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.
Extra Stupid, Jerk, Patients, Pharmacy, UK | Healthy Right | January 24, 2019
Customer: “I need something for allergies.”
(I show him the selection and he chooses.)
Me: “Are you on any other medication?”
Customer: “None of your business. Give me my tablets.”
Me: “I’m not allowed to sell them to you if there is a chance they could interact with something you are already taking.”
Customer: “Well, f*** you!” *storms off*
Colleague: “You would think he would be wiser after the last time.”
Me: “What happened?”
Colleague: “Our last pharmacist gave in and sold them. He took them while shopping and crashed his car the second he left the car park. He was taking codeine and had a bad reaction.”
Pharmacy, UK, Wales | Unfiltered | January 19, 2019
Customer: Do you have any of those Nicotine sprays?
Me: Sure!
(I grab one off the shelf and scan it through the till, tell him and the price and wait. He starts going through an obviously empty wallet and card holder).
Customer: Sorry about this.
Me: It’s okay.
Customer: i was just thrown out of the mobility shop because I was wasting his time.
Me: Oh, right.
Customer: I don’t have a bank card. My brothers won’t give it to me until I sort myself out because I ended up in (town) infirmary again.
Me: Oh what happened?
Customer: Well, I was on the bus to (small town) and I didn’t fall in the pond in (small town) but I fell in the river in (large town, 20 miles south of small town) and ended up in the back of the police car for two hours and in (large town) infirmary.
Me: Oh, dear….
Customer: Well, I won’t waste your time anymore.
Me: That’s okay and maybe your brothers will let you have some money for the nicotine spray. We’re open until six.
(Customer nods and tries to grab the spray but I take it from him smiling).
Me: Don’t worry, I’ll put that back for you.
(I smile, watch him go, and then collapse on the floor in the fit of laughter).
Pharmacy, UK, Wales | Unfiltered | January 18, 2019
(Customer walks in, says something I can’t here and my boss – who was by the door – gives me an odd look as he walks up to the counter).
Me: Hello sir, what can I get you?
Customer: I need something for schizophrenia.
Me: Oh, okay….
(I really don’t know what to say at that point and he starts looking at the hand sanitizers on the stand by the till).
Customer: Is this really only £2.00?
Me: I’ll check.
(I run it through the till, it is indeed £2.00. He pays for it, puts it in his back and leans forward to read my name badge).
Customer: Thank you (name) it was nice to meet you.
Me: Nice to meet you too Sir. Have a nice day.
(He leaves and my boss walks over to me, where I am collapsed on the floor laughing.)
Boss: When he walked in he said “Welcome to British Airways!”
Me: Oh, well he asked me for something for schizophrenia.
Boss: Oh God.
Me: That’s two in a week. Where are they all coming from?
Health & Body, Parents, Pharmacy, Singapore | Right | January 12, 2019
(A young mother pushes her baby over in a pram and tells me that her baby took some “warm” water and splashed his face with it the day before. I look at the baby and he seems bubbly and happy. There is barely any sign of redness of his skin and there are no blisters, either.)
Me: “There’s isn’t any redness at all. He seems fine.”
Mother: “There’s a mark here.” *points under his eye*
Me: “Well, it’s not that obvious. You shouldn’t need to do anything about it. It’ll go away on its own.”
Mother: “The water got in his eyes.”
(I look at the baby’s eyes. There is also no redness.)
Me: “He looks fine. He’s not crying, either.”
Mother: “He cried for ten minutes yesterday. Will it leave a scar?”
Me: “No… his skin did not even get damaged. You really don’t have to do anything.”
(The mother looked a bit relieved yet doubtful at the same time but she thanked me anyway. Later she came back and asked if sun protection was needed to prevent scarring. Just to satisfy my curiosity, I asked if she really meant “warm” water or if she meant “hot” water. She told me that it was freshly boiled water with a triumphant expression. Well, either this baby has skin made of steel… or she left the boiled water out longer than she thought and it had cooled down already!)
Australia, Employees, Hobart, Language & Words, Pharmacy, Silly, Tasmania | Working | January 10, 2019
(We’re short-staffed and it’s been a busy, chaotic morning with customers practically lined up out the door as they wait for their prescriptions. Eventually, we get through the queue and stop to catch our breath in a brief moment while there are no more customers in the shop. We’re all a bit tired when yet another customer enters and looks around, appearing confused. My coworker approaches her and blurts out this gem
Coworker: “Can I point you in the wrong direction?”
(Fortunately, the customer had a great sense of humour and was soon successfully served.)
