The *Angriest* Pharmacist You want your prescription filled when? Eat shit…

The Worker's Plea

1. Tell me clearly what you expect of me.
2. Give me the opportunity and resources to perform.
3. Let me know how I am doing.
4. Provide me with guidance, support, and training when I need it.
5. Reward me according to the contribution I make to the business.

I happened upon this little piece of paper one day while returning from the Cough and Cold aisle. I picked it up as I do all little pieces of trash I walk past each day. I unfolded it to reveal, "The Worker's Plea" as the title and the items above listed.

I found these statements quite intriguing. Since that day, I have done the best I can to implement these ideals into my pharmacy and treat my fellow pharmacists and technicians according to this doctrine. Not long after I found it, I held a pharmacy staff meeting after closing hours (even required those no scheduled to come in -- don't worry, they punched in!). I went through every item on this piece of paper -- along with some notes that jotted in a little notebook in which I taped this sliver of paper.

I told my pharmacists my expectations of them -- allowing the technicians to hear this. I told my technicians my expectations of them -- allowing my pharmacists to hear this. This, I feel was pivotal. I often think that things change after I leave -- that the technicians "get away with more," or that the other staffers don't hold them to the same level of expectation as I do. Now that everyone is clear on their role in the pharmacy, we began to hold each other accountable.

A month or so after this meeting, I spent about 15 minutes talking with each technician and 30 minutes talking to each pharmacist about how I felt they were doing since their expectations were set -- an evaluation of sorts. These meetings were all held during time I was scheduled off -- so my commitment to excellence was displayed. Some were doing exceptional. My pharmacists had become more authoritative over the technician staff and held them accountable for their errors. My technicians took their role more seriously -- as an adjunct to a pharmacist -- a necessary cog in the machine! It was going well. Of course, some technicians still did not take their positions seriously -- they called in sick, wasted time doing various non-imperative tasks to avoid certain difficult or trying duties, or did not try to improve their performance after pharmacist correction (like inputting a script incorrectly). These points were made in the meetings, and change was expected.

Yet, we continued on with the same problems -- Technicians calling in sick, making the same error over and over on similar prescriptions, or wasting time away from the pharmacy. After expectations were set, staff pharmacists being made aware of expectations, and a meeting with me, I was perplexed as to why this stuff was continuing.

I had laid out my expectations of my pharmacists and my technicians. Technicians were given plenty of opportunity to perform their tasks, learn from their mistakes, and better their performance. I had a meeting with every member of the staff to let them know my evaluation of their performance in their job duties -- which I felt were constructive, to the point, pertinent, and not demeaning or intimidating in any way. They had all been properly trained in ever facet of pharmacy from start to finish -- they knew how to do the job right. They knew the seriousness of mistakes -- that lives could sway in the balance. We had retrained and added supplemental help when mistakes continued whether it be knowledge of sig codes (like a list of common ones next to keyboards), or miscounting (by requiring fillers to circle the quantity on the page that prints out), or selecting the wrong drug (by requiring fillers to WRITE the middle four numbers of the NDC on each page as a double check). Still -- the mistakes were happening, and we had been lucky in that I and my fellow pharmacists caught them. What was I doing wrong?

I'm sure by now you all see what was going wrong. Once I looked at the big picture, I saw it. I knew what it was. I couldn't believe that I missed it -- time and time again. I felt bad that I let it get to that point -- I felt like a huge dick.

I was so focused on correcting the mistake with negative feedback, I neglected to reward the correctly filled prescription with positive feedback. To me, it's much simpler. Knowing that the right medicine got to the right person is the reward. Educating people on their prescriptions is the reward. Hearing the positive feedback from the patient is the reward. Yet, the technicians may not get this feedback firsthand. It may not even be the type of positive feedback they are looking for. This was the problem. The technicians were so worried about the negative feedback (which was far from a 'bitch out'), they were allowing themselves to make silly mistakes over and over again.

You have got to tell your technicians when they do it right -- that you appreciate their accuracy, promptness, positive attitude -- everything. Less mistakes made by technicians means fewer mistakes get by pharmacists. We've got to thank them for being an imperative part of our pharmacy. Now, I let my technicians know they are appreciated by both kind words and actions. I applaud their efforts when they think out a particularly difficult prescription or really use their noggin' to solve a pharmaceutical 'puzzle.'

I've also implemented a few other things. On Friday, lunch is paid for by the pharmacists. Period. It took some coercion to get the other pharmacists on board, but we all split it evenly -- even if we are not working that day. Whatever the technicians decide is what we eat...and we don't skimp. Appetizers, deserts, several courses. Whatever! In the past, technicians called in sick on Friday for a 3-day weekend. Not anymore! Now, I have to keep track of who works Fridays to ensure that each technician gets an equal amount of "Free Food Friday."

I've also started a Blue Jeans Fridays. Not much to brag about here as it's not that innovative, but my technician's can wear blue jeans on Friday at a cost of one dollar. All of this money goes into a coffee can and once it gets up to a sufficient amount, we do something with it. One time we donated $150 to a local baseball team trying to get money to go to a tournament. Another time we had milkshakes from Sonic on a slow Wednesday.

Thank your technicians. Thank your pharmacists. Ensure your pharmacy is a positive work environment. You'll see it increase your level of customer service. You'll hear more positive feedback from your patients. And, best of all, you'll have less mistakes get out the door.

I'm not quite sure if I was meant to find it, just got lucky, or perhaps someone left it just for me -- But I can honestly say I'm very happy to have discovered The Worker's Plea. It has helped me help a few that help thousands.