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.
Bad Behavior, Children, Pharmacy, USA, Wild & Unruly | Right | September 21, 2017
(Around the holidays, the tension is really high for people to get their prescriptions on time before going on vacation, so the pharmacy area is packed with close to forty people. I overhear this exchange as I’m ringing up a customer with an especially rude son.)
Me: “That will be $4.50, please.”
Customer: *digs in her purse for her wallet*
Customer’s Son: “Geez, stupid b****. Can’t you hurry up!? I want to go home, now!”
(A lady a few people back snaps her head towards him with a face that is the essence of “Oh, HELL no!”)
Customer’s Son: “God, Mom. Every time we go somewhere, it takes you for-f***ing-ever!”
(The lady a few people back is now breathing very loudly through her nose.)
Customer: “Sweetie, if you wait a minute, we can go get you a burger.”
Customer’s Son: “You bet like hell you are.” *points finger in her face* “You owe me big, woman. I could have been home hours ago out of this s*** heap with you. I’m bored out of my f***ing skull.”
(The lady a few people back is now looking anywhere but at the teenager, shaking her head violently, tapping the side of her purse, and muttering, “Mm-mm, mm-mmmm,” to herself.)
Customer: “Okay, look, honey. We’re done.”
Customer’s Son: “ABOUT D*** TIME, B****!”
(The customer and her son just pass around the corner, when the lady a few people back suddenly swings around, grabs both her teenage sons with one hand, and starts hitting them both with her purse.)
(Some people are staring open-mouthed, others are cheering her on, but I am face-down on the counter, laughing hysterically. When it is the lady’s turn, I am still choking down tears.)
Me: “Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?”
Lady: “You’re laughing, but I’ll do the same to you if I ever hear you talking like that.”
Me: “Yes, ma’am. You’re a great woman.”
Lady: “That’s because I was taught how to respect my parents.”
(Faith in humanity restored. Thank you, purse lady!)
Movies & TV, Pharmacy, USA | Right | September 14, 2017
(I work as a pharmacy technician and, as part of verifying a patient’s identity, I ask them to verify the address we have on file. A man with three rows of skulls tattooed on his forearm is picking up for someone else.)
Me: “Can you verify the address?”
Customer: “[Street number], uh, gosh, it’s the snowman from that Frozen movie!”
(The street was Olaf. I laughed and sold him the prescription.)
Coventry, Pharmacy | Unfiltered | September 8, 2017
Unfortunately, the postcode of where I live doesn’t always show up correctly with all the auto-address fill-in databases in common use. I live on a small private road (let’s call it Minor Avenue) just off a main road (let’s call it Main Road). My address is 6 Minor Avenue, Main Road, Coventry, Postcode. Some databases have it as 6 Main Road, Coventry, which does not exist. Where there should be a building is actually an open plot of land sometimes used as a temporary car park.
When I give my details over the phone, I always double check the person filling in the details has the correct information.
A few months ago, I wasn’t very well, and could foresee me needing a lot of medicine. As such, it was necessary to buy myself a pre-payment prescription card, which I did at the pharmacy. It was them that contacted the company that issues the cards, rather than me, by using their website.
Two weeks later, and I still hadn’t received my card through the post, so I rang up the prepayment people. My card had been dispatched, and when the person I was talking to double checked the details, he saw the problem and burst out laughing.
Him: I see the problem – your card has been sent to the address 6 Coventry. That was all they put!
Pennsylvania, Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, USA | Healthy | October 25, 2017
(I am a pharmacy technician, not qualified to recommend drugs or dispense advice. Any questions about actual medicine, I am required to pass off to a pharmacist, even if I think I know the answer.)
Me: “Hello, how may I help you?”
Customer: *mumbling* “Um, I think I—” *mumbles* “—contact with bleach…”
Me: “I’m sorry, what? Could you repeat that?”
Customer: “I think I might have swallowed some bleach and was wondering if the pharmacist could recommend anything.”