Awesome Workers, Berlin, Germany, Jerk, Non-Dialogue, Pharmacy | Hopeless Right | January 10, 2019
I’m a customer in a pharmacy in Berlin, behind an older man. I don’t speak German as I’m just a tourist, but he is very obviously driving the cashier crazy, pointing to everything five times and asking the price, wasting her time by debating the price, raising his voice, and flailing his arms about. Even though I can’t understand a word he is saying, his rudeness is clear! The cashier is doing a great job of staying calm, but he is visibly upsetting her.
When he finally leaves — some five minutes later, only having purchased one thing — I approach the register, smile, and roll my eyes. As she serves me, she chats away about the customer — made obvious from the things she points to while talking — and it’s clear from the relief on her face that she just needs to unload on someone who understands. I smile and nod and laugh when she laughs, and say, “Ja,” a couple of times, and she seems much calmer and happy by the end of the transaction.
Dear cashier, even though I didn’t understand a word you said, our conversation was wonderful and friendly; we both speak the universal language of “hating bad customers”!
Bosses & Owners, Jerk, Lazy/Unhelpful, Pennsylvania, Pharmacy, USA | Working | January 3, 2019
(I have stopped at a chain pharmacy near my home. I need to pick up makeup for my mother. On my last trip, the manager told me he would order the shade I wanted. Today I overhear a new manager explaining to the cashier that the old manager was transferred to try to fix serious problems at another store. The new manager is covering until the old one comes back. The makeup is still not in stock. I select my other items and approach the cashier.)
Cashier: “Did you find everything today?”
Me: “No. [Old Manager] said he was going to try and get some [Brand] makeup in shade 1C. You still don’t have it.”
Cashier: “We have [Brand] makeup.” *wanders over to shelf*
Me: “Yes, but I need shade 1C. You don’t have it.”
Manager: “What seems to be the problem?”
Me: “[Old Manager] was going to try and get [Brand] 1C makeup for me. You still don’t have it.”
Manager: “Oh, I saw that order. I canceled it.”
Me: “Why?”
Manager: “Because we have [Brand] makeup in a lot of shades. We don’t need that one, as well.”
Me: “But he was ordering it especially for me. You even have a space on the shelf for it.”
Manager: *grabs a much darker shade* “We have 4C.”
Me: “Yes, and I’m sure that’s helpful for someone who needs 4C. I need 1C.”
Manager: “So, you don’t want this?”
Me: “No. Can you replace the order for the 1C?”
Manager: “No, I’m not going to stock that. We have plenty of other shades.”
Me: “Okay, I’ll get it at [Competitor], as well as everything else I need.” *turns to leave*
Cashier: “So, you don’t want this?” *points to items I left on the counter*
Me: “No, not anymore.”
Manager: “It’s racial, isn’t it?”
(I stared at him for a second. He’s the same race I am, but [Old Manager] is a minority in my area. I decided it wasn’t worth the effort, so I just walked out without answering. I’m really hoping [Old Manager] comes back soon.)
At The Checkout, Bad Behavior, Pharmacy, Retail, USA |
Right | January 2, 2019
(I’m working in a pharmacy, and we are absolutely slammed and understaffed. There is a register up front for people to check out with items if they aren’t picking up a prescription, and it’s a common courtesy to do so, rather than bother a busy technician. A customer approaches the counter with a full cart of items. I tell her I will be with her momentarily and finish counting the prescription. She huffs and sighs audibly while I finish. I approach the counter and smile.)
Me: “Are you picking up a prescription today?”
Customer: *rolling her eyes* “No, I’m not. I just finished shopping and waited a very long time for a lazy employee to finally check me out.”
(It took me all of about thirty seconds to get to her.)
Me: “I’m sorry about your wait, ma’am.”
Customer: “Good. Now check me out.”
(She unloads her entire cart, and it takes about ten minutes to ring everything out. During this time, a sizable line forms behind her. I only have one coworker in the pharmacy, and she is running back and forth helping customers in the drive-thru and drop-off areas, so production has completely stopped.)
Me: “Do you have a rewards card? I can take a phone number, as well.”
Customer: “No, I don’t feel like digging it out. Just finish the transaction.”
Me: “Are you sure? You won’t get the sale prices without it.”
Customer: “DON’T QUESTION ME! JUST FINISH THE TRANSACTION!”
(She mutters something about incompetent employees while I finish her transaction, which comes to over $300. She pays in cash.)
Me: “Thank you. Have a nice night!”
