Anyone hearing about pharmacy layoffs happening today? It seems that some techs got axed - not sure how reliable the info is, chime in if you have any info...
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love the previous comment about market directors beating up on the pharmacy staff. That is no surprise really. They’re just simply middle management information pushers who think they’re pharmacy gods. They love barking orders but are usually so far removed from pharmacy that they have no clue about what is going on in actual pharmacies
A little birdie told me that Walmart is losing tons of pr-scrip-ions due to transfers because they don't have drive-thru and that the market managers are beating the staff like a rented mule to regain market share.
They set the business model and build the stores without drive-thru in the pharmacy, but it's on the pharmacists to fix it!
I'm glad I'm not a player in that shyte show anymore.
Thank you for posting. Makes me feel better to read these. Helps me realize I am not going crazy and I am not the only one still out here. Hearing so many good things on TV now about Wal-Mart and I makes me so upset. Because I know the truth about how they treat their employees.
I am going to post something.....anything.....on this thread at least every other week to keep this post near the top of the Active list. Walmart is running image ads about how benevolent they are on television all the time and I want as many people as possible to remember how they treat their people.
Thanks for sharing!
I take comfort in knowing I wasn't the only one that had it bad at Sam's. My district mostly consisted of the laziest rphs who happened to be the same ethnic group that went to the same pharmacy school years ago and many of them were couples/siblings/cousins. They'd cover one another's unethical behavior and gossip in their own language during business hours hating on pharmacists that weren't part of their click and I was one of them. One of them somehow got a hold of my rate and found out my rate was highest in the district although I was the youngest. Yeah that's what they'd do at work instead of trying to grow their already shabby rx volume. And the DM let them cuz he was one of them too. They'd even bash the RM during conference calls lol
I could go on and on about the disgusting toxic things they did and got away with. But my point is that I've managed to move on. Much less patient interaction at my current job and less stress with bright responsible techs. While they stay in that shxxhole that could close down anytime due to inability to compete with Costco. Or they could all get corona and suffer! Karma better be real!
If it's any consolation, the place has become a house of horrors to work for. Even worse than before. I was on the Sam's side. I was not purged like most of you, but I had suddenly received a poor evaluation after years of good ones. My greatest sins were getting older and using 4 days of medical leave to have hernia surgery after only using 1 sicks day in years and years of service. The week that you fine people were being terminated through no fault of your own, I was being coached for being irresponsible for using a refrigerator that had been in place and in use for longer than I had even worked in the store. The MM that coached me had never previously had an issue with it, nor had any of her predecessors. I was called irresponsible by this cowardly slug just a week and a half after I had bailed her sorry a– out by working in the middle of PTO I had scheduled and had had approved 10 months prior because she also gave too many other pharmacists approved PTO after already approving mine.
Anyway, I had seen how this movie ended for several of my colleagues and decided it was time to leave on my own terms rather than giving the scumbag RM (who was driving all of this) the satisfaction of forcing my cowardly MM to terminate me for "cause". I enjoyed a great reputation and connections in the community and was able to land another job and turn in notice that very same week, despite being in my 60's.
Karma is hell, because it took them two months to finally replace me with a former Clinical Services Market Manager who then quit only 4 months later because the job was too stressful. After two more months, they hired a former CVS pharmacist who had previously worked with a technician I had recently hired. She made it only two weeks with this sorry company and quit at the end of a shift without even giving notice. She sent word to me through our mutual friend that the same cowardly MM was a total batch to her and that she had given her no training.
Meanwhile, my new boss loves me and has given me bonuses and letters of appreciation for my attitude and the value I provide to him as an employee. He has expressed that he is thankful for Walmart's stupidity for letting me get away. My stress is gone. Life is good again.
Walmart s—s the big one and life is too short to work for people willing screw long-term employees because they committed the sin of getting a bit older or even just so they can save a few bucks. Such people have no morals and will prostitute themselves to do whatever it takes to serve the false god they have found in this horrible company. Yes, LM, I'm talking to you. I've got news for you. Your turn to face the axe is coming. And like me, you have a reputation. Except mine is good. You will get yours. I've already got mine!
