Unfortunately, our pharmacists have to handle upset customers at times. How well would you handle customer complaints here at Walgreens?

"I have some training in customer resolution management and professionally handling customer complaints. I would rate my skills in this area a 9/10. I am confident in my ability to take the time to listen to any complaint a Walgreens customer has and to create a resolution for a customer who is not happy with their product or service."

In a retail pharmacy setting like Walgreen, you will be working directly with customers for their pharmacy needs, and addressing customer complaints is an essential part of customer service. Your interviewer wants to hear that you are okay talking through a customer's complaint.

Start by telling the interviewer that you do not mind addressing customer complaints and that you recognize that most customers have good intentions when coming forth with a complaint. Focus on describing how you remain calm and professional when handling a customer's complaint. Explain how you listen to the customer, communicate how you want to help them, and involve management when the issue is above your training or experience. It's also important to reiterate that you take all necessary steps to correct any mistakes that may have been made by your team to rectify the situation for the customer.

How do you go about balancing the busy work life of a pharmacist with your personal life?

"Sometimes, the 50-plus hour weeks are tough to find this balance but having a great and supportive family at home sure helps. For me, it comes down to being focused on what is in front of me. On the job, my focus is on my work and my patients. When I leave for the day, my work stays in the building and I become husband, dad, and friend outside of those walls. Personal stress never comes with me to work and work stress never comes home with me."

Long hours, odd shifts, exhausting patients, and difficult to please colleagues are all part of the job as a pharmacist at Walgreens. Your interviewer wants to be assured that any pharmacist they hire is able to strike the perfect balance of being a great, hard-working employee while also being a person in their personal life.

Tell the interviewer how you balance your day and want to get up and do it again the next day. Discuss how you are able to leave your work at work and enjoy your downtime with your family. If you have a current mentor, talk about how you bounce ideas off them and get advice and guidance from them on how to be successful without getting burnt out.

If hired as our next pharmacist here at Walgreens, how would you build relationships from the start with your new colleagues?

"On my first day, I plan on bringing in one of my specialty baked goods. My hobby is baking and I think a great way to break the ice is through food. But more importantly, I have always built relationships with my new colleagues through being a great communicator and connecting on a personal level. From there, my ability to do what I say and say what I do allows my colleagues to trust in me."

Building positive and professional working relationships are vital to the success of Walgreens pharmacies because a collegial atmosphere reflects positively on the customer. Your interviewer wants to know that you're the type of person who will make the first move to build and mend relationships from the start if you are hired for this role.

Come to your interview with Walgreens with a plan for how you will connect, build trust, earn respect and prosper with your new team. Focus on your ability to communicate effectively and build trust with your colleagues to ensure that your interviewer walks away from your time together confident in your ability to be a great team player from your first on the job.

What are ways that you will deal with the daily stress that comes with being a pharmacist here at Walgreens?

"I do yoga each night with my wife and this helps me relieve work stress. I have found that by staying active and eating well, I'm able to manage the long hours and busy days as a pharmacist. When things got really stressful during the pandemic, checking in with colleagues on a daily basis and talking about our stresses really helps get a lot of weight off of the chest and I always try to foster those conversations with my team."

Pharmacists have been traditionally known to face a great deal of stress and burnout in their work, due to a variety of factors that you are well aware of. Your interviewer also is aware of this and needs to be assured that any pharmacist they bring aboard their Walgreens pharmacy team comes armed with the necessary tools for managing the stress in a healthy and efficient manner.

We all have work stress, but how you handle it will say a lot about you as a person and as a pharmacist. Let the interviewer know that when stressed out, you sometimes just need a moment to walk away and get a soda and pick up where you left off five minutes later. Some other great stress management techniques to talk about include taking care of yourself with a great diet and exercise, staying connected with colleagues, and self-awareness for the signs of burnout like sleeplessness and depression.

If we were to ask your current pharmacy colleagues how they would describe you, what would they say?

"My current colleagues would describe me as a knowledgeable hard worker that is great with patients and loves to have fun on the job. Many colleagues of mine have complimented me for my ability to work cohesively with any personality style and have told me that my infectious personality makes the workday fun."

While your interviewer will be able to get a good grasp of your technical pharmacy skills by looking at your work history and asking questions during your interview, they'll also want to ensure that you'll be a great fit for the Walgreen Pharmacy team. This question allows you the chance to talk about the great team player you have been throughout your career.

When answering this question you will want to consider qualities that are relevant to this position. Good communication skills, attention to detail, and a technical mindset are all important characteristics of any pharmacist. Show off your strengths, like having a good attitude when faced with a difficult situation or being willing to go above and beyond expectations to help someone out. Don't be afraid to brag a little, but keep it relevant.

Describe a situation where you received constructive feedback on your work as a pharmacist.

"Once I was asked to re-arrange a medication storage area that I had spent a lot of time on. After listening carefully to the critique, I saw how I could make changes that would strengthen the flow of the pharmacy and really learned the importance of organization behind the counter of a retail pharmacy setting."

