Working in a pharmacy?

[strangerthannormal]

I have some customer-service experience in a retail environment, however not in a pharmacy, it’s a community one. Just wanting an idea of what I could/should be expecting? I guess it’s frustrated customers would be at the forefront & handling those situations.

Yep!! And coughing and spluttering!!
Most people are lovely though

Don't forget the customers who get violent because you refuse to sell the two boxes of the same OTC medicine they bought two boxes of earlier in the week. Or the ones who tell you they ordered their repeat medication online 20 minutes ago and expect it to be ready to collect now

Mumoftwotoddlers - violence? Gosh that’s not on!

DSIS worked as a pharmacy assistant for years and has just left one of the major high street companies.
Her gripes-
Continually short staffed, so serving on the tills rather than making up prescriptions and doing more hours than contracted for.
Verbal abuse from everyone from the drug addiction coming in for his/her methadone to the little old lady who thinks she's better than the staff.

The little old ladies are the worst of the lot! They also speak to you as if you're their doctor and give you way too much detail on what's wrong with them, 9/10 times they'll even offer to show you and you have to politely but firmly tell them you can't inspect their piles or vaginal dryness

Busy and stressful.

I am a counter assistant in a community pharmacy. I like my job. Most of the people are wonderful. Some are nasty, but the job is all about managing customer expectations.

I have not personally experienced violence, but do get a couple of "bullies" every shift. "You need to give me a refund", "you need to sort this out" etc. They are by far outweighed by the lovely customers, the ones who want a chat, ask for some advice (tell you that you were right, they went to the doctor etc).

Sometimes you have to deal with sadness. Terminal illness, suicidal customers desperate for help, death... there are tears and hugs pretty much every week.

The job is quite physical. 4or 6 hour shifts , on your feet all the time ...getting items from the store room, fridges, shelves, going on the shopfloor to help customers find and decide what they want. Lifting totes full of stock.

Day to day in the job I would say the biggest challenge is talking... finding something to talk about to 150 customers a shift, even just a sentence or two. It is so busy, but in community pharmacy in particular, you are often the only person someone will see that day.

It is a very rewarding job.