Me: *trying not to look alarmed* “Well, if I were you, I would call the Poison Control Center, but I’ll check with the pharmacist.”
(I go back to the counter where the pharmacist is working.)
Me: “This guy says he might have ingested bleach and wants to know if you can recommend anything. I told him he should call the Poison Control Center.”
Pharmacist: “Yeah, that’s about it.”
(I go up to the front counter and repeat this advice to the customer.)
Customer: “Well, I drank some fluids and I’m feeling better now. I had some [soda], and some water, and some lemonade. My chest was hurting before but now it’s better. Do you know if bleach can make your chest hurt?”
Me: “Um… probably. If you swallowed bleach, it could hurt on the way down. You should probably call the Poison Control Center.”
Customer: “Eh, maybe I’ll call them tomorrow. If I’m not feeling better then, I can go to the emergency room, too.”
Me: “I would call them tonight if I were you, just to be safe. Do you want their number?”
(I write it down on the nearest piece of paper and hand it to him.)
Customer: “Yeah, thanks. I might call them tomorrow.”
(He wanders away, but comes back later. My coworker is an intern, studying to become a pharmacist, and gets to the counter first. I overhear their conversation.)
Customer: “I was wondering about water pills. What do they do?”
Coworker: “Um, they make you urinate.”
Customer: “Can I get some of those?”
Coworker: *realizing why he’s asking* “They don’t flush out your system; they’re used to lower blood pressure. And you would need a prescription.”
Customer: “Can I get one of those?”
Coworker: *bewildered* “We don’t give prescriptions here; we just fill them. You would need to go to a doctor.”
(The customer wanders away, apparently still confused about a lot of things.)
Me: “I hope he’s going to be okay.”
Pharmacist: “If he had really swallowed bleach, his throat would be burned. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but there’s nothing else we can do.”
Extra Stupid, Jerk, Money, Pennsylvania, Pharmacy, USA | Right | October 17, 2017
(Our chain has implemented a “roundup” feature; customers are asked if they want to round their total up to the nearest dollar, with the extra cents being donated to a children’s charity. The outcome means that it is impossible for the donation to ever be more than 99 cents.)
Customer: “What’s this prompt asking me?”
Me: “It’s asking if you want to round the total of your purchase up to the next dollar, and donate the extra to charity.”
(The customer hits yes before proceeding with her question.)
Customer: “Oh, now I remember. I think I donated two or three dollars with it the last time I was here. How much is it this time?”
Me: “Less than a dollar, ma’am.”
(The transaction proceeds normally, until we finally reach the end.)
Me: “All right, your total is $28.00.”
Customer: “It’s how much? Oh, no. That can’t be right!”
(She begins rummaging around in her wallet, still thinking aloud.)
Customer: “I’m sure I added everything up correctly, but I didn’t bring enough for that with me… Wait, I know! It was that donation! How much did you say it was?”
Me: “Less than a dollar?”
Customer: “Well, take it off. I’m sorry; I didn’t realize it was going to be so much.”
(I go ahead and cancel it, displaying her new total without the rounding.)
Me: “All right, your total is… $27.95, ma’am.”
(The customer promptly pulled out $28 in cash, and I handed her the nickel in change.)
New York, Pharmacy, Retail, USA | Unfiltered | October 11, 2017
(Certain Allergy medicines have to be purchased back in the pharmacy due to New York State law. You can get a script for them, but most people just buy it over the counter. At this time, Allegra-D 24 hr is completely unavailable.)
Customer: “I need to get Allegra-D 24-hour for my daughter.”
Cashier: “I’m sorry, but it’s currently unavailable right now. All we have is the 12 hour.”
Customer: “Really? You don’t have any?”
Cashier: “Yes. I’m sorry.”
Customer: “What is my daughter going to do? She needs it!”
(The Cashier shrugs sympathetically. The customer starts to walk away, but turns around.)
Customer: “If I call her doctor and get a script for it, will you have the Allegra-D ready for her then?”
