How safe is working at a 24 hour pharmacy?

[rivatnt]

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How safe/fun is it to work the graveyard shift?

I guess I'm a night person. It pays more so I think I should do it. When I have kids, it would be cool to spend more time with them during the day.

How many people do you usually encounter in one night? How tight is security? How many workers are there usually in a 24 hour riteaid, etc?

 

[bananaface]

It all depends on location and store layout. I haven't heard of robberies being more common at night.

 

[rivatnt]

I walked into a 24 hour riteaid like early in the morning (when it was still dark) and the pharmacist was just sitting on his little stool.

There are no pharmacy techs or clerks? I think that would be better if you like interacting with the customers a lot.

How safe/fun is it to work the graveyard shift?

I guess I'm a night person. It pays more so I think I should do it. When I have kids, it would be cool to spend more time with them during the day.

How many people do you usually encounter in one night? How tight is security? How many workers are there usually in a 24 hour riteaid, etc?

 

[SomeGuy]

I know for a chain around here, the night pharmacists are sometimes responsible for answering the 1-800 number for the non-24hr stores for medication related questions. Also, I'd assume they'd have them do some inventory management stuff that's easiest when the store isn't busy, as well as filling prescriptions that will get picked up or delivered the next day.

 

[rivatnt]

I know for a chain around here, the night pharmacists are sometimes responsible for answering the 1-800 number for the non-24hr stores for medication related questions. Also, I'd assume they'd have them do some inventory management stuff that's easiest when the store isn't busy, as well as filling prescriptions that will get picked up or delivered the next day.

Is it usually just one person in the pharmacy?

 

[tupac_don]

How safe/fun is it to work the graveyard shift?

I guess I'm a night person. It pays more so I think I should do it. When I have kids, it would be cool to spend more time with them during the day.

How many people do you usually encounter in one night? How tight is security? How many workers are there usually in a 24 hour riteaid, etc?

NO tech's just you and the pharmacy, you should bring an arsenal of weapons just in case. I reccommend, a gun around your ankle just in case you get shot, or your gun gets taken away you have an alternate weapon of assault. Of course you are gonna need a bulletproof vest too. I also reccomend a sniper, in case you see someone breaking in from a distance, that way can dispose of them quickly. A bomb or two would be useful in case you are surrounded, and you can tell the guy, see you in hell thief boy, when you blow yourself and him up. Can't forget a good old knife either, in case it comes down to hand to hand combat. I'd also have an oozie nearby, just in case there is more than one perpetrator, that way you can take em out en masse. If you are prepared like this, you should have no problems whatsoever 😀

 

[microbe hunter]

NO tech's just you and the pharmacy, you should bring an arsenal of weapons just in case. I reccommend, a gun around your ankle just in case you get shot, or your gun gets taken away you have an alternate weapon of assault. Of course you are gonna need a bulletproof vest too. I also reccomend a sniper, in case you see someone breaking in from a distance, that way can dispose of them quickly. A bomb or two would be useful in case you are surrounded, and you can tell the guy, see you in hell thief boy, when you blow yourself and him up. Can't forget a good old knife either, in case it comes down to hand to hand combat. I'd also have an oozie nearby, just in case there is more than one perpetrator, that way you can take em out en masse. If you are prepared like this, you should have no problems whatsoever 😀

Simply stated, refer to Tupac_don's avatar.

 

[lord999]

I'm not joking with this response.


I was robbed twice at gunpoint in as many years. It's just an occupational hazard that you get used to.

When I was an intern, one of the night pharmacists was chased around by a guy with pantyhose over his head and a shiv.

Another pharmacist, Jay McCoy, was held up in DAYTIME and taken hostage. The situation thankfully ended with the crazy SOB shooting himself in the head, although he didn't die until 3 or so days later.

 

[rivatnt]

Will use nunchaku! Thanks for the heads up!

I'm not joking with this response.


I was robbed twice at gunpoint in as many years. It's just an occupational hazard that you get used to.

When I was an intern, one of the night pharmacists was chased around by a guy with pantyhose over his head and a shiv.

Another pharmacist, Jay McCoy, was held up in DAYTIME and taken hostage. The situation thankfully ended with the crazy SOB shooting himself in the head, although he didn't die until 3 or so days later.

