What is Walgreen's "Power"

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
H

Hibiclens

Full Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2006
Messages
63
Reaction score
12
Some dude named qwead is on many threads in here saying it is the end of retail pharmacy as many techs and pharmacists will be fired due to it.

Anyone have some insight on it?
Members don't see this ad.
 
OK...Power is a new program developed by wags, it is basically a ctral location that recives all the rxs scanned at the pharmacies and they are all brought there where techs type them all day, they also answer all the phone calls directed to the pharmacies, currently there is 1 call center in orlando,Fl that takes care of 100s of pharmacies in fl, they are building another call center in South florida by years end...lately wags has been pushing auto refil beacuse all the refils will be done in the call center and shipped to the pharmacy the next day, and now when a customer comes to drop off their script they have a choice either to pick it up today or tomorow, today will be filled in the pharmacy , while tomorrow will be shipped there from the call center.....how is this bad....wags decided that this system should eliminate tech hours and basically all the pharmds do are cashier work because that is when they can consult,...if power works then the script volume per pharmacy will be less and less pharmacists are needed, thus less jobs....and no they will not all be working in the central location because you only need a few pharmds to facilitate, imagine 4 pharmds for 100 pharmacies....yes it saves wags money, but it will lead to massive job loss....now you have to decide which side you are on
 
Members don't see this ad :)
In case anyone thinks qwead is an alarmist, I will vouch for him/her. Power is in Florida only at this time. It was being rolled out just as I was leaving Walgreens after working as a pharmacist for a year.

Here's what I saw: Senior Techs hours were cut to 30 hours per week. These were career techs who needed to pay rent and most had to take another part time job. Part time techs had even less hours. 24 hour stores lost their mid-shift pharmacist. This removed one permanent pharmacist per store and they had to float between stores. This also eliminated lunch breaks for the pharmacists because there was no longer any overlap from 11am to 2pm. Instead, each pharmacy was required to buy a small refrigerator for the pharmacy (max of $50). Pharmacists had to bring food and drink, because corporate did not want them walking out into the aisles to buy a soda.

Now Power is in full swing. It will only get worse.
 
Thank you qwead! A nice rational post without caps lock on!

Lets us look at your argument. First off having a central call/fill center is not going to eliminate any pharmacist jobs. It will actually create a few more because the central fill locations will have to be staffed by pharmacists. The state law in all 50 states says there must be a pharmacist on duty at all times a pharmacy is open. As has been previously discussed in the 20 threads you have started on this topic, most if not all retail chains have cut there staffing down to just 2 pharmacist. Unless Walgreens is going to cut the hours they are open to only 40 hours a week, then there has to be at least 2 pharmacists. One to open and one to close.

So the bottom line is...whose job is actually at risk? Pharmacy techs are the ones whose jobs will be reduced. The is nothing in the pharmacy laws of any state that says a pharmacy must have pharmacy tecnicians on duty.

As a pharmacist I look at a central call/fill center as potentially a good thing. I work at two pharmacist store that does about 1000 scripts a week. If a central fill location took about 500 of those away from me...well all I can say is that would be awsome. It would also allow me to expand the services I could offer. Instead of counting pills all day I could be giving immunizations, running a diabetic clinic or a lipid clinic or anticoagulation ect. The possibilities are endless.

One last small point. Kroger has had a central fill facility in Kentucky for about 5 years now. It works okay but they haven't expanded it because it isn't quite as efficient as they would like. This is not the end of the world for pharmacists...maybe techs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
MountainPharmD said:
This is not the end of the world for pharmacists...maybe techs.
Click to expand...
This may lead to pharmacist taking more of a clinical role or consultant role. Some pharmacist fill scripts there whole shift. I don't know about you but that is not what i want to do. There is no way they can get rid of pharmacists, by law there has to be one present at every pharmacy. Instead of filling scripts they will be consuling patients more. In my opinion it would move pharmacist away from the fast food mode of wags.
 
