[*Laurie*]

I had a really frustrating experience with my pharmacy today and I would like others' experiences.

I had a very bad physical reaction to lithium (which is unfortunate; it works well otherwise). I had to stop taking the lithium; my pdoc prescribed Lamictal instead.

I went to the pharmacy only to be told the script wasn't ready. Annoying, but the usual. I left, intending to return in a couple of hours and pick up the script. Went home.

I called later on and was told the Lamictal would be ready "in 5 minutes" and to come right over and pick it up.

15 minutes later I was in the pharmacy. Waited in the usual line. The woman working told me yes, the Lamictal is ready, "But the pharmacist isn't here." I replied that that was okay; I didn't need a consult with the pharmacist. The woman said, "Oh, well, this is a new prescription and we can't release a new prescription when the pharmacist isn't here. She's at dinner."

I said something like You have got to be joking...I was just told by a pharmacy employee to "come right over" and pick up the Lamictal. The woman said I'm sorry......

I was FURIOUS.

Hours later I went to the pharmacy AGAIN. Gave the man working my info, he handed the bag with the Lamictal in it to me and said, "Would you like a consult?" I said, "No, I don't need one." Dude shrugged, said have a good night. I left.

In all my many years of picking up prescriptions I have never, ever been told that the pharmacist has to be present in order for a new script to be released.

This was CVS, by the way.

Does anyone know if this is standard procedure? Is it only CVS? Which pharmacy do you go to and how do you like it?

[Wonderfalls]

At the two Walgreens close to my brother in another state the asst can ring it up, but the pharmacist herself has to hand it to him every time (new or old). That's never happened at my Walgreens, though I've had complaints about other things they've done or not done.

[*Laurie*]

Thank you, Wonderfalls.

Has anyone else been to a pharmacy???

[HALLIEBETH87]

My Walmart only
Does it
If you ask or if it is a new
Script.

[Nike007]

I go to Shoppers Drug Mart for my medication. I don’t believe they are located in the states. But I remember one time that the prescription was ready, but had to be looked over by the pharmacist. So technically it wasn’t ready. I was frustrated, as I was picking it up between classes, and I wanted to get food before my next class, as I didn’t eat much the entire day (blame Prozac). But most of the time, I believe I get checked out by a pharmacy assistance, unless I’m starting a new medication, and then they have to consult with me. Hope this helps.

[Nammu]

Never heard of such a thing. Sounds like unnecessary red tape

[*Laurie*]

Thanks to each of you for your input. Nammu, it sounds like unnecessary red tape to me, too. And it was quite clear that while one employee wouldn't budge on the policy, the other employee paid absolutely no attention to it.

I wonder if all pharmacies nowadays are inefficient (not just about this, but other stuff, too) or if there are actually some pharmacies that have their ***** together? Is it a corporate thing? I remember back in the day, when most pharmacies were small businesses, the pharmacist knew every customer by name and things were done smoothly. Seems like every time I go to the pharmacy anymore there's some kind of stupid hassle.

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

I wonder if all pharmacies nowadays are inefficient (not just about this, but other stuff, too) or if there are actually some pharmacies that have their ***** together? Is it a corporate thing? I remember back in the day, when most pharmacies were small businesses, the pharmacist knew every customer by name and things were done smoothly. Seems like every time I go to the pharmacy anymore there's some kind of stupid hassle.

I think it’s in place because they don’t want someone to sue them if there is a drug interaction that wasn’t told about or a severe side effect of taking a certain medication. I think it’s to ensure safety in others to prevent the company from being sued. Unless there is a law about this. I don’t know.

I’m lucky enough that at the pharmacy I go to, the pharmacists know me because I have been going there like every week, as I was titrating off Effexor and needed to pick up the next dose weekly. But I understand that human population has grown exponentially so it’s not as realistic anymore.

[kecanoe]

I think the difference is that pharmacies can hire techs for a lot less $ than pharmacists. It used to be that the person you would deal with was the pharmacist, so they could answer any questions without it being a big deal.

In my state, there is recently passed legislation that says that a pharmacist has to talk to you about any new meds-they even have to post the phone # for you to call if they don't take the time to explain any new meds to you.

From the pharmacy's standpoint it makes sense to use techs. It has, in my opinion, made it harder on the customer.

