Edward Skaff spent 44 years filling prescriptions.
Today, he'd rather sell booze. Goodbye Pfizer. Hello Jack Daniels.
"It's a lot more enjoyable," the former pharmacist said. "The people come in, they're not sick, and they don't question the prices as much."
In August 2005, Skaff closed the last of three pharmacies he'd owned and operated for much of his life.
"Let's say you have a $100 prescription and they allow you to mark it up $5," said Skaff.
"It costs $7 to dispense it. So it didn't take too long to figure that out."
The Denver Post - Former pharmacist sees future in liquor
Hat Tip: Kevin, MD
He's right, as a pharmacist for 25 years I've seen that there was ALWAYS money from joe six-pack in the hardest times for liquor and cigarettes. Back in pharmacy school it was widely known a real money maker was the liquor section, but it was also a double edged dilemma given that not all people use alcohol wisely and we were taught to promote health. You can't be responsible for everything that happens beyond your legal sale of a legal item.
ReplyDeleteWOrking for Wal-Mart with the worst healthcare plan i'd seen, worse than when I was just a laborer, with no benefits compared to the generous walgreens with $15K sign-on bonuses to attract you, you end up being an independent contractor at the very least if you don't do what Mr.Skaff did by moving with the known demands of the public.
At Wal-Mart all people care about is MAKING their doctor change their tried and true meds into generics that are on the $4 list whether it is changing to inferior medications or not. Many once daily formulations are not on the $4 list, so people's demand for $4 prescriptions is changing them back to multi-dosing throughout the day, less optimum therapy, and outright bullying the doctor with calls demanding changes to something on the list. Don't worry that some bozo at corporate Walmart got his bonus for the idea, the rest of us at the store level are wasting time chasing our tails on nonproductive issues associated with the grand $4 prescription that doesn't necessarily help the customer medically. Cheers to Mr.Skaff for going his own way.
Thank you for the comments. Might be more money in liquor stores than in writing blogs too. BD
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