Why are pharmacies so busy? 

Why is it taking so long to get my medications? 

Why isn't there someone in the front/drive through of a pharmacy? 

What's wrong in the pharmacy?

Patients and retail pharmacy staff are all asking the same questions.  One answer?  Minnesota pharmacy law.

• Pharmacies can not hire a cashier/clerk to sell prescriptions to customers or help out with simple tasks because of MN law. 
• Minnesota pharmacy law only allows pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, and pharmacy interns to sell patients their prescriptions. 
• Pharmacy laws only allow 3 technicians and 2 interns per 1 pharmacist working.  Most stores don't have interns so usually there's only 4 people to do all the pharmacy work and that's if no one calls in sick. 
• This means only small team to handle a big workload.  Stress builds up, people get burnt out, staff quit, and a pharmacy dies and passes the stress to another pharmacy.

This isn't a problem in neighboring states.  South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa all allow designated pharmacy cashiers or support personnel to sell prescriptions and do other things.  They allow a pharmacy team to expand without needing another pharmacist.  They open up a job to get started in a pharmacy without needing to commit to becoming either a tech or a pharmacist.  Why can't that be here in Minnesota?

Well what can we do?  We spread the word, talk with our representatives, talk to the Board of Pharmacy, and we change the rule to help our pharmacies.

Retail pharmacies in Minnesota are surviving but not thriving.  Pharmacies deserve to be better staffed and patients deserve pharmacy service that is caught up and happy to engage with them.