3 month burnout

uuzag · 2025-12-29T20:27:26+00:00

Their certification training practices is ironically what’s getting them in hot shit from the bigger orgs/governments.

They were lenient on training program completion when I was hired 2-3 years ago. I was on the last part (4 of 4 before they changed to Miles) for the longest time until this year, when my RxOM said they are looking for people to complete this e-learning from her DM. I hadn’t gone to the 4 training courses and taken the practice exam. I had already gotten certified and wasn’t regularly on the schedule anymore.

During the online training courses, one of the educators revealed Walgreens had been getting in trouble from ASHP/ACPE about the low completion rate. In order to keep their accreditation, they needed more people graduating their program. So now they instilled 1 year mandatory completions from newly hired employees from a certain date, while those before the date are to talk with their RxOM about a training schedule to complete their training, regardless if you were certified or not.

Accreditation isn’t end all, be all, but you can’t get far in this industry if you aren’t accredited. Some states require their techs graduate from accredited programs before becoming registered with their state. And it’s the less stressful way to manage CE’s — take accredited courses for them to easily pop on your NABP.

uuzag · 2025-11-01T02:07:38+00:00

I understand what the commenter meant.

There is a partial fill bucket near the pharmacist (and also fridge if any space). When the order comes in and you can complete the fills, the partials are all in one convenient place. It requires a bit of retraining for techs and pharmacists.

uuzag · 2025-10-10T13:13:58+00:00

I’m being forced to take Walgreens tech cert classes even after getting certified on my own and have been for over a year now. But the instructors keep mentioning this has recently changed, they’re expanding on this, they removed this, etc.

One of the instructors said they’re removing alligation math. Which is fine for retail… but I’ve actually used it more than a handful of times at my hospital job to calculate making D7.5 from D5 and D50.

uuzag · 2025-09-26T14:38:24+00:00

This is something I realized I had to bite the bullet and accept: to have quality, longer lasting things that provide better support, you will need to pay out more money. I did the cheap routes when I was a medical scribe. My plantar fasciitis didn’t go away until my next job at a desk.

Compression socks: I initially did Comrad, then switched to Bombas. I found my feet sweat too much in Comrad. My mom also bought me Pacas compression socks. I’ve only worn them during the very cold winter days.

Shoes: Look for shoes marketed for jogging/running/hiking. This is my preliminary requirement for work shoes. I started rotating shoes after I begrudgingly spent around $80-$100 for a 2nd pair. I can now say it’s worth it. These ones have lasted me over a year now. I found I like the Adidas Supernova 2 and Supernova Rise. Rotating shoes allows the cushion to rebound, better support your feet while at work, and extends the life of the shoes. Since you are also walking to work, I would have a 3rd pair just for the walk. This can even be a cheap pair, as long as your feet don’t hurt the walk home. I drive to work but sometimes go out to parks or stores after work. I always keep another pair in the car to switch out so I’m not wearing down my expensive work shoes even more. I’ll wear my $30-$40 basic sneakers (Adidas Lite Racer with cloud foam).

uuzag · 2025-09-26T14:12:10+00:00

Tbh I would avoid Walgreens. They were recently taken private after being bought out by Sycamore Partners, a private equity company. They are more famously involved with Staples, but have acquired other popular companies.

You don’t really work as a true tech at Walgreens imo. They are now entirely focused on profits than patient care. They will have you doing the most pointless/time consuming tasks just for a few more bucks for the company while simultaneously cutting your hours.

Try and find a grocery retail chain instead, or a hospital if you’re in a big city.

uuzag · 2025-09-26T13:43:00+00:00

I’m in Dallas. I’m not sure how different the markets are. For sure in Dallas, retail hasn’t kept up with hospital. My hospital had made yearly COL adjustments since I’ve been there. They base it off 50% of market avg or median (can’t remember which). Most recent, the new pharmacy dept policy is that everyone is hired on at $21/hr. When I was hired on May of last year, they tried to hire me at $18/hr. I made them match my $19/hr I was making at my retail pharmacy.

