Pharmacy Tech Quits Walgreens 💊 Why I Quit Walgreens [Story Time]

[@faith6272]

Thanks for sharing! I can defiantly relate to your experience I been at Walgreens less than a year at the front cashier and at first the hiring manager made it seem all good that I was going to get at least 20 hours part time. I took it because I needed the job, however now my hours went down from 35 to 7 hours their excuse is Budget cut Walgreens cannot afford to give hours blah blah but yet everyone else still has hours except me... reality is they are picking on me constantly for me to quit all of the sudden I get verbal warning for smallest thing like I am not being fast enough that I said something to someone to discourage them when I never did including non sense gossip to make me upset. It is the most toxic environment Is like high school all over with grown managers acting like kids. Favoritism lazy employees get away with anything so much drama. I've had so many negative experience the only thing I enjoy is my customers. Did you get to see this as well?

[@WhitneyReacts]

Nat YES! I seemed to be the only one affected when “budget cuts” would happen. I had one assistant manager at first location who was a nightmare. She was literally causing me anxiety just by being around. She was nit-picky about every little thing. As cashier we had to “face” the candy aisle (2 aisles away) and keep an eye on the register - difficult when you get in a zone and someone would literally come in only for cigarettes. And I’d do my best but God forbid someone stood there for 10 seconds. 🙄 like 90% of the people who got to the register if I was far away were understanding but it got to where as soon as I’d leave someone would walk up. So I quit doing it until we would close. She would get so pissed at me and threaten to write me up. It was extremely toxic. Two assistant managers made it tolerable. I might have to make a part 2 haha

[@faith6272]

@@WhitneyReacts Wow sorry to hear about your experience you should make a part two I felt it was just me and I search on you tube found you LOL. I want to quit so bad that's what they want me to do because they don't want to pay unemployment. The store manager and assistant store manager brought me to the office telling me I am slow that I need to do candy along with checking out customers that is impossible where I am is super busy probably on slow days. It is unrealistic expectations and they give me like 20 of those big bins. they never said anything before until now they even made up gossip he said she say to use it against me. They compare me to other employees to how they work better and higher performance etcc... They like to put me down instead of encouraging me. I felt I was speaking to two kids not grown adults very unprofessional I don't even want to go back. Lazy people get praises and hard working people get looked down on . :(

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@faith6272 You're right, they're wanting you to quit so they won't be responsible for paying your unemployment. I'd call them out on it the next time they start to get nit-picky with you. Stand your ground. If you can try to find another job in pharmacy I would try it. Is there a hospital close by where you live? As a pharmacy technician you don't have any contact with patients. The closest you'd get to them is if you're refilling the Pyxis/Omnicell machines in the med rooms on the floors.

[@faith6272]

@@WhitneyReacts yes I been applying everywhere I have no pharmacy experience I just graduated with a CJ degree and with everything going on is hard to find a job. I've even considered applying outside the state I live in Houston Texas and so many people moving here getting a job is not easy as it used to be. At this point I am walking by Faith trusting God that he will open the doors and provide because I know is an injustice at work when I never did anything to them but love them in Christ. Thanks for your reply and taking your time to response I know I am not alone.

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@faith6272 I understand, we live in an area where people from everywhere have infiltrated it making jobs hard to find that aren't service related. I have family in Houston 😀and I'm originally from the Austin area. One of my distant cousins has a law firm in New Orleans -- his name is Vincent Trombatore. A couple other relatives in Houston are real estate agents. I'm not too familiar with jobs with CJ degrees. I had a friend who while obtaining his degree he worked in loss prevention at Target.

[@danapatra_4193]

I worked there for 3 long years. Started in front store, became a DH, then a tech. The company and management is horrible. If you want to be a technician it’s a good stepping stone but not somewhere to plan to work forever.

[@WhitneyReacts]

This. 100%. I got my license out of them and that’s all I cared about. I was a completely different person before working in their pharmacy. They literally destroyed my soul lol. Hospital is sooooo much better than retail. If retail is all that’s available in certain areas, I’d only work for an independent or a few different chains (HEB, United…to name a couple).

[@hearanecho]

Girl I'm working during covid and it is HECTIC.....LORD.....I CONTEMPLATE MY SANITY AT THE END OF THE DAY..... REALLY.

[@chasekittles9055]

I'm a tech there too. I love how people come up and get in your face, with no mask on, and tell you at the end that they just tested positive for covid. I'm in the South East, people here are hateful as hell!

[@dulce2048]

Management at Walgreens is the WORST

[@WhitneyReacts]

And it keeps going downhill. One of my friends is a store manager but she is like...one of those rare ones that actually cares about the employees.