 

[lord999]

It really depends on the area. Anecdotally, the property value is inversely related to the incidence of robberies in an area. Downtown Phoenix isn't too bad, but 70th/Shea in the heart of Scottsdale gets robbed on almost a continuous basis.

 

[illusions]

Like everyone has stated, it kinda just depends...however earlier this year a chain of robberies happened in SC at walgreens pharmacies; in areas where you wouldn't expect them to happen. In couple instances the night pharmacist was robbed at gunpoint

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

NO tech's just you and the pharmacy, you should bring an arsenal of weapons just in case. I reccommend, a gun around your ankle just in case you get shot, or your gun gets taken away you have an alternate weapon of assault. Of course you are gonna need a bulletproof vest too. I also reccomend a sniper, in case you see someone breaking in from a distance, that way can dispose of them quickly. A bomb or two would be useful in case you are surrounded, and you can tell the guy, see you in hell thief boy, when you blow yourself and him up. Can't forget a good old knife either, in case it comes down to hand to hand combat. I'd also have an oozie nearby, just in case there is more than one perpetrator, that way you can take em out en masse. If you are prepared like this, you should have no problems whatsoever 😀

haha nice response. I wish people had better questions in this forum than stuff that can easily be look up. Most of the time, common sense would prevail. . I wonder if people post just to see themselves post. Sorry if it was a serious question.

 

[rivatnt]

haha nice response. I wish people had better questions in this forum than stuff that can easily be look up. Most of the time, common sense would prevail. . I wonder if people post just to see themselves post. Sorry if it was a serious question.

where can I find info? Are you talkin to me????/

 

[SomeGuy]

Note to self: If working overnight shift, keep beta-blockers on hand 🙂

 

[pinkyrx]

haha nice response. I wish people had better questions in this forum than stuff that can easily be look up. Most of the time, common sense would prevail. . I wonder if people post just to see themselves post. Sorry if it was a serious question.

Aznfarmerboi: There are plenty of people considering working at a 24 hour store and this seems like a legit question to me. This forum is here so we can discuss things relating to pharmacy school and the career we have ahead of us. I'm not so sure why you think the original post was unworthy of being posted or how this topic is easily looked up? Do you think pharmacies post this info on their websites?

I've noticed a few of your posts giving people a hard time about things they've posted. Just because something doesn't seem important to you doesn't mean that others won't think the question is valuable. You really should think before you post.

To answer the original question. I've not worked in a 24 hour pharmacy, but have friends that do. In general I don't think its as safe as working during the day but I would think that most pharmacies would have at least 2 people working overnight. I personally wouldn't work the late shift if it was just me, that just seems to dangerous. I guess the late night positions are risk vs benefit... more money and more time with your family (which is a great perk), but it's awful hours and working the midnight shift really does bad things to your mental/physical well-being.

 

[illusions]

In general I don't think its as safe as working during the day but I would think that most pharmacies would have at least 2 people working overnight. I personally wouldn't work the late shift if it was just me, that just seems to dangerous.

Also wanted to mention that at wags, that the pharmacist works solo. Typically in the store, there is just a front end clerk and a night manager, that usually stays locked up in the office. Personally I wished there was more coverage up front. Sometimes the front end clerk even steps away to stock things leaving the front entrance wide open.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

How safe/fun is it to work the graveyard shift?

I guess I'm a night person. It pays more so I think I should do it. When I have kids, it would be cool to spend more time with them during the day.

How many people do you usually encounter in one night? How tight is security? How many workers are there usually in a 24 hour riteaid, etc?

Okay Pharmgirl, I will answer him.

Yes it's a lottttt of FUN to work during the graveyard shift. Why else would they call it the graveyard shift.

You guess you are a night person? The paying more part is just genius but then again, I do know one pharmacist out of a thousand who does it just for the heck of it (but then being anti-social had a part to play in it). The kids part, hmm yeah i "guess". . . . its definitely cooler than spending more time with them during the day than the night.

How many people do you usually encounter in one night? a billion because we all know how everyone is awake at night. Not to mention, the chains love to make pharmacies 24 hours just for the heck of it.

