Robbed Of Their Chance To Rob The Place
CRIMINAL & ILLEGAL, MEXICO, PHARMACY, STUPID | LEGAL | JANUARY 6, 2020
One day, while I am standing on the sidewalk, waiting for my ride, I see some junkie pull a knife on the cashier of a nearby pharmacy. Now, this wouldn’t be that surprising, except for the fact that there’s a police station right across the street from said pharmacy, just behind me.

I don’t even get out my cellphone; I just tap on the window and point when a couple of the officers inside look up from their paperwork.

They realize what’s happening, bolt out of the door, run seven yards, and tackle the would-be robber. Idiot.

It’s All In The Broken Wrist
BIZARRE, GEORGIA, HEALTH & BODY, PHARMACY, USA | RIGHT | JANUARY 3, 2020
(I am a pharmacy tech. A man comes up to the counter cradling his right hand.)

Customer: “Can you tell me which of these braces would be best for this?”

(He gestures to his hand, which is bruised, swollen, and has a large cut between two of his knuckles.)

Me: “I’ll be honest; it looks pretty broken.”

Customer: “Yeah, I think it is. It feels like there are rice krispies in there. The wrist ones don’t really help much, so I need one that goes all the way up. So, which one do you think would be best?”

Me: “I recommend going to a doctor and having it professionally set. None of the braces are going to do anything except help it heal wrong.”

Customer: “So, none of them?”

Me: “No, you need to be seen by a doctor.”

Customer: “Okay.”

(He then wandered back over and looked at the wrist braces some more, all the time holding his broken hand limp by his side.

Cruella De Pink Causing A Stink
BAD BEHAVIOR, BIZARRE, PHARMACY, USA | RIGHT | JANUARY 2, 2020
(My store is situated in an upscale part of town, within a five-minute drive of two hospitals, so we receive business from people of all walks of life. A woman of older-middle-age comes in, attired in a hot pink cocktail dress, a white fur stole, and matching pink stiletto heels and purse. On a — yes, hot pink — leash, she leads an immaculately groomed Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, who valiantly attempts to keep up with her pace as she marches up to the pharmacy drop-off window as intently as one would approach an enemy soldier. The look on her face as she glares steadily into my soul from across the store plainly tells me that she is itching for a fight. She ignores my typical customer-service greeting, strikes a regal pose, and slaps a prescription for an infamously addictive sort of painkiller onto the counter in front of me.)

Cruella: “Your drive-thru is not open, and I need this immediately.”

(Our drive-thru is broken and has been for months. It is an inconvenience, yes, but most people get over it and come in.)

Me: *cheerfully* “I can certainly get that for you. I am going to need to take a picture of your ID with this medication.”

Cruella: “Well, I never! Do I look like a criminal to you, little girl?”

Me: “It’s not a reflection on you, ma’am. Our policy is to get a copy of the ID with certain medications, and this happens to be one of those.”

Cruella: *scoffs* “How ridiculous.”

(She rummages in her purse theatrically, produces the ID with a flourish, and holds it up so I can see it. Instinctively, I reach to grab it and she reels back.)

Cruella: “How dare you?! I did not give you permission to touch my personal effects!”

Me: “Ma’am, it is policy that I need to attach a copy of your ID to the prescription. It is to prevent anyone from pretending to be you or a family member and stealing it to sell on the streets.”

Cruella: “What’s stopping you from stealing my ID?”

Me: “My boss and all of my coworkers watching to see if I screw up, ma’am.”

(And there are a lot of coworkers there. It is flu season, after all.)

Cruella: “FINE!”

(She throws the ID at me, which I catch and scan in the copier. She mutters for the entire three seconds that takes.)

Me: *handing her ID back to her nicely* “So, did you want to wait for this today? We have a wait time of about fifteen to twenty minutes.”

(It’s actually much longer than that on a busy day like today for patient customers, but she obviously isn’t feeling that virtue and I already want to see the back of her.)

Cruella: *suddenly screeching* “FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MINUTES?! I’VE NEVER HAD TO WAIT THAT LONG FOR ANYTHING IN MY LIFE!”

Me: *biting back a sassy remark along the lines of, “Yeah, I can tell.”* “I apologize, ma’am, but that is the standard wait time.”

Cruella: “THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I NEED THIS IMMEDIATELY! I WOULDN’T HAVE TO WAIT THAT LONG IF YOU LAZY LITTLE PRINCESSES WOULD JUST FIX THE DRIVE-THRU! I’M NOT EVEN WELL ENOUGH TO BE ON MY FEET THIS LONG! GET ME YOUR MANAGER! THIS IS THE MOST BADLY-RUN PHARMACY I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!”

(My manager, who has been listening from his station on the other side of the drop-off window and gauging how well the newbie can handle this lady, heaves a sigh, rolls his eyes, and answers the siren call of retail. She continues to scream at him for a good five minutes, reiterating everything she has just said as if he hadn’t just heard the whole d*** thing, and receiving the same answer I gave. Meanwhile, I type up the prescription, label it as high priority, and look back at the tech who is on pill counting duty to warn her to get this lady’s painkiller first.)

Cruella: *to my manager* “YOU’RE JUST AS USELESS AS SHE IS! WHERE’S YOUR BOSS? I’M MAKING A COMPLAINT!”

(My manager casually picks up the intercom and calls the store manager.)

Manager: “Please wait right there for them to arrive, as they are busy up front and need to break away.”

(The lady waits roughly fifteen seconds and then sets off to hunt down the store manager herself, yanking on her little dog’s leash so hard that he lets out a pained yap. Over the next ten minutes, I watch as this woman stalks up and down the pharmaceutical section aisles, muttering darkly to herself:)

Cruella: “My doctor said I’m not even supposed to get out of the car!”

(When we can’t see her, we can still mark her progress, as periodically she jerks her poor puppy’s leash and we hear it yelp in pain again. Over that amount of time, not one, but two upper-level managers appear in the pharmacy, both of them wearing equally confused expressions as this woman leads them in a merry chase throughout the store. Meanwhile, we finish the prescription with time to spare and wait for her to come back. Finally, the general manager wrangles Cruella and brings her back up to our waiting room. Cruella has apparently decided to treat this manager as a confidante, and she is “weeping” — suspiciously without tears — on this woman’s shoulder as they approach. The prescription is ready, and she takes ten minutes to check out, sniffling pathetically without once smudging her perfect mascara. The tech checking her out says nothing but:)

Tech: “Have a nice day.”

(And then, as swiftly as she appeared, Cruella DePink flounces away, never to be seen again.)

General Manager: *to my manager* “Phew. Thanks for dealing with her! I don’t know how you guys handle people like her!”

Manager: “Alcohol. And sarcasm. Sorry to put you through that.”

(Even when our drive-thru was finally fixed, that woman never returned. Here’s hoping that she hasn’t turned her dog into a coat yet.)

