Foo - Offbeat question

Anyone know why counters in a pharmacy are designed so the pharmacist looks down upon you as you place your order? This is probably not the right forum for the question, but I'm curious after making a pill run earlier.

Not really the right place but all the pharmacies around here (Walgreens, CVS, Publix, Kroger) are on the same level as the customer so the pharmacist can easily talk to or look at the customer.

Tradition.
In old drug stores the pill counter was in the back where the owner had access to his behind the counter stock, but was raised so he could look out over the rest of his store.

Counter? In Canada, prescription drugs are dispensed from gumball machines.

AllenG has half of it. To aide in the prevention of theft, bad guys can't get behind the counter without being seen, but my wife who is a Pharm. D. says it is some kind of a safety requirement about the height of the pharm. counter above the main floor.

We have a built in bias as to positioning of people,if you are above a persons eyeline where they have to look up to you you are percieved to be in charge and vice versa,if your eyelines are even then you are percieved to be equals.There are studies that are out there that will provide more information on this. I was taught this when I started to work in the field as a paramedic and it works.

Hmm, all of the Target pharmacies in the midwest have the pharm at the same level as the store...unless the floor is in fact raised but all the people working there are 3-feet tall?

Looks like a state by state deal.