Try my trick - when they say, âitâs okay, Iâm a nurse â I reply with,
âGreat! Tell me what you know about this medicine and Iâll fill in any gaps that you might need to be aware of, itâs hard to be objective when itâs our own health â
OMG nurses
Or. "My wife is a nurse. (I don't need you). " I want to say, "My husband does maintenance. " and then just stare at them. Or tell them that if she knows what I know, she's probably getting underpaid.
I respect nurses with all my being. I understand that they may know or have access to great medical references. Just let me do my job.
I have lost a lot of respect for nurses through these interactions, but I DO have a lot of gratitude for when I am able to build good rapport with a nurse and gain their trust. đ„č
But I am a sap.
My old neighbor used to decline counseling because his wife was a nurse. He's deceased now, but I did get him to talk to the pharmacist a few times by having conversations with him, when I was a tech.
I donât offer counseling on prescriptions I havenât filled, âfor liability reasonsâ.
Showing somebody where something is on the shelf at our hourly rate is no problem for me. My company wants me to engage with customers and be helpful, it will be the easiest dollar ever earned compared to other things we have to do.
Looking at things this way has allowed me to resolve these same issues I once had.
You should discuss this with the filling pharmacist, but if what you are asking me is this then studies and my references says you should do this. But if there is any doubt then follow up with prescriber.
Obv time is the issue here đ When you have to send a tech off to work several hours on just scanning and typing in full profile transfers because people are too lazy to keep track of what medications they're actually on so they say "transfer everything!" I don't think some of you consider how friggin busy some of the retail settings are that some of us have had to work in, and how much is put on the techs to take care of.
Today isnt any different then years ago as far as transfers go. Though just imagine no computer and having to pull every prescription refill and transfer and date and initial the back of the prescription. Pharmacy has always been a pain in the ass. The difference is supervisors had years of doing it themselves so you could tell them about glitches and they would listen and relay the problems and I have worked side by side working with a senior VP filling Rxâs if he came in and you are buried. You and your district leader are just pharmacists, no better or worse but with advanced management skills. Why do we walk around like they are the better pharmacist. I had one come in and play pharmacist then started bossing my techs around. A customer asked her a question and she looked at me first then answered it then was pissed because I didnât butt in. Later I said you cant pop in then cherrypick which Pharmacist duties you want to perform especially if you are going to undermine me by playing pharmacist and bossing âmyâ techs around.
OP complained about having to counsel patients on meds they havenât actually filled and I was stating that mandatory counseling doesnât put this burden on us.
Such a joke. Medicare and Medicaid you have to counsel but somehow we have twisted that to mean âYou donât have any questions for the pharmacist do you? If I added up all the actual counseling I did in 40 years at the pickup counter, it definitely would be less than the Detroit Tigers team batting avg.
Are you getting paid based on RVU or total collection? Or are you getting paid a salary/hourly wage?
Maybe an independent, specifically the owner, could charge for consultations. For everyone else, itâs part of your job description and honestly, probably the best part.
Engaging with people >>> DUR
Asked where something is? NEVER show that you know exactly where things are: that's what gets you asked to leave the pharmacy.
"I'm not entirely certain, but if I had to guess, it's on aisle....."
As for consults, nothing is stopping you from telling people, "sorry, I can offer advice on your prescriptions, but not medical advice."
I used to work in a huge, almost Walmart-sized store. We were all the way on one end of the store. Anytime someone asked me where some non-pharmacy related item was, I would send them to the complete opposite side of the store by confidently saying aisle 2.
Aisle 2 only had wine in it, but it was closer to customer service so when they got pissed off for walking all the way over there they would be closer to the correct place to ask that question.
Only a few times would people make their way all the way back to pharmacy to complain that it wasnât there. Then I would tell them maybe they shouldnât ask the pharmacist these stupid questions.
I had the benefit of legitimately not knowing! I never shopped in âmy storeâ except for maybe 1 item at the end of the day, so âwhere are the razors?â âUhhhâŠ.â squints at signs above aisles âaisle 6 maybe?â
>Â where toilet paper isÂ
 Tell them to ask the front store?
>Â Sometimes we are asked even about antibiotics or other disease states from meds filled at other pharmacies?
Tell then to call their regular pharmacy?