How tight is security? If you ever walk into a 24 hour pharmacy before, you would know that it is like Fort Knox. We all know how cost efficient it is to have 3 guards at night time as opposed to 1 guard in the daytime. We also know how the three guards that getspaid minium wage would risk their life for you, because they don't have a family back home, and thats why they are working two jobs. Furthermore, we all know that 24 hours pharmacies should be placed in the projects so that thugs can get their oxycotin. Last but not least, we all know that there is a shortage of cops so they cannot patrol both the pharmacy and the 7 eleven nearby.

 

[bananaface]

Okay Pharmgirl, I will answer him.

Yes it's a lottttt of FUN to work during the graveyard shift. Why else would they call it the graveyard shift.

You guess you are a night person? The paying more part is just genius but then again, I do know one pharmacist out of a thousand who does it just for the heck of it (but then being anti-social had a part to play in it). The kids part, hmm yeah i "guess". . . . its definitely cooler than spending more time with them during the day than the night.

How many people do you usually encounter in one night? a billion because we all know how everyone is awake at night. Not to mention, the chains love to make pharmacies 24 hours just for the heck of it.

How tight is security? If you ever walk into a 24 hour pharmacy before, you would know that it is like Fort Knox. We all know how cost efficient it is to have 3 guards at night time as opposed to 1 guard in the daytime. We also know how the three guards that getspaid minium wage would risk their life for you, because they don't have a family back home, and thats why they are working two jobs. Furthermore, we all know that 24 hours pharmacies should be placed in the projects so that thugs can get their oxycotin. Last but not least, we all know that there is a shortage of cops so they cannot patrol both the pharmacy and the 7 eleven nearby.

I *think* that she was looking for you to answer it in a contributory manner. 😛

 

[pinkyrx]

I *think* that she was looking for you to answer it in a contributory manner. 😛

Yep! Oh well, I tried.

I'm old school when it comes to message boards and believe that if you don't have something nice to say you shouldn't say anything at all. 😉

 

[SomeGuy]

I don't think its very safe to work the night shift at a pharmacy. Think about it, you're getting paid the most, but bringing the least amount of money into the store, as well as getting robbed.

So, I'd say your job isn't very safe, if the pharmacy needed to save money and wanted to cut hours, who do you think will be the first to get the boot?

Not sure why everyone took the violence and robbery stance... Some Freudian Subconscious thinking going on here...

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

Yep! Oh well, I tried.

I'm old school when it comes to message boards and believe that if you don't have something nice to say you shouldn't say anything at all. 😉

sorry, i wont say anything negative then.

Refers to posting ::there is such a thing as a stupid question::. After all, its not like you see me going around the forum being a total ass. I didnt attack you in the post.

On the other hand, you cant admit that questions like this makes you wonder if he belongs in pharmacy school. I do hope that he does know that pharmacy school won't teach him about the real world. If he is serious about working in retail pharmacy; he should start to wise up and get some more common sense or street smarts.

 

[rivatnt]

?

sorry, i wont say anything negative then.

Refers to posting ::there is such a thing as a stupid question::. After all, its not like you see me going around the forum being a total ass. I didnt attack you in the post.

On the other hand, you cant admit that questions like this makes you wonder if he belongs in pharmacy school. I do hope that he does know that pharmacy school won't teach him about the real world. If he is serious about working in retail pharmacy; he should start to wise up and get some more common sense or street smarts.

 

[bananaface]

sorry, i wont say anything negative then.

Refers to posting ::there is such a thing as a stupid question::. After all, its not like you see me going around the forum being a total ass. I didnt attack you in the post.

On the other hand, you cant admit that questions like this makes you wonder if he belongs in pharmacy school. I do hope that he does know that pharmacy school won't teach him about the real world. If he is serious about working in retail pharmacy; he should start to wise up and get some more common sense or street smarts.

If you don't like the question, you don't have to respond to it. Plenty of people out there feel that the OP is a legitimate question. Even if you happen to think it's silly, that is no reason to insert disrespectful comments into the thread. The people who want to discuss the topic ought to be able to do so without having someone try to pull them off track.

 

[Jmassey]

sorry, i wont say anything negative then.

