During my freshman year in high school, my science teacher assigned us to interview people in the community about how they use science in their careers. Although I don’t remember most of the people I spoke with, I can tell you that I spent meaningful time with a local community pharmacist who changed my life.
What I saw was a man who loved his career and truly cared for his patients. In an instant, I knew that I wanted to become a pharmacist, and I never wavered from that goal throughout high school.
Knowing what you want to be when you grow up at age 14 is unusual, but it is very liberating. I simply had to work backwards to figure out how to achieve my goal of becoming a pharmacist.
After high school, I chose to attend Ohio Northern University (ONU) because it had a unique pharmacy program. Rather than attending college for 2 years and then applying to the pharmacy program, ONU students were admitted to the College of Pharmacy from day one.
Although it was expensive, being in pharmacy school from day one and avoiding the risk of rejection made it worthwhile for me.
In college, I spent a lot of time in the library. Although the classwork was difficult, I did well with one exception: organic chemistry.
I did fail organic chemistry—a notorious “weed out” course—but I successfully retook the class over the summer and graduated on time with the rest of my classmates. Failing a course is a difficult stumbling block, but I stood strong and persevered.
Today, I’m thankful for the wonderful pharmacy profession for so many reasons.
First, I’m thankful that community pharmacists are the health care professionals most accessible to the public. If my local pharmacist wasn’t accessible to me, then I likely would have taken a different career path.
Second, I’m proud of the work we pharmacists do, the diversity of our career options, and the relationships we share with our patients and fellow health care providers.
Pharmacy is a profession that makes a real difference in people’s lives. It certainly has made all the difference in mine.
Roundups | Not Always Right Archives | Right | March 4, 2012
Introducing Weekend Roundups: each week, we’ll be featuring some of our favorite stories from the Not Always Right archives.
Kids Say The Awesomest Things! This week, we share five stories that show that kids are not only our best customers, but can be an employee’s best friend!
1.Ah, Children:
A misbehaving customer gets put in the time-out corner…by a toddler.
2.They Swim Where The Sun Doesn’t Shine:
When Blade meets The Little Mermaid, awesome ensues.
3.Making A Hug(e) Difference:
Every store needs a kid like this…seriously, can Not Always Right adopt this boy?
4.Vocabulary, Meet Veracity:
Proof that kids hear everything parents say.
5.They Grow Up Too Fast:
When the rubber hits the road, Ultimate Driving Machines come in all sizes.
Tour Guide | Seattle, WA, USA | Right | March 5, 2012
(I’m in the middle of sharing interesting facts about Seattle to a group of 20. Unfortunately, one tourist has been talking on the phone the entire time, making it hard for others to hear me.)
Me: “Now, back when the Space Needle was built, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River and it—”
Tourist: “Wait, which of these rivers is the Mississippi?”
Me: “Well, that’s the Puget sound to your right. The two other large bodies of water you can see are Lake Union and Lake Washington—”
Roundups | Not Always Right Archives | Right | March 4, 2012
Introducing Weekend Roundups: each week, we’ll be featuring some of our favorite stories from the Not Always Right archives.
Kids Say The Awesomest Things! This week, we share five stories that show that kids are not only our best customers, but can be an employee’s best friend!
1.Ah, Children:
A misbehaving customer gets put in the time-out corner…by a toddler.
2.They Swim Where The Sun Doesn’t Shine:
When Blade meets The Little Mermaid, awesome ensues.
3.Making A Hug(e) Difference:
Every store needs a kid like this…seriously, can Not Always Right adopt this boy?
4.Vocabulary, Meet Veracity:
Proof that kids hear everything parents say.
5.They Grow Up Too Fast:
When the rubber hits the road, Ultimate Driving Machines come in all sizes.
Pharmacy | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | Right | February 24, 2012
(We have a free self-use blood pressure machine in our pharmacy.)
Customer: “When are you going to fix your blood pressure machine?”
Pharmacist: “Excuse me?”
Customer: “Your blood pressure machine is broken. Every time I come in here, it doesn’t work! You should really take care of it. Lots of old people need to check their blood pressure, you know!”
Me: “Are you sure? I just filled the paper roll the other day. It was working fine.”
