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Be a dick, get a gift card!

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A wise man (OK, its my employer, fine) told me that the smartest investment a business can make is in its employees.  That’s right, happy employees mean productive employees which are good for the customer, business, everyone.

I sure as shit wouldn’t be happy if my employer rewarded complete dickhead patient behavior with gift-cards.  In fact, I’d feel like my employer feels that a shitty patient attitude is more of an asset than the feelings of its employees.  A feeling that my professional opinion/ethics is worth less than a $10 STFU gift-card.  Chain pharmacists, I don’t know why you put up with it.  Oh, its because they blew a bunch of smoke up your ass when you were in school (when you thought you knew everything), offered you a fat sign-on bonus in return for years of slavery, and now you’re stuck with a tech who paid $20k in schooling but asks you daily what the trade name of hydroxyzine is.  Lame.

So I hope Walgreens, Rite-Aid (15 mins!), CVS and the like need to listen the fuck up, because I’ll tell you why the profession is going down the shitter (and why we are treated so).  The mighty bribe..er..gift cards.  CorpoChains are shitting in their own beds for the sake of ‘loyalty’.

At my store, we have no gift-cards.  You treat me (or my staff) like shit and we politely ask what pharmacy you would like your Rx’s transferred to.  If you continue, you get the front door opened with your face.  We don’t reward asshat behavior (unless we REALLY REALLY FUCKED UP, then we deserve it), most (if not all) independents operate the same.  Its just common business sense!  If the pharmacy fucked up – sure, throw them a gift card to say that we’re sorry.  However word from the trenches is that they are throwing gift cards away to people who have complaints that are in no way the fault/responsibility of the pharmacist nor the pharmacy itself!  Chains, grow a pair of nuts and realize that the customer is usually dead-fucking-wrong!

Hey, if you are pissy because your doctor hasn’t responded to your vicodin request then you are FREE to go get a new Rx directly.  Upset because you have 0 refills? Your bottle clearly stated that fact when you picked it up, try reading it for once.  Don’t like this whole novel concept called “responsibility” and “planning ahead”? Go get your own MD license and you can write your own prescriptions.

Unhappy that we didn’t have all 120 of your Xeloda?  Are you unhappy that the pharmacy TOLD you that this was a special order and to call a week ahead (which you promptly forgot/ignored)?  I’d be happy to order you a year supply if you want to foot the $20,000+ tab and I’ll keep it safe for you.  Maybe a little inconvenience will pound into your thick skull to do what we tell you next month.

Pissed that we didn’t have the full amount of a trade-name item that only YOU take (and you didn’t call ahead like we asked)?  Well, I’m unhappy that my grocery store doesn’t have a certain brand of salad dressing in stock, yet you don’t see me raising a stink and demanding compensation via gift-cards.  Call ahead.

Pitching a shit-fit that you drove “all the way across town (2 miles)” to find that we’re still waiting for the refill authorization on your pain pills (even though the 10 maintenance meds are ready to go)?  Its called a phone, you have one in your pocket, its nicer than mine.  Amazing how you can know everything that your baby-daddy is doing behind your back yet you are unable to make a phone call to the pharmacy to see if your crack got approved.

Whats the solution to all of these scenarios?  Gift-cards to the loud-mouth crackhead by some ignorant store manager who couldn’t be a pharmacy tech if his/her life depended on it.

The chains are doing nothing but demoting the profession (if you still want to call it that) of pharmacy by rewarding patient complaints.  If your dog pissed on the carpet do you give him a treat?  The chain stores do! Rewarding such piss-poor behavior just breeds more bad behavior.  Shit-hole patient chainitude (that’s chain attitude, I’m so clever!) behavior spills over to independents, and god dammit we don’t give out fucking gift cards nor do we want your douche-canoe “Eye wanna gyft carrrd” patients!

So my in at the Low-Stock-Price-Leader says that Rite-Aid has this 15 min guarantee for when your vicodinprescription will be done.  If you don’t get your Rx in 15 mins you get a $5 gift card (insurance problems don’t count, some restrictions apply, see your friendly Rite-Aid associate for details, blah blah blah).  Now considering how short staffed most chain stores are, I’d rather them keep the $5 (the going rate for almost 5 shares of stock, no bullshit), have them take as long as needed, and have my Rx be correct (ie: not killing me).  In fact, this whole 15 min bullshit really pisses me off.  Who cares if your Rx wasn’t done in 15 mins or less (sounds like pizza delivery).  Guess what Rite-Aid; people die due to medication errors, people don’t die from a cold pizza. If you want to hold your pharmacists to the same standards as a pizza-worker, then expect the same quality of service of a pizza-worker.  Hope the impending lawsuits don’t push your stock to the point where you need to PAY people to claim ownership of it.  Oh wait, its $1.11 a share, strike that last statement.

In all honesty, I really do feel bad for the pharmacists, tech, and clerks who have to deal with their employer who puts the opinion of the public over their own employees.  Its one thing to offer something to a patient as compensation for a mistake, an oversight, or just plain forgetting (nobody shit smells better in this regard), but for a 15 min guarantee?  Way to value patient safety at a whopping $5.

Comments #

Comment by P2 in Peril on 2011-03-14 23:02:19 -0700 #

I’ve been working in the retail racket for nearly seven years now as a Tech and now as a Pharmacist Intern, and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that there is literally NO flaws in your sentiments. None. If any of my dewey-eyed peers, or mentioned ass-hat patients happen to saunter in here and state otherwise, they’re full of shit. Plain and simple.

Thank you for stating the God’s honest truth that needs to be heard.

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-03-14 23:50:36 -0700 #

TAP, you rock! Your rant was so great I cannot even add to it. Ditto for you, P2.

Comment by Farm.D on 2011-03-15 00:49:20 -0700 #

Jesus christ, its true. What a sad, sad, sad, state of affairs \community pharmacy\ has become. Dont forget to ask Rite Aid about their price match policy so you can get your $4 atenolol in 16 minutes thus getting PAID A FUCKING DOLLAR to pick up your prescription. Its no wonder Rite Aid is slowly going bankrupt, do they have even one pharmacist on the board of directors? Obviously not, or shit like this would never fly. Seriously my fellow pharmacists, we need to put an end to this shit! I cant imagine what some of you older gents think of what your profession has become. So fucking sad, WE ALL NEED TO GROW A PAIR AND PUT AN END TO THIS BULLSHIT!

Comment by Nate on 2011-03-15 04:24:44 -0700 #

You know, it makes me happy that you work in an independent pharmacy. With all these chains popping up all over the place I often worry about where the profession is heading. I’m a student at the moment, I wanted to do pharmacy for many years but lately I’ve been wondering If I am in the wrong course, and heading in the wrong direction, and frankly it’s because of the way chains are ruining the profession, making pharmacists come across like cheap drug whores. At the very least, reading this made me remember that not all pharmacies are shit, and hopefully this will influence whether or not I will change to a different degree…

Comment by Brittany on 2011-03-15 05:18:00 -0700 #

This is so true. At my chain, we have gift cards given out so often that I had a pt demand that I give her one the other day to make up the balance of what her Medicaid wouldn’t cover. So wait. I’m supposed to give you a gift card for 15 dollars so that you can pay for your mentally handicapped daughters compound and then refuse to leave my drive throu. no not even leave just move over to lane 2. Well act like that, you are not getting your gift card. You get to wait. For 30 minutes while we “fix” the problem. You ma’am are a cunt.

Comment by canoehead on 2011-03-15 06:04:51 -0700 #

I’m not a pharmacist, and I’d stay the #$%^! away from any 15 minute promise. If you are busy tell me, and I’ll come back tomorrow. I’d like to get the right pills, and I’d like you to be able to think while you’re getting them ready. I’d also like to avoid the buttheads that would flock to a 15 minute promise because listening to them bitch gives me a headache. Thanks.

Comment by FriendlyNeighborhoodTech on 2011-03-15 06:40:10 -0700 #

🙂

Comment by DownOnTheFarmASSist on 2011-03-15 06:45:34 -0700 #

I am going to be much kinder to you pharmacists from this point forward. This is the argument TAP should have made a long time ago. You chain pharmacists are truely treated like shit. This is especially true for CVS pharmacists. What I am told by a friend of mine who works for CVS boggles the mind. I just can’t believe that the pharmacists at CVS have not formed a union to stick it to the bastards in the Ivory Towers making all kinds of stupid guidelines they have to adhere to during their 14 hour day. I am not a union guy, but if ever a case could be made for a Union, CVS is it. And the grocery store pharmacists is a completely different topic. I remember waiting in line to pick up my prescription and there is this pharmacist twisting and turning a container of potato salad trying to find the bar code to scan the item. How demeaning. You guys in the white coats better start sicking together before any credibility you have as a “professional” goes completely down the tubes.

Tap is completely correct. Rewarding bad behavior breeds more bad behavior. And most importantly, it demeans your profession when one can treat you like a piece of shit and get rewarded for it. When a pharmacy gives gift cards to loud mouths, gives free antibiotics, gift cards to transfer prescriptions and free end of year expense reports, FREE, FREE, FREE, what does this say about your profession? If I go to my physician for a signature it costs me ten dollars.

And when your in between filling the 15 minute prescription, dealing with the loud mouth, and ringing the potatoe salad in the register, don’t forget to give me my flu shot.

P.S. This is the last post I will make on this site. It’s just too damn depressing.

Comment by Dr. Grumpy on 2011-03-15 06:46:53 -0700 #

Dead right as usual, TAP. They’re rewarding bad behavior.

And Rite-Aid’s 15 minute BS will likely lead to more medication errors.

Comment by letsrant on 2011-03-15 07:31:19 -0700 #

in my past life as a retail pharmacist, i could honestly say that i had never handed out a gift card for any reason. the front store manager and my techs used to beg me to pacify some irate patients with gift cards or priority. nope. not happening. let those lunatics rave and rant. if they don’t like it, feel free to go to the other chain store across the street. behave like a child, you’ll be treated like a child. ask a stupid question, you’ll get a stupid answer. throw tantrums at my store, go to hell.

Comment by ApothecaryTales on 2011-03-15 07:46:08 -0700 #

All these chains forget what got them to where they are today and that of course is good old fashioned pharmacy service. No one NEEDS to buy their Percocet and US Weekly in the same store, no one needs to be counseled on warfarin and then worry about an expired $0.10 coupon for a glade plug-in air freshener. What ever happened to a pharmacy just being a pharmacy. Oh yeah and one more thing…fuck you walmart in being the grundles who started the $4 generic thing too. Fuck you!

– The Highlander @ http://www.apothecarytales.com

Comment by Regina on 2011-03-15 08:00:43 -0700 #

I think I love you. And I don’t even work in pharmacy anymore. You sound a lot like my dad(who was a pharmacist), except he didn’t curse quite as much.

Comment by pharmacyslave2000 on 2011-03-15 08:06:12 -0700 #

Fan-f’n-tastic! I couldn’t have said it better meyself. What a giant shitstorm this is going to be. I know of no other profession, meaning a job that is done by someone with an advanced college degree, that would resort to forcing their employees to jeopordize their professional license and integrity as a marketing tool. Any doctors out there required to perform heart surgery in 30mins. or less? As a RAD pharmacist I can tell you that this is the single worst marketing tool, among many terrible ones, that the tards at the top have ever devised. I hope the whole thing crashes and burns, as long as I can escape without injuring/killing anyone.

Comment by Indiana Tech on 2011-03-15 08:29:22 -0700 #

I work at a chain and we have more people demanding gift cards than babies demanding for their damn bottles. The upside is that the pharmacists I work with don’t give out the gift cards unless it was our screw-up.
Awww you had to wait an extra 20 minutes because we had to call the insurance company because you gave us last years insurance card. No damn gift card. And no gift cards for the idiot people who are told that their prescription is special order and don’t call the refill in a few days in advance.
My pharmacy may be a chain but we don’t put with shit.

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-03-15 10:39:57 -0700 #

Of course, the RAD program is outrageous and dangerous. I was very surprised to receive an email that our chain will not match that. However, “wait time” is one of the parameters upon which 30 % of our bonus is based. And 20% of our rxs are supposed to be “waiters” ie 15 minutes or less. So when both techs are “cashiering” and there is no one at the typing and filling stations, the lone pharmacist is doing those tasks as well as counseling and answering the phone in 3 rings. We pharmacists have only ourselves to blame. We should have stood up for our profession years ago when we were first pimped out. After I retire, i will never again set foot in a retail pharmacy.

Comment by snullbug on 2011-03-15 11:16:34 -0700 #

I’m a customer and I absolutely will NOT deal with chain pharmacies. The crap dealt out to their employees makes it a near miracle that they can get it right as often as they can. I deal with an independent and I make sure that they have plenty of time to get it right. My life is literally in their pharmacist’s hands and I never forget it.

Comment by HAP on 2011-03-15 11:21:23 -0700 #

Sadly the reward bad customer behavior by offering them giftcards isn’t unique to the pharmacy industry. It’s all over the retail world. Years ago while going to school and working at a pet store our DM shocked us when he offered a giftcard to a customer who refused to abide state tax laws and pay tax on an item. After thirty minutes of arguing we told the customer that we could no longer wait on him and to please leave. He called the home office, and of course made up all sorts of stories of how we treated him, and was rewarded by not having to pay the 6.00 sales tax and a fifty gift card. We were livid.

That was 15 plus years ago . . .when the world wasn’t as entitled.

Comment by ChuckinMI on 2011-03-15 11:52:35 -0700 #

“Douche-canoe”?
Want to explain that?

Comment by Jones on 2011-03-15 12:14:45 -0700 #

This kind of shit is the reason I don’t work for a chain any more. And even Domino’s had to revoke it’s 30-minutes-or-less policy when too many drivers were running red lights and causing accidents. How long before a death causes Rite-Aid to scrap this nugget of genius?

Comment by niterph-pacingmyselfsargeant on 2011-03-15 14:01:07 -0700 #

Perfect, as usual. I’ve been doing this shitty “profession” for about 25 years, and I worked at Rite Aid for most of that time. The 15-minute-or-less fill has been around at different chains for as long as I can remember…and every pharmacist on the planet hates it. But in these new and improved times, big chain corporate morons think that the newest way to take a dump on their pharmacists is to offer all different types of services and patient interactions such as flu-shots (and ALL immunizations), blood pressure consultation (after the pt fills out 3 forms of info), Victoza injection counseling, and who knows what other BS in the future. It wouldn’t surprise me if we all will be collecting urine and stool samples some day, we might just as well start that today.
But of course, we as a “profession” do nothing about getting shit on. I’d love to see a \white-out\ (where all Rphs and techs call out sick on a Monday) to tell the effing corporate pricks where they can stick it for once. Any other ideas on how to tell them “we’re as mad as hell, and we’re not gonna take this anymore!”

Comment by Texas Chica on 2011-03-15 14:01:32 -0700 #

@Brittany….

Medicaid and giftcards??? Girl, you just set yourself up. No chain that I know of can process those two together legally. Remember, any kind of gov. program and giftcards are like oil and water, except with legal consequences. Like misdemeanor. Or, in some cases, felony. Of course, my local competitor did not care squat and happily handed cards out to everybody, screwing every other pharmacy in the process because she make us look like pricks for actually upholding the law.

So, no Medicare Part D, TriCare, Medicaid or Medicare Part B.

Comment by WrongAid on 2011-03-15 14:02:19 -0700 #

As an embarrassed Rite Aid RPh I would advise any and all to choose another pharmacy for their meds. You know why I work for Rite Aid. I make $10 more an hour than the next guy. that’s it….money. I hate the fucking job. Hate it more than any person could imagine. Can’t even talk to my wife about work cause I don’t want her to see the person I become when work is on the mind. So on top of going to a pharmacy where the main supply of customers are $4 monkeys and people trying to make money from gift cards, you would also be going to a store where the guy in charge can’t stand to be there, hates every fucking sole that walks down the aisle cause he KNOWS it’s a dumbass shitbag drug addict. AND is only there for the money. And I’m in the majority of Rite Aid RPh’s in my opinion. In the minority willing to be honest with myself though.

Welcome to Rite Aid!

Comment by pharmacyslave2000 on 2011-03-15 16:01:50 -0700 #

Well said WrongAid. While I truly enjoy the company of the people I work with at Rite Aid, I can not tolerate the job anymore. I live on my days off, I simply exist on days I work and it is a miserable existence. Why do I do it? Money and lack of other opportunities. I live and work in an area saturated with pharmacy schools and pharmacists. I don’t have many options. It is a horrible feeling being trapped in something you hate. It turns you into a spiteful monster. I urge anyone who uses a retail pharmacy to call/email Rite Aid and tell them they are idiots and you WILL NOT USE THEIR PHARMACY while this program is in place. I don’t care if you’ve never been in a Rite Aid, do it anyway because this will surely spill over into other chains, in some capacity, in the future.