Any person has to handle constructive criticism of their work at times because nobody is perfect on the job. Your interviewer needs to be assured that you can take constructive feedback in this role as a pharmacist at Walgreens in stride, remain positive and make the necessary changes.

The important thing to relay to the interviewer when answering this question is that you can take correction with a good attitude. Talk about how you listened, made changes, and respected the person's criticism at some point in the past. Don't be afraid to talk about the work you needed to improve on and how you've used that criticism to become better in your work.

Outside of vacation and holiday time, how many days were you absent from work last year?

"I was absent from work five days last year. Due to Covid-19 protocols, I had to miss a week when my spouse tested positive. We followed all recommendations of staying distanced and I tested every day for a week to ensure I could come back to work in a timely fashion. I take great pride in my work ethic and attendance on the job. While I hated even missing work for these protocols, I totally understand why they are in place."

Walgreens needs to hire pharmacists who are responsible, dependable, and show up to work when scheduled. Your interviewer asks this question to evaluate your work attendance in the past year. If you called off work many times in the past year, they might hesitate to offer you the position unless your reasons were excusable.

Focus on giving the exact number of days you missed work and why. If the interviewer deems your absence from work an excused and unavoidable reason to miss work, it will likely not be an issue. If you have many unexcused absences, they may disqualify you as a viable candidate. It is best to be honest in your answer as an employment verification will be a part of the hiring process at Walgreens.

What do you see as the most critical issues in pharmacy practice today?

"One critical issue that faces the pharmaceutical industry today is the cost of medications. I hate that there are patients that don't have the ability to pay for their medications. I hope that I can be a part of changing this one day."

Retail pharmacy is a very competitive business, with customers having options from large retailers to small mom and pop shops. Your interviewer needs to be assured that the pharmacists at Walgreens are at the forefront of issues in the field to help their business thrive now and into the future.

Come to your interviewer with Walgreens prepared to discuss one or two major issues that the pharmacy field is facing, particularly any that could have a direct impact on the business at Walgreens. This question is a great way to start the back and forth with the interviewer. Go ahead and turn the tables and encourage them to engage in your feedback and ask what critical issues they are currently seeing and forecasting into the future.

Do you currently or have you in the past contributed to any organizations or groups outside of work?

"Over the past five years, we have really been trying to instill the community values in our children. We have volunteered our time and efforts in many highway cleaning campaigns and we get a very positive feeling by helping clean litter and it helps bring us closer as a family. We are also strong supporters of our local Humane Society and make food donations and volunteer to walk dogs as a family on weekends that we are free."

For over 100 years, Walgreens has been committed to giving back to the communities that they serve in many different ways. Your interviewer asks this question about your own personal contributions to ensure that your values on giving match those of the organization.

The interviewer wants to hear about contributions you have made to the community in any form. Talk to them about your willingness to give back to your community in some form of volunteerism. This can include charitable donations, volunteer service, or any other types of service you have offered in the past. If you have volunteered specifically in a manner related to pharmacy or healthcare, focus on highlighting that in your response. If you do not have formal volunteer experience, you can draw on things you do in your spare time to assist friends, family, or even your current employer.

Tell me about the most rewarding experience you have had working in a team environment. What made it so rewarding?

"One of my most rewarding teamwork experiences was while I was attending university. I learned so much by working with my classmates. I gained new problem-solving skills and learned a lot from their research preferences."

The team of pharmacists and techs in the Walgreens Pharmacy is a well-oiled unit that works cohesively in the fast-paced retail setting. Your interviewer wants to hear that you feel accomplished when working as part of a larger team. This allows them to be comfortable in knowing you would join the Walgreens Pharmacy as a true team player.

Discuss a time when you felt a sense of pride and accomplishment when working as part of a team and focus on describing how you enjoy being part of a team. Explain how you like collaborating with like-minded individuals to accomplish a goal or how you like learning from others' experiences. Show the interviewer that you are a team player and will fit in well with the Walgreen Pharmacy team if hired.

What do you feel is your top skill you would bring to this pharmacist role at Walgreens?

"I'm confident that my analytical and problem-solving skills are top-notch among the group of candidates you are considering to be your next pharmacist at Walgreens. I have vast experience in interpreting orders from providers and analyzing patient circumstances when filling their orders. We work in a very complicated and evolving world in the pharmacy setting and analytical skills are vital for safety and success."

As your interviewer screens applicants and their resumes prior to reaching out to you for an interview, they are obviously comfortable with the experience you will bring to the Walgreens team. They ask this question to allow you to talk about what you feel is your top skill and the reason you are the best candidate for the job.

Use this question to tell the interviewer about a unique skillset you have that won't necessarily be easily found on your resume or work experience. Put some thought to this question prior to your interview so you don't come up with a canned answer that other candidates might give. Rather, be unique in your approach to help yourself stand out among the crowd waiting to join Walgreens as their next pharmacist.

