To think Pharmacies shouldn't shut for lunch anymore

I remember when some smaller business used to shut for half day on Wednesdays , some probably still do .

@mathanxiety you are comparing the UK to the US. Salaries in the UK are nowhere near what you are quoting. You can't compare like for like because the whole system works differently.

Some stores won't shut for lunch and the pharmacist will just sit in the back and get a bite to eat when they can. Unless that's your choice, it's shit because everyone deserves a break to recharge and being tired isn't an excuse when it comes to a dispensing error.

Pharmacists are entitled to a lunchbreak like any other profession. What is poor is if is not advertised on the website with their opening hours or at the very least on the door. Absolutely complain about that but if you enjoy your lunch break don't begrudge someone else theirs.

Because there is only one pharmacist in my 2 local chemists and if they don't eat, then they'll be no help to anyone.
The chemist is usually open until 6pm and there is just one hour when they ask you to come back later if you have a query that only the pharmacist can answer.

It's almost like things are different in different countries 🤨

You can't be unaware that the Australian health care model, especially primary care, is massively different than in either UK or Ireland, and in this respect at least, much better.

What? Is this for real ?

I grew up like this in the 70’s in NZ, but it must have changed when I was about 10.

Here in Aus, my local pharmacy is open 7 days a week 8am-8pm. Two pharmacists on at a time.

I'm just really happy they are there for when we need them and the information they give about my prescription .
Most of their customers are not young so can pick-up when needed . When I was younger I knew the reason they shut at lunch time , and I just have to find the time when they were open . I'm grateful for our pharmacists .

@mathanxiety looks like you are in the US? Pharmacy is really poorly funded here in comparison because it’s mainly nhs work. For dispensing a prescription item a pharmacy received roughly a pound plus the cost of the drug is reimbursed to them at a later stage (so they’re out of pocket for a while). That pound covers the entire service! People pay hundreds for their medication in the US and pharmacists are paid much better. So no there are generally no pharmacy technicians, there are dispensers who are not as qualified. I suspect the laws are also quite different around supervision etc

There are no techs?

Even the independent pharmacy in my US town has two pharm techs.

Most people?

I think you're describing the world of Enid Blyton. Most people I know eat at their desks. An hour for lunch is extraordinary.

It will only take one chain getting established and paying above the average to attract pharmacists and all the little mom or pop operations will go the way of the rest of the dinosaurs.

But they don't have to check all prescriptions.

Yes I work

It’s in the UK. But I think the machine acts as the ‘delivery driver’ so that once it is in there, the pharmacist is not responsible.

Same here it’s crazy. There’s a Morrisons, Sainsbo and Tesco Metro all within 20 yards.

They’re rammed at lunch time ( massive student population and 3 schools where kids are allowed to leave premises)). How much money is Boots losing?

Our local little boots closed from 1.30 to 2.30 during covid and hasn't gone back. I don't blame them at all. That I think is the pharmacists break. The other staff ( there is never more than 3 of them) Take different breaks but spend that hour sorting out the rest of the shop and admin.

They are entitled to a break, to leave the premises and get a bit of fresh air? If they stay and check prescriptions during that time, they're not getting a lunch break are they!

They’re getting an hour for lunch because that’s what they want. Very often the pharmacist is actually the business owner, and even if they are not they can dictate their own working hours as they are in very short supply. And lots of people don’t want to eat in the back of a shop, they want to go home or go to a restaurant or cafe at lunchtime like most people.

Do you work? It's workers, especially full time, who have difficult accessing services as they often have fixed lunchtimes too!

@MrsBrie And schools close at the weekend. It's disgusting and old fashioned

@Martinii

You're still missing the point! A cafe can stay open as staff can stagger lunch breaks.

I've said that many pharmacies don't close as the pharmacist doesn't take lunch. In the case where they do, it's often a sole trader who would have to work all day every day, dealing with a high volume of sensitive medication, with no break, ever as they are the only person that can deal with prescriptions and related queries. It's a legal and regulatory requirement, not simply a busy job.

It is quite telling how many of the proposed solutions involve persuading professionals who are already in short supply to accept worse working conditions. They're already leaving community pharmacy in droves!

Interesting. Is this in the UK? Because if so you've just proved every single "legally a pharmacist must be on the premises" post that's been repeated over and over on this thread

@mathanxiety Could they not have their lunch on the premises?

How can you force people to take their entitled break time on premises for any profession? Thats not legal. Sure some places, people will need to clock out/clock back or swipe out/in (as I understand it for OHS purposes that you are not on site at that time), but you can’t make people stay on site in the workplace to eat lunch. In this particular scenario, you’ll likely find people would be disrupted during their lunch for some reason or other as well

Ask those who’s prescriptions haven’t yet been processed to come back but be open to accept the prescription and to deal with other over the counter items

It doesn’t work like that. A pharmacist must be in store/on site, otherwise even prescriptions already processed can’t be handed across. Also, there are many over the counter items that also can’t be sold without a pharmacist being on site even though people would normally never interact with them for these items. That leaves the nightmare of which ones can/can’t be sold during this time. Not to mention that a pharmacy licence is contingent on having a registered pharmacist on site to operate, so that overrides everything else anyway.

If people don’t like it, they should call rush into pharmacy training, graduate, get registered and fill the gaps. Then this won’t be an issue and they won’t need to complain.

Mine has a 24/7 vending machine thing which you can use to collect prescriptions. I love it!

Why would he have to jump up and down?

Could the pharmacist not just eat lunch in peace unless there was an emergency? Not all the customers arriving during the lunch break are there for controlled substances.

And why are pharmacists getting an hour for lunch? Where I live, they are entitled to 30 minutes plus one 15-minute break per shift of six hours and up to twelve hours. In a twelve hour shift, they get 30 minutes for lunch and 2x15-minute breaks. Dispensing pharmacists can make over $100k per year.