What is it like working for CVS or Walgreen as pharm tech

[Smileyfrowned]

I'm pre-med and wanting to work as a pharm tech during the school year. A lot of people in this forum said it's better to be a CNA but I don't understand why. I am a certified nurse aide and I've been working at a nursing home for several months now. It was no doubt the most exhausting few months in my life. I've never sweat so much and had so much body ache. I don't mind the dirty part of the job and I love interacting with the elderly but I'm constantly on my feet and it was so physical demanding. There were so much work and I was so busy that I sometimes don't even have time to take breaks. And honestly, the only health-related experience I had was taking vitals. I've recently decided that I might try being a pharm tech at Walgreen or CVS. I have a few question about it though.

1) Since I'm not a certified pharm tech, do I have to be certified within a few years of working there? Can I just work there and not be certified?
2) Are there certain amount of hours that I have to work per week? Since I'm a student, I'm only planning on working maybe around 24 hours a week.
3) Are there a set number of years that I'll have to work? I'm going to graduate in three years, and I just think that the company probably want to keep the employee for a certain amount of years since they've went through the trouble of training them, if I were the pharmacy, I would think it would be a waste of time and energy if the employee quits in six months or something, but that's just me...
4) Lastly, are there any jobs that would also be beneficial to my pre-med career. So far, the only job I could think of that I'm eligible for is pharm tech and CNA. I've considered being a EMT, but the program takes almost 6 months and it's hard to find a job. I know I don't necessarily have to work at a healthcare setting but I thought I would hit two birds with one stone and gain some clinical experience and money both at the same time.

Thanks.

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[lemonscientist]

I am a current CPhT at a different chain grocery store. I would suggest a grocery store chain over either CVS or Walgreens due to their treatment of their employees. I've been at my position for over a year and a half so hopefully this helps:
1) almost all positions will train you on the job. you will be paid. they may not state certify you but they will certify you to work there and that is perfectly fine
2) it depends on the store. we had an intern who only worked one 7 hour shift a week, i averaged about 20 hours for my first semester working and then increased to 30 hours during my senior year. talk to the hiring manager about expectations and be honest. the pay will probably be better than nurse aide. (~$12/hr)
3) No. as we say at work, it takes about a year to train a tech, but we take what we can get. three years is awesome commitment!! my manager was thrilled to have me for 2.5
4) I cannot advocate for another other positions but possibly an office admin in a hospital if your university is affiliated with one, but i'm not sure of hour requirements there.

I have to say that although being a pharm tech is exhausting (I prefer moving around rather than standing in on spot) and frustrating (insurance problems, customer service+everyone is sick!), I have learned SO much. Before this position, I had no clue how most third party adjudication occurred but now I'm much more familiar with prior auths, medicare filing, and the inner workings of our healthcare system. I know the top 200 brand/generic drugs, most sigs, a lot of common drug interactions and indications all because of this position. Also, my pharmacists are amazing and they have taught me so much. I am slightly biased, as my fiance is starting his PharmD degree in August, but I do love pharmacists!

 

[HopefulDoc94]

I'm also a current CPhT at a retail pharmacy. I have learned a lot from it, such as how to interact with patients/customers. It can be emotionally draining, but you learn how to not take things personally and move on (which will be of good use later). After working there for over 3 years now, I wouldn't have stayed so long (switched to pre-med from pre-pharmacy after working there for 1 year) if it weren't for my great pharmacists! They are very helpful and love when you ask them challenging questions (unlike most customers that ask about stupid crap OTC that aren't even drug related). Our pharmacy is one of the busiest in town since were located between all the major clinics and offices. I wouldn't recommend working at a 24/hr store if you do go into this job. You learn a lot about insurance and how crap our healthcare system is. You also get to meet and get to know a lot of doctors/VIPs in your town. My job trained me and got me certified after 1 year of working there, which came with a raise. I got burnt out working 25+ hrs a week while doing all my pre-med stuff (volunteering, shadowing, doing good in school, etc). It would be a great part-part-time gig if possible! I'm much happier working as a ER Registrar (higher pay, more medically related, not dealing with $$, etc).

1) You can work there for about 1 year before they really wan't you to get nationally certified, but it depends on the company. (Certified= more $$)
2) They are usually very understanding if you're a student. Most of our techs were in nursing school, pre-pharmacy, and me (pre-med).
3) Pharmacy has a pretty high turn-over rate for 24/hr stores. Depends on the chain you work at. I've been here for 3 years, would have left earlier if it weren't for great managers.
4) I work at both the pharmacy and at the hospital. I enjoy the hospital better. Pharmacy isn't really full-on "medical." See if your local hospitals have an ER gig (running labs, cleaning rooms, taking vitals, etc.)

 

[Dream_big]

I can also vouch for working as a pharmacy technician. You do not need to be certified to work as a pharm tech-- lemonscientist answered those questions to a T. You will learn a heck of a lot about medications (brand vs. generic, OTCs vs behind the counters, insurance/premiums). It is exciting when a generic finally comes out for an expensive brand medication, such as Crestor, because those patients dependent on it will be paying a lot less. Working as a CNA will give you patient care hours and the clinical experience you need, because many do not categorize pharm techs under clinical experience unless you work in a hospital.

I work in a retail pharmacy, and although I can "smell the patients," all I really do is fill medications, type up prescriptions, and ring out patients... all the while learning about the logistics of how a pharmacy operates along the way. Most pharmacists love to tell you about the mechanism of action of particular medications, and I love to learn, so I tend to pick their brains a lot more than other techs do. All in all, I think it is a great job at any location. If you have any other particular questions, feel free to reply or PM me!