California, Pharmacy, USA | Unfiltered | October 10, 2017
(I am around eight months pregnant, well into my last trimester and am dealing with a bad cold. Needless to say, I am miserable. I go to my doctor and she prescribes me pseudo-ephedrine. I go downstairs with my husband to the pharmacy. I give my prescription to the pharmacist.)
Pharmacist: “I can’t give this to you.”
Me: “Why?”
Pharmacist: “Because you are pregnant.”
Me: “But the doctor prescribed it to me. I am sick and can’t get any relief from [popular brand].”
Pharmacist: “I am sorry but I can’t give you something that might cause you to miscarry.”
(My husband at this point is getting fed up and goes upstairs to talk with the doctor. I continue to argue with the pharmacist who keeps on insisting the doctor didn’t give me the right prescription. He pulls down this War and Peace book of pharmaceuticals. He flips to the section showing the medication we have been arguing about.)
Pharmacist: “See, read right here.”
(He helps another customer while I read the section. When he gets finished, I flag him over.)
Me: “It says right here that it is dangerous for woman who are in the first trimester, not their third which I am in. Please, can I have my medication?”
(He reads the book and agrees with me.)
Pharmacist: “Sorry about that, I didn’t read this section. I’ll call you up when it is ready.”
Me: “Thank you.”
(I go and sit down to wait for it and my husband who has yet to come back from talking with the doctor. He finally hands me my prescription and I sit down to wait for my husband. My son is seven now but I still remember that pharmacist who had good intentions but didn’t take into account that his timing was way off and that the doctor approved prescription.
California, Extra Stupid, Ignoring & Inattentive, Money, Pharmacy, USA | Right | September 25, 2017
(I work at a pharmacy where patients are asked to give their signature for insurance purposes, indicating that they have picked up their prescriptions, before they make their payment. Here is the basic conversation, all day, every day, at the pick-up counter.)
Cashier: “Before you swipe your card, can you please press ‘next’ on the screen and sign that you are picking up your medications?”
Customer: “Okay!” *swipes card anyway, then presses ‘next’ and signs*
Cashier: *annoyed* “Okay, you can slide your card now.”
Customer: *angry* “I already slid my card!”
Cashier: *rolls eyes* “Yes, but as I was saying, you need to press ‘next’ and sign first, and then slide your card. If you slide before signing, the terminal will not read your card.”
Customer: “Oh, okay! Well, I hope I don’t get charged twice!”
Cashier: *even more annoyed* “You won’t; trust me.”
(Customer slides card.)
Cashier: “Okay, now I need your signature for the purchase.”
Bad Behavior, Children, Pharmacy, USA, Wild & Unruly | Right | September 21, 2017
(Around the holidays, the tension is really high for people to get their prescriptions on time before going on vacation, so the pharmacy area is packed with close to forty people. I overhear this exchange as I’m ringing up a customer with an especially rude son.)
Me: “That will be $4.50, please.”
Customer: *digs in her purse for her wallet*
Customer’s Son: “Geez, stupid b****. Can’t you hurry up!? I want to go home, now!”
(A lady a few people back snaps her head towards him with a face that is the essence of “Oh, HELL no!”)
Customer’s Son: “God, Mom. Every time we go somewhere, it takes you for-f***ing-ever!”
(The lady a few people back is now breathing very loudly through her nose.)
Customer: “Sweetie, if you wait a minute, we can go get you a burger.”
Customer’s Son: “You bet like hell you are.” *points finger in her face* “You owe me big, woman. I could have been home hours ago out of this s*** heap with you. I’m bored out of my f***ing skull.”
(The lady a few people back is now looking anywhere but at the teenager, shaking her head violently, tapping the side of her purse, and muttering, “Mm-mm, mm-mmmm,” to herself.)
Customer: “Okay, look, honey. We’re done.”
Customer’s Son: “ABOUT D*** TIME, B****!”
(The customer and her son just pass around the corner, when the lady a few people back suddenly swings around, grabs both her teenage sons with one hand, and starts hitting them both with her purse.)
