The Pharmacist

A pharmacist and his accomplice plan a botched robbery to clear the evidence of their accumulated Fentanyl patches when he gets notified by The Pharmacy Board.

Credits

Director, Writer & Producer
Daniel Shin

Cast
Sunny Walia
Matt Trubiani
Elli Duke

Interview with director Daniel Shin

1. What was one of the most challenging moments you faced while making The Pharmacist? Did this ‘setback’ change the direction of the final story?

The biggest challenge we've had, and how the whole project became greenlit straight after, was to find an actual, non-branded pharmacy to shoot in. Not only that, we've also had to obtain permission and the owner's blessing for us to shoot in. I'm lucky to be in a position where one of my closest mates, who's also a pharmacist, Kenneth, knows an acquaintance who currently owns that pharmacy, where he put in a good word for us.

2. What was the biggest inspiration behind The Pharmacist?

Various inspirations came to me over the years. The script is loosely based on the story of a Canadian pharmacist who planned a botched robbery with his accomplice overnight after pressure from his co-workers to report himself to The Pharmacy Board. I've also recently learnt that a couple of ex-pharmacists who I've worked with over the years have had their license suspended or cancelled from dealing with an excessive amount of scheduled prescription drugs. It was just something that all came at the right moment for me to tell this story.

3. What message do you want the audience to take away from The Pharmacist?

As a pharmacist myself, we are regarded as one of the most trusted health professionals. But unfortunately, there are some bad apples out there. And that you can't simply walk away from the rabbit hole you've dug yourself in.