Don't let this company get you down, people. They're not worth it! You are better than that! You deserve better than that! You will be better off in a year or two than you were before this company poisoned your soul. And they will have to answer for their actions at some point in time.
Hang in there!
Yes I watch one or two times a day. I feel betrayed by my fellow pharmacist, my employer and my profession. I am also having a hard time accepting and coping with what happened.
Is anyone still out there? Still trying to cope with this. Not sure why I can’t move on. Anyone else?
The good new is you've got a job. The bad news is........you've got a job!!
Sound like a company we all know and loathe??
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chaos-chain-pharmacies-putting-patients-152046934.html
Left the beast before the inevitable axe hit us. I saw the writing my on the wall. Pharmacy as it was is gone. We must diversify or die.
I got out and changed my niche before they kicked me out. Whatever you do, find that specialty and go all in on it. I chose natural health and got my certificate as a Natural Health Clinician. Change things up and get out before you are forced to!
Good luck!
(Program I used: https://drbryanb.thinkific.com/courses/natural-health-clinician-certificate )
Work as a pharmacy tech if you have to. At least it keeps you involved until something comes up. Work on certifications (eg. diabetes, MTM etc) Go back to college get an MBA, maybe a nurse etc.
Kind of wish the layoffs didn't happen when the pharmacist market was so tight. It's like a double punch. Anyone have any leads on remote pharmacist work that doesn't require a residency (just previous retail experience)? I haven't heard much about any more changes to H&W
This thread should not die. This is how Walmart operates. People need to remember that fact when they produce their stupid commercials with Elton John music trying to portray this piece of krap company as a positive influence in America.
Read this thread!
This is the REAL face of Walmart!!
Any further updates to the whole vision center realignment and cuts to middle do nothing management (market directors)?
I haven’t found a job yet. I am a little down and depressed. I may have to go back to school and find another career. I hope to find something that i could combine both educations to do. I feel the profession of pharmacy is going swirling down the toilet. I may just find another career altogether. I’m over 60 and no one wants to hire someone my age. I’m not ready to hang it up yet, any suggestions on where to turn.
Thank you for the wonderful comments. I need to remember how much each one of us was loved and are still loved. And the comments about lack of confidence also hits the nail on its head. I have been struggling with that also. After hearing that comment I think some of my sadness is from my lack of confidence from what Wal-Mart did to us. I need to keep working on building that back up. 😊
Me too! I am also a "recovering Walmart pharmacist". I love my new job. And the person who replaced me has already quit because the job was too stressful! 😎👍
Please don't cry. They're not worth it.
You did nothing wrong. Everyone who loved you before this happened still loves you. You've gotten another job and don't have to prostitute yourself or your license to them or their minions any longer. Never again. Cry for those still trapped if you must, but forgive yourself and move on. If you are unable, please seek counseling. This company isn't worthy of your sense of self worth and certainly doesn't deserve your tears.
I spoke to a former Walmart pharmacist today who the company threw out this past year. She had just received her first formal review from her new employer. They gave her very high marks for her performance and she was very happy with her evaluation. Towards the end , she asked her supervisor what she should be focusing on going forward, and he indicated that she occasionally lacked confidence despite the quality of her work. She told him that her previous employer had knocked her confidence level down a few notches.
This company doesn't give a rat's a– what they do to you or your confidence, but she is much happier and less stressed and is much happier as a recovering Walmart pharmacist. It was good talking to her again. Most of the pharmacists still working for this immoral, garbage company would k–l to experience her obvious overall sense of relief.
I also have a much better job. Less stressful
And better hours. Less pay but it’s good enough. I still cry daily over what happened though. I am so afraid of losing another job. I had to uproot my whole life and start over at 52. And it is much better now but for some reason Walmart has changed me. I am a strong person but I haven’t fully recovered yet. So glad to hear a success story on here. God Bless you for surviving this. I never knew how hard losing a job could be. I guess I always coasted through life and never realized it. I’ve never been a mean person but Karma would be ok. I haven’t forgiven them yet.
I heard the stress level at walmart is worse than ever. This is coming from many people that are still hanging onto their jobs.