(Some people are staring open-mouthed, others are cheering her on, but I am face-down on the counter, laughing hysterically. When it is the lady’s turn, I am still choking down tears.)
Me: “Yes, ma’am. How can I help you?”
Lady: “You’re laughing, but I’ll do the same to you if I ever hear you talking like that.”
Me: “Yes, ma’am. You’re a great woman.”
Lady: “That’s because I was taught how to respect my parents.”
(Faith in humanity restored. Thank you, purse lady!)
Movies & TV, Pharmacy, USA | Right | September 14, 2017
(I work as a pharmacy technician and, as part of verifying a patient’s identity, I ask them to verify the address we have on file. A man with three rows of skulls tattooed on his forearm is picking up for someone else.)
Me: “Can you verify the address?”
Customer: “[Street number], uh, gosh, it’s the snowman from that Frozen movie!”
(The street was Olaf. I laughed and sold him the prescription.)
Coventry, Pharmacy | Unfiltered | September 8, 2017
Unfortunately, the postcode of where I live doesn’t always show up correctly with all the auto-address fill-in databases in common use. I live on a small private road (let’s call it Minor Avenue) just off a main road (let’s call it Main Road). My address is 6 Minor Avenue, Main Road, Coventry, Postcode. Some databases have it as 6 Main Road, Coventry, which does not exist. Where there should be a building is actually an open plot of land sometimes used as a temporary car park.
When I give my details over the phone, I always double check the person filling in the details has the correct information.
A few months ago, I wasn’t very well, and could foresee me needing a lot of medicine. As such, it was necessary to buy myself a pre-payment prescription card, which I did at the pharmacy. It was them that contacted the company that issues the cards, rather than me, by using their website.
Two weeks later, and I still hadn’t received my card through the post, so I rang up the prepayment people. My card had been dispatched, and when the person I was talking to double checked the details, he saw the problem and burst out laughing.
Him: I see the problem – your card has been sent to the address 6 Coventry. That was all they put!
British Columbia, Canada, Pharmacy | Unfiltered | August 21, 2017
I drop off a prescription at the pharmacy counter.
Pharmacist: We’re pretty busy. Do you want to wait or come back in about an hour?
Me: I have some other errands to run. I’ll come back around 1:30.
Pharmacist: That should be fine.
I come back about 1:40. The woman ahead of me in line at the pick-up counter is obviously angry and snarking at the shy young pharmacist. Eventually she steams off.
Me: Hi, do you have a prescription ready for (my name)?
Pharmacist: I’m so sorry. We’ve been really busy. It will probably be another 15 minutes or so. Would you like us to deliver it to your home?
Me: Oh, no. That’s fine. I’ll just run over to (supermarket) and come back.
About 20 minutes later:
Pharmacist: We’re just getting your order together. Do you mind having a seat for a couple of minutes?
Me: No problem.
A few minutes later, she calls me up to get my prescription.
Pharmacist: Thank you so much for being so patient. I’ve already had two people yell at me today.
Me: No problem. It’s not like it was your fault.
Pharmacist: They don’t seem to care about that. Thank you so much again.
Hilliard, Ohio, Parents/Guardians, Pharmacy, Retail, USA | Related | August 9, 2017
(I’m pregnant and recently started showing, which has lead to many comments from customers. Also, the pregnancy has lead me to make lots of silly mistakes which I largely blame on pregnancy brain.)
Me: “Sorry about that. My daughter stole my brain cells and she won’t give them back.”
Customer: “I’m sure she’ll give them back eventually. I feel like I’ve just started to get back some brain power from my daughter.”
Pharmacy | Dallas, TX, USA | Right | August 3, 2017
(I am a customer in this story, and was in the process of picking up a few prescriptions. I grabbed a small, much-needed item as well to be wrung up.)
Me: *places item on the counter* “Is it all right if I add this to the purchase? If it’s too much trouble I can take it to the front registers.”
