My store's pharmacy isnt part of the union like the rest of the store. I asked one of the techs if that means they are totally separate and she didnt know. I work front end and am thinking of switching but dont know if that's possible, since it's different than going to a regular department as they are non-union. Can they do that? Would there be nothing to it if so, or would I have to be re-hired?
I wouldn't switch unless you're planning on going to school for your Doctorate in Pharmacology (PharmD). Pharmacy Technician is a dead-end job with zero upward mobility because of how pharmacies are regulated. As a cashier you can at least move up to front end supervisor and into management.
Actually at my store a cashier moved to be a pharmacy tech (and no we aren't a little store). They didn't get a pay raise but they definitely get more hours than cashiers. This woman told me that if she goes to vo-tech for 2 years and gets certified, she'll be able to make roughly $14 an hour. Not bad considering you have to wait like 6 or 7 years to get that money in the other parts of the store. Oh and the big bonus? RX techs don't have to do half the **** that store clerks do. No bale making, no running a register (outside the pharmacy of course), no awkward small talk with management or vendors, and absolutely no cart duty.
How is pharmacy a dead end job, it at least pays better, i don't see most cashiers EVER getting into management.
I think you misunderstand. There are basically two types of retail pharmacist:
1. Pharmacist. This person goes to a college for 6-8 years and has a doctorate in pharmacology. They make between $60,000 and $200,000, depending on a variety of factors.
2. Pharmacy Technician. This person doesn't have any formal training requirements in most states and just needs to be licensed as a pharmacy tech, which is not that hard. They are basically pharmacists in everything but name and pay (around $20,000-30,000).
A pharmacist is not a dead end job, pharmacy technician is. You will do the same work for a third of the pay. I don't know how Kroger structures its pharmacies, but the best you could ever hope for is lead technician, which would probably be about the same level as a front end supervisor. That's it, there's nothing after that. You'll max out the payscale and be stuck forever unless you can afford to go to college and become a "real" pharmacist.
Now I'm not saying don't do it, but there's at least the possibility of advancement in grocery if you work hard.
I wouldn't switch unless you're planning on going to school for your Doctorate in Pharmacology (PharmD). Pharmacy Technician is a dead-end job with zero upward mobility because of how pharmacies are regulated. As a cashier you can at least move up to front end supervisor and into management.
As a tech, I'm pretty insulted by this. I am also a nationally certified technician and a lead tech. My top out pay? $24 an hour, I get yearly bonuses, yearly merit raises (based on performance and NOT hours worked...the raises are more than 10 cents) and we get some pretty sweet hours. I will soon be applying for a position with corporate because with my experience in the pharmacy I'm qualified for it, after that I can get promoted to work at the GO in Cincy.
If you don't know of what you speak, then don't speak.
To the OP - You can transfer to the pharmacy with no issues. After you get the RX position you contact your local union office and notify them that you are no longer in a union position.
How is pharmacy a dead end job, it at least pays better, i don't see most cashiers EVER getting into management.
I think you misunderstand. There are basically two types of retail pharmacist:
1. Pharmacist. This person goes to a college for 6-8 years and has a doctorate in pharmacology. They make between $60,000 and $200,000, depending on a variety of factors.
2. Pharmacy Technician. This person doesn't have any formal training requirements in most states and just needs to be licensed as a pharmacy tech, which is not that hard. They are basically pharmacists in everything but name and pay (around $20,000-30,000).
A pharmacist is not a dead end job, pharmacy technician is. You will do the same work for a third of the pay. I don't know how Kroger structures its pharmacies, but the best you could ever hope for is lead technician, which would probably be about the same level as a front end supervisor. That's it, there's nothing after that. You'll max out the payscale and be stuck forever unless you can afford to go to college and become a "real" pharmacist.
Now I'm not saying don't do it, but there's at least the possibility of advancement in grocery if you work hard.
We do not do the same work the pharmacist does. We support the pharmacist and help take the load off of their shoulders so that they can do their job and make sure that everything is done correctly....so that no one dies.