(She takes a minute to look over her receipt, and comes to the conclusion that she’s been cheated.)
Customer: “Why didn’t I get the sale prices?”
Me: “You refused to let me scan your reward card, remember? I told you that you wouldn’t get the sale prices without it.”
Customer: “But I have one! You should have just given me a discount!”
Me: “Ma’am, unfortunately, we have to actually scan it or type in a phone number in order to give you the sale prices.”
Customer: “Well, then, redo it.”
Me: *astonished* “I’m sorry?”
Customer: “Redo the transaction. RIGHT NOW!”
Me: “Ma’am, I would have to refund the entire transaction and re-ring each and every item in order to do that.”
Customer: “Fine. You should have done it correctly to begin with.”
Me: *defeated* “Will you at least step to the back of the line? There are people here who are sick and need their medications.”
Customer: “NO! HOW DARE YOU? I DEMAND THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF ME, NOW!”
(I begin the long process of refunding her, item by item, and re-ringing the transaction. We’ve now been at this register for so long that many customers have given up and left.)
Me: “The total comes to $290. You saved $10 today.”
Customer: “See, now, that wasn’t so difficult, was it? Next time, do it right.”
(She leaves, smirking at the other customers in line as she goes.)
Customer #2 : “What in the blue f*** was her problem?”
Connecticut, Health & Body, Ignoring & Inattentive, Non-Dialogue, Pharmacy, Retail, Revolting, USA | Right | December 21, 2018
I am a cashier at a pharmacy, and we get a lot of unsavory characters. An older man walks in and comes to my counter to complain about a battery he bought for his blood sugar tester. Since it’s a new battery, I can only conclude that the plastic is still on. Lo and behold, I open it up and the plastic is still on.
He thanks me profusely and I wish him a good day, thinking that he is satisfied and will be on his way. He puts a test strip in the machine and takes his blood sugar at the counter. I ask him to please wait until he gets home. He says, no, no it’s fine; this will only take a minute. I again plead with him not to do it because it is very unsanitary to have blood on or around my counter. He argues with me the whole time, and when he finishes I make sure he puts his test strip in the garbage himself; I hold the can up for him since it’s behind the counter.
He starts to get angry at me, saying that it’s no big deal and I’m being dramatic. In my head I say, yes, I am being dramatic that a total stranger is pricking himself on the finger, squeezing blood on a test strip, and had to be coerced to even dispose of it properly. After he leaves, still upset, I make sure I grab the disinfectant wipes and clean every part of that counter.
Bad Behavior, California, Pharmacy, USA | Right | December 15, 2018
(I’m a cashier at a pharmacy. One day I come into work and the line is halfway around the store. Two of my coworkers have called out, and when I clock in, one of the two cashiers there goes on a lunch break. It’s just me and the manager trying to get everyone rung up as quickly as possible. The phone rings, so I answer while still helping my customer.)
Me: “Hello. This is [Pharmacy]. How may I direct your call?”
Caller #1 : “Yes, I’m looking for [Medicine]. It’s for hot flashes.”
Me: “Okay, ma’am, what kind of medicine is it?”
Caller #1 : *getting irritated* “It’s called, ‘[MEDICINE].’ It’s for hot flashes!”
Me: “Yes, ma’am. I mean, is it some kind of painkiller?”
Caller #1 : “It’s called, ‘[MEDICINE]’! It’s for hot flashes!”
Me: *still trying to ring up customers and getting annoyed* “Ma’am, we don’t have a section for menopause. I need to know if it’s a painkiller, or a vitamin, or is it in the cold section — something like that.”
Caller #1 : “Okay, listen to me. You know what menopause is, right? You know that women have hot flashes, right? It’s called, ‘[MEDICINE]’! Just look for it—”
(I admit I am annoyed. I’m not about to look all over the floor looking for some medicine I’ve never heard of. I hang up on her and finish ringing up my customer. I think that is the end of that… until a couple of hours later, when another customer calls.)
Caller #2 : “I’m looking for [Medicine]; it’s for hot flashes.”
(I ask her the same question.)
Caller #2 : “It should be in the same area as the birth control or the feminine products.”
(I tell her I’ll send someone to look for it.)
Caller #2 : “Thank you. Actually, my sister called earlier, and she spoke to someone who hung up on her.”
Me: “Would you like to speak to a manager, ma’am?”
(She says yes, so I call my manager to speak to her. Meanwhile, my coworker finds her medicine and brings it to the front. She speaks to the woman to confirm it’s the right one. They speak and she hangs up. My manager asks why she hung up and didn’t transfer the call.)
