CVS Health redesigned its LearnRx Pharmacy Technician Training Program to boost retail patient medication adherence.
At the beginning of the training program’s redesign, a training summit was held, drawing together leaders from stores, field, HR, operations, and regulatory sectors. This cross-collaborative effort examined both internal practices and industry standards and provided essential insights and feedback to shape the overall strategy of the new program, which trains new hire pharmacy technicians in CVS retail stores.
Program Details
The redesigned LearnRx Pharmacy Technician Training Program pivoted from traditional formal learning methods to a microlearning approach complemented by immediate practical application. It employs concise learning segments for better comprehension and retention, starting with instructional videos, progressing to shadowing experienced coaches, and culminating in hands-on patient practice.
Crucial to the program’s effectiveness are the LearnRx coaches—experts in both the program’s content and coaching techniques. They offer immediate feedback, address questions, and assist with challenges, facilitating the development of skilled technicians ready to provide high-quality care.
The program’s enhancement included the development of a sophisticated measurement dashboard, offering a comprehensive view of performance across all levels. This tool provided real-time data on the progress of colleagues across approximately 9,000 locations, enabling field and HR leaders to quickly identify and address any deviations from the expected trajectory with prompt corrective actions.
Training is reinforced through manager evaluations. Thirty days post-training completion, managers use a defined rubric to assess their colleagues’ ability to engage, influence, educate, and assist patients. Tailored mitigation plans are developed when needed, aimed at improving performance and patient adherence rates.
All existing colleagues, regardless of level of tenure, can refresh their learning by accessing role-specific learning content. Short, focused videos are available to continually upskill the experienced technician workforce beyond their initial onboarding.
Results
The revamped LearnRx program has significantly reduced the time required for new hires to complete their training—three times faster than the previous program.
As of 2024, 80 percent of managers of LearnRx participants reported that technicians are exhibiting the desired behaviors in their roles, contributing to increased medication adherence among CVS Health patients.As a result, LearnRx surpassed its goal of enhancing retail patient medication adherence with an improvement of 54 percent and counting.
Encouraged by LearnRx’s success, CVS Health applied the same training strategy to the redesign of its front-store training program, which launched in 2024 as Learn Front Store (LearnFS). It adopted the same microlearning and in-store training approach, ensuring consistency in training methodology across different segments of the workforce.
