IF you wonder why your Pharmacist is testy!

[Pharmacist.steve]

I pulled this off of another blog... and I believe the Corporate Pharmacy involved is CVS - since they have a 15 min GUARANTEE.. followup post from the Pharmacist (Chris) is posted at end in RED


You see, Chris was at work in a community pharmacy and needed to use the lavatory. Being an adult, not to mention one of healthcare’s most trusted professionals, he went to use the facilities. During his brief absence from the trenches, a patient approached to fill a prescription. Of course, Chris’ departure to the restroom created a slight delay in the completion of this order. The patient, for whatever reason, believed that Chris should not be allowed to use the bathroom while working a 12-hour shift solo and complained to his superiors.

Some patients don’t understand the constraints of sub-par staffing behind the counter (which we all deal with nationwide), the conflicting forces pulling our pharmacists in several directions, and some of our patients are sick, adding to their irritability and aptness to become agitated and displeased with the services they are provided. Therefore, up to this point, I’m on board. I get it.

Now the bus veers off course…way off course. And our buddy Chris has been thrown under it. Chris’ district manager investigated the complaint. He got in contact with the patient. He queried Chris. After the sleuthing was complete, Chris was given a verbal warning – a reprimand. That’s right. In the eyes of this district manager and this particular pharmacy “chain,” Chris had broken the rules. He stepped out of line and was in need of correction. I’m sure he was also rewarded with a lovely note in his personnel file as well. Envision this: Offending pharmacist was reprimanded due to his using the lavatory. I can only imagine what was going through this district manager’s mind as he was giving Chris this little talk. – “Chris, you know better than to go to the bathroom during business hours. This customer was forced to wait 20 minutes for his free antibiotics. You know our policy is 15 minutes or less otherwise it’s….well, free. Don’t do that again or we might lose that man’s business.”

Haha, I’m famous now. I should have added a to be continued… to that mail i sent back then. I wrote a note to the pharmaceutical society regarding this one, who phoned me up to discuss it. I received a letter just a few weeks ago from my head office to inform me that a complaint against them has been upheld and the warning has been withdrawn. No apology — just an informative letter. I am glad the warning is gone, but no apology makes me angry. my job hunting is going slowly at the moment. This is a good branch to work in so I am being fussy about where I go next.

[mrsdoubtfyre]

It has been my experience that district managers....are "pr*cks" for the most part. They strut around, act important, and do high jinks like this fairly often.

They are not pharmacists, they are appointed...sometimes for doing a nasty deed for management that no one else would do.

They are the first to "go" when a layoff comes.

Target and WalMart CLOSE the pharmacy for 1/2 hr each day for a lunch period.

I'll never forget the memo to our district forbidding stools in the pharmacy.
Standing for 13 hrs with few if any breaks, and can't even sit on a stool to take phone orders or counsel or paperwork? As long as pharmacists allow this, by working there,
it will continue forever.

(I have a colleague who used to work for RiteAid (they are the worst IMO), and was abused endlessly by her DM. One day she just left the store forever,
and left the DM holding the bag....and they couldn't get in a substitute and nothing was done for many hours! She relished doing that one!)

Currently I use the local CVS as a customer. They have been superior to me for the last 2 years. No problems there! (and they do over 300 a day)

It is against the law (Labor laws) to not allow 2 x 15 minute breaks and a lunch for employees working an 8hr shift.
This pharmacist should keep the paperwork, and file a complaint. (I would even consult an attorney).

[911]

It is against the law (Labor laws) to not allow 2 x 15 minute breaks and a lunch for employees working an 8hr shift.
This pharmacist should keep the paperwork, and file a complaint. (I would even consult an attorney). i agree with mrs d completly

[Pharmacist.steve]

While that may be correct for HOURLY employees... Pharmacists are considered Management/Salaried. Besides -by law -the Pharmacy would have to emptied of all staff and locked up if there is only one Pharmacist on duty - which is most of the time... if the Pharmacist took the breaks...

