Pharmacists are filling more prescriptions than ever

“Some pharmacies are so volume-driven that the pharmacist can’t look up all day,” says Coffey. There were a record 3.8 billion prescriptions filled in the U.S. in 2007—a 13 percent increase from 2003. If I’m grumpy, there’s a reason. In most chain stores, I have 15 minutes to fill a prescription, and I get reprimanded if I’m too slow. I may also be expected to answer the phone, counsel patients, call insurance companies, and run the cash register—all while making sure you get the right medicine at the right dosage