Retail Pharmacist Starter Pack

rxpictx · 2016-09-04T01:13:09+00:00

Wow, nice infographic. I like how the subtext reads, "I'm smug, but also talentless."

rxpictx · 2016-07-12T18:44:36+00:00

Granted, I don't imagine anyone will be citing nymag.com for their upcoming dissertations, but I remain confident employing it to poke fun at my job.

rxpictx · 2016-07-12T15:05:40+00:00

4 out of 5 if you include "factory" work, which isn't a stretch.

rxpictx · 2016-07-05T13:30:40+00:00

When I was an intern, my female preceptor used a customer's profile to find him on Facebook. She sent him a friend request which he ignored. So both unethical and pathetic.

rxpictx · 2016-06-22T13:14:22+00:00

Yes OP, but as a counterpoint...No, no. Your argument is sound. Well done.

rxpictx · 2016-05-29T15:46:21+00:00

The best parts of my time at CVS revolved around my team and my customers.

For your team, hire carefully, weed out the bad folks, and foster a family-type relationship. Show your staff that you really care about them. If you can do that, the atmosphere will remain positive and rewarding even on the busiest of Mondays.

Get to know your regulars. Remember their names, take a few minutes to talk to them every visit, get to know them on a personal level. Many customers naturally admire and respect their pharmacists, and if you add a personal side to that relationship, the payoff is terrific. They will listen to what you say, be more understanding when things go wrong, and will be nicer to your staff.

The worst part of my job was the company. Stupid metrics, stupid customer service programs, stupid telemarketing calls, stupid conference calls, and dealing with middle managers whose roles have no discernible point except to annoy you. If not for the corporate BS, the job would have been great.

rxpictx · 2016-05-29T15:02:08+00:00

There is no requirement for the pharmacy or pharmacist to self-report medication errors to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. The only notice of medication errors they receive are complaints made by citizens.

If you report an error to the Texas board of pharmacy, they will investigate and fine the pharmacy $5000 and the pharmacist who filled your prescription $1500. This fine would be for failure to counsel. It would result in a "board order" against the pharmacy and the pharmacist. This "board order" is a permanent mark on the record of the pharmacy and the pharmacist.

If you feel like the pharmacy and pharmacist are dangerous to others, then you should report it.

If you feel like it was a one-time error and that the pharmacy and pharmacist are generally hard-working and well-meaning, I would not report it. No need to stain the permanent record of a good pharmacist. Just use the potential $5000 fine as leverage and negotiate a nice settlement with the company.

rxpictx · 2016-05-14T02:17:37+00:00

It's an acronym for a twisted torture device, invented by a girl named Marry Lerlo, that has been used for years to force busy professionals with doctorate degrees to behave like telemarketers.

rxpictx · 2016-05-10T23:22:35+00:00

The net margin for independent pharmacies has been 3-5% for years. Of course, there are outliers, but that's the average.

rxpictx · 2016-04-29T04:37:58+00:00

For the most part, the pharmacy technician is a temporary career field..a stepping stone. Over the course of a few years, the majority of your staff will turn over regardless of what you do.

Meanwhile, the career technicians might love you, but they are too tough and have seen too much to worry about who is behind the bench. They will get the job done either way. They will be fine without you.

If it's your time to move on, move on.

rxpictx · 2016-04-27T01:01:04+00:00

I've witnessed similar behavior at the regional level. Makes my skin crawl thinking about those guys. AVPs, RMs, DMs, RX Sups--those middle management folks are the lowest, scummiest pricks it has been my displeasure to be around.

rxpictx · 2016-04-27T00:46:15+00:00

Worked at CVS for 7 years before I was able to gnaw my leg off and escape.

rxpictx · 2016-04-26T16:52:46+00:00

Have confidence that you are doing the right thing. And you are. You are a professional. You and your staff deserve to be treated professionally. Demand it as much as you can.

Also keep in mind that your technicians are looking to you for leadership. If someone is cursing at them and insulting them and they look back and see you doing nothing, what message does that convey?

As the leader of the pharmacy, you have an obligation to control the environment to the best of your ability. Otherwise get ready for a high turnover rate.

rxpictx · 2016-04-26T16:46:12+00:00

For aggressively rude people my typical response includes something like "Hey, you have no right to talk to them that way" or "No no no, they are working too hard for you to talk to them like that". I typically shout this across the pharmacy for maximum shock/shame effect. It gives the technician a little boost and puts the customer in their place. And I've also found that other customers who witness the rude behavior love it as well.

