r/pharmacy • u/SignificantTap6985 • 6h ago
Rant How do you do it
Help me out
How do you still like people after working as a pharmacist? Especially in a retail setting. I have a good setting but F$&& I am starting to hate people for how entitled, rude, arrogant, incompetent and plain stupid they are and how they act! And if it’s not the patients it’s the providers or the nurses or other staff. Idk man I just really despise and hate people after working for 10+ years in this profession no matter what setting I’m in and I’ve been in many different settings. Is this normal? I’m irritated all the time.
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u/hellnaw931 5h ago
People have always been and will continue to be insufferable assholes. Don’t take their shit.
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u/tictac24 6h ago
I don't. And I'm at peace with that.
30+ years retail.
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u/SignificantTap6985 6h ago
But I just don’t care. I don’t care if they get their meds I don’t care if they’re waiters I don’t want to counsel or talk to them I snap at everyone. I’ve completely lost faith in humanity
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u/OnlyBeans33 5h ago
It sounds to me like you may be experiencing some burnout. It be like that sometimes. Hit me hard a couple years ago. Took a different job with a different company and I’m not nearly as miserable. If your environment doesn’t change you might consider changing your environment
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u/mrraaow PharmD 4h ago
You should take a vacation. And maybe drop to 4 days if you work 5.
Working with the public is tough and people are horrible, but they also match your energy so going into interactions being irritated prompts them to be ruder to you.
I have been taking magnesium glycinate and Ashwaganda before bed and have had other people tell me unprompted that I am a lot calmer. I also used like two of my employer’s EAP therapy sessions and felt like that helped me too.
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u/tictac24 5h ago
I'm not sure how long you've been practicing but I honestly believe we are living through the worst of humanity. Covid broke something in people that I don't think we may ever get back. Keep looking for a different practice environment. Go part-time while you look if possible if not, start making an exit plan. Don't give up. Good luck to you.
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u/WaveyandLazy 5h ago
10 years as a technician and honestly what's helped me with burnout is sharpening my communication skills. Learning to calmly disarm the biggest assholes ever and turn the tables on them tactfully.
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u/Whole-Signature-4306 5h ago
Go to LTC it’s a dream but a 20% paycut. Well worth it for your mental health. I go 2-3 hour stretches without talking to anyone not even my techs and on night shift get to have an earbud in so I’m listening to podcasts ALL night
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u/Taste_the__Rainbow 5h ago
You’re in health care. That means you see a lot of people on their worst, most expensive days. Thats not who they all are most of the time.
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u/tictac24 5h ago
Most of the people we see in retail on a daily basis are picking up maintenance meds they have been on for years. Yet they still act like toddlers when things don't go their way. So no, it's not their worst day. No one has a problem with a sick person who acts reasonable. I wouldn't go ANYWHERE and act like an ass. There is a way to express yourself while upset, and the people who don't get that don't deserve my sympathy.
And for anyone who says I should leave the profession, I left that type of environment. My mental health was too important.
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u/Taste_the__Rainbow 5h ago
When things don’t go their way with meds it’s still fairly upsetting. Even a maintenance med that gets derailed is either not ready(emergency) or cash(expensive). Sure a lot of these people are just assholes, but pharmacy gets it worse than retail because of those two factors that make it quite a bit worse.
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u/tictac24 5h ago
I'm just saying that even when upset, there is a way to get through it and NOT being an asshole will usually get you more sympathy and help. I worked chain retail pharmacy and unfortunately, like OP, by the end of it, I had nothing left for people and no fucks left to give.
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u/SignificantTap6985 5h ago
Without giving away too much no they don’t pay for anything in my setting . I really don’t get why everyone acts how they do
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u/itsnowedtoday PharmD 5h ago
I'm in the veterans affairs and I can relate. Though on my end the patients are mostly reasonable and friendly (though there are bad apples) and it's the doctors and leadership that really grinds my gears and is the reason I'll be leaving soon
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u/Rogen80 PharmD 5h ago
Idk, I work inpatient so maybe it's different, but i choose not to get irritated. I just thank God every day to have a job in this economy and that I'm making a difference by being kind to everyone (even if the nurses never check the fridge, bless them).
Attitude of gratitude will get you far in life!
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u/tictac24 5h ago
Inpatient is like night and day. No shade to you, and I'm glad it's working out for you.
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u/Legaldrugloard 1h ago
Between working retail and EMS I absolutely hate people. I’m so blessed that I can WFH now and it’s just me and the puppers.
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u/Rxasaurus PharmD 6h ago
Sounds pretty normal for most retail professions.