Comment by Carolyn… on 2011-03-15 18:03:31 -0700 #

Makes me so glad I live where it’s illegial to offer incentives for prescriptions… They usually have something set up if you buy a certain amount of OTC items ($50 or $75 or some shit amount), but I generally don’t have to deal with that, because we can tell them to just take those purchases up front…

Comment by PharmIntern on 2011-03-15 18:36:21 -0700 #

Dear LORD that was hateful, and I loved every word of it. Having just finished a rotation at Rite Aid, it seems like they’re slightly better than CVS, which says a lot. Almost every community pharmacist is in the same boat, it would seem.

15 minutes or less!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!

Comment by AngryChainRx on 2011-03-15 18:40:42 -0700 #

I am not a rite-aid pharmacist, but as a fellow chain pharmacist I completely agree with wrongaid and you tap. During pharmacy school I was force fed that bullshit about how customers should be called patients. I always rebuked that notion and this new rite-aid policy validates my opinion. Our profession is going down the shitter, but as long as they keep paying me six figures its still worth it.

Comment by CoinOperatedGirl on 2011-03-15 18:55:12 -0700 #

I work as a tech in a Rite Aid pharmacy; believe me, we hate this new policy. Especially because in the last year, I can count about 9 rx errors, at least two of which put the patients in the hospital.

And this was *before* this 15-min guarantee bullshit went into effect.

Comment by PharmGirl on 2011-03-15 18:56:40 -0700 #

In response to the 15min guarantee BS…. I tell my customers “you can have it RIGHT…. or you can have it RIGHT NOW”…. “but not both”. We have choices in life, and if you choose to demand your RX to be ready in 15 min or less then I make NO guarantees that it will be correct.
OK… carry on…

Comment by Disgusted Pharmacist on 2011-03-15 19:12:46 -0700 #

Ok Tap–so I have been bitching about exactly what you are now bitching about FOREVER ! You just have the website to post it. Now you know why I keep asking if pharmacists have a union. Because I don’t think a union would tolerate the fucking nonsense these chains are forcing their pharmacists to do! Although unions have issues too–they initially were formed to protect workers from such abuse in the workplace. I truly am ashamed of this “so called” profession! Absolutely nothing professional about chains and really the pharmacists that work for them. Wake the fuck up people and demand some respect! These wonderful CEO’s want to stick it up their ass and all they do is respond yes–anything for that paycheck! And the wonderful universities just keep pumping out more and more pharmacists so that pretty soon there will be so many they will gladly take a cut in pay just to get a job. How truly disgusting–what the fuck other “profession” does that? I can’t even call my attorney or email him without getting charged–but wait–you can call any pharmacist anywhere and get FREE consultation on your rx’s cause OBRA 90 said so. Let’s see–you can get any immunization any time of the day or night at Walgreen’s(never mind the fact that they keep cutting your tech help!) and free management of your drug therapy (let’s just forget that they’ll bill medicare!) and free blood pressure screening.(hmmm –so the pharmacist again gets interrupted from what he’s supposed to be doing which is checking rx’s). And it all seems FREE-FREE-FREE for the patient.Ditto for CVS and Rite Aid. I know–when there’s a lawsuit for patients–wait! maybe– the CEO who decides you don’t really need any help but can do all this and more so he can pad his pocket–can also be named in the suit! After all I think it’s his fault too for not respecting the fact that you are a human being and not a machine! What kills me is that there is no one to turn to for help in getting this treatment stopped! NO ONE as long as someone else keeps says yes to them !

Comment by Sharen on 2011-03-15 19:40:39 -0700 #

We are laughing our heads off at this 15 minute deal…..the disclaimer reads any rx requiring “professional services” is excluded well that would mean checking the profile for drug interactions, drug allergies and doing the final check. We are told the techs are supposed to do the non professional work(data entry, counting etc.)sooooo that would mean the checking of the rx is the professional service….lol….Also it reads “prescriptions presented immediately before or during Pharmacist lunch break” are excluded…..so we get a lunch break now??? Maybe this new policy is not so bad 😉
It is a complete joke and all we have to do is nit pick a rx and make a dr call….sorry no date have to call the dr, sorry can not read the refills, sorry can not read the dr name and so on.

Comment by cardsfanbj on 2011-03-15 21:22:35 -0700 #

I can’t say with 100% absolute certainty for the whole chain, but I’m a tech at Walgreen’s and we (my store/possibly district) do not give out gift cards for any reason whatsoever (pharmacy wise, anyways). About maybe a year ago, we did away with the $25 check for a transferred prescription.
We basically have the same policy as you stated; “Don’t like our service? Go to another pharmacy. Have them call us to get your transfers. Otherwise STFU and sit down.”

Comment by ItsMe on 2011-03-15 21:27:02 -0700 #

I’ve never pitched a fit … give 48 hours for any Rx fill (insurance won’t cover it more than 48 hours early) If it’s a Thursday I call and tell them that I will be ordering it over the weekend … so the medication that I take, and I’m the only one at that Pharm that takes it, they can order it in and have it on stock (pain when you MUST have an orphan drug, and insurance will NOT cover it 72 hours before the 30 days is up …requires quite the balancing act)

If there are no refills I do the same (they will call docs office for refill authorization before that 48 hours)

If refills are left, I still give them plenty of notice.
I don’t expect 15 min service (but if they tell me it’s going to be 15 and I’m still waiting an hour later I get cranky but grumble to my cats, not them)

They like me .. they go out of their way to please me … they treat me with kindness and respect.

And yes .. if some jerk is yelling at them .. you better believe if they see me they are going to take care of me before the jerk yelling at them.

there is a method to my madness! (I felt so bad for a tech being yelled at once I bought her cadbury egg when I paid for my meds …that didn’t hurt)

Comment by stefanie on 2011-03-15 21:32:04 -0700 #

OMG thank you! Now if only someone in management would read this and listen!! Dear lord.

Comment by ChainGang on 2011-03-15 23:14:54 -0700 #

Shouldn’t all RX’s require “professional services?” I mean aren’t all RX’s meant to be checked against the patients’ profiles as a part of the pharmacist verification process?? Sounds like just another example of how Rite Aid corporate didn’t think this through… but at least you guys are finding loopholes, surely that helps… a little… Kroger is getting to be just as bad… ugh!!

Comment by LicenseToDeal on 2011-03-16 05:00:35 -0700 #

I am quite familiar wu this brand off asshaterry. I work at a chain with a $4 program and a district manager who is not a pharmacist. We had a doc write for metoprolol 25 and we promptly called to clarify if it was tart or succ. The doc clarified for the succ which is not on the $4 list and we filled it as he directed. The asshat, I mean patient, was furious that is was so expensive and demanded that we filled it wrong. Finally after arguing for 10 minutes I gladly offered to transfer it to a pharmacy where it was less expensive.
This patient has now called our 1-800 complaint hotline five times complaining that we delayed her care and are trying to kill her. My boss, the non-degree non- pharmacist, finally made me give her a $20 gift card, even though she has no active rx at our pharmacy.
Needless to say once I save enou cash up I am opening my own store and getting the he’ll away from all these gift card whores and the douche-canoes they rode in on.

Comment by Rx4Life on 2011-03-16 05:20:14 -0700 #

So if it isnt worth all the hassle and bullshat, then give up your 120,000+ year profession, and find something else to do.

Comment by LD50 placebo effect on 2011-03-16 08:14:46 -0700 #

Don’t understand the rebutted notion that ‘customers’ are not patients. Use of the term ‘patient’ conjures an image of those who are ill placing their well-being into the able and expert hands of those with publicly acknowledged and licensed by society to meet expectations to perform a duty in assisting with a healing process. Customers purchase services or goods from sellers whose only obligation is to handle money and ensure the goods are as advertised.

Notwithstanding, I agree that TAP’s post hits the issue squarely on the point. Pharmacists are not merely shopkeepers.

Comment by letsrant on 2011-03-16 09:02:48 -0700 #

WrongAid, that’s just sad bro. i recommend you do something outrageous so they fire you then sue their ass off. didn’t do that myself but got out of the chain business nonetheless since my misery was costing the family too dearly. now i’m making much less money but enjoy going to work a whole lot more.

Comment by Lisa on 2011-03-16 09:05:41 -0700 #

Omg! That was awsome…and so very true! You just said everything I was thinking…..Perfect!

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-03-16 10:37:51 -0700 #

Do you work in retail or are you just sitting at a desk? You know that after taxes and other deductions ( health, life, disability benefits, etc) , take home pay is nowhere near $120,000. Some of us are single parents without child or spousal support. We are not exactly rolling in the dough. I can think of dozens of highly paid “professionals” who do not have to put up with such crap from their employers and with such disrespect from the public. But who would clothe and feed my family if i took time off to study?
Your solution echoes that given by our DM at our pharmacy meetings: if you do not like it, leave. If you can’t hack it, you can be replaced (you were deficient anyway because you can’t clear 20 rxs/hr).
Do you have some positive and constructive solutions that will work from within?

Comment by Janus on 2011-03-16 15:27:04 -0700 #

I’m not a pharmacist, but a lot of what you said probably applies to any job in retail. When did giving good customer service become synonymous with caving in to every mouthbreathing malcontent who thinks that being a customer gives them license to treat you like a doormat?

Comment by Disgusted Pharmacist on 2011-03-16 16:17:49 -0700 #

Kinda funny –the pharmacy schools are whores for the chains too! Let’s face it and call a spade a spade. They donate considerably so they can tell the schools what to do–Oh we need more pharmacists! So the school obey and keep pumping out pharmacists –even opening new schools for the so called demand. Let’s see–too many pharmacists/too few openings= desperation/decrease pay. BASTARDS!!! They think they are so shrewd–like none of us notice this! In addition–people have families to support and are not in the position to just leave–so they too are at the mercy of the chains, doing whatever it takes-grateful to have a job. Again–NO ONE can stop them (chains) as long as someone out there is saying YES to all their pathetic,blood-sucking demands!

Comment by nawid on 2011-03-16 18:20:16 -0700 #

IT boggles my mind that a profession requiring 6 years of blood and sweat studying countless hours and sitting in school as competitive and challenging as pharmacy school is has allowed us to be answering peoples drug interaction questions and ringing up their milk at the register. how can we get respected if we are cashiering and answering peoples drug questions. we need a union to tell these aholes up in the chains to sh%ve it up their u know what. every profession has a union to protect its workers for the things that these douchbag chains are doing to us..thank god i work in a slower store or i would go nuts dealing with these morons day in and day out….for all the rphs out there i hope there comes a day where we all call out and go on strike so these monkey asse chains can finally sit at the table and listen to us.

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-03-16 19:46:18 -0700 #

Rx4Life in no doubt a senior CVS moron or some idiot PharmD who belongs to the APhA and couldn’t find his ass in the pharmacy with both hands.

Comment by I hatemyjob on 2011-03-16 20:12:56 -0700 #

Thank you. I totally agree with you. Filling a prescirption is not a contest of game not like running 100 meter dash. I would rather get it right than get it quick. The problem is when we asked our patients when they would like to pick up their presciptions at drop off counter, often time the answer was “ASAP”, “now”. If you said the wait time is 15 minutes, majority of patients will say that they will be back. NO one is going to stay at store even for 15 minutes. It looks like we have a lot of poeple are as busy as Bill Gates, they can not even wait 15 minutes.

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-03-16 20:14:42 -0700 #

Don’t count on it, especially if you work for CVS or Rite Aid. Your District Manager has his nose so close to upper management’s ass that if his boss came to a sudden stop his face would go halfway up his ass. All he is concerned about is putting himself in a positive light. He couldn’t give two shits about you.

Keep praying to the Lord, because it’s going to take a miracle for things to change.

Comment by Patientraper on 2011-03-16 23:30:51 -0700 #

I say first and foremost, FUCK THE PATIENT! Secondly, FUCK upper management at corporate pharmacies, in specific CVS. I WAS an intern for cvs, thankfully, working there made me realize the mistake that is pharmacy, so I backed out, and now going into psychology. CVS isnt the root cause for patient irresponsibility/laziness, BUT the do contribute to it with there waste of money and time programs. I have changed since working in the pharmacy. I went from a nice cheerful social butterfly to a skeptic, bitter, angry person with no trust or hope for the general population. I now see people in society as overmedicated cattle, feeding off the tits of the government/people, enslaving their employees, binding them to this pill zoo where its like the planet of the apes. You helplessly sit and serve those you hate the most, the scum of society that your taxes help pay for. I feel like a bird with its wings clipped, everyday I go into work I die a little bit. The stress and anxiety from work makes me think I should go see a dr, but sadly even though Im full time I cant afford to pay insurance since all my money is going towards school. Yep, thats right. I pay for everything while my taxes pay for the pond scum that comes in with 19 of lakeesha’s kids, hair done, nails did, coach purse, and drives a nicer car than me but has medicaid. She uses her ebt to pay for food, food that I wish I could afford to sit and munch on. I eat ramen for dinner. Shes using her EBT to fill her cart with french bread pizza and pepsi. (thats right, government sponsored obesity) Im a broke ass student working full time for a corporate pharmacy. Ive been with cvs for 5 years, Im the lead tech, and Ive been denied multiple transfers, promotions to be a tech trainer, pharmacy scheduler. I can say pharmacy is THE WORST gig to get into. I commend those of you that can do it everyday and still remain sane. I however have been driven to the edge from a mixture of absolute patient stupidity, low self worth thanks to upper management, and my PIC has OCD and is lazy as all hell. The amount of work I do is no way reflective of my pay, as I make a lil bit above $10/hr (I practically run the pharmacy while the pharmacist does nothing, ever). I hate you CVS, I hate your company and your patients. I hate you never ever siding with the pharmacy staff when fucktard crackheadstein calls corporate to complain why we never fill his fake/illegitimate rx for the soma,xany bar, watsonSSSSS combo cocktail party time to which you apologize, give him a gift card, then chew us out for an hour explaining why were not the police and to leave the legal stuff to corporate. FUCK YOU CVS.

Comment by Ozzie West on 2011-03-17 07:16:56 -0700 #

You sure cuss a lot. You made about sompin?

Just kidding. Rock On, TAP!

Oz

Comment by Ozzie West on 2011-03-17 07:19:40 -0700 #

It was the dudes who signed the very first thirdy party contracts. They have likely passed on to their reward by this time.

I would like to find the final resting place of these great pharmacy leaders so I could take an enourmous leak on said final resting place.

Angrily,

Oz

Comment by letsrant on 2011-03-17 07:20:30 -0700 #

seriously! 120K gross and you’re not rolling in the dough? try minimum wage without a freaking insurance and barely able to afford a meal for the whole family. that’s what we see everyday on the street of LA or Houston or New Orleans. and i’m not talking about the indigents, the welfares, or the homeless. i’m talking about the people who lost their jobs due to katrina. we still see them at the free clinic trying to come up with 50 bucks for their kid’s exam while they themselves have to pick strawberries in the field on an empty stomach. do you think they deserve less respect than you do just because you stand behind a counter and they bend their backs in a field? some of them are just as professional and educated as you are, probably even more so. before you complain about hardship on such a salary, single parent or not, try working in a sweat shop or a strawberries field and shut the hell up. it’s fine to rant and rave about the condition of your work and the clients and the management. but stop bullshitting about not meeting the ends on your salary. give me a break!

Comment by Ozzie West on 2011-03-17 07:51:51 -0700 #

Wrong Ade! Man!

It is time to shake off the shackles. Free Yourself!

Call the HealthMart People. Start your own place. You won’t make as much money, but you might be more content. You know there is a retail space you drive by on the way to work that you KNOW would be a good spot. You know the Good Techs that you want to hire.

  1. It is possible to make a living going “Indy”
  2. It is a copacetic lifestyle.
  3. Imagine the panic at the Chain Stores if a substantial number of their slave revolted. You are making FAR MORE MONEY for the douchebags at corporate HQ then you realize. You are making enough to Pay You.
  4. You might not make the money that you can make in Chains.
  5. Putting up with Douchebags becomes completely optional.
  6. Stay away from the Medicine Shoppe group. Their franchise fees are too high and the group is up to their ass in some legal brouha between HQ and the Franchisess.
  7. Amerisource and McKesson have sound Banner Plans. They will help you with what you need.

I am approaching a decade of this sort of thing. IT is doable and it is less aggravating than dealing with either the hospital or the chain retail world, both of which have far too high a BullShit content.

Several Points

Totally clean transmissions so douchebags at PBM’s can’t take anything back. McK and ABC can help with this.
Provide good service People will come.
Be competetive. You can make money selling $10.00 Rx’es if you are selective. Lots of them are good sales and more than PBMs pay. Don’t be offended. No reason to leave that money on the table.
Don’t sell shit that PBMs dont pay for. Selling a $1200 Rx (OxyKratin) that the PBM pays only $1195 for does nothing for you but create an unfunded liability. The PBM WILL try to take it back one day.
The coming wave of patent expirations means that this business can be good again. I actively promote therapeutic alternatives to my physicians and patients Losartan vs Benicar Win Win Win. ARB therapy where I get paid more than cost. Patient saves a lot on copays. PBMs are often left completely out of the loop on these (no unfunded liability for me)
Check out the possibilities at ncpanet.org

For those of you who have had enough, start the process. IT IS TIME TO FLY AND BE FREE.

Oz

Comment by Shera on 2011-03-17 12:03:39 -0700 #

Coming soon to a retail corporation: FORCED IMMUNIZING! yay.