Management Versus The Couponator
AT THE CHECKOUT, BIGOTRY, COUPON, PHARMACY, RETAIL, USA | RIGHT | DECEMBER 30, 2019
(I’m a male working as a cashier in an area where that’s normally a job for women. Of course, our store is unusual in that all but one of our management staff members are women. Today, I am working and this very rude, elderly customer with all the sense of entitlement and arrogance that come with being a retired professor from a Christian college insists on me accepting his coupon that he knows expired two weeks ago. I agree to call my manager to the front.)

Old Man: “Yeah, get the manager. Bring him out.”

Me: *pages* “Manager to the front.”

Manager: “How can I help?”

Old Man: “I didn’t ask for another cashier. I wanted to speak to the manager.”

Manager: “I am the assistant store manager and lead for this shift, which my vest and badge both show. How can I help?”

Old Man: “That’s sweet, hon. I said I wanted to talk to the manager of this store about getting this young kid—” *I’m thirty* “—to do his job and accept my coupon. Where is he?”

Manager: “I am the only manager at this store right now. If you want to speak to someone and get your matter resolved, it will be me.”

Old Man: “I’ll come back when there’s a man to talk to, not some little girl.”

Manager: “I’ve had enough and tried to be nice. I was watching and listening from the cameras in the back office, so I can take care of this now.”

Old Man: “Good, I want the coupon for half off plus some for my troubles today.”

Manager: “One, you’re not getting a discount because this coupon expired already and there’s no way to honor it, so stop trying to bully my cashier into giving you a discount you don’t deserve. Two, your behavior is clearly unprofessional to a level that I’m banning you from entering this store for 24 hours. If you come back and bully my cashiers or act in the derogatory manner you’ve displayed today, it will become a permanent ban.”

Generation Sex
BAD BEHAVIOR, HEALTH & BODY, INSTANT KARMA, PHARMACY, STRANGERS, USA, UTAH | FRIENDLY | DECEMBER 19, 2019
(For context, I’m a 26-year-old woman, and I guess I look somewhat young for my age. I’ve had people confuse me for a teenager in the past. This is something that I generally joke about being a good thing that I’ll love once I’m older. My boyfriend and I have just had a condom break on us, and even though I’m on birth control, we decide that the smart move is to drive over to the pharmacy to pick up a morning-after pill. Neither one of us is remotely ready to have children and we figure it is better to be safe than sorry, so we want to exercise all available precautions. Once at the pharmacy, my boyfriend leaves me to wait in line behind a middle-aged woman while he goes in search of a new box of condoms. He has become so paranoid about this situation that he has thrown out the box that the broken condom came in and wants to replace it with a new one. The lady in front of me finishes dropping of her prescription and sits down in some chairs nearby to wait for it to be filled.)

Me: *to the pharmacy worker* “Can I get the morning after pill, please?”

Employee: “We have two options: [Name Brand] or [Generic Brand]. They are equally effective; the [Generic Brand] is just $20.00 cheaper.”

(The middle-aged woman humphs heavily behind me as I indicate that I’ll go with [Generic Brand]. I ignore the lady and proceed to pay for my medication.)

Middle-Aged Woman: “That’s the problem with today’s youth. None of you are responsible because your parents didn’t raise you with any values. Now you’re racing to give yourself a miscarriage because you don’t want to face the consequences of your actions. You shouldn’t be allowed to buy that without your parents’ consent.”

Me: “That’s not how this medication works. Do your research before you open your mouth so you don’t sound so stupid and ignorant. I’m a 26-year-old adult and don’t need my parents’ consent, let alone yours, to take care of my body the way I see best. It’s your generation and not mine that’s fluffed up. It is because of people like you that women are afraid to speak up about their bodies, learn about their bodies, and seek help when they think something is wrong. There is no shame in my choice to look out for my body in this way and no stranger in a random pharmacy is going to change my mind.”

Middle-Aged Woman: “Well, I never! You are so disrespectful talking to me like that.”

Me: “You chose to enter into a conversation with a stranger in a rude and condescending manner. You should not be surprised when the same type of response is thrown back in your face.”

(I thanked the pharmacy worker and walked off to find my boyfriend so we could buy the rest of the things we needed.)

They Need To Self-Prescribe Some Common Sense
ARIZONA, EMPLOYEES, PHARMACY, STUPID, USA | WORKING | DECEMBER 18, 2019
(We have been getting wrong number phone calls for several days straight informing us that a prescription is ready at the pharmacy. I call the pharmacy hoping they might be able to fix the error.)

Tech: “This is [Pharmacy]; how can I help you?”

Me: “Hi. There seems to be a mixup; you keep calling our house and it’s the wrong number. We don’t have a prescription with your pharmacy.”

Tech: “Okay, what name is the prescription under?”

Me: “I don’t know. It’s not our prescription; you’re calling our number by mistake.”

Tech: “Okay, can I have the last name?”

Me: “It’s not our prescription; we use [Other Pharmacy] across town. We aren’t even close to you. You are calling our number by mistake. I can give you the number.”

Tech: “I can’t look up anything by number; I need a name.”

Me: “Okay, it’s [My Name].”

Tech: “Huh, I don’t see you in our system at all.”

(We’re still getting phone calls.)

Dial One For Karen
CALIFORNIA, JERK, KAREN, PHARMACY, USA | RIGHT | DECEMBER 16, 2019
(I am a customer filling a prescription for my daughter. A middle-aged woman comes up to the drop-off desk and waits for someone to come over to her.)

Customer: “I want to speak to the manager.”

Pharmacist: “I’m the pharmacist; we don’t have a manager back here.”

Customer: “Well, I want you to change your phone system. Every time [Pharmacy] calls me, I have to call back and dial one and it won’t let me, so I don’t know what you’re calling for.”

Pharmacist: “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do; that’s an IT issue.”

Customer: “Well, this is the second time I’ve had to talk to someone. How am I supposed to know what you’re calling about and what I need to do?”

Pharmacist: “Well, ma’am, you can call [1-800 number] and speak to someone in IT, but this is how our system works. I’m sorry you miss the phone calls and that your phone doesn’t work, but there’s nothing I can do.”

Customer: “You need to fix it or I’m going to take my business somewhere else. I need these prescriptions and if I can’t get through, then I have to go somewhere else.”

(At that point, I had to chase after my child, but when I went back to pick up my daughter’s prescription twenty minutes later, she was still standing there arguing with the pharmacist. And the pharmacist kept his cool and composure the entire time. I would have lost my s*** after ten minutes.)

Deck The Halls With Bouts Of Nausea
LAZY/UNHELPFUL, NON-DIALOGUE, PHARMACY, TEXAS, USA | HEALTHY | DECEMBER 16, 2019
I have chronic nausea. I take a prescription nausea medication to keep it under control so I can eat and function. The nausea is related to stress, as well as my diagnosed depression and anxiety.