UNMorBUST said:
This may lead to pharmacist taking more of a clinical role or consultant role. Some pharmacist fill scripts there whole shift. I don't know about you but that is not what i want to do. There is no way they can get rid of pharmacists, by law there has to be one present at every pharmacy. Instead of filling scripts they will be consuling patients more. In my opinion it would move pharmacist away from the fast food mode of wags.
Click to expand...

You have hit the nail on the head as they say. Instead of standing behind the counter counting pills alll day I may actaully be able to use my education in a constuctive way.
 
well i hop eyou are right, my pharmacy has an average of 600-800 scripts a day!! that is why we took full power in less than a month, a store such as ours with such a high volume cannot wait months for a system to be operated...i am just spreading a message because i feel bad for the techs wh oare full time career who have kids and priorities, their jobs are in risk...and if you said that pharmds are not at risk then why are they planning on laying off 10-20% of pharmds unless they retire early or they work for the CPO...how is there a shortage when they are getting rid of people???
 
I actually see more positives than negatives with this system...but then again I've never had experiences with it.

I see any system that can push maintenance refills and phone calls to a central center as a plus. That's just me. But I can see how a future PharmD who just wants to count pills and ONLY verify Rx's all day long wouldn't want this system in place.

But again, I haven't had any personal experience, so this opinion is from the outside.
 
dgroulx said:
In case anyone thinks qwead is an alarmist, I will vouch for him/her. Power is in Florida only at this time. It was being rolled out just as I was leaving Walgreens after working as a pharmacist for a year.

Here's what I saw: Senior Techs hours were cut to 30 hours per week. These were career techs who needed to pay rent and most had to take another part time job. Part time techs had even less hours. 24 hour stores lost their mid-shift pharmacist. This removed one permanent pharmacist per store and they had to float between stores. This also eliminated lunch breaks for the pharmacists because there was no longer any overlap from 11am to 2pm. Instead, each pharmacy was required to buy a small refrigerator for the pharmacy (max of $50). Pharmacists had to bring food and drink, because corporate did not want them walking out into the aisles to buy a soda.

Now Power is in full swing. It will only get worse.
Click to expand...

It'll be interesting to see how it's applied in California with mandatory lunches. RPh's may not actually follow the law, but if WAGs doesn't allow at least the possibility of taking lunches, then it might make things interesting.
 
They've cut hours quite a bit at my gf's and classmates' wag stores in Orlando. Led to less hours for interns too. Glad I stuck with CVS.
 
I heard cvs is in the midst of followind a central location...so I've heard
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Glad I'm at a riteaid now, but by the looks of it it seems like riteaid's gonna be bought up within the next few years...Better find a hospital job soon.
 
All chains are cutting tech hours because of the economy. When things are tight, the first thing to be cut are tech hours.
 
Old Timer said:
Central call center. NOT a central fill system......
Click to expand...

Personally, I wouldnt mind a central call center. Phone calls are annoying as I have to always pick it up in the midst of helping a customer. However, if CVS were to come out with a central fill system, I wouldnt love the company as much as I love them now.

I wonder where do they come up with the idea that central fill systems are cost saving. I have seen central fill from Duane Reade and it is just a pure headache. It causes more trouble than it helps.
 
Most companys care about cost saving to line their own pockets rather than concentrate on customer service.
 
Inline with the larger picture, discussed on this thread, concerning PharmD duties:

Kerr Drugs, 105 stores in the Carolinas

Another pioneer of disease state management (the old term for MTMs), the company has opened its first store dedicated solely to patient care--the 9,000-square-foot store in Lenoir, N.C., features not only a fully staffed pharmacy and pharmacy care center, but also private offices for one-on-one patient consultations and health screenings and in-depth disease state management. The new store picks up where the Kerr Health Care Center--which debuted two years ago in Raleigh and now exists in 13 of its 105 stores--left off with an emphasis on clinical care and products and services to help chronic care patients live more comfortably.
Click to expand...

COPYRIGHT, 2008 -- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder, Gale, Cengage Learning.
 
Danbo1957 said:
Inline with the larger picture, discussed on this thread, concerning PharmD duties:



COPYRIGHT, 2008 -- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder, Gale, Cengage Learning.
Click to expand...


