I had to take a PIC position. I hate it.

[Singlemom Rph]

I've been a staff pharmacist for about 5 years. Before that I was a pharmacy manager, but I stepped down to spend more time with my kids and because it just wasn't worth it. My company keeps cutting operating hours, and I was going to lose my benefits. My boss called me up out of the blue to offer me a pharmacy manager position. I felt like I had to take it. Today was my first day, and I already hate it. The pharmacy is a mess, the tech hours have been cut, and I only got a 2% raise to deal with all this.

The gate is see through at the store I'm in, and when I was staying late to finish up some things, customers kept calling to me through the gate. I feel like I had to take the job because I need the stability, but I'm dreading going back tomorrow. Anyone in a similar position? Any creative ideas on how to manage the see through gate?

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[Dr Wario]

I've been a staff pharmacist for about 5 years. Before that I was a pharmacy manager, but I stepped down to spend more time with my kids and because it just wasn't worth it. My company keeps cutting operating hours, and I was going to lose my benefits. My boss called me up out of the blue to offer me a pharmacy manager position. I felt like I had to take it. Today was my first day, and I already hate it. The pharmacy is a mess, the tech hours have been cut, and I only got a 2% raise to deal with all this.

The gate is see through at the store I'm in, and when I was staying late to finish up some things, customers kept calling to me through the gate. I feel like I had to take the job because I need the stability, but I'm dreading going back tomorrow. Anyone in a similar position? Any creative ideas on how to manage the see through gate?

You could just tape white posterboard to it on the inside, or just wear headphones and keep looking down.

 

[BenJammin]

You felt like you had to take it but really you didn't have to do anything. Don't give us the "stability" excuse either. Jobs and hours are being cut all across the industry. Stability. What a joke.

Easy fix. "WE'RE CLOSED! YOU HAD 12 HOURS TO PICK UP YOUR MEDS TODAY! COME BACK TOMORROW".

 

[wagrxm2000]

You felt like you had to take it but really you didn't have to do anything. Don't give us the "stability" excuse either. Jobs and hours are being cut all across the industry. Stability. What a joke.

Easy fix. "WE'RE CLOSED! YOU HAD 12 HOURS TO PICK UP YOUR MEDS TODAY! COME BACK TOMORROW".

Stability excuse?

Not saying it'll change in the future but outside closing a store, rxm is the only safe job out there. Just don't do something stupid and get yourself fired.

 

[steveysmith54]

Keep a look out for other positions outside and inside of your company. Apply, apply, and apply.
Keep a positive attitude that things will get better.

Nowadays, your mindset should be that thank goodness that I have a job... the alternative is more frightening especially if you got other mouth to feed

 

[JustFillIt]

I've been a staff pharmacist for about 5 years. Before that I was a pharmacy manager, but I stepped down to spend more time with my kids and because it just wasn't worth it. My company keeps cutting operating hours, and I was going to lose my benefits. My boss called me up out of the blue to offer me a pharmacy manager position. I felt like I had to take it. Today was my first day, and I already hate it. The pharmacy is a mess, the tech hours have been cut, and I only got a 2% raise to deal with all this.

The gate is see through at the store I'm in, and when I was staying late to finish up some things, customers kept calling to me through the gate. I feel like I had to take the job because I need the stability, but I'm dreading going back tomorrow. Anyone in a similar position? Any creative ideas on how to manage the see through gate?

Haha yea I have delt with that before also... I know exactly what your going through.

So here is your ticket to peace of mind: you can not do it by yourself. You have to hire key people with talant and drive. I dont want to hear the excuse that “they don’t pay enough etc etc etc” - it doesnt matter you gotta do it anyway. I know it can be done because I have done it. Then once you hire all those key people you gotta retain that talant and train them as a team to accomplish a common goal.

Have you ever watched game of thrones? It’s kinda like that and you are John snow.

It will take about 2 years before you accomplish stability. Good luck!

 

[Xenophylia]

I worked for a bozo company that designed their pharmacies like fish bowls or zoo exhibits (at least zoo animals get meals and the opportunity to piss regularly!) as if we were there for no reason other than for people to gawk at us and bang on the glass while we worked. Adhesive contact paper does wonders when stuck to glass. Corporate bigwigs would bitch about us doing it but none ever really forced us to remove it and it did the job. When we got complaints from store management we would invoke the name of the great and terrible god HIPAA which would send them running. They neither served nor understood this god but knew of its power and wrath.

