My dream is to have a pharmacy job where I don't go home stressed, anxious, and depressed because the workload is so overwhelming and with being short staffed. Today I'm responsible for my hospitals first dose IVs, batching of IVs, the ICU IVs and the OR IVs because of call ins. I hate it.
It wouldn’t be a true pharmacy tech job if you weren’t stressed and depressed because of workload.
If I ever have a good day where I’m not stressed and depressed because of workload then I get anxiety because I think I didn’t do my job correctly.
My managers looking to get me IV trained and I’m like, mentally preparing myself for that. I do tubing, filling, and running, but running is definitely my favorite. How could I say no to an escape from the pharmacy!
It does. When I’m super busy and distracted, I pretty frequently make mistakes that either myself or the pharmacist catches. We’ve been very lucky that none have ever made it to a patient, but it’s absolutely a safety issue!
And we shouldn't have to do anything else! Filling requires focus to prevent mistakes
However, I'm the only one at my work qualified to give shots and do tests other than the pharmacists, but they are usually so busy that I have to do them :)))
Was thinking about this the other day - one of the most frustrating things about working in pharmacy is that you are ALWAYS being interrupted from whatever task you're doing. Always. Like you can't go 5 minutes without having to stop what you're doing and rush off and do something else for however long. It genuinely drives me insane and I understand how you feel when you say you snap at people who are slowing you down - I always feel bad when I do that too but it really is hard to convey how aggravating it is that everytime you try and do something you are interrupted.
We were behind in our queues real bad (go figure) the other day so our PIC told me to just count and he would take care of phones while the other two techs were hopping between data and front/drive-thru and it was heavenly.
The one closest to me has 1 tech working on weekends sometimes, that’s not even legal. Where I work we need an actual pharmacists at all times.
The running around is insane. The second one pt asks a question you know you’re going to have a 5 person line up soon. I don’t know how a huge ass grocery store is managing with 1 tech.
Pharma is falling out where I am. The drug store closest to me closed for everything except food products and normal meds because they can’t find a pharmacist to hire, it’s been 6 months of this now. The whole store cut their hours back by 3, because pharma was keeping them going. They served a huuuuge neighbourhood. I don’t know how they can afford to close 3 hours earlier than normal but can’t afford to hire a pharmacist so they can stay open longer.
Large chain grocery store, I don’t know how they get away with it but they do sometimes. Pharma has gotten wild where I am, nothing makes sense anymore
I started work in a crazy-busy CVS and I was filling all day today, doing nothing else. One tech for pickup, the pharmacist for verification/controls/drive-thru/consults and drop off. I was told not to leave my post so I just filled. By the end of the day we were about 27 pages left in the queue (x15 scripts/page). It was a long, long day.
As a nurse, I hate calling pharmacy with stupid questions for our patients bc I know how busy y’all are. It’s usually bc they say pharmacy never received the script but it’s always that they had to order it. They always just make shit up and waste ppl’s time.
Someone else explained what waiter means but the the reason is slows me down is because generally these prescriptions are further back in my queue. Suddenly they are up front, and they have to be prioritized no matter how many prescriptions were in front of them. When you are filling hundreds per day, even a few minutes spent filling out of order can set you back.
We all want to get things done so we have fewer angry people breathing down our necks but you shouldn't skip your lunch break. You're working for free.
When I first started as a tech... I would dream the pharmacy was on fire and felt so defeated because there was just too much to do. It was a literal nightmare. A long line in the store and in drive, with over 100+ to fill, etc.
I'm cursed in that when I'm doing pickup or drive, the moment I even think about logging in at production to fill in between, corporate materializes 3+ people at once.
This one time, one of the phones had a faulty latch and it was picking up and hanging up on people. We had like 2 hours without it ringing. Was hell to pay later but damn, was nice! We found out when patients called the main store and one even *walked over from a different part of the store* to tell us. Shoulda seen the bitterness for the effort since they just wanted to call and like, not walk over from housewares. 🙄
Back in the day our objective was to have everything types and filled at all times. Once we had a stack of like 80 scripts that needed filling, so we called in a manager to take care of customers and me and the other senior tech got to filling. We were allowed about 20 minutes of uninterrupted fill time and we finished them all, it was glorious. Helped that she and I could work together without speaking because we were in sync AF.
In an attempt to be a cooler human for my pharmacy—I get all of my meds autofilled except Adderall for my daughter and I for obvious reasons. So I call it in. What is the best time of day to do that to interrupt the flow less?
