The Glamourous World of Pharmacy or the Ghetto Pharmacy Contest

To get the politically incorrect reference out of the way first, Wikipedia describes a ghetto as a "portion of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure." As well as,

-"When the majority uses compulsion (typically violence, hostility, or legal barriers) to force minorities into particular areas. (sounds like pharmacists)
-When economic conditions make it difficult for minority members to live in non-minority areas."

Being the institutionalized health professionals we are, we tolerate a lot in our work places. In fact, many of us work in completely undignified, non-ergonomic, and down right filthy, dilapidated facilities.

The other day someone was mentioning Ben Franklin's 13 Virtues. Rule 10 was elaborated on as referring to home or business:

"10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation."


Recently, I went to work for a new chain. I was asked to fill in at a nearby store. Now this particular location has been rented by multiple pharmacies over the last 40 years. I have never seen a more ghetto pharmacy! I went in to retrieve the key from the store manager. I found him sitting on a stool in a "broom closet" with no door, his feet resting on the safe, a phone propped on his shoulder. Actually, I have not one closet in my house as small as this so called "office", although the bathroom linen closet comes close.

The back room walls looked as though someone had tried to drive a truck through the skinny hall, or perhaps an orc battle had taken place in this dungeon; 4 different colors of paint peeking out of deep gouges in the walls, who's primary color now was a shade deeper than hospital green *barf*.

I unlocked the pharmacy, went in and saw the filthiest linoleum floors ever. Luckily, this was very hidden from the public, because of the clever design of putting the pharmacy area way back behind the cash registers, in a separate room with a large pass through window. This made it easy to get adequate exercise when coming out to speak to patients regularly. It also provided good shelter and protection if someone decided to try and jump the pharmacist. They would most certainly have to jump a counter, a wall and take out a cashier, too. That was a plus.

I could go on, but I am more inspired and anxious to see the working conditions you tolerate.

Send me photos at UnPCRPh at gmail dot com

Please try not to photograph the company logo or any other identifying features of the company you work for. Many chains have a no photographing policy, probably for the reason that they may be humiliated and embarrassed. Truthfully, I think they ought to be. I'll post the best here. There is no prize, other than the honor of your work place appearing here.