[@Daniellelenae]

Literally doing externship and one of the pharmacist is passive aggressive and it’s annoying like literally only 3 days in & I wanna leave , kinda hoping I’ll find a better Walgreens idk but I’m not feeling it so far .

[@WhitneyReacts]

I’m so sorry. The only chain store I’d go to work for is United. I worked at Albertson’s beer getting my job at the hospital (hospital > retail) but it wasn’t bad. I liked it there

[@Laneaa]

I'm doing a externship too. All I do is refill all day, literally haven't done anything else or learn anything. What have you been able to during your externship?? Just wondering is there a reason why I'm only counting pills.

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@Laneaa are certified or still in training? When I was still “in training” at my first store they wouldn’t even let me touch pills except to learn how they count them (ooooh counting by 5s is sooooo difficult, lol) Each RXM is different in how comfortable with what trainees are allowed to do. At my second store they put me in the count and pour rotation but only with another technician that was certified. If that tech went to lunch I had to go to the cash register or drive thru.

[@SydMountaineer]

You sound like a very reasonable, smart person with a great attitude, so their loss. Sounds like very poor management. Quitting was smart, as stress from all of the issues Walgreens has is very bad for your health, and working at Walgreens is a risk to a person's career (losing certificates/licenses) and reputation, and not to mention the safety of customers. I've never worked at Walgreens, but as a healthcare worker and customer of Walgreens, I see so many problems. Walgreens pharmacies, especially in the state of Florida, are nightmares, I don't see why any employee would put up with it. The employees in the pharmacy are so flustered & busy that they appear & behave like they need emergency medical help themselves - even the ones at the call center sound like they're losing it because they're so rushed. If employees would only stand up as a group, companies would not be able to get away with treating their employees and customers so badly. The governement needs to do something about Walgreens, it is ludicrous, and they are just getting away with it, what they are allowing is criminal. For the past 3 years using one Walgreens pharmacy, there is a problem 99% of the time, every time we fill or refill a prescription (and I fill one prescription weekly, it's so bad that I get anxiety and panic when I have to call to refill my medication because I just know it's going to be a huge problem - and about 50% of the times, it's a major problem, where I have to get my doctor involved to solve the problem after talking to 2 to 3 people at the store several times, ususally over a 2 day period, in attempt to prevent my doctor from having to resolve it. Some of the things they've told me are preposterous, and the last time it happened, we're wondering if there's something illegal happening, as one of the issues is the SAME issue every time - it's so messed up that we quit complaining, it gets us nowhere, so we have changed to a different pharmacy.

[@WhitneyReacts]

What has been going on there as far as their excuses?? If you want you can email me if you don’t want it on here: [e-mail] CVS is bad too. Those two need a huge overhaul done. There is a couple Facebook groups I’m in to keep in the loop of what ludicrous stuff they’re doing in these chain retail pharmacies - CVS and Walgreens get the most complaints. One group, The Accidental Pharmacist, has a GoFundMe to try to get pharmacy to get a Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician Union.. I usually hate unions but if it increases patient safety, gives workers more money without working them selves to death, I would be for it. I’m currently on hiatus from making videos until November but I have a video scheduled of me reacting and giving commentary to some pharmacy stories I’ve read on Reddit. I’m hoping to make it a series on here.

[@helenvinokur6391]

I work as a Dh right now. I was offered 13.50 and the offer letter stated a dollar less. I took it and to follow was a tumultuous toxic 2 months where I am being affected mentally and physically due to stress. I dont know what to do.

[@WhitneyReacts]

DH is a new term I am assuming? Google made it sound like a floater - do you go to different stores in your district? If you can, as a pharmacy tech I’d get a job at a hospital. Most are isolated from from the main area of the hospital and you have zero patients contact.

[@helenvinokur6391]

I am what is called a designated hitter. I am to help in all parts of the store but they keep me in the pharmacy doing computer stuff and ringing up customers. The job itself isnt so bad but the environment is eating away at me.

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@helenvinokur6391 I completely understand. Especially when you get customers who don't understand how pharmacy or their insurance works and put the blame on whoever their talking to. Honestly, I was a happy bubbly person before I started back in Pharmacy for WAG...once I got back there it chipped away at my soul. It was awful. I had to be put on medication just to deal with my job...that shouldn't happen.

[@helenvinokur6391]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I had a nervous breakdown last week and am thinking of giving my 2 weeks in order to save my sanity and take care of my health. I am on medication and it's still very hard sometimes. Thank you again.

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@helenvinokur6391 Pharmacy is an interesting field, I would just stay away from big chain stores... only one I'd consider going to would be HEB or going back to United.

