Got this in inbox today from a friend…
Anyway, one of the older students shared her experience about the interview process and the job she accepted with CVS and it confirms some of what JP has been hearing about hours, etc. She was hired in by CVS on a 30 hour/week base and was asked if she needed medical or could stay on her parents until she was 26. She didn’t share whether she took CVS medical or not but they did ask. That would be a reason to hire the youngsters, right?
She also will be required to float indefinitely.
Another student stopped by that works park-time for us and is also ready to graduate. He was hired by Walgreens to work in xxxxxx and he initially agreed to do that. Then he had a change of heart about going there and turned down that position, (unbelievable, right?) and asked for a position in xxxxxx. I though that was interesting since Steve has been posting about Wags openings in xxxxxx He has not been called or offered.
The students were also talking about Manchester College’s first graduating class in 2016. (the new pharmacy school in Indiana) Butler and Purdue are currently having a lot of trouble getting preceptors for their students, the Purdue kids think Manchester students will have placement problems. Maybe we’ll get paid now. Looks like more problems for the kids.
One other thing I forgot to mention earlier is that Purdue and Butler are also changing the curriculum for the 6th year students doing rotations. Starting in May, the one-time mandatory Hospital Operations rotation for the the 6th year students will be available but no longer mandatory. This is because with the hospital staff cuts, it is harder to get preceptors. Coupled with the fact that we do this totally without compensation, I imagine it will get harder and harder to get any preceptors to do this.
I hear a lot of pharmacists say they would serve as preceptors if they got paid. Traditionally is had been pro-bono by Indiana pharmacists but some out-of-state schools do pay, just not Butler and Purdue in Indiana.
If they would start paying, they would just pass it on to the kids, no one at the university level would see any cuts. No win for the students.
Also keep in mind that the 6th year Indiana students pay full tuition, even for summer school in their last year and no one from their school (who are all getting paid) spends 5 minutes teaching them. Meanwhile, the people who do teach them, like me, get paid nothing.
Isn’t this a great system?
Is our system evolving… or in a tailspin ?
UPDATE
Got this from a RPH friend in my inbox today.. notice that it appears that this is 30 hr/wk and labeled as FULL TIME !
FT Pharmacist 30 – Food Lion
Food Lion
Job Title: FT Pharmacist 30 – Food Lion Work Environment: The employee performs the functions of this position in… by Pharmacy Manager, Store Manager or Pharmacy Operations Manager. 16. Performance primary functions of retail pharmacist including; but not limited to: a. Proper and accurate dispensing of prescription medication. b. Operation of…
Filed under: General Problems
The 30 hour workweek has the effect of dropping the pharmacist pay about $15 to $20 per hour. And, yes, this is the new normal. We just finished our first 32 hour workweek. The company (guess which one!) expects the same amount of work to be done as in a 40 hour workweek. If we want to work 40, then we must put ourselves in the float pool and make up the hours in another store on a 6th day of work (if we can find the hours). Our DM (a pharmacist) told us that if we can’t “keep up”, they will find someone who can. It is no surprise that the whole week sucked. I would not work a 6 day week for this place even for triple time. They can put it where the sun doesn’t shine.
Dont know if its been changed since I graduated. But externs never got paid as opposed to interns who worked part time. We had to pay full tuition, find someplace to live if they couldnt place you near your home and work for ‘free’ . I know,alot of pharmacists as externs hardly worked behind the counter….some preceptors considered us free labor..cashier, floor stock,, etc.I would guess its not money its time…who has time to teach when you have to meet metrics, flu shot quotas and be a robo dispenser all at the the same time.
I think that the reference was for the preceptors to get paid.. and that other schools do pay their preceptors.. but so far .. none in Indiana