Coworker: “She said she didn’t really need to speak to him anymore. She just wanted to say sorry for her sister’s behavior.”
Canada, Ignoring & Inattentive, Pharmacy | Right | December 10, 2018
(There is a pharmacy in the same building as my doctor’s office, but it opens at 8:30 rather than 8:00 as the office does. It has a metal gate across the entrance when closed, just like most stores in a mall do. I come in just after 8:00 and am waiting for my turn when a woman comes out from her appointment with a prescription sheet and starts hovering right in front of the pharmacy gate.)
Woman: *to the employee inside who is obviously trying to set up to open* “Excuse me… Excuse me!”
Employee: “Yes?”
Woman: “Are you open yet?”
Employee: *slight pause* “No. That’s why the gate is closed and the lights are off.”
Woman: “Oh.” *wanders away*
(Everyone else in the waiting room was trying not to laugh. Really, how much more obvious do you need it to be?)
Convenience Store, Extra Stupid, Ignoring & Inattentive, Maryland, USA | Right | June 29, 2018
(I work at a branch of a well-known east coast convenience store. Today is the first day of a major renovation, including a complete remodel. Every day for the past two weeks, we’ve been reminding customers that we will be closed for over a month during this time. This morning, all the staff show up to count and package all the remaining merchandise to be shipped to other locations. The construction crews are already well into demolition.)
Manager: “Hey, [My Name], you and [Coworker] go outside and stand by the doors and make sure no customers try to come in.”
Me: “Really? Do you think anybody’s going to think we’re open with the parking lot blocked off, the sign being taken down, and construction workers currently sawing their way through the deli?”
Manager: “Don’t be a smarta**; just go.”
([Coworker] and I go outside, glad to just take a cigarette break and not have to do any real work. We’re laughing about how stupid this is, until not one minute later, a man walks up.)
Would-Be Customer: “Hey, are you guys closed?”
Me: *stunned silence*
Would-Be Customer: “Do you think you could sell me a cup of coffee?”
Me: *as construction workers are literally carrying out our empty registers and destroyed counter* “Uh… Sorry, we began our renovation today. I can’t sell you anything; we’re closed.”
Would-Be Customer: “That sucks! When do you think I can come back later?”
Me: *as construction workers, not three feet away, start to use jackhammers to break up the tile on the floor* “Uh… December?”
Canada, Extra Stupid, Fast Food, Ignoring & Inattentive, Ontario, Peterborough | Right | January 16, 2018
(It’s near the end of the night and we’ve been closed for about half an hour at this point. All of our lights are off, including the one on our drive-thru menu board. I head outside to take out the last load of garbage. There’s a car at our drive-thru speaker
Driver: *spotting me* “Hey, nobody is answering me! I’ve been here for five minutes now.”
Me: “Sorry, we actually closed a half hour ago.”
Driver: *seemingly ignoring me, yelling at the speaker* “I CAN’T READ YOUR MENU! TURN ON A LIGHT FOR ME!”
Me: “Sir, like I said, we actually aren’t open right now. We closed about half an hour ago. We’ll be open at 11:00 am tomorrow, though, if you’d like to come by then.”
Driver: *pulls out a flashlight and reads the board* “I WANT A #5 COMBO! HELLO? HEELLOOOO?!”
Me: “Sir, sorry for repeating myself, but we’re closed. Nobody is going to take your order, because we aren’t open. We’ve been closed for a while now, but you’re more than welcome to come back tomorrow when we’re open again.”
Driver: *suddenly notices me again* “Why aren’t you in there making my food? You’ve been out here doing nothing this entire time!”
Me: “I can’t take your order, sir. Even if I did, all of our tills are offline and our equipment is shut down and being cleaned. There is no way I could possibly give you any food tonight.”
Bookstore, California, Crazy Requests, Jerk, USA | Right | November 8, 2017
(We close at 7:00 pm on Sundays, which is fine in winter, because it’s dark out and most of the time, people don’t really come in. When it gets lighter out, however, we get an after-dinner rush and have to coax a lot of people out of the store. My coworker is pulling out the cash drawers when a customer walks in during closing.)
Coworker: “Oh! I’m sorry, ma’am. We just closed.”
Customer: “Oh! What time?”
Coworker: “Just now, at seven o’clock.”
Customer: “Isn’t it two minutes before seven?”
(She is referring to the large clock behind our register, which is always slow.)
