WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE AGENDA

Guild for Professional Pharmacists - Medco Willingboro Unit

“Pharmacists working with and for Pharmacists”

Guild for Professional Pharmacists 

21243 Ventura Blvd., Suite 241  Medco Health Solutions, Office

Woodland Hills, CA  91364-2167  One Millenium Drive

email       gfpp@aol.com   Willingboro, N.J. 08046 
Toll free   877-992-0475  Tel: 609-880-2196   
Fax          818-992-6835  

WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE G.F.P.P. AGENDA APRIL 2008 MEETING

ATENDEES: CAL WASDYKE, BARRY CESANEK, CHRISTINE BIZZARO, ROBERT GREINER

JOSEPH CENTOLA, OREN SCHAHAM

OPEN ITEMS

1. FORMATION OF SET WEEKLY WORK SCHEDULES FOR

PHARMACISTS. STILL WAITING FOR MATRIX TO BE COMPLETED

REPLY: MIKE SNIECKUS AND RICK MADELAINE ARE WORKING ON A MANUAL VERSION. JOB FUNCTIONS HAVE BEEN DIVIDED INTO 3 CATEGORIES. AS FAR AS EBC AND ARTS GO, LOOKING TO LIMIT TO NO MORE THAN 4.5 HOURS/DAY AND 14 HOURS/WEEK. VERY CLOSE TO COMPLETION, IF SUCCESSFUL WITH 3RD SHIFT, WILL ROLL OUT TO 2ND SHIFT NEXT

  1. NEW 4 INCH HANDLES ON GEN III CELLS ARE A SAFETY HAZZARD. WAITING ON FOLLOW UP BETWEEN PATRICK AND BARRY.

REPLY: ONLY SEVEN CELLS LEFT IN EBC WITH 4 INCH HANDLES. AS SOON AS PLYMOVENTS ARE AVAILABLE THESE CELLS WILL BE REPLACED

  1. DEDICATING A COMPUTER IN THE MC AND ALPHA ROOMS TO BE USED AS TIME CLOCKS. BARRY WILL FOLLOW UP WITH ERIC MILLS TO LOOK INTO THE SPPED WITH WHICH THE CURRENT PCs ARE FUNCTIONING WITH.

REPLY: IF PHARMACISTS ENTER EITHER THE MC OR ALPHA ROOMS AND ARE NOT CAPABLE OF LOCATING A PC TO UTILIZE, WITHOUT DISTURBING A FELLOW COWORKER, INORDER TO CLOCK INTO A JOB FUNCTION, THEY ARE TO REPORT TO A SUPERVISOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THIS ISSUE. MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE PRESENT AT TIMES OF INCREASED HEAD COUNT IN THE ALPHA ROOM TO GUIDE PHARMACISTS IN FINDING WORK STATIONS

NEW ITEMS

  1. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INCREASED EFFORT TO TRAIN PART-TIME PHARMACISTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WORK PRIMRILY ON WEEKENDS, IN AREAS SUCH AS QA1, ALPS, ROR AND RPV

REPLY: AN EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO SCHEDULE PHARMACISTS AT CONVIENANT TIMES TO COME IN FOR TRAINING IN ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS. BARRY WILL FOLLOW UP WITH SCHEDULING TO CREATE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.

  1. PHARMACIST’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR RELABELING “IN HOUSE” REPACKAGED DRUG PRODUCT (I.E. FOSAMAX AND BIRTH CONTROL) IN QA2 AND QA3.