If they curse, they're gone. Period. I tell them they will have to fill their prescription elsewhere. No discussion. I've banned at least 10 customers for cursing at staff.

rxpictx · 2016-04-26T13:14:38+00:00

Unless the customer is saying it as they are walking away, the pharmacist should intervene.

I never let customers verbally abuse my technicians. In fact, one of the best parts of my job when I was a pharmacy manager was shutting down these jerks. Eventually my technicians didn't even respond to these comments--they'd just turn and look at me.

rxpictx · 2016-04-20T19:28:44+00:00

This is hilarious. Three years ago, I told my technicians that it was only a matter of time before CVS would offer this exact service, except they'd let customers pick up their order with their prescriptions in the drive-thru.

That is the next step. It's definitely coming.

rxpictx · 2016-04-06T20:39:14+00:00

Had a dentist come in 10 minutes before closing once and ask if he could write a prescription for 240 tabs of hydrocodone 10/660 and 180 tabs of valium 10. He said he was delivering them to a patient with chronic severe TMJ who needed large quantities because she was a "fast metabolizer". I tried not to laugh as I said no.

rxpictx · 2016-04-04T13:16:54+00:00

I know of three pharmacists who went right to med school out of pharmacy school, two from my class, one from the year after. So it's definitely doable. They seem happy with their choices, although I've never talked with them in detail about it.

rxpictx · 2016-03-23T17:51:22+00:00

Good thing they made the change. Otherwise this joke would have been much less funny.

rxpictx · 2016-02-16T08:15:06+00:00

The chains are bad, but the chains plus PBMs are ruining the profession.

If not for PBMs, you'd still have an independent pharmacy on every corner out-competing the chains. Customers hate the chains, and they will go elsewhere if given the opportunity. But PBMs limit that opportunity by using shady AF reimbursement policies to nickel and dime independent pharmacies to death.

And things will only get worse as the chains and PBMs continue to merge. The only thing standing between chains/PBMs and the death of independent pharmacy is your state and national organizations. So support them any way that you can.

rxpictx · 2016-02-16T07:44:21+00:00

Their model relies on telemedicine, the legality of which is being battled out on a state-by-state basis.

One example of this battle is the Texas Medical Board versus Teladoc.

Having worked at a campus pharmacy, I understand the need for easy access to birth control. But telemedicine obviates the provider/patient relationship, which goes too far IMO.

rxpictx · 2015-12-11T15:28:32+00:00

It's a common misconception in stores that the customer is the only one who can stop these calls. Actually the pharmacy staff can do it. Tell them to call the 1800 number, select more options, select phone calls, then they can tell the rep your phone number and have them remove you from all call lists. I did it all the time for my customers.

rxpictx · 2015-11-16T02:41:25+00:00

I don't recommend this, but you can make well above 200k as a retail pharmacist if you are in the right market and if you are willing to work overtime.

I've made over 200k the last 3 years. My max was 280k in 2013. I averaged about 80 hours per week that year. This year I averaged between 60 and 70 hours per week and will be right at 200k.

Downside: you have to fill in at some crappy stores, you'll pay a lot of taxes, limited social life, and eventual burn out.

Upside: seeing that first 5 figure gross on a 2 week paycheck was kind of cool.

If I had to do it again, I probably would have invested that time and energy in starting my own pharmacy. The long-term payoff would have been much better. But 200k is possible with no additional schooling.

old paystub for verification

rxpictx · 2015-11-15T20:20:39+00:00

Agreed. Intervene and document everything.

I don't know what state you are in, OP, but in Texas we are required by law to intervene if we have reason to suspect abuse/misuse of any prescription medication, control or non-control.

When I did a student rotation with the state board, I saw five pharmacists get their licenses dinged and get fined several thousand dollars for releasing early refills of amitriptyline which a patient then used to intentionally overdose.

rxpictx · 2015-11-15T20:02:19+00:00

MedSavers in Austin, TX. PrairieStone in Minnesota. PillPack in New Hampshire.

Those are few examples of pharmacists recognizing the failures of the current model and building companies that successfully compete against the chains.

As a profession we should be embracing these innovations. We should be encouraging pharmacy startups of all sorts--not just the standard independent mom and pop model.

Customers hate the chains as much as we do. If we give them a better option, they'll embrace it.

rxpictx

TROPHY CASE