Six days ago at the time of writing, two days before Thanksgiving, my grandmother, who has to handle most phone calls for me due to my hearing issues, called the pharmacy to request a refill of my meds because I was almost out. Later, we got a call telling us that the refill request had been denied because my doctor’s office said I had to see the doctor before I could get a refill. I called the doctor the next day and was told that they had sent in an approval, but they would send another one to be sure.

Pharmacy still said they had no approvals, only a denial.

Thanksgiving came and the office was closed. I checked the pharmacy again, and they still said they only had a denial and couldn’t fill it.

Black Friday, same deal, but we got a call from someone at my doctor’s office informing us that they’d be closed until Monday. I only had enough of my meds to get me through Black Friday. I ended up skipping my second dose so I would have one for Saturday morning, and was unable to eat dinner on Friday.

Same deal with the pharmacy on both Saturday and Sunday. No approvals received, only one denial, and they still couldn’t fill it even though I was unable to eat or drink without it at this time. I even got on the phone myself and cry and beg the pharmacist to give me an emergency three-day supply that the law allows, and was told no because of the “denial.”

This morning, Cyber Monday, after going the entire weekend feeling like I was in Hell since eating was pretty much impossible, my grandmother called my doctor’s office to set up an appointment for the first time slot they could fit me into today.

She was informed that they absolutely did not send in a denial, I did not need to see my doctor before getting a refill, and that their system says I don’t have to see my doctor for a refill on my medication until sometime next year. My doctor knows that I need the medication every single day to be able to eat, and I’m about twenty pounds underweight right now due to stress-induced illness that lasted for three months solid, so I need to be able to get a refill at any time until I gain some weight back.

It turns out that someone at the pharmacy put it on my file that they were sent a denial and got no approvals whatsoever. A few hours ago, I got a text saying that I had a prescription ready for pickup, which would be done first thing in the morning because we couldn’t get to the store.

I have filed a complaint with corporate for the store the pharmacy is in, and my complaint has been forwarded to the store manager with the assurance that the incident will be investigated and that this absolutely should not have happened. The person I conversed with — via chat — was horrified about it.

I hope that pharmacist gets fired and feels proud of themselves for giving a disabled woman no less than five panic attacks over the course of three days and causing her a lot of unnecessary stress that has likely set back her recovery from illness. I won’t be able to fully enjoy Christmas with my family now because I’ll still be recovering and having trouble eating much food.

Dispensing With The Pleasantries
AUSTRALIA, BAD BEHAVIOR, PHARMACY | RIGHT | DECEMBER 15, 2019
(I work in a pharmacy and occasionally, due to computer errors or just because the dispensary staff are being flooded with customers, there is a mistake in a customer’s script.)

Coworker: “Hi, how are you today?”

Customer: *cheerily* “I’m good, thank you!”

Coworker: “That comes to [total].”

Customer: *getting more agitated by the second* “No, that’s not right!”

Coworker: “I’m sorry, did you not want to take one of these scripts?” *gestures to medication*

Customer: “No, this is bulls***! I always get these scripts and they never cost this much!”

Coworker: “I apologise for the inconvenience; sometimes we do have system errors. I’ll call up the pharmacist and sort this out.”

Customer: “This is f****** stupid. I just want my medication. Just let me have my medication! I want my s*** for the normal f****** price!”

Coworker: *now calling the dispensary to get the issue sorted, replies calmly* “I understand, ma’am, but I can’t fix it from here; I can only bring up your script from your file. However, I am calling to get this fixed right now.” *manages to stay composed and continue smiling*

Customer: *now in a frenzy* “Just change the f****** s***! I’m never going to f****** shop at [Store] again! I’ll go to [Other Store — actually our sister store with same owner]!”

(The customer then turns to me, standing at the next till over doing a few jobs.)

Customer: *to me* “I can’t f****** believe it, and he says he can’t fix it!”

Me: “I am really sorry for the inconvenience, ma’am, but he can’t do anything from the tills. He is trying to fix it up now, though. The dispensary has to fix it up, but don’t worry; we will get everything sorted! It is actually quite common for this to happen.” *gives her the warmest smile I can muster*

Customer: “This is bulls***!”

Coworker: *hangs up from the call with the dispensary* “Okay, that’s all sorted. Sorry about the inconvenience. That comes to [new total].”

Customer: *smiles* “That sounds better!”

(My coworker finishes the transaction and apologizes yet again for the inconvenience, giving the customer a tired smile.)

Customer: “Oh, no, no, it’s not your fault! Thank you so much! Have a wonderful day!”

Coworker: “You, too, ma’am.”

Customer: *to me* “Bye!”

Me: “See you later!” *to my coworker* “Guess it’s that time of the month for her, too.”

Unfiltered Story #179774
DETROIT, MICHIGAN, PHARMACY, USA | UNFILTERED | DECEMBER 15, 2019
(I work as a cashier at a well known retail/pharmacy chain)
Me: Is there anything else I can help you with today?

Customer: Actually yes…I need you to cash this check for me.

Me: I’m sorry Ma’am, we can’t do that here, but there’s a bank across the street that should be able to cash it for you.

Customer: But I don’t want to make another trip! Can’t you just do it for me?

Me: Our store doesn’t have the ability to cash checks. Even if I got my store manager, or someone from corporate, they wouldn’t be able to because it’s impossible.

Customer: Well can’t you tell me a location that will cash this for me?

Me: Ma’am, our company does not cash checks, so no location can cash it for you. However, there is a bank across the street, which should be able to provide that service.

Customer: But the customer is always right! So cash this check, now!

Unfiltered Story #179127
AUSTRALIA, PHARMACY | UNFILTERED | DECEMBER 9, 2019
(In the pharmacy I worked at they had a sign that said medications are up to 80% off of the regular retail price. A customer comes to my till to pay for his purchases.)

Me: You’re total is (total).

Customer: Where is my discount?

Me: What discount sir?

Customer: The 80% off that it says on that sign!

Me: Oh the discount is already added. What we sell you is already up to 80% off the regular retail price.

Customer: No, it says it’s 80% off, I want my discount.

Me: The discount is already included, it’s off the regular retail price not our current sale price.

(Customer continues to get angrier. He yells at me and won’t let me explain how it works and how it clearly states on the sign what it means. He then starts to blame me personally about the false adversiting in the store even though I have no say as it is a chain store. Eventually he leaves, leaving me to take a break to compose myself.)

Getting The Tattoo Was Too Painful To Remember
PHARMACY, STUPID, USA, WASHINGTON | RIGHT | NOVEMBER 27, 2019
(A man covered in tattoos walks up to the pharmacy window to pick up a prescription for his son.)

Cashier: “What is the person’s name?”

Customer: “[Child].”

Cashier: “What is [Child]’s birthday?”

Customer: “Um, is it [date]?”

Me: “No.”

(While the customer is trying to remember his child’s birthday, the cashier notices that a large tattoo on the customer’s arm is the child’s name… and birthday.)