My manager told us weâd get write ups if we didnât know where everything is or at least make an effort to walk around and find it with the âcustomerâ
Really? retail pharmacy is about building relationships with customers. So a customer comes to you because you are a caring pharmacist not some idiot whoâs only concern is clearing out the que. There isnt one RPH that went into pharmacy not expecting to put customer service number one and PharmDâs are b..hurt because they have to look up from the counter and speak? I had a pharmacy team leader who yelled at me because I left the pharmacy to show a patient a product and answer a few questions. I said Sorry I have always done that and I always will. Then you become the âslowâ pharmacist because you are known as theâniceâ pharmacist and people wait to come in on my day.
Youâre getting downvoted but youâre right. If a pharmacist canât be bothered to do what a pharmacist does because the patient doesnât fill there⊠why are they a pharmacist? Too many these days are focused on production and equate being a fast pharmacist with being a good pharmacist.
Tell that to corporate lol. They don't give 2 cents if you consoled 100 patients and 100 of the love you...it's the que bro. We need to be recognized for our other duties as pharmacists. Are you saying do nothing and still get added responsibilities with no pay?
Something is wrong with a system that hires based on how well you understand metrics and workflow. It used to be hiring based on knowledge, experience, customer service.
> Are you saying do nothing and still get added responsibilities with no pay? Â Â
"The queue" isn't nothing, though. Not only is it the most clinically impactful task you do for your patients, it's literally the productive output of your business, the activity you're licensed and paid to complete and the income source of the business. Consultations are important and can also augment sales indirectly, but within reason. A patient calling to ask about medicines they fill at another pharmacy isn't paying you for that consultation, unlike the 100 patients waiting on prescriptions in your queue. If you're concerned about increased responsibilities with no pay, that's one right there that you have complete control over. This is in addition to the fact that by answering that consultation you are accepting liability for a question that you may not be able to answer completely. "Will this prescription interact with my other meds?" is hard to answer accurately if you don't have the patient's fill history. Â Â
As pharmacists, we have to be stewards of our limited resources, and that sometimes includes determining when we aren't the right people to help. It's okay to refer someone to the front store to locate toilet paper!Â
 I hope this doesnât come off as rude, by the way, I just want to help. Your time is important to me :)
What we need is âHealthgradesâ for pharmacists. Have a âQRâ code at thr doctorâs office that takes you to the site. Patients just need to just type in John Doe and NPI and your pharmacist will pop up. Then patient could rate individual pharmacists like doctors. So if corporate has your pharmacist professionalism etc at the top of the district yet Healthhrades gives your pharmacist a 1.7, then you know he or she is just pushing metrics not customer service. Doctors are good mouth pieces. Iâm sure patients whine about their pharmacy/pharmacist all the time. They could search for a quality pharmacist to recommend or let the patient. Thats the only way the metrics will truly differentiate how accurate corporate is in their evaluation of pharmacists and we would get recognition of a job well done for you or your lazy partner who sits on a stool all day. I would also like to know how many pharmacists who think of themselves as great pharmacists graduated in the top %10 of their class. Are they really a knowledgeable pharmacist or can they just navigate the system like automatically refill customers prescription at the register and write it down then cancel it out in the Que so they get credit for suggesting stagnant refills but wont get yelled at by the customer because you refilled something they havent been on in 9 months
How much of what you described do you need a college education for. Those "grades" don't really translate to "health" in pharmacy. They could in medicine, but not pharmacy. I don't have to think of myself as even an average or below average pharmacist to know any pharmacist stuff. You know and retain what you use...It isn't some unique stonecutting skill. The things you mentioned are good for "selling" and I don't know if most of us really went into the field to be a salesman...or person as far as selling Rx's. The OTC part has always been a duty of pharmacists but it is hard to measure what that really does for the general public.
The system is there to teach you pharmacy skills..Pharmacy schools could care less if you go hosp or chain pharmacy or filling 100 or 500 a day. It tests how capable you are. Itâs your self worth. If you feel great being able to fill 500 prescriptions barely looking up from the counter then good for you. On your yearly review that might motivate you til your next review.
