Boots shopping centre layout

[pharmer7]

Anybody else here absolutely despise the Boots layout in some of their stores? I haven't been locuming long, but worked at one Boots store with the layout you may or may not have come across yourselves. Reminds me of the counter at fast food restaurants, and encourages a queuing system. Its not very private, as the patients can view everything in the dispensary, very offputting for me, as I have someone staring directly at me while doing their prescription. Even have had people reaching over and flicking through the cards used for filing call-back scripts! I will think of more stuff about this to moan about, but I have to get up early tomorrow.

[bleepholder]

having never worked in Boots, but seen the pharmacy lay out...it does look quite disconcerting....customers breathing down your neck, watching your every move...they are prob even counting the tablets themselves as you package them all up.....

its not as though you can stop and talk inbetween scripts as they are all there watching you...nowhere to hide!!

[DavidS]

Some have proved so badly laid out that Boots have installed barriers so that the patient's can't get too close.

[culchie82]

It's a ridiculous layout and increases the pressure on you immeasurably, and that's why I avoid the carousel type pharmacies like the plague. If work in the other multiples in your area is plentiful, I would encourage you to do the same.

[Pharmanaut]

Diabolical.
Lets have the TGM (do they still have theirs) sit in the middle at a desk and see how comfortable they feel.

If it was me I'd be checking how many weeks notice I had to work.

There are still small independant pharmacy chains who let you get on with being a pharmacist.
I know of one in Sheffield area that needs a regular manager.

[pharmer7]

Glad to see I'm not the only one feeling this way. Is there any way of finding out which Boots pharmacies have this style of layout before I take any locums there? I heard someone mention that any which were Alliance pharmacies, or are in a certain range of store numbers, will not have this layout.

[culchie82]

As far as I know the Alliance ones aren't so bad as you are offered some protection from the public, whereas the massive Boots stores are the ones with the carousels and you are pretty much doing everything out the front. You'll probably still encounter the same problem in both types of shop however, ie understaffing, PCS scripts not there etc. In short, just avoid Boots if you can.

[johnep]

Even when the PCS scripts are there, often several days backlog.
johnep

[Pharmanaut]

Even when the PCS scripts are there, often several days backlog.
johnep

I'd be turning up early and staying late to clear the backlog, just so we could get straight and have a feeling of being on top of things.
Now its all Key Performance Indicators and if you can cope with the increased workload with less staff by compensating for it by voluntarily working extra (unpaid) HO will let you.

[bleepholder]

i'd be making sure i would be getting paid for working extra hours by HO.....going above and beyond the call of duty

But they porbably love you as a result of that