I would never have predicted that anything I would do could possibly be considered “essential.” Yet here I am in the middle of a pandemic, considered a vital part of society. 

As someone who works in a pharmacy that is inside a grocery store, I can tell you that it has been completely chaotic, and we won’t be shutting down any time soon. 

For every patient we have that thanks us for sanitizing between each person, we have one rolling their eyes at the slightly longer wait time. For every person respecting the distancing guidelines we have, another one invades our personal space. 

Asking a patient to take a few steps back may even cause a patient to throw raw chicken and garlic at you (yes, that happened to my coworker). 

As a pharmacy technician and one of the few people who still must work with the public, I am asking everyone to please be patient and understanding. We are just as scared and lost as you are.

Work regulations change every day as this situation goes on. I went from seeing people running each other over to buy toilet paper and hand sanitizer to seeing lonely individuals strolling around wearing masks and gloves.  

Luckily, things aren’t too bad in Erie right now. We all must get adjusted to this “new normal” for a bit. If we all do our part, things can hopefully return to how they were. 

I promise you I am not secretly hiding tissues and thermometers from you. We are genuinely out. 

I understand that people are scared, but I ask you all to think twice before shouting at the remaining workers. This pandemic may require social distancing, but it takes collaboration and understanding to keep everything functioning.

If everyone buys the amount of supplies they need without hoarding, and if people follow guidelines, we can make this a smoother process for us all.  

Every time you leave the house, you risk exposure. Us essential workers must take that risk consistently.