PHARMACIST STEVE

This was posted as a comment on my blog…

pharmacist at cvs getting the runaround- saw your blog – decided to write- am getting REALLY tired of a supervisor that decides NOT to return my phone calls ad suddenly YANKS me out of a store Ive been for 8 yrs because I sent a letter to her and the DM and THEIR regional about the deplorable conditions under which we have to work at our store, and nothing gets done year after year after year. Thoughts?

https://www.pharmaciststeve.com/?p=1459

I have often written about the “THREAT MASTER”.. The above link is just one and by going to the “search  function” on the blog and search for “threat master” .. there are few others.

What all employees of nearly all corporations need to understand is that their boss(s) are being threaten daily.. just like they are… about their job.. and keeping it…

I would suspect that  the PDM/DM and on up the line have the following at the top of their list of priorities

Keeping their boss(s) happy and off their backs

Keeping their job..

Making sure that any “upset customer’s” comments stops at them… and doesn’t go any further up the ladder.

Keeping everyone that they are supervising, in “lock-step” with the corporate edicts

Company’s sales & profits

Patient safety

I am sure that there maybe a few others…and these may or may not be in the appropriate order for any particular exec.

As a Pharmacist… your priorities should be

PATIENT SAFETY

Making sure that you are not breaking any rules/laws/regulations

Keeping your job…

In reading this comment from the particular RPH.. two phrases came to mind

BLIND SIDED

Death by a thousand small cuts…

IMO..what this RPH did in reference to his/her concerns was the first… when you blind side those above you and even worse send it to those above those directly above them.. is just asking for a avalanche of problems.  However, the increasing level of frustration(s) can cause us to do things that are harmful to our job/career and will most likely result in a unfavorable outcome.. either in the short or long term.

The only way that a RPH MAY get any results.. is death by a thousand small cuts…

Keeping your license is based on you not making any meds errors or at least med errors serious enough to cause some serious harm to a patient.. after all we all human .. and I have yet to meet a human who is perfect and doesn’t make mistakes.

If you look in the company’s policy & procedure manual ( P&P) .. you will probably find a phrase that states that the corporation expects all employees to not break any State/Fed/County rule/law/regulation…  having a mediation error reach the patient is a violation of the practice act and thus a violation of the company’s own policies and procedures.

Medication errors usually results in unhappy customers… unhappy customers usually results in loss of profits in the longer term.

With the surplus of RPH’s and a increasing number of states with any willing employment laws… you can be given your “walking papers” for something as simple and we don’t like this employee any more… however… if a employee can document that they were dismissed/fired because they refused to break laws and the company’s own policies. To the best of my knowledge no at will employment law… provides the employer to be able to discharge an employee for failure to break laws… without legal and financial consequences.

Likewise, – IMO – the BOP’s – which 75% have corporate employees on them… have little reason to protect the RPH labor pool.. The number of new community/chain drug stores growth as slowed to a crawl.. It is estimated that the excessive graduation rate over need will peak in 2017-2018 at 4000/yr.  Considering that it was not that many years ago.. the total of annual graduates was in the 6000- 7000 range… you do the math.

Thus your complaints up the line should be about patient safety & potential med errors…

You do this one step at a time… building a case that the company is suggesting, mandating that you put pt’s health safety at risk by whatever corporate edit is causing you to think this way.

The first email should go to your immediate supervisor..if you are a staff RPH.. that email should go to the PIC.. since the PIC… has the totally legal responsibility of  the legal operation of  the Rx dept.

IMO.. all emails regarding these sort of issues… should be closed with some sort of statement ” I am concerned that the current/proposed changes is going to result in an increased risk of patient harm ( med errors ) and loss of corporate profits.  I would hope that you could provide me with some answer within the next 7 days…”  If you have some studies that support your position… include those in email.. send the email .. high priority and read requested…

BCC yourself at home… printout a copy and take it home… whatever you do.. don’t count on the corporate system to maintain these things for you.

You have given the person a week to respond..you have proof that he/she has read the email and/or has their email set up to deny acknowledging that they have opened the email.

Your next step after 7 days.. is to do a follow up to the same person… repeating your concerns and requesting a response… or send your inquiry to the next person up the ladder… once you pass the PDM/DM  level and your concern is about violating laws and harming pts… it is probably a good time that you start CC: or BCC .. HR, Chief Compliance Officer ( CCO) and legal…

HR is responsible for making sure that the company follows its own rules P&P and depending on the severity of the violation.. can be held personally liable for failing to keep the corporation on a legal track.

Letters from then on… should consist of  ” I  have tried to get this issued address by corresponding – trying to correspond with xxxxx”… and could not get them to respond .. and or the problem still persists and my concerns remain about harming pts and/or causing the company to lose sales/profits.

You have taken your concerns up the ladder one step at a time… if someone “comes after you” .. you have this list of documentation.. that you tried to go thru the system and no one would even address your concerns and/or no one shared your concerns about pt safety and company profits..

This way .. the person immediately above you… is going to get the heat.. for not addressing the issue..

 

 

 

Filed under: General Problems