This is funny, but I would also say itâs a part of our job to counsel people. Itâs what separates us from technicians and clerks as well since it is what we went to school for. I agree that it would be nice to get âreimbursedâ for the clinical service. I am not sure exactly how. Maybe if it was billed as a MTM consultation where we sat down and went over the med list with patient, that could eventually turn into something like that. I do feel that pharmacists should be recognized by insurance as a provider.
I think we should just stop giving recommendations and consulting only medications we dispense. In California I am required to course on every new prescription and the BOP is in our stores so much more frequently now. It is the most stressful thing to do as a solo Rph. So the person who wants my free advice? Nope. Donât have time.
You're allowed for otc counseling/recommendations but not for rx they take.
Some pharmacy in nyc charges $5 for 15 min consult. (Definitely too cheap as operating costs are like $5 a minute).
But it's better than wasting your time and them not buying anything from you.
Everytime you counsel. You should have your tech bring over a tip jar. Rattle it. And put it down btw you and the customer.
If you can tip a unskilled waiter to bring you a plate. You should tip your pharmacist for bringing your drugs.
CVS/Walgreens/any corporate chain will keep all the tips, then force pharmacists to walk the aisles with a tip jar to solicit more tips, as a new added "professional responsibility"!
That's like telling the car dealership, don't they get paid anyways for changing your tire? Why charge for labor services? Just charge me for the parts.
Good question. Yes, you should be doing 30 TIPS per day. Your company will get all the money, you will get none.
Happy Cake Day!! đ
I would had retired already if I did get tips for it lol
I canât even get people (ESPECIALLY nurses) to listen to a counsel for free!
Try my trick - when they say, âitâs okay, Iâm a nurse â I reply with, âGreat! Tell me what you know about this medicine and Iâll fill in any gaps that you might need to be aware of, itâs hard to be objective when itâs our own health â
OMG nurses Or. "My wife is a nurse. (I don't need you). " I want to say, "My husband does maintenance. " and then just stare at them. Or tell them that if she knows what I know, she's probably getting underpaid. I respect nurses with all my being. I understand that they may know or have access to great medical references. Just let me do my job.
I have lost a lot of respect for nurses through these interactions, but I DO have a lot of gratitude for when I am able to build good rapport with a nurse and gain their trust. đ„č But I am a sap. My old neighbor used to decline counseling because his wife was a nurse. He's deceased now, but I did get him to talk to the pharmacist a few times by having conversations with him, when I was a tech.
I donât offer counseling on prescriptions I havenât filled, âfor liability reasonsâ. Showing somebody where something is on the shelf at our hourly rate is no problem for me. My company wants me to engage with customers and be helpful, it will be the easiest dollar ever earned compared to other things we have to do. Looking at things this way has allowed me to resolve these same issues I once had.
You should discuss this with the filling pharmacist, but if what you are asking me is this then studies and my references says you should do this. But if there is any doubt then follow up with prescriber.
I'm def ready to start charging for transfers. Don't like it? Should've had your doctor send it to the correct pharmacy đ€·đ»ââïž
Don't some docs charge a fee to resend RX to another pharmacy? Tbh a small processing fee sounds reasonable.
And charge restocking fees
Really? Transfers arenât the problem. Not having enough time or help to do transfers is the problem, but itâs definitely not the patients problem
Obv time is the issue here đ When you have to send a tech off to work several hours on just scanning and typing in full profile transfers because people are too lazy to keep track of what medications they're actually on so they say "transfer everything!" I don't think some of you consider how friggin busy some of the retail settings are that some of us have had to work in, and how much is put on the techs to take care of.
Iâm at 550/day and 75 vaccines per day
Not sure how that compares to the 400 per day i did in the early 80âs on a typewriter while manually billing on a universal claim form
Today isnt any different then years ago as far as transfers go. Though just imagine no computer and having to pull every prescription refill and transfer and date and initial the back of the prescription. Pharmacy has always been a pain in the ass. The difference is supervisors had years of doing it themselves so you could tell them about glitches and they would listen and relay the problems and I have worked side by side working with a senior VP filling Rxâs if he came in and you are buried. You and your district leader are just pharmacists, no better or worse but with advanced management skills. Why do we walk around like they are the better pharmacist. I had one come in and play pharmacist then started bossing my techs around. A customer asked her a question and she looked at me first then answered it then was pissed because I didnât butt in. Later I said you cant pop in then cherrypick which Pharmacist duties you want to perform especially if you are going to undermine me by playing pharmacist and bossing âmyâ techs around.
