Generic is the same thing....

Because of the great Tylenol Recall of 2011, there has been no name brand Tylenol/Benadryl/Motrin, etc. on the shelves for a while now.

This confuses the hell out of costumers.

When you explain to them the store brand is pretty much the same as the name brand, you get this cow-in-the-headlight stare. It's like Jesus appeared behind you or something. That kind of confusion and awe.

For example.

I was working the wonderful midnight shift. Just me and the pharmacist. You get a lot of people straight out of the emergency room who are in pain, tired of waiting for somebody to see them, and they just want to go home. So they want their script filled RIGHT NOW, which is understandable. What complicates this is when people come up to the pharmacy asking inane questions like what toilet paper brand is on sale.

A guy comes up and wants to get Benadryl for his kid. Of course there is no name brand only our store brand. He bring a package to the counter when he drops off his scripts of diphenhydramine (generic benadryl) and asks if it's the same thing. I say yes. "Are you sure?" ".....Yes it's the same thing."

He walks off to wander around the store. Comes back a bit later to the consultation window with the same package and asks the pharmacist if it's the same thing. Pharmacist says yes.

Comes back to pick up his script and, lo and behold, still has the same package of diphenhydramine. I ring up his meds and again, he asks if it's the same thing. I say yes, the pharmacist overhears the exchange, says yes.

After all this the guy still doesn't seem convinced but buys it anyway.

I really felt like just saying no to see his reaction.

"Hey buddy we're just joshin' ya. It actually isn't the same thing. HAHA!!!! Funny joke, eh?!"

These people need to come during the day when there are other techs to put up with it.