[splitimage]

I'm well known in my local pharmacy - I have a prescription that has to be picked up weekly, as well as many others on various schedules so I'm in there on avg 2X per week. When the regular pharmacist is there, it's a small pharmacy, the ***'t just checks me out. When it's a loccum pharmacist, they always insist on speaking with me, mainly due to drug interaction potentials.

splitimage

[dolphingirl]

My mom, at Wal-mart, had the tech ask if she wanted a pharmacist consult for her Vitamin D prescription, since it was a new prescription. My mom declined, no issue. The funny thing was the previous week my mom went to pick up a new GI prescription (that had very specific instructions) from Wal-mart & they didn't ask her if she wanted a consult with a pharmacist.

At CVS, I had been taking the same medication, Wellbutrin XL, for a little over a couple years and then they asked when I picked it up a couple times if I needed a pharmacist consult. I declined, no issue. One time they did short me almost a week supply. I brought this up and tech told me that wellbutrin was counted by a machine, it couldn't have miscounted, and I must have lost some or taken extra. I find it annoying that they are over zealous about refills.

When I filled a new script at Walgreens and transferred my meds I was never asked about a consult.

It's interesting how it varies so much between pharmacies & areas of the country.

[88Butterfly88]

I take Lamictal and that never happened to me.

[*Laurie*]

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I dunno...pharmacies are just weird these days, it seems.

[still_crazy]

ugh. pharmacies. these days, things go smoothly. sometimes, things weren't so great, like the times I got my neurontin prescriptions back with a big, red circle around the quantity dispensed. Ummm...OK. i was like...simmer down. its --gabapentin--.

ive had a couple techs make snarky comments, but overall...nothing too bad.

[WildcatVet]

I've never had any problems at any pharmacy I've used, but now I have to pick up scripts at my clinic because they're subsidized and my drugs are CHEAP there. Unfortunately, they never fail to ***** up the prescriptions and have a rule that the meds can only be dispensed if a doctor or nurse is on the premises. Why? Maybe it's NY state...everything is very weird here and I've had to adjust to it since I moved here.

[mugwort2]

I get virtually every Rx from my local CVS. Laurie I can't answer your question Is this a policy of your oharmacist telling you you must forego a pharmacy consult only for Lamictal? I was never on Lamictal. Reason I'm wondering is none of the workers at the pharmacy dept ever asked me for a pharmacist consult I believe you but its never been my personal experience at my local CVS. It sure does sound frustrating, irritating. UGH!!!

My pharmacy does this, but they aren’t strict. Often, my daughter is picking up for me anyway so they can’t do the consult.

I also think requirements for pharmacy consults for new scripts depends on the state where you live.

I think your situation points to a management issue--they seem really disorganized. There should have been a covering pharmacist there to 'counsel' you while the one was out to dinner. Maybe someone was off sick.

Reflects the usual CVS customer service. CVS has horrible customer service for the pharmacy and nonpharmacy alike. I've had similar experiences. Also have contacted their online customer service twice and was completely blown off. It's more concerning because CVS bought a health insurance company and is supposedly going to offer more health services. If they can't manage things now, what will that be like? I'd worry about mistakes altogether. I'm sure there are variances per locations, but I've had bad experiences with multiple CVS pharmacies at this point. If they are that mismanaged, are they also making safety mistakes with scripts? Next time, will they have mixed up the script? Filled the wrong dose?

Switching my scripts to Walgreen's is on my to do list. I was a customer at CVS for 2 decades and they made a lot of money off me with all the scripts I had filled there over the years, so when they blew me off last time, I decided to bring my business somewhere else.

After being screwed over by healthcare workers altogether, my tolerance has grown so much smaller. I think if we accept the status quo, we get what we get. Unfortunately, the bar keeps being lowered in small increments that tend to go undetected, then all of the sudden something stands out and you realize how much lower the standards are now.

I'm sorry they put you through that. I've also had multiple trips to pharmacies to pick up scripts due to being erroneously told things were ready. Such a waste of time. Worse is when they are closing, and you just find out you can't get your script until the next day or even days later because of their mistake. That's happened to me before-"oops, we forgot to put in your order and that medication won't come in for another week".

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by mugwort2

I get virtually every Rx from my local CVS. Laurie I can't answer your question Is this a policy of your oharmacist telling you you must forego a pharmacy consult only for Lamictal? I was never on Lamictal. Reason I'm wondering is none of the workers at the pharmacy dept ever asked me for a pharmacist consult I believe you but its never been my personal experience at my local CVS. It sure does sound frustrating, irritating. UGH!!!

It wasn't only for Lamictal, the pharmacy tech wanted me to consult with the pharmacist about any new medication. I didn't need a consult, and I would prefer the pharmacy leave it up to me to know whether or not I need a consult.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by Rayne_

I also think requirements for pharmacy consults for new scripts depends on the state where you live.

