We have all been in line at a retail business, and have observed the store’s staff functioning in what seemed to a busy and somewhat chaotic environment. While waiting in line at the Montgomery Walgreens Pharmacy over the years, I have admired its staff for handling “organized chaos” very effi ciently. Staff members there admitted that the “organized chaos” nickname definitely fits their pharmacy. The Montgomery location is a 24-hour store with two drive-thru lanes. At times, I have seen about eight cars waiting in the drive-thru and at least eight more people waiting in line in the store. The staff always seems to be up to those tasks while most of us might be overwhelmed. We should also remember that any pharmacy staff must also deal with doctors, clinics and insurance issues in addition to the customers in the store and in the drive-thru. Multitasking is a way of life for this group, and they do it well. On a recent trip there, I imposed on three staff members (one at a time) to step away for a few brief minutes to talk about their careers. At the head of the operation is Pharmacy Manager Jeff Stacey, who has been with the company for 20 years, and at the Montgomery location for about eight years. He has a big job handling patient needs, legal needs and those of the business. “Day to day operations, filling prescriptions and dealing with problems” is how Stacey describes his job.  “And regarding problems, the buck stops with me. “Our staff is great. They work hard and are always trying their best. They’re out there trying to help people,” he added. Staff Pharmacist Stephanie McGinnis has also been with the company for 20 years, and has worked at the Montgomery store for about 14 years. I asked her about coping with the pharmacy’s extremely busy atmosphere. “Retail pharmacy has become a different world since COVID,” McGinnis said. “It has been a lot of stress with a limited staff and more prescriptions. We’re giving immunizations and doing COVID testing, which puts more demands on our staff.” She went on to say that she enjoys talking with people and helping sick people to feel better. Sandy Macias is a Certified Pharmacy Technician, and has worked at the Montgomery Walgreens for 10 years. The pharmacy has about 10 “techs” (not all working at the same time) and Macias has the longest tenure of that group. She and the other techs are really the face of the pharmacy in dealing with the public, and all of them do an amazing job. At times, I have seen one customer after another have a special need or question. With their computer skills, and with the help of the pharmacists sometimes, this group always seems up to the task, even when customers at times get “testy.” I have rarely seen any retail person as efficient and friendly to all as Macias, many times in those chaotic situations. She is always even-tempered and up to any task, and has helped me with insurance issues and other problems along the way. I asked her how she functions so well, particularly when things get “crazy.” “I’m a people person, and I really like helping customers,” she said. “Even though some of it is routine, I always see different sorts of problems and always have a puzzle to solve. It’s always something new and somebody new.” Macias is bilingual, as are some of the other staffers, and is called on frequently for that reason. I finished our very brief interview by asking her how she handles the extremely busy times. “I realize that in my job, customers are sick,” she said. “I try to remember that even when I do get a little bit upset, many customers are sick and have to wait in a line. I try to put myself in their shoes, and that’s what helps me to cope.” Wherever we go for our pharmacy needs, we should try to realize that the pharmacists and staffers are half of the team which helps keep us alive and well. Give them a well-earned “thank you” sometime. Tom Strong is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. ...read more read less