Hand Over The Shots Or You’ll Be… You Know…

I used to work for a retail pharmacy chain from the late 1990s through the early 2000s. Pharmacy robberies were just starting to come into “fashion” at that time. I was lucky enough to have just left before this incident occurred, and my coworker told me about it afterward.

A guy came to the counter and handed her a note requesting a variety of opiate medications and syringes. She took the note to the pharmacist.

The pharmacist was a young woman, very small in stature. She walked down to where the guy was standing.

Pharmacist: “Do you have a gun?”

Guy: “Yes, I do.”

Pharmacist: “May I see it?”

He pulled his jacket aside to show the gun. The pharmacist nodded in recognition.

Pharmacist: “Have a seat while I prepare your… order. Please don’t bother anyone should an actual customer come in.”

She bagged up his request and sent him on his way.

Luckily, no one else came in during that time, and the police were called as soon as he walked out the door. I’m not sure if he was ever apprehended. I came in the following morning to find black fingerprint dust all over the counter.

My coworker noted that she’d grabbed a different box of syringes than what the guy requested. She felt she had at least gotten one over on him!