REPLY: WOULD WE OPEN A MANUFACTURER’S SEALED PACKAGING TO INSURE THE CORRECT PRODUCT IS INSIDE? BARRY WILL FOLLOW UP TO DETERMINE IF WE COULD GET A PROGRAM WHICH CAN SCAN AN NDC BAR CODE AND DISPLAY WHAT THE PRODUCT SHOULD BE IN AN EFFORT TO NOT BREAK TAMPER RESISTANT PACKAGING

DISCUSSION ITEM

WE ASKED TO INSTITUTE A PROCEDURE OF CONTACTING PHARMACISTS ON THIER DAYS OFF REGARDING GRANTING OF OVERTIME HOURS FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY. MANAGEMENT/HR SUGGESTED THE STEWARDS CONTROL THE PROCESS. THE STEWRADS WERE AGREEABLE TO HELP TRAIN SCHEDULERS ON CONTRACT LANGUAGE POLICY AND ASSIST IN THE PROCESS. TO DATE, THE STEWARDS HAVE SUPPLIED THE SCHEDULERS WITH AN UPDATED PHONE NUMBER LIST FOR PHARMACIST. A DAILY PHONE CONTACT LIST WAS CREATED AND IMPLEMENTED; HOWEVER, RECENTLY A PHARMACIST WAS NOT CONTACTED ON HIS DAY OFF. ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS MATTER?

CAL AGREES WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS. STEWARDS WILL GET TOGETHER WITH SCHEDULERS, MANAGEMENT AND HR TO DETERMINE IF THE OVERTIME INTEREST LISTS COULD BE IMPROVED TO HELP THE PROCESS

Guild for Professional Pharmacists 

21243 Ventura Blvd., Suite 241  Medco Health Solutions, Office

Woodland Hills, CA  91364-2167  One Millenium Drive

email       gfpp@aol.com   Willingboro, N.J. 08046 
Toll free   877-992-0475  Tel: 609-880-2196   
Fax          818-992-6835  

WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE G.F.P.P. AGENDA FEBRUARY 2008 MEETING

ATTENDEES: CAL WASDYKE, CHRISTINE BIZZARO, BARRY CESANEK, ROBERT GREINER, LYNDA DOREMUS, JOSEPH RADZAVICZ, KAREN ZUMPETTA, JOSEPH CENTOLA, OREN SCHAHAM

OPEN ITEMS

1. FORMATION OF SET WEEKLY WORK SCHEDULES FOR

PHARMACISTS. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 23 THIRD SHIFT PHARMACISTS AND 14 JOB FUNCTIONS TO PERORM ON THIRD SHIFT, SEVEN OF WHICH ARE EBC, ARTS OR BULK & PREP. IN A PERFECT WORLD, EACH THIRD SHIFT PAHRMACIST WOULD SPEN 60% OF EACH SHIFT IN ONE OF THOSE SEVEN FUNCTIONS. CAL HAS TASKED MANAGERS TO CREATE A TRAINING AND SCHEDULING MATRIX AND COMMITTED TO SUPPLYING THE RESOURCES TO GET THIS DONE

  1. NEW 4 INCH HANDLES ON GEN III CELLS ARE A SAFETY HAZZARD. BARRY WILL FOLLOW UP WITH PATRICK DENNIS ON USAGE OF WIDE CARTS IN EBC

