Why don’t pharmacists stand up to CVS?

[BMBiology]

This kid has more balls than most pharmacists:




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[awval999]

The literal answer to the question, is because CVS pays their pharmacists $50-70/hr. Literally cash monies. That is why, everyday, thousands of human pharmacists walk into CVS and go to work.

Most pharmacists are in debt with student loans, mortgages, car loans, school tuition.

They shackle themselves with debt and then have no power to stand up to their employer.

 

[BMBiology]

The literal answer to the question, is because CVS pays their pharmacists $50-70/hr. Literally cash monies. That is why, everyday, thousands of human pharmacists walk into CVS and go to work.

Most pharmacists are in debt with student loans, mortgages, car loans, school tuition.

They shackle themselves with debt and then have no power to stand up to their employer.

I understand why a young pharmacist wouldn’t do it but how about a pharmacist who is about to retire?

Imagine this...it is just you in the pharmacy. It is Christmas Eve and there is a line of customers (aka patients). You picked up your phone, recorded the line of customers and how you don’t have any help then you hear “one pharmacy call”, then “two pharmacy call”, then “lane one”. It is then you decided it is going to be your last day and call it a career. You picked up the intercom and go out like a champ.


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[OXYFORALL]

Friend of mine at cvs shocked me with a story a few days ago. Seems cvs wanted the rph's who were off due to the store being closed on xmas to pick up an extra day. During the conference call later that week the rphs on the call said they weren't going to do it. Seems a few of em looked up the policy and found they didn't have to make up the day. I'm still surprised they stood up for themselves.

 

[Sine Cura]

Imagine this...it is just you in the pharmacy. It is Christmas Eve and there is a line of customers (aka patients). You picked up your phone, recorded the line of customers and how you don’t have any help then you hear “one pharmacy call”, then “two pharmacy call”, then “lane one”. It is then you decided it is going to be your last day and call it a career. You picked up the intercom and go out like a champ.

One real way to stand up to CVS would be to whistleblow. The cases I've seen (against Walmart, CVS, and others) pertain to False Claims Acts violations.

Not a few people would perceive walking out abruptly on the last day as a temper tantrum, especially the customers who would be pissed off at the inconvenience. There will never be any sympathy among the hoi polloi for workers making $50-70/hr.

 

[BMBiology]

One real way to stand up to CVS would be to whistleblow. The cases I've seen (against Walmart, CVS, and others) pertain to False Claims Acts violations.

Not a few people would perceive walking out abruptly on the last day as a temper tantrum, especially the customers who would be pissed off at the inconvenience. There will never be any sympathy among the hoi polloi for workers making $50-70/hr.

You can go, “although I can just walk out right now but I am not going to. I will make sure my patients get their medications but today will be my last day”.


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[CetiAlphaFive]

This kid has more balls than most pharmacists:
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There's a reason they have such a high percentage of H1B and new grads.

If you're young or have no confidence, or barely speak English, they are going to take advantage oo that

 

[BigBoss]

That's because this kid worked an hourly job making a ****ty wage. He probably still lives with his parents and doesn't have to worry about rent, utilities, and food. Pharmacists on the other hand make bank and have to worry about family, student loans, rent/mortgage, food, utilities, etc. The only thing that CVS and other big chains would respond to is legislation by Congress.

 

[Rouelle]

Aren’t there anecdotal stories floating around about pharmacists being disciplined for by their BOP for walking out mid shift? (On the grounds of endangering patient safety by denying them the ability to get their meds)

 

[Mambo#5]

Aren’t there anecdotal stories floating around about pharmacists being disciplined for by their BOP for walking out mid shift? (On the grounds of endangering patient safety by denying them the ability to get their meds)

Do that and you will lose your license. If you other licenses in other states, it applies to those as well.

 

[Seriously Serious]

Simply because you are easily replaceable. This needs to be dealt with at the root cause, the number of schools.

 

[BMBiology]

Do that and you will lose your license. If you other licenses in other states, it applies to those as well.

I am sure some pharmacists have done this before. It is not the end of the world especially when you can drive down the block to another CVS and pick up your medications. I have not heard any pharmacist that got suspended as a result.

There are instances where a pharmacist must leave like an emergency. Shouldn’t a big corporation like CVS already have a plan in place?