 

[JustFillIt]

I worked for a bozo company that designed their pharmacies like fish bowls or zoo exhibits (at least zoo animals get meals and the opportunity to piss regularly!) as if we were there for no reason other than for people to gawk at us and bang on the glass while we worked. Adhesive contact paper does wonders when stuck to glass. Corporate bigwigs would bitch about us doing it but none ever really forced us to remove it and it did the job. When we got complaints from store management we would invoke the name of the great and terrible god HIPAA which would send them running. They neither served nor understood this god but knew of its power and wrath.

This made me lol!

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

I worked for a bozo company that designed their pharmacies like fish bowls or zoo exhibits (at least zoo animals get meals and the opportunity to piss regularly!) as if we were there for no reason other than for people to gawk at us and bang on the glass while we worked. Adhesive contact paper does wonders when stuck to glass. Corporate bigwigs would bitch about us doing it but none ever really forced us to remove it and it did the job. When we got complaints from store management we would invoke the name of the great and terrible god HIPAA which would send them running. They neither served nor understood this god but knew of its power and wrath.

All Hail HIPAA!

 

[BidingMyTime]

I worked for a bozo company that designed their pharmacies like fish bowls or zoo exhibits (at least zoo animals get meals and the opportunity to piss regularly!) as if we were there for no reason other than for people to gawk at us and bang on the glass while we worked.

Why is that a bad thing? I suppose not everyone enjoys being an exhibitionist like I do, but just pretend you are a famous actor and people are clamoring to watch the great and wonderful you work. If they yell and try to distract you, be the professional that you and and completely ignore them. Just focus on doing your wonderful job, knowing that you are so wonderful others just want to stare and gawk at you.

 

[projektreverb]

Haha yea I have delt with that before also... I know exactly what your going through.

So here is your ticket to peace of mind: you can not do it by yourself. You have to hire key people with talant and drive. I dont want to hear the excuse that “they don’t pay enough etc etc etc” - it doesnt matter you gotta do it anyway. I know it can be done because I have done it. Then once you hire all those key people you gotta retain that talant and train them as a team to accomplish a common goal.

Have you ever watched game of thrones? It’s kinda like that and you are John snow.

It will take about 2 years before you accomplish stability. Good luck!

This guy gets it.

I worked for a bozo company that designed their pharmacies like fish bowls or zoo exhibits (at least zoo animals get meals and the opportunity to piss regularly!) as if we were there for no reason other than for people to gawk at us and bang on the glass while we worked. Adhesive contact paper does wonders when stuck to glass. Corporate bigwigs would bitch about us doing it but none ever really forced us to remove it and it did the job. When we got complaints from store management we would invoke the name of the great and terrible god HIPAA which would send them running. They neither served nor understood this god but knew of its power and wrath.

Dude, I know there was some truth hidden by satire here, but this was great LOL

 

[ExpressMaiL]

It's hard to realize how valuable something actually was until you lose it. This holds true in many areas of life.

Parents, job, friends, 99 cent whopper, etc. Would you rather deal with the stress of scrambling for a job / not knowing when your next paycheck will be or dealing with the bull**** at your current job?

 

[rxkrafted]

you didn't have to take the offer... you could have came up with an excuse or just politely decline. He's not going to fire you for that reason. You think he'll fire you because you are incompetent yet offered you a position to be manager lol? You put yourself in this situation.

 

[StellargalS]

Why is that a bad thing? I suppose not everyone enjoys being an exhibitionist like I do, but just pretend you are a famous actor and people are clamoring to watch the great and wonderful you work. If they yell and try to distract you, be the professional that you and and completely ignore them. Just focus on doing your wonderful job, knowing that you are so wonderful others just want to stare and gawk at you.

This I will use. Truth has no utility when navigating the yellow brick road.

 

[StellargalS]

I've been a staff pharmacist for about 5 years. Before that I was a pharmacy manager, but I stepped down to spend more time with my kids and because it just wasn't worth it. My company keeps cutting operating hours, and I was going to lose my benefits. My boss called me up out of the blue to offer me a pharmacy manager position. I felt like I had to take it. Today was my first day, and I already hate it. The pharmacy is a mess, the tech hours have been cut, and I only got a 2% raise to deal with all this.

The gate is see through at the store I'm in, and when I was staying late to finish up some things, customers kept calling to me through the gate. I feel like I had to take the job because I need the stability, but I'm dreading going back tomorrow. Anyone in a similar position? Any creative ideas on how to manage the see through gate?

