Employees Treated Poorly - Staff Pharmacist CVS Health Employee Review

1.0
Oct 6, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are stores across the nation are most are hiring in some aspect (part/full-time, staff, PIC, floater, etc). Easy to transfer. Pay is nice. Flexibility of schedule (depending on the other pharmacists in your store).

Cons

Very stressful job. Employees are treated poorly. Pharmacists fear for their jobs because at any time we apparently can be told and have to comply with any move the supervisor sees fit even if it's not justified. Pharmacist are ripped from the staff positions into floating or thrown into a store and forced to work a completely different schedule in a matter of weeks with no regard to life outside of work - parents struggle to rearrange babysitting, family plans uprooted, any plan at all - dr appts, family weekend trips, anything - you had built around your crazy rotating schedule now has to be entirely reworked or cancelled. Pharmacists are then pinned against one another - to make their own schedule or fall into a schedule that was made by previous pharmacists - in a fight for hours - who gets what, who deserves what, who needs what - and instead of building a team atmosphere the "new and improved teams" are built upon this battle. Floater pharmacists are treated like they have no life outside of work and are expected to jump at every opportunity for hours no matter the shift, short notice, and commutes. I've never worked in a store that felt properly staffed because stores are not given the hours they need to be successful. There is a huge emphasis on business management and very little focus on safety of the patients. Pharmacists do not get breaks. Most pharmacists don't eat for 12+ hour shifts and there is a "no sit" and "no food" rule - which is exactly what is sounds like - no matter how bad your feet ache or how hungry you are you cannot have seating in the pharmacy nor food but pharmacists are not given breaks. If you do manage to run to the bathroom or try to grab a quick bite to eat in the break room you will come back to a disaster because you are not allowed to tell your customers that your phamracist stepped out to eat or rest their feet for 5 min. This stress is putting patients at risk for medication errors. It also hinders the staffs ability to serve the customer in a timely manner. Technician turnover is high due to low wages, stressful working conditions, and demanding schedules. The hiring of staff falls on the pharmacists, when we already have way to much on our plate. Again the focus of our job is shifted away from "pharmacist" and toward "manager." You feel trapped in such a huge company. Your voice is not heard, you are a number to "them." If you do speak up, you fear for your job. It's a sad and twisted place.

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5.0
Apr 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great company, great people, nice pay

Cons

Too much remote people overall

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.

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