Back when I worked for corporate pharmacy - ice age - and every store was a "two-man store" opened ~ 80-84hr/wk.. if one Pharmacist went on vacation - normally you were expected to work BOTH SHIFTS .. and they would pay you an hourly rate - which may or may not be as much as your normal salaried/hr rate. You were also Manager or Assist Manager of the entire store & staff. Our only paid holiday was Xmas.. every other day/holiday was part of your salary. The only way that you got a full day off was for the other Pharmacist to work the entire day- 12 hrs.. only 8-9 hrs on Sunday..
Today .. working for most corporate pharmacies is WORSE.. you now have drive-thru windows.. 12 -13 hr shifts are the norm... and you may get to close 30 minutes for lunch... you have a non-pharmacist district manager - because the corporate pay scale for this position is HALF or less than a Pharmacist's pay and a non-pharmacist store manager that typically thinks that he/she can dictate how/what the Pharmacist does in the pharmacy/prescription dept...

if you want to get an idea of what a "bad day" is like .. read the blog www.theangriestpharmacist.com... BE WARNED !!! the verbage is NOT PG RATED

[Mark N]

Steve too many people are too self-important any more as the customer and district manager were. I am glad I live where many people still have courtesy for each other - yes we have some of the other but they are the minority.

[Pharmacist.steve]

Here is another quote from the same blog... Some Pharmacists are begining to say that the only difference between a SLAVE and them is that they get PAID fairly well...

There is reportedly 3000-4000 empty Pharmacist slots in the country.. you would think that they would be more interested in making sure their Pharmacists are happy & stay... Since this happened in the wee hours of the AM.. the only large chains that have 24 hr stores.. is Walgreens, Rite Aid & CVS

I’m a tech at a large chain. A few months ago a floater pharmacist was written up for ordering a pizza in the wee hours of the morning while WORKING A DOUBLE. She drove out of her way to work a double shift as a favor to the company, and someone from district walks in and sees a pizza on the back counter. Wrote her up on the spot. My understanding is, hers was dropped as well. Chris’ problem solved–simply don’t drink or eat during a 15 hour double and you shouldn’t have to go. Ridiculous.

[debhun]

You are really joking about the 15 min deal with CVS right? cause here you would wait 1-3 hours for your RX. This is no lie. As for the law 2x 15 min breaks not true. I worked at a place called Gogas for some time. I worked a lone for 10-12 hours a day. NO Breaks all.If I had to go well I had to shut down pumps so no one would get any gas till I got back. So I ate when I could. But most nights I would never did get to eat. But you know I loved that job. It was the last job I had. They call and ask me how I am doing. But yes Steve you all have it ruff. Here at this CVS they couldn't count either. Every time I got my pain med I had to count them every time in front of them cause them alway short me any where from 10-30 pills. But they set it up to see who was doing so. They lost their job cause they were putting the pills in their pocket.

[Pharmacist.steve]

You are really joking about the 15 min deal with CVS right? cause here you would wait 1-3 hours for your RX. This is no lie. As for the law 2x 15 min breaks not true. I worked at a place called Gogas for some time. I worked a lone for 10-12 hours a day. NO Breaks all.If I had to go well I had to shut down pumps so no one would get any gas till I got back. So I ate when I could. But most nights I would never did get to eat. But you know I loved that job. It was the last job I had. They call and ask me how I am doing. But yes Steve you all have it ruff. Here at this CVS they couldn't count either. Every time I got my pain med I had to count them every time in front of them cause them alway short me any where from 10-30 pills. But they set it up to see who was doing so. They lost their job cause they were putting the pills in their pocket.

I had read/heard about the CVS 15 minute program somewhere... maybe it was a pilot program... that didn't get pass that point.. they are all trying to one-up each other.. Rxs being short-counted is a potential problem when the pharmacist has to oversee 4 or more techs at one time.. you only have two eyes and you are suppose to be focusing on what you are checking or talking to a person on the phone... while listening to what your techs are telling patients and all the other duties they are doing around you.

[Tau]

There are people who think they come first, and there is no excuse for anyone else doing something so basic as needing a bathroom break. That person that filed a complaint against Chris needs some serious karma to fall on her.. I've been guilty a couple times of getting angry with a tech, but I went back and apologized both times. They understood once I explained that sometimes standing there and waiting is hard on me and my pain gets to be too much, and they would tell me it is ok, but I tell them it is not but to please know I always try to realize when it's getting to be too much and take deep breaths.

