Let’s take a break from the incestuous, abusive, insulting behavior we have been talking about.
Playing for Change, Episode 47

I try to answer every thoughtful e-mail I receive, however I can’t do it with this batch.  I have gotten so many questions from young pharmacists who just finished reading “The Prisoners of Comfort” that I cannot answer each of them separately.  I’m going to answer all of them now, right here.

There is a lot of doom and gloom.  “What did I get myself into?”

There is some hope.  “How do I get out of this?”

Some are smart rats.  “How do I avoid becoming a Prisoner of Comfort?

First, I wonder what you smoked in high school to think that you deserve an easy path with respect and ready-made professional satisfaction.  Both of those are up to you.

Second, what the frikk? You are 27 years old.  You have just started.  You are making more money than any of your friends.  You work inside, out of the rain.  It is not all bad.  How about exhibiting some patience.  If there is going to be a viable revolution, we need you on the metaphorical barricades.

Here is my best advice to you.  It is not what I did when I was your age.  It is what I now know that I should have done.  Starting in 1965, when I got my first job in California, I made more money than I could have imagined.  My last job in Ohio paid me $8000.00 a year for a 48 hour week.  My first job out west paid me $18,000.00 a year for a 50 hour week.  I lived 25 minutes from the North Beach area in San Francisco.  Drinking Irish Coffee at two in the morning at a table out on the sidewalk at Enrico’s on Broadway epitomized the way this idiot lived.  My first wife and I lived the high life and never looked at the future.  It was fun, but I truly ended up a Prisoner of Comfort in an era when pharmacists were respected and were the kings and queens of the pharmacy.

If you are single, you have the chance to avoid being a Prisoner.

Avoid debt at all costs.  That is all you have to do.

Get at least six months living expenses put away.

You don’t need to drive a new Lexus.  A Honda Civic will do you well.  A used one.  It sits in a parking lot most of the time anyway.

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Enjoy your life.

If you are married with two incomes, do the same thing.  Be very selective about what debts you take on.  There is no more freedom that facing an abusive manager and saying “No.”

Some of you expressed frustration about the job, the monotony of the Prescription Mill.  You asked, “Help, what should I do?”

My advice is to Join The Revolution.  This process is outlined in detail in “The Rebels of Comfort.”

This is no big deal demanding work and effort.  All you have to do is exercise your professional discretion and PRACTICE PHARMACY.  If you are mean-spirited, you can hope that your CVS store manager is such an idiot that he dares to repeatedly tell you not to counsel so much.  Keep good records.  Document every incident with names, dates and what was said.  You will own their asses when your attorney goes to the state board.

Every independent professional task is a revolutionary act.

That’s my advice before I go to work.  Perhaps others will join in.

The Pharmacist's Life. Where Comfort Is King!

I AM GETTING READY TO START A NEW BOOK.  The three that are for sale at Lulu.com are the most important things I have written for pharmacists.  Of course, I’d love to sell hundreds of them, but, more important, I want to make a difference in your life.   You are my brothers and sisters and that is not a throw-away line.  I honestly believe it.

Here are some notes that I wrote for Lulu.com

            Mister Plagakis was one of the first to identify institutionalization of the pharmacist in the modern chain drug store culture.  This social phenomenon is rather recent and became pronounced beginning in the early 1990s when the industry began depending on computer programs for productivity.  Reports became the rulers of the pharmacist’s behavior.  Highly educated medical professionals are asked to dumb down and toe the mark.  “The Prisoners of Comfort” examines how we got to where we are, institutionalized, like prisoners.

            Pharmacists are well-educated and highly-trained medical professionals, but, in the retail setting, the job of pharmacy is regularly relegated to monitoring The Prescription Mill.  This is not practicing pharmacy.  It will be independent professional acts that will define what our profession is in the 21st Century.  Every independent activity (counseling, primarily) is a profound revolutionary event.  In “The Rebels of Comfort”, Mister Plagakis presents the difficult situation we find ourselves in, the reasons why pharmacists feel so helpless and what we need to do to get professional pharmacy back in the hands of pharmacists.

            In “The Dangerous Book for Pharmacists” Mister Plagakis looks at the passive nature of pharmacists and how this meekness does not express the real role that pharmacists have earned, but too often do not play.  It seems as if young pharmacists are not even trained how to act as professionals. This plays right into the hands of the employers who seem to want an acquiescent labor force.