Cashier: “Is [Child]’s birthday [date]?”

Customer: *wide-eyed* “Yes! How did you know?”

Cashier: *speechless*

(I would have thought that if you spent a couple of hours under a tattoo needle, you’d remember what was imprinted into your skin, but I guess I was wrong.)

One Ring To Rue Them All
BAD BEHAVIOR, DOCTOR/PHYSICIAN, PHARMACY, USA | HEALTHY | NOVEMBER 13, 2019
My mom has an accident at work and spills boiling water directly on her hand, badly burning several of her fingers, one of which happens to be the finger she wears her wedding ring on. Her boss drives her to a nearby pharmacy clinic where she is seen by the on-call doctor.

At this point, her fingers have swelled a lot, locking her wedding ring on her finger and causing painful constriction. It’s clear that the ring needs to be removed. My mother is assuming they will cut the ring off of her finger, which she is sad about, but at this point, she’s much more concerned about relieving the intense pain she is in. The doctor comes into the room and quickly examines her hand, saying, “What a beautiful ring! It would be such a shame to damage it by cutting it off!”

He then proceeds to forcibly yank the ring off of her finger past the swelling, putting my mother in even more pain and tearing open the blisters that have started to form.

She has since healed and is relieved to be able to wear her ring again and not need to pay to have it fixed, but she isn’t sure it was worth all of the pain and the extra time it took to recover due to the blisters being torn.

We’re In Our Thirties And That’s When His Attitude Is Stuck
BIGOTRY, CRAZY REQUESTS, EDITORS' CHOICE, GERMANY, PHARMACY | RIGHT | OCTOBER 28, 2019
(I work at a pharmacy. My coworkers and I are female, all in our thirties. One day, an old man walks in. He carries a dirty bag. He has a pair of trousers in there, which he grabs and puts on the counter.)

Old Man: “Please fix it. The zipper is broken.”

Coworker: “Sir, you’re at a pharmacy.”

Old Man: “So?”

Coworker: “We sell prescriptions. We don’t fix clothes here.”

Old Man: *angry now* “But you all are young women in here! You have to be able to fix my pants!”

All Of The Above
PHARMACY, STUPID, USA | HEALTHY | OCTOBER 23, 2019
(One of my medications is delivered to my home through a specialty pharmacy. Every month they call to verify my information and see if anything has changed. At the end of our conversation, the Home Delivery Pharmacist — HDP — reverifies my medical history before finalizing the order.)

Home Delivery Pharmacist: “Okay… I see here this is from [Hospital Doctor]. Did you see him recently?”

Me: “Yes, while I was in-patient at [Hospital] last month.”

Home Delivery Pharmacist: “Okay. Have you been to the ER, had an infection, or been hospitalized in the last 90 days?”

Me: “Yes, all three.”

Home Delivery Pharmacist: “Which one?”

Me: “All of them.”

Home Delivery Pharmacist: “No. ER, infection, or hospital. Which one?”

Me: “Um… all of the above. All three.”

Home Delivery Pharmacist: *annoyed* “No, ma’am. Were you in the ER, did you have an infection, or were you hospitalized in the last 90 days?”

Me: “Yes! I went to the ER because I couldn’t breathe. I found out I had a lung infection and I was hospitalized for 21 days.”

Home Delivery Pharmacist: “Oh.” *sour tone* “You could have just said yes. We’ll ship this tomorrow.” *hangs up*

Unfiltered Story #172114
COLUMBUS, OHIO, PHARMACY, USA | UNFILTERED | OCTOBER 22, 2019
(Note: I’m the bad customer here)

Recently, I got sick with a very bad cold that among other things, caused me to lose my voice for an extended period. My mother then proceeded to catch this cold, along with a pneumonia, and had to be hospitalized in the ICU with a tube down her throat. My dad has been by her side the whole time and left his phone charger at home, so I go out to get him a new one. It’s Halloween when this happens, which happens to be my mother’s favorite holiday, and I’m very aware of her condition on her favorite day of the year, so I’m not in the best of moods. I eventually find a CVS and buy a phone charger, in the process ruining the night of the cashier.

Me: (hands cashier items)

Cashier: “How are you tonight?”

Me: *Raspy and irritable* “Not great”

Cashier: “Is it because everyone else is ‘too cool for school’?”

(Note: We’re right next to a major university on Halloween, he probably thought I was having a bad night for more normal reasons.)

Me: ” No, it’s because my mother is intubated in the ICU.”

Cashier: (says something about how the ICU here is very good, but is clearly not expecting my response)

(That was a bad night for me, and as I walked out, I felt really bad about ruining that guy’s night as well. If you’re reading this, I’m sorry.)

Mosquitoes Are Satan’s Creation
OHIO, PHARMACY, RELIGION, SILLY, USA | RIGHT | OCTOBER 16, 2019
(A man is buying some insect repellent.)

Me: “Did you find everything okay?”

Customer: “Yeah, thankfully. Listen, I’m a good Christian and I know God wants us to love our neighbor and forgive others of their sins, but… f*** mosquitoes. Seriously.”

Me: “…” *hands him a receipt* “Have a nice day, sir.”

Customer: *suddenly smiling* “You, too!”

Unfiltered Story #195948
CONNECTICUT, PHARMACY, USA | UNFILTERED | JUNE 8, 2020
(Pharmacy worker here. On some prescriptions, especially high cost prescriptions or ones deemed a controlled substance, the insurance will put a block on the prescription and the phrase “Prior Authorization needed,”or PA, will pop up. This means the prescribing doctor has to call the insurance company and explain the need of the medication for the insurance company to cover the cost. It’s a hassle, especially if it’s a maintenance medication, and usually takes a few business days to clear. Though once a PA is acquired, it’s deemed good for 3-6 months, so is only really necessary a few times a year. I’m working at the register one day when this happens to a woman.)
me: I’m sorry ma’am, but your [prescription] has a PA, and we can’t fill it right now.
Customer: what’s a PA?
(I explain what it means)
Customer: So can’t I just pay for it out of pocket? How much is it?
Me: I don’t have the price, but if you go to drop-off, they can help you with that. Though the PA will only take a couple days to work, and it lasts for a few months.
Customer: So does that mean I have to call the doctor?
Me: No, we’ve already contacted the doctor, but if you want to talk to him to speed things up, that’s your decision.
Customer: Can’t you just tell me the price and I pay it here?
Me: I physically can’t process the prescription here, this is a register computer, it only does what’s filled as of right now.
(We go back and forth like this about PAs, price quotes, insurance, at least 2 more times)
Customer: But why do I need a PA for this? I take it all the time!
Me: I don’t know why the insurance company decided to, but possibly your previous PA ran out, and we just have to renew it.
Customer: So do I call the insurance company?
Me: No, the doctor should be fine. Really, it goes through in less than 3 days most of the time.
Customer: This happens all the time! They NEVER fill my PAs!
(Note: I just had to explain to her what a PA was a few minutes ago, so I highly doubt this happens as often as she makes it out to be.)
Me **exasperated and I want out at this point** then you might want to take that up with your insurance company.
(She seems to get what she wanted to hear at that point, we finish checking out her prescriptions, and she goes presumably to yell at the insurance company. The line has gotten long at this point, and the customer behind her, who has heard the whole thing, rolls his eyes and gives me a sympathetic look.)