Please help us out on this issue with your opinion. Retail corporations are now taking over pharmacy in ways that pharmacists should never have allowed. Stand up for your profession. No one else will. Forward to the pharmacists that you know.

http://www.petitiononline.com/pharm/petition.html

Comment by one stop on 2011-03-17 14:10:29 -0700 #

How can you say no guarantee it will be right? You are dealing with peoples lives, kids. Thats why MOST of you are angry behind the counter, you get paid very well just deal with it!! Other retail companies have promo’s why not you? Are you special, just stop whinning and fill the bottle

Comment by tiredashell on 2011-03-17 17:12:03 -0700 #

Oh yeah, well what about my company’s policy now of beating Rite Aid and offering rx’s in 5 minutes, it’s not official yet but we are being told this is what we are expected to do. total BS, error rates will skyrocket

Comment by RAPharm on 2011-03-17 18:34:17 -0700 #

Rite Aid does not price match anymore.

Comment by Hueydoc on 2011-03-17 19:00:55 -0700 #

Unfortunately, those same idiots have gotten thru to Hospital Administrators ( who have never been known for their intelligence- or lack of) and now those idiots have us doing it at the ER !!!!!
WTF ?! They even give \gift baskets\ to the crackheads who are upset at their wait ! I tried explaining the stupidity of rewarding bad behavior to one administrator but it was obvious the lights were on and no one was home. I then explained it AGAIN when the dumbass CEO wanted to know why the number of complaints went up ! I pointed out one crackhead who complained that the nurse was rude to him and said in the same breath \ Where’s my basket, bitch !.
Some dumbass with an MBA convinced the powers that be how great this idea would be- and I’d like to meet that asshole one day in a dark alley….

Comment by fmaon06 on 2011-03-17 19:19:51 -0700 #

I’m a pharmacy tech and a couple of weeks ago a patient dropped off a prescription for a brand-name medication that does not have a generic. His wife picked up the medication and paid the $145 without questioning the price. A few days later he called and complained that we gave him the wrong medication. We explained that we didn’t fill anything incorrectly, and he stated that his doctor marked on the Rx that we could substitute that med for a generic. When he was told that there wasn’t a generic, he said that the pharmacy should have personally called his doctor to have the Rx changed to something that was generic in the same family.

He frightened the pharmacist on duty so bad that we had to have a manager talk to him while she was escorted out of the building. He then contacted people so high up in management that it didn’t matter about our “non-return policy.” He gets $150 back (his original price, plus $5). He also is demanding that everyone that was on staff that night apologize to him.

It’s so frustrating that the upper management went over our head when it clearly was not a mistake on our part. If we misfill a medication, sure, we’ll eat the cost. However, if you don’t take your health into your own hands, I don’t see why we should reimburse you.

I’m hoping they’ll ban him from the pharmacy ever again. Who wants that sort of patient that will threaten you?

Comment by Missy on 2011-03-17 22:46:48 -0700 #

I can totally understand things like vicodin, and the non maintenance meds,or the same exact meds one takes every month but transfers. Personally I have had this happen to me and now I make sure the pharmacy has what my son needs in stock before I even consider transferring. One time I took my son to see a new doctor in a new state, I told his MD he is on Focalin 5 mg, which the pharm usually carries, but he gave him 2.5 mg which no one had. I needed that med and had to wait 2 days. No biggie. But the last thing I got filled is EpiPen Junior, I needed that immediately! My sons doc called it Monday and they still don’t have it. My son is allergic to something we don’t even know. His throat swells and cuts off his airway. I have called and they promised to call me. Now that negligent on their part. Everytime he eats I am scared to death he will swell and freaken die, anyone know what it’s like to worry day in and day out if your child is gonna die? I only use Wal-Greens for his meds cause the doc does not like scripts being filled at mulitple pharmacies, we have 2 or 3 Wal-Greens in my area and none of them have it. What am I suppose to do (and the walmart doesnt have it.) So I see where your coming from, but drugs like this (epipen JR) and their neglence well that deserves a freaken 50 dollar card lol…

Comment by Missy on 2011-03-17 22:55:30 -0700 #

I apoligize for my last comment, I realized that most of you were referring to Rite Aid and some 15 minute policy or you get a 5$ gift card. Well I would rather wait 30 mins or 45 mins and have a prescription done right then done in 15 mins and chance a mistake especially with my kid

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-03-18 10:37:02 -0700 #

wow….I think you missed the point….I have lived on less than minimum wage, no health insurance, and had to choose between buying gas and feeding my family… I have used and worked at a free clinic……perhaps I have aging parents, a chronically ill child , my own health issues, or other financial responsibilities …so do not be so hasty to judge. I really resent it when we are told to keep out mouths shut because we “make the big bucks”. Should a surgeon have to work with constant interruptions because he/she is well paid?
Is it ok for your dentist to answer the phone every 5 minutes because he/she makes tons of money on those root canals? Is your doctor offering transfer coupons?? Is a nurse judged by how many IVs he/she can change in an hour?
I do not think that any health care provider ( regardless of his/her salary) should have to tolerate conditions that compromise public safety.

Comment by Michelle on 2011-03-18 12:12:53 -0700 #

One thing that I wish patients or their parents understood is that we don’t have control over what is instock or out of stock in our warehouses! If none of the Walgreen’s in your area had them.. that usually means that there is a manufacturing or production problem, not just that the pharmacy just doesn’t have it or isn’t ordering it! I get yelled at all the time for just this same issue, and people need to realize that it’s not always our fault! I am a mother so I understand the feeling about worrying about your child, but remember not to take it out on someone that doesn’t deserve it. There might be other factors involved that you are not aware of.

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-03-18 13:13:03 -0700 #

At least these CVS employees had something to be glad about!

http://andover.patch.com/articles/dance-party-reported-at-cvs-lot

Comment by Debbie on 2011-03-18 13:23:50 -0700 #

I wish it made me feel better to know I am not alone. It all feels so hopeless.

Comment by anymousie on 2011-03-18 16:48:53 -0700 #

Ma’am,
IT IS NOT NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE PHARMACY TO NOT HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS PHYSICALLY NOT AVAILABLE. I’m not sure if you are aware or not, but there have been a record number of medication shortages in the last year. Most of those drugs have been critical drugs, such as heparin or nor-epinephrine. If you want to call someone negligent, do it to someone who can actually address the problem, not your neighborhood pharmacist who is in the same place you are.

Comment by a_tech_in_CA on 2011-03-18 19:30:10 -0700 #

I’ve got to agree, TAP. I’ve worked as a pharmacy tech for CVS for several years now, and one incident sums up everything wrong with these cards. A new customer comes in with an order for an antibiotic, dosed three times a day until finished, quantity of 63. We filled the order and the pt picked up their drug, declined consultation, and left. Five days later we get an angry, ranting call from said customer informing us that it was only supposed to be for 3 tablets as a single day’s worth of treatment before surgery. We looked at the original hard copy, and it clearly said 63 tablets. The pt, who hadn’t taken ANY of the medication yet, called our corporate office and screamed at them until the district manager ordered us to give them a $100 gift card to make them shut up. Yay, doctor’s error = we lose >$100 to keep a (shitty) customer!

Comment by Hueydoc on 2011-03-18 19:36:53 -0700 #

The Golden Rule-
Management will NEVER back you up – ever.

Comment by Pharm-a-shiz on 2011-03-18 22:25:23 -0700 #

One stop: you are one dumb Shit FUCK! Read a Fucking study on time and protocol verses the error rate on medications… Or maybe a specialty book by Mike Cohen. Maybe then shit-for-brain entrepreneurs like you who received their half ass “major in communications and double minor in the arts and business” from some online accredited “university” can NUT up and understand the real world we live in. How come pharmacy is the only medical profession or really any profession (aside from fast food) that customers (eh heh i mean patients) can bitch and moan about their product coming out twice as fast with the same outcome as the handcrafted god-shit coming out of the anus of UTOPIA? I guess next time I get a stent placed or triple-by-pass I’ll demand that it be done quicker cuz I gotta meet up with my lawyer to discuss my child support over some fried chicken.

Shit…

Comment by sgeorge2 on 2011-03-18 23:51:47 -0700 #

Im a tech at WAG as well and we DO give giftcards out. Granted, not very often. But you better believe its to our WORST customers that everyone splits at the sight of. I think mostly its a corporate/management decision. I HATE rewarding bad behavior.

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-03-19 00:33:34 -0700 #

I am going to give all my fellow pharmacists some advice. You don’t have to take it, but it’s your sanity we are talking about.
First let me say I feel I am a damn good pharmacist. Without getting too deep into it, I followed company policy, called physicians if necessary, reviewed medication history when filling a new prescription, and I know drugs and the correct doses pretty much inside and out. And guess who cares about all the physician errors I found and corrected and how well I did my job? NO ONE. Not my my DM, not the patient, and not the physician. No offense Docs, but one of the advantages of being a physicain is never having to say you are sorry.

I hate to admit it, but calling the physcian, calling for prior auths, helping some ignorant ass get his correct insurance info, ringing cheese and shrimp in the register, giving vaccinations, selling sudafed products which takes some assholes 10 minutes to decide if they want the 10 or 20 count size, bullshit-stupid-makes-no-sense stuff that corporate expects/wants you to do that has absolutely nothing to do with pharmacy, the fucking Lipitor/Nexium and all other manufacturer discount cards the customer hands you AFTER you have ran it thru their primary insurance AND rang it in the register only to find out after voiding the transaction and trying to run the manufacurer’s co-pay covering card, it becomes apparent the stupid putz never called to activate it!!!! I can’t put the entire weight of everyone’s incompetence on my shoulders anymore.

I am only one person. Not surprizingly, the $8.95/hr moron that the State, my boss, the APhA, and the Pharmacy Board have decided is qualified to help or assist me in the pharmacy has an IQ that is equal to the highway speed limit. So what is one to do?

Here’s my advice: fill the prescriptions accurately. TAKE YOUR TIME and do that well. Anything else fuck it. Some moron physician didn’t sign the CII prescription? Guess what? I don’t have the drug in stock. You don’t have the correct insurance card? I smile and act real nice and tell them I need the BIN#, PCN#, ID and Group# and if they call their insurance company and get that information I can process it without having the card. I get a prescription that I just know is going to be a major problem due to the fact that I can’t read it or no quantity is specified and it’s from the ER, or it’s for a controlled substance and I can’t read the ER doc’s signature and there is no DEA number on the RX I don’t have it in stock. If I know the dose is not right for the patient but is not incorrect, or is not right but will do no harm (such as Cipro 500mg dosed once a day) I fill it. That’s what the Doc wrote, that’s exactly what the customer – I mean patient – gets. Toprol XL bid and the customer was on it once daily for the last 10 years, it gets filled exactly as the MD wrote it. Twice daily. End of story. I look at the prescription as a legally binding contract between the doctor and his patient. And when Super Doc signs his name on the bottom that means he has reviewed and locked in everthing above it. In a hurry and apathetic doctor? It’s not my problem. Take your time in the future. My time is just as valuable as yours.

Bottom line: You have faxes, e-scrips, voice mail recording from morons that don’t speak English well, phone calls and walk-in patients. You are only one person. Don’t have a MI in the pharmacy. You have a family that relies on you. Find ways to lighten the load and make it easier on yourself. Just remember to take your time and fill it correctly.And when you send the crackhead/moron/ignorant/unprepared coustomer- I mean patient-packing, smile and be nice even though you want to strangle the bastard, and everything will be all right. Just remember, coporate does not care about you and your not getting paid piece rate. If you have to just give the loud-mouth bastard patient the shit for free. Don’t get worked up, end it right there and then. Just hand him the bag and send him on his way. And I don’t care if it is Seroquel XR 400mg #90. Don’t agree with me? Well then argue with the asshole and you will end up giving him a gift card and saying your sorry to the bastard if you want your job.

I could be more detailed on how I make my life easier in the pharmacy, but that would take a book or a three week class, but I think you get the point.

Comment by syd on 2011-03-19 06:12:50 -0700 #

Management does not give a shit about right or wrong. They just want to get that asshole customer out of their hair.They have better things to do(like make us miserable).
Being”right” is irrevelant

Comment by Rivalry on 2011-03-19 07:02:30 -0700 #

I would seriously consider leaving if this was to happen to me. I am a great teach and work hard to keep the pharmacy running smoothly, but if I was ever thrown completely under the bus by management, I would leave. Seriously. I never even thought about that until now.

Comment by OUT FOR LIFE on 2011-03-19 09:08:27 -0700 #

You are. Get out now while you can, or go straight to graduate school and a pharmaceutics PHD, don’t do retail, it’s no longer a profession.

Comment by Screw the top on 2011-03-19 12:32:26 -0700 #

OMG! A_tech_in_CA nailed it on the head! I just lov that the pharmacy has to lose money because a doctor (who, by the way, according to patients) would NEVER write a prescription incorrectly!) writes a prescription incorrectly! I absolutely don’t understand the concept of rewarding customers for mistakes that were not our own. How about everytime a doctor’s office calls in an incorrect script, the customer gets a free office call! That would be neat! Of course, that would mean the doctors lose their pharmacy scapegoats. As for management, they can all such shit! You and management may work for the same company, but they will do absolutely anything to pass blame onto anyone they can so they don’t have to deal with anything. The top crap managers, directors, and president of the company for which I work can fuck themselves at a minimum, and drop dead to really make this world a better place.

Comment by Screw the top on 2011-03-19 13:15:38 -0700 #

Nate,

You sound like a thoughtful and intelligent person. I think you would make an EXCELLENT pharmacist. I work in an independent pharmacy as a tech, but from what I’ve seen, it is just as bad as working for a chain. The fact that you seem to care greatly, will have you being eaten up and spit out in a split second by the profession. I am not saying this to tell you that you have a flaw. You don’t. You are exactly what the profession needs. I was like you ten years ago when I started teching. I felt I was making a huge difference. I was helping our pharmacist do run-of-the-mill work so he could focus on conseling patients. I was showing customers where products were so I could save them time. I was filling in extra shifts so that the pharmacists wouldn’t have to work alone or that the other techs could spend time with their families for important events. I really cared about every aspect of my job, and I felt appreciated. The staff at our pharmacy was one big happy family. So what happened? We got a new president at our company. The last time I tried talking to him about some problems (I even had solutions for him to look at), he looked me in the eye and said that he didn’t care what I thought. It was a revelation! Not because I believed the crap he was sprouting off to me, but because I knew he was a tired, frustated asshole who makes himself feel important by cutting others down. I was trying to make the company a better place, he just likes the power of treating others like dirt. Now, my work mindset is different. I no longer volunteer for extra shifts. I don’t go out of my way to do extra work, mainly because the president doesn’t feel our staff does anything right anyhow. I have lost all respect for the president, and I refuse to go out of my way to help him pad his pockets, when we are told that we are worth only up to a certain wage. If our pharmacy performs as poorly as he says it does, why haven’t we all been fired? So Nate, I feel badly for you. I personlly think working with you would be a great honor. But…I can’t recommend working in a pharmacy to anyone right now–especially a talented, well-educated man like yourself. You are what we need, but you are worth so much more than what you are going to get. Best of luck to you.

Comment by Bettie P on 2011-03-19 13:50:43 -0700 #

Here’s what I sent to Rite Aid via their website:
“Please reconsider your new 15 minute guarantee for prescription fills. You are expecting your professional pharmacy staff to adhere to a schedule more appropriate to pizza delivery than to health care delivery. I certainly do not want my pharmacist to feel rushed when filling my prescription.
Thanks,
(name) RN

Comment by rph3664 on 2011-03-19 14:19:03 -0700 #

You don’t want to know how nurses feel about Press Gainey.

Comment by rph3664 on 2011-03-19 14:32:30 -0700 #

Late last year, I saw a cartoon with flu shots being available at the pizza parlor, beauty shop, oil change place, etc. Wish I could find a link; it was really quite funny.

Comment by paula on 2011-03-19 18:26:57 -0700 #

I just left an email for Rite AId as well. I pointed out that I take a daily medication and will for the rest of my life – and I would switch pharmacies to avoid ever using a place with such a stupid program. I told them that I want my pharmacist to be able to take their time with my medicine, and not be worried about their job because they gave out one too many gift cards. I concluded by asking how long they thought it would be before someone died thanks to their program.

Comment by I_hatemyjob on 2011-03-19 21:09:36 -0700 #

I totally agree that management does not care about right or wrong. All they care is no one calls complain hot line and your store CSI is above the standard. Do you know average age of PDM? Most of them were a pharmacist when there was Penicillin as the only antibiotic available.

Comment by I_hatemyjob on 2011-03-19 21:12:16 -0700 #

Thank you for doing that. I appreciated your support. I hate to see a health care facility becomes a fast food joint. Please ask your freinds to do the same. Recieving the right medication is more important than $5 gift card.

