I commute to a low income area at present) mentioned to me she was looking for technicians. Should I take her up on this offer?


How I see it
PRO of taking the offer -- More relaxed, a little higher pay, easier commute, and safer place to work. They do about 100 scripts per day, almost 1/4 of the present volume.

CON of taking the offer -- Time goes by quick right now, and I'm hoping to get into pharmacy school by fall of 2008 anyway (hopefully!) I feel like I should expose myself to the "worst" situation for learning purposes. I really like the staff at my place of work now, going to a new place would be somewhat of a gamble. Plus they really need me, I'd feel really bad for leaving.

What's your opinion and what would you do?

 

[ageldred]

Do what is good for you. Go to the other store and check it out. Maybe you can ask the other technicians that work there what they think about it. Would you get the same amount of hours? If it's more or less hours would you be able to handle less money or more work depending? Retail can be crazy and interesting and awful all rolled into one. I personally would transfer stores if I was you from the situation you've laid out. But that's just me. If you do decide to leave be sure it's on good terms. You don't want to burn bridges, especially since you're staying within the company. I would personally stress how the new store is closer for you, as I think that would come across the best. Best of luck to you!

 

[andrewattheU]

I would go to the new store you have already experienced the worst no point in continuing that experience, also the new store will still give you less stress

 

[omnione]

It seems to me that you really hate your current working conditions. For the purposes of pharmacy school, the fact that you have pharmacy experience is a plus no matter how it went about aside from firings. You've already learned about the "worst" experiences and getting more of those isn't really going to make your application look better IMO.

In my honest opinion, the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[anteater07]

Transferring to a store that does ~ 100 scripts a day is going to be really really slow. You should transfer to the store I work at! We do about 300-400 scripts during the weekday and much less during the weekend (about 1800 to 2000 scripts per week).

Last week, I floated to a CVS that recently "acquired" patient files from Drug Emporium and that store is a mess! Patients from Drug Emporium were constantly yelling at me and there were about 3-4 red pages in the Q. I'll never go back to that store.

 

[CaliCPhT]

I agree. I think you should think about your personal happiness and sanity. The conditions you work in are miserable, and if you have an opportunity to improve your situation, then do it!

I can totally relate to your situation of being in a store in a low income area. My first pharm tech job outside of college was the same situation. I was absolutely miserable and dreaded each day going to work. I had customers yell at us daily, curse at us, one customer beat up the assistant store manager with brass knuckles, and another customer "exposed himself" to me. that was the last straw for me... Now, a few years later, I'm in a completely different situation and love what I've been able to do! There are a few things I would change, but I enjoy it most days.

 

[rxlynn]

I would transfer, and this is why. You've already proven that you can survive in a high volume store, which means that you've got the computer thing down, knowledge of insurance snafus and how to fix them, etc. If you then spend some time in a low volume store, because you are not filling so many prescriptions, you will be able to spend some time learning other aspects of the business like inventory, how you do returns, and (more importantly)learn about the drugs themselves. In a store that slow, you will be able to read through a package insert if you want to, ask the pharmacist about why the doctor prescribed things a certain way, etc. Being a tech can be a really good learning tool if you work at it and don't just count tablets all day. But, I know from doing it that you just can't ever get around to these other things if you are doing 500 or 600 Rxs a day.

 

[Ricanrx]

I would transfer. You already got the experience of how the nasty end is. On the application pharm tech = pharm tech. no matter where. But because you did work at the bad store you will have experience and some good stories to tell. TRANSFER!!!!

 

[confettiflyer]

I would just feel guilty leaving, especially since I have some good friends at the current place (like we're in the trenches together) and two of the pharmacists do like teaching me things when it does happen to be slow. hmm...yeah