District Leader Telling Pharmacists Ignore CDC Flu Vaccine Recommendations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKqXmyt-yJQ&feature=emb_logo

I doubt if most pts that patronize CVS, Walgreens and other chain pharmacies realize that the Pharmacist/Rx dept have monthly quotas of various vaccinations that the Pharmacist/pharmacy can legally provide.

This audio is a audio recording of a CVS district manager (DM) with untold number of CVS pharmacist in a conference phone call… over the various Rx depts not meeting their flu shot quotas.

I got the impression that this quota was for period that included August. This DM – his accent I considered is rather “thick ” – is reminding the pharmacists that “you are DOCTORS too”.  Which to me suggests that the DM is not a pharmacist and from medical perception is CLUELESS. but he is probably just following the edicts from the corporate suite … that they have flu vaccine inventory on hand in August …so they need to start pushing promoting giving flu shots.  Don’t want to have flu vaccine on hand when the flu season is over, that they have to pay for and will have to throw it away at the end of the season, because it will not be appropriate for the next year’s flue season.  Besides, as one pharmacist put it … they might be able to get pts to get a “booster flu shot” in January because they got their flu shot so early and the antibodies would be diminishing below therapeutic levels.

Even when one or more of the pharmacists pointed out that the CDC recommendation is for flu shots to be given starting in Oct…. the DM pushes back about ignoring CDC guidelines..  Personally, we don’t get our flu shots until last week of Sept – first week of Oct. Typically the pharmacy has a good supply of vaccines at that time of the year…  the longer a pt waits to get their flu shot the more likely they may run into supply problems..  It takes about 6 months for the pharmas to “make” flu vaccines.  So if demand is more than they anticipated, they can’t just “make more” for this particular winter season.

The CDC does not actually keeps records of flu related deaths, but yearly “estimates” range up to 60,000…depending on the year.

This is not new, a few years ago we were visiting our Daughter/Grandson in Durham, NC and we went into a Target – after CVS had taken over the in house Pharmacy operations – It was early August and there was a female (tech/cashier) from the Rx dept at the front door … “pushing ”  people walking in the front door – no where near the Rx dept – into getting flu shots.

I have been told that these chain pharmacists are told that if the only way to make their quotas is to contact large employers, nursing homes etc. etc and set up “flu clinics” AND they need to schedule these clinics ON THEIR DAY OFF… so the chain pharmacy is generating a profit and the pharmacist is expected “to do it off the clock “

I have  been told that CVS in particular claim that their pharmacists are a hybrid Salary/Hourly employee… whichever allows CVS to pay the pharmacist the lesser amount of money for a particular pay period.  Of course, with these flu clinics … the pharmacist that pay period are considered SALARIED… so that they don’t have to be paid for working on their day off…

 

Filed under: General Problems