I was talking with a client recently and we hit upon a very frequent topic, personnel management. We were going over each person and position and when we got to the clerk who waited on the customers he told me “she used to be a tech but she was recently demoted to clerk”. I said to him don’t you mean that she was promoted?
I think we can all agree the most important thing in our pharmacies is our relationships with our patients. Yet we continually trust that interaction with the least experienced member of our staff. Think about the last time you had a new hire. What was the first thing they were taught? It’s usually how to run the register.
Most technicians feel the data entry and dispensing positions are the top positions in the store. We feed into that by placing our most experienced people in those spots. But since patient relationships are so important wouldn’t it be great to make the rule that all staff members have to “earn” the right to talk to customers? Think of the value of having someone at the front counter who can get to know each person, solve problems, and be the face of your pharmacy. What if everyone would understand that waiting on the patient is really the most prestigious position?
Obviously everyone in the store should strive to have great relationships with the patients, but you will only develop that culture if you consistently walk the walk not just talk the talk.