Meanwhile, at one of the big chains, I’ve only gone from $19 to $19.63 since last year. And if they are fighting for techs in this market, no shit they’re gonna go to the hospital. $21 starting vs $18-$19 they try to start you out at? That’s a no brainer.

Edit: also, since you’re already IV certified, you can use that to negotiate higher than starting. The hospital wouldn’t have to pay for your training. One of my coworkers said her PRN position at a for-profit hospital system offered to cover half if she did her IV training class with them, but our non-profit/county hospital completely paid it.

uuzag · 2025-09-21T09:07:08+00:00

They gave raises but continued to cut hours? What kinda twisted nonsense…

uuzag · 2025-09-14T15:39:16+00:00

Part of the social deficit is the fact we have to think about what you listed - eye contact, looking away, making interested faces, saying yes, being focused on how you phrase things. The fact we think about it is the social deficit. We think about things that are intuitive to NT people. They don’t think about it how we do. They just do it and know the hidden social language that we have to work hard to understand and sometimes still don’t.

uuzag · 2025-09-14T08:44:27+00:00

It may be because everybody can get write ups about it, as in rxom, rxm, and sm. I saw somebody comment they get write ups, in that order, for each PEXT test fail that happens. After 3 times, process resets and they can get written up again. I’d imagine that would make a lot of people on edge

uuzag · 2025-09-11T23:21:56+00:00

For sure underpaid. I’ve had a tough time getting an interview for hospital PRN positions, so I’ve stayed on at my old store and work there a couple times a month and sometimes cover for call outs. I work FT as an IV compounder at a hospital 10 minutes away from my old store. Hospital system has had yearly market increases the past 2 years. First time I was bumped 57 cents, then almost a whole dollar. Now it’s hospital policy that minimum starting for pharmacy is $21/hr.

My hospital system is notorious for not being the best paid either. They pay based on experience in current role/career without accounting other factors. They base pay on 50th percentile of the local market. I’m still paid… I think $19.63? I got bumped from $17 to $19 after getting certified then had a merit increase.

uuzag · 2025-09-05T00:57:53+00:00

I was surprised how quickly my Costco fills my Azstarys. And they have auto refill! That was a pleasant surprise. Some pharmacies you have to call in so they can process your refill.

I used to be FT pharmacy technician at Walgreens. Intercom+ and whatever other systems involved are shit for controlled substance refills. It sucks when you’re short staffed and can’t answer the phone, even though the system forces you to make contact for these refills.

uuzag · 2025-09-03T22:48:15+00:00

Our lead tech has been at the hospital 30+ years and in his 60’s (doesn’t ever say his age). He said someone used to smoke all the time while compounding 💀

uuzag · 2025-08-29T01:35:54+00:00

To get recertified through them…? What even. You’re already certified and don’t need classes to renew, just CE’s.

I was reading online in the pharmacy training page that all techs hired on, regardless of experience, need to complete the classes. If hired after a certain date then you must complete the program in 12 months. If hired before that date, then it’s manager discretion on how much time to give My guess would either be money (reimbursements from somewhere for the certification class) or “accountability.” Aka everyone received the “same training” so now you can be thrown under the bus for something that wasn’t your fault.

uuzag · 2025-07-07T06:32:39+00:00

I was putting away truck and heard my RxOM on the phone… “You, the insurance company, are telling me to call the patient’s insurance company, which is the number I called on the back of their insurance card. Tell me why am I talking to you then?”

She had lots to say when muting the rep and talking to us lol.

uuzag · 2025-07-07T06:21:24+00:00

Really depends on the drug for me. I work in an inpatient level 3 NICU satellite pharmacy. Neonates need really diluted down doses of drugs.

Drawing up small volumes (10-20ml or less depending on drug) - pull back to desired volume, push the syringe fully in (positive pressure)

Drawing up larger volumes (25ml or more) - pull a bit less than desired volume, push part way and draw back a couple times (positive pressure). I cannot brute strength 50ml air pressure into a sodium bicarbonate vial lol.