Enough time has passed for more than a few of you to have some success stories in the area of employment and life changing positive attitude or mental health adjustments. Let's keep this thread alive to encourage those of us who were treated so terribly at the hands of this immoral, gutless, corporation and remind them that there is a life after fricking Walmart.
I'll go first. By most standards I would be considered unemployable as I am north of 60 years old. I found a job that pays a bit less than I was making at Hellmart, but has full bennies, great hours, and a stress level that could never be hoped for before. Better yet, my experience and input is appreciated by my new boss, who takes the time to express that sentiment to me regularly.
Thank you, Hellmart, for improving my life so much by shoving me out the door. It was a move I would have never made without your immoral actions. And remember, Hellmart regional and market managers, karma is hell!
Would love to see some of these rumors come to fruition. I know they tried doubling up some markets a few years ago and it didn’t work so they hired a bunch of market directors back. But without vision center it may work. At companies like Publix, their district managers cover 30-40 pharmacies. Need to trim that fat and get all hands on deck for people with direct patient care. Could pay like 5-6 full time techs for what 1 market director makes
I have heard something similar but not really sure if it is all rumors! But since D40 is not under H&W anymore, it only makes sense to make districts much bigger which will result in elimination of almost 50% DM positions. I do believe, they will wait until at least April to do something.
All kinds of rumors flying. Division 1 thinks that vision center is coming to Division 1. They think that pharmacy is going to be left in Division 10. Each division 10 district will be merged into 2 districts, essentially cutting half of MHWD. Each MHWD will have to reapply for a position. Where they end up is anyone’s guess. This makes you wonder if the pharmacy will be sold to a PBM or will buy a PBM.
Division 1 claims that each vision center manager may have to be a manager over 4 or more stores. This would make mini districts for vision. This would save money in vision. This is all rumors, but something is coming.
When is the next round of layoffs coming? Updates on cutting market directors, senior management, etc.
What i am about to say, maybe harsh and it is just a thought. I am throwing this out to open up conversation and get others opinion. I didn’t like what happened, but I think some responsibility should lie within our profession. I think we should all blame ourselves. We have been terrible stewards of our profession. We have allowed academia to run wild. All of us felt they had some obligation to take in students. We have all enjoyed passing some work on to students, to lessen our work load.
But now we should all step up and become good stewards of our profession. We should hold academia responsible. Using the US News ranking list of pharmacy schools, any school not in the top 50 should not be allowed to have students in residency’s. This would force the top students into the top schools to ensure they get the best jobs. This would put pressure on the other schools to step up their programs. Also any school not in the top 90 or maybe the top 75 if needed would not be allowed to put students in intern programs. If schools cannot place students in internships then they would loose their accreditation. If they loose their accreditation then their students couldn’t take the nabplex exam. If they can’t take the nabplex then they can’t get licensed. Students then would avoid those schools and the schools couldn’t afford to stay open. Essentially causing them to wither on the vine.
Also if any school doesn’t require a pcat exam then we shouldn’t take their students. Schools that don’t vet their students should have internships refused. This would also have the same effect, causing them to wither on the vine.
State Boards of Pharmacy and nabplex should raise their standards. On the first pass 20% should fail. Then 10% of graduates should never pass the board. This would put more pressure on pharmacy schools. The pcat should be made more difficult essentially vetting and prescreening students before they get in. This would make sure only good students get in school and that they would be able to pass the new more complicated nabplex exam.
Also a new doctorate program should be started. It would be a PhD only program. Just as the Pharmd made the BS obsolete, the Pharmd would become obsolete. It would require students to have a BS before entering a pharmacy school. If you have a doctorate then you should have a BS first. This would cause a 2 year hiatus on graduates, thus easing the pharmacist over staffing problems. All students would also have to be a Physicians Assistant before graduating. They would either get a PA at the pharmacy school or before entering. We have all wanted Prescriber status now all future pharmacist would have it. All graduates would now have multiple options for employment making it easier to get jobs. This would also help ease the over staffing problem.
This seems harsh, but now is the time for harsh measures or more pharmacist will be displaced. It is meant to get others opinions and open up thinking and conversation.