NEW ITEMS

  1. PERFORMING HAQ AND OR DURING OVER NIGHT HOURS; I.E. EFFICIENCY AND ERROR RATES. BARRY AND LYNDA WILL GATHER PERFORMANCE STATISTICS TO EVALUATE SCHEDULING OF HAQ AND OR EARLY OR LATE IN THIRD SHIFT
  1. DEDICATING A COMPUTER IN THE MC AND ALPHA ROOMS TO BE USED AS TIME CLOCKS. BARRY WILL FOLLOW UP WITH ERIC MILLS TO LOOK INTO THE SPPED WITH WHICH THE CURRENT PCs ARE FUNCTIONING WITH
  1. SCHEDULING BACK TO BACK FUNCTIONS, I.E. EBC AND ARTS IS ESSENTIALLY ONE CONTINUOUS PATTERN. TO BE ADDRESSED AS PART OF THE TRAINING AND SCHEDULING MATRIX PROJECT
  1. SCHEDULING BACK TO BACK PATTERNS OF BULK AND PREP AND PV, OR BACK TO BACK PATTERNS OF BULK AND PREP AND PV IS RAISING THE POTENTIAL FOR REPETITIVE MOTION INJURIES. TO BE ADDRESSED AS PART OF THE TRAINING AND SCHEDULING MATRIX PROJECT
  1. THE FOLLOWING JOB FUNCTIONS: ALPS, ROR, BULK AND PREP AND LOWER BULK AND PREP ALL REQUIRE A PHARMACIST TO WAIT TO BE RELIEVED BY ANOTHER PHARMACIST. WITH ALL THE SCHEDULING ERRORS OCCURING RECENTLY, WE HAVE CREATED SITUATIONS OF UNAUTHORIZED OVERTIME. TO BE ADDRESSED AS PART OF THE TRAINING AND SCHEDULING MATRIX PROJECT
  1. INSTALLATION OF “GEN 3” CELLS IN EBC IS BEING DELAYED DUE TO DEVELOPMENT AND INSTALLATION OF NEW PLYMOVENTS. BARRY WILL REVIEW WITH ALL PARTIES INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT TO SEE IF TIME LINES CAN BE QUICKENED

Guild for Professional Pharmacists 

21243 Ventura Blvd., Suite 241  Medco Health Solutions, Office

Woodland Hills, CA  91364-2167  One Millenium Drive

email       gfpp@aol.com   Willingboro, N.J. 08046 
Toll free   877-992-0475  Tel: 609-880-2196   
Fax          818-992-6835  

WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE G.F.P.P. AGENDA NOVEMBER 2007 MEETING

ATTENDANCE:

MGMT: LYNDA DOREMUS, CHRISTINE BIZZARO, BARRY CESANEK

GFPP: KAREN ZUMPETTA, JOSEPH CENTOLA, OREN SCHAHAM

  1. SCHEDULERS NEED TO FOLLOW CONTRACTUAL LANGUAGE WITH RESPECT TO ASSIGNING OVERTIME HOURS. HR SUGGESTS STEWARDS PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS. STEWARDS DO NOT WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN PROCESS. STEWARDS AGREE TO SPEND A 2-3 WEEK PERIOD TRAINING PHARMACIST SCHEDULERS ON CONTRACT LANGUAGE PERTAINING TO OVERTIME.
  1. FORMATION OF SET WEEKLY WORK SCHEDULES FOR

PHARMACISTS. WILL BEGIN WITH THIRD SHIFT IN QUARTER 4 OF 2007 AND ROLL OUT TO REMAINING SHIFTS IN QUARTER 1 OF 2008.

  1. SCHEDULE BREAKS AND LUNCHES AS EVENLY AS POSSIBLE. FORMATION OF SET WEEKLY SCHEDULES SHOULD REMEDY THIS ISUE. 
  1. NEW 4 INCH HANDLES ON GEN III CELLS ARE A SAFETY HAZZARD. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH THE SAFETY COMMITTEE. VERIFIED WITH EBC ROOM, 4 INCH HANDLES ARE TEMPORARY UNTIL 2 INCH HANDLES BECOME AVAILABLE. WILL PLACE WARNING TAPE ON 4 INCH HANDLES IN THE MEAN TIME.
  1. WAGE INCREASES ON 12/9/07. HR IS READY.

MANAGEMENT AGENDA: INCREASE WORK SCHEDULED FOR QUARTER 1 OF 2008 WILL ALLOW MANAGEMENT TO INCREASE THE HOURS AVAILABLE FOR PART-TIME PHARMACISTS AS BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY DOCUMENTED BY THE CURRENT STAFF.

WILLINGBORO IS READY FOR FEP.