How do you stay organized on the job as a pharmacist?

"I like to get to work about 15 minutes early just to plan my day. I prioritize my to-do list, review my email to see if I have any new tasks, and touch base with my supervisor to see if they have any new requests from me."

Having a system that works for you to be organized in your work is a valuable skill to have as a pharmacist at Walgreens. With this question, your interviewer point blankly asks you how you stay organized in your work and they'll want to hear that you are able to keep your own work nice, tidy, and on track, if they are to hire you for this role.

Tell the interviewer how you manage your to-do list. Make sure to discuss the tools you use, like using Outlook Calendars, taking notes during meetings, or simply planning out your workday at the beginning of each day. Share the tools that have been most helpful for you. This role requires you to manage a high volume of information using systems and technology. If you have any prior experience with any of the databases or software you know you will be using, share that with the interviewer.

If you weren't sitting with me, interviewing for this pharmacist position at Walgreens, where else would you be?

"If I wasn't here right now, I would be at home playing catch with my daughter. Her first softball game is this weekend and we've been practicing quite a bit for it. Having our oldest now getting into competitive sports has kind of reinvigorated me and I relish any opportunity to help her practice."

Throughout your time interviewing for a pharmacist position with Walgreens, your interviewer will be looking to get to know you a little bit better on the personal side to gauge your fit with their team. This is certainly a unique curveball question that allows them some insight into who you are as a person.

You want to be careful in your answer and share an example of something positive in your life. You don't want to tell the interviewer that you would be sleeping off your hangover from the night before or sitting in your man-cave on hour 12 of playing video games. Try to be unique in your answer and show your interviewer an interesting side of your life outside of work.

What is your communication style and how will this help benefit our pharmacy team here at Walgreens?

"I'm a very clear and direct communicator and have always been. Patients that I work with really appreciate that I do this with an empathetic approach. With my pharmacy colleagues, my direct communication style helps to lead others and ensure that things get done without delay. If needed, I am able to have difficult conversations with colleagues. Conversely, I also love the day-to-day chit-chat of getting to know my colleagues and becoming lifelong friends."

As a pharmacist at Walgreens, you will be critical communicator with your pharmacy teams and the customers using the pharmacy. It is important for your interview to know which type of communicator you are in order to effectively communicate with all of the individuals you will be talking with on a daily basis.

Put some thought into whether consider your communication style analytical, intuitive, functional, or personal. Tell the interviewer that you are able to change your communication style based on who you are addressing and their way of learning. The important thing to relay is that you are an effective communicator and that you welcome the back and forth with your customers and colleagues.

How would your patients or customers describe working directly with you?

"My patients would say that I'm a very patient and warm-hearted person. I pride myself on being a very patient pharmacist, especially with my elderly and low-income patients. Sometimes just being patient and taking a few extra moments with them means a lot."

Feedback from the customers you have worked directly with during your career will say a lot about you as a pharmacist. As they will likely several times throughout your interview, your interviewer needs to hear that you would bring great customer service skills to the Walgreens team as their next pharmacist.

Let the interviewer know that your patients would say that you are knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. Go ahead and share a brief story about a time you helped a patient and they let you know how much it meant to them.

If hired as our next Walgreens pharmacist, are you able to work varying shifts?

"While my preference would be to work day shifts as much as possible, I'm open to working any shifts right now being young in my career and a potential new pharmacist on your team. We are lucky to have child care options when needed, as long as I know my schedule in advance."

Prior to even applying as a pharmacist at Walgreens, you need to be aware that their retail pharmacies are typically open seven days a week from early morning hours to late evening hours. Your interviewer needs to be assured that you would come with the ability to work any hours required for the role.

Prior to your interview with Walgreens, be sure to carefully research the hours required of their pharmacists at the location you are interviewing with. You'll want to ensure that you walk a fine line in your answer here in keeping yourself open to the required hours for the job while also discussing any conflicts that you may have in your personal life. It is always best to be upfront with your availability.

If you had to pinpoint one thing, what would you say you dislike the most about being a pharmacist?

"I hate the fact that the cost of some medications is so high. After ringing a patient up a few weeks ago, the cost came to $200 dollars for one medication. The patient couldn't afford this so I took the time to contact the physician to see if we could substitute it with the generic. The patient's new prescription cost was $10."

As you are aware, being a retail pharmacist certainly comes with some drawbacks to the job. Your interviewer at Walgreens knows the trigger points for stress among their team pharmacists and they ask this question to ensure that you would join their team armed with the resources and knowledge to handle the on-the-job stress with ease.

Don't bad-mouth any co-workers or bosses. Tell the interviewer about something you dislike and how you try to make it better. on the job as a pharmacist

Why do you feel you are the best candidate to be our next Walgreens pharmacist?

"As you can see from my resume, my 10 years of pharmacist experience include three years in a small retail setting and seven years in a hospital setting. The direct patient skills I learned in the hospital setting, combined with my respectful and empathetic personality, would enable me to provide the best service and care for your customers at Walgreens."