Unfiltered Story #195926
CONNECTICUT, PHARMACY, USA | UNFILTERED | JUNE 7, 2020
(I work in a pharmacy that has a drive thru. We have 2 lanes, and while we can service just about everything from the first lane, the second lane we can only do certain things, due to size limitations on the carrier tube. Another major rule we have is that everyone has to stay in their cars in the drive thru for safety reasons. This is a Sunday afternoon, and my co-worker is servicing a pregnant woman with children in the second lane. Unfortunately, half way through the transaction, we realize we won’t be able to send the prescription by the tube, because it’s a glass bottle. Note: The first lane is empty, as the car that was there previously has jus)
Co-worker: Ma’am, I’m sorry to inform you, but we can’t send your medication through the drive thru, as it’s a glass bottle and could break. If you could just pull into the first lane, we can serve you there.
(The customer instead gets out of the car, runs ACROSS the barrier, and into the first lane. The pharmacist, listening to the exchange while she’s mixing the prescription, panics and runs to the window to meet her)
Pharmacist: Ma’am, please get out of the lane!
Customer: (annoyed) What are you talking to me like that for? But he just told me to come to the first lane.
Pharmacist: He meant to DRIVE into the first lane. It’s dangerous for you to be standing in the first lane.
Customer: Why can’t I be in the first lane?
Pharmacist: If a car comes around the corner, they won’t see you. Could you please at least wait with your car while we finish the prescription?
(The customer walks back across the lane, and waits on the barrier, but doesnt move while we finish her prescription.)
Pharmacist: For god’s sake, that psycho b**** is crazy! She can’t even really run while pregnant.
Me: Never mind she left the car full of kids unattended…
(We finish her prescription, nervously checking that there aren’t any cars coming, and that she’s staying on the barrier. She’s glaring at us annoyed the whole time, and walks up to the first window AGAIN, even though we’ve now told her twice not to do that.)
Pharmacist: Okay, here’s your [prescription], remember to shake it before dosing, and refridgerate.
Customer: You didn’t have to talk like that to me.
Pharmacist: I was just worried, I didn’t want you getting hit by a car.
(She’s still glaring at her when she finally walks away, get’s back in the car, and drives away)

A Rewarding Reveal
AT THE CHECKOUT, PHARMACY, RETAIL, USA | RIGHT | JUNE 6, 2020
I am ringing up a customer and her husband. Our chain’s rewards card gives customers the sale prices and points they can redeem like cash on purchases.

Me: “Are you a rewards card member, ma’am?”

Wife: *Makes a face* “No.”

Husband: “I am!”

He fishes our blue card from his pocket.

Wife: “Why do you have that?!”

The wife turns back to me. I am a little confused.

Wife: “I work for [Competitor]. We’re from Florida.”

Me: “Oh!” *Laughing* “Well, there are three of [My Chain] and just one [Competitor] in our city.”

I gave them directions to “her” chain, describing how close it was to the newest location of my chain; they left while discussing the closeness of the two chains’ stores to each other across the country.

Unfiltered Story #195875
PHARMACY, USA | UNFILTERED | JUNE 5, 2020
I work at a well known pharmacy as a cashier. This happened last night before we were about to close. Note the store and pharmacy hours are different for every store. And our hours are listed on the front door as you walk in AND on our website. our pharmacy closes at 9 during the week. A customer comes in and heads straight back to the pharmacy. She’s back there for a few minutes then comes up to the cash register. She asks me to fetch a manager. Here’s their conversation.
Manager: yes can I help you?
Customer: (in an annoyed tone) yes I just wanted to let you know your falsely advertising your store hours and I don’t think that’s right. I needed to pick up some medicine but the pharmacy is closed!
Manager: well our store hours are listed on our website.
Customer: she holds up her phone for my manager to see) that’s where I was looking!
Manager: (looks at the phone) ma’am this isn’t our website. Our hours are listed on our website.
Me: and every store closes at different times. Did you look up this store?
Customer:but this says you close at-!
Manager: we can’t control what other websites say. You can only go by our website.
The customer glares at us and storms out
Me: (to my manager when the customer is gone) don’t you love it when they argue with is about what times we close?

That Flu Right Over Their Head
PHARMACY, USA, WORDPLAY | RIGHT | JUNE 3, 2020
I am a front store supervisor in a popular pharmacy chain, and part of my job is asking each customer if they need help finding anything.

Me: “Can I help you find anything?”

Customer: “I’m looking for Tamiflu.”

Me: “Tamiflu is actually by prescription only, but we have Theraflu over the counter, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Customer: “Nope, I’m pretty sure it’s Tamiflu.”

Me: *Pause* “Okay, well, all the Theraflu is right here.”

Customer: “Yes, Tamiflu! That’s just what I was looking for.”

Unfiltered Story #195828
CONNECTICUT, PHARMACY, USA | UNFILTERED | JUNE 3, 2020
(So I work in a high volume pharmacy. We’ve recently gotten a new pharmacy manager, who is trying to problem solve our pharmacy moreso than our previous managers. One of our regulars comes in. For background, he’s often rude to pharmacy workers, and doesn’t call his doctor to get his prescriptions called in, so he either has to wait a few minutes to a few days to get his prescriptions filled which causes him to complain. This particular time, I’m not working the registers, but a newer co-worker is. He’s just told the guy that his prescriptions aren’t in yet, but we’re calling the doctor)
Customer: You guys never have the medicine in! I’m always waiting, you guys just don’t want to call the doctor. Are you trying to kill me?
Manager: Sir, we told you when you came in yesterday that this could take a few days. If you want to talk to your doctor to speed it up, you’re more than welcome to.
Customer: Where’s [male pharmacist]? I want to talk to him! (Note: our manager is female, and the pharmacist he’s requested is not in for the day; she can’t call him in to talk to a customer)
Manager: Sir, I’m the manager, and I have the doctorate that [other pharmacist] doesn’t. If you have a problem, you talk to me, not him.
Customer: Well, he listens better than you guys do, you always screw it up.
(At this point, our manager has had it with this guy as he keeps ranting about”poor service” and “us trying to kill him”. He often complains about how a different pharmacy does prescriptions faster than us, so she uses this info to her advantage.)
Manager: I’m sorry you feel that way. Do you want us to send your prescriptions to [other pharmacy chain]? Since yesterday you said that they do prescriptions quicker, maybe we should just put them there.
(Customer is obviously upset at us calling his bluff, and he’s noticabely deflated instantly. he argues a little more, not half as bad before)
Customer: You’re lucky my sister isn’t here. She’d bust you guys! ( Note: This guy is in his 50s. Pulling the relation card is nothing short of pathetic. He walks off at this point, without prescriptions.)
Me: It’s ok, that guy’s always a jerk.
Manager: If he’s not going to listen to us trying to help, he can go somewhere else. If he doesn’t want to listen, that’s his problem.
(At this point, a co-worker comes back from her break)
Co-worker: I just ran into [Customer]. He was really p****** off, what happened?
(we relate what happened to her, including the sister threat. Everyone is a bit relieved at the idea this guy won’t be coming back soon, and manager gains a new level of respect.)
Co-worker: I’m sure if we do get a cal from his sister, she’s going to be the one apologizing and transfer the prescriptions. (It’s been over a month, and we haven’t seen the guy since)