Besides you are doing it for patient safety. If the board is holding you accountable, shouldnt the board also hold CVS accountable?


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[BenJammin]

Retail pharmacists make a lot of money and they care more about that then their working conditions. It's gotten to the point where I don't even listen to pharmacists who cry about 14 hour shifts with no breaks. What are you going to do about it? Nothing. Just whine about it on Facebook and SDN.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Aren’t there anecdotal stories floating around about pharmacists being disciplined for by their BOP for walking out mid shift? (On the grounds of endangering patient safety by denying them the ability to get their meds)

Do that and you will lose your license. If you other licenses in other states, it applies to those as well.

Bull ****.

Please post an example or stop posting conjecture.

We do not have a duty to care.
Maybe if you're the only pharmacist in an extremely rural location, you'd be exposed to civil liability from a patient.

 

[APN-59 rph]

Retail pharmacists make a lot of money and they care more about that then their working conditions. It's gotten to the point where I don't even listen to pharmacists who cry about 14 hour shifts with no breaks. What are you going to do about it? Nothing. Just whine about it on Facebook and SDN.

I can see both sides which makes me horrible management material (fortunately). For the peeps deep into the school program..they pretty much have to take what is offered. HOWEVER, I will have no sympathy for the people who are just starting school and have been WARNED repeatedly about what they face...It is no longer a theoretical discussion...

 

[ornithoptor]

At this level of market saturation, walk out from a few will not make a impact at all. You will simply be replaced by someone else. You burn your bridges, store may file unprofessional conduct to get your license suspended. HR from other companies will see your rant on Youtube and you wont get hired elsewhere.

It is okay to quit, but we work in a really small world for people who don't realize this yet. If you just graduated, you may have 30 to 40 years ahead of you, think twice before you act.

Of course, unless there is a national staged walk out, that would be different. However, there are caveats on that. Like other who have mentioned, we won't get any sympathy due to the amount of money we get paid when CVS and Walgreens work with Media to spin the story.

Worse, state board may quickly change laws to empower retail industry even further, because the walkout has just endangered patients lives.

Now, if salary reduction becomes a trend, we could be talking then...

 

[BenJammin]

What exactly would the board do in response to a walk out? We already have laws requiring a pharmacist to be on site during normal pharmacy operations. Slavery, outside of punishment for a crime, is illegal in this country.

 

[mentos]

Amazon warehouse workers get like $15/hr and are treated much worse. The public would mock anyone making $50-70/hr who complains, rightfully so.

 

[projektreverb]

Amazon warehouse workers get like $15/hr and are treated much worse. The public would mock anyone making $50-70/hr who complains, rightfully so.

Yeah but an amazon warehouse worker doesn’t run the risk of killing someone due to negligence/overwork/whatever you want to call it (for the most part). What’s the worst that can happen if they pack an order wrong? Customer complains and amazon just sends them a new one. With amazons profit margin, they don’t care. It’s two different jobs and the pay gap exists for a reason.

I do agree tho, it’s hard to have sympathy for pharmacists with pay being as high as it is.

 

[lord999]

Bull ****.

Please post an example or stop posting conjecture.

We do not have a duty to care.
Maybe if you're the only pharmacist in an extremely rural location, you'd be exposed to civil liability from a patient.

For us, it's a positive one, not a passive. So, if you agree to fill a script and maliciously not do so for unacceptable reasons within clinical relevance time, that is patient abandonment. But simply closing the store because I wanna go fishing today has long precedent as long as you post a sign that you're out.

In practice, that's real hard for us to mismanage as what actually needs to be filled immediately isn't an ambulatory pharmacy concern. The only case I remember is one at Sierra Vista that the lone pharmacist on shift left the hospital for dinner as his habit, forgot that he was on duty, and got wasted while the director got called in when no one could find him.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

For us, it's a positive one, not a passive. So, if you agree to fill a script and maliciously not do so for unacceptable reasons within clinical relevance time, that is patient abandonment. But simply closing the store because I wanna go fishing today has long precedent as long as you post a sign that you're out.

In practice, that's real hard for us to mismanage as what actually needs to be filled immediately isn't an ambulatory pharmacy concern. The only case I remember is one at Sierra Vista that the lone pharmacist on shift left the hospital for dinner as his habit, forgot that he was on duty, and got wasted while the director got called in when no one could find him.

That's incredible