Abstract
Community pharmacies have a complex relationship with the field of health care. This is especially so in countries where pharmaceuticals are dispensed from privately owned retail premises. Using qualitative data and social theoretical concepts, we argue that the time, space and emotional entanglements that take place in and through these sites are far from simple and can be more or less productive in terms of meeting customer needs and fostering professional identity for pharmacists. Unpicking this complexity has the potential to highlight lacunae that result from differential expectations.