pharmacy assistant

staff pharmacist

pharmacy technician

licensed practical nurse

Community Apothecary

TL;DR: What started out as a great job turned into a toxic situation in the span of approximately 18 months. Workload went from reasonable to unmanageable. This led to long hours, frustrating workflow issues, and a lack of work-life balance. Newer employees were consistently treated better than more senior staff. New grads wanting to put into practice the breadth of knowledge they have acquired in school would do well to steer clear from this pharmacy.

For the first six months, this felt like my dream job: the dispensary was “no public access”; the workload was manageable; when I was out in the field, I was seeing the same patients almost every day and developing positive therapeutic relationships with them; I was liaising with doctors, nurses, and mental health workers on a regular basis; and I really felt like I was an integral part of the team while making a positive impact on my patients’ lives, most of whom were dealing with substance use disorders and/or mental health issues. 

As the patient base grew, so did the workload, and unfortunately, this is when things began to go awry. 

There didn’t seem to be a concrete plan in place for the pharmacy’s growth, which led to chronic understaffing. Work-life balance declined significantly, and although management did make weak attempts to rectify this, it always seemed like a “one step forward, two steps back” situation. Instead of being proactive, every “fix” came a few months too late. I made specific suggestions to management on several occasions that I believed could improve the overall workflow/workload, but was dismissed and gaslit into believing that the problems were not as bad as I made them out to be, despite the fact that other employees had independently identified the same issues.

The set of circumstances that finally led to my resignation were as follows:

- First, my “permanent” schedule was changed without my knowledge, consultation or consent. This was the latest instance in a pattern of poor/no communication from management.

- Second, my seniority in the company had very little value; newcomers would routinely be given preferential treatment with regards to scheduling and work assignments. This pharmacy is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year...but some new staff specifically requested to (1) never work on weekends/holidays, and (2) only work in the dispensary, and never out in the field (i.e. never see a single patient face-to-face). 

- Third, I found out that the employer had been paying the annual CPBC and BCPhA fees of the other pharmacists (a common enough practice), while I had been paying for these out-of-pocket. 

- Fourth, I encountered an unusual degree of resistance when trying to book a short holiday (3 days, pre-pandemic), whereas other staff did not have any issues with their holiday requests being promptly approved (these requests were for 1-2 weeks of time off, and did not overlap with my chosen dates).

- Lastly, when my car broke down, management showed no flexibility and I was not permitted to take time off to have it repaired, even though my job specifically required me to have a functioning personal vehicle; instead, my partner had to take an unpaid day off from their work to take my car into the shop.

I am grateful for the time I spent at Community Apothecary, as it was my introduction to the realm of mental health and addictions. However, I could not justify remaining in a position where I was on the verge of burnout, and the culture had become toxic. Where I once felt like I was “part of the team,” I was now an overworked and undervalued cog in the machine. 

This is the only company that I have ever worked for that did not request an exit interview. It is also the only work place where I felt that those in charge took personal offense at my departure.

For those new grads who are looking to solidify their therapeutics, this is unfortunately not the place to do it. You will primarily be dealing with opioid agonist therapy, which is quite simple and straightforward. However, it seems a waste to spend so much time studying all manner of drug therapy only to be dealing with essentially the same 3-4 medications day in and day out.

Community Apothecary is an amazing place to work that helped me grow both in my career and as a person. It's a unique practice with management that genuinely cares about providing the best possible pharmaceutical care to a marginalized population that others often take advantage of. Community Apothecary also provides the opportunity to work directly and collaboratively with some of the leading physicians in the field of mental health and addictions. It's a very nuanced practice, so there can be a steep learning curve, but the team is so supportive that everyone is willing to help and answer questions. Everyone works hard, but the workflow setup usually keeps things organized enough that the work environment is quite relaxed and fun. At the end of the day, it's incredibly rewarding to be able to feel like you're doing some good in this world. 

Working at Community Apothecary has been such an enriching experience and I look forward to see how we continue to evolve and support marginalized patient populations. We have a very collaborative practice with many physicians, nurses, social workers, etc. and it is very fulfilling to work alongside a team that is passionate about providing the best possible care to a population that is often misjudged and mistreated. The pharmacy dispensary is engaging and challenging in the best way possible, allowing for a lot of personal and professional growth. The staff respect one another and continuously collaborate, resulting in a fun and laid back environment. I would absolutely recommend Community Apothecary as an employer and am proud to be part of the team. 

I'm pleased to call this company one of my favorite places at which to work. The company works with prescribers and nurses inter-disciplinarily in an innovative manner to achieve positive outcomes with marginalized patients.  There are clear roles and duties assigned for each staff including processing prescriptions, preparing medication products and providing outreach and consultation services.  There is a steep learning curve which is tempered by thorough training and supportive staff and management.  The job is engaging and there are opportunities to expand your skills and put your training to good use.  The store itself is neat and tidy and is tucked away in an office building. 

I worked as a LPN with this company and sometimes would work in the pharmacy as an assistant several years ago. Staff were all friendly, the manager provided me a flexible schedule which worked out with my school. I liked the company so much I recommended my husband to join their team. Though I have left this company, my husband continues to happily work for them. The manager sets up events for team bonding and is very supportive of my husband's schedule for full time school. We are both very happy with this Community Apothecary. Keep up the awesome work for this community!

Community Apothecary was a great experience for me. Management was very accommodating with my continuing education as I became a pharmacy technician. 
I thoroughly enjoyed working for Community Apothecary and would have continued if the lower Mainland wasn’t so crowded and expensive! I was paid an excellent wage and treated with respect. Consideration was always given to any suggestions/ ideas I had to offer.

Since day one working here everyone has been very nice, helpful, supportive and welcoming. Any questions I've had someone is always able and there to help/assist you. Very organized and easy to understand the workflow of prescriptions. Management is good at communicating with staff and offers constructive criticism when needed. Overall this is an excellent place to work.

Daily work load shared with co workers in a fun, low stress, friendly  environment. Flexible schedule with no overtime and easy to communicate with management/owner. Its great to work for a company that cares and wants to make a difference in the community.

The pharmacy staff are a delight to work with, very friendly, helpful and supportive of each other. Management was approachable and open to new ideas. Work schedule was flexible within reason allowing a good work-life balance.

Great pharmacy to work with. Helpful staff.I have been working here for the past 4 months and I absolutely love it. Overall, good company to work with great atmosphere

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Pharmacy assistant 3 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Staff pharmacist 1 salary reported	$41.50 per hour
Pharmacy technician 1 salary reported	$32.00 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 7 salaries reported	$31.71 per hour

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