They offer residencies at Kerr Drug in community pharmacy that I've heard are really good. Something to consider for those interested that are not aware of this possibility.
 
Finally people are understanding the message...a lot of people especially the execs feel that pharmds are getting overpaid...100 jobs loss...I see more than that...and don't think the clinical pharmds won't be affected...once jobs are scarce the clinical jobs will be a free for all... and basic supply and demand...their salaries will drop as well...every pharmd retail or not should be worried and should be knowledgeable
 
You should work for the Bush administration. This is just fear mongering.

Auto refill? Mail order pharmacy? So what? That's nothing new. Kaiser has been using this system for years and guess how much Kaiser pays their pharmacists? More than $60 an hour. They even pay more for pharmacists working at their mail order facilities.

No one has explained how this system would replace the pharmacist. Walgreens can get rid of the tech but the only way Walgreens can get rid of the pharmacist is by closing down the pharmacy. It is that simple.
 
By the way, the Veteran Affairs even has a more sophisticated system. Everything is electronic. The physician would ask the patient if he needs to pick up his prescription today. If not, then the physician would e-send the typed prescription to another facility. The pharmacist at the facility would verify that the prescription and drug are correct. If it is, then computer would dispense the drug. No tech is needed to type the label or to dispense the drug. The drug is then sent to the patient by mail.

Like all computerized systems, the VA system is not perfect. Sometimes, the physician chooses the wrong drug, strength or drugs that are not on the formulary, just to name a few examples. That's why you need a pharmacist to make sure the right drug goes to the right patient. The VA uses an electronic medical record system so the pharmacist can verify everything.
 
Last edited:
Its not going to eliminate the pharmacist ...but jobs...of course you will need a pharmacist to verify...but not as much anymore...today there are over 250000 pharmds currently working...if they cut hours or worse layoff pharmds where will the other pharmds find work...they will always need pharmds but they will not need as much...which equals jobloss....I agree a union should be made
 
Its official everyone, we need to switch career paths.
 
I am not taking any sides on this issue...but I would like to submit my own personal observations / experiences.

I work for Wags in Orlando as an Asst Mgr (applying to Rx school in August), and I have seen the POWER Program in action as well as spoke to many Pharmacists regarding this situation.

Yes Tech hours are being slashed across Orlando Power stores, and yes Pharmacists are being layed off / pushed out. Many Pharmacists jumped ship from the store level to working in the Call Center, because it is an easier gig. Others have seen their hours and working conditions at the store level getting worse. And I also know a few Pharmacists who simply left to go work for Publix, CVS and or Wal-Mart.

Regarding Pharmacies at the store level being closed...2 on International Drive have been shut down and their Pharmacies removed from the Walgreens all together. You should see the look on the customers faces when they ask where the pharmacy is and you have to tell them that "this Walgreens doesn't have a pharmacy!" The Pharmacists that worked at those stores had to find a home store elsewhere, float until they do so...or just quit all together.

I have heard that a couple more stores in the Orlando area might be shutting down their in store pharmacies too. Their is only 7 Wags in the whole company without Pharmacies in the store...basically half of those are in the Orlando area.

Who knows what this means for the Orlando area and what future affects the POWER program will have...?

So far, it hasn't been as rosy and peachy as the Wag Execs promised everyone.
 
Time to play catch up people: Oct 31st...system has been in place since April 2008 [URL said:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/business/epaper/2008/10/30/a6b_walgreens_1031.html[/URL]
Click to expand...


FORTLIVINGROOM, finally someone who sees this move by wag as a threat to our livelihood, i read the post this is interesting and i did not know that the news got a hold of this, Wags is making the pharmacy so impersonal these days, there are so many problems with this system and i can only wish that it go away, however wags has invested in this POWER crap that I dont think theres a going back, in a year all FL stores will be fully POWER and fully in shambles, I can only hope that they will not expand in other states, but i fear they are planning on to in Arizona....what can we do???not enough people are as concerned as we are
 
TonyRx said:
So far, it hasn't been as rosy and peachy as the Wag Execs promised everyone.
Click to expand...
You don't say! Mid- and top-level executives at all the major chains are absolute snakes. I will never allow myself to be under their control again. One of the worst feelings in the world.