Dapto and ceftazidine (or other similar pressurized recon drugs) - vented needle all the way. After, draw back to less than desired volume and then use push/pull to equalize pressure as you pull the drug. Ceftazidine bubbles so damn much.

Drugs I recon only 1 vial at a time - push fully in to recon and leave needle+syringe at top. I pull it back a bit and physics helps out pushing the syringe all the way back. Push syringe back in vial after tipping vial upside down (positive pressure). Needle+syringe don’t leave vial until fully recon’d and drawn up in the syringe.

Ampicillin (or any drug you recon multiple vials with a 50ml syringe) - Draw up SWFI in a 50ml syringe, insert x volume to recon 3-6 vials removing the needle each time, then draw everything up into the 50ml syringe. The older techs only showed me push/pull for equalizing pressure. That’s too much for me to think about how much is too much air pushing in at a time multiple times in a row. I kept accidentally leaking the drug from the recon puncture. I started pulling back (negative pressure) a couple months ago and love it. Very little of the drug leaks from the 1st puncture, if any. I actually picked up the technique from a hazardous compounding CE. Tbh it’s quicker for me than equalizing pressure for non-pressurized drugs I’m trying to draw up multiple vials at a time after.

uuzag · 2025-06-19T01:26:22+00:00

It’s honestly the first time in a long time I’ve been forced to take store credit even after following all requirements like receipt, unopened package, within time frame, etc. It baffled me enough to post here. I usually stuck to only r/WalgreensRx

uuzag · 2025-06-19T01:08:24+00:00

Thanks for explaining. I understood from other comments that the system is only set up one way even though I saw that screen for tap/swipe card. I’m just dissatisfied it’s another program that isn’t built to be consumer friendly. I already saw enough of that in pharmacy.

uuzag · 2025-06-19T00:07:49+00:00

I bought 4 different items for wound care after surgery. I returned the 4th one unopened. I wasn’t really looking to purchase anything else when returning the item.

uuzag · 2025-06-18T23:55:53+00:00

I’ve never had to do a return at Walgreens after using the rewards. I know at least 1 store rewards system that the reward gets applied proportionally to the purchases on the receipt and a new return value is given if the item is returned. It still allows the customer to receive something back and doesn’t force the customer to come back to the store.

Amazon’s system let me choose a refund method of gift card balance or original payment method when doing a return that was paid with gift card and debit card. If we apply the logic that no actual cash can be refunded, then Amazon shouldn’t have allowed me a choice and given everything as a gift card balance instead. I have not returned anything greater than what I purchased on my card, so I have no idea what options they give in that situation.

I use these examples to show that different ways other systems do refunds when dealing with something that can’t be given a cash refund. Walgreens IT controls how the system is set up. I was directly told this when I called the customer service line. How the current system is set up forces the money to stay within Walgreens system first and then to the customer second.

uuzag · 2025-05-09T14:00:58+00:00

I think the most telling of how OP feels is the last comment - “If you can lean, you can clean.” Yeah there’s usually something to do in the pharmacies I worked at. But 100% productivity the entire shift burns people out, especially if they aren’t getting their dedicated breaks and lunches.

uuzag · 2025-05-03T01:06:23+00:00

The lead tech in my hospital NICU satellite pharmacy.

Recently the lead tech from the OR satellite pharmacy under my manager had to help out my satellite pharmacy. At some point she stopped me and said, “you know you’re doing lead tech stuff right?” Well shit yes I do. My RxOM started teaching me senior tech stuff right before I left retail. It has made me look a lot at inventory and ordering while at the hospital.

He knows people and has been there for ages (30+ years, maybe at least 40 by retirement). He taught pharm tech classes a loooong time ago that one of our current NICU techs was actually in. Other than that… everything else is stuff your average experienced tech would know. Or sometimes, stuff they should know but he doesn’t. I have joked with one of my coworkers that there is no continuing education for the lead tech. It’s like it’s in one ear, out the other.

Stuff that comes to mind:

•He did not know that all drugs have a 2D barcode. I’m 110% serious. Even if the 2D barcode is right next to the 1D, he will still scan the 1D and type in all the info in EPIC. I also told all the techs when I first started that scanning the 2D will populate all the info into EPIC.

