CVS, not all they're cracked up to be. Not a good company. Try not to work there. (if your a pharmacy tech) - Pharmacy Technician Trainee/Pharmacy Service Associate CVS Health Employee Review

2.0
Feb 2, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The only pro I could think of is there is an employee discount on the merchandise. So several times I got off a shift on the way out the door i would buy some food for the house and it would be convenient.

Cons

Theres many cons to working at cvs: 1.) In order to get hired you have to do this incredibly long series of online questionairres. Like literally over 1 hundred pages worth of stuff. They didnt tell me till it was too late that if i didnt complete a certain number of the modules that I would be fired. Its the most ridiculous standards I have ever seen in my life for a job that was $9.15 per hour as a pharmacy tech. I paid 16,000 for pharmacy tech school, and this is what one of the biggest pharmacies in the country pays. Insane. Horrible. 2.) The starting pay for a pharmacy tech at CVS (atleast in east Austin) is $10.65 per hour (the store manager told me this to my face) this is regardless of what schooling, etc. he said with experience the max a pharm tech starts at is 12.65. This is terribly below market value as every single company outside of walgreens and cvs pays more for their starting pharmacy techs without experience (the highest ive heard of was government payed at 16$ per hour, starting out). I was a tech trainee so I made $9.15 per hour. An abysmal rate even for a trainee. This compnay pays their pharmacy techs INCREDIBLY low. I talked to pharmacy techs all the time- cvs, walgreens, seton hospital, victory medical, etc. CVS pays less than all of them, hands down. This is horribly offensive for a company that prides themselves on doing the right thing in business (getting rid of cigarettes). 3.) The training system at CVS for their pharmacy techs is not good. They literally treat the tech trainees exaclty like the regular techs. I was given very little training apart from the first day or two which was mostly computer work. The pharmacy is extremely busy with non stop customers for several hours straight. At new hiring orientation they promised us we would get 2- 15 minute break and a half hour lunch. My pharmacist at my store NEVER EVER let us get 15 minute breaks, and I had to practically beg to get my 30 minute lunch. The pharmacist got mad when i said i had to take a day off. The pharmacist got mad when i asked about scheduled drugs, which i wasnt trained on. The pharmacist got mad at me for all sorts of dumb stuff that i wasnt made clear about. All in all, the training for new inexperienced workers, atleast in the pharmacy, is absolutely horrible.

Explore other reviews about CVS Health

5.0
May 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great teamwork. Nice atmosphere. Good Benefits.Good work/ life balance

Cons

Pay could be higher and no advancement

5.0
Dec 13, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I learned a lot working there as far as how to run a business as well as how to develop a team. I had one of the most successful teams in the company ranking as the top store year over year in two separate markets, one in the Northeast one in the Southeast. I was a paragon winner with the company as well. My most recent DM was very supportive. I genuinely thank them for the opportunity and the knowledge that I acquired while working with them.

Cons

Work hours were excessive. To be successful hours worked were borderline slavery. While I willingly worked them to be successful, the week you didn't you were immediately behind. Vacations were almost non existent due to constant visitors from corporate stopping in to do reviews. Holiday weeks were paid 4 days regular 1 holiday and you worked all 5. The facade of the stores looking great when these people stop by versus the reality of the business is polarizing. There were always teams of people and excessive expenditures of payroll thrown into stores prior to their visits. While I understood the need to make an appearance, it was always will always be a backwards way off thinking. Company preaches quality of life for their clients while quality of life for their employees is non-existent. As a "manager" in your average store you will be "managing" a total of one person during your shift, with a total of 10 people at location. Location open hours will exceed total payroll hours ie Sun-Sat 7am-10pm = 15hrs per day x 7 days x 2 people = 210 hrs which excludes the need to have a person unload deliveries that come in during non opened hours. Your budgeted hours will be approximately 208 hrs. I will only mention that during the month of December that there are extended hours for the stores but no budgeted hours to accommodate. Stores are held to strict shrink targets with little to no control over external theft. Remember 2 people at location, if four people enter to steal there is nothing you can do to stop them. These are facts not personal prejudices.

1181
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All