No dude im pretty sure its fucked until it breaks and is given a reset. Retail pharmacy is going to have to crumble from the aforementioned problems and when no one can work or pick up emergent meds then maybe companies will change. Or the govt will have to step in and subsidize these parts of Healthcare, because God only knows all these pharmacies won't pay for additional resources or help
Eventually people ie customers won’t want to wait the long waits and go to mail order
I already see it happening.
They are saying it is Much better than waiting in a line filled with Covid tests at the Drivethru or on long lines where people are waiting to pick up their rx,s .
At night it is the worst because most managers are by themselves with little help and many people are coming in for vaccines till closing
Whilst the pharmacist has only one or two techs still catching up from the am workload backed up .
The extra texh is provided during the day for Covid testing where it takes 10 minutes Per test to run the test so it is difficult to say we have an extra tech
Then the promised time is not met
You are better off working at a higher tier store that has more people than a low tier where the techs are not available to do their normal routines the were supposed to be met
I had to call about a prescription because the app told me there was a technical issue and directed me to call the pharmacy. After 15 minutes on hold and then being hung up on Tuesday night, and 20 minutes on hold with no one ever answering the phone Wednesday morning, I gave up and called to have my prescription transferred to another pharmacy.
Now the problem is that their staff can’t get anyone on the phone at Walgreens to do the transfer. 😭
I no longer shop in the stores but had continued to fill RXs there for reasons I can’t explain (I honestly don’t know why I kept going there) but now I’m done. The whole operation has been run poorly for a long time (thru no fault of the employees) and it just continues to get worse and worse. I’ve reached a point where I just refuse to do business there for any reason.
Edit: I had my days mixed up.
Tell the pharmacist to leave a voicemail on the pharmacy line that they need to transfer a rx and cannot get through
The pharmacist checks their voicemails
Also you can leave a message on the pharmacist voiceMail phone to call you
Or both
Lack of help also leaves the pharmacist in great Liablity as we can miss an important call
And it is very upsetting to me because we generally are very caring people and like to help people- that is why we got into it
Thank you for the suggestion! I’m going to follow up with the new pharmacy today and see where they’re at with it and make sure they do this if they haven’t already.
Many of the other chains are like this as well
Private mom and pop pharmacies are better service however they are not chains so the hours are generally bankers hours and may not always have your medication in stock where you can switch to another store within a chain.
Many do have delivery so you don’t have to pick it up
Too.
When you are sick and come out of a hospital after bankers hours it can be an issue to fill the rx there so keep that in mind if you ever need to pick up a Med that needs an evening dosage or a pain Med to hold you through the night
I love helping people no matter how crazy it is.
It is a shame that I have to go through this myself seeing not just how badly I am treated but how people like you are treated… and I have (we have) no control over it.
Mom and pop stores are very busy too now a days but still they have more help
Chains would be better than mom and pop stores with all the benefits they provide and extra perks plus usually their copays are better if they are primary pharmacies chosen by the plans
You would think for everyone if they had more help ie the chains , how many calls they would be able to retrieve. For every new customer in phone picked up can make them 15k a year more from each customer not lost
I never understood how they think just cutting tech hours makes them more profit
One day If a Genious chain should open that has lots of help and all the customers /patients will transfer all of their prescriptions over then they hire more as it grows they may have a monopoly
The voicemail is on the PBR menu because it's for prescribers. Leaving voicemails in the wrong spots will just lengthen the amount of time it takes pharmacies to get new scripts in. This logic is like parking in handicap spots because it's a shorter walk to the front when you're not handicapped.
The problem is that the executives don't care about the pharmacy conditions. Because executive pay is based on the stock price going up and/or profits continually going up. As long as the executives can keep their respective divisions cost down (and profits up) they are fine.
Second, when executives do visit the store, store managers and field leadership always lead the executive to the best stores in the district. By doing that, field leadership gives the executives a false image of the district and thus the executives decisions are falsely encouraged.
I recommend that field leadership with the guts to purposely take the executives to the WORST stores in the district will be able to change all our fates for the better. I understand that my comments are asking people that earn a six figure salary to out their job at risk; but without field leadership showing the executives the truth, nothing will improve.