[@queenoffairiestarot]

I'm sorry that you had to deal with that. I had a question. How do I handle a rude pharmacy tech? I was talked down to for no reason. She said to me, "Haven't you called 4 times already?!" I called because I kept getting different answers about my prescription. I was told that I can be red flagged for calling too much? I told the pharmacist that I was just checking because I was told 3 different things. The pharmacy tech said that I could have my prescription filled two days early which I didn't ask. I called the next day was when I got attitude from the same tech. I was bothered because she talked down to me like I was a drug seeker when I am not. My question is why was she rude to me for no reason just for calling? I have had them mess up my prescriptions multiple times so I just wanted to make sure. I am always nice to the staff so when this lady yelled at me on the phone it threw me for a loop.

[@WhitneyReacts]

I’ve been thinking about your question. There are many reasons that a tech could snap. I might make a video about this. I wrote a blog a while back called Things Your Pharmacy Staff Wants You To Know. I might just turn it into a video. I’m pretty sure I go over this topic but as a specific situation it could be a number of things and would be easier said that typed out. I’ll post a link as a reply when it’s up. I’ll try to get it out this week ☺️

[@queenoffairiestarot]

@@WhitneyReacts you don't need to explain. I think that she had a bad day. I still didn't need to be yelled at. I didn't like that she said that I would be red flagged for just calling. I know now what she said was incorrect.

[@SamaraChienye]

Your cat is so cute! But I definitely understand why you quit Walgreens from your experience.

[@WhitneyReacts]

And from what I understand from other people's war stories it's only gotten worse. I will work for an independent before I go back to a chain store (only exception would be Albertson's/United or HEB -- that's a chain here in Texas)

[@helenvinokur6391]

I just got terminated from walgreens. I should have known it was coming but it still hurts.

[@WhitneyReacts]

I’m so sorry. What happened???

[@helenvinokur6391]

@@WhitneyReacts could I email you. It's such a long story.

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@helenvinokur6391 sure. you can use omgitswhitneytx @ gmail

[@noraramirez3587]

I just started about a week ago and my hours are decent then I looked and I'm off for an entire week 😕 did the training take long on the videos? I feel like it's taking me forever 16 hours and I'm still not done with them and I was told I can't do pharm training until I get a 4 digit pin. It's like 38 hours of video training?

[@WhitneyReacts]

I honestly don’t remember the training videos for Pharmacy. I do remember they scheduled me to come in specifically to do those and it took me at least a couple 8 hour shifts but I don’t remember much. Trainees are the first to get their hours cut too. So make sure you can make up extra hours on the floor even if it’s the check out. That’s what I had to do when I wasn’t in Cosmetics.

[@Greg-dh4vy]

I did a class, and the math was just confusing. The teacher said you just have to pass the test, and the computers take care of the majority of it when you start the actual job. What's your opinion on that? Thanks! good video

[@WhitneyReacts]

It depends on the program that is used if it will calculate the quantities and day supply. It’s not always right. We had index cards at our stations to remember things (1mL = 15 drops for example was what we used at one pharmacy, another said it was 20 drops, I always went with the more conservative number. The little 6 week thing they had us do I only remember them teaching us three or four different ways to calculate a dose based on weight (but a tech doesn’t even do that, at least not in Texas) so it was pretty pointless. Getting in hospital required more math but it was usually the same calculation or conversion (mg -> ml you divide what you need by what you have.) Daptomycin came in 50mg vials so if you needed a dose that was 325mg you would need 6 whole vials and then half of a 7th. We also had a binder we could keep in the clean room with the drug name, the stability, if it needed to be in the fridge or not, etc.. so you don’t even really need to memorize a whole lot to be a pharmacy tech. There is a learning curve but once you get the basic math down it’s really easy. And I hate math. I’m in college algebra right now and I want to smash my laptop with a hammer. But then I could make videos so... lol.

[@WhitneyReacts]

Also pharmacists can set up like...preset sig short cuts, so if you have a 100mL bottle of amoxicillin suspension and you type in “2tea bid” as a shortcut for “two teaspoons twice a day” they can set it for that sig on that drug to automatically calculate a 10 day supply. But at big chains I’m not sure if they do that or not.

[@Greg-dh4vy]

Very detailed response thanks a lot that helps! Best of luck with algebra lol! I know that feeling haha.

[@WhitneyReacts]

You’re welcome. I’ll try to provide as much insight as I can.