Comment by Pharmacy intern-P4 on 2011-03-19 23:25:33 -0700 #

I agree with every single word you have there. But I would like to add that a lot of times it is some wimpy ass pharmacist or store manager who doesnt have the balls to stand up to the customer and tell them that it is their fault for not calling in early or waiting till friday 459 pm to call in a refill request for Norco. they just dont want to deal with it and afraid it might get to the DM and get them in trouble with corporate. So my point, man up pharmacist we didnt go to school for 6 or 8 years to bend over backwards for some crack head that cant keep track of his refills.
God bless your honest words man.

Comment by GE Rph on 2011-03-20 03:08:28 -0700 #

Sorry dude. No chain follows that rule either. Been told MANY times by DM’s and front end people to “do it” or else. I told them they can give the card. No Govt agency ever came calling.

Comment by PharmGirl on 2011-03-20 05:57:19 -0700 #

One stop….. really??? Do you go into your doctor’s office and demand that you be seen within 15 minutes?? If so, can you EXPECT a correct diagnosis? NO. Let me make this clear to you since you are obviously NOT in this profession… I would NEVER intentionally make a mistake–none of us would. But, when you put a time restraint on a professional to do their job… mistakes happen. And as a consumer, I would NOT go to a pharmacy that puts a time limit on their pharmacist like they are fast food employees. There is MUCH more to the profession that just “filling the bottle” as you eloquently put it. Has that thought EVER crossed your closed mind?? doubt it! Did it ever occur to you that we make sure that the antibotic your doctor prescribed you (that you waited more that 15 mintues to see) doesn’t interact with your Warfarin prescription and cause you to bleed out and die? Do you ever think about who looks at the dose the doctor prescribed for you and sees that it’s enough to kill you and calls the doctor to change it?? Did you ever think of how long it takes to process YOUR insurance claim so that the aforementioned antibiotic only costs you $3.00 so that we can get reimbursed $.50 for your entire prescription while you are sitting there bitching about how long it takes and how much money we make? Really… get a life…

Comment by lovinmyjob on 2011-03-20 10:22:57 -0700 #

What I really hate is when district managers get involved. They hand out gift cards without even calling me to get my side of the story. That shows me that they could care less about me (no suprise there). But then again, I also have to say if my company wants to hand out free gift cards its their money. As long as I get a paycheck thats all that matters to me. If you think about it a $5 gift card really translates into pennies for the company. It’s only good for front-end merchandise and that stuff is marked up so high that the $5 really is nothing. Think about that…our dignity is being undermined for alot less than $5 (or whatever the amount).

Comment by Dr Marc on 2011-03-20 15:02:25 -0700 #

Unfortunately we may have worked for my same boss. My old DM gave someone a 50 dollar gift card because I would not give a customer a rx fro mtx 12 tablets every day.

Comment by I_hatemyjob on 2011-03-20 16:18:59 -0700 #

My future colleague you may need a reality check. NO one will stand up for you if you get complaint from customers. Any pharmacist can be replaced at once. There is no skill needed as long as you know how to count 5’s. Do you even know how many floater pharmacists are out there ready to take you spot as soon as you make any mistake. When I graduated I thought I can change the practice of retail pharmacy. Since I have no other skill than counting pill and My record was 164 prescription in 5 hours, I would do whatever it takes to get my pay check. I do not argue anything which is coming from coporation

Comment by PharmTechGRL on 2011-03-20 21:00:30 -0700 #

I work for a retail pharm as a tech and in the past 2 weeks given out an unreal amount of gift cards to patients I mean aholes two in particular for a patient telling our pharmacist where to shove his test strips because he refused to pay his co-pay (upper mgmnt thought we were in the wrong $100 gift card to this ahole patient) the next huge one was a lady didnt understand that we could not split bill her two insurances one was rx ins the other was life ins and the store manager that knows nothing about the pharmacy gave her $50 gift card. Our pharmacists were also told this week that their time to four point and visual verify the scripts should be 20 seconds or less if their not doing it in this time their too slow and their name will show up on a report and they will get in trouble. Its gotten to the point where its no longer a pharmacy I feel like I go to work at a bar constantly being yelled at occasionally get stuff thrown at me (the milk we have to scan out at the register) pharmacies are longer considered professional theire places druggies go to get their fix. (one package of syringes and one box of sudafed coming up oh yea and let me scan out your cigs while Im at it)

Comment by St on 2011-03-21 04:11:11 -0700 #

Ok, so you are in a service profession and you don’t like serving people…uh go into a new profession! You should have been able to figure out at a young age you didn’t want to deal with the general idiocy of the public, then factor in you are dealing with sick people more often than say a waiter (whom are treated at least as poorly as your average pharm)i think you better like dealing with people!! I’m just saying…

Comment by pharmacyslave2000 on 2011-03-21 05:15:30 -0700 #

As a Rite Aid pharmacist I’d like to thank those of you who have posted that you called/emailed the corporate office to voice your displeasure with the new 15 min. program. Customer opinions are ALWAYS more important to corporate than employee opinions. Please have everyone you know send an email to the company.

Comment by letsrant on 2011-03-21 08:00:50 -0700 #

bcmigal, i agree with you that no one “(regardless of his/her salary) should have to tolerate conditions that compromise public safety.” you can certainly make a stand and not follow stupid policy. just make sure you have a good lawyer. but i disagree with your earlier statement about “We are not exactly rolling in the dough.” pharmacists do make good living and face much less liability compared to some other professions. there is nothing wrong with that. infact, that makes pharmacy a very smart and attractive profession. look at how many pharmacy schools sprouting out there. and no, i don’t think anyone should give out coupons to idiots who cannot spell, read, write or even understand what’s infront of him. i certainly never did. but yes, if you can’t hack it, you will be replaced because there are lots of new bloods who will jump in the pool of sharks, brainwashed. so it’s a choice after all. if you really need the money, stay and be miserable and let off some steam on sites like these. a lot of us do. it’s just a job after all. however, if you can live with less materialistic needs, get out and enjoy life. a few of us did. which one is more important to you?

Comment by I’m Out on 2011-03-21 08:31:23 -0700 #

Dear Dr. Rection,

I would love to read your book, should you ever choose to publish it. In fact, even though it’s nonexistent at this time, I believe it should be required reading during pre-pharm academic studies in the (very near) future for their sake. I’ve bought and read DrugMonkey’s book, made my wife read it, and will soon force my parents (who thought a career in pharmacy would be a good thing for me) to read it as well. I’ll be looking for a new profession soon, and I wish the best of luck to all who decide to stay on or are forced to stay on due to financial obligations. Good Luck.

Comment by AMKJUD on 2011-03-21 09:42:51 -0700 #

Long time lurker here. Sorry to post an unrelated question, but can anyone point me in the direction of an online forum where pharmacists can discuss medication-related questions. (Right now I have some querries spefically with compounding suspensions.) Thanks!

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-03-21 21:00:38 -0700 #

Thanks…as I drive around in my 12 year old car wearing the clothes I bought at Target..I will remember how materialistic I am…

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-03-21 21:17:07 -0700 #

You missed it! Forced immunizing is already upon us! Every single pharmacist at last year’s training was threatened with a transfer if he/she refused to immunize. Flu shots are to be offered on demand during every shift at any time . Oh, wait! i am not supposed to complain because I make “the big bucks”.

Comment by mkytech on 2011-03-21 22:47:55 -0700 #

Also a WAG tech, and unfortunately, we have a store manager that will cave and give a gift card if a customer so much as raises their voice. I once had a lady in my drive thru give me an insurance card that was so worn through that you couldn’t read the ID #. After trying a couple of variations, I told her to call her insurance company to get HER ID#, since there were cars lining up behind her. Well, she got very upset that *I* wouldn’t call in the middle of our busy rush hour at 5:00 in the afternoon. I told her that it was HER responsibility to contact HER insurance company to present us with accurate information so we could know how to bill her prescription.

She left, and then called the store and complained. The manager gave her a $25 gift card. I was furious. Oh, and to top it all off, the drug needed a Prior Auth….I was LOLing at that one. I half expected to see another gift card go out after I saw that.

I do think that it depends on the store manager and/or district with WAGs. I am glad that we don’t do the transfer gift cards as a chain though, or the $4 flat rate RX’s. I cringe every time I hear the words, “my doctor said this would be $4” cross a customer’s lips.

Comment by Andizzle on 2011-03-22 06:19:45 -0700 #

I’m so glad New York State banned the 15 minute or less program at Rite Aid. I wouldn’t wanna deal with a horde of patients standing at the pick up line demanding gift cards.

Comment by Boxed Whine on 2011-03-22 07:06:25 -0700 #

15 Minutes?! I would not go to a pharmacy with such a promise. I am no pharm.D or Tech, but I feel that time is needed to get things just right. I don’t mind dropping off my scripts in the afternoon then coming back for them after dinner. What concerns me is that pharmacies have lots of people coming in with scripts. Does Rite aid sincerely believe that the Rx Faerie will magically get a script done, with counseling folks, with difficult people….in 15 minutes?

Comment by Mark on 2011-03-22 21:21:00 -0700 #

When I used to work for Walgreens, I said ‘Quick or Correct. Your choice!’ I’m now at an indy Compounding Pharmacy and my PIC absolutely WILL NOT be rushed. She also does not accept reimbursement losses; if we’re not making a profit, we’re not filling the script. TAP, you rock!

Comment by letsrant on 2011-03-23 07:13:37 -0700 #

LOL! fine, you win 🙂

Comment by Linda on 2011-03-23 14:04:52 -0700 #

I’ve prepared my family: if I can find another job outside of retail I’m taking it and I know it’s going to be a huge paycut. I’m miserable in retail.

Comment by Linda on 2011-03-23 14:08:22 -0700 #

Debbie — I know what you mean. I’m feeling more and more hopeless everyday.

Comment by Linda on 2011-03-23 14:16:44 -0700 #

Pharmacists and pharmacy techs love patients/customers like you! Thank you for treating us with respect and for being responsible for your own healthcare needs.

Comment by Linda on 2011-03-23 14:19:18 -0700 #

CVS DM’s and pharmacy supervisors all have brown spots on the tips of noses.

Comment by Linda on 2011-03-23 14:26:02 -0700 #

I couldn’t agree more! I’ve started to really hate people.

Comment by Linda on 2011-03-23 14:38:46 -0700 #

Everyone — check out OSHA’s Workplace Violence Policy guidelines. Every workplace (including all our stupid corp retail pharmacies) has a workplace violence policy — it’s federal law. Check out a copy at your place of employment and I’ll be willing to bet you that your company has a ZERO TOLERANCE workplace violence policy. Hold your management to it — if someone threatens you verbally or in any way tries to intimidate you — tell management how “frightened” you are and how “scary” this person seems to you and all the while document, document, document. Fire unruly customers/patients and tell them to never come back to your pharmacy. Document in their electronic file and then call your supervisor and tell them if the person shows up again you’ll call 911, file a police report including taking out a warrant.

Comment by Linda on 2011-03-23 14:45:27 -0700 #

Love it! Thanks for the tips! Please, I’ll read the book!

Comment by DawgDoc on 2011-03-23 14:48:29 -0700 #

On top of the 15 min guarantee and mandatory immunization training now RA is cutting payroll hours pretty much in half in the Southeast ( as far as we know) We have been cut to 36 tech hrs a week (down from 59) Slower stores cut to 20 hrs. We are open 77 hrs a week. And they want us to work in flu shots too? Really?

Comment by Patty on 2011-03-23 20:38:24 -0700 #

This is the kind of stuff that is ruining our profession as well as all the private fly by night schools that are opening up and giving every Jack and Jane a PharmD degree. The students coming out of these “institutions” are absolutely retarded. We should get together as a profession and demand more for our future!

Comment by foreignpharm on 2011-03-23 20:43:51 -0700 #

That is your problem. You (and I mean the whole pharmacy staff) should have stand and say to the mngmnt that you did nothing wrong and if someone did it was the mngmnt for receiving rx back.
What would the mngmnt do? Fire you all? Everybody knows it woudn’t happen because a. who would run the pharmacy and b. the lawsuit you would have filed would have cover you for years.

Comment by Oz on 2011-03-24 10:12:10 -0700 #

Hey! I have an MBA! It was a lot easier than Pharmacy School and I got a lot better GPA.

Oz

Comment by Bettie P on 2011-03-25 04:51:39 -0700 #

Here is the reply:
“The way our systems are set up the pharmacist will no be rushed. Also, this
is on maintenance medications and prescription that do not require calls to
insurance and so forth. It was researched and piloted thoroughly before
being implemented to all locations. We appreciate your concern and thank you
for taking the time to contact us.”

Corey
Customer Support

Comment by Jeff on 2011-03-25 15:13:51 -0700 #

That may be the case, but it doesn’t make it any less illegal. Any rebate/coupon/discount/gift card received as a result of the the state/fed government purchasing prescriptions or other services must be paid to the governmental agency that is funding the purchase. Do people obey this law? Sometimes. Do pharmacies get busted for doing this? sometimes. When Walgreens opened their first store in my town, they were giving away free radios to everyone who transfered their Rx’s there. They got nailed because they were giving them to people on Medicaid. But the only reason they got in trouble was because some of the local independents alerted the State to what was going on.

Comment by Jeff on 2011-03-25 15:17:39 -0700 #

What makes you think he wouldn’t make as much money?

Comment by Jeff on 2011-03-25 15:37:55 -0700 #

Instead of using Walgreens use an independent. Usually faster, will go out of their way to treat you better, and the most overlooked reason to go independent, if it isn’t covered by insurance, they are usually cheaper than most of the chains. Costco is the only one who is close to our cash prices. Most the time our prices are 30% lower than Walgreens (yes 30%).

Comment by Vince Marino on 2011-03-26 15:07:09 -0700 #

“people don’t die from a cold pizza.”

Didn’t the half-hour pizza guarantee burn-up in flames cause delivery guys were running people down trying to get to the next house?

🙂 TOTALLY AGREE!!! I’m tired of the whole “squeaky wheel” syndrome!

Comment by Vince Marino on 2011-03-26 15:09:23 -0700 #

“I hate to see a health care facility becomes a fast food joint.”

…and how many times does McDonald’s fuck up orders? 1:3? 1:4?

Comment by MNRPh on 2011-03-26 21:33:49 -0700 #

I work for one of the big corporations and I am more than a little skeptical of these “pilot” stores for company initiatives. I have a feeling that if the corporate rep stuck their asshole on their chin, they’d tell them it smelled like chocolate chip cookies.

Comment by cari on 2011-03-27 01:20:23 -0700 #

I work for CVS and it is getting worse and worse. Cutting staff so bad that we are running on weekend hours on busy weekday nights so backed up there are 50 rxs in red, people are mad because their rxs were called in 6 to 7 hrs earlier and still not filled. I go to work everyday hing I don’t mess up

Comment by I_hatemyjob on 2011-03-27 14:48:02 -0700 #

Fuck up orders are one thing, did you ever ask while ordering in McDonald how long you have to wait? If they say the wait time is 20 minutes, do you tell them that you will be right back, or do you say I have not time I need to go now.

Comment by Ozzie West on 2011-03-28 11:15:50 -0700 #

Depends on count. Actually, if you are careful 100 Daily will keep you living indoors. 140 Rx/Day would be a pretty good sweet spot I am still striving for. Minimal Staff. Minimal Hassles. Turn away any Rx that does not pay and ya got yerself a professional living.

If you are paying Medicine Shoppe style franchise fees, then. No.

Oz

Comment by 009 on 2011-03-28 20:28:38 -0700 #

Holy shit! I’m graduating in one year. This will be my third occupational change. This shit is scaring me lol.

Comment by Alice Moore on 2011-03-29 07:03:17 -0700 #

I am a Tech at a chain grocery store. It does seem that a customer that holds their breath, lays on their back, and throws a hissy receives a gift card.

Comment by Alice Moore on 2011-03-29 07:09:44 -0700 #

There are three desired outcomes of a business transaction: Fast, Cheap, and High Quality. You, can’t have all three at once. In fact a couple are mutually exclusive.

Today’s consumer does not realize if they want one or two of these outcomes, there will be trade offs; as immutable as the Law of Physics.

Comment by Yasmine on 2011-03-29 15:07:16 -0700 #

I know right!? You know they seriously need to separate the pharmacy from the store more. The pharmacy has become a store check-out counter for customers who don’t want to wait in line up front. It’s all a tactic to save money on another employee’s wages up front, whyyyyyy do that when you can get some1 who is alraedy working there and getting paid either way to do it (pharmacy techs.)!?
Answering the drug questions I raelized from personal experience, doctors aren’t telling their patients JACK about the prescriptions! They are just like “ok I’m going to prescribe you this drug for you ” and let the pharmacist deal with the questions.

Comment by Commonsenserph on 2011-03-30 17:40:56 -0700 #

I heard there might be a class action law suit to CVS for Overtime and skipping meals and breaks for pharmacist in Minnesota. Check it out- search under classaction in google.

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-03-30 19:26:20 -0700 #

I feel sorry for you. Good luck.

Comment by fmaon06 on 2011-03-31 08:00:45 -0700 #

Just so everyone knows what happened, the pharmacist that was on staff the night he made a ruckus declared him as banned from the pharmacy. That didn’t last long though, ’cause he’s back again. We have a few maintenance meds ready for him, but we still don’t have a generic for the Tricor. He came in and complained that we still haven’t contacted the doctor on it, and the pharmacy manager said that the patient would need to do it himself. The patient declared that this is a job between the pharmacist and the doctor, and he has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Glad to know he stuck with us just to be a pain….

