Pharmacies are at the mercy of a vicious best, pharmaceutical companies. I see a (possibly zany, probably inadequate) analogy between gas stations and oil companies. Gas stations should be profitable, but they often aren't (hence corporate ownership) and make their money on cigarettes, alcohol, and junk food. They have slim profit margins. They are at the mercy of their oil-baron overlords. I suspect pharmacies suffer, too, because they have no real bargaining power with their drug pipeline overlords and the heartless health insurance magnates. Usually in the pharmacy, I see workers who appear to be under a great deal of stress, and I assume it's because the only way to be profitable is through volume, volume, volume.