Turnover rate in Retail Pharmacy
Started by RxStudentatUB
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1. True. Some supervisors actually move you around from store to store so you don't get comfortable. However, if you are meeting targets and getting results, they most likely will leave you alone. You are speaking of particular location though versus working for large retail in general. We are all guessing as far as general retail turnover but it is not a good number.
2. I doubt you have this observation from shadowing. It is probably feedback from staff. That part is most likely true as well. I haven't seen RPh versus Pharm.D. come into play at retail level. A Pharm.D. is often a requirement in hospital setting though. Personally, I can't really fault companies for 'forcing out' high salaried employees. In some cases higher expenses don't translate into better results, in some, they do. How they are being forced out is a different story.
2. I doubt you have this observation from shadowing. It is probably feedback from staff. That part is most likely true as well. I haven't seen RPh versus Pharm.D. come into play at retail level. A Pharm.D. is often a requirement in hospital setting though. Personally, I can't really fault companies for 'forcing out' high salaried employees. In some cases higher expenses don't translate into better results, in some, they do. How they are being forced out is a different story.
I think these are all valid points. Here's what I have to add:
1. Absolutely, churn and burn is the name of the game. Retail is intentionally set up like boot camp or hazing for pharmacists to weed out the weak. So it's not about whether you can get a job because really, as long as there is an opening, they will hire just about anyone. The real test is whether you sink or swim.
But even if you do survive, I don't think you should just hang around swimming in the shark tank forever. Otherwise something like point #2 could happen to you. I guess the long term objective is to fight your way out to move up to a position like supervisor or move out to a cushier setting like mail-order. Or, you could just be a masochistic sicko and like being abused. In which case, more power to you, because you can always find work doing a job that everyone else hates.
2. Oh yes, I've personally seen this happen many times. One day they're posing for photos, shaking hands with the supervisor for their 25 year service anniversary. The next day, they're packing up their stuff because they got fired. You can never let your guard down, or get too comfortable in retail. Especially with the old veterans, the minute they start putting up an attitude that they want to do things their old way, or don't want to get squeezed anymore for higher script count, then that is when the sharks get unleashed on them.
1. Absolutely, churn and burn is the name of the game. Retail is intentionally set up like boot camp or hazing for pharmacists to weed out the weak. So it's not about whether you can get a job because really, as long as there is an opening, they will hire just about anyone. The real test is whether you sink or swim.
But even if you do survive, I don't think you should just hang around swimming in the shark tank forever. Otherwise something like point #2 could happen to you. I guess the long term objective is to fight your way out to move up to a position like supervisor or move out to a cushier setting like mail-order. Or, you could just be a masochistic sicko and like being abused. In which case, more power to you, because you can always find work doing a job that everyone else hates.
2. Oh yes, I've personally seen this happen many times. One day they're posing for photos, shaking hands with the supervisor for their 25 year service anniversary. The next day, they're packing up their stuff because they got fired. You can never let your guard down, or get too comfortable in retail. Especially with the old veterans, the minute they start putting up an attitude that they want to do things their old way, or don't want to get squeezed anymore for higher script count, then that is when the sharks get unleashed on them.
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You will likely see less turnover in the future because jobs are less plentiful. I remember when I was still a tech in the early 2000's, if you got tired of your retail job you could make one phone call and have a different job by that afternoon with a sign on bonus.
well said
There is still hope out there. It is what it is, but I lasted just a month as a retail pharmacist. After graduating and going on with the chains for a month, I quickly realized it was not what I wanted to do. Now I work M-F 9-5 in an office type setting at a closed door pharmacy, no contact with the public. These jobs still exist, you just need to call around and look for them.
