Working in an independent pharmacy ?

[MIRPh]

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Hi all,
I recently started part time/ flex hours at an independent pharmacy and am kind of surprised at how laid back everything is. I did not get any written offer letter; it was just verbal. One major concern I have is :
It seems easy for anyone to use my initials to verify scripts. There is no sign out/ punch out with an employee ID that we have with chain pharmacies to prove that my shift is over. It is just a shared understanding of trust. If such a misuse happens, I may know of it only after the fact.
How can I protect myself from this siuation ? Is this the norm at other independents too?

Also, I do not know if I have any malpractice insurance from the employer. Do I need to buy it on my own?
I would appreciate some insight from pharmacists working at independents and their experience. In general, how do I protect myself and what things do I need to watch out for?
Thanks.

 

[MIRPh]

Isn't there anyone here working at an independent?
Even if you don't have an answer to my specific situation, I would appreciate anyone telling me about their experience with an independent & how things were handled when they they started work.

Thanks.

 

[rph3664]

Get malpractice insurance TODAY. I pay $144 a year for a 1M/3M policy through Pharmacist's Mutual. Otherwise, yes, things can be and are done on a basis of trust, and I wouldn't worry about it as long as you're getting paid. As for using initials, it doesn't take long for everyone to figure out what each other's handwriting looks like. Good heavens, at my old hospital job, there were 60 people in the department, and we all recognized each other's handwriting, even the techs.

🙂

 

[npage148]

I think something you'd need to get used to is the ability to commit overt fraud, it seems to be a way of life for most independents.

Also, if your immediate thought of a place is that someone will use your intials to verify is that a place you'd want to work? A simply well maintained composition notebook logging your hours and anything that happened that day would suffice is anything came up

 

[BenJammin]

I think something you'd need to used to is the ability to commit overt fraud, it seems a way of life for most independents

You are an embarrassment to pharmacy with comments like that. Shame on you.

 

[npage148]

Sorry, I realized the grammar was pretty bad. I fixed it!

Also, I'm sorry but I think that ~10% of independents potentially committing fraud is a embarrassment to pharmacy
http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.co...one-to-/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/784495

 

[MIRPh]

rph 3664, thank you for the advice. I will certainly get the insurance without delay. About recognising the handwriting ,what do u mean? Are u talking abt the initials we sign on the back of scripts? Sorry if it is a stupid question. I was talking about my initials that I enter into the computer while verifying each script. Pls. explain.
Also, keeping a log of my schedule may be helpful; as npage suggested.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I work in an independent. I have to be logged onto a computer with my own unique code in order for something to get verified. I always log out when I walk away.

 

[BenJammin]

Sorry, I realized the grammar was pretty bad. I fixed it!

Also, I'm sorry but I think that ~10% of independents potentially committing fraud is a embarrassment to pharmacy
http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.co...one-to-/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/784495

Potential means absolutely nothing. There's potential that most of you aren't who you claim you are but that doesn't mean much. Shame shame shame on you.

 

[npage148]

Potential means absolutely nothing. There's potential that most of you aren't who you claim you are but that doesn't mean much. Shame shame shame on you.

Taking it pretty personally, hit a little too close to home? I'm sure Mountain can discuss the finer points of independents and their creative billing practices, and why they are audited more often

 

[Doctor M]

Taking it pretty personally, hit a little too close to home? I'm sure Mountain can discuss the finer points of independents and their creative billing practices, and why they are audited more often

Im audited frequently because we have a high rate of psyche drugs cause we service ALF limited mental health facilities and we bill compounds. Most of my sales comes from high cost brands, but only account for around 23% brand dispensing. Mountain deals with PAs. I dont deny the fact that independents are audited frequently, but one reason may be because most chains have clauses with PBMs that that given PBM may only audit them (the chain) a certain amount of times per year. I do not have that option. I may be audited as often as the PBM likes. Get you facts straight and stop posting false equivalences.

 

[Doctor M]

Taking it pretty personally, hit a little too close to home? I'm sure Mountain can discuss the finer points of independents and their creative billing practices, and why they are audited more often

Arent you a UB grad? Lame posts.

 

[think]

I am also working at an independent
Right now I am not loving it...the only thing i get from them is the pay which is significantly lower than the market and i get no benefits at all!! i have coworkers that speak their native language and i don't have any idea of what is going on at times.