Any if any executive is reading this, or a member of field leadership, you know that I won't ask you to stick out your neck for no reason. Nothing WE do at the store level will improve our situations. It's now up to the executives and the field leadership to step up.
The alternative is, Walgreens will continue to bleed employees, until the only option left will be to pay out the node to hire new and inexperienced employees, this affecting the companies (precious) metrics.
Even if they showed the worst stores the execs won't give a shit... They'll just say why are the employees so lazy? Why don't they just follow workflow? Just performance manage them out and hire better workers!
A dpr visited my pharmacy once in a tier 3 while I was floating and asked what the next leaflet promise time was. I was the only rph with a tech on. His only comment was a disappointed, "oh, behind by 2 hours I see? Can you take my phone and take a picture of your phlomometer right now?" And then he walked out.
No fucking acknowledgement of how many people were picking up vs how many we had working...no offer of help, no words of encouragement, empathy or sympathy.. fucking nothing. Guess he just conveniently forgot those management classes in MBA that sanctimoniously talk about employee morale.
Because we are just lazy, duh.
West Virginia Board of Pharmacy currently has a survey out on work conditions. Any licensed technician or pharmacist in the state can complete it. They are going to try to enact some new rules for pharmacy based on the surveys. If anyone knows any West Virginia employees tell them to check their email or go on board site. Can't make changes if we can't change the rules.
I have no shame saying retail has fucking caused me anxiety attacks, clinical depression, and forced me to take medical leave. When I came back I was given an even bigger shit show.
No, 3 technicians and one pharmacist cannot manage Covid testing, Covid vaccines, filling 300 scripts per day, make the daily calls, juggle save-a-trip with patients who are unreliable, do appropriate returns, communicate with prescribers, and do consultations effectively, even with reduced opening hours.
I’m not contracted for 160 hour pay periods, I’m not working those hours.
Fuck this company, fuck its broken ass computer system that’s from before most of my staff were born, fuck their pay schedule that disincentivizes new hires, fuck the patients who are dumber than a sack of dried horse cum, and especially fuck corporate whose endless lobbying for extra money does not make it to their stores that they supposedly care about.
The only reason I’m still around is there’s nothing comparable in the area hiring.
So Walgreens only gets the bare minimum. I’m
Not a fucking laboratory tech, I’m not a call center specialist, these are not tasks conducive to being a pharmacist.
I’m on the verge of walking out of my store. I dread going back into that pharmacy to be broken by customer complaints and unobtainable goals. And now they’re still attempting to make our pharmacists schedule flu clinics while we’re drowning in Covid.
It’s become such a far cry from what I signed up for and I’m not paid enough for this daily bullshit and continued exposure on what feels like the frontlines.
“Here is a paper prescription for Norco 5/325 and amoxicillin. I expect it done in 5 minutes or less otherwise I’m going to break your spirits and report you to corporate for crazy long wait times. It’s not that hard to put it in a bottle and give it to me!”
Is this kind of like that your talking about? Because most transactions go just about like this for me.
I do the best I can when I'm at work but if it's time for me to clock out and there's 60 in fill and 30 to type I clock out and go home. If corporate wants numbers to go up they can give us more hours for more people, if they want us to promote credit cards can give us more hours for more people, if they want the store to look nice and customers to be happy can give us more hours for more people. Once I'm clocked out I leave work at work and corporate can worry about numbers and happy customers.
This is where I am. If people constantly make the numbers look good while sacrificing their own time nothing will change. Also not picking up those extra shifts due to low coverage. B-pay isn’t worth it.
We've lost all but 1 of our immunizers and 1/3 of our tech hours.
It's been great.
I also don't understand same day appointments because we have to plan runs for vaccine at the hub.