I think your situation points to a management issue--they seem really disorganized. There should have been a covering pharmacist there to 'counsel' you while the one was out to dinner. Maybe someone was off sick.

Reflects the usual CVS customer service. CVS has horrible customer service for the pharmacy and nonpharmacy alike. I've had similar experiences. Also have contacted their online customer service twice and was completely blown off. It's more concerning because CVS bought a health insurance company and is supposedly going to offer more health services. If they can't manage things now, what will that be like? I'd worry about mistakes altogether. I'm sure there are variances per locations, but I've had bad experiences with multiple CVS pharmacies at this point. If they are that mismanaged, are they also making safety mistakes with scripts? Next time, will they have mixed up the script? Filled the wrong dose?

Switching my scripts to Walgreen's is on my to do list. I was a customer at CVS for 2 decades and they made a lot of money off me with all the scripts I had filled there over the years, so when they blew me off last time, I decided to bring my business somewhere else.

After being screwed over by healthcare workers altogether, my tolerance has grown so much smaller. I think if we accept the status quo, we get what we get. Unfortunately, the bar keeps being lowered in small increments that tend to go undetected, then all of the sudden something stands out and you realize how much lower the standards are now.

I'm sorry they put you through that. I've also had multiple trips to pharmacies to pick up scripts due to being erroneously told things were ready. Such a waste of time. Worse is when they are closing, and you just find out you can't get your script until the next day or even days later because of their mistake. That's happened to me before-"oops, we forgot to put in your order and that medication won't come in for another week".

An excellent and helpful post, Rayne. Thank you. I'm curious to know if Walgreen's is better than CVS. This:

After being screwed over by healthcare workers altogether, my tolerance has grown so much smaller. I think if we accept the status quo, we get what we get. Unfortunately, the bar keeps being lowered in small increments that tend to go undetected, then all of the sudden something stands out and you realize how much lower the standards are now.

YES.

[88Butterfly88]

Originally Posted by *Laurie*

An excellent and helpful post, Rayne. Thank you. I'm curious to know if Walgreen's is better than CVS. This:

After being screwed over by healthcare workers altogether, my tolerance has grown so much smaller. I think if we accept the status quo, we get what we get. Unfortunately, the bar keeps being lowered in small increments that tend to go undetected, then all of the sudden something stands out and you realize how much lower the standards are now.

YES.

I had a bad experience at a Walgreens pharmacy. I brought in a prescription for Depakote. They asked me if it was for the regular or extended release. I told them to look at the prescription. They said it didn't say extended release but it didn't say direct release either. So they asked me again. I didn't know so they had to call the doctor. She didn't answer right away and I needed meds so they finally just gave me a few direct release tablets and later filled the prescription. It was in fact the direct release my doctor wanted. It's always been my experience since that it's usually direct release and not extended release unless the prescription says extended release but for whatever reason they didn't know this. I never went back to Walgreens pharmacy. I now use Stop & Shop supermarket's pharmacy and have had good experiences.

[Nammu]

Can't say cvs vs Walgreens but I have had excellent service from Walgreens. Both the Texas and Minnesota Walgreens has been good and I very much enjoy their online services. They notify me when it's time for a refill and email when ready for pick up. The only problems I had was back when I was on heavy pain meds they didn't keep them in stock and those are not refillable I'd have to get the script every month from the doc and drop it off at Walgreens and then go back later to get it. No longer on pain meds so it's all good again.

[*Laurie*]

Originally Posted by Nammu

Can't say cvs vs Walgreens but I have had excellent service from Walgreens. Both the Texas and Minnesota Walgreens has been good and I very much enjoy their online services. They notify me when it's time for a refill and email when ready for pick up. The only problems I had was back when I was on heavy pain meds they didn't keep them in stock and those are not refillable I'd have to get the script every month from the doc and drop it off at Walgreens and then go back later to get it. No longer on pain meds so it's all good again.

Walgreens has an online service? CVS drives me nuts, texting me to pick up prescriptions. I barely use my cell phone & they usually send about 8 texts every time a prescription is ready. I mean, 8 texts every day until I pick it up. Sometimes it's 3 days before I go in, because I don't need the med yet.

I would so much rather be emailed.

[Nammu]

I don't have a phone so they can't text me. Sometimes I'm really glad I don't have a phone!

[Wonderfalls]

The managing pharmacist has a lot more power over your prescriptions than you would think. He can decide how early to fill a prescription or whether to fill it at all until after speaking to your doctor. He also sets the tone of the whole pharmacy staff.

I do all my refills and status checking on line. Then I know ahead of time what's due and what's ready for pick-up.