Throughout your time interviewing with Walgreens, your interviewer will pose many questions to get at the skills you would bring to their pharmacy team. This simple, yet effective, question puts the onus on you to give your best sales pitch on why you are the best candidate to join Walgreens as their next pharmacist. This is also a great way for your interviewer to gauge your understanding of the pharmacist role at Walgreens.

Prior to your interview, be sure to prepare your brief yet effective summary of why you are the best candidate for the job. There are a few ways to structure your answer. One thing you can surely talk about is the unique personality traits that will make you a great pharmacist and team member at Walgreens. Another option is to discuss the skills and accomplishments that you would bring to the Walgreens team.

What is one thing you are currently working on to become a better pharmacist?

"The one area I've always tried to improve upon over my career is my computer literacy, especially on pharmacy management system software. Over the years, I've worked through several systems and many updates and I always need to take a little extra time to learn the navigation tricks and shortcuts to make life easier. If I were fortunate enough to join Walgreens as a pharmacist, I would focus my initial weeks of training on mastering your system."

Your interviewer is fully aware that any pharmacist they hire is going to come with some weaknesses. What's important to Walgreens is that any candidate they hire knows their weakness and is doing something to help them become better. This question allows your interviewer to gauge that in you.

Prior to your interview with Walgreens, put some serious thought into what you believe a weakness is in your pharmacy practice, and come prepared to talk about ways that you are working to improve that weakness. The important thing here is being honest, both with yourself and your interviewer. Your interviewer expects you to talk about a legit weakness and will appreciate your overall honesty the most.

Why do you want to be a pharmacist at Walgreens?

"I love helping people, I love keeping them safe, being their advocate, and improving their quality of living. Working at a hometown place like Walgreens as a pharmacist will enable me to build great relationships with patients in a fast-paced setting."

This interview question is similar to the 'tell us about yourself' question. Your interview at Walgreens is ideally looking for a pharmacist that has a passion for the field in the retail setting with one of the largest retail pharmacies in the world.

This is your opportunity to tell the interviewer how your skills match their vacancy and how your goals line up with the mission and values of Walgreens. This will be your 45-second elevator speech highlighting your desire to succeed and thrive in this role for the long term.

How would you define great customer service here at the Walgreens pharmacy?

"To provide the best service possible to the customers and patients that I provide care for, I always put myself in their shoes. Patients deserve their prescriptions in a timely and accurate manner, so I always work to provide fast and accurate orders. The last thing they deserve is service with a smile and a helping hand, so I prioritize educating my patients on their prescriptions and seeing if they have any questions. Little things like this help ensure repeat customers at Walgreens."

Throughout your time interviewing for a pharmacist role with Walgreens, your interviewer will ask several questions about the customer aspect of the job. This question gives you the opportunity to define what great customer service looks like as a pharmacist within the organization.

With over 9,000 community locations nationwide, Walgreens prioritizes the service they provide to patients by getting them the medication and care that they need in a friendly, fast, and dependable manner. In your best words possible, you'll want to reiterate to your interviewer that excellent customer service as a pharmacist at Walgreens entails all three of those qualities and that you'll bring them to this job if hired.

What ultimately led you into a career as a pharmacist?

"My passion for pharmacy really started in high school with my love for sciences like chemistry and biology. It was my high school counselor that suggested shadowing a local pharmacist for experience and I did that the summer prior to my senior year of high school. Working with that pharmacist really gave me insight into the patient focus of the job and my mind was made up to ultimately pursue pharmacy school after my undergraduate program in biochemistry."

Your interviewer ideally wants to hire a pharmacist that is passionate about their work and about the field, because that ultimately reflects the best on the customers at Walgreens. In asking about the path that led you to become a pharmacist, your interviewer will be trying to gauge the passion you have for this career choice.

Think back to when you decided that a career path as a pharmacist was the right choice for you and speak with passion about what drew you to pursue this dream. Whether your pursuit of this career was determined by talking with a family friend or a love for science, your interviewer wants to hear that you still have a fire burning inside you for the work you will be doing as a pharmacist at Walgreens.

Explain why embracing diversity is important as a pharmacist at Walgreens.

"In a successful retail operation like Walgreens has, any customer is welcome and the same holds true in the pharmacy. I know that I'll be working closely with patients from many cultural backgrounds and my ability to provide education in an understandable manner is vital for people that may not grasp the drug they are being described or their instructions. In my current role, I feel very fortunate to work with a staff that are from many different cultural backgrounds. This helps enrich our work environment and spark great conversations and I'm looking forward to bringing this same open mindset to the Walgreens pharmacy team."

With advanced Diversity & Inclusion beliefs, Walgreens values the fact that diverse teams improve performance, drive growth and enhance engagement among their teams. As a pharmacist with the organization, you also have to embrace the fact that you will be working with a very culturally diverse base of customers. Your interviewer needs to be assured that you would join Walgreens with the ability to embrace diversity in all that you work with.