Comment by astonski on 2011-03-31 14:01:17 -0700 #

Hey Angry love the comment. I am a foreighn pharmacist working for wrong-aid. I hate working there so much to the relief of many other US pharmacists I may be returning to my home country!! I get paid half as much in my home country but at least I have a life there (no 13 hour days) and have a union to back me up if my employers act unfairly!!I want to hear some opinions of American born pharmacists what they think of us non-americans working here.

After 1.5 years working here in the USA all I can conclude is these shitty companies can’t find American Pharmacists willing to work for them so they hire foreigners. One condition that we get a visa to work in the usa is our employer cannot find an American who is qualified to do the job. If during the visa process an american does apply for the job the visa is denied and the company is legally obliged to employ the american. Now I know why Americans don’t want to work for Wrong Aid!!!

Comment by Do ya have da blue watsons? on 2011-04-01 10:32:11 -0700 #

Quit the chain that was doing the bribery thing almost 1 year ago(but why hate the cards? the patient spends it in your store & adds to sales- WTF lets classify shoplifting as sales while we’re at. Either way they are getting something they don’t deserve for free). Not doing that bs has removed a ton of stress & time killing asskissing off me. Its much better so I can spend that valuable time on the phone with their insurance co. Great atricle, counting down the years to retire & yes the chains are bleeding us to death by a 1000 tiny cuts every way imaginable

Comment by Do ya have da blue watsons? on 2011-04-01 10:35:05 -0700 #

retail sucks been out for 15 years & each year the bs gets worse. IMHO CVS by far the evilist of retail.

Comment by Do ya have da blue watsons? on 2011-04-01 10:37:04 -0700 #

I quit them almost 1 year ago and couldn’t be happier. They are by far the worse. Cheated us out of holiday pay. Bastards

Comment by I_hatemyjob on 2011-04-02 14:32:00 -0700 #

Sorry to hear that. Ya, it is a very bad timimg to graduate from pharmacy school now. In the retail sectors, it is hard to find a store, if you do not mind to float. However even floating, you may not get 40 hours a week. If you do have good GPA then try to do a residency. After that you can be a clinical pharmacist and pretend yourself as a doctor, Doctor of Pharmacy that is, in the hsopital.

Comment by SN on 2011-04-02 22:19:16 -0700 #

Vaccinations and simple drug monitoring for diabetics, hyperlipidemia, anticoag, and hypertension are going to be the thing that keeps retail corps from slashing our salaries. I dislike pharmacists who refuse to immunize; would you rather be paid $50,000/year for what you really do then? Just counting pills? We cannot reasonably expect to be paid a 6 figure salary without going into the clinical areas of pharmacy more. Also we need to form unions. Pharmacists are the most selfish bunch I’ve ever seen and they do not look forward; all they care about is their next paycheck, no matter what the cost to their mental and physical health. Masochists.

Comment by SN on 2011-04-02 22:40:07 -0700 #

If you refuse to accept the necessary approaching clinical aspects of pharmacy, expect a pay cut to just count pills. I did not go into pharmacy to count pills. Pharmacists who oppose vaccination rights are bringing down the profession. What makes you think you deserve 6 figures for getting screamed at all day and putting pills in a bottle and answering stupid questions? That’s not a health care professional. Form a union and accept clinical pharmacy.

Comment by SN on 2011-04-02 22:42:51 -0700 #

There was a very simple and calm way to explain that situation, and the patient was right in a sense. I hate when MDs prescribe shit that’s expensive as hell that has a generic in the same class that works just as well, and no pharmacist gives a shit about this. Start giving a shit! Your profession depends on it!

Comment by SN on 2011-04-02 22:44:56 -0700 #

It’s called manufacturer backorder. God, you’re like my mother.

Comment by Emily on 2011-04-03 14:57:45 -0700 #

I love love love that you stuck the 15 minute jab in there when addressing rite aid, and DEAR GOD can we get someone from corporate to look at this article? NO MORE FIFTEEN MINUTES! No more gift cards! No more catering to whiny low-lifes!
Also enjoyed the comments from fellow \associates\ (what kind of lame term is that? Supposed to make us feel higher and more important than employees? Like… team-mates? HA)

I agree that a stand must be made to not support asshat behaviour. Bravo.

Comment by 09pharmdiva on 2011-04-03 20:19:29 -0700 #

Amen! Amen! #thatisall

Comment by Pharmacist Bob on 2011-04-04 04:58:30 -0700 #

I have promoted your site at the new pharmacist society site. I could use some help over there kicking some corporate ass verbally of course. I believe a union is needed at all of the chains. The site is kind of interesting, not as good as this one for content, but check it out. http://pharmacistsociety.skipta.com/signin.aspx The one thing it does offer is the use of free video chat. I have not tried it yet. I am pharmacist bob at that site too!

Comment by Stephanie on 2011-04-04 12:00:19 -0700 #

Please see a blog post in The Philadelphia Inquirer written by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices’ president Michael Cohen regarding the dangerous “15-minute prescription guarantee.”

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthcare/Dont-let-speed-determine-your-choice-of-pharmacy.html

http://www.ismp.org

Comment by I_hatemyjob on 2011-04-04 12:16:16 -0700 #

Emily, I am sure there is someone from corporated saw the comments. But there is always two sides of story. For those people who invented this, they would claim the program was piloted in certain markets and people loved it. So, no matter what we tried to say in here, the program will go on. But I want to make a prediction that the program will not last beyond this summer. The probelm is not 15 minutes the probelm is when one advertised. As pharmacists we all know we can finish a priscription less than 15 minutes after the lable is printed. But then will you argue with customers either it is his/her definition of 15 minutes or my definition of 15 minutes?

Comment by niterph-pacingmyselfsargeant on 2011-04-04 14:27:04 -0700 #

So many holes in this \reasoning\ that I don’t even know where to start. LOL. SN, you are hilarious.

Comment by Maggie on 2011-04-04 16:11:09 -0700 #

Lmaooo….oh man this too freakin funny cuz it’s absafreakinlutley true. Good job guy.

Comment by Pharmacist Bob on 2011-04-05 04:13:49 -0700 #

I agree, we need to unionize and we need class action law suits and new laws. The chains owe the profession an apology, give us a gift card. You’ve got 15 minute waits, big brother monitoring in every metric you can imagine, it’s simply disgusting. I have linked angrypharmacist from the new social site that drug store news has called the pharmacistsociety.com I could use a little of your help over there pumping this issue. We need to get angry!

Comment by DouchPert on 2011-04-05 11:09:29 -0700 #

Sure, I’ll explain that for you… It’s the equivalent to a 16-foot canoe full of effluent from the douching of a nasty STD-ridden hellhole of a cunt that can’t keep from popping out useless bastard Concerta-fed shit-fucks creating an entirely tax-fed drain on society just so the poor teachers of this fine country can keep their sanity while trying to make up for the piss-poor or non-existent parental guidence provided by said cunts.

Comment by DouchPert on 2011-04-05 11:21:11 -0700 #

try pharmacist’s letter.

Comment by Marcia on 2011-04-05 14:44:28 -0700 #

I agree with most of the statements made by The Angry Pharmacist but would have preferred a little nicer language. Anger can be expressed without swearing and is much more persuasive if it does not offend the reader. Actually I find the low prices and gift cards from the chains lots of fun. I just bring in new scripts every time I go to the chains and get a three month supply of my meds for $10 plus a $10 gift card. Maybe if we all did that, we could bankrupt the chains and go back to real pharmacies where the pharmacist is more interest in patient care than following silly corporate rules. I have worked for most of the big chains during my career and they are equally horrible. There aren’t enough independent pharmacies around here but I have been able to practice “real” pharmacy at clinics and longterm care. Many years ago I was involved in trying to bring a union to a large chain. Unions are almost as bad as the chains themselves and have no interest in supporting good pharmacy practice. What we really need is for all healthcare professionals to stand together for our patient’s sake and fight the chains and insurance companies and bring medicine back to the healthcare professionals.

Comment by fmaon06 on 2011-04-06 20:36:24 -0700 #

No, that’s just the thing. The patient wasn’t right at all. The situation was calmly explained to him, but he refused to leave until he got all of his money back. He didn’t want to return the medication, just get his money. Wtf. The pharmacy manager wasn’t there that night, so the pharmacist on duty had no authorization to give him ANY money back. Sure, he was upset, but the fact that he threatened the pharmacist to physically harm her to the point where she felt scared to go home, lest he follow her there, is insane.

There is NO generic in the same class as that medication. And the fact that he expects us to call EVERY doctor to change EVERY prescription we ever get to GENERIC is lunacy. We cannot possibly do that for every patient. We could do it if a patient requested it politely, or obviously if a medication is no longer made. But damn, for EVERY brand medication? Without specifically asking for us to do so? We’re not mind-readers.

We later offered to give him a $50 gift card, but he bitched so much that he got all his money back, plus some. And he kept the medication. We can’t even send that back to warehouse now for credit…. If he has such a problem with brand medications he should tell his DOCTOR right away so that he can get a GENERIC prescription. He refuses to tell his doctor anything and expects us to be his messengers. Damn, have some say in your own health care.

He came in with another prescription the other day for Factive, a $240 antibiotic. We didn’t have it in stock (thank goodness) so I had to send him to another pharmacy. Wonder how that worked out…

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-04-07 10:16:39 -0700 #

Great article. Thanks for the link…now if only the general public would take it seriously.

Comment by bcmigal on 2011-04-07 10:30:09 -0700 #

These law suits seem to be perpetual. But even if the corporation has to pay a fine, that money is pocket change to them.

Comment by Pat Walling on 2011-04-07 15:44:20 -0700 #

I can’t even believe this. How does it make for good business to cater to these whiny entitled bastards? Sometimes I wonder if I should just act like I should get shit if anything ever goes wrong, just to make life easier on myself, but it’s BS and goes against like everything I think is good. But I could never, NEVER work in customer service. I just couldn’t give people what they expected.
You should read this site, http://notalwaysright.com/. Funny shit, if horribly horribly depressing. The state of things is awful these days.

Um, somewhat unrelated, do you accept guest postings?

Comment by wizard of odd on 2011-04-07 20:59:18 -0700 #

SN
Please note that to offer professional services such as proper confidential medication counseling, immunizations, and the like will (or should) require the proper environment in which to do these things. Offering to counsel at a booth within hearing range of others or offering to immunize in a communal waiting area does not look very professional. As long as all the non-pharmacists are making these decisions, then poor decisions will be made. It is ok for you to promote these services, but you should concentrate on the TOTAL PACKAGE… What is next? Immunizations in the hip so the patient can drop his/her pants in the waiting area or someone in the drive-thru can stick their ass up to the window???

Comment by Marcia on 2011-04-09 18:18:57 -0700 #

Try Paddocklabs.com. Ask the pharmacist

Comment by Sabrina Fair, PharmD on 2011-04-09 18:41:50 -0700 #

I’m Out,

Just curious. Which new profession(s) are you looking into?

Thanks ahead for response…

Comment by Sabrina Fair, PharmD on 2011-04-09 18:54:39 -0700 #

Do ya have da blue watsons?,

What type of pharmacy practice did you switch to after leaving retail and how do you like it? (assuming you remained in pharmacy practice)

Thanks,
Breeny

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-04-09 22:42:17 -0700 #

Judging by the response from corporate regarding the terroristic threats to your life you must work for the Hitler chain, CVS. These cocksuckers look at you as body that by current law must be there to fill prescriptions for money to be made. That’s it. End of story.

Regarding that asshole customer: If he came in for anything but an inexpensive generic I wouldn’t have it in stock. Just remember to be nice and fake concern when you tell him you don’t have it. NEVER offer to call another pharmacy UNLESS he asks/tells you to do so. If you must cover your tracks move the drug to a different – the wrong place – on the shelf.

I bet it felt good when you didn’t have the Factive in stock and sent the asshole packing. You were happy and he was miserable, and that is the way it should be. Try it more often because apparently it worked like a charm. You have the technique mastered and didn’t even realize it. Act the same way when you DO HAVE the drug in stock.

I hate to say it, but unless you become proactive things will only get worse.

Comment by Pharmacist Bob on 2011-04-10 06:16:29 -0700 #

When I see a high copay-I let them know the options, such as contacting md for change of med.

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-04-11 19:56:20 -0700 #

The pricks in upper-management will suck any dick to keep a customer happy. A phamacist could save a life by not filling a drug because of a severe interaction, and if the customer complained LOUD enough and LONG enough, a gift card would be issued.

I fill scripts accurately and that’s about it. What the Doc writes is exactly what the customer gets, right or wrong. As long as it will not harm the customer – I mean patient – out the door it goes. And if there is a problem I can’t ignore I fax the asshole physician.

Next to corporate jerks and ignorant customers, physicians piss me off to no end. Their sloppy writing and signatures you can’t read, their refusal to note their NPI and DEA numbers on the Rx, and the number of mistakes these elitists make is mind numbing. I stopped letting them stroke me years ago. I owe them nothing, and that’s exactly what they get from me.

Years ago when I cared I used to go to work with a headache. Now I go into work like I am a chef. I follow the recipe and bake it right, but once the food is prepared and served correctly, I don’t care if the customer shoves the steak straight up his own ass or chokes on the damn thing.

I am happy and getting paid six figures to not give a shit. When you look at it my way you may actually come to realize pharmacy is not so bad after all.

Comment by crusty rph on 2011-04-12 05:53:44 -0700 #

As an owner, I can tell you your boss fucked up by the numbers. He should have been the one to give the customer the coupon, if that was his decision. Then appoligised to you and explained why he did it. You could never make this customer happy, but he/she should have explained to the customer that, you, the rph did exactly the right thing. The manager traded a customer (that comes twice a month) for an employee (that comes in 5 days a week). Who adds more productivity and profit? I usually give the patient 2 chances to become a good patient. Sort of like training your kid. The second time, I explain that we are doing the best we can, and if it is not good enough, it would be best to have them transfered elsewhere. If you do this quietly and on the side, so that no one else can hear, they will get the point. If they make a big scene – fuck em. The rest of the customers appreciate you standing up for what is right. The good customers are on your side.

As for those of you dissappointed in your profession – it is just what you put into it. For every asshole patient, remember there are 20 that appreciate the service you provide. Do it the right way – no exceptions. If your manager gets on your ass, politely ask him if he would prefer an badgered pharmacist or a content pharamcist filling his childrens prescriptions.

Comment by crusty rph on 2011-04-12 05:59:55 -0700 #

There is also a $150K student loan to pay off.

Comment by Harper on 2011-04-13 17:59:43 -0700 #

Sorry Dr. Hugh…Pharmacy (at least the chain kind) is very bad. Maybe you can rationalize being at the bottom of the food chain by being paid a lot of money but it is getting harder and harder for me. If pharmacy is a profession at all it is because of the pay and maybe a rapidly deteriorating public perception. Soon (I predict)the pay will be rapidly deteriorating too. It reads like you are on the downhill run as am I. To you newbies..If you think that chain pharmacy is a profession you had best stand by. It is a low skilled ..low responsibility and soon to be a low paid job. You will have little to nothing to say about how it is performed. Your hard won drug knowledge will be squandered…and you will be on the receiving end of horrendous bills…DO NOT say you were not warned.

Harper

Comment by Harper on 2011-04-13 18:09:39 -0700 #

Oh, and one other thing….give the doctors and nurses a break….while you are busily counting by 30’s and jousting with insurance companies they may very likely be dealing with a couple of medi-vac admits. A close up and personal nut case…cuttings…shootings…grieving families…..shrieking kiddies…well you would get the idea if you ever did it….so who cares if the signature is bad…pick somebody out….is augmentin 875 always bid? hey …. make it so….10 days even? Yikes..what a decision…..20 tabs? go for it….The boards are much too lazy to nail you for such devil may care decisions.

Harper

Comment by ERCHARGERN on 2011-04-14 11:03:42 -0700 #

Yes, in the ER once we had the nursing student in the family tell us how horrible our care was to PAPA. it went on for 6 hours…… They got Starbucks gift cards in their names. every family member, to which I marched my nurse ass over to STARBUCKS with those cards AND BOUGHT EVERY STAFF MEMBER A FRAPPACHINO that had to put up with their BS that shift… IT WAS EXHILARATING!!!!!! and I didn’t tell anyone till now……..WAHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhh so there.

Comment by RXbiddy on 2011-04-14 20:59:04 -0700 #

It is people like you that make it worthwhile to come to work. Thank you!

Comment by always pharmacy’s fault on 2011-04-15 18:10:57 -0700 #

Ahhh! just gotta share that i’m always wrong! pharmacist’s are always the one the finger gets pointed at. oh, your doc put in the orders under the wrong doc, hmmm…my fault. oh, you didn’t realize there’s no refills on perocet…my fault. you havent’ had your meds filled in 4 mohths and you want them today–oh shit! they’re expired! my fault. doc put the wrong strength/med in and i had to call b/c it looked funny (saved your fn life btw)…again my fault b/c you had to wait. SOOOOO SORRY! next time i’ll just let you die. i wouldn’t do that, but it’s just all day holding shit in like that. had to let it go. don’t people realize we’re like their fucking guardian angels!!!