Customer: “No, it’s not! I’ve been trying to use it for days. It’s not working. You should really take care of it!”
(I take a look at the machine and try to troubleshoot the problem. I sit in the seat, roll up my sleeve, put it in the cuff, and push the big green “Start” button. The cuff inflates normally.)
Customer: “You mean you’re suppose to push that button?!”
Fast Food, Gun Store, Pharmacy, Tech Support | Not Always Right Archives | Right | February 19, 2012
Introducing Weekend Roundups: each week, we’ll be featuring some of our favorite stories from the Not Always Right archives.
Don’t Mess With Employees! This week, we feature five stories that teach misbehaving customers the consequences of messing with employees.
1.In Real Hot Sauce Now:
A young teenage employee decides her dignity is worth more than £3.71 and dealing with a cowardly manager.
2.A Good Ol’ Fashioned A** Whoopin’:
A customer tries to rough up an employee, but ends up getting roughed up by the manager instead.
3.Hard Drugs And Harder Pharmacists:
Teenage robber, meet Doug. Doug is our new pharmacy tech. Doug is also built like a fridge.
4.Who’s Got The Power Now:
Tech support is happy to support your technology. Supporting your potty mouth, not so much.
5.Your Prank Got Spanked:
A prank caller picks the wrong, well-armed store to call.
Pharmacy | Maple Grove, MN, USA | Working | May 22, 2012
(At the pharmacy where I work, I do a lot of training of new employees. This day’s trainee is particularly slow on the uptake.)
Me: *to new employee* “Now, when the customer pays in cash and just hands you a bill, you should repeat back to them how much they gave you. For example, when a customer gives you a $20 bill, you say, ‘Out of $20,’ as you make change.”
(This is a technique to help avoid after-the-fact disputes about the denomination of the bills customers hand over.)
New Employee: “Got it.”
(The customer walks up and pays cash, handing him a $20. The new employee says nothing.)
Me: *to new employee* “What are you forgetting?”
New Employee: “Um…”
Me: “Say the amount they gave you.”
New Employee: “Oh, right…”
(The next three customers all pay cash, and as they each fork over a crisp clean $20 bill, the new employee performs flawlessly, verifying that it is indeed “Out of $20” with each transaction. I think he’s finally gotten it down until the fourth customer.)
(I work at a pharmacy and we are very busy, causing a few customers having to wait. The last woman in line finally steps up.)
Me: “I apologize for your wait. How can I help you?”
Customer: “Does your name tag say your name is Kat?”
Me: “Yes, ma’am, how can I help you?”
Customer: “Did you have some crazy new age parents or something? Why would they name you after an animal? That’s just dumb! You should have a good sturdy name, like mine!”
Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but what can I help you with?”
Customer: “I need a refill.”
Me: “Of course. Can I get your date of birth?”
Customer: *gives me her date of birth* “And the prescription is under Birdie.”
Me: “Okay, it’s put in and will be ready in 15 minutes.”
Customer: “Thank you. I’m sorry you have such a foolish name.”
Pharmacist: “Did that woman just tell you your name was foolish and complain about people with “animal” names?”
Drug Store, Pharmacy | Omaha, NE, USA | Right | March 30, 2012
(Our store regularly runs a promotion on the various vitamin brands for ‘BOGO’, buy 1, get 1 free. A customer comes up to the register with a bottle of a brand on the BOGO promotion. I am also an avid couponer and I regularly take in coupons for items we carry that I won’t use so that I can give them to customers.)
Me: “Sir, I see you’re buying a [brand] item. This week we currently have this whole line at Buy One, Get One Free. If you do get another one, I also have a coupon I can give you which is good for $2 off two items. So instead of getting one for $9.99 you can get 2 for eight bucks and change.”
Customer: *quite angrily* “What the h*** is wrong with you people? I just want my vitamins. Why are you always trying to push me to buy extra stuff and give you more money!?”
Me: “I’m…sir, I apologize. I probably wasn’t clear you’ll get twice as many vitamins and spend two dollars less—”
Customer: “Oh f*** this. You’re all scam artists!” *storms off without paying*
Pharmacy | Salt Lake City, UT, USA | Right | June 20, 2012
(Pharmacy law in Utah says that it’s up to the pharmacist’s discretion if they want to sell insulin needles/syringes without a prescription. Our store has the policy that the patient either has to have a prescription for the syringes or for an injectable medication on file.)