            Pharmacists are well-educated and highly-trained medical professionals, but, in the retail setting, the practicing of pharmacy is regularly relegated to monitoring The Prescription Mill.  This is not what will define pharmacists in the 21^st Century.  Supervising the Prescription Mill will define the Advanced Pharmacy Technician.

Words are what my daughter called “Pointing tos” when she was ten years old.  Words point to real life things, conditions and emotions.  In other words, they are metaphors.  Words create pictures of actual “things”.  Words, all alone, are just meaningless syllables. 

The word fractals, for example, does nothing for us until we observe fractals in nature, for example.  I love to sit on the stairs on Galveston’s seawall and watch the waves come up over the apron.  The same thing happens wave after wave.   You can actually predict what will happen.   

The next book I have in mind to write for pharmacists will examine some words.  Not the syllables, but what the words point to, the metaphors.

I do not think that pharmacists are alone.  Many of us are miserable doing our jobs.  There are plenty of other jobs where that is the case, but not that many jobs in the professions. 

A professional has discretion to act in an independent manner as he or she sees fit.  Of course, we wear two hats. 

As counselors, we have 100% discretion to behave as we see fit in our relationship with the patients as we counsel on their prescriptions.  CVS is not going to tell you how to counsel a 68 year old man with osteo-arthiritis and celiac disease on his use of eight different prescriptions.  That is laughable.  You have 100% discretion as to how you will proceed.  You are never going to have two pharmacists counsel the same way.  What about that kind of power don’t you understand?  Perhaps one of these days, your reputation as a counselor will earn you more money than I earn.

The other hat, of course, is the hat of the Prescription Mill Manager.  Your company owns that part of your job.  They can write manuals about managing The Mill and expect you to follow the procedures.

Actually, I cannot think of a job in a profession that is so soundly criticized as is ours.   I could speculate on how we got where we are, but that is for another time.

Some of the concepts I am going to explore are tied up with these words. 

Threat…..Danger……Fear…..Worry…..Anxiety…..Panic…..    Apprehension…..Peril…..Menace…..

It doesn’t take much to get us into “Fight or Flight”.  The biggest problem is that “Fight or Flight” affects us profoundly.  Our rational thinking is affected.  We become more like children who are threatened.  We do not behave as mature adults.

Sound familiar?  When RAD pharmacists fail to live up to the 15 minute guarantee, do their hands get clammy?  Do they get sick to their stomach worrying about getting written up? 

Anyway, fear is a prime motivator.  Pathetic that it is even in the mix for professionals.

You Facebook or Tweet about Your Job at Rite-Aid and your ass will be grass.

I have worked for a number of major companies, in a number of different fields. But I can confirm that Rite Aid is by far the most blatantly mismanaged I have ever come across. District Manager vary wildly on requirements, enforcement and expectations. Store openings are not based on performance strictly, they are kept within districts. Even if those districts are arbitrary locations. The ability of this company to manage talent is beyond reprehensible. I do agree however that there is a place for Rite Aid, and it fills an important void that can’t be filled by the CVSs and Walgreens. I will give Rite Aid a bit of credit in now finally realizing we are not ever going to be the same as the 2 leaders. Instead finding decent ideas (like actually marketing the 15 minute guarantee), increasing partnerships based on areas and needs. I actually really enjoy my job, and hope the company can continue its slow road back. But unfortunately it appears to be the old story of 2 steps forward…

I am a Rite Aid Manager (not RX), and can confirm a large percentage of the social networking information you mentioned from your source. However a point of contention: the policy does not state pseudonym is not allowed- it merely states that if needed they will take steps to FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE. The worst part is, thats not even the most troubling thing in this new policy. It is very explicit in stating that as a Rite Aid employee you are responsible for the content of your social media communications, even if your social media communications are done entirely off the clock, not on company equipment or company property. Even if your communications are set to being entirely private.

As far as it pertains to representing Rite Aid, I can almost understand the policy. There have been instances of Rite Aid managers and pharmacists joining Couponing Message boards, or complaint boards and inflaming customers, while admitting they work for Rite Aid. This of course makes the company look terrible, because in those instances they are actively representing the company. I understand the need for a strongly worded policy regarding the importance of not disclosing any information that may be considered a HIPPA violation. These type of communications are the ones where you are required to indicate that you do not represent Rite Aid in anyway.