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-04-15 20:29:36 -0700 #

DouchPert you have a way with words. Love it. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Comment by Biscuit on 2011-04-16 13:44:38 -0700 #

As a tech, this is spot on. Bravo. I work at Rite Aid. They stole my benefits, keep me underemployed and suggest that giving out gift cards to people who don’t pay co-pays is a good idea.

I have to wear that stupid button every day. If I become a lifer in the pharmacy, I will hate myself forever.

Comment by Dani on 2011-04-16 22:14:24 -0700 #

Seriously, Harper? Apparently YOU have never lived through a pharmacy board OR insurance company inspection. They DO care about such (what did you call them – oh yeah “devil may care decisions) and they aren’t “to lazy” to care. Pharmacies are fined for shit like that! Insurance companies yank back the money they’ve paid for rx’s if they find errors in dispensing (MEDICAID is notorious for that). So, quit YOUR whining about your job and just f’n DO IT. Leave off the ruddy comments about jobs you have NO CLUE about … if you’d ever worked in a retail pharmacy, I seriously doubt you’d be so glib with your remarks…

Comment by Harper on 2011-04-18 17:13:44 -0700 #

Like I wrote…..don’t say you weren’t warned

Comment by Hippie Chick on 2011-04-18 18:31:13 -0700 #

Me too. When I got my meds, (& I get lots, never early, never NEVER!) the pharmacist asked me last time if I wanted them in 15 minutes. I said “Um, no. In fact, I can pick them up in a few hours” & in my head, please get them right. (They know me, & one pharmacist told me I was her favorite 🙂 Ya see, I’m nice. I don’t complain, I don’t care about generics, I don’t care if they have the whole lot of them or need to give me half today & half tomorrow. And again, I don’t fill early, I don’t have excuses, I don’t play games. That just pisses me off. It really sucks pharmacists have to deal with a-holes that play games like that. Not only are said assholes being selfish about the fact that it’s YOUR job & well-being on the line, but they are effing with their lives. Idiots. *rant over*

Comment by Ryan on 2011-04-19 07:38:02 -0700 #

Im not a pharmacist, tech or other. Just a customer who was looking for infant dye free tylenol (Which they didnt have) Why would they use dye in children’s medicine that they are going to spit out anyway is beyond me.

While I was looking, I was overhearing a conversation between a customer and the tech and it was verbatim what I have read here.

Customer: I would like a refill on my medication
Tech: There are no refills
Customer: It says it on my bottle
Tech: There are no refills, I will have to send a fax to your doctor.
Customer: Should I come back in 20 minutes
Tech: I dont know when he will respond
Customer: I will shop at Dominicks and come back in a half hour.

OMG, insane. When they fax my doctor for medication, it takes almost a day if not longer.

Especially if I have to go to multiple pharmacies to get my Oxycontin from my multiple doctors!!!

Comment by Daddyjaxx on 2011-04-19 13:39:43 -0700 #

I work on the opposite end at a drug wholesaler. We are the ones that the pharmacist gets to yell at because we sent Avandia instead of Viagra or that today is the 30th and sorry, you have reached your hydrocodone dosage limit for the month and you can’t order anymore until the 1st.

On a personal note, I give my pharmacist grief all of the time. Why is she ringing me up when one tech is slurping a drink in the corner and another is talking on her cell. I mention that she did not go to college and pharmacy school to be a cashier. Pharmacists should be doing what they went to school to do and make sure I am not going to die or have bad side effects.

I have nothing but respect for everything that you go through. While patiently waiting for a script one day, some old man had the pharmacist practically in tears because he dropped off his empty bottle for a refill the day before and it wasn’t ready. He couldn’t even tell her the name of the medication. I may be anal, but I know all of the medicines that I take and how often.

I can’t give each of you enough praise for the hard work that you do. Ultimately, you are the ones that shelter and feed me as my job is dependant upon your happiness.

Cheers and remember” Always be kinder than necessary, for everyone is fighting some sort of battle.”

Comment by PY2KRP on 2011-04-19 18:46:42 -0700 #

Rite Aid I work at certainly does price match

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-04-19 22:32:25 -0700 #

Unfortunately, Harper, you are correct. I have accepted the fact that I, as a pharmacist, am the asshole of the medical profession just waiting to get rolled over and done dry. I am not trying to rationalize being the turd at the bottom of the bowl, it’s just a fact I have accepted.

The chain stores, the uncaring pharmacy boards, and we as pharmacists are to blame. It just gets worse and worse with every passing week. I have adopted the mentality I have as a matter of self preservation. My only defense was to roll into the fetal position and allow myself to get violated in every orifice and smile about it because no one will back you if you resist. We are the whores for physicians, nurses, insurance companies, asshole giftcard seeking customers and corporate. Just try and practice good pharmacy nowadays and see how long you last.

Who speaks for us? And don’t say the APhA. That shithole of an organization is bought and paid for by CVS and Rite Aid. If you are a pharmacist and belong to that organization you are without a doubt stepping on your own dick. I wouldn’t urinate on the best part of that outfit if they were on their knees begging for it because it’s not worth a squirt of piss. If you are all for giving flu shots thank the cunts at the APhA.

I can’t believe I served in the Marines for six years to get the money to pay for this degree. I can’t fucking believe it. I should have dipped my dick in maple syrup and lay it in the middle of starving army ants instead.

Comment by harper on 2011-04-20 07:44:35 -0700 #

Being a Marine (or actually almost any GI) is like being the anti-pharmacist. The average PFC has more autonomy…ability to lead..and take charge personality….very hard to shoehorn into the wimpy job of chain druggist…Anybody in that position considering R.PH? See “best stand by” above…I can’t think about this anymore Good Luck to all

Harper

Comment by charlie sheen rph on 2011-04-20 19:26:51 -0700 #

These pharmacists need to start documenting everything. Get copies of the corporate emails stating these requirements. Document conversations with store and district management. Then write a formal complaint to their state board of pharmacy.

Comment by HeadAssHat on 2011-04-21 03:59:33 -0700 #

As a patient I see that a good portion of your anger is directed at the customers that you serve. While it is true that a certain number of these may be obusive to the pharmacy staff in many ways due to the fact that they are assholes in everyday life, I would like to remind “you” the “professionals” that you have a great deal of education and knowledge concerning prescriptive practice, treatment protocol, and most importantly patient practices that may lead to an interuption of healthcare or a sacrafice in the quality of healthcare due an angry pharmacist flamming a doc about a patient requesting early prescriptions. This would be fine and dandy if the patient were aware of this possible sacrafice as a consequence of an early refill request but often times this is not the case. On the one hand I see well healed professionals with years of education, doctors and pharmacists operating within a set of protocols regaurding prescriptive practice that Joe Average knows nothing about, with the consequence being that Joe is struck out at the plate before he is even aware he is at a baseball game. Joe is only a high school graduate and they didn’t play baseball at his high school.. If you think that is a fair and courtious way to treat people then how about you let me make the rules about who gets computer tech support, and you can come to see me the next time you have a computer problem…… I could ruin your quality of tech support for life before you ever knew what hit you. Guaranteed!

Comment by Andrea on 2011-04-21 07:01:37 -0700 #

I too am a pharmacist and I do agree, many time I can not fill a prescription with in 15 minutes. My chain store is always under staffed. Please public consider your safety, you wait at the doctor’s office for hours but you want your medication in 15 minutes or less.

Comment by Rphlooosers on 2011-04-23 13:50:35 -0700 #

You fucken loser ass morons..you are supposed to be educated professionals on here calling patients names, whining about the chains, doing it for the money etc pieces of shit losers all of you..you’d suck no matter what job you had because you are useless assholes.. By the way fuck sticks if you are filling 100 a day (12 hrs) that’s about 9 rx’s an hour or more than 2 every 15 mins on average DUH Winning! Demeaning the “profession” ha .. You fucking count pills and put them in a bottle and are pissed if an employer wants you to actually act like a healthcare prossional. Not possible to demean a profession of losers..

Comment by Amy on 2011-04-23 21:03:17 -0700 #

is your pharmacy hiring? For the love of christ, I work at Walgreens. Please help me.

Comment by Rx4Life on 2011-04-26 13:38:05 -0700 #

Well I am not some idiot or moron as you describe. This coming from someone with that name.

Bottom line is that when you graduated, you took the oath to try and help people to the best of your ability.

How they treated you back was never part of the discussion. It is what it is. Deal with it. It’s not like you aren’t compensated enough for it.

Comment by Rx4Life on 2011-04-26 13:43:16 -0700 #

And this is why the profession is failing as a whole, people like you. Everyone pisses you off. Well get in line. How many people do you piss off in a day? And yet you are more than happy to reign in the salary as you said.

Pathetic.

Comment by kaiser rph on 2011-04-26 20:24:22 -0700 #

I was a company man when I started pharmacy. Now I no longer consider this to be a career, now it’s just a job. A piece of me dies everyday when I have to deal with what rolls into the pharmacy. The big chains basically turned this profession to sh*t, and we pharmacist sat back and let it happen. Why, because they gave us money, a lot of money. Standing all day, ringing phones, 15 min wait times, no breaks, disrespect, florescent lights, on hold with insurance companies, babies crying, people yelling…..yup, good times.

Comment by Dr. K on 2011-04-27 05:38:38 -0700 #

Well, I think we became fast-foolish when the drive-thru was installed. Get your lazy a$$ out the car and come in. We do have the degree that let’s us put DR. In front of our names, you don’t drive up and sit in your car at your medical dr.

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-04-27 22:33:57 -0700 #

Customers will never realize that you are trying to help them because in today’s chain drugstore mentality this is a concept that doesn’t cause even one neuron to fire in said customers mush, once considered a brain.

The days of one respecting the pharmacist are long gone. Pharmacists are now liked, but not respected. And if you show me a chain pharmacist who is well liked and is considered “nice,” I will show you a pharmacist who most likely unethical, and is most definitely bending a breaking the rules. No refills, I’ll just generate a new rx and give you another fill. CII dated for tomorrow? I’ll fill it for you now and just reverse the claim and rebill it tomorrow. Out of your Vicodin and it is Saturday? Here, I will give you six pills to hold you over till Monday. This is the happy horseshit that will get their attention and you too will be considered “nice.”

I worked with a nitwit that practiced pharmacy in this manner. It didn’t matter that I fixed 6 to 8 of his mistakes a week, the customers really liked the “nice” pharmacist. It didn’t matter that he was only marginally competent and was unethical. He gave them what they wanted when they wanted it.

Moral of the story: If you are looking for respect, a little appreciation, or even a thank you for practicing good pharmacy you can forget it. Sad, but true.

Comment by I_hatmyjob on 2011-04-28 08:22:52 -0700 #

A career??? Are you kidding me? To be a pharmacist is always a JOB never a career. Think about it, 10 years ago you count by 5, 10 years later, you still count by 5. A caeer that you can advance your skill and change your responsibilities and working acope as the time goes. If you say you can count in 5 to start, now you can count in 10 a advance in skill, then of course it is a career.

Comment by I_hatmyjob on 2011-04-28 08:28:33 -0700 #

Furst of all, I agree we do have a degree of Doctor of Pharmacy. But when you go to your PTA, do you introduce yourself as I am “DR. Jones”, I bet, you do not. Because you know if you do introduce yourself as DR, the next questions will be 1) wheere is your practice? 2) what is your specilty? or even 3) do you take new patients? This doctor degree is something you can frame and hang it to the wall, but you can not use in public. Go to all retail pharmacy and tell me you see one pharmacist has a DR in front of his/her last name or PharmD after his/her last name on the name tag.

Comment by rph3664 on 2011-04-28 19:37:07 -0700 #

Several weeks ago, I met two pharmacists who left retail in the mid 1980s for the reason you described. They both said they just can’t imagine what it’s like now, if they felt like computer operators and insurance company drones back then.

Comment by Blue Moon on 2011-04-29 05:47:10 -0700 #

From a previous rant on your website. Why don’t they offer SERVICE (Rx’s in say, 10 min vs 3 hours) rather than a CASH BRIBE to lure people in through their doors.
Now that Rita Aid is doing this you rant that they are doing something wrong. I guess you can’t win with you

Comment by FMLphrmmgr on 2011-04-29 13:03:29 -0700 #

Believe me Charlie, We’ve tried. I work for RA and I called the state board when I found out about the 15 minute program and I was told their was nothing they could do. Even the state board has lost it’s spine. It’s disgusting and should be illegal. Counting down the days til my contract is up and I can practice pharmacy the way it was meant to be practiced.

Comment by RA-RXT on 2011-04-29 20:08:34 -0700 #

At the moment they do still price match but they are doing test markets that are not price matching. HOPEFULLY to be spread out to the entire company soon

Comment by Pharmer on 2011-04-30 16:49:39 -0700 #

Kroger is ridiculous as a pharmacy!!!
The pharmacist isn’t even allowed to stock their own pharmacy, corporate comes in for them!
Sure, I don’t mind waiting 6 days for my prescription!

Comment by Ralph on 2011-05-01 11:47:28 -0700 #

The only thing that I can add is that I can either do your prescription right or I can do it fast. It’s your choice as the patient which way you want me to do it. If you choose fast, then you take the responsibility of any errors we make because you didn’t care that it was correct.

Comment by Dr.HughG.Rection on 2011-05-01 23:01:16 -0700 #

Dr.K, you are most likely a new grad who believed all the crap the pharmacy school was shoveling at you. In retail pharmacy the Dr. in front of your name and a dime might get you a cup of coffee.

If you wanted some respect a different career should have been selected, such as becoming a MD, PA, or even a CRNP.

You don’t have a drive-thru, gift cards, 15 minute guarantee, Tampax and Milky Way bars sold your Doctor’s office either.

Welcome to the world of retail pharmacy.

Comment by BandAid4RiteAid on 2011-05-02 22:07:56 -0700 #

Rx4Life writes yet another one. Based on this and past responses from you I figure you are one of the below, listed in the order of probability:

  1. You are a district manager for CVS and your nose is so far up your supervisor’s ass that you have to be Pinocchio.

  2. You are a marginal pharmacist with limited knowledge and your work is your life because you have no life. No girlfriend, no kids. Your weekends are spent watching porn and choking your chicken.

  3. You have an inferiority complex. You are most likely short, bald or balding, and enjoy reading the Harry Potter books over and over again. You gain what liitle self-confidence you have working in the pharmacy counting pills three at a time and being the “gatekeeper” of your customer’s meds. Yet you fill every Rx that passes by you without caring if his Oxycontin was filled 15 days ago for a 30 days supply. Because what the hell, he’s paying cash.

  4. You began your pharmacy career as #2, progressed to #3, and, being the major league loser you are, moved on to #1.

Now see if you can stretch that little dick of yours so it touches your ass and GO FUCK YOURSELF!

Comment by BandAid4RiteAid on 2011-05-02 22:30:31 -0700 #

The service (Rx in 15 minutes or less) is backed up with a cash bribe ($5.00 gift card if it’s not done in 15 minutes) to lure customers through the doors of Rite Aid.

It’s really sad I had to explain this to you.

Comment by Rage Against the Reich Aid Machine on 2011-05-05 20:35:50 -0700 #

HOORAY! I’m a tech for Rite Aid in PA and I agree COMPLETELY with your thoughts on the 15 min. deal. I’m always ranting about “pharmaceutical propaganda”. I won’t wear the 15 min. button. Our DM sent us a script saying how to answer the phone and push flu shots…and then, she’d randomly call to see if we were doing it.

Last October, they stopped the price matching program. There are 5 other stores within less than a mile of ours…all offering lower prices and some, like Giant Eagle, are giving certain meds for free when you pick up your script. We had a conference call and our DM actually said pharmacists MUST report anyone they hear telling the customer it was Rite Aid’s decision to cut the program. “Oh sorry, Mr. Smith we no longer price match.” “What? Why?” “Well, I just spun the big wheel of pharmaceutical karma and you’re the loser today.” Who the fuck else made the decision to stop price matching?!

The best part of the 15 min. deal is when someone drops off at the drive thru and we have to ask when they want to pick it up……….it’s always “when it’s ready!”………(head desk), so now, even if there are a bazillion baskets, the line’s a mile long at the counter and the phone keeps ringing, we MUST say we can do it in 15…………….and then the customer sits in their car and waits, holding up others at the drive thru and gets pissy if you ask them to circle around and get back in line.

Never mind RA cuts hours every week and we’re constantly short staffed.

I swear, one of these days I’m gonna be so close to the edge that when a customer says, “When it’s ready!”, I’m gonna say……….”Well, ma’am that will be when the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with fucking Mars” and walk out.

Comment by RASUCKS on 2011-05-06 10:52:21 -0700 #

It’s impossible to say how bad Rite Aid sucks. I’d leave in a minute but my area now has a pharmacy school which is pumping out grads so the job market isn’t what it used to be.

Fortunately NY banned the 15 minute program, but we are coerced into giving vaccinations. No compensation and we even have to pay for the registration out of our own pocket.