Customer: “I need to get some syringes.”
Me: “Okay, I need your name so I can look up the prescription.”
Customer: “Actually, they’re not for me. They’re for my mom.”
Me: “Okay, what’s her name?”
Customer: “Well, not my mom. My best friend’s mom who’s like a mom to me.”
Pharmacy | Salt Lake City, UT, USA | Right | June 19, 2012
(I’m at work on a Saturday with a clerk and a pharmacist. I notice the clerk speaking with an elderly woman out front but don’t think much of it. A few minutes later, the clerk comes back with a strange expression on her face and tells me I have to go help the woman.)
Me: “What can I help you with?”
Customer: “I’m looking for a vibrator.”
Me: “A…vibrator?”
Customer: “Yes. I had one, but I used it too much and it wore out.”
Me: “I don’t think we have anything like that. Where did you buy the first one?”
Customer: “At another pharmacy, but I want one with a long handle so it can reach better.”
(At this point I’m biting the inside of my cheek in an effort not to laugh.)
Me: “What kind of vibrator are you looking for, exactly?”
Customer: “You know! One of those that rub your feet!”
Me: “OH! Sorry, we don’t have anything like that.”
Pharmacy | Salt Lake City, UT, USA | Right | June 15, 2012
(It is a very windy day during summer, and a power line has blown over in the field behind our store.)
Me: “Hello, [pharmacy] how may I help you?”
Customer: “I need to see if you have [hemorrhoid cream] in stock.”
Me: “Alright, let me check…”
(At this point, I put him on hold to check our stock when a fireman walks in. He tells us they are evacuating all the buildings in the area, and that we have 5 minutes to get out. I go back to pick up the phone so the customer isn’t on hold forever.)
Me: “Sir, we do have it in stock. However, I can’t help you right now. I’m being told to evacuate the building.”
Customer: “Does it have aloe vera in it?”
Me: “I don’t know. As I said, I need to hang up. Please call back tomorrow.”
Customer: “Can you see if you can order it for me?”
Me: “Sir, there is a field fire right behind the pharmacy and I really can’t answer your questions right now. I was told by the fire department to evacuate. Please, call back another time.”
Customer: “Well, fine then. I’ll just get it somewhere else!” *hangs up*
Me: “So, your total is going to be of 30 thousand colones (60 USD). Here you go, and have a nice day.”
Customer: “Oh, you’re so nice. Thank you, too. I was wondering if you could do something else for me?”
Me: “Sure, what is it?”
Customer: “I was told at my church that they needed more members, and I was asked to bring a few. Would you mind to come?”
Me: “Well, I apologize, but I wouldn’t like to.”
Customer: *gets defensive* “Why? Don’t tell me you think we’re all cultists that don’t care about God!”
Me: “I’m sure you’re not, but I don’t want to go.”
Customer: “Why the h*** not, then? I already told you we’re nice people, so why don’t you go?!”
Me: “Ma’am, if I offended you I apologize, however I don’t want to go. It’s not because you’re nice people or not; it’s because I’m an atheist.”
Customer: “So, you don’t believe in God, is that it? Well, f*** you! You’re going to Hell! What are you going to tell me next, that you’re a f***ing queer?”
Me: “In fact, I am a homosexual, but—”
Customer: “That’s all I needed to know! Being gay is a sin!”
Me: “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Customer: “F*** no! You’re kicking me out because I’m a Christian! That’s illegal, and it’s bulls***!”
(At this point, a man behind her speaks up. Note that he is a police officer in full uniform.)
Officer: “No, he’s kicking you because you already paid and you’re disturbing the peace. So, I’m going to give you my recommendation: Leave now, or I’ll arrest you.”
Customer: *suddenly pales and leaves without saying a word*
Me: “Thank you very much, Officer. Now, how may I help you?”
Officer: “Actually I didn’t need anything. I was just patrolling when I heard the conflict. However, now that you mention it…” *he blushes a little* “…I need to ask, would you go out in a date with me?”
Me: “…Of course!”
(The officer and I have now dating for nearly half a year.)
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