Unfortunately, the policy does not restrict itself to situations where Rite Aid is being represented. The policy basically states any personal private social media communication is subject to the policies and procedures of Rite Aid. No obscenity, profanity, mentions of drug use, or jokes/comments about protected classes of people. In theory, you could not have a discussion about terrorism with a former college prof. as you may meander into discussion that could be seen as offensive to Muslims. You can’t debate the merits of gay marriage on a message board for the same reason. And obviously you can’t do far more offensive things that are protected by the constitution- even if you do them on your own time. Furthermore, the expectation is that you would delete any comment you have control of that someone else makes. Again, this is expected even if your profiles are set to private.

Now I presume that these policies are mostly just lip service. Overstatements of discipline in order to cover themselves should an egregious issue occur like a HIPPA violation, or a gross misrepresentation of the company on a public forum. However, Rite Aid has significantly overstepped the bounds of their ability to restrict the rights of their employees off the clock, as rite aid employees are not public figures, and not representatives of the company they work for. This is not weight clause at Hooters, or a non-compete for a News Anchor. These are, by and large, part time associates making $8-$9 an hour while working. I’m not sure that sum buys away their rights off the clock.

 Just to be safe, This message was not in anyway endorsed, nor approved by my employer.

The Scene Of The Crime

FRIDAY, 5-13-2011.  ANON’S comments fit into the paradigm that I have presented in “The Rebels of Comfort”.  Here is a very short excerpt.  I urge all  of you who find yourself in the position of Rite-Aid Pharmacists to read this work.   Actually, all of you will benefit.

Leadership and Power

            These are distinctly different.  Leadership is when an executive starts a parade and everyone follows him because it is intrinsically a good idea.  There is no coercion.  No force or manipulation.  The pharmacists in the stores say, “Yes, I can do this.  It is a professional task and I can even get some money from it.”

            Power on the other hand is a much more ambiguous line of attack and I use that phrase on purpose.  The hierarchy of most companies that have retail pharmacy businesses have a dominator and the dominated. The pharmacists in the stores, of course, are among the second group.  It does not matter how ridiculously ill-advised an initiative is, if the dominator throws his considerable weight into it, thousands of people are expected to toe the mark and make it work no matter how impossible or ridiculous it may be.

            The C.E.O. of most companies rely on power to get what they want.  The CEO sees his position as all-mighty.  He is the dictator and he acts like it.  He believes that all power flows from him and that it flows only one way.  The idea that power could flow from the dominated upward is laughable to most executives.

            The middle manager MBA executives only have power because they have access to the dictator.  They are powerful because they can communicate with the all-powerful emperor.  These are the police who wade into the crowd with Billy clubs to enforce the edicts of the dictator.  They may be called Regional Managers or District Managers, but don’t kid yourself.  Their job is to make sure that you do what the CEO wants you to do, his megomaniacal vision being the only thing that counts.

            Most CEOs and the MBA executives are seminarians in the religion of domination.  They truly believe and stake their lives on the idea that all power flows from the top down.  They are wrong.  Power flows both ways.  Power flows both ways in all power relationships.  All power relationships are interactive and reciprocal.  In truth, the rule of a dictator and his elite group is always weak and unstable because it is always dependent on the cooperation of the dominated.

Now, that being said, consider the position of the executives at RAD.  They have to be desperate.  You could buy a beer at happy hour for RAD’s stock price and have change for your pocket.  The Board of Directors at Rite-Aid need to go “all in” and roll the dice with a new CEO who knows how to listen and knows that the toxic situation at RAD will not be solved with more of the same heavy handedness.  You, me and ANON know what it will take to stop RAD’s death spiral.   If you work for RAD and they ask you, be honest and ask for money

In the meantime, read “Rebels” and join the revolution.  There a two categories of revolution.  The kind you choose to get into is up to you.  It could be a noisy, confrontation or a quiet professional revolution.   However, there must be a revolution and it has to begin NOW before the minds that came up with $4.00 Rx start the attack on the law that requires a pharmacist to be present when an Rx is delivered.  That is what is at stake.  Your ability to make a good wage depends on that law remaining on the books.  This is your profession.  Defend it.  ANON, you are an ispiration.  How does RAD think that they can control you like that?  All they will get is RADers taking pseudonyms like “Ass-Wipe Rite-Aid RPh” and writing 10 times more than they did last week.