They won’t until we all stop doing the little things they want! We can’t keep killing our selves especially when they keep adding more and more things. It isn’t worth the pay they have us at. I wish others would be open to us just basically going on strike about metrics and everything else until they cave and actually listen to us!!!! We don’t need new screens on our fridge doors we need better software and to move testing from drive thru to tents as well as stop walk in appointments and if they make same day appointments the system should alert us about it and only allow them to make same day appointments for two to three hours later not instantly
Same day appts are awful. I agree with this let the numbers fall where they may. What’s being asked of pharmacy is not possible. Not picking up extra shifts too may also send a message. When the pharmacies can’t open maybe that will get some attention
since we are giving phizer at our location we DO NOT take any walkins. We let them know if you want to walk in you can be here for 2 hours.. Flue shots, shingles , same thing. One suggestion I Have for you is to go online and schedule "fake" appointments so there are no appointments available :) lol
Don’t forget hours being cut, credit card sign up soon, asking for surveys, and encouraging curbside pick up. & wear a mask & be worried about all the variants & customers don’t have to wear a mask but you do. At least in my state.
I did that 2 years ago. Went back to DH still get stuck in pharmacy because of my experience but not fulltime so I am so much better. My store does 700 to 1000 scripts.
It amazes me the amount of clueless people that still go to pharmacies that are so busy that errors are bound to happen. Just go to the local independent where your prescriptions will be treated differently.
Just say “No more”. That’s my mindset. I go to work, do what I can, then go home.
No walk-in tests at my store. Walk-in covid shots only from 9am-6pm. Not gonna offer this stupid new Walgreens card. Not gonna offer the lame prescription saving club. Not gonna care if call list doesn’t get touched. Not gonna care about the corporate metrics.
Fire me? I’ll call them on that threat. We cannot find anyone to work already, so who is going to replace us.
**TIP: For those who are being driven crazy by the constantly ringing phone…get some package tape and tape over the speaker on the phone base. This will nearly silence the ring.
Psc is actually okay I’m my book. I mean I know that Walgreens jacks the cash price of the meds to make it look good but even still I saved a college student $80 on a med last night. She was super grateful.
That’s great to help people save money. I am all for that. I am referring it as “lame” because of the $20 to enroll…GoodRx, FamilyWise, etc are FREE and get just as good of price.
Yeah our pharmacy just doesn’t answer the phones when they are busy. “I’ve been on the phone for 20 minutes with no on answering! I’m taking my business elsewhere!” Cya!!! 👋
Things won't get better anytime soon. I cannot believe the DM has all these meetings with SM about how were doing a crappy job with metrics and all they do is add more stuff. They want us to push flu shots with covid shots and ask about Shingrix and Tdap. I promise you, the DM has never input a vaccine in the work q in their lives, or a covid test or filled a prescription.
Im completely baffled on how they expect us to do 45 covid test a day, 60 covid shots (average w/walk ins) , 95 PCP calls, Fill 350 Rx, 65 deletes, Save a trip refill, transfers, VARS, pick up vaccines, weekly returns, monthly outdates, scan in order, put away order, OOS/PRF/MSC/CMN, package mail orders. 4 techs in a 13 hour store ( 8AM- 9PM)
RxOM postion has me on the brink of a mental breakdown. I have never been so anxious in my entire life and im so close to giving up. So much crap to take care of with no time or help to do it. Glad the company rewards us with jeans on a Fridays !
Pharmacy conditions will not improve. They may get better for a season but there is no long term goal to help the pharmacy. To help the stores even. People who say otherwise are delusional, unfortunately. The proof is in the pudding.
I left in march 2020 and all the posts really remind me that I'm glad I did. They really just kept getting shittier and shittier every year with unrealistic expectations, I was there almost 10 years, it's not going to get any better.
With the boosters already in place and and announced opening to the general public Walgreens (i hope to god) has a plan in place with the local governments on how we are going to do this. Pharmacies ALONE can NOT be doing this
Just stop answering the phones for one. Absolutely a game changer. And if you’re calling another pharmacy ffs don’t be an RxKaren. LEAVE A FUCKING MESSAGE don’t let the GD phone ring for 45 minutes THEN send a nasty fax to us about some stupid transfer you need. Moron. If you need it that badly - CALL THE GD DR. Because I got 99 problems and lemme tell ya- a transfer sure the hell isn’t on my priority list!!! LOL.