I really feel for you guys.
 
meister said:
You don't say! Mid- and top-level executives at all the major chains are absolute snakes. I will never allow myself to be under their control again. One of the worst feelings in the world.

I really feel for you guys.
Click to expand...


Very true my friend, it is hard to find a mid- and/or top-level exec for any Fortune 500 company that has any moral or ethical character left.

In today's world, the Wall Street mentality is solely based on quarterly/yearly profit margins, and less and less emphasize is placed on the livelihood and working conditions of the workers.

Coupled with Society's overall lack of concern, care or outrage for our current economic situation in general....and you have a nasty little soup brewing.

Wall street continues to use and abuse us, and we continue to take it....with a smile.:)
 
TonyRx said:
I am not taking any sides on this issue...but I would like to submit my own personal observations / experiences.

I work for Wags in Orlando as an Asst Mgr (applying to Rx school in August), and I have seen the POWER Program in action as well as spoke to many Pharmacists regarding this situation.

Yes Tech hours are being slashed across Orlando Power stores, and yes Pharmacists are being layed off / pushed out. Many Pharmacists jumped ship from the store level to working in the Call Center, because it is an easier gig. Others have seen their hours and working conditions at the store level getting worse. And I also know a few Pharmacists who simply left to go work for Publix, CVS and or Wal-Mart.

Regarding Pharmacies at the store level being closed...2 on International Drive have been shut down and their Pharmacies removed from the Walgreens all together. You should see the look on the customers faces when they ask where the pharmacy is and you have to tell them that "this Walgreens doesn't have a pharmacy!" The Pharmacists that worked at those stores had to find a home store elsewhere, float until they do so...or just quit all together.

I have heard that a couple more stores in the Orlando area might be shutting down their in store pharmacies too. Their is only 7 Wags in the whole company without Pharmacies in the store...basically half of those are in the Orlando area.

Who knows what this means for the Orlando area and what future affects the POWER program will have...?

So far, it hasn't been as rosy and peachy as the Wag Execs promised everyone.
Click to expand...


:eek::eek:WOW tonyrx i did not know that the conditions were so bad that some pharmacies were actually shutdown, i am in south florida and experiencing the full phase of power and also seeing the full MISTAKE of power, how many pharmacies closed down?? they need to cut their losses and completely halt the furthur expansion of this...they have planned to central location here as well in S. Florida and have pushed alot of techs and pharmds to work there or they will be laid off, i wonder if this will lead to a few pharmacies closing down as well here...Wags deserves this, they treat their workers like crap and i hope their stocks drop to single digits:smuggrin::smuggrin:

I hope the best for you and we can all only hope that our profession will be ok in the future
 
Union? Are you kidding me? Unions are full of BS. I don't want yet another group of people jacking into and controlling MY paycheck. Pharmacists need a lobby, not a union, if anything at all.

Knee jerk reaction from people who can't handle change...wtf is wrong with you. Unions are the reason why the Big 3 are failing (well, one of the reasons). If the work environment changes, you go and change right along with it. Did you expect pharmacists would be standing in front of computers verifying scripts for the next 30 years? Do you expect to work for one company all your life that will "take care of you?" If so, I feel sorry for you.

The more I read about this system, the more I really like the idea of it. I think some of you fear mongers just lack vision and the will to change. Just because you've earned a PharmD/BSPharm or have done the same thing for 20 years doesn't mean you get to sit back and enjoy the ride. :bang:
 
have you read any of the problems posted here, this system has caused many jobs to be loss and for a future pharmacist as yourself arent you concerned that the job market for you will be difficult in the near future...you will be competing with pharmds that have worked for years...we are trying to protect our livelihood, maybe the whole union thing was a littlt too irrational however you must understand that by supporting this system you are basically puuting the last nail on the coffin that is your job!!
 
qwead said:
have you read any of the problems posted here, this system has caused many jobs to be loss and for a future pharmacist as yourself arent you concerned that the job market for you will be difficult in the near future...you will be competing with pharmds that have worked for years...we are trying to protect our livelihood, maybe the whole union thing was a littlt too irrational however you must understand that by supporting this system you are basically puuting the last nail on the coffin that is your job!!
Click to expand...