[@tiarrashambley9856]

i know this is old but what questions did they ask you at the interview cause i have one on thursday

[@kattikaur3948]

The upland ca 24 hr walgreen filled one week of a controlled substance prescription - said that’s all they had in stock- on day 5 i went back to collect the rest of my Rx . they said they had to order it- why did they not order it 5 days ago? So, 3 days later i went to pick up the remaining qty of my two week Rx- but now they tell me i need a new prescription fir the rest if it- WTF, I’ve been out of this Med for three days already, now i have to waste time getting another Rx for a Med that they already gave me half of- for which they already gave a Rx and have billed for. I am so frustrated. Don’t know who to complain to.

[@WhitneyReacts]

The medication could have been on back order depending on where it’s manufactured. If it’s a popular drug, they could have ran out of what they had in stock from that shipment and you just happened to get shorted a second time. On a busy day we would dispense around 2000 hydrocodone tablets… Controlled substance prescriptions are only good for 6 months, a CII medication (like oxycodone, hydrocodone, ADHD meds, etc) are only good for 21 days in most states. At my last pharmacy job we wouldn’t fill a CII unless we had the full amount because doing a partial was too much of a hassle because of how long the prescription is good for. Call your insurance company and ask them how many tablets (or day supply) they billed for and if they billed for the full amount, have the pharmacy reverse the claim and re-bill what they gave you so you don’t get a “refill too soon” rejection. If you still have the bottle, take it with you if you have to (assuming the # of pills dispensed is on the bottle). I’m Texas, at least where I’ve worked in the past, ALL controls are counted a minimum of 2x, the quantity is circled, and the counting technician initials by the number.

[@donalddavis6689]

Well They Played Games With People.. That's Ashame.. That's Messed Up.. They Did You Dirty.. GOD Got Your Back.

[@WhitneyReacts]

🙌🏻 Woop!

[@250Rem]

I worked there for but like a fun five years as a customer service doing expiration date as a person with a viosion I mpire and blindness and got laid off because of budget

[@WhitneyReacts]

isn't it fun when "budget cut" is the reason for everything?

[@250Rem]

Yes the budget cut does affect the whole entire store

[@jacksonblack2776]

What line of work are you in currently?

[@WhitneyReacts]

I keep up with my certification and worked as a CPhT until April of 2018, but I’m currently a stay at home mom these days and part time student.

[@jacksonblack2776]

@@WhitneyReacts Thanks, I was thinking about doing Pharmacy but I’m not sure with the crap Walgreens pulled on you. 😖

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@jacksonblack2776 just stay away from big chains... if you can find an independent pharmacy or even a hospital (hospital is WAY better than retail in my opinion) go for it! When I worked at the hospital, I made IVs. It was nice. I got to stay in my little hole with my music blasting... the days flew by.

[@luisenriquez180]

Too much hassle for a part time technician

[@WhitneyReacts]

Too much hassle for a tech, period. Walgreens can go kick rocks.

[@leahangelica8440]

Because it’s retail pharmacy!!!

[@WhitneyReacts]

At least a chain retail. I worked for an independently owned pharmacy and it was a TOTALLY different vibe. The pharmacists had our backs and would deal with rude customers. I had a couple of pharmacists at Walgreens who would defend us techs but most of the time it was an "every man for themselves" kind of situation.

[@derek4986]

@@WhitneyReacts I started from the floor and am currently now getting a turn to go back to the pharmacy after having the license for about 4 years. I'm sort of worried that they may do me the same, idk. All I can say is I've had good experiences and bad ones as well but overall it's a job but an "every (wo)man for themselves" is all to familiar. Lol.

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@derek4986 Just stick to your guns. This was almost 10 years ago, but from what I've read on the subreddit and in Facebook groups, it seems to be a normal thing in many chain stores. I have a friend who is a store manager in the Austin area -- she was great, I wish all managers were like her.

[@derek4986]

@@WhitneyReacts Most definitely. All of our strongest techs quit when the rxm left so we've hired most without any formal knowledge and one decent tech. I want to love it and actually learn the trade aspect but it's mentally exhausting at times. Any pro tips?

[@WhitneyReacts]

@@derek4986 If you really love pharmacy, I would recommend doing hospital pharmacy, not retail. I loved hospital pharmacy. (I went from hospital to an independent pharmacy because it was a compounding pharmacy) In hospitals, you don't deal with cranky/pissed off/potentially dangerous patients, insurance companies, or calling doctor's offices. You have room to grow by getting IV and Chemo certified so you'd make IVs for patients. That's what I did, I made IVs. There was always something new every day, so it wasn't like being a robot like in retail. 99% of the time once your shift is over, that's it, that anxiety of "Did I do this?" "Did I fax that refill/PA/whatever" doesn't hang over your head. I was MUCH less stressed working in the hospital than in retail. I could go on. I might have to make a video of retail vs. hospital.