INCREASED HAQ WORK MAY BE SEEN AS EARLY AS DECEMBER, 2008 

WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE G.F.P.P. AGENDA SEPTEMBER 2007 MEETING

  1. WHY ARE THERE NOT MORE PHARMACISTS TRAINED TO PERFORM PV? ANSWER: NEED TO ADDRESS AFTER SCHEDULE CHANGES ARE IMPLIMENTED AND ADDRESS TRAINING AND ROTATION ISSUES
  1. DO PHARMACISTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE VACATION TIME ON A SCHEDULED OR UNSCHEDULED BASIS WHEN ON APPROVED FMLA? ANSWER: YES. PHARMACIST SHOULD HAND IN APPROPRIATE PAPER WORK STIPULATING VACATION, PERSONAL LEAVE TIME, OR SICK TIME IS BEING USED TO CIVER AN FMLA RELATED ABSENCE
  1. WITH SCHEDULE CHANGES LOOMING NEAR, WILL ACCOMODATIONS TO EXISTING SCHEDULED AND UNSCHEDULED (OPEN ENROLLMENT IN SEPT. ’07) VACATION TIME BE MADE FOR THOSE PHARMACISTS WHOSE SCHEDULES MAY CHANGE? I.E. 8 AND 10 HOUR SCHEDULES, AS WELL AS 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD SHIFTS. ANSWER: YES. INDIVIDUAL REQUEST WILL BE ADDRESSED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

4. OREGON AUXILLARY LABELS, ARE PHARMACISTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACCURACY? ANSWER; YES. IN QA1 AND QA2. 

WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE G.F.P.P. AGENDA MARCH 2007 MEETING

OPEN ITEMS

1. INCREASE EFFORT TO PERFORM SOP TRAINING, REFRESHER TRAINING AND COMMUNICATIONS ON RECENT CHANGES AND UPDATES IN PHARMACIST JOB FUNCTIONS

2. INCREASE EFFORT TO TRAIN THIRD SHIFT PHARMACISTS IN NEW JOB FUNCTIONS

3. JOB FUNCTION ROTATION/TRAINING

NEW ITEMS

1. DISCUSSION NEEDS TO BE HAD REGARDING SPECIALIZED PHARMACIST JOB FUNCTIONS AS IT RELATES TO FRONT END PHARMACY JOB FUNCTIONS

2. INCREASE EFFORT TO BETTER COMMUNICATE STATUS OF ORDER REVIEW TRAINING, ARRIVAL OF TRC WORK, AND DISSEMENATION OF INFORMATION BY MEMBERS OF THE MANAGEMENT TEAM! (SEE ATTACHMENT ON LATER)

3. SATURDAY ROTATION, CAN WE BEGIN TO ELIMINATE?


WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE 1/18/2007 MEETING

OPEN ITEMS
  • INCREASE EFFORT TO PERFORM SOP TRAINING, REFRESHER TRAINING AND COMMUNICATIONS ON RECENT CHANGES AND UPDATES IN PHARMACIST JOB FUNCTIONS
  • INCREASE EFFORT TO TRAIN THIRD SHIFT PHARMACISTS IN NEW JOB FUNCTIONS
  • SOP REVISIONS IN PV DETAILING PHARMACIST’S RESPONSIBILITIES
  • JOB FUNCTION ROTATION/TRAINING

   NEW ITEMS

  • NEW SOP IN ARTS FOR USAGE OF CARTS HAS INHERANT SAFETY ISSUES

  CLARIFY NEW PROCEDURE FOR DOUBLE TIME HOURS PAYMENT
“The employee does not need to notify a supervisor as the supervisor can tell from the payroll records. In fact, the supervisor actually codes the hours as double-time based on the rules (not Rob).  That’s why the employee was asked to go back to the supervisor… the supervisor made the mistake and should have coded it”.
HOW ARE THE SUPERVISORS INVOLVED NOW?

