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Can anyone speak from personal experience or tell me something unique about this pharmacy work environment?
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
Why do you want to work at Kaiser Permanente outpatient pharmacy?
- Thread starter staphylcoccus
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My wife worked outpatient. They are paid much higher than regular retail pharmacist. Right before we left So Cal she was soon to be making about 8 dollars an hour more than me (I worked for CVS).
Some of the benefits are better. IE dont have to pay for medical coverage.
Tons of interns to do all the grunt work. And they have enough pharmacists/interns on duty to /gasp consult on all new medications!
They have a formulary so you rarely have to deal with BS insurance stuff. Also, 99% the docs prescribing for the pharmacy are Kaiser docs so its easy to get a hold of them on the phone for questions.
If we had stayed I would of also have liked working for them.
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that sounds pretty awesome. wish this was everywhere....
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I work as a clinical pharmacist at Kaiser, but I go down to ops a good amount.
Although I like my job better the ops pharmacists have it pretty good.
You don't have to deal with as many insurance issues but still have to deal with customers complaining about non formulary co-pay or brand name co-pays, or reaching their coverage ceiling. Sometimes you get yelled at because a MD put a code in for an RX that the pt has to pay full price (since they want a non formulary drug and there is no medical need) but they neglect to tell the pt.
A previous poster said there were plenty of interns to do most of the work. Theymight be speaking from a different area of the country...I know that many of the centers I work with the pharmacists are pretty busy whether they have interns or not. There is a 15 minute goal for most rxs ordered if the pt is picking them up from the docs office
You have other thing to deal with such as "half tablet initiatives" (i.e trying to switch pts from lipitor 40mg to half tablet for 80mg).
It def is easier to get in touch with the docotor..but its no cake walk as they are busy and sometimes will not respond to pages or phone cals quicky, which is tough when they pt just left the md office and was told the rx will be ready in 15 minutes.
Overall its not a bad gig... you get paid real well..and there is potential for advancement. Good benefits, still can be very busy but not the hell hole of a bad retail store. I'dsay its a bit more "clinical" since you have some more time to counsel the pt..and you have access to the electronic medical record so you can see what the doctor wrote. Obviously there are good centers and bad ones..and you will still have good days and bad days..
hope this helps
Although I like my job better the ops pharmacists have it pretty good.
You don't have to deal with as many insurance issues but still have to deal with customers complaining about non formulary co-pay or brand name co-pays, or reaching their coverage ceiling. Sometimes you get yelled at because a MD put a code in for an RX that the pt has to pay full price (since they want a non formulary drug and there is no medical need) but they neglect to tell the pt.
A previous poster said there were plenty of interns to do most of the work. Theymight be speaking from a different area of the country...I know that many of the centers I work with the pharmacists are pretty busy whether they have interns or not. There is a 15 minute goal for most rxs ordered if the pt is picking them up from the docs office
You have other thing to deal with such as "half tablet initiatives" (i.e trying to switch pts from lipitor 40mg to half tablet for 80mg).
It def is easier to get in touch with the docotor..but its no cake walk as they are busy and sometimes will not respond to pages or phone cals quicky, which is tough when they pt just left the md office and was told the rx will be ready in 15 minutes.
Overall its not a bad gig... you get paid real well..and there is potential for advancement. Good benefits, still can be very busy but not the hell hole of a bad retail store. I'dsay its a bit more "clinical" since you have some more time to counsel the pt..and you have access to the electronic medical record so you can see what the doctor wrote. Obviously there are good centers and bad ones..and you will still have good days and bad days..
hope this helps
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