PHARMACIST STEVE

This showed up in my inbox..  on previous occasions, I have made the offer to post on my blog.. other Rph’s “true story” about how they have been treated – or mistreated – by their corporate employer..  All too many have told me – in bits and pieces – their story… Here is one RPh’ has put in writing “the rest of the story”. We all know what is happening.. all too often.. especially to Senior Rph’s or as one chain refers to them as “Legacy Pharmacists”. I am sure that many Pharmacist out there in “Rx land” can relate to some of what this Rph has experienced. Got a story… put it in writing… and forward it to me.. no names needed… just tell the truth !

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

When the whole world is topsy-turvy and nothing makes sense, it is hard to process what is really happening at the time. It is only in retrospect that the pieces can be reassembled and the whole picture can be assessed.

Last summer I was tried, convicted and executed without a trial. My only crime was daring to speak my mind.

Last March I took a random drug test at my store. Ten days later the lab called and said my test was positive for propoxyphene. The ‘’doctor’’ that called me said she could not tell me more than that. I called my loss claims rep. He reassured me that my DM and pharmacy DM were very ‘’pro-employee’’ . My pharmacy DM told me that the DM handled these situations.

The following Monday, the DM and pharmacy DM came in and made me sign a last chance agreement to keep my job. I was given no chance to dispute the positive test, to have the sample retested, to produce a record for a propoxyphene prescription, or to even question whether the sample was mine. I was placed on suspension. I was told nothing about whether and when I would be paid, what was going to happen , or what to do. I was handed an 800 number and was told to call it that day. When I got up to leave, the DM told me to have a nice day.

That was the start of three long months of hell. I was put in a “substance abuse program”.

This involved attending group counseling sessions twice a week, an AA meeting once a week, and calling an 800 number every day to find out if I had to go in for a random drug screen

I was told that ‘’working is no excuse’’ , in other words, if I was unable to get my screen done that day because of work, I would ‘’fail’’ and be terminated.

I used the time off to look for a new job, sell my house, and buy a new house elsewhere.

I also hired a lawyer.

Somehow, I got through the initial trial period and was told I could return to work. Needless to say, my heart wasn’t in it.

Prior to being framed for propoxyphene abuse (which, as you know was not even available on the market by 2013) I was sexually harassed in my own home by one of the technicians. She came to my house heavily intoxicated on three occasions, and during one of these visits propositioned me for sex. In all three cases, I was off work for surgery, and was taken off guard when she showed up to my house uninvited and sloppy drunk.

In April 2010, I wrote a letter to my pharmacy manager, detailing what she had done, and telling him that I would be calling the police the next time she showed up at my house , and that he should be aware, since that would most likely cause problems in our working relationship (as if I did not already have problems working with her). He responded by taking her off my weekend. Nothing was ever discussed.

The tech hours began to be reduced, and our duties increased. The manager, (a former cosmetician ) did not want to help in the pharmacy, and made it clear to her assistants that they would be reprimanded for doing so also. Meanwhile she lied and said she helped us, and the RXM backed her up. She often screamed ‘’you’re going to get me in trouble with my boss (the DM) and I will lose my job!!!!”

I suspect she and the DM collaborated to get rid of me. My RXM did not back me up and let it happen.

This is my 30^th year of pharmacy practice. Prior to this fiasco, I had never had a negative evaluation. I had worked for the company for 14 years. I have never abused prescription or recreational drugs. I have never even smoked marijuana. I had a good rapport with my patients and coworkers.

But, I did complain that the staff cuts and lack of support were dangerous for the patients. I did complain that the technicians were not up to snuff and I often had to pick up the slack for them. I did complain that we were providing poor customer service and the patients had to wait too long for services because we did not have enough help. I did become angry with the store manager, who was a stupid robot who blindly enforced the DM’s directives.

I have a new job now. I am very happy there. I had forgotten what it was like to be treated like a human being. My supervisors and coworkers are friendly, courteous, and helpful. I get two 15 minute breaks and a half hour lunch. I have weekends off. I love my new home and city.

I am hurt and angry about what happened to me. Sometimes, I can’t believe it happened.

I will never forgive any of the people who were involved in this betrayal, and I hope to never see or hear from any of them again.

Pharmacy has gone down the rabbit hole. Up is down, down is up, and black is white. I wonder if Humpty Dumpty is a district manager for one of the big chains:

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master – – that’s all.” 

― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

Filed under: General Problems