 PHARMACISTS ARE BEING INFORMED, DURING EMR, MEDCO HAS IMPLEMENTED A NEW ATTENDANCE POLICY GOVERNING PHARMACISTS       


WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING
11/16/2006 GFPP AGENDA

OPEN ITEMS:

-0 INCREASE EFFORT TO PERFORM SOP TRAINING, REFRESHER TRAINING AND COMMUNICATIONS ON RECENT CHANGES AND UPDATES IN PHARMACIST JOB FUNCTIONS

-1 INCREASE EFFORT TO TRAIN THIRD SHIFT PHARMACISTS IN NEW JOB FUNCTIONS

-2 SOP REVISIONS IN PV DETAILING PHARMACIST’S RESPONSIBILITIES

-3 SCHEDULE CHANGES

-4 JOB FUNCTION ROTATION/TRAINING

NEW ITEMS:

-5 FOLLOW CONTRACT LANGUAGE FOR ADMINISTRATION OF GRANTING OF OVERTIME HOURS

-6 IS NEW PHARMACIST STARTING WAGE STILL $40.00/HOUR

-7 ARE WE READY FOR WAGE INCREASES IN DECEMBER


WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE
MEETING 09/21/2006

OPEN ITEMS:

INCREASE EFFORT TO PERFORM SOP TRAINING, REFRESHER TRAINING AND COMMUNICATIONS ON RECENT CHANGES AND UPDATES IN PHARMACIST JOB FUNCTIONS

INCREASE EFFORT TO TRAIN THIRD SHIFT PHARMACISTS IN NEW JOB FUNCTIONS

SOP REVISIONS IN PV DETAILING PHARMACIST’S RESPONSIBILITIES

NEW ITEMS:

FOLLOW CONTRACT LANGUAGE FOR ADMINISTRATION OF EARLY OUT

ARE WE HEADED FOR SCHEDULE CHANGES INCLUDING SATURDAY ROTATIONS ?

CLARIFY PROCEDURE FOR CASHING OUT UNUSED PERSONAL LEAVE TIME

LAB COAT LAUNDERING HAS BECOME A PROBLEM

JOB FUNCTION ROTATION

WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE
MEETING 07/20/2006

OPEN ITEMS:

INCREASE EFFORT TO PERFORM SOP TRAINING, REFRESHER TRAINING AND COMMUNICATIONS ON RECENT CHANGES AND UPDATES IN PHARMACIST JOB FUNCTIONS

INCREASE EFFORT TO TRAIN THIRD SHIFT PHARMACISTS IN NEW JOB FUNCTIONS

NEW ITEMS :

CLARIFICATION OF POLICY REGARDING RESTRICTED DUTY WHILE PREGNANT

FOLLOW UP ON DISCUSSION ON DOUBLE TIME ELIGIBILITY REVISION

INCREASE EFFORT TO ROTATE TRAINED PHARMACISTS ACROSS JOB FUNCTIONS, ESPECIALLY ON THIRD SHIFT

SOP REVISIONS IN PV DETAILING PHARMACIST’S RESPONSIBILITIES

PREPARE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE FOR LABOR DAY

PREPARE FOR VACATION OPEN ENROLLMENT IN SEPTEMBER


WORKING RELATIONS COMMITTEE
MARCH 2006 MEETING

OPEN ITEMS:

1. Training on SOP revisions has deteriorated. We need to standardize the training of new and revised SOP’s.

2. Communications need to improve. Meetings are held with small groups of pharmacists, yet the information communicated in these meetings does not reach all staff pharmacists.

3. We need to look at the possibilities of training third shift pharmacist to perform cognitive functions.

4. During contract negotiations, it was stated all employees could request hearing tests. The Health and Safety Department claims that is limited to employees who work in specific high noise areas. Is this indeed the case, and if it is, can we view the official report which notes what qualifies as a high noise area.

5. There needs to be a consistency in the manner EMR’s are conducted among the members of the management team who conduct them with pharmacists; especially with regard to informing pharmacists of behavior or activities which could be punitive later on. Why is management hesitant to furnish pharmacists a copy of their EMR’s.

6. We were informed Medco’s retirement policies and benefits were listed on the Company’s intranet site. This information can not be found, can a hard copy be furnished.

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