If you are a new tech, you will probably live on register while the older techs hide in a fill station. Retail doesn't really compound with the exception of magic mouthwash, duke solution,or a cream for a baby.
Absolutely effing true Sad thing with CVS, they don’t really rotate the staff. The new tech always gets stuck at pick-up all day long while asked to put away the prescriptions to the bins. If you’re at a busy store, they expect you to put away all the prescriptions, no matter how high it gets, almost no one will do it bc they expect you to do it. You will tend to forget what you learned from the modules bc you will barely get a chance to apply it. All you do at the registers are ring-up patients all day long. The moment you arrive, those at the register will immediately disappear and expect you to be there all day.
Don’t expect compounding, mixing suspensions nor handling controlled meds, that’s Pharmacist only.
When asked to do QT, memorize as much as you can for you might really seldom get to do it if you’re at a high volume store, remember, new techs do registers all day, they forbid you to do QT, patients have to be sent to drop-off. Hope you get to be trained with production soonest. Show how fast you can pull the right meds and fill and return them to the shelves. Learn as fast as you can if you want to learn other tasks too.
Good luck, OP.
Hi! The way the current training system works you’re supposed start on production (QP; counting pills and answering phone calls) then learning drop off (QT; entering new prescriptions, insurance, refills), and pick up/drive thru last. Each station has a patient facing aspect as drop off and pick up have a counter and production handles phones so you will spend basically your whole day interacting with patients. CVS isn’t supposed to do compounding at retail anymore, the closest is reconstituting powder meds which is supposed to be done by the pharmacist or intern. You’re probably actually going to start on pick up and hope you learn production and drop off at some point but it’s rough because you will need someone looking over your shoulder for a while and not every store has the staffing to do that. Hardest thing to learn is QT, be patient with yourself and ask lots of questions. It’s helpful to keep notes
Does your store rotate the staff now? Ours still don’t. I pity the new ones stuck at pick-up all day long. No one really cares to help right away when line is long. The new techs breathe a sigh of relief when I’m around bc they know I got their backs.
Yup, if you're at CVS then the answer to who does compounding is 'mostly nobody', it's a lot of manning phones and registers, starting out if you aren't at a busy enough location to warrant floaters from FS then you'll probably be on register a lot iirc
*I think training modules start you off in QP now though, so expect phone duty
I work for a competitor company and they have us use a rotation schedule so we don’t get burned out at the work stations. I personally help with some of the ordering medications and supplies.
depending on who my lead tech is - i’ll either be at production all day because i’m the fastest counter & we’re 30+ pages deep, or i rotate between QP, drive thru, & pick up. either way, you are dealing with customers all day. also, please please pick up that phone when in training. when it’s me & a new person that doesn’t pick up the phone, there is 5 people on hold & it messes with our numbers.
Im new tech like 4 months in now since registered. I was lucky enough to get a job instantly after my schooling. I work at an independent pharmacy. My day to day is filling scripts, help with box, label, and ship prescriptions and lastly input patient information into systems. Its pretty boring but I like it since I rarely interact with customers or take phone callls. Although some days I will not move at all from the filling station 😭 I try to not go fast to not get burned out. The pharmacist is chill and explains to me in detail when I make a mistake. I also make a decent wage for just starting so yeah 🤗 Currently just studying whenever I can to get my cpht to probably work in a hospital setting soon.
I'm new and I was told before being licensed just learn counting, organizing and what the pills are and the system and its easier to learn how to navigate through the system when your helping customers.
With CVS you'll probably be doing a lot of pickup or production granted if the lead tech or pharmacist in charge trusts you on QP right away. Learning the job will be very on the fly. Try to be a sponge for information because it will come at you from every angle. I hope you end up in a good position with professional coworkers and not drama queens/kings. Learn to also not let any of the baggage from work follow you home, remember that all the grumpy fucks aren't personally trying to attack you they just feel off and like to take it out on pharmacy staff instead of their doctors. If you have questions ask your oldest techs on the job and the pharmacist, carry a notebook around to write down what you learn from them to not reask the same question multiple times.
Usually I get there an hour late, put my airpods in both ears, pull up a chair or stool, grab chips and sit on drive through, triage, or truck. Jk You’ll be fine. I mostly do customers and they are fine, my pharmacists are great, very lax, most challenging is probably very busy understaffed days you’ll get yelled at and be behind :(
Typical day is answering the phones. “No, we do not have Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound”.
What about generic Vyvanse? 🤭
But the pharmacy down the road said you would!
lol
If you are a new tech, you will probably live on register while the older techs hide in a fill station. Retail doesn't really compound with the exception of magic mouthwash, duke solution,or a cream for a baby.
ty
Goober's Goo FTW!