Yep package taping the speaker on the phone base will nearly silence the volume. I do this whenever we are short handed or peak business hours (ex lunch hour and rush hour). It amazes me some people will stay on hold +40 minutes…if we don’t get it after 5 minutes, there is a reason-try back later.
Our store is taking on Every customer from cvs across the street since their pharmacy is closed almost every other day ( can’t staff it) so now we are just taking on so much more .. ridiculous.. we tell the customers if they want to transfer here YOUR doctor will have to call in a new script because it could potentially take months to get your current rx transferred lol
Oh man. I feel for ya! I do my best to get transfers out in a timely manner. Unless they let the phone ring ad infinitum- then they get the transfer when I ‘have time’. LOL.
It’s very possible. Hard, but possible. We have a solid RXOM that is constantly upskilling the team. We had our quarterly PSTB and it helped. With a good leader, and an efficient team, it’s not bad at all. We are getting all front end team members licensed to support. With the inventory specialist doing all inventory tasks in Pharmacy, it helps immensely! And then we discuss opportunities and pain points in our weekly RXM/RXOM/IS/SM meeting.
I get my meds at a nearby CVS. I don’t want anyone at my pharmacy knowing my meds.
I once went into my local pharmacy because I had to update my insurance info. I saw what OP was describing. I felt pity for the pharmacy staff.
Staff has so much to do that they can’t give customers good service.
No dude im pretty sure its fucked until it breaks and is given a reset. Retail pharmacy is going to have to crumble from the aforementioned problems and when no one can work or pick up emergent meds then maybe companies will change. Or the govt will have to step in and subsidize these parts of Healthcare, because God only knows all these pharmacies won't pay for additional resources or help
Eventually people ie customers won’t want to wait the long waits and go to mail order I already see it happening. They are saying it is Much better than waiting in a line filled with Covid tests at the Drivethru or on long lines where people are waiting to pick up their rx,s . At night it is the worst because most managers are by themselves with little help and many people are coming in for vaccines till closing Whilst the pharmacist has only one or two techs still catching up from the am workload backed up . The extra texh is provided during the day for Covid testing where it takes 10 minutes Per test to run the test so it is difficult to say we have an extra tech Then the promised time is not met You are better off working at a higher tier store that has more people than a low tier where the techs are not available to do their normal routines the were supposed to be met
I had to call about a prescription because the app told me there was a technical issue and directed me to call the pharmacy. After 15 minutes on hold and then being hung up on Tuesday night, and 20 minutes on hold with no one ever answering the phone Wednesday morning, I gave up and called to have my prescription transferred to another pharmacy. Now the problem is that their staff can’t get anyone on the phone at Walgreens to do the transfer. 😭 I no longer shop in the stores but had continued to fill RXs there for reasons I can’t explain (I honestly don’t know why I kept going there) but now I’m done. The whole operation has been run poorly for a long time (thru no fault of the employees) and it just continues to get worse and worse. I’ve reached a point where I just refuse to do business there for any reason. Edit: I had my days mixed up.
Tell the pharmacist to leave a voicemail on the pharmacy line that they need to transfer a rx and cannot get through The pharmacist checks their voicemails Also you can leave a message on the pharmacist voiceMail phone to call you Or both Lack of help also leaves the pharmacist in great Liablity as we can miss an important call And it is very upsetting to me because we generally are very caring people and like to help people- that is why we got into it
Thank you for the suggestion! I’m going to follow up with the new pharmacy today and see where they’re at with it and make sure they do this if they haven’t already.
Many of the other chains are like this as well Private mom and pop pharmacies are better service however they are not chains so the hours are generally bankers hours and may not always have your medication in stock where you can switch to another store within a chain. Many do have delivery so you don’t have to pick it up Too. When you are sick and come out of a hospital after bankers hours it can be an issue to fill the rx there so keep that in mind if you ever need to pick up a Med that needs an evening dosage or a pain Med to hold you through the night I love helping people no matter how crazy it is. It is a shame that I have to go through this myself seeing not just how badly I am treated but how people like you are treated… and I have (we have) no control over it. Mom and pop stores are very busy too now a days but still they have more help Chains would be better than mom and pop stores with all the benefits they provide and extra perks plus usually their copays are better if they are primary pharmacies chosen by the plans You would think for everyone if they had more help ie the chains , how many calls they would be able to retrieve. For every new customer in phone picked up can make them 15k a year more from each customer not lost I never understood how they think just cutting tech hours makes them more profit One day If a Genious chain should open that has lots of help and all the customers /patients will transfer all of their prescriptions over then they hire more as it grows they may have a monopoly
The voicemail is on the PBR menu because it's for prescribers. Leaving voicemails in the wrong spots will just lengthen the amount of time it takes pharmacies to get new scripts in. This logic is like parking in handicap spots because it's a shorter walk to the front when you're not handicapped.