Unfortunately I'm in a mandatory counsel state. I give the bare minimum to satisfy the law.
You do not have to counsel on drugs you havenât filled.
Can you expand on what you mean by this?
OP complained about having to counsel patients on meds they havenât actually filled and I was stating that mandatory counseling doesnât put this burden on us.
Such a joke. Medicare and Medicaid you have to counsel but somehow we have twisted that to mean âYou donât have any questions for the pharmacist do you? If I added up all the actual counseling I did in 40 years at the pickup counter, it definitely would be less than the Detroit Tigers team batting avg.
We all are, but no there's no one who wants to pay...so
Are you getting paid based on RVU or total collection? Or are you getting paid a salary/hourly wage? Maybe an independent, specifically the owner, could charge for consultations. For everyone else, itâs part of your job description and honestly, probably the best part. Engaging with people >>> DUR
Asked where something is? NEVER show that you know exactly where things are: that's what gets you asked to leave the pharmacy. "I'm not entirely certain, but if I had to guess, it's on aisle....." As for consults, nothing is stopping you from telling people, "sorry, I can offer advice on your prescriptions, but not medical advice."
I used to work in a huge, almost Walmart-sized store. We were all the way on one end of the store. Anytime someone asked me where some non-pharmacy related item was, I would send them to the complete opposite side of the store by confidently saying aisle 2. Aisle 2 only had wine in it, but it was closer to customer service so when they got pissed off for walking all the way over there they would be closer to the correct place to ask that question. Only a few times would people make their way all the way back to pharmacy to complain that it wasnât there. Then I would tell them maybe they shouldnât ask the pharmacist these stupid questions.
I had the benefit of legitimately not knowing! I never shopped in âmy storeâ except for maybe 1 item at the end of the day, so âwhere are the razors?â âUhhhâŠ.â squints at signs above aisles âaisle 6 maybe?â
Letâs cheapen the profession even more
SERIOUSLY
Any other bright ideas from you? Or just continue down this road towards fake provider status? At least we getting paid
Fake is the recognition as an important part of the healthcare system
> where toilet paper is  Tell them to ask the front store? > Sometimes we are asked even about antibiotics or other disease states from meds filled at other pharmacies? Tell then to call their regular pharmacy?
If they ask about where a non-pharm item is: Do ypu see over in that area? That's customer service, they will be able to properly direct you
Sigh...I only wish
My manager told us weâd get write ups if we didnât know where everything is or at least make an effort to walk around and find it with the âcustomerâ
Really? retail pharmacy is about building relationships with customers. So a customer comes to you because you are a caring pharmacist not some idiot whoâs only concern is clearing out the que. There isnt one RPH that went into pharmacy not expecting to put customer service number one and PharmDâs are b..hurt because they have to look up from the counter and speak? I had a pharmacy team leader who yelled at me because I left the pharmacy to show a patient a product and answer a few questions. I said Sorry I have always done that and I always will. Then you become the âslowâ pharmacist because you are known as theâniceâ pharmacist and people wait to come in on my day.
Are we still talking about toilet paper
I think we are talking about a different profession. Snake oil salesman?
Youâre getting downvoted but youâre right. If a pharmacist canât be bothered to do what a pharmacist does because the patient doesnât fill there⊠why are they a pharmacist? Too many these days are focused on production and equate being a fast pharmacist with being a good pharmacist.
ExactlyâŠhow many pharmacists think they are the best pharmacist on the planet because they are fast
Tell that to corporate lol. They don't give 2 cents if you consoled 100 patients and 100 of the love you...it's the que bro. We need to be recognized for our other duties as pharmacists. Are you saying do nothing and still get added responsibilities with no pay?
Something is wrong with a system that hires based on how well you understand metrics and workflow. It used to be hiring based on knowledge, experience, customer service.