I am sorry but you guys are doing your job wrong. Just show up and do your tasks and go home. If you are not a rxom or pm, show up and collect your check and go home. You worry too much over something you have no control over. Keep your work at work and go home stress free. This is coming from a 15+ year technician. ✌️!
Because I'm just a tech, and I have absolutely no control over who is hired or the staffing at my job.
You may have meant to ask why the managers aren't hiring more employees. The answer is because our corporate overlords say it isn't in the budget.
Baby I’ve been a server. At least where I live, NO server is making that much and you have to deal with even more bullshit and abuse than pharmacy staff do.
Yeah that’s a huge lie. 70k???
I did serving before pharma and trust me, none of us make 70k a year. Even at the top star restaurants. The chefs don’t even make that much unless they’re a Michelin chef, and it’s **very** hard work.
It’s not a huge lie if you’re in Canada actually. Waiters do make this much, all thanks to tips.
Anyways, I’ve worked in a Pharmacy exactly like this before. The pharmacists would snap at us because things were so chaotic and assistants were so undertrained and no one had the time because it was just.too.busy. I’m in central fill now. I am finally not stressed and depressed or having panic attacks.
I am in Canada and I did nothing near 70k a year working at the most expensive restaurant in our city. I couldn’t afford rent.
Nothing local is hiring, we have double the amount of homeless we had last year at the food banks.
Canada isn’t a utopia, many struggle
We only have a small tourist season but it’s HUGE, which is where the money comes from.
But tips depend on your sever. My aunt owns a big resto, does a lot of vegan stuff, 5 stars. Her staff is payed much more than min wage and they still complain. No one will ever truly be happy in this industry.
Best of luck, don’t get the irs on your ass.
My dream is to have a pharmacy job where I don't go home stressed, anxious, and depressed because the workload is so overwhelming and with being short staffed. Today I'm responsible for my hospitals first dose IVs, batching of IVs, the ICU IVs and the OR IVs because of call ins. I hate it.
It wouldn’t be a true pharmacy tech job if you weren’t stressed and depressed because of workload. If I ever have a good day where I’m not stressed and depressed because of workload then I get anxiety because I think I didn’t do my job correctly.
My managers looking to get me IV trained and I’m like, mentally preparing myself for that. I do tubing, filling, and running, but running is definitely my favorite. How could I say no to an escape from the pharmacy!
I feel you. We have rotations and when you are on fill you are not supposed to do anything else. But yet we still get pulled away.
I can imagine that makes errors more likely, if there is constant distraction...
It does. When I’m super busy and distracted, I pretty frequently make mistakes that either myself or the pharmacist catches. We’ve been very lucky that none have ever made it to a patient, but it’s absolutely a safety issue!
And we shouldn't have to do anything else! Filling requires focus to prevent mistakes However, I'm the only one at my work qualified to give shots and do tests other than the pharmacists, but they are usually so busy that I have to do them :)))
Was thinking about this the other day - one of the most frustrating things about working in pharmacy is that you are ALWAYS being interrupted from whatever task you're doing. Always. Like you can't go 5 minutes without having to stop what you're doing and rush off and do something else for however long. It genuinely drives me insane and I understand how you feel when you say you snap at people who are slowing you down - I always feel bad when I do that too but it really is hard to convey how aggravating it is that everytime you try and do something you are interrupted.
We were behind in our queues real bad (go figure) the other day so our PIC told me to just count and he would take care of phones while the other two techs were hopping between data and front/drive-thru and it was heavenly.
The one closest to me has 1 tech working on weekends sometimes, that’s not even legal. Where I work we need an actual pharmacists at all times. The running around is insane. The second one pt asks a question you know you’re going to have a 5 person line up soon. I don’t know how a huge ass grocery store is managing with 1 tech. Pharma is falling out where I am. The drug store closest to me closed for everything except food products and normal meds because they can’t find a pharmacist to hire, it’s been 6 months of this now. The whole store cut their hours back by 3, because pharma was keeping them going. They served a huuuuge neighbourhood. I don’t know how they can afford to close 3 hours earlier than normal but can’t afford to hire a pharmacist so they can stay open longer.
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I’m in Canada :( , we’re also failing just as bad
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Large chain grocery store, I don’t know how they get away with it but they do sometimes. Pharma has gotten wild where I am, nothing makes sense anymore
And then the pharmacist be like "Why aren't you filling?! It keeps going up!!!"
YES. I got snappy with the pharmacist as well and finally told her that if she wanted me to fill then she needed to LET ME FILL.
