Seattle Pharmacy Relief, PLLC

Employee Success Stories

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"Deciding to join SPR was the best decision I have ever made."

When I graduated from pharmacy school, there were not many job opportunities for fresh graduates. Most positions required at least 2 years of experience or more. I decided to join SPR, and it was the best decision I have ever made. During that time, SPR was the only company that has taken time and effort to help me develop professionally and personally.

Howard was a great mentor, and always stands behind his employees when something isn’t right, and that is very important asset to have for an employer. SPR has opened so many doors and allowed me to cross path with amazing people within my community as well as profession. I was able to utilize my skills obtained from my education and internship experiences – from compounding to being part of a research project. I met my 5 year career goals within a year of my career with SPR. In addition to my education, SPR has definitely provided a great foundation for my professional career, and in turn enabled me to land a full-time position that allows me to provide for my ever-growing family.


"Working for SPR for 2.5 years has been a wonderful experience."

I've worked for Seattle Pharmacy Relief for 2.5 years, and it has been a wonderful experience. I've been able to explore more professional environments than I had in my previous 20+ year retail career. I still have retail shifts to keep me experienced in the world of chain pharmacy, but also now in the independent pharmacy world. I've gotten to experience long term care operations as well as vaccine trials through a local branch of a research institute. I've worked the central distribution center of a large wholesale operation and also the outpatient pharmacy of a local hospital.

In addition to this, I've been able to have a part-time pharmacy position with a cancer clinic outside of SPR. The SPR team has been great at working with me to have a career of my own making in terms of scheduling around my shiftts at this entity. They also continue to find new and interesting avenues to explore professionally. If you have a full- or part-time job, but would like to supplement your income or experience, SPR is a great outlet for finding an occasional shift around the area.

Working for this agency does require some travel to other parts of the state; it requires some flexibility in availability. However, the trade-off is the ability to build your own schedule - for me it's been wonderful to meet other people and pharmacy teams across the state. You also have to be able to 'hit the ground running' in various pharmacy situations, but are almost always in the company of well-trained and professional pharmacy technicians, assistants, or other support staff. If you have experience in retail pharmacy, there shouldn't be anything too unfamiliar or difficult. If you want to concentrate on being a pharmacist without having to worry too much about management, SPR is a perfect fit.

The pay starts out lower than average, but you are rewarded for good service over time and SPR doesn't charge a buyout fee if you want to take a job with one of their clients. You have to find your own benefits, but the trade-off for me has been more freedom in balancing my life. If you can play outside the box and can be open to some travel and last minute call shifts, this is the outfit for you.


"Seattle Pharmacy Relief provided me a firm foundation to expand my skills and build my confidence."

 

Three years ago I returned to pharmacy after a long hiatus. Seattle Pharmacy Relief offered me employment in a small community setting and provided me with a firm foundation to expand my skills and build my confidence. Since then I have worked in many retail settings and a couple of small hospitals. I have enjoyed every client. My employment is never boring and ever learning, with adventures around every curve. I am grateful to SPR for the opportunity to live a rich, balanced life of work and play, and for leading the way by example. I heartily endorse Howard and his team for their enduring commitment to quality.


"I highly value the experiences that I've had through SPR."

Seattle Pharmacy Relief gives me a wide-ranging view of the Pharmacy Technician field.  Transitioning from another career was a difficult and scary process. Being able to experience multiple work environments while free of the usual buyout clause offered an unrestricted point of view.  From supermarket retail to big-chains, home-care to specialty pharmacies, I’ve had the pleasure of making contacts across the Seattle area while discovering which ones best fit my needs.  I highly value the experiences I’ve had and will continue to make through SPR.


"Working for SPR is a great opportunity."

Working for SPR is a great opportunity to try on a wide variety of pharmacist hats with supreme scheduling flexibility.  It’s similar to internships but with a pay grade bump! You will be continually challenged and learning at each assignment, meeting new people, discovering new approaches, stretching yourself and gaining confidence.  You may find a niche you really enjoy, or create one of your own. You will build new relationships.