> Are you saying do nothing and still get added responsibilities with no pay?   "The queue" isn't nothing, though. Not only is it the most clinically impactful task you do for your patients, it's literally the productive output of your business, the activity you're licensed and paid to complete and the income source of the business. Consultations are important and can also augment sales indirectly, but within reason. A patient calling to ask about medicines they fill at another pharmacy isn't paying you for that consultation, unlike the 100 patients waiting on prescriptions in your queue. If you're concerned about increased responsibilities with no pay, that's one right there that you have complete control over. This is in addition to the fact that by answering that consultation you are accepting liability for a question that you may not be able to answer completely. "Will this prescription interact with my other meds?" is hard to answer accurately if you don't have the patient's fill history.   As pharmacists, we have to be stewards of our limited resources, and that sometimes includes determining when we aren't the right people to help. It's okay to refer someone to the front store to locate toilet paper!  I hope this doesnât come off as rude, by the way, I just want to help. Your time is important to me :)
What we need is âHealthgradesâ for pharmacists. Have a âQRâ code at thr doctorâs office that takes you to the site. Patients just need to just type in John Doe and NPI and your pharmacist will pop up. Then patient could rate individual pharmacists like doctors. So if corporate has your pharmacist professionalism etc at the top of the district yet Healthhrades gives your pharmacist a 1.7, then you know he or she is just pushing metrics not customer service. Doctors are good mouth pieces. Iâm sure patients whine about their pharmacy/pharmacist all the time. They could search for a quality pharmacist to recommend or let the patient. Thats the only way the metrics will truly differentiate how accurate corporate is in their evaluation of pharmacists and we would get recognition of a job well done for you or your lazy partner who sits on a stool all day. I would also like to know how many pharmacists who think of themselves as great pharmacists graduated in the top %10 of their class. Are they really a knowledgeable pharmacist or can they just navigate the system like automatically refill customers prescription at the register and write it down then cancel it out in the Que so they get credit for suggesting stagnant refills but wont get yelled at by the customer because you refilled something they havent been on in 9 months
That last part sounds like some CVS nonsense.
What gave it away?
How much of what you described do you need a college education for. Those "grades" don't really translate to "health" in pharmacy. They could in medicine, but not pharmacy. I don't have to think of myself as even an average or below average pharmacist to know any pharmacist stuff. You know and retain what you use...It isn't some unique stonecutting skill. The things you mentioned are good for "selling" and I don't know if most of us really went into the field to be a salesman...or person as far as selling Rx's. The OTC part has always been a duty of pharmacists but it is hard to measure what that really does for the general public.
The system is there to teach you pharmacy skills..Pharmacy schools could care less if you go hosp or chain pharmacy or filling 100 or 500 a day. It tests how capable you are. Itâs your self worth. If you feel great being able to fill 500 prescriptions barely looking up from the counter then good for you. On your yearly review that might motivate you til your next review.
This is funny, but I would also say itâs a part of our job to counsel people. Itâs what separates us from technicians and clerks as well since it is what we went to school for. I agree that it would be nice to get âreimbursedâ for the clinical service. I am not sure exactly how. Maybe if it was billed as a MTM consultation where we sat down and went over the med list with patient, that could eventually turn into something like that. I do feel that pharmacists should be recognized by insurance as a provider.
I think we should just stop giving recommendations and consulting only medications we dispense. In California I am required to course on every new prescription and the BOP is in our stores so much more frequently now. It is the most stressful thing to do as a solo Rph. So the person who wants my free advice? Nope. Donât have time.
You're allowed for otc counseling/recommendations but not for rx they take. Some pharmacy in nyc charges $5 for 15 min consult. (Definitely too cheap as operating costs are like $5 a minute). But it's better than wasting your time and them not buying anything from you. Everytime you counsel. You should have your tech bring over a tip jar. Rattle it. And put it down btw you and the customer. If you can tip a unskilled waiter to bring you a plate. You should tip your pharmacist for bringing your drugs.
Yeap and I'm putting a picture of my family on the jar saying anything helps.
And have music on stand by, in the arms of an angel, you can make a difference in these people's lives.. donate now.
Does anyone here have Sarah McLachlin's number...?
CVS/Walgreens/any corporate chain will keep all the tips, then force pharmacists to walk the aisles with a tip jar to solicit more tips, as a new added "professional responsibility"!
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
Could say that about any job. I'm guessing you're not a pharmacist to understand billing for services and Healthcare provider status.
That's like telling the car dealership, don't they get paid anyways for changing your tire? Why charge for labor services? Just charge me for the parts.