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Old 09-30-2019, 09:46 AM
 
2,410 posts, read 5,789,988 times
Reputation: 1916

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Quote:
Originally Posted by NYC refugee View Post
I'm waiting from Thursday night - went around 8 hoping it would be calmer, but no luck - until Monday for them to order the generic that works. They are so understaffed and every time I go I get a receipt with a survey on it and fill it out and say how understaffed they are. I have managed to get the refill timed for a few days before I run out so I have enough to last because I've gone through this so often with the wrong med no matter how many times I ask them to put my request on file.

One pharmacist, 3 techs - pharmacist filling scripts, one tech serving the line, another the drive-thru, the third doing every other thing. I wouldn't have their job for any amount of money.
Absolutely. Totally agree that these jobs are not desirable, to say the least. Maybe that's why so many pharmacists and techs are foreign-born, it's a field that is obviously experiencing shortages and newcomers to the country can pretty much be guaranteed employment after training is completed. I doubt the pay is very good, however, other than the pharmacist.

It doesn't seem to matter which pharmacy I use, it's the same understaffed situation (Costco, CVS, Walgreens, chain groceries, etc).
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Old 09-30-2019, 10:05 AM
 
Location: SW Florida
14,811 posts, read 11,954,900 times
Reputation: 24552
Quote:
Originally Posted by DubbleT View Post
The reality is that even the pill counting machines aren't that great, not as they are now, always running out and needing to be filled, or the drug that's supposed to be in there is out of stock so you have to go back to the computer and switch to a different mfg and then review, print, and fill again, this time manually. And seriously, you stand there and count 180 pills or 270 pills per prescription, you'll discover it takes more than a minute or two, especially when Mr Jones has eight or nine scripts for those kinds of amounts because he has diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and oh yeah, his anti anxiety meds too. And one of those scripts has an insurance problem or need pre-authorization, or there aren't any refills left so the doctors office has to be contacted. I really wish it were as simple as you make it out to be, life would be a lot easier for everyone. Thank the gov't. and the corporations for adding layer upon layer of 'protection' and 'added value' in the process of getting your pills 'counted'.
Which is why I renew my scripts online, (in response to the pharmacy email notification that they're due), then wait till I get the email saying they're ready to pick them up. If it takes a little longer to fill a script because of some issue such as you mention, that's ok. These days I keep a small stash of extra meds around so I don't run out. If it's really delayed (such as when they don't get a timely response from a doctor's office to renew a script that's run out), I'll call the pharmacy to see if there 's something I can do to help. Usually it's calling the doctor's office or once or twice has been the insurance company depending on the problem.

It's worked for me!
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Old 09-30-2019, 10:12 AM
 
2,410 posts, read 5,789,988 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldgardener View Post
My pharmacy is always well staffed, friendly, and helpful. I don't see them rushing around much, though they are busy most of the time. They even know me by name, which is always nice.
You're lucky. Based on this thread, this seems to be the exception.
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Old 09-30-2019, 10:18 AM
 
2,410 posts, read 5,789,988 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spazkat9696 View Post
Part of the issue is people no longer know how to multitask. They do nothing but stand around when the exact thing they’re waiting for is working. Example, the car in the drive thru has to wait for their meds, wait on the front counter. People need to do more than one thing at a time. It’s an issue I’ve been noticing with younger workers.
I agree. They are too busy looking at their damn phones. Seriously, though, younger people don't have the same skill set as older workers and that includes the ability to multitask. And they think everything is done on a computer instead of actually doing it themselves. My experience is also that they are easily frazzled. But in a fast-paced pharmacy environment that is perpetually short-staffed, I can understand it.

I called a chain grocery store pharmacy the other day to get a price and info on a med before getting it filled there, and the tech had to ask another person after each question I had. Really bad customer service. Just let me talk to the person who actually has the answers.
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Old 09-30-2019, 10:24 AM
 
2,410 posts, read 5,789,988 times
Reputation: 1916
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellwood View Post
Daughter worked as a pharmacist for 20 years and is changing careers. The last pharmacy she worked for (CVS) had a quota of prescriptions that had to be met by the pharmacists. This was very troubling to her and others as the safety of the patient should have been a priority. Additionally working long shifts without breaks, spending more time checking with doctors regarding incorrect dosage or possible interaction with current medication and insurance problems. The older, more experienced pharmacists (who need to take courses and tests to keep their license up to date) are being replaced by younger and recent graduates who are paid less. Corporate greed is the biggest reason pharmacies are understaffed.
Wow, the doctor should have advised on interaction at the time the med was prescribed. Not good to rely on a pharmacist who is rushed and meeting quotas to pick up possible interactions. This is the doctor's responsibility. How would the pharmacist know everything a person is taking? What if they filled a script elsewhere at a different chain or private pharmacy?