No, it seems like this system makes business run more efficiently (good) and allows what pharmacists remain to focus on things like immediate waiting fills and consults (if this is incorrect, let me know). This doesn't sound like it affects the quality of patient care either. The more scripts and phone calls you can transfer to a central (isolated) location, the better off your patients are. Hell, this system delivers too? Awesome, more likely your pt will be compliant and less likely they'll break their hip trying to get to your store. This doesn't sound like Wags simply cutting hours/pharmacists.

Besides, the need for retail pharmacists & technicians doesn't seem to have abated regardless of a) proliferation of, and economic incentives for, mail order pharmacies, b) move from universal claim forms to computerized claims, c) H1B's. To attack a company for being more efficient is self-serving and, in the long run, runs counter to the idea that people with doctorates and/or many years of pharmacy experience are adaptable.

You are adaptable, right? You do have other marketable skills aside from "I have a PharmD/BSPharm and a pulse," right? You have good communication skills, right? It seems like the only people that are truly scared for their well being are those who answer no to these questions.

The things that will grow the field aren't going to come on the retail side (save for the growth in patients over the next decade or so necessitating the need for more fill facilities), it's things like the JC requiring prospective review in ED's that will push the profession into new areas and opening new avenues of practice.

But, of course, if all you want to do in life is stare at a screen all day, open bottles, and call for copies over the phone and get paid $55/hr for it....you had better come up with a better excuse than, "I have a PharmD and a pulse, hire me." That's not going to fly, and it shouldn't fly, either.
 
Do you work for wags and is experiencing power first hand.........I didn't think so...so ure opinion is minute compared to the people who post here who are also working ar wags...have you heard one positive thing about power from a current wag employee.........I didn't think so....power has caused a lot of people, pharmds and patients to be affected negatively about it....I plan on working clinical so no I do not plan on being paid 55 an hr looking at rxs on a pc all day...I am spreading the message to my fellow pharmds who might be affected in the future....so please don't judge if you are not sure what you are talking about...a lot of things sound nice(power) but unless u worked there I suggest you just read the posts
 
okay sounds good, so my opinion is invalid. you win, in fact, you win the internet! congratulations!!

sounds like a cop out in that you can't argue any of my points. "ooooh, what you say doesn't count cuz i'm a little bitc h, so i win!"

and one person pointing out minor inefficiencies in the first phase of a new program does not make for an objective review of the system. besides...c'mon, extra bags? patients bitching about auto refills? Firing one pharmacist solves the economic side of it and pays for itself. quit thinking microscopically and look at the system as a whole. If the profits of Wags rise despite these seemingly pissed off pt's, then Wags just made a fantastic business decision.
 
Confettiflyer...the fact that u have subdued ureself to cussing is a sign of immaturity and as p diddy wud say u have a case of bit**as**ness....and yes ple complain about everything...how are we going to counsel them and expand our role is they are frustrated at us...and I am in full phase of power for your info....
...they plan on firing 100 pharmds by the end of the year in FL alone...
...now if u get a new pair of diapers and list questions down for me I will happily answer you....and no you cannot have desert before dinner its not good for you
 
qwead said:
Confettiflyer...the fact that u have subdued ureself to cussing is a sign of immaturity and as p diddy wud say u have a case of bit**as**ness....and yes ple complain about everything...how are we going to counsel them and expand our role is they are frustrated at us...and I am in full phase of power for your info....
...they plan on firing 100 pharmds by the end of the year in FL alone...
...now if u get a new pair of diapers and list questions down for me I will happily answer you....and no you cannot have desert before dinner its not good for you
Click to expand...

what did you just say? can you type proper english and curtail your idiotic use of the ellipses?