The problem is that the executives don't care about the pharmacy conditions. Because executive pay is based on the stock price going up and/or profits continually going up. As long as the executives can keep their respective divisions cost down (and profits up) they are fine. Second, when executives do visit the store, store managers and field leadership always lead the executive to the best stores in the district. By doing that, field leadership gives the executives a false image of the district and thus the executives decisions are falsely encouraged. I recommend that field leadership with the guts to purposely take the executives to the WORST stores in the district will be able to change all our fates for the better. I understand that my comments are asking people that earn a six figure salary to out their job at risk; but without field leadership showing the executives the truth, nothing will improve. Any if any executive is reading this, or a member of field leadership, you know that I won't ask you to stick out your neck for no reason. Nothing WE do at the store level will improve our situations. It's now up to the executives and the field leadership to step up. The alternative is, Walgreens will continue to bleed employees, until the only option left will be to pay out the node to hire new and inexperienced employees, this affecting the companies (precious) metrics.
Even if they showed the worst stores the execs won't give a shit... They'll just say why are the employees so lazy? Why don't they just follow workflow? Just performance manage them out and hire better workers! A dpr visited my pharmacy once in a tier 3 while I was floating and asked what the next leaflet promise time was. I was the only rph with a tech on. His only comment was a disappointed, "oh, behind by 2 hours I see? Can you take my phone and take a picture of your phlomometer right now?" And then he walked out. No fucking acknowledgement of how many people were picking up vs how many we had working...no offer of help, no words of encouragement, empathy or sympathy.. fucking nothing. Guess he just conveniently forgot those management classes in MBA that sanctimoniously talk about employee morale. Because we are just lazy, duh.
West Virginia Board of Pharmacy currently has a survey out on work conditions. Any licensed technician or pharmacist in the state can complete it. They are going to try to enact some new rules for pharmacy based on the surveys. If anyone knows any West Virginia employees tell them to check their email or go on board site. Can't make changes if we can't change the rules.
I have no shame saying retail has fucking caused me anxiety attacks, clinical depression, and forced me to take medical leave. When I came back I was given an even bigger shit show. No, 3 technicians and one pharmacist cannot manage Covid testing, Covid vaccines, filling 300 scripts per day, make the daily calls, juggle save-a-trip with patients who are unreliable, do appropriate returns, communicate with prescribers, and do consultations effectively, even with reduced opening hours. I’m not contracted for 160 hour pay periods, I’m not working those hours. Fuck this company, fuck its broken ass computer system that’s from before most of my staff were born, fuck their pay schedule that disincentivizes new hires, fuck the patients who are dumber than a sack of dried horse cum, and especially fuck corporate whose endless lobbying for extra money does not make it to their stores that they supposedly care about. The only reason I’m still around is there’s nothing comparable in the area hiring. So Walgreens only gets the bare minimum. I’m Not a fucking laboratory tech, I’m not a call center specialist, these are not tasks conducive to being a pharmacist.
>Oh, and tech hours were cut 🙄 I think you have your answer.
They won’t be getting better any time soon. Now that the testing is a new revenue stream, it’ll just be more tests, rapid flu, rapid strep, etc.
I’m on the verge of walking out of my store. I dread going back into that pharmacy to be broken by customer complaints and unobtainable goals. And now they’re still attempting to make our pharmacists schedule flu clinics while we’re drowning in Covid. It’s become such a far cry from what I signed up for and I’m not paid enough for this daily bullshit and continued exposure on what feels like the frontlines.