However, I will add that the last couple scripts I got were after a short dr app't, and no instructions or mention of possible interactions were discussed. I had to look it up online and rely on the info sheet that comes with the script. Not good medical practice.
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Old 09-30-2019, 10:35 AM
 
Location: SW Florida
14,811 posts, read 11,954,900 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland View Post
My pharmacy told me they have no control over which one of the generic products comes in. I know there is one generic that doesn't work at all for me and I thought they knew that. But the other day they gave me the kind that doesn't work. Thank goodness they only had 20 pills and they had to order more. When I went back to get the rest, it turned out to be the right kind.

Then I noticed that the 20 pills they gave me are the useless kind. Guess I'll just go back and talk to them again, but it's very frustrating to think that they have no control over which generic comes in. It could have easily been another order of the bad stuff and I don't know if they can order more until that runs out. I don't know how it works. And I don't know why they even bothered giving me 20 of the the ones that don't even work. I had thought they would have made a note of that when I told them last time.
My husband ran into that with a generic drug, and was also told the pharmacy had no control over which manufacturer sends them generic meds at any given time. He was unable to get the issue resolved and ended up switching pharmacies to one where he was able to get the generic that worked for him. Though I'm not sure that any pharmacy won't ever get generics that aren't satisfactory to a given customer, as they all buy generics from the same manufacturers over time, I'd think.

You might discuss your problems with specific generics with the pharmacist, and they *might* make note of it, but I don't think I'd count on it. I guess you have discovered that. If I were in your shoes, and knew which generic/manufacturer caused you problems, or didn't work, I might include that information when you renew your prescriptions. This would probably require a phone call, as who the heck knows where these automated emails go, but such information might jog their memories enough to have them looking for substitutions.

I know they CAN substitute different manufacturer's generics for the one they're currently using, when they need to do so. Due to recent FDA recalls of a number of manufacturers and lot numbers of Losartan pills, pharmacies have been kinda scrambling to find losartan from manufacturers not affected by these recalls. But they've been able to do so. When I got my last 90 day refill of Losartan potassium tabs, I got 90 tablets- divided into three bottles from three different manufacturers,
ie, 24 in one bottle, 37 in the second, and 29 in the last bottle (think that adds up to 90). I guess they didn't have 90 of any one manufacturer, and I appreciate their efforts to give me the whole prescription.
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Old 09-30-2019, 11:47 AM
 
Location: A Yankee in northeast TN
15,961 posts, read 20,920,058 times
Reputation: 43172
Quote:
Originally Posted by xz2y View Post
Absolutely. Totally agree that these jobs are not desirable, to say the least. Maybe that's why so many pharmacists and techs are foreign-born, it's a field that is obviously experiencing shortages and newcomers to the country can pretty much be guaranteed employment after training is completed. I doubt the pay is very good, however, other than the pharmacist.

It doesn't seem to matter which pharmacy I use, it's the same understaffed situation (Costco, CVS, Walgreens, chain groceries, etc).
Actually it's the result of an overabundance of pharmacists, long gone are the days when we gave sign on bonuses to pharmacist. About five years ago we cut hours for almost all of our techs and didn't bother to replace several that left.
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/contrib...harmacist-jobs
Quote:
I called a chain grocery store pharmacy the other day to get a price and info on a med before getting it filled there, and the tech had to ask another person after each question I had. Really bad customer service. Just let me talk to the person who actually has the answers.
But the person who has all the answers is the pharmacist, who probably has both hands on the computer processing scripts as they roll in, or is counting pills. If s/he stops to answer your questions, well there's another slow down in the process of 'pill counting.'
Would it make a difference in your perception to realize that where I work on average we do roughly 250 - 400 prescriptions each twelve hour day, with no more than one pharmacist on duty at any one time. For a part of that time the pharmacist is on duty alone or with just one tech. It's nuts.
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Old 09-30-2019, 02:42 PM
 
656 posts, read 1,367,664 times
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I'll bet you're talking about CVS. One employee working the whole store on a Friday rush hour.
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Old 09-30-2019, 03:21 PM
 
Location: Alexandria, VA
15,110 posts, read 27,564,252 times
Reputation: 27157
And for some reason CVS was allowed to purchase Aetna - nothing but issues w/them since.
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Old 09-30-2019, 06:07 PM
 
656 posts, read 1,367,664 times
Reputation: 1266
.....And two of the worst companies in America merge. what could possibly go wrong?
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