there you go again, didn't even address my point about systems and profit as a whole.

diapers? dessert? i think you don't have any understanding about things called idioms. :laugh: i hope your soap notes aren't this bad. :laugh::laugh:
 
qwead said:
Confettiflyer...the fact that u have subdued ureself to cussing is a sign of immaturity and as p diddy wud say u have a case of bit**as**ness....and yes ple complain about everything...how are we going to counsel them and expand our role is they are frustrated at us...and I am in full phase of power for your info....
...they plan on firing 100 pharmds by the end of the year in FL alone...
...now if u get a new pair of diapers and list questions down for me I will happily answer you....and no you cannot have desert before dinner its not good for you
Click to expand...
:sleep: This is where i stop listening to you. I now name you Mr. Troll.:troll: You just seem paranoid. If you are so worried choose another career path.
 
UNMorBUST said:
:sleep: This is where i stop listening to you. I now name you Mr. Troll.:troll: You just seem paranoid. If you are so worried choose another career path.
Click to expand...

no way she's gotta keep going, this is the cheapest entertainment i've found in a long while!

and to keep this on topic, i say 85% chance this gets ported to CVS but not Rite-Aid, and that will be bought out as a result.
 
Ok...profit wise this power thing should supposebly increase it...but why is it then are they closing pharmacies in the orlando area...if profits are what you care about then yes you should support power your stocks will be fine...I myself have seen some pharmds in my district lose their jobs because they were cutting too much hrs so I care about the workers and their jobs
 
confettiflyer said:
no way she's gotta keep going, this is the cheapest entertainment i've found in a long while!
Click to expand...
:D I'm going to the dollar movies here in a few. Can't knock 2 dollars for me and my girl to see a movie plus popcorn and drink under 10 dollars.
 
qwead said:
Ok...profit wise this power thing should supposebly increase it...but why is it then are they closing pharmacies in the orlando area..
Click to expand...

at least we can agree here. retail pharmacies exist to make money, not pat its pharmacists on the back and tell them "good job." as for the closing of stores, if a company can get away with closing stores, that again is another gain in terms of efficiency.

If I ran a small chain/independent chain, I'd try to operate the smallest number of stores with the smallest amount of staff possible. Think law of diminishing returns. If I can close down a location that serves, say, 100 pt's and only 5 of them transfer out to another store....hell yeah i'm closing that store! I'd be stupid not to.


On a side note not 100% related to this discussion...I hate it when people think "small" companies and "large" companies somehow operate with a different set of financial goals. People bash wal-mart for being cheap with labor and products, but when another store rewards its employees and thus raise prices accordingly, people complain.

It's like when a pt demands brand but balks at paying for it out of pocket. Idiots.
 
No offense confettiflyer...I was trying to relay a message that is all...and yes your opinion counts...my message has been spread and for that I am content...yes these retail pharmacies are only tryin to make money
 
qwead said:
No offense confettiflyer...I was trying to relay a message that is all...and yes your opinion counts...my message has been spread and for that I am content...yes these retail pharmacies are only tryin to make money
Click to expand...

:love: now can we go out for drinks?
 
qwead said:
Confettiflyer...the fact that u have subdued ureself to cussing is a sign of immaturity and as p diddy wud say u have a case of bit**as**ness....
Click to expand...

Did you seriously just quote p diddy? Seriously?!?!? You may stop posting now. You have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt you are an idiot. Or as p diddy would say "shizz to fizzly yo daddy dizzle"....or is that snoop dog...I get my great minds of the century confused.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

P
Walgreens rxom
Replies
13
Views
1K
CetiAlphaFive
CetiAlphaFive
P
Walgreens walkout
Replies
16
Views
1K
RxPreceptor
RxPreceptor
M
  • Question
Just applied at Walgreens as a pharmacy tech apprenticeship, what’s it like?
Replies
2
Views
2K
BC_89
BC_89
P
Walgreens seeks provider status for pharmacists: CEO
Replies
3
Views
492
projektreverb
P
C
Robbery at North Texas Walgreens
Replies
0
Views
552
Chrish
C
Top