pharmacy technician

certified pharmacy technician

sales representative

inside sales representative

manufacturing operator

Empower Pharmacy

Empower pharmacy is very selective with the type of people who can survive it’s workload, stress, and fast-paced environment. Expect to have to learn quickly and take criticism very well. The pharmacy itself is growing much faster than anticipated and new hires are being inducted in swarms. The employees are very, very friendly towards each other and everybody looks out for one another. Pharmacists try their best to be accomadating, but there’s sometimes too much work to get done for leisurely time. They are all very wonderful people. Every single employee is friendly, they’ll greet you and help you when asked. The owner and manager are very considerate to the amount of stress their workers are under and often try to compensate with lots of free lunch and snacks. Be mindful, the free food is meant to soften the blow... you’re still going to have to work your butt off. Overtime is offered very frequently to hourly rate employees. The most stressful place to work is undoubtedly the call center. You simply need thick skin and patience. There is an overwhelming number of phone calls in and currently no more than a dozen people working their hardest to get to every call. If you don’t get used to it, it’s going to break you. All pharmacists religiously work overtime on their salary just to push out that days orders. (A result of being undermanned.)

Overall, every single department has a large workload. There are hardly easy breezy days where you can just slack. Everybody is watching you and monitoring your activity. It is very crucial to be a productive asset if you would like to work here. Everybody around you will be stressed out for a majority of the day. But, the staff is great and anything is better than retail. The work is detailed and thorough to refrain from any mistake or miscommunication. 

Almost everything I listed are the worst parts of the job. Some people feel it everyday and others don’t feel it at all. This is a very successful company that needs hardworking team players to accommodate to the influx of patients. 

Also, the facility is state of the art. The technology is becoming advanced and getting updated. The restrooms are very clean and there’s a coffee bar. Have great highly educated/experienced advisors.

Now that I have been displaced from Empower for quite some time, I can give a firm honest review. If you are not a trained CPhT, sign up to work here most definitely as the trainees are often helped get their license. However, if you have had your license and worked in a professional pharmacy don't waste your time you will feel like pulling your hair out everyday. Completely unorganized... You are not sure if management is going left or right at times and they will blame it on being a new company when after 10 years something better should have been figured out by now. Lack of organization in leadership is primarily due to not hiring qualified individuals based on their merit, but because they are the owners relative/family friend or they have kissed enough behind/lied to make it higher up. Also just from observation, I would like to point out that if you are not the right shade of pink or too brown (of African Descent) you will not advance. And don't be too smart that you see room for improvements because you will be looked at like you are crazy. Throughout my time there I saw so many over qualified individuals who often put too much of their time into the company only to get nothing in return no promotion or recognition. I guess if you count a piece of cake, slice of pizza, or wearing jeans once a month a "reward" they did indeed get something but that does not pay anyone's bills. This burnout often causes employees to lose sight of why they began to work there in the first place: To pay the bills and get to the next step. There is always drama and gossip so very easily can get distracted and over-consumed since the company is so small, but don't do it. Happy to see a lot of my former co-workers and myself have moved on. PTO policy is horrible I have more PTO at my current job than I did there working for a whole year. Other benefits are a bit underdeveloped compared to other companies, but at least they tried. My best advice is too avoid this family reunion (almost everyone that works there is related some kind of way) and get a better job where you can improve yourself if possible.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Working at Empower has definitely come with challenges, but overall my experience has been positive. The benefits are some of the best I’ve had, which has made a real difference for my family. The company also provides access to compounded medications for employees, which is a unique perk and one every employee should take advantage of.

