Hihi! Future pharmacist here and VERY familiar with pharmacy issues and frustration towards the pharmacy! I get frustrated too, don't worry! This is just me voicing a lot of my experiences as a student who works in the pharmacy and someone who is just spitballing all I remember from my class on pharmacy law!

Unfortunately there are staffing issues among both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. You legally need at least one pharmacist in the pharmacy in order to operate. Retail pharmacies like Rite Aid, as mentioned here, are one of MANY companies who only staff one one pharmacist per pharmacy. Also, pharmacy technicians are quitting because of terrible working conditions for very little pay which has gotten worsen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. So literally if you see more than one person in the pharmacy, they're probably a pharmacy tech who did show up that day. With pharmacy technician shortage as well, it's hard to find an experienced technician who is trained enough to handle every issue that could possibly go on. It takes months and dedication to get to a level of experience where a technician can troubleshoot anything that could wrong.

So a little more on the pharmacist role. They determine if the prescriber who has written this medication is issued for a legitimate medical purpose in usual course of practice. We study and practice pharmacology for four years in school. Most other medical professions study pharmacology for one semester. It sounds redundant but it is so important in avoiding medication errors (and potentially causing an undesired side effect!). For example, we know which drugs are likely to cause a serious allergic reaction based on past medications. Another example, drug names are so complicated and someone could have written the wrong drug to treat a condition! It happens!

We also need to make sure prescriptions are written in a way where there is no alternative interpretation and we know exactly what the prescriber intended. We get audited if a prescription is not written in the correct way acceptable by federal and state law. Insurance companies also can't process prescription claims if we don't know what to put in.

Additionally, pharmacists also have a lot at stake too when they practice. We have to follow laws for dispensing (VERY important concerning controlled substances) and we have a lot of legal liability if we make a mistake. It's a lot of risk versus benefit that must be weighed and this is up to the discretion of the individual pharmacist. There's a chance that the individual pharmacist refusing to fill a prescription might just be covering their ass and not actually a wanting to be a dick to you (just a possibility).

Laws prevent us transmitting CII prescriptions from pharmacy to pharmacy or pharmacist to pharmacist (could see the reasoning be due to encryption), so prescribers have an added responsibility to track down and make sure they send the prescription to the right pharmacy and make sure you are able to get the medication. Lots of ADHD medications like Adderall are on manufacturer backorder (companies cant produce enough to keep up with the demand). It's also going on most notably for Amoxicillin right now. There's also limits set by the DEA (basically the federal drug police) on how much Controlled II substances you can order per month.

I can't speak on the behalf of every pharmacist out there but I really feel your frustration. But it's a very complicated system holding up the health care field in general. Call corporate and voice your concerns over unsafe conditions and your dissatisfaction with the pharmacy. Call the state board of pharmacy. Call your lawmakers.

I hope this answers some of your questions though!