There are a couple of things you'll definitely want to highlight when asked to discuss embracing diversity at Walgreens. First, you'll want to talk about your ability to work as part of a diverse team in the pharmacy. If you have experience working among a diverse team of individuals, talk about the highlights of that experience. Then you'll want to discuss the diverse customer base that you'll be working closely with as a Walgreens pharmacist. To reiterate your ability to embrace, talk about the importance of cultural differences in the overall success of Walgreens as a whole.

What brings you the most joy in being a Pharmacist?

"Being a part of the patient's recovery is what I enjoy most about being a pharmacist. My love for science and helping others blended perfectly in my career and I've absolutely loved my time working hand in hand with patients in the retail setting over the last five years and see myself in this setting over the rest of my career."

Walgreens' vision to be America's most loved pharmacy-led company starts with customer service spread with joy. If they are seriously considering you to join as their next Pharmacist, your interviewer needs to be assured that you would find joy in pharmacy practice with Walgreens.

Show your passion for being a Pharmacist when answering this question. Steer clear of the financial reasons or flexible schedules. Tell the interviewer why you love the job. Tell them about your passion for helping people or that you want to work with state-of-the-art technology.

What are your long-term goals as a pharmacist and can Walgreens help you achieve these goals?

"My long-term goal is to be a leader, innovator, and educator in the pharmacy world and I know that Walgreens is a great place to help see this goal come true. If hired as your next pharmacist, you'll quickly see that my leadership skills are encompassed in my clinical knowledge, excellent communication skills, and great customer service attitude that I will bring to the Walgreens team."

Walgreens prioritizes hiring pharmacists that are highly motivated and goal-driven in their careers. This question is being asked to allow your interviewer to hear about your professional goals as a pharmacist. They also want to ensure that your goals closely align with a long-term career at Walgreens.

Keep these goals professional goals and not personal. Prior to your interview with Walgreens, put some thought into your long-term career goals. If you see yourself in a leadership position down the road, don't hesitate to talk about that goal and how you plan to get there.

Tell me about a time when you set a goal and achieved it.

"I have the privilege of working with a remarkable team of talented pharmacists, technicians, and interns. I learn from them all the time. But I also want to return the favor by sharing with them some of the unique things I have learned and offering them the opportunity to practice new skills and grow their careers. My goal has been to always be a great mentor to junior staff and other support staff and last year I was rewarded with my organization's Outstanding Educator award."

As a pharmacist with Walgreens, you will be an integral part of helping the company play an important part in the health and wellness of the community they serve. Your interviewer wants to hear that you would be a goal-oriented pharmacist if they were to offer you the position.

As a pharmacist, you've determined that you are more productive when you sent your own goals versus when goals are handed down to you from above. Tell the interviewer about any personal service, or staff development goals you have set for yourself and achieved in the past. If you are a new graduate, it certainly is okay to discuss a goal you set and achieved during your academic career.

How will you help make a difference in the personal care for our customers here at Walgreens?

"My dream of becoming a pharmacist really stemmed from my love for science coupled with a mission to serve others. As a pharmacist with Walgreens, service with a smile and warm heart would be at the top of my mind with each customer interaction. They deserve a friendly and helping hand no matter what situation they are in and I'm excited to help bring that to your team and customers each and every day."

In a retail pharmacy like Walgreens, success comes down to treating the customers right so they are returning customers again in the future. Because their focus is so customer-centric, your interviewer needs to ensure that any pharmacist they hire to join their team has a sharp focus on providing the best-personalized customer service to any individual that uses their pharmacy.

Getting a simple thank you from a patient could be all you need to know that you are making a difference in your patients' lives. Tell the interviewer about any positive feedback you may have received when you made the right call. You could also share a story about a time when you worked directly with medical staff and monitored the patient's progress based on a change that you made in their medication.

How do you continue to stay educated in the pharmacy field?

"I regularly participate in the NABP live webinars and home study sessions. During the pandemic, I really took advantage of some great sessions. As a member of the APhA, I subscribe to the pharmacy Today publication and have attended the annual meeting many times throughout my career. I love the ability to network with other pharmacy professionals throughout the country on a regular basis."

As a pharmacist, you have to complete continuing pharmacy education to maintain your professional competencies as well as your state CPE requirements. Walgreens needs to be confident that any pharmacist they bring aboard maintains a focus on being at the forefront of new breakthroughs in the field that they can bring to their pharmacy.

Tell the interviewer about home study CPE activities, live activities, and other training programs you have attended to keep your certification current. Go ahead and tell the interviewer about the course or workshop you attended that you enjoyed and learned from.

Do you have any questions for me about this Walgreens pharmacist role?

"As someone who is looking for an organization where I can spend the remainder of my career, I'm curious what has kept you at Walgreens for so many years? Also, I'd love to hear you speak more on the team dynamics of your current group of pharmacists."

