customer interaction

[fabulous]

i work as an employee store-based pharmacist 3 days a week and locum occasionally on my days off. thinking of leaving the store-based job.
i have been store-based in a btc store before and the area manager there actually created a checking area for me in the back because with me being newly qualified he thought it was better for me.. and it was. the bigger btc stores tend to have a checking area in front for smaller scripts and in the back for bigger scripts.

[womble]

the manager and area pharmacy manager also reiterated that i should be at the front checking and that it is important for their 'customer care measures' .

It appears that this increased customer contact by pharmacists within btc is a piece of 'wisdom' from above. They appear to believe that the pharmacist should be checking, having customer interaction time and providing services (MURs) but have no other involvement in the dispensing process. I am a store Pharmacist manager, and at a recent managers meeting this was the message given. They do not seem to have given any thought to the practicalities or the realities of work in a pharmacy.
This also stems to a new staffing level tool that is being used within the company. So I am really soory to say, but I can see the pressure from above getting even stronger to make Pharmacists work in such a manner.

[johnep]

Certainly where I worked in CMK I was 'the front man' whereas other pharmacists preferred working in the back.
A fact of life is that everyone wants us to spend more time with the customers and less time dispensing, that can be done by techs.

If you are a shrinking violet, then modern pharmacy is not for you. Get into regulatory affairs in industry or licencing authority, or PCT work.
johnep

[Jeff]

It appears that this increased customer contact by pharmacists within btc is a piece of 'wisdom' from above. They appear to believe that the pharmacist should be checking, having customer interaction time and providing services (MURs) but have no other involvement in the dispensing process. I am a store Pharmacist manager, and at a recent managers meeting this was the message given. They do not seem to have given any thought to the practicalities or the realities of work in a pharmacy.
This also stems to a new staffing level tool that is being used within the company. So I am really soory to say, but I can see the pressure from above getting even stronger to make Pharmacists work in such a manner.

First time I've approved of Boots thinking in ages.

Jeff

[womble]

I am the first person to encourage pharmacist contact with the public. when I first arrived in the UK I was astonished at how many pharmacists didnt 'face the public', wht is worrying is spending your time on the counter, and only having part time dispensers. I mean how can you check what hasnt been dispensed?? I think they are missing an enabling step to getting this working - as they are simultaneously cutting support staff hours.

[PtitpupUK]

My view as a technician is that I don't resent how much a pharmacist gets paid. After all they get all the responsibilities, all the checking, the MURs and other services pushed down their throats, all the targets to reach, all the hassle from above managers, and also all the moans and rants of below staff like dispensers and shop assistants... among other things.
However, I strongly object to having to serve customers or answer the phone when I am in the middle of dispensing. I might be a woman, but I must be honest and say I can't multitask. So if I am busy, I won't get interrupted. People around me seem to understand, because no one asks me to stop when I am in the middle of a prescription. I think it should be like this for all dispensers and all pharmacists. Some people just can't handle being interrupted, so in the sake of the patients they should be left to finish what they are doing.
I strongly object to having to do the job of other people though. I can't say if it's the same everywhere else, but we have some counter staff that are quite happy not doing much. So if as a dispenser I chip in and see to the customers, I am afraid 1- it will be taken for granted and it will be like that forever 2- I won't be able to do MY job and the dispensary will suffer.
If you are working in a busy dispensary someone else should be taking care of the customers. You seem to be in a difficult position - if you don't serve ppl you get complaints & if you take too long to do prescriptions they'll complain too... no way out as far as I can see !

[johnep]

I was trained never to answer the 'phone if dealing with a customer, they will ring again. On Saturday, customer marched to front of queue and banged on the counter. The assistant told her she was serving someone else, if other customers wanted her served next she would do so. rest of customers asked her to wait her turn.

Used to have problems when carousel dispensing and pt standing with arms on the top of the bench and others waving scripts.

We then organised stands and tape to form a queue.

johnep

[Defblade]

I think I'd refer to the Code of Ethics here and point out to the manager that you have a professional responsibility to work in a way you believe is safe for you, and they have a similar responsibility not to try and force other ways of working onto you. And what works for them may not be good for you.

Put it in writing.

Start looking for a job where you are appreciated.

Rowlands tried to make me check at the front counter and provided a "private" area to do it in - open to the (very small) shop and right next to the till, seperated by a partially opaque screen. Useless, and I refused to do it.

If they'd have said to do it in the consulation room, there may have been a chance, but thanks to lousy staffing levels I was given, if I wasn't in the dispensary most of the time pulling my weight, the work simply wouldn't have been done by closing time.

I do try to give every script out myself and have a few words (more if needed!) - it's been commented on favourably by the staff at a lot of the places I've locummed.

[johnep]

Pt confidentiality is sufficient to prevent checking where others than the pt can see the clindamycin cream or viagara etc. Viagara was never dispensed at front of dispensary, nor levonelle.
johnep

[fabulous]

in response to an earlier cooment from johnep. i wouldnt say that i am a shrinking violet. in fact i would love to spend more time with customers doing mur's and using my clinical skills etc. and i dont mind checking at the front with customers watching. what i do mind is having to STOP my checking and break my train of thought to serve customers.
in essence the manager said to me that i and the other pharmacists have to serve or at least acknowledge EVERY customer 'so that the dispensers can get on with dispensing without being interrupted'. but its okay for me to be interrupted during checking apparently. you see due to lack of staff there is no one to take scripts in, its got to be either the dispensers or pharmacists. at my pre reg store 3 dispensers worked at the front with 3 computers and customers waited in a line to be called up to the computers and be served by the dispensers. most of the time it worked well.
anyway i have decided to quit my job with this company. i can see that boots has a good idea but its not going to work in reality because they are cutting back on support staff.