Target Float Pharmacist Position

[OHPharmd08]

There are 2 Target full-time float pharmacist positions in my local area. I have applied and will be doing the phone interview in the next 2 weeks. If anyone can shed some light on the float pharmacist position for Target, I would appreciate it.
I've been reading all the posts about Target not being as good as they were 2-3 years ago. I currently work in a hospital system that pays very low (I don't even make $50 hr and been there 2 years). I don't want to make a mistake by jumping ship to Target. Thanks.

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[R xxx]

I don't have first hand experience with Target, but

Money is not everything. Why don't you find a part-time job to float before jumping ship. Don't just look at money as face value. How many weeks of vacation are you getting at the hospital vs. retail. What are the benefits? I know most of the retail won't even give you that 2 weeks until AFTER first year. Some won't even let you take vacation after Thanksgiving and some won't let you take it before March.

The target position is a floater. How far do you have to drive? Are they paying you gas if you have to drive over an hour. Are the hours guaranteed? If you're in Ohio, I know hospitals there pay significantly much lower.

 

[OHPharmd08]

Thanks for the response. I do not know the answers to the questions about mileage, hours etc. I will find out during my telephone interview. Thanks for the advice.

 

[fauxden]

holy cow, I wouldn't leave a full time position for a float job.

 

[BMBiology]

why not keep your hospital job and float at Target during your days off and take it from there?

 

[OHPharmd08]

Thanks for all the great advice. I will ask during my phone interview if it is possible to float part-time or PRN.

 

[crazybob]

Everyone who starts at Target is a floater initially, then gets assigned a home store.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Everyone who starts at Target is a floater initially, then gets assigned a home store.

Not sure if true everywhere. I was interviewed for a manager position, for a specific store.

 

[jawnly211]

from personal experience:

i started as a FT float.....they will not hire for PT float in my area since they are having enough trouble finding hours for the floaters that are remaining

my radius was huge! every once in a while i would work at a store near my home, but more often i would find myself being scheduled at stores >30 miles away.....sometimes up to 50 miles....it was good back then because i got paid for milage AND drive time but that has changed as of 2010

so as a floater u pretty much goto disorganized stores, stores where the management is unstable, stores that need additional help for a reason.....and with the PDX system, it felt like i got beat up after a long day's work.....

the schedule didn't come out until 2 weeks before the week so i could never make any concrete plans......also there were days when i would get a call the night before to cover a store or my scheduled store would be switched to a further store.....u just had to take it because that's what u signed up for

after a few months of floating they assigned me as manager to a nearby store.....i really lucked out because i never really did a formal interview for it.....it was kinda forced upon me......target has a way of strong-arming and "convincing"

i know a lot of floaters in my area who are still floating and hate it! there's no consistency and everyday is a "hit or miss"......more misses than hits......not too comforting going to bed everynight.........

i suggest you keep your hospital job and ask if you could float PT......more than likely they are looking for FT float.....trust me.....the grass isnt greener on the other side.....target is NOT the same company it was in 2006-2009

there have been MANY changes....for the worse!!!! ask all the questions you need in your phone interview...

 

[samuricool]

Everyone who starts at Target is a floater initially, then gets assigned a home store.

Incorrect. Most are first offered a float position unless leadership has a specific store that they think would be a good fit for that candidate. In Target language: right person, right place, right time. If you are offered a float position then you are assigned a home store which essentially is only used for calculating mileage.

 

[nafcillin]

What kind of changes have happened since 2009?

 

[crazybob]

Incorrect. Most are first offered a float position unless leadership has a specific store that they think would be a good fit for that candidate. In Target language: right person, right place, right time. If you are offered a float position then you are assigned a home store which essentially is only used for calculating mileage.

So you need to make a better impression to be assigned a specific store?