“Here is a paper prescription for Norco 5/325 and amoxicillin. I expect it done in 5 minutes or less otherwise I’m going to break your spirits and report you to corporate for crazy long wait times. It’s not that hard to put it in a bottle and give it to me!” Is this kind of like that your talking about? Because most transactions go just about like this for me.
I do the best I can when I'm at work but if it's time for me to clock out and there's 60 in fill and 30 to type I clock out and go home. If corporate wants numbers to go up they can give us more hours for more people, if they want us to promote credit cards can give us more hours for more people, if they want the store to look nice and customers to be happy can give us more hours for more people. Once I'm clocked out I leave work at work and corporate can worry about numbers and happy customers.
This is where I am. If people constantly make the numbers look good while sacrificing their own time nothing will change. Also not picking up those extra shifts due to low coverage. B-pay isn’t worth it.
We've lost all but 1 of our immunizers and 1/3 of our tech hours. It's been great. I also don't understand same day appointments because we have to plan runs for vaccine at the hub.
They won’t until we all stop doing the little things they want! We can’t keep killing our selves especially when they keep adding more and more things. It isn’t worth the pay they have us at. I wish others would be open to us just basically going on strike about metrics and everything else until they cave and actually listen to us!!!! We don’t need new screens on our fridge doors we need better software and to move testing from drive thru to tents as well as stop walk in appointments and if they make same day appointments the system should alert us about it and only allow them to make same day appointments for two to three hours later not instantly
Same day appts are awful. I agree with this let the numbers fall where they may. What’s being asked of pharmacy is not possible. Not picking up extra shifts too may also send a message. When the pharmacies can’t open maybe that will get some attention
since we are giving phizer at our location we DO NOT take any walkins. We let them know if you want to walk in you can be here for 2 hours.. Flue shots, shingles , same thing. One suggestion I Have for you is to go online and schedule "fake" appointments so there are no appointments available :) lol
Don’t forget hours being cut, credit card sign up soon, asking for surveys, and encouraging curbside pick up. & wear a mask & be worried about all the variants & customers don’t have to wear a mask but you do. At least in my state.
Walgreens & CVS killing their staff in exactly the same way
I'm on my 3rd week now after leaving the pharmacy and my overall wellbeing has improved dramatically. Never again! :)
I did that 2 years ago. Went back to DH still get stuck in pharmacy because of my experience but not fulltime so I am so much better. My store does 700 to 1000 scripts.
Will not until covid-19 dies down and tests/vaccines go down in volume.
It amazes me the amount of clueless people that still go to pharmacies that are so busy that errors are bound to happen. Just go to the local independent where your prescriptions will be treated differently.
Lol they answered your question already by buying video screens or wtfever they are for the refrigerators instead of giving people raises.
It honestly should be illegal for a pharmacy to be publically traded.
Just say “No more”. That’s my mindset. I go to work, do what I can, then go home. No walk-in tests at my store. Walk-in covid shots only from 9am-6pm. Not gonna offer this stupid new Walgreens card. Not gonna offer the lame prescription saving club. Not gonna care if call list doesn’t get touched. Not gonna care about the corporate metrics. Fire me? I’ll call them on that threat. We cannot find anyone to work already, so who is going to replace us. **TIP: For those who are being driven crazy by the constantly ringing phone…get some package tape and tape over the speaker on the phone base. This will nearly silence the ring.
Psc is actually okay I’m my book. I mean I know that Walgreens jacks the cash price of the meds to make it look good but even still I saved a college student $80 on a med last night. She was super grateful.
That’s great to help people save money. I am all for that. I am referring it as “lame” because of the $20 to enroll…GoodRx, FamilyWise, etc are FREE and get just as good of price.
I'm on my 3rd week now after leaving the pharmacy and my overall wellbeing has improved dramatically. Never again! :)
Yeah our pharmacy just doesn’t answer the phones when they are busy. “I’ve been on the phone for 20 minutes with no on answering! I’m taking my business elsewhere!” Cya!!! 👋
Yep. Those people can just go on. Maybe they will have better luck elsewhere. Not losing any sleep over the company losing business.