During your interview with the Walgreens pharmacy, your interviewer will obviously be looking to get to know you, your skills, your work ethic, and your drive as a Pharmacist to gauge your fit on their team. They also want to ensure that the proverbial shoe fits you as well, so they will open up the floor for questions from you to ensure that you don't walk away from the interview with any questions unanswered.

ALWAYS have a few questions prepared to ask the interviewer. Having questions for the interviewer shows them that you are genuinely interested in the position and not just floating your resume. Feel free to take notes on the answers that the interviewer gives you and don't hesitate to ask some well-researched questions on Walgreens as an organization to better gauge your fit there.

Walgreens conducts criminal background checks and drug screens on all of our pharmacists. Is there anything you would like to disclose at this time if you were offered this role?

"I am happy to comply with any background check required as my record is clean. I do not participate in drug use, either. You can be assured that if I were the join the Walgreens Pharmacy team, I will maintain a clean record."

Walgreens needs to be very cautious about who they hire for obvious reasons. There is a chance that much of the information you will access could be confidential and dangerous if put into the wrong hands. You will be working with the public and in the pharmacy with controlled substances. Assure the interviewer that you are most willing to comply with any form of background check they require.

As with any interview question, you want to focus on being completely honest in your response. As embarrassing as it may be, if you do not think you will pass the drug test or have a criminal background, you need to let the interviewer know that now. If passing the drug test will not be an issue and you do not have a criminal history, assure the interviewer that you will have no problem passing both checks.

After reading the job description and learning more today about being a pharmacist at Walgreens, what excites you the most about this position?

"There are many aspects of the job description that were appealing to me and drove me to apply to become your next pharmacist. What I like most about this position is being in a community setting and being able to build long-lasting relationships with your customers. I love the face-to-face interaction with those that my work is most impacting and I've really been lacking this interaction in my current role for the past six years."

The interviewer asks this question to see that you have read the job description in its entirety and determine what aspect of the role you like the most. Most Walgreens job postings have many key responsibilities you will be asked to perform. The interviewer wants to know what you like the most to see where your strengths lie.

Focus on describing what you like most about the job and provide your reason why. For example, you might like that you will be working more closely now with customers compared to your previous role. Tell the interviewer why this particular job duty at Walgreens excites you.

Do you have any leadership experience that you would bring to our Walgreens Pharmacy team?

"I have not had the opportunity to serve informal leadership role. But last year, I was asked to lead a group on quality improvement and I really relished that opportunity. I'm confident that my knowledge and five years of experience have prepared me to step up and take the lead whenever necessary here at Walgreens."

At Walgreens, the pharmacist staff is relied upon to lead the rest of the pharmacy support staff. While your interview can see any formal leadership experiences you have had in the past on your resume, they want to hear you talk firsthand about that experience.

As a pharmacist at Walgreens, you will have the opportunity to lead and direct others. Tell the interviewer about your ability to train others, take the initiative to solve problems, and listen to clients and other staff members. If you feel your leadership experience is limited on your resume, reflect on your education and your interactions with customers and coworkers in your previous roles. Your willingness to take the lead shows you are a strong leader.

Do you have any salary expectations if you were to be offered our pharmacist role?

"First and foremost, this career move for me isn't based on salary. I'm looking to practice with a reputable company like Walgreens. I currently am salaried at $105,000 annually and of course, I would consider an entire benefits package as part of any offer I were lucky enough to receive."

If you are in competition with others for the pharmacist position at Walgreens, your interviewer needs to consider who they can afford if there is a tough decision for them following the interview process. This question allows your interviewer to gauge if their salary structure meets your needs.

To prepare for this interview question, do your homework and find out what the average salary is at Walgreens for their pharmacist. Remember this is just the first interview and you haven't been offered the job yet. The first interview is not the time to enter negotiations. Go ahead and give a broad salary range without selling yourself short. You want to be honest with both yourself and your interviewer as you answer while not pricing yourself out of the role.

If you felt a Walgreens customer was using prescribed drugs for the wrong reasons, what would you do?

"As a pharmacist, I find myself phoning physicians to verify patient diagnoses to ensure they are using their medications correctly. Keeping the physician informed of the patient's usage is one of the ways that I monitor medication usage."

As a pharmacist at Walgreens, one of your many jobs is to track patient compliance and usage of medication and maintain communication with prescribing physicians. Your interviewer needs to be assured that you would take all necessary steps to ensure that Walgreens isn't helping in the abuse of any prescription of drugs in their community.

Tell the interviewer that you would make time to do the research to track the patient's usage over the last year to determine if there was a trend of abuse. You would work with the physician to inform them of the situation so they could take action on their end as well as discontinue dispensing on yours.

How would you handle an irate customer that was yelling at you as a Pharmacist at Walgreens?

"When I've had patients yell at me, I just listen. Most times I've found that they are just upset with the situation and not at me. Once I'm able to hear their concern, I can usually help them with the problem and make them happy. If I were ever in a situation that was getting out of hand here at Walgreens, I would make sure security was called back right away to remove the patient."