Can’t you just see John T. Standley, his eyes bugging out and his face all red as he screams to the capos, “Stop them. Stop them now.”?

            These are random sentences extracted from “The Rebels of Comfort”. Available at Lulu.com          

Without at least the passive support of the pharmacists at store level, the executives become just another bunch of crackpots whose ideas very likely are lousy. 

            A monolithic, hierarchical model is the conception of power that those at the top like to perpetuate.  However, this model of doing business depends on everyone following the same “rules”.  But it will only works if both the rulers and the ruled believe in the same “policies”.

            If some of the programs that come down from above are so ridiculous, why do we obey and bust our backs trying to make a failed policy work?  Remember, without the support of the pharmacists in the stores, the most powerful dictator in the drug store industry becomes just another crackpot with ideas that are doomed to failure.

A source at Rite-Aid called and reported on Rite-Aid’s “Social Networking Policy”.  This is new and the craziest idea yet from an executive suite that is in a death spiral

Pharmacists are asked to sign off on this policy.  It is aimed at their use of Facebook and Twitter primarily, but could extend to their private e-mails.

Pharmacists are not allowed to discuss their jobs on any social media.  This is obviously an attempt to stifle negative comments.  If they say anything, they are required to post a disclaimer that they do not represent Rite-Aid.  Twitter?  One hundred characters?

They agree not to use pseudonyms.  I fall down laughing.  They are not allowed to call themselves “Ass-Wipe RAD RPh”.

They agree, as an RAD employee, not to use bad or adult language.

They agree not to disparage Wal-Mart, CVS, WAG, Kroger, Safeway or any other “competitor”.

Supervisors are not allowed to take action against bad boys and girls until they have talked with Human Resources.

According to my source, this policy applies to all employees, cashiers and up.

This is all I have right now.  My source promised to get me something on paper. 

How about you Rite-Aiders weighing in.

Jay Pee (Mykonos-December, 1976)

Jay Pee (Mykonos-December, 1976)

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I have written before about the brief three day love affair that I had on the island of Mykonos in the Aegean Sea in December, 1976. Her name was Heather. She was from Ireland. The people I was traveling with left for Athens and I stayed behind. I thought that I was going to stay out there, a world away from any drug store and my trashy memories of my brilliantly failed first marriage.

After two nights together, Heather announced, “I’m going back to Dublin. I want to be home at Christmas.”

I thought about that.

Heather went on. “I’m a good Catholic Irish girl, Jamie and these two days have me wantin’ some serious confession and repentance.” She managed a smile.

“For serious?” Girls in California didn’t talk about confession and repentance. We were at a lazy harbor side cafe, smoking acidy unfiltered Greek cigarettes, drinking milky ouzo and water and eating sausage, feta cheese and white bread. The Greek men with long moustaches and Greek fisherman’s hats kept glancing at Heather. A redheaded woman looking like her should not be so comfortable in a place usually reserved for men. Alas, it was December and business was slow. The owner, a young Greek who played rock n’ roll until we requested bouzouki music, made it clear that the Irish girl and the American Greek with some money were more than welcome.

“Mostly serious. It has been glorious, Jamie, but I have to go home.”

“I guess I should too”

The next morning we climbed up a ladder to the roof and looked out over the town and the harbor. We hugged and Heather got teary and I clung to her. We were smart enough to not share addresses. It was brief, wonderful and over and we both knew it.

I am including that story to tell you: If you are sick and tired and can’t take it anymore… Quit and go have an experience you will never forget. You only have one youth and one life. Live it for Crissake.

In 1976, there was no pharmacist shortage. You couldn’t just show up at the front door, flash your license and get a job. Yes, it was risky, but who cared? I have always been a risk-taker and it has always paid off somehow. In my case, I wanted a life when I was still young. I was 35. From November, 1976 until April, 1980 I did not work one full-time week. I worked part time and honed my writing chops by writing down a couple really bad novels.

When went back to work, it was time. I was ready.

For the next twenty years, I did what you are doing. I hated it sometimes, but I had a family then.

So, this love letter is to the unattached among you. I’ll give you the advice given to Forrest Gump.

Run, Forrest, Run. While you still can.

You’ll find a job when you come back. You are not chopped liver. You are good at what you do.

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"Good Bye, Heather. I will never forget you."

“Good Bye, Heather. I will never forget you.”