 

[Member 5149]

You get micromanaged up the *****. And Metrics, each week you fill a report discussing how you'll improve your numbers. Expect monthly visits from district pharmacist or business partners(who are not even pharmacists) to come tell you how to do your job. Every Monday, the PIC goes to a managers meeting to give a review of the numbers in pharmacy to the rest of the department managers(who couldn't care less). If you don't excuse yourself early you get stuck listening to soft lines talk about next month's new underwear line and where it's getting placed in the store. Oh I guess a bright note, they're hiring more pharmacists= but then again it means less OT.

It's still a nice setting, it's just that in the past nobody knew how to manage the pharmacy; a loss in the pharmacy was covered by sales in the store so it was much more relaxed.

 

[jawnly211]

What kind of changes have happened since 2009?

boy is that a good question.....

well for starters, target used to be the anti-cvs.......we had it good......every little thing cvs pharmacists complain about, we didn't have to worry about it.......

many of our pharmacies had full fridges to store food, sodas, condiments, leftovers, ice cream.....we had toaster ovens, microwaves......i know, no other pharmacies allow that but we had that luxury......all gone now......can't even have water or soda as you work unless it is "out of the guests view" or near the sink

as a floater we got paid drive time and for milage.....forget that now.....only if u are driving >45 minutes or something like that.....and u can only charge for time above that 45 min limit....once again, i know i know, every other pharmacy does that now, but this is what differentiated target from the CVS and WAGS

the business partners back in the day were all pharmDs......they all started out as staff or managers and know the daily grind......ever since some meeting in 2009 they really cracked the whip and are all about numbers, numbers, numbers......and if you don't meet those numbers, u write a 3 page action plan on why and what you're going to do about it......along with that, u will have to endure conference calls once a week and be heavily involved in them during peak hours or ur tech lunch breaks.....

target is micromanaging every last aspect of the pharmacy and trying to combine the pharmacy with the rest of the store "team"......from weekly manager meetings to conference calls to status updates to action plans to performance board tracking to business walks.....i never had to do so much paperwork in my life.....

so in other words....what made target great and "different" is now all out the window......so expect the same demands as the DM's at CVS and WAGS but with less technician help (since they base hours off of script count WEEKLY) but with a slow PDX computer system where you waste 3 labels and 5 sheets of paper processing a split bill on someone's loestrin24fe

 

[BMBiology]

I bet you the head guy probably came from cvs and he changed target.

 

[bob1234]

I bet you the head guy probably came from cvs and he changed target.

Not necessarily.

Look at the airlines. One company starts charging for bags, they net a profit. As the competitor, why would you not implement the same program? Your share holders will eventually demand it. Corporately owned pharmacies must please the stock owners first, and deliver health care second. You and I know these stores doing 500+ scripts a day aren't doing mandatory counseling with only 1 pharmacist on duty. The regulators aren't on site to check for counseling, so it gets put on the back burner I don't think anyone went into pharmacy to only count pills and make reminder calls, but that is what it has turned into.

 

[glory4england]

It's still better than CVS/Walgreens right? Although I'm scared Target might just get out of the RX business if it starts losing a lot of money

 

[samuricool]

So you need to make a better impression to be assigned a specific store?

There are many factors involved in making a decision like that. It isnt the same for everyone and generally an 'impression' isnt the only necessary step to making that happen.

 

[samuricool]

It's still better than CVS/Walgreens right? Although I'm scared Target might just get out of the RX business if it starts losing a lot of money

I dont remember the numbers but Target pharmacy users spend considerably more money than those that shop at the store but dont use the pharmacy.

No experience with CVS/Wags, so I cant comment there. Ive been told I should stay as far away as possible. Drive thru windows alone are reason enough, personally. Metrics are going to be the same crap for every chain. Being micromanaged is dependent on your boss. And there are douche bag bosses at every chain.

 

[SHC1984]

Not sure if true everywhere. I was interviewed for a manager position, for a specific store.

Do you work there now? Why didn't you take the job? B/c the computer system is crappy? lol

 

[jawnly211]

I bet you the head guy probably came from cvs and he changed target.

BINGO!!!!!

hammer, meet head of nail.....