Lead tech's are department heads, not FES. In order to be a lead tech you need to take and pass a nationally certified exam and keep up with continuing education. If you don't like retail and are nationally certified, then you can be a tech in a hospital, where you make better money than in retail. You have to be somewhat smart, able to multi-task and do quite a bit of math. It's not an easy job, and there are ways to advance beyond lead tech.
If you don't like retail and are nationally certified, then you can be a tech in a hospital, where you make better money than in retail. You have to be somewhat smart, able to multi-task and do quite a bit of math. It's not an easy job, and there are ways to advance beyond lead tech.
This. I had a friend who worked as a tech for a hospital. He'd easily get 40 hours a week with the option of overtime. His base rate was $21/hour before overtime. He's saved up enough to ease up on his job and go to pharmacy school.
I'm not 100% positive but while pharmicy workers/techs don't have to deal with carts, sweeps, carryouts, go backs, bottle room etc, they do have to make sure prescriptions are filled correctly, be able to correctly tell the possible side effects with each one, how to take them and how often etc. it's a lot of responsibility. And they get pretty decent pay too
I work as a certified pharmacy technician, I make $8.30 per hour and I'm union. Raises are 5 cent every 6 months or so, depending on how many hours you get per week. You have to be able to multitask, explain everyone why their insurance won't pay for their meds, answer 1000000000 phone calls per shift and you have to pay attention to details to make sure you don't make a mistake when filling in a prescription. I love my job and I'm lucky I got it, but $8.30 is not much, and you're lucky if you get $20 week.
We had a young man 18 years old that was a floor supervisor at Kroger. When he graduated from high school he bought the book off of ebay and studied to get his pharmacy tech license. All he did was pay to take the exam, passed it then paid for the license. I think it took him 2 weeks. He left Kroger because there were no jobs in the pharmacy at that time and has been working at a drug store for the last year.
I work as a certified pharmacy technician, I make $8.30 per hour and I'm union. Raises are 5 cent every 6 months or so, depending on how many hours you get per week. You have to be able to multitask, explain everyone why their insurance won't pay for their meds, answer 1000000000 phone calls per shift and you have to pay attention to details to make sure you don't make a mistake when filling in a prescription. I love my job and I'm lucky I got it, but $8.30 is not much, and you're lucky if you get $20 week.
Your problem is that you're part of the union, and for that I'm sorry.
At the Kroger I work at the pharmacy is still part of the union. I only work part-time and I make $7.30/hr. And after all the taxes and such are taken out I'm lucky to be making $100 a week.
And someone above said techs make approximately $20-30k a year, at this rate I'll be making $4,800 in a year.
Oh, and I didn't have to take any test to get my registration. I just had to fill out some online form and a pharmacist paid for it and Kroger reimbursed him for it.
-- Edited by techchick on Wednesday 30th of April 2014 02:08:29 PM
At the Kroger I work at the pharmacy is still part of the union. I only work part-time and I make $7.30/hr. And after all the taxes and such are taken out I'm lucky to be making $100 a week.
And someone above said techs make approximately $20-30k a year, at this rate I'll be making $4,800 in a year.
Oh, and I didn't have to take any test to get my registration. I just had to fill out some online form and a pharmacist paid for it and Kroger reimbursed him for it.
-- Edited by techchick on Wednesday 30th of April 2014 02:08:29 PM
Most cashiers and stockers at my store start at no less than $7.45 for part time. Meat starts at about $8.00 an hour, and deli/bakery just depends on how many years you spent at McDonald's.
all the pharmacists that graduate last in their class get to work for kroger, lol
I would be pissed if I went to school for that long and still had to wait in line behind the half retarded bager to clock in everyday
what do you have against the mentally disabled? By the way Kroger pharmacists actually make some good money. Probably less than the store manager but more than the co-managers. And they don't have to work 10 hour shifts like management either. XD
