30 Weird, Ridiculous, And Purely Infuriating Things Spotted At Local Pharmacies

As of 2024, there were 46,230 pharmacies and drugstore businesses in the US employing more than 340,000 specialists. Upon entering the profession, pharmacists have to swear on an oath to “assure optimal outcomes for all patients.” 

However, as we see from the list, that is not always the case, and working conditions are making it almost impossible to stick to their promise.

The National Pharmacist Workforce Study (NPWS) in 2022 has found that more than 60% of chain pharmacists experienced high levels of work exhaustion, while 80% reported not being satisfied with their job. 

This is happening because of the number of tasks they perform at work that go beyond their original job description. Staff shortage additionally contributes to this issue, making pharmacists overworked and overwhelmed.

Due to staff shortage, burnout, and employers’ focus on meeting quotas, 75% of pharmacists felt like they didn't have enough time to safely perform their duties, let alone be smiley and polite to customers looking for professional care.

“Pharmacists are so overwhelmed and worried that they’re going to make a mistake. It’s so easy to make a mistake under those conditions,” said pharmacist and labor advocate Shane Jerominski, who has a decade of experience working at chain pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS.

Their work goes beyond putting pills in the bottle - they have to check the prescription for errors, check if the drug will be used in combination with other medicines, bill insurance companies, and counsel patients on risks. When workers are burnt out and busy, they are more likely to make mistakes in the process. Unfortunately, pharmacists' errors can have dire consequences.

“Any simple mistake: the counting of medication, or even issuing the wrong type of medication could have serious impacts and even cause a death,” said Tony Bertolino, a lawyer who specializes in defending pharmacies and pharmacists. “There’s so much pressure on pharmacists to get prescriptions filled and to get patients in and out.”

Each year, between 7,000 and 9,000 people in the US die because of a medication error. More than hundreds of thousands of patients also experience adverse reactions or other side effects related to their medication but decide not to report them.

However, some states are trying to get the situation under control. For example, Virginia banned quotas and passed regulations that ordered pharmacies to increase staffing until March 2025. California and Ohio also implemented rules that require pharmacies to have an adequate number of employees, which will help divide pharmacists' workload better and keep them from overworking themselves.