Coworker: “No, ma’am, I’m sorry; it is exactly seven o’clock. But maybe we can ring up a book for you. Do you know exactly what you want?”
Customer: “No, but can I just browse for a couple of minutes or so?”
Coworker: *pained smile* “I’m sorry, ma’am.”
Me: *jumping in* “Don’t worry. We open every day at 10:00 am. You can come in then!”
Customer: “Oh. Well, I suppose you’re closed.”
(She proceeds to sigh and stand in front of the cash registers, quietly and somberly, for at least ten seconds before finally, slowly, shambling out. Whether or not she thought silently pouting would actually get us to change our minds about staying open for her is beyond me!)
(A customer walks into the store I work at right as we are closing.)
Me: “Attention shoppers, the time is [time] and our store is now closed.”
(The customer continues to shop and I close one of our two registers. Ten minutes later the she is still there.)
Me: “Attention shoppers, the time is [time] and our store is closed.”
(Five minutes later the customer approaches the counter, and I’m relieved because it is time for me close the last register. However the customer walks past the counter and continues to shop.)
Customer: “I just need to find something to go with this!”
Me: *to Coworker* “Close register one. It’s supposed to be closed by 15 after and we can’t wait any longer.”
Me: “Attention shoppers, the time is [time] and our store is closed.”
(The customer shops for another 10 minutes before she finally comes to the register with her items.)
Customer: “I’m ready to check out now, please.”
Me: “Ma’am, I’m very sorry but all of our registers are closed. I can’t ring you up but I’d be happy to put them on hold so you can come get them tomorrow.”
Customer: *immediately angry* “What? You mean I can’t buy these?!”
Me: “I’m sorry, but not tonight. The registers won’t even let me scan them. I’d be happy to put them on hold for you so you can get them another time.”
(Reluctantly the customer agrees. I walk her out of the store since the doors are all locked. As she is leaving she turns to me.)
Customer: *rudely* “Well, I didn’t even know you guys were closed!”
Non-Dialogue, Time | USA | Right | February 9, 2017
I work in parts/service at a boat dealer. It’s six pm, late in the year so it’s already dark outside. The salesmen are long gone for the day, and I’ve shut off the sign, locked the gates, shut off the showroom lights, and have locked all the doors except one up front, which I’ll lock behind me when I leave.
I punch out and grab my pop out of the mini-fridge back in the service bay, and am about to make my way around the counter and out the front when I hear a noise.
The front door bell dings and I hear someone stumbling around in the pitch black dark. Gradually, the silhouette of a figure appears, tripping on the rug, bumping into boats and displays as he feels his way around.
Eventually he makes his way back to the desk, looks around at the dark computer monitors in bewilderment, and goes: “Oh! Are you guys closed?”
Bigotry, Doctor/Physician, Medical Office, USA, Utah | | Healthy | July 29, 2019
(I just found out that my fiancé of five years has been cheating on me for three of those years. To be safe, I make an appointment to have a full STI panel done. The only appointment I can get is with the physician’s assistant and not my usual doctor.)
PA: “Okay, dear, I’m just going to give you the swab and let you take the sample.”
Me: “You aren’t going to do it? I don’t know what to do.”
(She explains how to take a culture and leaves the room to give me privacy. When I finish, she collects the swab and begins to leave again.)
PA: “Okay, we should get results in about a week and we’ll call you.”
Me: “Aren’t you going to take my blood, as well, for HIV and syphilis testing?”
PA: *laughs* “Oh, you only have to worry about that if you’re gay.”
Me: “You know what, I’ll just go and make an appointment with the actual doctor.”
(That was the second issue I had with her, and the last time I ever saw her working there.)
Bigotry, Doctor/Physician, Medical Office, USA, Utah | | Healthy | July 29, 2019
(I just found out that my fiancé of five years has been cheating on me for three of those years. To be safe, I make an appointment to have a full STI panel done. The only appointment I can get is with the physician’s assistant and not my usual doctor.)
PA: “Okay, dear, I’m just going to give you the swab and let you take the sample.”
Me: “You aren’t going to do it? I don’t know what to do.”
(She explains how to take a culture and leaves the room to give me privacy. When I finish, she collects the swab and begins to leave again.)
PA: “Okay, we should get results in about a week and we’ll call you.”
Me: “Aren’t you going to take my blood, as well, for HIV and syphilis testing?”
PA: *laughs* “Oh, you only have to worry about that if you’re gay.”
Me: “You know what, I’ll just go and make an appointment with the actual doctor.”
(That was the second issue I had with her, and the last time I ever saw her working there.)
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