On a personal level, I’ve been fortunate to have a supportive manager who has helped me grow professionally and navigate the organization. Like any workplace, it’s not without its hurdles, but I’m in a good position right now and have appreciated the opportunities I’ve had here.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most challenging aspect of working here has been navigating change. The company has experienced leadership transitions and ongoing process evolution, which can create some uncertainty at times. That said, there is a clear effort to modernize and improve operations. The organization is also embracing AI and new technologies across many processes, which reflects a forward-thinking mindset, even though it’s still a work in progress. As systems and leadership continue to stabilize, there’s strong potential for greater consistency and efficiency. However, the approach of running Empower like a "tech" company versus a "pharmaceutical manufacturing" company causes a lot of problems.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Overall, the work culture can vary by department. Within my team, the environment has been very positive. We have supportive leadership, and a high level of mutual respect. Team members are encouraged to share their perspectives and feedback openly, and I’ve felt comfortable voicing my opinions without concern or retaliation.

You are just a number.  Disregard what they preach and promise during the interview.  It is deceptive work environment.  Example:  10 days of PTO, but they fail to tell you that those 10 days includes you sick days.  If you are sick, you are required to take PTO hours, leaving you with no vacation days.
They have a centralized management system, where all decisions funnel through one brain, the Director.  It is the Director’s way or the highway.  Why hire individuals with industry and/or education if their voices and opinions are not heard?  The company is fortunate to be in a growing industry, pharmaceutical.  So, growth is more of an industry growth and much less of an strategic positioning.  They are opening new buildings.  Yet, they struggle to properly implement functional systems.  Why?  Upper management doesn’t listen.  In fact, the idea of meetings to discuss production issues and brainstorm solutions is nonexistent.   They have no continuous improvement initiatives.  Mostly, it is a reactive work environment.  The turnover of employees is extremely high.  Most production employees (90%) have been in the position less than 9 months.  They burnout the production force by not allocating appropriate rest/ lunch times l.  You will find yourself feeding a machine for 6 or 7 hours before you are relief for your 30 minutes lunch.  
There is little to no career growth.  There is  NO sense of belonging or being part of a team.  You clock in and out and your day is as valuable as the number of vials you produced that day.  Employees are just numbers, complement to a machine who cannot feed vials itself unless there is human interaction.  Management fails to understand the human side of the business, where an employee happiness includes components such as:  appreciation, participating, being heard, career growth, teamwork, etc.   

I worked at this company for four years and had a meaningful experience overall. During my time there, I was dedicated to the organization’s mission and gave my best effort every day. I progressed into a team leadership role and was fortunate to earn the trust and respect of coworkers across multiple departments. I genuinely enjoyed my work and the people I worked with.

However, one of the biggest challenges was the company’s ongoing instability. Each year there were significant layoffs followed by new hiring cycles. While some employees transferred departments or advanced within the company, many still experienced layoffs despite their contributions. Leadership turnover was also frequent, with managers and executives often changing within short periods of time, which made long-term consistency difficult.

The most recent round of layoffs was particularly disappointing, especially after employees had been reassured late last year that the company was stable. Many talented and hardworking individuals were affected, and their loss will likely be felt across the organization.

Compensation growth was also limited, as employees did not receive raises last year. Additionally, frequent changes within Human Resources and staffing challenges — particularly in the sterile department — often impacted production efficiency and overall operations.

Despite these concerns, I am grateful for the experience and the relationships I built during my time there. I had hoped to continue growing with the company long-term, but I am now moving forward to new opportunities.

I love everything about working at Empower Pharmacy except the benefits. With the new system, you barely get any PTO, and you have 5 days of unpaid time off. Forget about vacation and sick pay, that doesn't exist here. And here's the kicker, once you use up your PTO and FIVE days of unpaid time off, you go into the "negative." AKA you're working for free to pay off that day you missed. Got a flat? Sick child? Sorry!! This is corporate world. Also the pay isn't great and forget about raises. They don't do 6 or 12 month evaluations which means that you only get considered for pay raises upon request, and even then you'll probably get turned down. There is no such thing as stability in any sector because the company is growing very fast. Workload constantly fluctuates, along with who your coworkers are going to be. The turnover rate isn't high, but most will change departments within the first few months of joining the company. I do love the culture though, everyone is very friendly and helpful. The hardest part about the job for me is the lack of vacation benefits. We're basically only allowed 2 weeks off the entire year (with one week unpaid) before we're penalized. Empower Pharmacy would be the ideal place to work at if management and HR actually listened to what the people at the bottom want. It's wrong to expect people who dedicate so much of their time with the company to only have 2 weeks time off.