Well that’s bad enough but my store just got cut to 30+ staffing hours and we’re open 77 hours. That’s not a typo. We have to wait on the pickup, drop off, drive through, phones and do what we’re really supposed to do. Oh, then we’re supposed to give out flu shots with no compensation, no recognition, but a heaping crapload of liability.

We’re going to kill someone.

Comment by JustAsAngryTech on 2011-05-10 10:20:12 -0700 #

Until pharmacists start standing up for themselves and the profession, you can expect more of the same. You guys are the only ones with any semblance of power, and unless you use it, corporate will continue to mow you down. The suits don’t care how much you grumble and complain; you’re just an annoying gnat buzzing around their ears. Only organization and action will make the difference between you having \patients\ you care to help, and \customers\ you hate to tolerate.

Just sayin…..

Comment by BandAidForRiteAid on 2011-05-10 18:19:45 -0700 #

Upper management morons at Rite Aid and other chains think that flu shots are going to be the cash cow that saves pharmacy. The reason they believe we need a money maker to save pharmacy is due to another chain’s decision to offer $4.00 prescriptions. And naturally all the the other chainstore whores jumped on board. I just love how chainstores try to get more business by undercutting the next guy, then bitch because the bottom-line is suffering. So based on their dumb decision, they cut tech hours and put the burdon on the pharmacist to make up the difference.

The really funny thing is that with the budget shortfall in Medicare I can almost guaranteee in a few years flu shots will be a big a money loser. Just like glucose test strips and nebulizer solutions lose money when billing Medicare. So they will look for something else to make money which, as with vaccinations, is totally unrelated to the pharmacy profession.

I just do not understand why pharmacy chains are always trying to screw the next guy – and end up screwing themselves – to fill a few more scrips a week. The end result is the bottom-line suffers and so does the profession of pharmacy.

Harper and DrHugh both made some good points in their above rants. I have no idea where this profession is heading, but I am 100% sure it is not going to be good. I thank God that I am not a recent grad and my student loan was paid off years ago.

Comment by Farmersist on 2011-05-11 12:39:29 -0700 #

I have personally seen management give a dickhead a gift card for acting like an ass. This dude comes in 3 minutes after we closed; the alarm was set, all the computers were down and running the end of day report. He demanded that we turn the computers back on so we could serve him. He claimed the drove 30 miles and sped to get to us on time and missed us by a effing 3 minutes, as if it was our fault ! Of course management didn’t have any balls so they gave him a gift card and APOLOGIZED ! I should throw the manager and this customer dude in the effing river, preferably one full of mud and dead sshit….

Comment by Farmersist on 2011-05-11 15:03:26 -0700 #

Time to meet your district manager in a dark alley and work him over till he comes to his senses or grows a pair.

Comment by Rob on 2011-05-12 08:39:31 -0700 #

I take my pharmacist ice cream because she’s awesome. She knows who she is.

Comment by Futurepharmer on 2011-05-13 00:51:10 -0700 #

God Bless you. We do fucking monthly drawings now where we give away a nice basket full of candy, tylenol, enemas, multivitamins (the otc shit we don’t sell) just to keep repeats coming back instead of going to the Walgreed’s 2 minutes walk down the road. Retail has become a joke. Patients are surprised when we offer counselling because they don’t get it anywhere else. Count, poor, lick, stick for the win. Graduate with a doctorate degree and label bottles for the rest of your life. Welcome to the fucking future.

Comment by peteinPa on 2011-05-13 15:47:21 -0700 #

don’t for get cheese curls, all those douche canoes and their concerta munching progeny love to buy Soda pop, chips and cheese curls with their entitlement card. (welfare to you and me but now they’ve softened the terminology and call it “medicaid” so not to offend the dirt bag fucks) People will wait more patiently for a fucking Big Mac then for me to accurately fill their “free” prescription. I’m a third generation Independant, and there will be no fourth!

Comment by Fran on 2011-05-17 19:11:02 -0700 #

I can’t tell you how many times I have that very conversation with customers every week. I don’t count anymore, or I would go insane. Wait, 27 years total in pharmacy, 20 as a tech, I already am insane. Maybe it’s just screaming mad….. I always am patient, I am always smiling, but if they could read my mind, I would be busted. Fortunately I don’t work for one of THOSE chains, and the last family owned chain in America that I happen to work for, has finally admitted it is not humanly possible to fill a prescription in 15 minutes….especially if there are 29 more just like them in front of them. We’re still doing more work with less help, but hey only one person called me a bitch this month

Comment by Fran on 2011-05-17 19:21:23 -0700 #

Lick, stick and roll baby… Thank you Futurepharmer for being one of those who will pitch in and help us techs with the counting. It’s easier for everyone when we work as a team. Share the misery. I knew pharmacy was going down the tubes when that 4.00 bullshit started. We didn’t join the fun, although we will pricematch at the pharmacist’s discretion. Usually for people who really need the help. Why corporate thinks the stupid coupons work is beynd me. We just trade transfers back and forth depending on who has the coupon this month. The only smart thing they did was link other smaller coupons to refills of the same rx, hoping to get them to stay. Not sure if it works or not. Guess I kinda doubt it.

Comment by vx on 2011-05-20 18:30:47 -0700 #

Who cares if your doctor does not like it when you fill at multiple pharmacies? Youre sitting there describing how scared to death you are that something will happen to your child, and yet you dont want to fill ONE prescription at another pharmacy because your doctor doesnt like it???

This doesnt seem like a Walgreens problem, this seems like an idiot mother problem.

Comment by rxnogood on 2011-05-21 03:43:35 -0700 #

Dr. Rection…
beeen a rxist for 7 years now at rite aid — and i follow the same principles as you in dealing with patients it makes life a lot easier and sane..

Comment by kenneth macKillop on 2011-05-23 15:37:10 -0700 #

As a good patient i feel for the pharmatech and pharmacist at my Walgreens. I don’t scam for more oxys tho my doctor admits they are only good for 5 – 8 hours and not 8 hours like the drug company sez and will pay for. so i really need 4 oxycontin a day but since some bureaucrat decided how long the pain meds are good for, and not patient or pharmacist. Sure there are plenty of bad patients (and as a good patient i sometimes fail to notice that there are no refills and that a TARR for controlled meds can take a few days – everyone screws up every now and then). I live in San Fransisco and would gladly take my custom elsewhere than Walgreens, but the independent pharmacist got priced out by the real estate continuing boom in the Bay Area, and CA has a law against commercial rent control. I am glad to get an ‘enter and win’ receipt when the computer decides my transaction took too long. It sucks to depend on pain meds, and drug addicts make the whole pain med thing that much more of a drag. But some people become drug addicts because the rules and bureaucracy around pain management serves the same cost costing that leaves me w/ $55 for food for the month after i pay market price rental and a phone (don’t worry, my phone is cheaper than yours) and my public transportation. I see that the bad patients are making things worse for everyone. The customer is not always right. Management is shooting their proverbial foot, and gift cards are tax on the well-behaved patient, since Walgreen’s isn’t going to eat the cost of mollifying the bad client, but make the rest of us pay.

Comment by kenneth macKillop on 2011-05-23 15:41:40 -0700 #

I don’t know about your family pharmacy, but Walgreen’s used to have 2 pharmacists and 2 clerks on staff and now they have 1 pharmacist and usually one clerk. They like to hear “I can pick this up tomorrow.”

Comment by RHEUMATICS on 2011-05-25 00:30:15 -0700 #

In addition to all the bullshit we deal with the chains are demanding that all pharmacists become immunization certified. The standard line coming from corporate is that immunizations will be part of the normal work flow. So now we are to fill 400 scripts a day and give 50 immunizations…all in 15 minutes and without any more support staff or financial compensation.

Comment by nicole on 2011-05-26 13:22:34 -0700 #

I got a nice story that’ll defend your ideals.

We had a woman come by a few days ago and throw her meds (bag and all) through the pharmacy window at the pharmacist.
(here’s a little background) She was given a brand spanking new generic for concerta and for some reason her insurance copay was more than before. We have encountered her problem previously and it almost always end’s up a severe pain in all of our asses – so before she paid we made sure she knew what she was getting and how much it cost. Three times we asked her “are you sure you want this?” and three times she says “I’ll just call my insurance later.” I guess she was in a big ass hurry… We let her know “you can’t bring this back….”
A couple days later she was back!!! – She was angry that her copay was higher than it usually was by about 20 dollars and she was very upset. I guess that would be the reason she was throwing things at people… She had received a brand new generic for her kids adhd and didn’t know why we had charged her 20 dollars more – She had PROOF that we over charged her (her old receipt’s). She also let us know that when she called her insurance they told her that med didn’t exist (gee thanks BC/BS)!!
So after cussing out the new tech we just hired and the visiting pharmacist on duty I told her as politely as possible to – get the hell out of here and if you want you can call the pharmacy manager – who would arrive the next day. Also, I made sure to let her know that I hoped she have a pleasant afternoon…
Apparently she ran to the manager’s desk at the front of the store and was rewarded for making my life black-out-pissed-off shitty for 30 minutes by being given a 25 dollar gift card. Boy that taught her to pay attention to what she’s doing! free money!!
I just hope that she bought something with that gift card that gave her extreme diarrhea for three days, and maybe some vomiting too! that would only make me feel slightly better as this happened a week ago and I’m still f-ing mad over it.

Where the hell is my 25 (free) dollars for having to deal with this bitch!! We should get hazardous duty pay for having to deal with MR assholes.

Comment by Grady on 2011-05-30 20:09:49 -0700 #

I am, regrettably, a riteaid associate and I was really suprised you aren’t as well, because you nailed it. My store manager is constantly rewarding pissy assholes with a 5.00 card! There are so many restrictions that if we followed our “rules” hardly no one would get the damn card. They also haven’t put the exception list in writing for our customers to see. It simply says see associate for details so while we explain them we get rolling glazed over eyes and heavy halitosis breath blown in our face. They all think were just making it up as we go. Most of the time, after explaining we had to talk to shaquita at the state insurance office for 10minutes, along with the fact we cannot legally give them a card because they have fedfunded insurance. They go complain to my store manager who kisses their ass and gives them one any ways, completely making us look like lying assholes. The card giving policy also says we must “say you are sorry and make it right” which I think is bullshit I’m not sorry I correctly filled three scripts and it took me 17 min. We are not weak groveling liars. Empathy, not sympathy, is the key to understanding. ugh I can go on and on. Thanks for this blog it’s nice to know there’s others out there in pharmacy hell.

Comment by Melanie Wilson on 2011-06-02 02:00:46 -0700 #

What about the pharmacist hours? I am being scheduled for 16 hour shifts as a floater and I definitely wasn’t informed about this. Found out the hard way. I jus started with RA and after reading all of this I can’t stay. Afriend was put in a 14 hour CVS and had a misfill at the 13th hour of her 14 hour shift and she was devasteted. CVS was using the PSA, or cashiers as techs, which was against the law because it was way over the RPh:tech ratio. She had no overlap pharmacist, did not get to eat or go to the restroom the entire shift.They truly don’t care if we drop dead. They’ll drag us back into a filthy store room or a sewer smelling bathroom that we share with an even filthier public, but Hey! At least then we get to go to the bathroom! All of the pharmacists I talk to have never heard of working 16 hours. Any comments? I expressed my concern and said I couldn’t do it but was told I was not being asked to do anything that was not being asked of anyone else.

Comment by juli s on 2011-06-05 07:07:08 -0700 #

I LOVE YOU, @theangrypharmacist. You understand!!! Thank you for telling it like it is!

Comment by Mrs.Noname on 2011-06-08 07:57:16 -0700 #

I work for Rite Aid. This is a lovely conversation that I got to be in last night.

Customer: Where is my 5$?
Me: Excuse me?
Customer: The f***ing sign says 15mins I want my money. My doctor had called my script in and when I came the first time it wasn’t ready.

Me: He left it on the phone and we retrieved it, the 15 mins applies to scripts physically dropped off. But would you like to speak to the pharmacist about it?
Customer: Look. I don’t f***ing care if you have to give me the 5$ dollars out of your own pocket. That’s not what the sign says!( He then physically reached over the counter to make a grab at my jacket pocket.)

No joke. I pushed his hand away and called the police, he was then escorted out. ( After spending a good 5 minutes screaming obscenities.) My boss was actually on the phone but promptly explained the situation again and then told him if he wanted his Vicodin..er…script we could transfer it anywhere.

This is just one of the fine examples of the great customers I get to work with on the 15 mins policy.

I’m sure I’ll get stalked again and have to put out a PPO. Awesome.

Comment by Shera on 2011-06-26 22:15:48 -0700 #

I have recently refused to be forced to give immunizations…i have been certified for 3 yrs, but not certified with my retail company and skipped the class THEY signed me up for automatically…let’s see where this goes. Let the games begin.

Comment by Shera on 2011-06-26 22:19:07 -0700 #

All of the pharmacists who did not want to risk bloodborne pathogens, and be FORCED to give vaccines should have banded together and refused to be forced…they cant fire every pharmacists in one area. We should all really be ashamed of allowing our profession to be completely ruled by a corporation…oh, and the vaccines have quotas in most stores…oh, i mean “goals” …they call them goals… lol

Comment by Shera on 2011-06-26 22:23:42 -0700 #

to stand up for ourselves would mean that most pharmacists arent timid, scaredy-cat pussies…it’s a shame what we’ve allowed our profession to become…i feel like id have more dignity and respect if i was a gas station attendant…oohh that sounds good… 😉

Comment by Shera on 2011-06-26 22:28:18 -0700 #

law school is only 2.5 yrs…i suggest you defer your massive loan debt and take that route lol BAIL!

Comment by Shera on 2011-06-26 22:44:22 -0700 #

i cant wait to be forced to give depos or b12 shots…or even better, lovenox, etc. i have outright refused to be forced under quotas to give immunizations…and btw, i have been certified to give immunizations for 3 years (not certified with the company however), and dont mind giving people I know and have medical histories on, shots.

Comment by Shera on 2011-06-26 22:47:58 -0700 #

oooh the truth has a little BUUUURNNN to it! I would scour the planet to find my child a life-saving medication if they needed it…not sit and wait for a pharmacy to call me.

Comment by I_hatemyjob on 2011-07-09 16:24:35 -0700 #

As a floater, when you got 16 hours, you were lucky. A lot of floaters did not even get any hours.

Comment by DrO on 2011-07-11 04:48:33 -0700 #

I work for that 15 min chain and I am outraged!!! I think it so unprofessional and disgusting I wish walgreens would buy us already! We are slowly digging ourselves into a whole and we are not going to make it out. Thats what happens when business people try to run a pharmacy. In fact a VP came by and asked us to act like the REd LObster managers do and ask how was your service? I am sorry, did it say Red Lobster out here? and you obviously do not understand why we go to school for so long. I work for a chain but I rule the pharmacy. B.S. and cussing at me gets you cussed at back AND told to leave and never come back. We have central drug reporting system in Ohio and if I catch you doctor and pharmacy hopping, game over. Oh and if your a pill mill doctor I will report you and make sure your medical and pharmacy board knows about you. But pharmacist MUST band together. its only going to get worse…

Comment by DrO on 2011-07-11 04:51:40 -0700 #

16 hours NOT normal!!!! Don’t let them fool you. its up to you but me personally the longer our shifts are the more errors occur.

Comment by DrO on 2011-07-11 04:57:12 -0700 #

Hey Rob! thank you! I have a patient or two that does nice things like that for me to! It is really nice to know some people appreciate us. In fact a lot of our patients do, its just the few jerks that really stand out. thanks for taking care of your pharmacist! I know she smiles every time you show up even without ice cream 🙂

Comment by vtech on 2011-07-19 17:32:22 -0700 #

oh hell yes we still match prices! we have a $3.99 list now too… so you can come and treat us like shit, get your rx in less than 15 minutes, and get your meds for LESS than Walmart, get some free money too, since youre already on medicaid or whatever anyways…. thanks for nothing RA

Comment by ra tech on 2011-07-25 09:02:57 -0700 #

I am a tech at a RA in PA. I loved that NY and NJ put the kibosh on the 15 minute stupiditee. My question is, how can we go about getting it stopped in PA?? There has got to be something in the PA BOP policy that is being violated by RA here and in every state really. PLEASE let’s all figure out a way to stop it nationwide!! Thanks for any advice you can give!!

Comment by tech on 2011-07-26 00:12:55 -0700 #

youre not supposed to price match anymore now that we have the rx savings cards.

Comment by bordenliz on 2011-08-18 12:58:03 -0700 #

Thank you for stating what the rest of us techs and pharmacists are feeling. You hit it on the head! Ive been a tech for 12yrs. The digusting treatment by illiterate, unwashed,junkie trash customers,and scumbag uber-rich CEO’s, and DM’s of these retail stores has made this “profession” slide into the blackhole of shit! These chains (i.e CVS…the biggest douchebags of all, Rite Aid, and Walgreens)make millions if not billions,yet constantly cut pharmacy hrs and techs….because we make sooo much $. So that all the wondeful DMs get a big bonus. At the risk of safety, and efficiency. Sure whay not give Mrs. asshole a gift card for not having her life saving zyrtec done in 15min when shes had the script for a month!Gee only because, the lone tech and pharmacist are using both hands and growing 5 more to deal with the 100 cust waiting. But you’re so right Mr.Dipshit we’re wrong and godforbid our companies stick up for us and praise us ever. We only make your money for you off of our blood,sweat,and yes many, many tears. This job has nothing to do with actually filling prescriptions anyomore. It’s become a diluted sweepstakes, telemarketing scam for the rich to get richer!