 

[rubikan]

I currently work for Target as a float and am happy to work for this company. I am assigned an area or district and am scheduled within that district only, however if there are additional shifts to work then I can float outside my district at my choosing. Yes Target does reimburse us for mileage, overall this retail setting is nice to work in not mention we are guaranteed a 30 minute lunch which is great.

 

[OHPharmd08]

Thanks everyone for posting and giving advice. My telephone interview is tomorrow. I will go into the interview with an open mind and I will ask a lot of questions!

 

[525329]

I currently work for Target as a float and am happy to work for this company. I am assigned an area or district and am scheduled within that district only, however if there are additional shifts to work then I can float outside my district at my choosing. Yes Target does reimburse us for mileage, overall this retail setting is nice to work in not mention we are guaranteed a 30 minute lunch which is great.

If you work in a slower-paced store, it tends to be more difficult as the company likes to cut hours a lot. Not much tech help is available. However, I have seen it the other way around at a more busier store, which IMHO, is much better. With several techs and perhaps one or two pharmacists overlapping, it feels more efficient because every team member is assigned to one role (one for inputting, one for filling, one for releasing, etc.) as opposed to multitasking many different ones.

 

[NoRetailPharmD]

I was a full time floater for Target last year. Do not take that position. You have to pay for hotel room and mileage expenses out of your own pocket up front. Politics decides who gets a store or not. Your performance or tenure does not influence your advancement. Money is definitely not everything in this case. Especially when you have to work two or three hours away from home weekly. You may have to work a twelve hour shift one day, and then another twelve hour shift two hours away the next. Trust me. The stress and politics aren't worth it. Target is definitely not what it used to be. 👎

 

[rubikan]

I was a full time floater for Target last year. Do not take that position. You have to pay for hotel room and mileage expenses out of your own pocket up front. Politics decides who gets a store or not. Your performance or tenure does not influence your advancement. Money is definitely not everything in this case. Especially when you have to work two or three hours away from home weekly. You may have to work a twelve hour shift one day, and then another twelve hour shift two hours away the next. Trust me. The stress and politics aren't worth it. Target is definitely not what it used to be. 👎

I've been floating for quite some time and Target has not ever scheduled me 2-3 hours away from home, it's terrible they did that to you, I wonder if it depends on the state your'e working in....It's not a perfect chain to work for but overall it's not too bad. Very rarely do we have only one tech working

 

[jballer91]

I've been floating for quite some time and Target has not ever scheduled me 2-3 hours away from home, it's terrible they did that to you, I wonder if it depends on the state your'e working in....It's not a perfect chain to work for but overall it's not too bad. Very rarely do we have only one tech working

Yeah I was about to say I'm guessing what state you work at matters. Places with more Targets in a certain area would mean not as much traveling. I've never heard of a floater going more than an hour; I'm in a major metro area though. Also, someone mentioned about compensation for gas/mileage for long distances. How exactly does that work?

 

[BidingMyTime]

many of our pharmacies had full fridges to store food, sodas, condiments, leftovers, ice cream.....we had toaster ovens, microwaves......i know, no other pharmacies allow that but we had that luxury......all gone now......can't even have water or soda as you work unless it is "out of the guests view" or near the sink

This is because food in work areas is considered a health code violation in most (if not all) states.

 

[CoconutLime06]

Also, someone mentioned about compensation for gas/mileage for long distances. How exactly does that work?

I was assigned a home store - it's ~20 miles from home (takes about 30min). Round trip to my home store is ~40 miles, so I get reimbursed for total travel >40m / day, plus any tolls if I hit them.

I love floating for Target - I've never had to drive more than an hour. The schedules come out at least a month in advance, sometimes more. For any changes within 2 weeks, I get an email, and for changes in the next week I usually get a call. And they always ask me if I'm okay to change a location / drive out somewhere farther than scheduled.

Also - my RxBPs are pharmacists and were Pharmacy Managers for Target before promotion.