Empower Pharmacy is a fast paced company that is currently doubling or tripling headcount every year. If you aren’t ready for chaotic work schedule, this place isn’t for you.  There is always something for people to do here.  There is never a day you leave work thinking, “Gosh, what an easy day”. The company is undermanned for sure but then which growing company isn’t undermanned. You will feel underappreciated at times. The work at Empower is grueling and stressful.  With the all things I have mentioned, you may ask why I work here?  I work here because of a bigger purpose. The founder of the company is focused on providing affordable access to quality of care wellness products to its patients. There are also lots of dedicated people here who are friendly and are always working to make Empower a better company as well as a better place to work for.   The company provides plenty of free meals to its employees to reward them for hard work as well as offers its employees great benefits. The workplace is state of the art, the bathrooms are kept always clean, and there is an awesome high end industrial coffee machine that makes outrageous cappuccinos. The main reason why I am here is that in any fast growing companies, there are and will always be new job opportunities within and a career that you can build on with hard work.

As an Inside Sales Representative at Empower Pharmacy, I've had the incredible privilege of witnessing firsthand the company's unwavering dedication to nurturing a culture of achievement, innovation, and collaboration.

From the outset, it was evident that Empower Pharmacy is deeply invested in the growth and success of its sales team. The training and onboarding process is thorough and designed to equip us with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in a rapidly evolving market. Beyond the initial training, the company's commitment to ongoing learning is remarkable. Regular workshops, webinars, and access to resources keep us well-informed about industry trends and customer preferences, giving us a competitive edge.

One of the aspects I appreciate the most is the sense of unity and teamwork that permeates throughout the company. The sales team functions as a cohesive unit, sharing insights, celebrating wins, and supporting each other through challenges. This collaborative approach not only elevates our performance but also creates a positive and motivating work environment.

Its a fast growing organization so many employees wear multiple hats. This is definitely not the place for you if you are looking for a slow paced environment. It is also a dynamic environment since the organization is growing rapidly as they try to get set structures in place. Hard work is noticed and rewarded and the CEO and managers try their hardest to take care of the hard working employees. The other great thing is there is room for advancement. You can start off as a pharmacy clerk not knowing anything about pharmacy and once you get certified as a pharmacy technician move through different departments. 

Also they pay entry level pharmacy technicians more than Walgreens and CVS typically do and on Sundays they are closed! 

There is always food to eat. Someone is always bringing food and they are always trying to celebrate something. From pumpkin carving contest in October, Thanksgiving Lunch and a huge holiday party at Hotel Sorella during Christmas. They have also started celebrating birthdays so we have cake once a month!

This company is hands-down one of the worst places I’ve ever worked. The job itself is easy, but the environment makes it unbearable. Leadership does not lead — they gossip about employees, take sides, play favorites, and create a culture where trust does not exist. If certain people don’t like you, you’re treated differently, ignored, or made uncomfortable.

Bullying is brushed off, and instead of addressing real issues, management protects the same people who cause the problems. Going to leadership or HR feels pointless because nothing changes; in fact, it often feels like they’re more focused on protecting themselves than supporting employees.

Work-life balance is non-existent. Overtime is pushed constantly, and they make it clear that your personal responsibilities, family, or health do not matter. You’re expected to give the company everything and get very little respect in return.

The turnover rate speaks for itself — people don’t stay because the environment drains you mentally and emotionally. I’ve seen enough to confidently say this is not a place that values its workers. I’m genuinely relieved I left. I would not recommend this company to anyone who wants a healthy, respectful, or stable workplace.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Pharmacy technician 5 salaries reported	$19.16 per hour
Certified pharmacy technician 4 salaries reported	$18.38 per hour
Sales representative 4 salaries reported	$58,500 per year
Inside sales representative 5 salaries reported	$45,400 per year
Manufacturing operator 5 salaries reported	$23.77 per hour

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