Many times, a retail pharmacy like Walgreens is the last stop for sick patients. Patients may have been in a medical facility for hours at times and they are ready to go home, not ready to sit in your lobby and wait even longer. Your interviewer wants to know that you can handle Walgreens' most difficult customers with ease and professionalism.

Tell the interviewer how you would handle an upset patient. You want to make sure your interviewer understands that you would join the Walgreens Pharmacy with the ability to read these situations and act appropriately. If a customer was simply upset at a waiting time, talk through how you would deescalate the situation quickly by talking to the customer. If a customer was becoming emotionally angry with no end in sight, talk about how you would ensure that security was called immediately.

Talk about a time when you had too many things to do, and you were required to prioritize your tasks. How did you navigate that situation?

"A couple of months ago, we had the perfect storm of a tech calling in sick, a bi-weekly delivery of medication arriving, and a very busy late afternoon of customers that were down sick with a bug going around. In my book, customer service is always priority one so our minimal team made sure they were always the top priority. When we saw downtime, I grabbed the bull by the horns and directed our other staff on the other items to do. As the end of the day was nearing, we prioritized ensuring that any product that was nearing being out of stock on our supply shelves be restocked and we left the rest for the day shift crew to handle in the morning."

In looking to join the Walgreens Pharmacy staff as their next pharmacist, you have realized that working for one of the largest retail pharmacies will come with times that are very busy. Your interviewer poses this question to see how you handle situations where you have many to-do's on your list.

When answering this question, go ahead and walk the interviewer through your process of prioritizing and why it works for you. In your example, describe the situation, the resources you used to stay on track, and the final result. Some things to highlight are your ability to be resourceful and communicate with your leader and colleagues. In the end, you want to describe how you manage time frames and explain why your system of prioritization works.

Talk about a difficult work experience you had recently. What did you learn from that situation that you can bring to our pharmacy team at Walgreens?

"I had a technician that provided horrible customer service one day a few months ago and we had a very upset customer. I was able to pull her off the line and have her take a break. After talking with the customer and apologizing, I joined her in the break room and asked her if she was doing ok. She appreciated me talking to her and not making a scene on the line about her attitude. That day I learned to take a different approach to my employee's reactions when they are having a bad day."

A large retail pharmacy like Walgreens can get hectic at times, and for many reasons. Your interviewer asks a question like this to ensure that any pharmacist they hire to join Walgreens comes with the ability to handle difficult situations with ease.

The most important part of answering this question will be telling the interviewer what you learned from the situation. Take time to quickly lay out the situation you encountered and then walk through how you handled it with class. Let the interviewer know that you aren't afraid to seek guidance from leaders if needed.

How would you handle a conflict with a supporting staff member of our Walgreens pharmacy?

"I had a situation with a Pharmacy Tech who had handed out wrong prescriptions to customers because he was in a rush to finish for the night. After professional discussion the following day when customers had left some pretty mad voicemails and I called to ensure they could return what we had given and get correct prescriptions, he may not have admitted guilt but he walked away and didn't raise his voice after I brought the error to his attention. Later that day, he came to apologize for working hastily the prior evening and wanted to do whatever he could to make things right for the customers impacted by his errors."

The interviewer is looking to see if you discuss a heated conflict with a co-worker. This question is being asked to see your overall frustration and level of temperament because you as the pharmacist need to be the glue that holds the ship together when things get tough on the job in the Walgreens Pharmacy.

Ideally, you want to discuss your ability to come to a resolution when don't see eye to eye with support staff and talk about how you lead the charge in finding a resolution. Instead of concentrating on the word conflict, think more about a miscommunication or disagreement and talk through how you walk through them. If you have an example of a time you managed a conflict with a pharmacy staff member successfully, be sure to talk about that situation.