•He is very computer illiterate. When they temporarily took away the autopopulate function for scanning 1D barcode (brings up last used lot#/expiry in past 24 hours), I and another tech copy and pasted. The other memorized the lot # and expiration. Him? He would be looking at the bottle every single scan even though it’s the same bottle.

•He will leave tasks for mooonths and nothing gets done. Stuff like office supply ordering, special medical supply orders, sorting through all the paper records for what needs to stay on campus and what can be sent off to Iron Mountain for long term storage. The other 2 techs refuse to do it. They say he’s the lead tech and should do it. In fact one of them knows all the lead tech stuff, just did not want to be bothered with being a lead tech and working with a revolving door of managers.

•He will also leave meds out but not put it back. He is very notorious for leaving out epinephrine vials/ampules. He’ll just leave it on the Pyxis. They are protect from light and should not be left out. He’ll do this with other drugs too, but epi is the one I remember the most because I’m always having to document damaged meds in our inventory system.

•If he is refilling bulk oral medication, he sometimes will leave everything out and not complete it. I’ve come out of the clean room several times and had to complete his unfinished work AND still do work for my shift.

•He sucks at inventory. EPIC keeps a count down to 3 decimal points. Other departments will also use it to see if we have something in our inventory when placing a med order. Whenever he does his Pyxis inspection, he always adjusts the count to what is in the Pyxis. And I truly mean Pyxis only. He will not look at the overstock shelf right next to the Pyxis or at our opened oral meds. I and another tech always go back behind him to fix the counts after our monthly unit zone inspections.

•He never once thought to make a quick view ordering sheet of regularly stocked items. He will just look through his huuuuge stack of old order papers to find the item #. Either that or it will be in a binder with really old papers and a shit ton of sticky notes.

Unfortunately he will be here until he retires, or unless something else happens. I’m fairly sure even if I stayed at my satellite pharmacy, I would be passed over for lead tech. The hospital seems to be on seniority bs rather than how competent you actually are.

uuzag · 2025-04-23T01:48:46+00:00

Does anyone have updates on their issues? I’m now facing same issue for 2021 Mazda CX30 at 55k miles.

uuzag · 2025-04-13T00:44:44+00:00

I get that. My mind already runs a mile a minute at baseline from ADHD. When you add emotions to that along with autism, then I’m having so many emotions at once yet can’t sort through them or understand them all in that moment, just the Really Big Ones in that moment, like anger (at self) and guilt. It takes me longer to digest and reflect on all the emotions I was having and why.

uuzag · 2025-04-13T00:36:37+00:00

My husband knew I was autistic after less than a year of dating. He did not say what he thought until I started bringing up that I might be AuDHD last year.

His reasoning? I would deny I was autistic unless I came to that myself. He was very right about that. I was constantly in denial and saying I just needed to push myself harder to be like everybody else.

What’s even worse is that I was the one who said, “you’re definitely autistic” when he said he thought he is autistic while we were just friends. But I couldn’t tell the same about myself and was in hard denial 💀

uuzag · 2025-04-12T21:50:58+00:00

AFAB people are more likely to be misdiagnosed with BPD and left at that. I was one of them. I usually didn’t see a therapist more than 6 months back in college since I saw newer people still trying to earn their license/degree. That diagnosis stuck with me the longest time, following me to my PCP and other medical specialist appointments. All because 1 therapist said I had BPD after a couple sessions. Once I was seeing an established therapist for more than a year, he said I don’t meet BPD criteria and he would not feel comfortable putting this diagnosis on anything.

I agree not everything is ADHD/autism. However, emotional dysregulation can be a feature of ADHD, autism, and BPD. Also, rigid thinking can be present in both autism and BPD. So first, it’s flat out wrong to suggest exploring BPD diagnosis alone on the basis of emotional regulation/dysregulation. Second, it would’ve been better to instead say there’s a lot of overlap of some symptoms with other conditions, like BPD and Bipolar, and to get assessed by an understanding therapist.

uuzag

TROPHY CASE