This Call Gets More Costly The Longer It Goes On
JERK, PHARMACY, STUPID, USA, WISCONSIN | RIGHT | JUNE 1, 2020
We sell reloadable debit cards. You can put $20 to $500 on a card and it has a purchase fee depending on what card you buy. I’m working the front register when this lady calls.

Caller: “How much is the purchase fee on the cards?”

Me: “It’s $2 to $5, depending on the card you buy.”

She pauses for around thirty seconds.

Caller: “Thanks… but that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking what is the fee on buying one of your reloadable cards.”

I don’t know what to say because that’s literally what I answered. I just say the same thing because I honestly don’t know what to do. She sighs angrily.

Caller: “Thanks, but that’s not what I’m asking! I’m asking what it would cost to buy one of your reloadable cards!”

Me: “Ma’am, the cost to buy them is the amount you want to put on the card, plus a purchase fee of $2 to $5 depending on what card you buy.”

She’s silent for another minute and I honestly think she has hung up, but then she starts yelling again.

Caller: “THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM ASKING! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT WOULD COST TO PUT $70 ON A RELOADABLE CARD! IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE F***** TALKING ABOUT, THEN JUST GET ME A MANAGER!”

I asked her to please hold and paged a manager to pick up the call. I got to watch as my manager had the exact same phone call I dealt with, and to my knowledge, the lady never got the answer she wanted.

Unfiltered Story #195033
PHARMACY, TEXAS, USA | UNFILTERED | MAY 31, 2020
A woman aged at around 40 came to pick up her prescription. I asked for the last name so I could find her in the system. It was a long complex last name, and our system requires full perfect spelling for it to bring it up. She spelled it out slowly and condensing like. I brushed it off and got her prescription from our bin. When I walk back to the counter she throws a coupon at me. I had noticed her prescription was already billed to insurance AND coupon, so I ask her what’s it for.
She rudely says “if you read it, you’d know.”
Me: “the reason I ask is because there is already a coupon applied.”
She says, “Oh, well it must’ve been automatically applied.” (That isn’t possible, we bill them like insurance and it is somewhat a long process, especially when it’s a coordination of benefits).
I say nothing to that and ask her to type in the last 4 digits of her phone number as one of our verification methods.
Rudely again, she snaps “why would I do that?”
I say: “If you want your perscription, you must verify your number.”
Woman: “Well that’s an invasion of my privacy.”
Me: “it’s to ensure the perscription goes to the correct person.”
She reluctantly agrees and she dramatically covers the pin pad all while grumbling as it as if it was a debit pin. (Note: her perscription is in my hand and it contains her full name, address, and the full phone number she partially typed.)
She then begins to make small talk as she hands me her cash. I give her the change, and she stands at the counter staring at the receipt and recounting her change for literally 15 minutes. (Me and my coworkers counted.)
Since I am fairly new, my coworkers explained that she is notorious for being rude. When she comes through drive through, apparently she doesn’t speak a single word. She just throws her credit card into the drawer and expects us to know that she’s picking up.)

Unfiltered Story #195023
PENNSYLVANIA, PHARMACY, USA | UNFILTERED | MAY 30, 2020
(I’m working in the front end of the pharmacy on the evening shift. It’s been pretty slow, and most of the customers around this time are pretty low matinence, so I’m pretty much just recalling a script.)

Customer: *Swipes his card, then begins struggling to get out his ID*

(Unless the register prompts us, we’re not required to see ID, so I interupt)

Me: “Oh, I don’t need to see your ID.

Customer: “Yes you do.” *Presents his card to me; in lue of a signature, he’s written ‘See ID’* “Personal safety, bub.”

(I humored him and examined the card and ID, and let him on his way. This ‘See ID’ thing has become somewhat common recently, but his cocky comment about ‘Personal safety’ really irked me. If anyone unathorized had actually been using his card, I wouldn’t have asked for ID. In fact, I wouldn’t have even had the opportunity to see the signature space, as the customers swipe their own cards. He’s just making it harder for himself for no reason!)

Unfiltered Story #195015
PHARMACY, TEXAS, USA | UNFILTERED | MAY 30, 2020
I work as a pharmacy clerk, checking out patients with their prescriptions. Our card readers are a little behind schedule, only being updated to take debit in 2015, and the lack of card reader for the new chips cards come with has caused some confusion. A coworker made some bright pink signs reading “Sorry no chip” and taped them over the card slots at each card reader. Despite this, customers still asked daily:

“‘Sorry no chip.’ What does that mean?”

“No chip? Does that mean you can’t take cards?”

*trying to lift the pink note and insert their card* “So do y’all take the chip yet?”

Maybe She Should Take Half The Normal Dose Of That?
FRANCE, PARIS, PHARMACY, WORDPLAY | RIGHT | MAY 29, 2020
I’m a customer, waiting to have my prescription filled. One of my medicines is called UVdose.

Near me, another customer, an elderly lady, is asking for the same one.

Lady: “Oh, yes, I forgot! I need a box of overdose!”

We Know A Few People Who Could Use That Procedure
CRAZY REQUESTS, JERK, PHARMACY, USA | HEALTHY | MAY 27, 2020
I’m a pharmacy technician at a national pharmacy chain. On this particular morning, it’s just me and the pharmacist working. About two minutes after opening, an old woman comes up to the register.

Me: “Good morning. Could I get your name and date of birth, please?”

She gives me her name and birthday. I punch her information into the register and see that we have a prescription ready for her. I grab her prescription from the bin.

Me: “Okay, so, I’ve got your [commonly used blood pressure medication] ready for you.”

Customer: “No, no, no! I don’t need that; I need my Valium!”

From having entered her information into the register, I know we do not have any Valium ready for her, nor are we currently working on any for her. However, if a patient’s medication is on hold, or if we’ve just received it from the doctor and haven’t entered it yet, it won’t show up on the register. I inform the woman there’s no Valium in process for her but that I will check my computer to see if we have any for her.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t have any Valium in my system for you anywhere. It’s possible that the doctor’s office hasn’t sent it to us yet; I would recommend that you give the office a call.”

