Evolving boffins?

[Jason]

Well, sorry about that. The questions are generally to make sure nothing bad happens to you! (And a lot can happen if you sell the wrong thing to the wrong person, it used to worry me a lot that I might have missed something).

[Dr Mike]

methinks our playful DD was just teasing you, Jason. I know what she means about pharmacists seeming a bit parental. I always find them soothing and the fact that someone across the counter actually seems to care about my health is always a surprise.

Here's a niche pharmacist boffin stereotype question: Are Boot's pharmacists sort of the McEmployees of the pharmacist world or are they more on the posh end?

[Jason]

It's funny you should say that. You have to work a certain way and be a certain sort of person to be a boots pharmacist. After a certain number of years of working there you can tell who they are - they look and talk like business studies graduates. Independent pharmacists are a bit more quirky. Quite frankly all the pharmacy chains are the same. Unfortunitely sometimes you're professional responsibilities clash with their commercial ones (ahem, Boots atkins promotion)! Hospital pharmacists arguably have a much more intersting job, but have lower pay (NHS ones anyway, although it's a lot more than my PhD pay ), and thus see community pharmacists as perhaps in it for the money more.

So yeah, they're a bit of both - posh because they earn loads and can afford nice clothes/cars, and McEmployees because they do little more than put things in boxes on the order of a prescription (although they get to talk to the patients a lot, which is a good thing - you often don't have enough time in hospital). I guess that at least there are some stereotypes within the profession!

[Daughter of Darwin]

Yes, Mike was right, I wasn't being disparaging earlier with my immigration official metaphor. Sorry if it came across the wrong way!

This insider view of Boots stuff is fascinating. I have always wondered what the pharmacists thought of all that complementary medicine crap that Boots always peddles - herbal 'recue remedies' and so forth. I guess at Boots the behind-the-counter staff are obliged to say that they are a good idea and not a load of bollocks? Must be hard to keep a straight face.

And glad we were able to come up with a few stereotypes for you!