You made a sound call taking the job IMO. Your line of thinking and experience is likewise mine. I come here to realize my quandary is not unique. Reading you guys helps me sort my shiz out. I already know it is better to be in a terrifying position than no position at all. Still doesn't remove the fear of loosing the stability that comes with what I am unequivocally lucky to have. Thank you for your post. TED talks on related issue help me out.

 

[VictorOfHungerGames]

I've been a staff pharmacist for about 5 years. Before that I was a pharmacy manager, but I stepped down to spend more time with my kids and because it just wasn't worth it. My company keeps cutting operating hours, and I was going to lose my benefits. My boss called me up out of the blue to offer me a pharmacy manager position. I felt like I had to take it. Today was my first day, and I already hate it. The pharmacy is a mess, the tech hours have been cut, and I only got a 2% raise to deal with all this.

The gate is see through at the store I'm in, and when I was staying late to finish up some things, customers kept calling to me through the gate. I feel like I had to take the job because I need the stability, but I'm dreading going back tomorrow. Anyone in a similar position? Any creative ideas on how to manage the see through gate?

If you want to stay in retail, I would suggest find a decent independent to work at. Been in one for past 2 months and I love my job, the techs, the owner and most of all the patients. They really appreciate what we do. My two cents ✌️

 

[Singlemom Rph]

You guys are right. I need to focus on being glad I have a good paying, stable job for now. I'm a single parent with 85% custody of my kids paying twice as much in alimony as I receive in child support, so losing my job or benefits would be a disaster. I graduated in 2000 and always think about the "good old days" of pharmacy. I'm grateful for those years, but this job should see me through the next 7 years I need to work full time if I play it right.

 

[Charcoales]

You guys are right. I need to focus on being glad I have a good paying, stable job for now. I'm a single parent with 85% custody of my kids paying twice as much in alimony as I receive in child support, so losing my job or benefits would be a disaster. I graduated in 2000 and always think about the "good old days" of pharmacy. I'm grateful for those years, but this job should see me through the next 7 years I need to work full time if I play it right.

All Hail HIPAA!

I think this is actually a perfect excuse to cover everything up, say that it's a privacy issue due to HIPAA since the rx bags are still visible from the registers... very clever

 

[Timbo]

I've been a staff pharmacist for about 5 years. Before that I was a pharmacy manager, but I stepped down to spend more time with my kids and because it just wasn't worth it. My company keeps cutting operating hours, and I was going to lose my benefits. My boss called me up out of the blue to offer me a pharmacy manager position. I felt like I had to take it. Today was my first day, and I already hate it. The pharmacy is a mess, the tech hours have been cut, and I only got a 2% raise to deal with all this.

The gate is see through at the store I'm in, and when I was staying late to finish up some things, customers kept calling to me through the gate. I feel like I had to take the job because I need the stability, but I'm dreading going back tomorrow. Anyone in a similar position? Any creative ideas on how to manage the see through gate?

How were you going to lose benefits just from stores cutting hours? Were you at risk of going from 40 hrs to under 30? How many hours are they cutting exactly???

 

[mentos]

Some staff Rphs only have 30hrs base, so any cut would make them part time.

 

[Mr. Corporate Pharmacist]

Haha yea I have delt with that before also... I know exactly what your going through.

So here is your ticket to peace of mind: you can not do it by yourself. You have to hire key people with talant and drive. I dont want to hear the excuse that “they don’t pay enough etc etc etc” - it doesnt matter you gotta do it anyway. I know it can be done because I have done it. Then once you hire all those key people you gotta retain that talant and train them as a team to accomplish a common goal.

Have you ever watched game of thrones? It’s kinda like that and you are John snow.

It will take about 2 years before you accomplish stability. Good luck!

This is spot on.

Company can cut operating costs on paper, but it's up to you to analyze your true demand and optimize your staffing. Look at your Operating costs on your profit and Loss report. Are you under as a % of sales? If so, spend extra tech hours instead of having to stay late.

If the work isn't getting done because of poor talent, then that's up to you to train and develop your team further.

 

[ExpressMaiL]

You guys are right. I need to focus on being glad I have a good paying, stable job for now. I'm a single parent with 85% custody of my kids paying twice as much in alimony as I receive in child support, so losing my job or benefits would be a disaster. I graduated in 2000 and always think about the "good old days" of pharmacy. I'm grateful for those years, but this job should see me through the next 7 years I need to work full time if I play it right.

