Anaïs Webster Mennuti was working as a pharmacist part-time at a retail pharmacy chain in Eugene when she said she realized just how broken her profession had become. By 2021, pharmacy workers all over already felt understaffed, overstressed and at risk in workplaces that were a prime destination for people sick with an infectious virus whose effects were often potent, even fatal. When pharmacies began administering the COVID-19 vaccine, it meant a stream of new appointments on top of the demands of checking prescriptions, billing insurance and answering constantly ringing phones – all while productivity trackers recorded each move.