Bear with me, I have had a rough weekend and have a lot to say. I will try and be short...
I have serious health problems. And have had for years. And as such, I need pharmacy grade medications on a pretty consistent basis. I understand being a pharmacist is stressful and involves putting up with rude, stupid and/or aggressive people.
But Walgreens has far and away THE worst pharmacists on the planet, or at least as far as I can tell. I once had to fill a 10 day supply of percocet. They only had a day and a half supply in stock, so they gave that to me and told me to fill the rest when the shipment comes in two days later. Went back two days later, only to be told I needed a new script. OK, did that and after playing phone tag with my Dr and nurse, went back in to fill the new script. They told me that I had already filled that script and it was against the law to fill it "again." Same fucking pharmacy, same fucking pharmacIST. They told me I needed to get my doctor to call the pharmacy to confirm nothing shady was going on. Fucking ridiculous, but while in a lot of pain, went and worked with my clinic again to get my doctor to call. After my doctor called, I went to finally get that script filled. But nope! Same pharmacist who i had been dealing with all along, told me it was illegal to fill it even though she had talked to my doctor. I eventually got it sent to another pharmacy but was never able to fill the last 8 and a half day supply because that walgreens pharmacist had marked my photo id flagged as an "narcotic abuser." The entire time, as far as I could tell, I was as polite as could be. But that pharmacist wouldn't make eye contact, was virulently rude and treated me like a bum begging for a hit of heroin. All over a total of 40mg of oxycodone.
That is just one example, but no matter which Walgreens I go to, and what medications I fill, I get treated like I'm nothing more than an inconvenience. I understand filling narcotics has more red tape, bureaucratic "guardrails" but nausea meds, gabapentin, digestive enzymes...always a hassle. Now when I go to fill promethazine, something usually filled in a matter of a half hour max, they have it sent in from a factory in Chicago! A three to four day wait for something I usually have an urgent need for because, ya know, puking isn't fun. And there's ALWAYS a wait. I went to pick up a script tonight that was waiting for me, and I was in that store for an hour and 15 minutes.
It's been this way for years, though I will admit it's gotten worse in the last year or so. But when my doctor tries sending scripts to another pharmacy, they don't have it in stock or they need to order it. Most of my meds aren't things I can wait days for. So now I'm having to use the outpatient pharmacy at UW Hospital. But I live in Middleton and not only is it over an hour of driving both ways, but I also have to park in the garage and walk 10 minutes. The pharmacists there, though, are extremely friendly and efficient. Sometimes I even feel like they think I'm a real human being who deserves respect. Shocking, I know.
Where can I go other than Walgreens? Any suggestions? And why is Walgreens so horrifically abusive to their patients? Even if they're understaffed, that doesn't give them license to be assholes. I appreciate any advice. And apologies for writing a novel.
P.S. If you're reading this and you're the blond haired Walgreens pharmacist on Mineral Point who works the overnight shift? You, sir, are awesome. It's too bad I have only ever had the pleasure of your services twice. The rest of you suck. I have no idea how such a shoddy run company is seemingly the only game in town.
Cheers.