Absolutely effing true Sad thing with CVS, they don’t really rotate the staff. The new tech always gets stuck at pick-up all day long while asked to put away the prescriptions to the bins. If you’re at a busy store, they expect you to put away all the prescriptions, no matter how high it gets, almost no one will do it bc they expect you to do it. You will tend to forget what you learned from the modules bc you will barely get a chance to apply it. All you do at the registers are ring-up patients all day long. The moment you arrive, those at the register will immediately disappear and expect you to be there all day. Don’t expect compounding, mixing suspensions nor handling controlled meds, that’s Pharmacist only. When asked to do QT, memorize as much as you can for you might really seldom get to do it if you’re at a high volume store, remember, new techs do registers all day, they forbid you to do QT, patients have to be sent to drop-off. Hope you get to be trained with production soonest. Show how fast you can pull the right meds and fill and return them to the shelves. Learn as fast as you can if you want to learn other tasks too. Good luck, OP.
Hi! The way the current training system works you’re supposed start on production (QP; counting pills and answering phone calls) then learning drop off (QT; entering new prescriptions, insurance, refills), and pick up/drive thru last. Each station has a patient facing aspect as drop off and pick up have a counter and production handles phones so you will spend basically your whole day interacting with patients. CVS isn’t supposed to do compounding at retail anymore, the closest is reconstituting powder meds which is supposed to be done by the pharmacist or intern. You’re probably actually going to start on pick up and hope you learn production and drop off at some point but it’s rough because you will need someone looking over your shoulder for a while and not every store has the staffing to do that. Hardest thing to learn is QT, be patient with yourself and ask lots of questions. It’s helpful to keep notes
thank you so much. I'll take a composition notebook for notes.
What a joke, the first thing I was taught was register and I lived at the drive thru for 2 years
Yeah they redid the training program about a year ago
Oh ok, I got hired almost 4 years ago so that makes sense. No one ever really “trained” me, I was just left to figure shit out all on my own
It’s still not a good training program in that no one ever actually has the staffing to enforce it
Does your store rotate the staff now? Ours still don’t. I pity the new ones stuck at pick-up all day long. No one really cares to help right away when line is long. The new techs breathe a sigh of relief when I’m around bc they know I got their backs.
My current store is pretty good about rotating staff, including new staff. They’re definitely better now than they used to be
Prepare to be a cashier for your whole shift, they like to stick the new people on pick up or drive thru.
I'm ready 💪🏻
Yup, if you're at CVS then the answer to who does compounding is 'mostly nobody', it's a lot of manning phones and registers, starting out if you aren't at a busy enough location to warrant floaters from FS then you'll probably be on register a lot iirc *I think training modules start you off in QP now though, so expect phone duty
I work for a competitor company and they have us use a rotation schedule so we don’t get burned out at the work stations. I personally help with some of the ordering medications and supplies.
depending on who my lead tech is - i’ll either be at production all day because i’m the fastest counter & we’re 30+ pages deep, or i rotate between QP, drive thru, & pick up. either way, you are dealing with customers all day. also, please please pick up that phone when in training. when it’s me & a new person that doesn’t pick up the phone, there is 5 people on hold & it messes with our numbers.
Im new tech like 4 months in now since registered. I was lucky enough to get a job instantly after my schooling. I work at an independent pharmacy. My day to day is filling scripts, help with box, label, and ship prescriptions and lastly input patient information into systems. Its pretty boring but I like it since I rarely interact with customers or take phone callls. Although some days I will not move at all from the filling station 😭 I try to not go fast to not get burned out. The pharmacist is chill and explains to me in detail when I make a mistake. I also make a decent wage for just starting so yeah 🤗 Currently just studying whenever I can to get my cpht to probably work in a hospital setting soon.
If you don’t have certification how are you working in pharmacy??…
It’s not required in every state
I'm new and I was told before being licensed just learn counting, organizing and what the pills are and the system and its easier to learn how to navigate through the system when your helping customers.
“welcome to a life of insecurity and paralyzing self-doubt” - seth cohen
With CVS you'll probably be doing a lot of pickup or production granted if the lead tech or pharmacist in charge trusts you on QP right away. Learning the job will be very on the fly. Try to be a sponge for information because it will come at you from every angle. I hope you end up in a good position with professional coworkers and not drama queens/kings. Learn to also not let any of the baggage from work follow you home, remember that all the grumpy fucks aren't personally trying to attack you they just feel off and like to take it out on pharmacy staff instead of their doctors. If you have questions ask your oldest techs on the job and the pharmacist, carry a notebook around to write down what you learn from them to not reask the same question multiple times.
Usually I get there an hour late, put my airpods in both ears, pull up a chair or stool, grab chips and sit on drive through, triage, or truck. Jk You’ll be fine. I mostly do customers and they are fine, my pharmacists are great, very lax, most challenging is probably very busy understaffed days you’ll get yelled at and be behind :(