Refers to posting ::there is such a thing as a stupid question::. After all, its not like you see me going around the forum being a total ass. I didnt attack you in the post.

On the other hand, you cant admit that questions like this makes you wonder if he belongs in pharmacy school. I do hope that he does know that pharmacy school won't teach him about the real world. If he is serious about working in retail pharmacy; he should start to wise up and get some more common sense or street smarts.

Yes, questions like this definately make it clear that someone does or does not belong in pharmacy school. I really love your "holier than thou" attitude.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

Yes, questions like this definately make it clear that someone does or does not belong in pharmacy school. I really love your "holier than thou" attitude.

There was no holier than thou attitude.

 

[ultracet]

NO tech's just you and the pharmacy, you should bring an arsenal of weapons just in case. I reccommend, a gun around your ankle just in case you get shot, or your gun gets taken away you have an alternate weapon of assault. Of course you are gonna need a bulletproof vest too. I also reccomend a sniper, in case you see someone breaking in from a distance, that way can dispose of them quickly. A bomb or two would be useful in case you are surrounded, and you can tell the guy, see you in hell thief boy, when you blow yourself and him up. Can't forget a good old knife either, in case it comes down to hand to hand combat. I'd also have an oozie nearby, just in case there is more than one perpetrator, that way you can take em out en masse. If you are prepared like this, you should have no problems whatsoever 😀

independent?




those are some of the craziest old men i've ever met.....

 

[Reverent]

Our wags store was robbed a couple of times before they brought me on. Apparently the last time it happend a group of teenagers congregated in the restroom slowly, then all came out with weapons and assaulted the night pharmacist. Since then they lock the bathrooms past 7pm.

Some of the other wags in my area were robbed during the daytime, but they were hitting the front end. They were calling the guy the water bottle robber or something, he'd go pick up a bottle of water and make like he was going to pay for it then rob the cashier.

The most recent instance I can think of in my area... some crazy woman came in with a bag with some wires coming out of it, dropped it on the counter, demanded some type of controls or she was going to blow up the pharmacy. She didn't have any luck at the first wags she stopped at, but the second they gave her what she wanted 🙄

I don't work in the best area, but I don't work in the worst. I've never personally been robbed and I've never been wary or working nights. I do think if I were to work overnights, and be the only person in the pharmacy, I'd quickly acquire a concealed weapons permit.

 

[Reverent]

I heard another funny story about our store getting robbed. Apparently we had some very old floater, getting ready to retire working at the time. A guy came in with a handwritten note demanding percocet and handed it to the old guy. It just so happened that the next shift was starting, and the relief pharmacist had just arrived. So the old guy hands him the floater keys, the note, and walks out of the pharmacy.

The guy trying to rob the place is very confused at this point, as well as the relief pharmacist I'm sure, and wanders off.

 

[ultracet]

Ok so this happened to a friend of mine.....

never a dull moment....

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

Our wags store was robbed a couple of times before they brought me on. Apparently the last time it happend a group of teenagers congregated in the restroom slowly, then all came out with weapons and assaulted the night pharmacist. Since then they lock the bathrooms past 7pm.

Some of the other wags in my area were robbed during the daytime, but they were hitting the front end. They were calling the guy the water bottle robber or something, he'd go pick up a bottle of water and make like he was going to pay for it then rob the cashier.

The most recent instance I can think of in my area... some crazy woman came in with a bag with some wires coming out of it, dropped it on the counter, demanded some type of controls or she was going to blow up the pharmacy. She didn't have any luck at the first wags she stopped at, but the second they gave her what she wanted 🙄

I don't work in the best area, but I don't work in the worst. I've never personally been robbed and I've never been wary or working nights. I do think if I were to work overnights, and be the only person in the pharmacy, I'd quickly acquire a concealed weapons permit.

I am sure that the numbers of times that your wag store got robbed is co related to the crime rate in your area.

 

[Reverent]

I am sure that the numbers of times that your wag store got robbed is co related to the crime rate in your area.

Like I said I don't work in the best area. It's not South Central but it's not Beverly Hills. Personally I haven't experienced anything too bad, though I did think this butch guy was going to jump over the counter and wring my neck when I told him his wifes Xanax had no refills at 7pm on Friday evening. I guess his home life isn't all that great.