This is serious. How do we get recognized?

Name of Facility: Kern Medical Center--222 beds

City, State: Teaching, Acute care, Trauma II

Years as a Buyer: 6

The key word, Munira, is we. You alone won't be able to do much. I won't make much of a difference. We'll be dismissed as kooks or troublemakers. We need the other 500 subscribers, or better yet, the other 6,200 potential Pharmacy Buyers to proclaim their profession does not relagate them to a 'glorified technician' position.
Until there's a mass, unified voice shouting to Pharmacy, we won't exist as a recognized profession. So you see, we have to take the first step, and we have to do it as a profession, not just individual professionals.

End of Soapbox

Name of Facility: Summerdale Enterprises, Inc.

City, State: Publishing

Years as a Buyer: 30+

I'm really not sure we can do anything much more than what we're doing now (united or not) until Pharmacy Directors, Pharmacy Managers and CFOs view our positions as more than just "glorified technicians".

I gave my DOP and Rx Manager a copy of the article that PPO publishes about once a year about great technicians not making great buyers... what did they do a month later? Let one of their "best technicians" take over 80% of my job b/c they (the technicians) didn't like my new schedule change...

Well, that lasted 3 weeks, budget was 50% over that month. Did anyone learn a lesson? NOOOOOPE!

Years as a Buyer: 1+

If things went back to normal (before the technician changes), then somebody learned a lesson. Especially if that person had to go to their supervisor and explain why the budget was out of whack.
Management is not invunerable. When something affects the bottom line, somebody is going to answer for it!
We may not always see it, but when something changes, then changes right back, someone returned to work with a little less butt - 'cause part of it was chewed off!

Name of Facility: Summerdale Enterprises, Inc.

City, State: Publishing

Years as a Buyer: 30+

Oh... the best part? I forgot to mention.....

I got called in to help my DOP do the report as to why we were so over budget because even though the tech was doing the order, I was still "responsible" for the budget...

I told him to ask her because I can't have responsibility without authority and I can't unsend an order she'd already sent.

I have to admit, it was interesting watching them scramble, but sadly, things haven't changed.

Years as a Buyer: 1+

Then what you're going to have to do is take the budget for that month and rub his nose in it, saying firmly, but not angrily, "No! Bad Report! Bad Report!"

Name of Facility: Summerdale Enterprises, Inc.

City, State: Publishing

Years as a Buyer: 30+

ASHP will never fully recognize techs or buyers because they are all pharmacists—so many pharmacists believe that if you don’t have RPh or PharmD behind your name, you don’t know anything or matter when it comes to pharmacy matters. I have been told many times that pharmacy does not need Techs—“we made it just fine without techs for many years”. Well, I say go ahead and try. When the shelves are empty and the budget is out of wack in less than 2-4 weeks, then someone will notice.

When I left my last job, I was told about a month later, “I never knew how much work you did. I thought you should have hours of extra time.” He literally thought I just typed in an order—and he was my manager! They just don’t have a clue until they are without us.

I hope members will step up, but people just don’t want to get involved.

James

Name of Facility: Cardinal Health

Years as a Buyer: 6