Pharmacy Tech

Dear Pharmacy District Managers,

This is really an open letter to ALL the Chain Store Pharmacy Departments .  Having recently worked for one,  I feel pretty certain that conditions are pretty much the same all around.

I originally took a position thinking I was being hired locally, only to find out the job was miles away.  Not much I could do since I really needed a second job and there isn't anything out there for people of a "certain age".   So when after taking out Union dues (Local 1776), the extra cost of gas for the 14 mile round trip commute, I was now officially making below minimum wage.

First let's breakdown what the job consisted of and what you officially called the position.  Officially you called it a Pharmacy Cashier:

 1 - Pull bags with drugs, and cash out customers.
 2 - Answer phones and customers questions
 3 - Refill prescriptions customers called in, or dropped off.
 4 - Count drugs and label.
 5 - Put drugs away.
 6 - Stock stations.
 7 - Refill Robot (with drugs)
 8 - Order drugs.
 9 - Type scripts and enter into computer.
10 - Fill scripts.
11 - Empty trash (Blue, green and clear)
12 - Pull Out dates
13 - Call Insurance Companies when there is a dispute.

 So.....If all I was to do in the pharmacy was to "cashier", they would have been up a creek without a paddle!   Of course my badge DID change from Pharmacy Cashier to "Pharmacy Associate" after a year, but I was still not getting paid for the "Technician" work that I did every shift.  I did get a raise after one year - $.25 an hour, followed by another $.25 an hour by year two (that's a whopping $7.88/hr).

I think it is safe to say for the amount and Type of work done by the pharmacy "cashier" the pay scale should be higher.  Most cashiers could go to McDonald's and get more money. I was always tempted to ask customers when they paid - would you like fries with that?

But I digress.....

In additional to my regular morning job that I worked 25 hours a week at, I worked 3 evenings a week and every other weekend for the pharmacy.  (that's 5 hours more every evening and 8 hour shifts on weekends).   I was happy that the store I worked at was always busy, because the shift went by quickly most evenings/weekends.  Unfortunately, because it was so busy, I usually stayed later every shift because the pharmacist was short-handed.  Short-handed because they could not schedule but a certain number of people (hours) and they didn't have enough "techs" who could "type" (enter scripts into the computer and fill them).  Our store had ONE certified tech - she worked every weekday from open till 4 (but rarely left before 5) and I believe there were 3 of us "Associates" that could actually "type".

Corporate has no clue how busy that store is - how I wished one of those corporate types would actually spend a day behind a register, answer phones, unload the truck, fill scripts,  and deal with the customers first hand. And do it for $7.88 an hour.

You have heard the saying you get what you pay for.  Well Drug Store Chain - you  have that and then some. You have an army of workers that don't give a rats ass.  They have no work ethic - they do as little as possible, and socialize on their phones for entire shifts.   Are they really who you want in your pharmacy dealing with drugs and customers private information?  The good workers are so overworked and disillusioned that I'm sure you will see them leave in time for greener pastures as well.

Despite the poor pay and grueling schedule,  I sincerely enjoyed working in the pharmacy.  The work was interesting and rewarding -the pharmacists were great to work for and wonderful teachers.  I miss them, the staff and the regular customers.

But it's about time that you start paying your pharmacy staff a living wage.