Good news for Smokers in Ontario!

Champix and Zyban are finally coverd on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary!

It's about time!

Is unionization the answer for pharmacists?

Here is an interesting article posted by the Redheaded Pharmacist on Unions.

http://www.theredheadedpharmacist.com/?p=3284

Check it out

Trying a different approach.

So, this week I decided to try a different approach.  I will just spend my time at work counting pills, filing and going to the cash register.  This way I will make sure that all the prescriptions are filled and the customers are happy.  All the work got done.  This is good.  Right?  This is want everyone wants right?

So, this week I didn't get any managerial work done.  I didn't get the audits completed for the insurance companies and didn't get a chance to do any MedsChecks.  But that's ok.  I got all the prescriptions filled.

How long will I be ok with this way of working?  I'm a very highly paid technician and cashier.  I am not using my brain cells for more than checking prescriptions.

Is this what community pharmacy is becoming?

I've been thinking about doing this for a while...

So, I've been thinking about doing this for a while now.  I have read a lot of blogs in the past and thought, hmmmm...this is a good idea.  But I have never mustered up the courage to do it until now.  And I really don't know what has made me take the leap tonight but here goes.

I suppose the reason I feel compelled to write and ramble on is for my own self-interest.  I've been trolling around on the internet for months now trying to see if there is anyone out there that feels the way I do about Pharmacy here in Ontario, Canada specifically.

I work for a Chain pharmacy as Manager due to the fact that there is no where else to work since we live in rural Canada.

I have always been a very compentant and efficiant worker but it seems that in the last 7 months it's gotten out of control. 

The Ontario government imposed thier funding cuts in July of 2010.  

Since then Chain companies (and I'm assuming Independants) have cut support hours of technicians but still expected the pharmacists to provide safe service to thier patients.  The pharmacists are expected to pick up the slack of the lack of technicians by performing more technical duties (ie. more counting, filing of prescriptions, putting away stock, ringing prescriptions as well as OTCs at the cash register) as well as increase the number of MedsChecks and other services to increase revenue for the pharmacy companies.

I have absolutely NOTHING against the technical duties that have to be performed in a pharmacy to keep it going.  However, my issue is with expecting the pharmacist to be doing ALL of these duties as well as checking and counselling patients safely on a 12 hour shift where you're not allowed a lunch or supper break let alone finding time to go to the bathroom.

Here's my question.  The companies are cutting support hours based on the previous years budget.  Yes I agree we are losing money compared to what they were EXPECTING to make this year but they are still making money (or most of them are).  Does it make sense to be cutting staffing hours and back-logging the pharmacy to the point of aggrivating your remaining customers?  Patients will go somewhere else if they have to keep coming back and thier prescription is not done AGAIN. 

Opps, the Pharmacist is letting someone into the bathroom...sorry you are going to have to wait for them to check your prescription...but wait...sorry the one and only technician is at the cash register ringing someone through...yes you remembered last year when there were 3 happy, smiling technicians here to serve you and you prescription was always done in less than 20 minutes.  BUT today, you get one grumpy technician and 1 pharmacist who hasn't eaten lunch and has been dying to go to the bathroom for the last 3.5 hours to serve you.  Have a nice day!

Does anyone feel that Community Pharmacy has recently gotten out of control?!