And the expectations and flexibility are unmatched. You are expected to be on time and do a great job, that's why you went to school, right? You will re-discover that strong, clinically-based, quick decision-making is a universal skill in pharmacy. I have worked in hospital, clinic, Mom and Pop pharmacies, big box retail, grocery store, long term care, and small chain pharmacies with SPR. I was previously with a 'more established' agency, but their buy-out clause hampered my career development. I've worn the bouffant hat under the hood, and the hard hat at big box retail. I am enthused about working for SPR for good reason - I love the flexibility of scheduling and the variety of experience! Thanks for making it happen, Howard!


"Thank you, Howard and staff for the great working relationship!"

Several years ago, I decided to spend much of my time abroad and a few months per year in Seattle working on a temporary basis.  Being part of the SPR team has fit very nicely into my plans and desires for employment.  I have been able to practice in comfortable situations while at the same time, gaining new experiences in the workplace.  My relationship with SPR has always been more than fair and very respectful.  The level of professionalism displayed by SPR and the pharmacies I worked at has been very satisfying.  Being part of the SPR team has allowed me to work for a few months per year, on my unique schedule and I intend to continue for the foreseeable future.  It is very helpful to me to not have to make a long term commitment to an employer and have significant flexibility in scheduling.  SPR consistently strives to provide me with as many work days as I want.  


"I plan to continue my work with SPR as it will provide flexibility."

Before working for SPR, I had been working for a large retail chain for about 8 years. I had enjoyed the location and working with other employees at that location, as well as the relationships I'd developed with customers. The company felt it was time for new software to 'streamline' operations. The new software was supposed to provide an image of the prescription for verification by the Pharmacist. The image quality was so poor and there was little to differentiate a new prescription from a refill, so I requested the original prescription be sent along with the order, as we had done for years. I was reprimanded for this request and subsequently had several dispensing errors as a result of not knowing that I was checking a new prescription vs a refill.

After leaving the chain, I applied to several places with no luck. When I applied with Seattle Pharmacy Relief, I was surprised that the owner of the company called me directly.  Howard was very objective during his interview.  He didn’t promise a set number of hours but I was happy for any work SPR could provide. As my time with SPR grew, I was happy to get more and more hours.  I thanked Howard… and he thanked me… for the good work I was doing.  After about 1½ years with SPR, an opportunity came up to work at an IHS clinic.  Howard encouraged me to take the job.  I have been there for 5 successful years now and still work occasionally for SPR.  I consider working for a variety of pharmacies an asset to my IHS position as I can bring a variety of perspectives to our environment.  I plan to continue my work with SPR as it will provide flexibility in my retirement years.


"My relationship with SPR has been more than fair and respectful."

Several years ago, I decided to spend much of my time aboard and a few months per year in Seattle working on a temporary basis. Being part of the SPR team has fit nicely into my plans and desires for employment. I've been able to practice in comfortable situations while at the same time, gaining new experiences in the workplace. My relationship with SPR has always been more than fair and respectful. The level of professionalism displayed by SPR and the pharmacies I worked at has been very satisfying. Being part of the SPR team has allowed me to work for a few months per year, on my unique schedule and I intend to continue for the foreseeable future. It is very helpful to me to not have to make a long term commitment to an employer and have significant flexibility in scheduling. SPR consistently strives to provide me with as many work days as I want. Thank you, Howard and staff for the great working relationship.


"Working for SPR has been the best experience for me."

 

 

 

Working for SPR over 2.5 years has been the best experience for me. Because there's a wide variety of locations and pharmacy practices, it's always interesting, and I've learned to work with many different pharmacy software systems. I love going to assignments in new towns & cities and meeting new people. In addition, having a flexible schedule allows me to pursue personal interests such as travel or trying new activities. Last year I even started a business and my boss, Howard, was very supportive. He and his support team are always great to work with!


 

Contact Us

206-890-0150

supportteam@seattlepharmacyrelief.com

24 hours/day, 7 days/week

 

 

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