Customer: *Now furious with me* “No! You’re lying! I know they sent it to you! They sent it to you yesterday and I need it now because I’m having brain surgery in forty-five minutes at [Hospital in a town thirty minutes away]!”

I’m just dumbstruck that someone would plan this poorly, but I maintain my professional composure.

Me: “I’m so sorry, ma’am, but I have not received any Valium prescription for you.”

Customer: “Well, this is just f****** ridiculous. This kind of s*** is why I changed pharmacies months ago.”

Me: *Slight pause* “Well, then… perhaps your prescription was sent to your current pharmacy?”

Customer: “No! I know for a fact that it was sent to you because I was standing right there when the doctor called you!”

I know this is a lie because of two things. First, doctors never call prescriptions in themselves; they have a nurse or receptionist do it. And second, Valium is a class IV controlled substance and therefore, in our state, it can only be sent to the pharmacy electronically, not over the phone.

Me: “I’m very sorry, ma’am, but again, I don’t have any prescription here for you. My best recommendation would be that you call the doctor and ask them to send it again as soon as possible.”

Customer: “No, there’s no time for that. When I get there, I’m gonna tell them it’s your fault that I have to postpone this operation!”

The woman storms off and I walk back to my workstation, almost in a daze.

Pharmacist: “Well, if she’s having brain surgery, I hope that means they’re going to install one.”

Unfiltered Story #194923
IOWA, PHARMACY, USA | UNFILTERED | MAY 25, 2020
(I’m a Certified Pharmacy Technician. It’s a pretty busy day at the Pharmacy. An older –but not elderly– woman walks up to pick up her prescriptions. I start taking care of her and then she explains she needs to get her insulin syringes refilled as well. I look at her profile to get the syringes refilled. As it turns out, it’s about 17 days too soon to get them refilled. I explain this to her)

Customer: No, that’s not right! I’m all out.

ME: Well, you’re using them once a day, correct?

Customer: No, the doctor told me to use them twice a day.

ME: Right, well, we need that as a new prescription from him.

Customer: But he told me..

ME: Yes, ma’am, I understand that he told you that, but your insurance won’t let us put it through until we have the new prescription with the correct instructions. So we just sent a fax requesting the new prescription from your doctor with new instructions.

Customer: Well, what am I supposed to do until he approves it? I’m all out!

ME: Well, we sell a ten pack of insulin syringes for $7 if you’d like to buy some.

Customer: Yeah, I’ll take the box then.

ME: No, ma’am, I can’t sell you the entire box without a prescription. I can only sell you a ten-pack from the box. That’s ten syringes for $7.

Customer: No! That’s too expensive!

ME: (obviously weary. shrugs)

Customer: Well, what am I supposed to do?!

ME:(weary smile) Buy a ten-pack for $7? (Customer leaves after paying for her other prescriptions which she also gave me a hard time about. Claiming that they needed to be paid for on separate cards even though she had not informed me of this. I’m so sorry ma’am. I must have forgotten to turn on my telepathic abilities for you!)

Pharmacist: $7 too expensive for 10 syringes?

ME: The tweakers that come in here never gripe about paying $7 for clean needles.

Five Little Cents Of Pure Evil
AT THE CHECKOUT, CANADA, JERK, PHARMACY | RIGHT | MAY 24, 2020
It’s seniors day at the drug store where I work. Usually, the worst customers are on seniors day, and this one is no exception. I am serving an older woman at the cash register.

Me: “Did you need a bag at all?”

Customer: “Do you charge for bags?”

Me: “Yes, 5¢ a bag.”

Customer: “Hmph, I knew when I saw you; some people are just evil.”

Me: “All the money from the bags goes to [Store] foundation!”

I finished serving her and she left without a bag, but she continued to rant at me about being evil as she left and as she got her stuff together on a bench in the mall just outside the store.

Sometimes People Forget Things — Like How To Be Nice
CHILE, EMPLOYEES, JERK, PHARMACY, SANTIAGO | WORKING | MAY 15, 2020
I’m at the pharmacy of an organization that sells medications for specific conditions at a slightly lower price than regular pharmacies. Most of the employees are friendly, or at least polite, but this day is a little different.

Employee: “How can I help you?”

Me: “I need to buy some medications. My ID number is [number].”

Employee: “[My Name]?”

Me: “Yep!”

Employee: “Okay, so, you need [Medication #1 ], right? That’s the only one on here.”

Me: *Thinking* “Oh, no… I forgot again!”

Employee: “Because the prescription for [Medication #2 ] is expired—”

I’m about to say, “Oops, I forgot.”

Employee: “—so did you remember or did you not even do anything about it?”

He does not say this in a friendly tone. He isn’t joking or anything. It seems pretty harsh.

Me: “Umm… Okay, I’ll come back later.”

I left and texted my doctor to get another script. She wrote it up quickly and I was able to get the medication the same day, luckily from a different employee. It wasn’t like he yelled at me or anything; I was just really surprised at how judgemental he seemed, especially considering the issues that my medications are usually used to treat. Sigh.

A Little Flu Jab Of Kindness
AWESOME WORKERS, HEALTH & BODY, INSPIRATIONAL, MONEY, NON-DIALOGUE, PHARMACY, RHODE ISLAND, USA | RIGHT | MAY 15, 2020
I am seventeen, living away from home during high school. I contract the flu, so I go to the pharmacy and they prescribe me Tamiflu.

Because I am out of state, my insurance doesn’t cover it. The woman behind the counter says it will cost $100. I am already emotional because I am sick and away from home. I know my mom would pay for the medication, but it would be tight. I start crying by the counter.

The lady who filled my prescription hands me tissues and says she is sorry, but she can’t do anything about the cost. I fill the prescription and sit down in the waiting area.

A couple of minutes later, the woman comes over to me and says, “I went looking in our database, and I found a coupon for your medication. It will only cost you $40.”

I will never forget her kindness in my time of need.

The Flu Shot Isn’t Hazardous, But The Nurses Might Be!
IGNORING & INATTENTIVE, JERK, NURSES, PHARMACY, UK | HEALTHY | MAY 10, 2020
I have just had a flu shot. As I have a fear of needles, I tend to get quite dizzy and sweaty beforehand, and it takes me a couple of minutes for me to recover afterward. I’m sitting in a chair when the woman who gave me the shot comes over.

Woman: “You didn’t say you were allergic to eggs?”

Me: “I’m not.”

Woman: “Well, you are. It’s very stupid that you didn’t tell the truth. Now I’m going to have to phone for an ambulance.”

Me: “No, I’m just feeling a bit sickly. I’m not allergic to eggs.”

She is already on the phone talking to someone saying “how stupid” I am. By the time an ambulance arrives, I’m already better and trying to leave, but the woman is refusing to let me. When the paramedics come in, I’m forced onto a gurney while the woman talks over me.