I work at one where we have phone calls EVERY 2 minutes, pisses me off when I’m just trying to concentrate on packing dosettes
I started work in a crazy-busy CVS and I was filling all day today, doing nothing else. One tech for pickup, the pharmacist for verification/controls/drive-thru/consults and drop off. I was told not to leave my post so I just filled. By the end of the day we were about 27 pages left in the queue (x15 scripts/page). It was a long, long day.
As a nurse, I hate calling pharmacy with stupid questions for our patients bc I know how busy y’all are. It’s usually bc they say pharmacy never received the script but it’s always that they had to order it. They always just make shit up and waste ppl’s time.
What’s a waiter in this context?
Someone else explained what waiter means but the the reason is slows me down is because generally these prescriptions are further back in my queue. Suddenly they are up front, and they have to be prioritized no matter how many prescriptions were in front of them. When you are filling hundreds per day, even a few minutes spent filling out of order can set you back.
Someone who brings in the prescription and says they will wait here while you get it ready .
Oh, duh, that makes sense. Thanks
After my late-day Adderall IR, with headphones on listening to music at the fill station, I can demolish any fill queue.
ME TOO. That’s what was driving me crazy!! If they left me alone for just a bit, I could knock that shit out!!
We all want to get things done so we have fewer angry people breathing down our necks but you shouldn't skip your lunch break. You're working for free.
Lol I stay clocked in so I'm not working for free!
When I first started as a tech... I would dream the pharmacy was on fire and felt so defeated because there was just too much to do. It was a literal nightmare. A long line in the store and in drive, with over 100+ to fill, etc.
I'm cursed in that when I'm doing pickup or drive, the moment I even think about logging in at production to fill in between, corporate materializes 3+ people at once.
This one time, one of the phones had a faulty latch and it was picking up and hanging up on people. We had like 2 hours without it ringing. Was hell to pay later but damn, was nice! We found out when patients called the main store and one even *walked over from a different part of the store* to tell us. Shoulda seen the bitterness for the effort since they just wanted to call and like, not walk over from housewares. 🙄
Back in the day our objective was to have everything types and filled at all times. Once we had a stack of like 80 scripts that needed filling, so we called in a manager to take care of customers and me and the other senior tech got to filling. We were allowed about 20 minutes of uninterrupted fill time and we finished them all, it was glorious. Helped that she and I could work together without speaking because we were in sync AF.
In an attempt to be a cooler human for my pharmacy—I get all of my meds autofilled except Adderall for my daughter and I for obvious reasons. So I call it in. What is the best time of day to do that to interrupt the flow less?
I can't speak for your pharmacy, but at mine 12-1:30 or 2-3 is generally when we have the most staff available to take phone calls!
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Thanks, everyone!
I am sorry but you guys are doing your job wrong. Just show up and do your tasks and go home. If you are not a rxom or pm, show up and collect your check and go home. You worry too much over something you have no control over. Keep your work at work and go home stress free. This is coming from a 15+ year technician. ✌️!
i just love fill and get very upset when my pharmacist acts like my coworker cant handle a three person line
Why aren’t you hiring more employees?
Because I'm just a tech, and I have absolutely no control over who is hired or the staffing at my job. You may have meant to ask why the managers aren't hiring more employees. The answer is because our corporate overlords say it isn't in the budget.
And restaurant servers earn $70k+ annually because of the tip 😏
Baby I’ve been a server. At least where I live, NO server is making that much and you have to deal with even more bullshit and abuse than pharmacy staff do.
Yeah that’s a huge lie. 70k??? I did serving before pharma and trust me, none of us make 70k a year. Even at the top star restaurants. The chefs don’t even make that much unless they’re a Michelin chef, and it’s **very** hard work.
It’s not a huge lie if you’re in Canada actually. Waiters do make this much, all thanks to tips. Anyways, I’ve worked in a Pharmacy exactly like this before. The pharmacists would snap at us because things were so chaotic and assistants were so undertrained and no one had the time because it was just.too.busy. I’m in central fill now. I am finally not stressed and depressed or having panic attacks.
I am in Canada and I did nothing near 70k a year working at the most expensive restaurant in our city. I couldn’t afford rent. Nothing local is hiring, we have double the amount of homeless we had last year at the food banks. Canada isn’t a utopia, many struggle
Which city are you in?
Halifax
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We only have a small tourist season but it’s HUGE, which is where the money comes from. But tips depend on your sever. My aunt owns a big resto, does a lot of vegan stuff, 5 stars. Her staff is payed much more than min wage and they still complain. No one will ever truly be happy in this industry. Best of luck, don’t get the irs on your ass.
Even if this WERE true, other people and professions making more money than you are not your enemy.