Question

A customer calls a drug store to inquire if a prescription is ready. The associate asks the customer to hold while checking on the prescription. After the associate puts the customer on hold and locates the prescription, several customers in the store approach and ask questions. What should the associate do?

Answer 1

An associate should quickly acknowledge the in-store customers, inform them of a brief wait, and then promptly return to the customer on hold to update them on their prescription status. Acting professionally and efficiently is critical in a pharmacy setting where pharmacists play a central role in health care by dispensing medication and advising on drug use.

Step-by-step explanation:

The associate at the drug store, after locating the prescription while the customer is on hold, should address the waiting customers quickly, but professionally inform them that they will be assisted shortly. The associate should then return to the phone call as promptly as possible to update the customer on their prescription status. This action ensures that the customer on the phone is not kept waiting too long and that the in-store customers are acknowledged and informed of the brief wait.

The role of a pharmacist is to dispense drugs prescribed by a doctor and requires an understanding of chemistry and biology to know the effects of drugs on the body. They not only provide medications but also valuable advice on drug interactions and proper use to support everyone's health.