Pros
If you're interested in working within the pharmaceutical field, this is the perfect opportunity to get a foot in the field. You'll learn a lot about medications, proper HIPAA regulations, processing and counting medications, learn about drug interactions, immunization procedures, and practice on what it's like being in a retail pharmaceutical setting. Although I had a fluctuation of staff, I had the opportunity to work with a phenomenal group of people who wanted to get things done, work as a team, and leave a great impact on our customers with exceptional customer service. I had no experience in the pharmaceutical industry, but over the years, with a lot of trial and error, along with the support of my pharmacists that were patient enough to teach me the ways, I'd become sufficient enough to hold my own within the pharmacy, as well as expand my knowledge. It was a blast working at my store; my customers and pharmacy staff highly respected me, and I do miss working with them all.
Cons
Don't expect to get a lot of pay as a pharmacy technician. Bluntly speaking, it's decent pocket change, but it's not worth being a pharmacy technician for Rite Aid if you're trying to make a living for the long run. Also, on many occasions, you will encounter a lot of disgruntled patrons who expect you to just count their medications and slap a label on it, thinking that's all we have to do, when we have to do our checks and balances to guarantee their safety, and prevent any liability issues against us. Working in retail pharmacy requires a lot of patience with the customers, so if you have a short fuse, you may want to reconsider it. You'll get a lot of projected goals to meet by corporate, and if you don't meet them, you're held responsible because you didn't force customers to get vaccinations, when in reality it's up to the customers depending on if they're up-to-date with their immunization history. Corporate can come off as making us pester customers for shots, and when we do achieve these goals, as a pharmacy technician, you get no reward out of it. You'll rarely get any raises, and when you do, it's barely anything at all. Lastly, corporate don't necessarily try to work with you if you want to advance with the company. They rarely show any effort on helping their employees advance within the company. Lastly, the Rite Aid Pharmacy Tech University doesn't nationally certify you; you'll only be certified to work as a tech with other Rite Aids, so if you'd want to work at a pharmacy outside of Rite Aid, you'd have to independently get certified on your own time. Also, the PTO that you earn isn't good.