Important repost:
I encourage everyone who has been terminated and you feel you were set up and it was based on age, which would included years of service as well to file a complaint with The Equal opportunity Office and give them a statement. The more people we have file a complaint the better changes we have for them to open up a class action suit against them! If you don’t send in a complaint and a action suit does occur you won’t be included. So get one sent in! I’m in the middle of completing my statement and I’ll be mailing mine in the next few days. You have approximately 180 days from the date you were let go to send it in. Again, the more people who submit a complaint the better chances we have because this company hates bad publicity!
Very well said and informative! That is so unethical that PBMs, corporate pharmacies, and pharmacy schools have played into this situation. It's the pharmacy schools that provide a law and ethics course but they comply to the unethical practices of corporate desires. It's very disappointing. Hopefully there can be repercussions for all those contributing to this hard situation.
There's not much happy news in pharmacyland these days. Until PBM's are eliminated or at least better regulated reimbursements to pharmacies resulting in a net loss will be the norm. High labor costs and low reimbursement rates are not a sustainable business model. Then academia sold us out in the name of the almighty dollar by pumping out thousands more pharmacists than the market could absorb every graduation cycle. That said, WMT does not get a pass for the methods it used to cut employee costs. The way they went about thinning the herd was immoral and repugnant. I hope the public somehow gets word and this company is severely financially punished.
Meanwhile, it is time for the rest of us to pick up the pieces and move forward. It's all we can do.
Hang tough!
Yeah... found a temporary job with CVS but it's not a long term fix. Not many pharmacy establishments hiring in my area of Minnesota. Hopefully another option will surface. The few positions I did apply to, I wasn't even considered for an interview. It seems like a tight market. I would like to see a solution in place. Anyone else?
Has everyone found a job? Is anyone still watching this site or has everyone given up?
http://video.foxnews.com/v/6098605285001/ You need to watch this segment it explains a big part of what is wrong with the pharmacy profession. As we all know there is 75-80 too many pharmacy schools. “The enlightened academics” have built numerous unneeded pharmacy schools so they wouldn’t have to get a real job. They know they couldn’t really survive or thrive with a real job in the real world
Everyone go on utube and watch silver report. Just reported 3 hours ago. 42,000 silent layoffs just announced.
The market manager I had was so lazy he would not make any attempt to cover sick calls. I had the flu 2 years ago along with loosing my voice and his motto was always “find your own coverage”. U could tell he was was sitting at home bc u could hear his kids. So, the only time I ever saw him was when his boss was in town. And of course always if u did see him he was a jerk to u.
Actually this article is the one that mentions chains more specifically. Better article. If link doesnt work search in google.
https://www.studentloanplanner.com/pharmacist-job-outlook-growth/
Sorry, the link doesn't seem to be working, but google some of the words in the address below to read the article. It covers everything and even mentions WM and others.
https://www.d–gchannels.net/2019/10/grim-job-outlook-for-retail-pharmacists.html?m=1
Regarding lack of retail pharmacist jobs, at least reality is finally setting in and it is being addressed out there. Has everyone read this? https://www.d–gchannels.net/2019/10/grim-job-outlook-for-retail-pharmacists.html?m=1
Couldn’t agree more with the last comment about market directors. We could lose half of them and be completely fine. They have no direct patient contact and small if any outcomes on patient care. My last one had zero people skills. Wouldn’t even say hi to the staff when they walked in the pharmacy. Could never even get a congratulations or pay on the back for something good we did. And the micro managing in those stupid conference calls has to go
You could cut out 2 of 3 market directors and they wouldn’t even be missed. My market director sits in their office or probably at home bellowing out orders over the phone or on conference calls. They overwhelm us with frivolous emails and go do’s, so they want have to show up at the store. We only see the market director when it is time to do a checklist or someone complains. The only problem with releasing the majority of the unnecessary market directors is that some poor pharmacist will probably get “displaced” to give the market director someplace to land.
Market director layoffs would be a great start, but if we're going to fix all the ills, we certainly can't stop there. Regionals and vp's need to answer for the fubar this company's pharmacy division has become. They made all the decisions that brought us to where we are today. It's time they reap some of the rewards.