I read some of the angriest pharmacist, and while he is funny some of the comments about fibro are pretty bad, even from those with fibro themselves. It's not my main diagnoses, Lupus, Raynaud's, DDD, OA are among some of the things I deal with, and if techs, and pharmacists are thinking what I am reading then it that is too bad, they need to retire. I read your post Steve about judgment or judgmental and followed the link to the pharmacists site, boy do some of them need an attitude adjustment Comments about welfare moms and other "I am a god" attitudes make me sick. I know every working person has their horror stories about customers and clients, but if you are that angry and disgusted with the human race you need to find a new job. I live behind a Target and it's my pharmacy, but I have gotten to know the pharmacist there and she is very nice and I try to ask her how she is doing and thank her. I think everyone needs to hear that they are appreciated for the work they do.

[Pharmacist.steve]

There are people who think they come first, and there is no excuse for anyone else doing something so basic as needing a bathroom break. That person that filed a complaint against Chris needs some serious karma to fall on her.. I've been guilty a couple times of getting angry with a tech, but I went back and apologized both times. They understood once I explained that sometimes standing there and waiting is hard on me and my pain gets to be too much, and they would tell me it is ok, but I tell them it is not but to please know I always try to realize when it's getting to be too much and take deep breaths.

I read some of the angriest pharmacist, and while he is funny some of the comments about fibro are pretty bad, even from those with fibro themselves. It's not my main diagnoses, Lupus, Raynaud's, DDD, OA are among some of the things I deal with, and if techs, and pharmacists are thinking what I am reading then it that is too bad, they need to retire. I read your post Steve about judgment or judgmental and followed the link to the pharmacists site, boy do some of them need an attitude adjustment Comments about welfare moms and other "I am a god" attitudes make me sick. I know every working person has their horror stories about customers and clients, but if you are that angry and disgusted with the human race you need to find a new job. I live behind a Target and it's my pharmacy, but I have gotten to know the pharmacist there and she is very nice and I try to ask her how she is doing and thank her. I think everyone needs to hear that they are appreciated for the work they do.

I think that the angriest pharmacist is a good deal hyperbole .. to get traffic on his site... for the "shock value".. People/patients don't understand that typically in retail you get the same attitude that you give... Typically the Pharmacist & their staff have to answer to too many MASTERS... of course there is their employer... then the doc's office that won't accept faxes for request for refills or won't deny a refill request .. just ignores it and lets you deal with the patient's anger.. then there is the almighty insurance company and sometimes all the hoops and hurdles that they make us jump thru to get a claim paid... then there is the patient who seemingly expects us to solve any and all their problems ... from repeated requests for refills... to hanging on the phone for 15-30+ minutes to resolve a issue with THEIR INSURANCE..

The insurance company that changes their deductible or co-pay or the tier their drug is in and they never see the notice .. or didn't read it... If the copay is wrong .. it must be the Pharmacist/tech fault... because they know what their co-pays are. I don't think that we are far from the point that Pharmacy staff is going to be forced to say "... pay it or leave it..." call your insurance company to get it straightened out.. and/or ... "I will glad to get it resolved for you...the charge is $$$... how do you wish to handle this?..."

You get tired of demanding patients... especially demanding that you resolve something that is outside of your control.. ".. no your doc has not called in your new Rx yet ... no I will not call them... they will call when ready... and this is the third time today that I have told you this ..." ...yes that is your copay/deductible.... yes that is correct ... no I won't call the insurance company to confirm it ..." "... your insurance won't pay for your Rx because it is early... yes I am sure ... " "... no I won't call your doc to see if you can get your rx filled early... you can call him/her and if they want you to have it early ..they can call in a new Rx..." ... yes your Rx requires a Prior Authorization.... no I can't do a PA... it is the responsibility of your doc... yes I am sure ... "

Some days can be like the movie GROUND HOG DAY...but more like GROUND HOG MINUTE or GROUND HOG HOUR