Comment by BordenLiz on 2011-09-16 14:37:13 -0700 #

You know what will stop the bullshit? we need to UNIONIZE!!! We as techs and pharmacists need to be heard! And not just on a website. The truth about how we’re treated by these Scumbag DMs and CEOs of these slave driving,slave-wage drug store retail chains needs to be exposed to the public, the media if necessary. Until we have a union to stand up for our rights….yes CVS,and all the rest we do have rights, these corporations will continue to treat us like the shit they think we are! They do it because we do not have a union. All pharmacy is about is the bottom line, and numbers, numbers, numbers. Gee the more people on automatic refill…wether they want it or not is more important than filling an rx correctly, and efficiently. Or lets waste time calling 100+ people to tell them their meds are due in 10 days. They so love us calling and bothering tham much like telemarketers, when we should be answering phones ans actually filling prescriptions! But if we don’t reach our quotas for enrollments..CVS,then our jobs are often threatened. Accuracy,safety,and effiency in filling scripts should always be 1st. Also so employees treated like human beings. People didn’t want Walmart in NYC because they didn’t treat their employees right….well why are there CVS, Rite Aides, and Walgreens around then??? We need to stand up and be heard and fight to be unionized!! Let the truth be told. I respect all my fellow techs and pharmacists because I know the stress and frustration of this job. UNION,UNION,UNION. Good luck and spread the anger!!

Comment by BordenLiz on 2011-09-16 15:01:15 -0700 #

Hey, All you DMs, CEOs and Pharmacy supervisors…especially those in one particular three lettered retail chain, your brown noses don’t go with your black hearts!!!

Comment by Patricia on 2011-09-19 20:42:49 -0700 #

I too refused to do shots and now it seems that I am out of a job! I was told that if I refused then I could only work a 10 to 6 shift at a 24 hour store if that shift was available. My district manager then told me that ” it doesn’t look to good for you!” I have recently been told through the grapevine that I am not allowed to work at all period thats it. After 13 years with walgreens this is what I get. To make matters worse, at my home store one of the pharmacist didn’t want to do shots either so he got a letter from his doctor that he had a phobia about blood and needles and can’t do them so now he works the 10 to 6 shift only no weekends or holidays and I am out of a job. I will not compromise myself for anybody including walgreens! What has happen with you?

Comment by Disgusted Pharmacist on 2011-09-19 23:06:28 -0700 #

Ahhh yes–so glad I left pharmacy–and this is exactly why! Vicious cycle–chain cries to pharmacy schools they need more pharmacists–school complies receiving big fat hand-outs from chains–markets get flooded with pharmacists–gives chains option (well exercised) to treat pharmacists like shit! Let’s see those vaccines make the chains how much more per day? But yet they CUT your help and hours??? They can’t afford to pay you cost of living this year??? WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!

Comment by frickinashhole on 2011-10-18 07:45:02 -0700 #

Well the dickbags have smartened up to CVS’s complaint-gift card system. Now they find something to complain about every time they’re in just for the gift card. And yet we have to cater to this scum.

Comment by Pill popper on 2011-10-27 15:49:47 -0700 #

There is a serious problem in this world with people, even you. Show a little compassion! People are pissed off because health insurance companies suck. My family pays out the ass for coverage but the rx coverage covers nothing.

You mentioned someone being pissed about their cancer meds, and if you ever have to go through that I hope someone treats you the same. You are in a profession that deals with people who are sick.

Realize this, and find a new profession. It is ridiculous when people complain or demand special treatment and freebies, but it does not give you an excuse to pass judgement. I’ve been in your profession, and while it does suck I moved on.

Comment by why_so_serious? on 2011-10-31 20:00:30 -0700 #

I have an idea. For all of you out there that are so opposed to giving out the gift cards, and believe that you are above customer service, please feel free to invest your own money in purchasing your own pharmacy, purchase your own insurance, pay 20K a month in prime property rent, and see jut how long you stay in business. My guess is a week.

Comment by why_so_serious? on 2011-10-31 20:06:48 -0700 #

And dealing with energetic, outgoing, employees (like yourself) who appreciate their jobs (when un-employement is at a national 10% level) where you get to work inside in a climate controlled environment, out of the elements makes the job worth it.

Comment by PharmD55 on 2011-11-07 15:56:50 -0800 #

I agree with how the profession has changed, especially retail pharmacy. I agree also with how pharmacist are devalued for there knowledge, other then get the prescription out as fast as possible or answer the drive thru in 10 seconds. However, these are the companies that pay as the money we get every other week. These are also the companies that allow us to put food on the table and a roof over our head. Granted it shouldn’t allow for us to take the abuse, however why isn’t ACCP or each individual state speaking up for the pharmacist. Why are they not saying ,” hey enough is enough”. We should protect our pharmacist the same way Doctor organizations protects its Doctors. Why are pharmacist getting walked over and given less tech help. We need a strong voice, not a weak voice that stands up for our profession and puts the pharmacist at ease when it comes to his license and not worrying how quick a script gets out. Pharmacy drive thru and 15 minute wait times. What more can we do to belittle the pharmacist. How about buffet pharmacy, where the patient helps themselves to whatever they want at a premium charge.

Comment by Nabo on 2011-11-25 20:11:59 -0800 #

It isn’t just pharmacy customers who benefit from the corporate short-sightedness; any customer who complains at a corporate level will almost always get a gift card, even if they were 100% wrong and treated all the employees in the store like shit. Allow me to share a story:

I’m a photo tech, and on this particular day I was working a morning shift, and covering for the front cashier so they could go to lunch while my manager took over photo. This guy comes up and is making a purchase for less than $5. Preparation H, fixodent or something like that. I let him know the total and he pulls out a check…from Walgreens, addressed to him. Now, I’m a veteran photo tech/cashier, been there for years, and I’ve never heard of a customer paying this way, so I tell him I need to talk to my manager. He starts getting pissy. I walk over to photo and as I’m explaining the situation to my manager the guy is yelling at us across the store. The manager comes back to the register with me and explains to the man that we can’t take his check. He becomes outraged, and starts making threats, talking about how the manager is going to be out of a job on monday, how he’s going to get my manager fired. I don’t say anything to the guy (don’t want to make the situation worse), my manager says something like “Good luck with that”, tells the guy NO and the dude storms out.

Later on in the week, the District Manager is in the store and asks me about what happened. I give him the details, making sure to tell him that at no time did my manager act in an inappropriate manner. A few more days go by and I ask the manager what ended up happening with the crazy cane guy (as he’s known in the store). He told me that the DM called him and wound up giving him a gift card to placate him. The dude was given $10 for throwing a fit, making threats and generally being a douche bag. When the DM told him the amount the guy actually said “Can you make it #20?”

Why the fuck should we reward someone for treating us like shit? The problem is that corporate is desperate to keep customers happy that they end up screwing over their employees. They KNOW the customers like this guy are borderline psychotic and generally full of shit; they KNOW that we simply cannot make some people happy; they KNOW that all people like this do is terrorize their employees.

And all they do is reward their bad behavior in a desperate attempt to keep the business of a person who we would be better off losing as a customer.

Comment by deenial on 2011-12-19 21:35:05 -0800 #

You guys are all missing the point: You’re the Busboys in the Medical Industry?

Just do what you are told–it will make you less angry.

By the way, very few Pharmacists loose their licenses because of a patient.

We all know why you loose your license–You start to abuse the pills in the bottle?

Comment by PharmacistBob on 2012-01-01 06:19:49 -0800 #

Denial, those are some very inflammatory comments directed at “America’s most trusted Profession”. I would like to understand where your hate comes from. Did a pharmacist tell you that you could not get your vicodin early, or advise you that gay sex was risky ?I can see you did not make it thru high school, lose or loose your license? Denial, I think you have lived to long—so long bitch!

Comment by PharmacistBob on 2012-01-01 06:22:25 -0800 #

Denial, those are some very inflammatory comments directed at “America’s most trusted Profession”. I would like to understand where your hate comes from. Did a pharmacist tell you that you could not get your vicodin early, or advise you that gay sex was risky ?I can see you did not make it thru high school, lose or loose your license? Denial, I think you have lived to long—so long bitch! Don’t be asking me for your 10 pack of syringes so you can shoot your insulin!

Comment by jp on 2012-01-11 21:27:14 -0800 #

I love this web site, keep them coming!

Comment by ReallyAngry on 2012-06-17 16:01:13 -0700 #

Woman in her late twenties/early thirties walk up to my counter and throws a ER prescription at my face.

Woman: Give me the lortab. I don’t want that other stuff.

(Other stuff = antibiotic)

Me: Ma’am. I strongly recommend you get both prescriptions. The lortab will help with the pain, but it won’t get rid of what is causing the pain. Without the antibiotic, you will still…

Woman: Excuse me! Who are you to tell me what to take?! I told you to give me my lortab. YOU AREN’T PAID TO THINK! You are here to SERVE ME and I said I want my lortab. Got it?

Me: Ma’am. I am here to make sure you get better and the lortab alone won’t make you feel better. I don’t think I can dispense the lortab without the antibiotic…

Woman: Would you shut up already? I know I can get my lortab. So,get me my drug or I am going to talk to your manager.

Me: Ma’am. I didn’t say you can’t get the lortab. If you want me to call my manager, I will. But, concerning this prescription…

Woman: Forget it! Clearly, you are too stupid to follow directions!

Woman snatches prescriptions from my hands and leaves.

I think, “Thank God.”

(Three days later.)

Woman returns walks back up to my pharmacy counter.

Woman: Excuse me! Excuse me!

Me: Yes ma’am.

Woman: I just wanted you to know I went to the (store) across the street and they had no problem just giving me my lortab. I knew you were just causing me trouble! Telling me I can’t get my lortab. I want to make a complaint! I am not happy with my service here.

Me: I am sorry if that is how you feel, but I…

Woman: No, you are not! You are a liar! You are a liar! I knew I could get my lortab. You were just making things difficult for me.

Me: Ma’am. I never lied to you. I was not trying to make things difficult for you. I was trying to help…

Woman: What are you going to give me?!

Me: What do you mean?

Woman: I said, ‘I am not happy with the service.” Either you give me something or I will make a complaint with (the company I work for) about you.

Me: Ma’am, I am sorry if you are unhappy. I can get my manager but I will not personally giving you anything.

Woman: Oh, you will be sorry!

Woman walks away.

I think, “OMG!”

(next day)

Manager: A woman was complaining about you to corporate. What did you do to her? She said you lied to her and refuse to give her medicine.

Me: I didn’t lie to her! I was trying to help her. She came in with a prescription for..

Manager: She said she was in pain for days because you wouldn’t give her her pain pills!

Me: That’s ridiculous! She went across the street! I think she got it filled the same day. Also, she…

Manager: It doesn’t matter. Corporate says you have to call her and personally apologize.

Me: I already apologize if I made her unhappy. What else do you want me to say?

Manager: Tell her sorry for whatever she wants you to say sorry for. We had to give her a $100 gift card for her trouble!

I think, “Are you freaking kidding me?!”

Moral of the story:

If you work for any corporation in retail, either forget everything you learned in pharmacy school or… LOL…

Accept that you will always be wrong.

I, personally, will never try to help another soul again.

Sincerely,

The Ethically-broken, Human-looking, Drug-dispensing machine

P.S. Sign me up for that union!!! 🙂

Comment by sarah on 2012-08-08 23:18:59 -0700 #

Seriously love this. I so wish companies would realize this. I work my ass of for shitty pay, the only thing I ask is for respect. And when someone is completely disrespecting me I would hope the people I slave myself for would back me up. But they don’t. And its like a complete slap in the face. Very upsetting and infuriates me!!! Especially when that same person does it Oooh Idk every few months. Seriously now.. open ur eyes and realize this needs to stop. So frustrating.

Comment by justin on 2012-12-05 10:50:18 -0800 #

i called to ask if cvs carried a particular drug for add i have a drs appt today and i want to know if it is still available. I was diagnosed with add as a kid i could not concetrate i tried so hard and failed constantly i have been on so many anti depressants that did absolutly nothing but give me sexual side effects and had no help to my warped mind. i hate adderall and ritalin i take vyvanse but my job as a meat cutter means very early shifts. Vyvanse stops working for me around 2 and i get very tired. I have 2 kids and as soon as i m done work i take care of them till 830 at night. I don’t feel like doing anything so i let them watch tv they are 2 and 4 and i feel guilty i should be doing somthing with them. I have a dr appt. today and wanted to ask about a dexadrine booster or if he has any other suggestions im open to anything at this point. my whole life has been difficult i cant keep a job it affects my relationship teachers used to scream in my face till i would cry in front of the whole class. I have no self esteem and extreme anxiety i went to dr not looking for add meds but help cause im such a mess and self medicate with alcohol and self destruct. since vyvanse ive been able to concetrate and my anxiety has been way down my dr doesnt just write scripts i talk to him for hour sessions which also helps me learn how to live with this. for me the meds are not a cure all i still have to work extremely hard and see a therapist that specializes in add. I understand that the meds are being over prescribed so kids can get good grades in college and have last minut”cram sessions” but thats not me i still have to work hard do they even absorbe the info. My problem is i called cvs to see if they carried it and the pharmacists was extremely rude i just want to ask a simple question and i get a smart ass remark. He tells me how over prescribed the meds are and made me feel like a drug addict im just wondering what cost and availabity is before dr writes a script i dont even know if thats what well do. now was that right he didnt diagnose me he doesn’t know my situation. If he doesn’t want to fill prescriptions don’t be a fucking pharmacist thats your job if you dont like it do somthing else. Walgreens doesnt judge they fill your script and thats it no problem why are some of you douche bags on such a power trip. you could dicourage someone from taking a med they need and maybe give them a chance at a normal life rather than switching from job to job and fighting with wife constantly i forgot to get my kid at school once. Did it all of a sudden become super easy to be a pharmacist because ill ask questions about meds and they dont know i like to know what im taking the whole generic drug thing has me scared got sent to the hospitol once when the pharmacy gave me a different generic but the pharmacist swore it was exactly the same. so if your a angry pharmacist go fuck yourself get a new job if it sucks so bad otherwise fill the scripts that the dr and insurance company ok’d and keep your little comments to yourself assholes.

Comment by Jesse B. Haley on 2012-12-07 00:15:27 -0800 #

Hydroxyzine is trade named vistaril. I’m an OTR trucker & knew.that. its used for nausea as well as occasionally being used for anxiety or sleep . Want its other trade names? How about Atarax? Want me? Keep going? I believe self education is the best education. And always will. I as well believe in liberty & a free society & although I am no chemist I believe I know the root cause of addictions how to fix them, & I have a unique knowledge of how the human consciousness & awareness work & function & I repeat I have not completed college, I am a trucker. I also believe I have a scientific way to easily link one Creator with Science & finally merge it with God yet don’t know how to get my theories which I know to be fact to the scientific world. I know they’re fact & if could get them out they’d be the greatest discovery since Einstein’s theory on relativity, but then again I’m a trucker & don’t know who to contact. Contact me if interested n discussing my scientific knowledge. & plz disregard the fact I’m opiate & amphetamine dependent. I’m still human.

Comment by jen on 2013-01-03 16:36:46 -0800 #

Perhaps there are valid points to your rant, however your lack of professionalism in the delivery of your disappointments leaves a lot to desire. I believe that businesses thrive by maintaining balance. Happy employees, happy customer, competitive prices, efficient service, fair hours of operation…5 stars.

Comment by douchebag ^^^ on 2013-11-15 08:27:41 -0800 #

fuck you

Comment by Paul on 2014-02-24 17:55:17 -0800 #

You just don’t get it then. Why are you even on this site. You probably got treated like shit by a pharmacist one day. Ask yourself why that happened. And you think all we do is count pills and put them from a big bottle to a small one? You are so narrow minded. I wish you could live a day as one of us and you’d take everything you jut said back. Oh and spend that one day after you spend 4 years of your life and 125,000 preparing yourself. Fuck you.

Comment by Russ on 2014-04-16 08:17:45 -0700 #

Haha

Comment by Stacy on 2019-03-05 11:57:13 -0800 #

Where is your sense of decency. We are sick people who inject insulin or have plates and screws in our femurs, scoliosis, Graves disease also thyroid cancer and at the age of 51 been diagnosed with Alzheimers. With kids to care for. Most of us single Mothers. In my case I was widowed in 2010. Struggling on disability and with ALL THOSE ILLNESSES. Even addiction is a disease. People brains turn against them. Like having the Devil in your head. Its only Gods right to Judge. One day u might have a catastrophic accident that crushes your bones. What comes around goes around. Im wise enough to know that and you are immature. God Bless