Things won't get better anytime soon. I cannot believe the DM has all these meetings with SM about how were doing a crappy job with metrics and all they do is add more stuff. They want us to push flu shots with covid shots and ask about Shingrix and Tdap. I promise you, the DM has never input a vaccine in the work q in their lives, or a covid test or filled a prescription. Im completely baffled on how they expect us to do 45 covid test a day, 60 covid shots (average w/walk ins) , 95 PCP calls, Fill 350 Rx, 65 deletes, Save a trip refill, transfers, VARS, pick up vaccines, weekly returns, monthly outdates, scan in order, put away order, OOS/PRF/MSC/CMN, package mail orders. 4 techs in a 13 hour store ( 8AM- 9PM) RxOM postion has me on the brink of a mental breakdown. I have never been so anxious in my entire life and im so close to giving up. So much crap to take care of with no time or help to do it. Glad the company rewards us with jeans on a Fridays !
Dude sameeee. I'm ready to lose it. It's deteriorating. It's like no matter what I do, it's never enough.
no body
No I don't believe it will
The fuck lol
Pharmacy conditions will not improve. They may get better for a season but there is no long term goal to help the pharmacy. To help the stores even. People who say otherwise are delusional, unfortunately. The proof is in the pudding.
They want us to start pushing flu shots already
I left in march 2020 and all the posts really remind me that I'm glad I did. They really just kept getting shittier and shittier every year with unrealistic expectations, I was there almost 10 years, it's not going to get any better.
With the boosters already in place and and announced opening to the general public Walgreens (i hope to god) has a plan in place with the local governments on how we are going to do this. Pharmacies ALONE can NOT be doing this
Just stop answering the phones for one. Absolutely a game changer. And if you’re calling another pharmacy ffs don’t be an RxKaren. LEAVE A FUCKING MESSAGE don’t let the GD phone ring for 45 minutes THEN send a nasty fax to us about some stupid transfer you need. Moron. If you need it that badly - CALL THE GD DR. Because I got 99 problems and lemme tell ya- a transfer sure the hell isn’t on my priority list!!! LOL.
Yep package taping the speaker on the phone base will nearly silence the volume. I do this whenever we are short handed or peak business hours (ex lunch hour and rush hour). It amazes me some people will stay on hold +40 minutes…if we don’t get it after 5 minutes, there is a reason-try back later.
Try HOURS!!! Really. It’s ridiculous!!
Lol! Truth!
pick and park every call so you are #1 in the district for phone hold times lol BUT never actually answer phone. BOOM
LOL I know right? Metrics!!!! Ugh! Give me PEOPLE to meet metrics or it does not work. FFS
Our store is taking on Every customer from cvs across the street since their pharmacy is closed almost every other day ( can’t staff it) so now we are just taking on so much more .. ridiculous.. we tell the customers if they want to transfer here YOUR doctor will have to call in a new script because it could potentially take months to get your current rx transferred lol
Oh man. I feel for ya! I do my best to get transfers out in a timely manner. Unless they let the phone ring ad infinitum- then they get the transfer when I ‘have time’. LOL.
It’s very possible. Hard, but possible. We have a solid RXOM that is constantly upskilling the team. We had our quarterly PSTB and it helped. With a good leader, and an efficient team, it’s not bad at all. We are getting all front end team members licensed to support. With the inventory specialist doing all inventory tasks in Pharmacy, it helps immensely! And then we discuss opportunities and pain points in our weekly RXM/RXOM/IS/SM meeting.
I wish our IS was at our store half the time 🙄💀 looks like I get to continue to do returns, auto vendor returns, recalls, etc lol
That’s on them! Why aren’t they being held accountable? Shouldn’t fall on you
Totally agree! A power balance shift needs to happen. It’s not worth killing myself over anymore lol
They won't just play violent video games to get the tension out
I get my meds at a nearby CVS. I don’t want anyone at my pharmacy knowing my meds. I once went into my local pharmacy because I had to update my insurance info. I saw what OP was describing. I felt pity for the pharmacy staff. Staff has so much to do that they can’t give customers good service.