Pharmacist: “Nah. This is one tiny item that can fit into the prescription bag. You wouldn’t believe how much people try to pack their cart at pick-up to avoid the line. We don’t have the bags or the means to properly checkout full loads back here.”
(As if on cue, a woman with a full shopping cart and a hand-basket moves in line behind me, hitting my leg in the process.)
(In response to one of our competitors ceasing to sell cigarettes, our chain has adopted a policy of requiring ID for any sales of cigarettes or paraphernalia, no matter how old someone looks. This goes for everything down to tobacco pipe cleaners, which is what a customer is trying to buy.)
Me: “Can I see your ID, please?”
Customer: “You’re kidding, right? I’m 35. You don’t need to see my ID if I look like I’m over 27.”
Me: “No, it’s a new pol—”
Customer: “This is ridiculous.” *she starts telling me her birthday to enter manually*
Me: “I can’t type in—”
Customer: “What do you need, my driver’s license number?!”
Me: “I can’t sell anything having to do with smoking unless I can see photo ID—”
Customer: “What, you want me to go back home and get my driver’s license?! This is f****** ridiculous. I want to talk to your manager. I’ve been driving around all f****** day looking for these f****** cleaners. I’ve been at two f****** shops in just this f****** plaza already!”
(She continues ranting as I go get my manager and tell him the issue. At no point does she stop being audible.)
Manager: “Ma’am, we can’t sell you those unless you have photo ID.”
Customer: “Are you kidding?! I’m thirty-f******-five. You don’t need to see my f****** ID if I look like I’m over twenty-seven. It’s the law!”
Manager: “It’s a new policy, ever since [Competitor] stopped selling cigarettes.”
(I hand her a small flyer about the new policy, an exact copy of the sign that is on our door and at various places around the store.)
Customer: “Then I don’t want any of these.”
(She continues ranting as she walks toward the door.)
Customer: “I drive around for two f****** hours, just going all over god’s f****** creation just to find these f******—”
At The Checkout, Employees, Health & Body, Pharmacy, USA | Working | June 30, 2017
(I have gone to the pharmacy to refill a prescription. The transaction goes completely normal until the very end after I’ve checked out.)
Worker: “Can I interest you in a free doughnut?”
(I look at her in confusion. I wasn’t expecting being offered a doughnut at 12:30 pm from my pharmacy tech, so my brain takes a bit to process that I did hear those words. After a moment, I shake my head.)
Me: “No, thank you!”
Worker: “…that was rather silly to offer someone picking up diabetes medication, huh?”
Connecticut, Overtime, Pharmacy, USA | Working | June 28, 2017
(I work as a pharmacy technician. As a rule, we aren’t allowed to carry non-clear bags (i.e. purses, backpacks, etc.) into the pharmacy, and as a result hand carry in valuables like phones, keys, and wallets. Early on, the lead technicians and managers had figured out I would stay later if asked, sometimes up to two hours after my shift had ended. This would usually end in my girlfriend or some other friend calling me at the pharmacy worried to see if I was still there or had gotten home yet. To stop from being asked to stay later, I start sneaking out of the pharmacy through the side door, which is one way. It is after a shift with at least one coworker who has a reputation of trying to talk me into staying later, and it is a busy night. I slip out the side door, am grabbing my things to leave, when I realize I left my keys in the pharmacy. Unfortunately, the only way to get into the pharmacy is through the front half-door. I try to get back in unnoticed by my coworkers, which doesn’t work at all. As I’m grabbing my keys, my coworkers stop me.)
Coworker #1 : “What, you left without saying goodbye?” *standard procedure so that we know which areas of the pharmacy aren’t covered*
Manager: “Yeah, we were just discussing that. You do that a lot.”
Me: “If I say I’m leaving, you guys usually try to make me stay later.”
Coworker #1 : “Yeah… I probably would’ve asked you to stay later.”
(I can’t say I wasn’t asked to stay later after that night, but at least since saying something in front of the manager, the lead techs would give me at least a few hours notice of wanting me to stay later.)
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