Do it for your kids and don't think twice. They will understand and appreciate what you did one day.

 

[VA77]

Remember when pharmacy was used as a good career for single mothers. I guess the Deans will have to come up with another lie.

 

[Modest_anteater]

Remember when pharmacy was used as a good career for single mothers. I guess the Deans will have to come up with another lie.

pharmacy is bad for single mothers now. very bad. Even worse for part time parents. these individual will be pushed out of the pharmacy market in 5 years. you can't work part time anymore in retail. You loose too much. All the part time parents will not compete with hungry new grads willing to work more hours and more frequently.

Much better to have a full time floater than a mother that comes in once a week who doesn't have to work bc her husband is wealthy and has no idea what she is doing, forgets a lot of things, not intune with staff at all.

 

[Xenophylia]

And sadly, jobs outside of retail are often times not the most stable. I have a LTC night position that I like, but as fickle as nursing homes are we're always in danger of going under if we lose a contract. There's always the threat that you may not have a job next week. Retail sucked, but at least it sucked consistently...

 

[JustFillIt]

pharmacy is bad for single mothers now. very bad. Even worse for part time parents. these individual will be pushed out of the pharmacy market in 5 years. you can't work part time anymore in retail. You loose too much. All the part time parents will not compete with hungry new grads willing to work more hours and more frequently.

Much better to have a full time floater than a mother that comes in once a week who doesn't have to work bc her husband is wealthy and has no idea what she is doing, forgets a lot of things, not intune with staff at all.

Not sure I agree with this - I know a lot of part time pharmacists. Part time pharmacists are espcially valuable if they are proficient in the system being used and have a little bit of experience under the outfit they work for.

 

[BidingMyTime]

pharmacy is bad for single mothers now. very bad. Even worse for part time parents. these individual will be pushed out of the pharmacy market in 5 years. you can't work part time anymore in retail. You loose too much. All the part time parents will not compete with hungry new grads willing to work more hours and more frequently.

Reality says otherwise. All the posts I've read here from various chains say they are cutting full-time people to part-time hours, and only hiring new people at part-time.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

How TF did the OP graduate in 2000 but somehow manage to not be financially stable nearly 2 decades after graduating.

You made a sound call taking the job IMO. Your line of thinking and experience is likewise mine. I come here to realize my quandary is not unique. Reading you guys helps me sort my shiz out. I already know it is better to be in a terrifying position than no position at all. Still doesn't remove the fear of loosing the stability that comes with what I am unequivocally lucky to have. Thank you for your post. TED talks on related issue help me out.

 

[StellargalS]

How TF did the OP graduate in 2000 but somehow manage to not be financially stable nearly 2 decades after graduating.

I don't know this fat shamed controller but I maintain my point. Santa directly confronted his oppressors to bring the children of Somber Town toys and got paid in full. I will leave it at that presuming you just wanted to posted fat shamed puppet as do I the Burgermeister Meisterburger,

 

[johnpharm01]

You guys are right. I need to focus on being glad I have a good paying, stable job for now. I'm a single parent with 85% custody of my kids paying twice as much in alimony as I receive in child support, so losing my job or benefits would be a disaster. I graduated in 2000 and always think about the "good old days" of pharmacy. I'm grateful for those years, but this job should see me through the next 7 years I need to work full time if I play it right.

Well, that's just lying to yourself. There is NO stable job in retail pharmacy now. Changes in the retail market are pressuring retailers so even the favs aren't safe. Changes in the pharmacists market make older pharmacists even less safe. The fact you only got a 2 % raise and had to take the PIC position demonstrates it. I started about the same time as yourself, what would really help is a new financial plan with an austere budget. Also get a few legal consults, NO ONE pays alimony anymore.

Finally, if you have nice legs feel free to PM me.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

I'd say a PIC is less stable than a staff or floater RPh.

 

[ExpressMaiL]

Just as a UCLA oncologist once told me during a rotation, you're only as good as your last day on the job...

 

[rph3664]

You guys are right. I need to focus on being glad I have a good paying, stable job for now. I'm a single parent with 85% custody of my kids paying twice as much in alimony as I receive in child support, so losing my job or benefits would be a disaster. I graduated in 2000 and always think about the "good old days" of pharmacy. I'm grateful for those years, but this job should see me through the next 7 years I need to work full time if I play it right.

Are these separate exes, because if you're paying more alimony to one (I'm assuming) man than you get in child support from him, I mean, what's the point of the child support?