 

[clachan3]

Turns out there are lots of Target pharmacists here after all 😉

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I just completed the interview process for Target. I had gone all the way through the process last year, for a management job, but had to withdraw from consideration because of some health and life issues. When I realized Target was hiring again in my area, I contacted my recruiter and got back in the candidate pool. The whole process took less than two weeks from initial contact to offer.

I interviewed for a part time float position, but was offered a position within a specific store. I didn't find that part out until I received the offer. I can still pick up additional floating shifts that any of the stores in our market (8 stores total). The schedule is two days one week and three days the next week, and includes every other weekend. It sounds really good to me!

 

[nextyearrx]

I just saw a posting for Full-Time Float Pharmacist at Target in TX. Is it with the contract or without contract? Do you get any BONUS when you get hired?🙂

 

[wucool33]

I just saw a posting for Full-Time Float Pharmacist at Target in TX. Is it with the contract or without contract? Do you get any BONUS when you get hired?🙂

Bonus? LOL is this STILL every pre-pharms' expectation?

 

[buzzershot18]

There are 2 Target full-time float pharmacist positions in my local area. I have applied and will be doing the phone interview in the next 2 weeks. If anyone can shed some light on the float pharmacist position for Target, I would appreciate it.
I've been reading all the posts about Target not being as good as they were 2-3 years ago. I currently work in a hospital system that pays very low (I don't even make $50 hr and been there 2 years). I don't want to make a mistake by jumping ship to Target. Thanks.

I am a P2 student who works at Target. I have also worked at CVS and love Target significantly more than CVS. I think their system is easier to work with, it is definitely less stressful, and personally I think they are alot more organized there, but thats just me. Hoping to land a job there when I'm done. Good luck to you.

 

[Ackj]

I am a P2 student who works at Target. I have also worked at CVS and love Target significantly more than CVS. I think their system is easier to work with, it is definitely less stressful, and personally I think they are alot more organized there, but thats just me. Hoping to land a job there when I'm done. Good luck to you.

You prefer their DOS computer system to a modern one where you can use barcode scanning and image verification?

 

[nextyearrx]

I have worked at Walgreens and CVS both, but never at Target; I want to know how the computer system is at Target.. Is it easy or complicated??

 

[asian pharm]

It's still better than CVS/Walgreens right? Although I'm scared Target might just get out of the RX business if it starts losing a lot of money

That is so true....Additionally, Target is so mean.....atleast here in FL. When I applied they did not send me and IV, and told me I was too "unexperienced" for their position

 

[nextyearrx]

I have worked at Walgreens and CVS both, but never at Target; I want to know how the computer system is at Target.. Is it easy or complicated??

 

[CUninja]

I have worked at Walgreens and CVS both, but never at Target; I want to know how the computer system is at Target.. Is it easy or complicated??

If someone has an answer to your question, they will post it. No need to post twice. 👍

 

[jballer91]

I have worked at Walgreens and CVS both, but never at Target; I want to know how the computer system is at Target.. Is it easy or complicated??

Only worked at Target so have nothing really to compare to but will give my two cents. Like everyone says, PDX is ancient. Prepare yourself to never use a mouse but instead tab over to everything. But since it is old, it can be considered easy to use to some degree. Just like any other system it just takes time to get used to it. Usually the veteran pharmacist/techs I work with are able to blaze threw screens/options cuz they know exactly what button is what..I feel like I'm slowly getting there too. I'm also assuming there are limitations than what other systems can do but it does get upgrades features; just recently the "text when ready" option was implemented.

 

[squiggles5270]

I currently work for Target as a float and am happy to work for this company. I am assigned an area or district and am scheduled within that district only, however if there are additional shifts to work then I can float outside my district at my choosing. Yes Target does reimburse us for mileage, overall this retail setting is nice to work in not mention we are guaranteed a 30 minute lunch which is great.

Can you DM me? I am considering a full time float position and was wondering what questions I can expect from the recruiter as well as what I should ask her. I have never floated before and am somewhat intimidated.