Paramedic: “Okay, the pharmacist says you have an egg allergy. Did you know before having your shot?”

Me: “I do not have an egg allergy!”

Paramedic: “Are you certain?”

Me: “Do I look like I’m having a reaction? I’ve had these shots every year of my life, and if you don’t believe me, I had three eggs in the cafe next door for breakfast. Ask them!”

The paramedic checked me over just to be sure before leaving. I was left alone with the woman. She tutted at me and disappeared through a door. I’m never going back.

This Parent Is Way Out Of Line
AT THE CHECKOUT, BAD BEHAVIOR, CRIMINAL & ILLEGAL, INDIANA, PARENTS/GUARDIANS, PHARMACY, USA | RIGHT | MAY 5, 2020
I regularly stop by a specific drugstore after I get off work around 10:00 pm. I stop to get milk because it’s really cheap, and I always just want to get in and out because I’m tired.

Tonight, there is seemingly no one in the store until I go to the register, where there are five people in line. It’s a store that doesn’t really have a designated line area; you just kind of step up to the counter, so lines can form awkwardly around displays.

I wait and have to step back for a father and daughter in front of me to pick out candy for the rest of the family; no big deal. As soon as they check out, I step up to the counter and put the gallon of milk on it. Suddenly, a woman with wild, ratty hair comes bursting in the store and shoves into me.

Me: “Excuse me!”

Wild Lady: “I was here first! You cut me!”

Me: “Um…”

The cashier, a really sweet teenage girl, steps up and speaks to the wild lady.

Cashier: “No, ma’am, I’m sorry. She was here first. You just walked in.”

Wild Lady: “Shut it. You cut. Anyway, I need less stuff than you, so I get to go first!”

The cashier is ringing me out the entire time, scanning my store card, telling me to swipe my debit. We are both trying to ignore her. My transaction usually only takes a minute anyway.

Me: “Ma’am, I’m almost finished. The receipt is printing. And, anyway, it’s not possible to actually buy something and have less stuff than me. I have one thing.”

Wild Lady: “I left my car running! I should go first!”

The cashier and I exchange wide-eyed looks and just ignore her.

Wild Lady: “Well, I left my kid in the car so you need to let me go!”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m done now anyway, but this is a low-income, urban area, and it’s 10:00 at night. I would definitely never leave my car running, and I would never even consider leaving my kid in it. I have half a mind to call CPS now.”

Wild Lady: “Whatever!”

The wild lady turns to the cashier.

Wild Lady: “I need seven cartons of [Cigarettes], girl. Be quick!”

I left, wild-eyed. I checked, and there really was a three-year-old in the car with no one else, and it was running and unlocked.

Not three minutes later, as I was going through an intersection, she blazed through the red light and almost T-boned me. To come from that direction, she also had to turn left illegally at another intersection.

I followed her home and called the cops. I hope that poor child is okay.

Within Striking Distance
CURRENT EVENTS, HEALTH & BODY, INDIANA, JERK, PHARMACY, USA | RIGHT | MAY 4, 2020
With social distancing in full swing, we have spaces on the carpet in front of the counter indicating every six feet so customers can keep their distance. One customer comes up to the pickup area and squirts several applications worth of hand sanitizer on her hands to the point of dripping.

Customer #1 : “Hi. Do you have any thermometers in stock?”

Me: “I’m sorry; we’re sold out.”

The customer grumbles and goes to turn around to leave but sees another customer about four feet behind her. She waves her dripping, sanitizer-covered hands around in surprise, causing some sanitizer to fling into the face of the customer behind her, hitting her eye.

Customer #1 : “Social distancing! Social distancing! You need to stand back!”

Customer #2 : “Lady, you just got hand sanitizer in my eye!”

Customer #1 : “I don’t care! You could have killed me!”

[Customer #1 ] stormed off. [Customer #2 ] was fine but obviously confused as to why she was yelled at for basically standing there.

A Life-Long Member Of The Hoarding Club
CRAZY REQUESTS, CURRENT EVENTS, JERK, PHARMACY, SWEDEN | RIGHT | APRIL 27, 2020
Most people are hoarding stuff they think they absolutely must have during a possible quarantine, while some people don’t seem to understand that the stores don’t have unlimited stocks.

Older Lady: “I need hand sanitizer!”

Pharmacy Staff: “I’m sorry, but we are sold out.”

Older Lady: “But I’m a MEMBER!”

Yes, lady, you and the rest of this country’s population.

Did You Try Reading The Directions?
PHARMACY, RHODE ISLAND, STUPID, USA | HEALTHY | APRIL 25, 2020
A customer comes up to me with a book and a pair of reading glasses.

Customer: “Hi. I have a question. Maybe you can help me.”

Me: “Okay. I can try.”

Customer: “My doctor told me I should get reading glasses, but I don’t understand. Do I put the glasses on over my others? I asked my doctor and he didn’t answer me.”

Me: “Um… no. You just put the reading glasses on.”

Customer: “Oh. Okay. I mean, I can see the writing better this way, but I don’t know why my doctor wouldn’t answer when I asked him. I mean, how am I supposed to wear two pairs of glasses?”

“Opportunistic” Might Be Less Harsh
CRIMINAL & ILLEGAL, FINLAND, PHARMACY | HEALTHY | APRIL 23, 2020
Customer: “To whom can I give this medical waste?”

I notice that the product contains a mild opiate.

Me: “You can give it to me; I’ll make sure it’s properly discarded.”

Customer: “Yeah, I figured that I could have made some money selling it on the street, but that would have been too much of a hassle!”

Me: “Not to mention illegal…”

Definitely The Wrong Call
ALBERTA, CANADA, EMPLOYEES, IGNORING & INATTENTIVE, PHARMACY | HEALTHY | APRIL 19, 2020
I see a missed call on my phone and recognize the number from a store where I used to work over ten years ago. I check my voicemail and it’s from the pharmacy.

Pharmacy: “Hi, [My Name], it’s [Store Pharmacy]. We aren’t able to get your prescription in; can you call us back?”

I moved my prescriptions since I quit and haven’t been to the doctor recently, so I call back, confused.

Pharmacy: “Hello, [Story Pharmacy], how can I help you?”

Me: “My name is [My Name] and I just had a missed call about a prescription?”

Pharmacy: “Yes, we aren’t able to order the cream in but we called [Doctor] to ask about an alternative.”

Me: “That’s not my prescription; I haven’t had anything filled there in years. It must be for someone else?”

Pharmacy: “Is your name [Full Name]?”

Me: “Yes.”

Pharmacy: “Is your phone number [number I called from]?”

Me: “Yes.”

Pharmacy: “Is your birthdate June 2—”

I cut them off.

Me: “That is not my birthdate; I’m not allowed to hear that information. This is someone else’s prescription.”

Pharmacist: “Oh, sorry about that, then!”

Am I glad I switched pharmacies…