Walgreens Pharmacist Interview Questions

Go Back

1. Unfortunately, our pharmacists have to handle upset customers at times. How well would you handle customer complaints here at Walgreens?
2. How do you go about balancing the busy work life of a pharmacist with your personal life?
3. If hired as our next pharmacist here at Walgreens, how would you build relationships from the start with your new colleagues?
4. What are ways that you will deal with the daily stress that comes with being a pharmacist here at Walgreens?
5. If we were to ask your current pharmacy colleagues how they would describe you, what would they say?
6. Describe a situation where you received constructive feedback on your work as a pharmacist.
7. Outside of vacation and holiday time, how many days were you absent from work last year?
8. What do you see as the most critical issues in pharmacy practice today?
9. Do you currently or have you in the past contributed to any organizations or groups outside of work?
10. Tell me about the most rewarding experience you have had working in a team environment. What made it so rewarding?
11. What do you feel is your top skill you would bring to this pharmacist role at Walgreens?
12. How do you stay organized on the job as a pharmacist?
13. If you weren't sitting with me, interviewing for this pharmacist position at Walgreens, where else would you be?
14. What is your communication style and how will this help benefit our pharmacy team here at Walgreens?
15. How would your patients or customers describe working directly with you?
16. If hired as our next Walgreens pharmacist, are you able to work varying shifts?
17. If you had to pinpoint one thing, what would you say you dislike the most about being a pharmacist?
18. Why do you feel you are the best candidate to be our next Walgreens pharmacist?
19. What is one thing you are currently working on to become a better pharmacist?
20. Why do you want to be a pharmacist at Walgreens?
21. How would you define great customer service here at the Walgreens pharmacy?
22. What ultimately led you into a career as a pharmacist?
23. Explain why embracing diversity is important as a pharmacist at Walgreens.
24. What brings you the most joy in being a Pharmacist?
25. What are your long-term goals as a pharmacist and can Walgreens help you achieve these goals?
26. Tell me about a time when you set a goal and achieved it.
27. How will you help make a difference in the personal care for our customers here at Walgreens?
28. How do you continue to stay educated in the pharmacy field?
29. Do you have any questions for me about this Walgreens pharmacist role?
30. Walgreens conducts criminal background checks and drug screens on all of our pharmacists. Is there anything you would like to disclose at this time if you were offered this role?
31. After reading the job description and learning more today about being a pharmacist at Walgreens, what excites you the most about this position?
32. Do you have any leadership experience that you would bring to our Walgreens Pharmacy team?
33. Do you have any salary expectations if you were to be offered our pharmacist role?
34. If you felt a Walgreens customer was using prescribed drugs for the wrong reasons, what would you do?
35. How would you handle an irate customer that was yelling at you as a Pharmacist at Walgreens?
36. Talk about a time when you had too many things to do, and you were required to prioritize your tasks. How did you navigate that situation?
37. Talk about a difficult work experience you had recently. What did you learn from that situation that you can bring to our pharmacy team at Walgreens?
38. How would you handle a conflict with a supporting staff member of our Walgreens pharmacy?

Walgreens Pharmacist Interview Questions

1. Unfortunately, our pharmacists have to handle upset customers at times. How well would you handle customer complaints here at Walgreens?

2. How do you go about balancing the busy work life of a pharmacist with your personal life?

3. If hired as our next pharmacist here at Walgreens, how would you build relationships from the start with your new colleagues?

4. What are ways that you will deal with the daily stress that comes with being a pharmacist here at Walgreens?

5. If we were to ask your current pharmacy colleagues how they would describe you, what would they say?

6. Describe a situation where you received constructive feedback on your work as a pharmacist.

7. Outside of vacation and holiday time, how many days were you absent from work last year?

8. What do you see as the most critical issues in pharmacy practice today?

9. Do you currently or have you in the past contributed to any organizations or groups outside of work?

10. Tell me about the most rewarding experience you have had working in a team environment. What made it so rewarding?

11. What do you feel is your top skill you would bring to this pharmacist role at Walgreens?

12. How do you stay organized on the job as a pharmacist?

13. If you weren't sitting with me, interviewing for this pharmacist position at Walgreens, where else would you be?

14. What is your communication style and how will this help benefit our pharmacy team here at Walgreens?

15. How would your patients or customers describe working directly with you?

16. If hired as our next Walgreens pharmacist, are you able to work varying shifts?

17. If you had to pinpoint one thing, what would you say you dislike the most about being a pharmacist?

18. Why do you feel you are the best candidate to be our next Walgreens pharmacist?

19. What is one thing you are currently working on to become a better pharmacist?

20. Why do you want to be a pharmacist at Walgreens?

21. How would you define great customer service here at the Walgreens pharmacy?

22. What ultimately led you into a career as a pharmacist?

23. Explain why embracing diversity is important as a pharmacist at Walgreens.

24. What brings you the most joy in being a Pharmacist?

25. What are your long-term goals as a pharmacist and can Walgreens help you achieve these goals?

26. Tell me about a time when you set a goal and achieved it.

27. How will you help make a difference in the personal care for our customers here at Walgreens?

28. How do you continue to stay educated in the pharmacy field?

29. Do you have any questions for me about this Walgreens pharmacist role?

30. Walgreens conducts criminal background checks and drug screens on all of our pharmacists. Is there anything you would like to disclose at this time if you were offered this role?

31. After reading the job description and learning more today about being a pharmacist at Walgreens, what excites you the most about this position?

32. Do you have any leadership experience that you would bring to our Walgreens Pharmacy team?

33. Do you have any salary expectations if you were to be offered our pharmacist role?

34. If you felt a Walgreens customer was using prescribed drugs for the wrong reasons, what would you do?

35. How would you handle an irate customer that was yelling at you as a Pharmacist at Walgreens?

36. Talk about a time when you had too many things to do, and you were required to prioritize your tasks. How did you navigate that situation?

37. Talk about a difficult work experience you had recently. What did you learn from that situation that you can bring to our pharmacy team at Walgreens?

38. How would you handle a conflict with a supporting staff member of our Walgreens pharmacy?