6.4K views
New Reviewer
55 comments
Updated by user Apr 22, 2013

It is now April 2013. On the plus side, a Walgreens HQ person did try and contact me regarding my experience. On the minus side, the situation has not been resolved and never will. I read some of the comments here and would liketo make the following responses:

1) I did not ask the pharmacist to risk her career. I asked her to fill a prescription and if there is a problem with that, tell me the first time I am there, not after sending me out to get all sorts of forms from other stores. That she did not need anyway, because she had to double check with the prescribing doctor in the first place.

2) I fail to see what getting prescriptions from CVS tells you about me. I understand that your experience with CVS has been bad. OK, well, can you imagine how bad my experience with Walgreens has been if I think that CVS outperforms them by a thousand? :-)

3) I have not set foot in any Walgreens since then and I am not going to. I also discourage anyone to go there. That, basically, is the only action I can undertake as a very pissed consumer. This way I am certain I will never be treated like a criminal again. And forgive me for being human here, but I have this weird feeling of satisfaction with every dollar I spend elsewhere.

Six months have passed,nothing changed. I did not expect it to. Go ahead and do and think what you like. But I have given you my experience and I would not recommend Walgreens to anyone.

Original review posted by user Oct 24, 2012

I would like to file a warning to any person trying to fill a prescription with this Walgreens. Unless you like to be treated as a criminal, go somewhere else! This is what happened to me....

It was on Monday, 10/22/12. The pharmacy manager that was on duty this day was Rachel. She gave me the WORST customer experience I have EVER HAD, bar none. It all began around 4 PM, when I first entered the store to fill a prescription of adderall for my son, who has ADD and does not function well at school without.

Normally I go to CVS, but they did not have it and referred us to Walgreens. Rachel could not enter her computer system because her password was not working. She told me to come back in an hour or so, at that time she could "use" the password of her coworker in stead.

I came back around 7 PM, she used her coworkers password but still could not find my son in her system. She then demanded I go to CVS and get a printout of all the adderall prescriptions he has had in the past, to establish a "good faith" history. She refused my request to simply call them up and ask this right there. I inquired: "But what if I just go to my computer and give you a printout of whatever?" Whereupon she responded: " Oh, I will call them up to verify it is legit."

My conclusion was right there and then that she could easily call them up to save me the trip, but that she did not want to do that. She also told me that this is the way she operates, that this drug is highly suspicious and needs to be verified, and that if I did not like it, I should go somewhere else. Mind you, I am standing there with a perfectly legit doctors prescription in my hands and she treats me like a criminal!

I really needed this prescription filled because my son depends on it in school, so I went ahead, got the requested history from (a very friendly) CVS and came right back. Upon my return, which she obviously did not expect, SHE IGNORED ME FOR OVER FIVE MINUTES!!! She did everything else first, including going back in the back to rummage some medicines around and only after her coworker, who was surprised by her behaviour, mentioned me standing there waiting with the prescription and requested history in hand, only after that she reluctantly "helped" me.

She took the CVS history, looked it over, then started INTERROGATING ME regarding some perceived "inconsistencies". By then I was seething, but I still managed, barely, to answer her accusing questions to her satisfaction. By now it's around 8 o'clock, and I have been trying to fill this prescription for FOUR HOURS.

She then proceeds to tell me, after having me go get the history that she still had to call the doctor to verify if this prescription is REALLY legit. And... She can't do that now because it's too late and she will have to call in the morning. I took the prescription (which she copied anyway, why do that if you do not intend to fill it???) back and informed her I will file an official complaint against her.

She said:" Why not do it right now? The store manager is right there behind you!". So I did. The store manager was very polite and informed me that she could not override the pharmacy manager. So Rachel made me wait 2 hours on her computer problem, then sends me out on a wild goose chase getting a CVS history, deliberately ignores me after I come back, INTERROGATES me regarding my son's medical history and then STILL REFUSED to fill the prescription, and on top of that sends me to complain to someone she FULL WELL KNOWS cannot do anything about it!

The story ends with me going to another CVS in the neighborhood, who luckily did have it in stock, and getting my prescription filled in less than five minutes. I actually came back to this walgreens store one last time and I talked to the store manager, showing her the meds. I understand it is a controlled substance but that does not mean that everybody ordering it is a criminal!!! This pharmacy manager Rachel of Walgreens store # 5131 is completely unfit to deal with customers and should be either reeducated or fired if she cannot change her pompous attitude and her nasty habit of sending customers on wild goose chases.

I also contacted Walgreens headquarters regarding this incident. To date I have received no response, if there is one I will let you know. In the mean time, if you need prescriptions filled, please, do yourself a favour and do not go to this pharmacy.

Location: Tampa, Florida

Do You Have Something To Say ?
Write a review

Comments

chat-icon

Please avoid publishing any personal information and promotional content

You will be automatically registered on our site. Username and password will be sent to you via email.
Post Comment
Guest

Proud of you for following up on your stance and hope Walgreens learned a lesson.

Guest

ok so after this LENGHTY complaint you decided to goto another cvs? then why the *** didn't you just do that in the first place instead of going to walgreens? i mean jesus it's a major drug and going to another CVS would have been a *** lot easier than doing what you did which was *** in my opinion.

if your son needed it so bad you should have gone to the CVS instead of going through the first round of hassles at walgreens or *gasp* decided after that first round "*** this isn't worth it, my son needs this script filled maybe i should get off my *** and find another nearby CVS to see if they have it."

Guest

I'm a pharmacy student right now, and I have to say that I have been brought to tears by people like you. Its not that I don't want to fill your prescription its because I want what is best for the patient.

There are so many times that I wish a patient can understand, we only do these things to protect you, to make sure you are getting the right medication. It seems the more I try to help patients, the more they hate me, while my friend that never cares about patients fills all prescriptions without question. My question is do you care if your doctor is right? Do you care if you die?

Do you care if you get addicted to drugs? Do you care that these prescription pills are getting into the hands children sold by drug dealers else where because the "nice" pharmacist who sold it to you in 5 minutes didn't care to check or verify any medications!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1118546

You are not a Dr you are a pharmacist if you think you know what's best for your customer to take and not take your a *** and should not be a pharmacist go to school and become a Dr. Your job is to fill prescriptions written by doctors not to diagnose A person standing in your line.

Again you are an *** if you think you can do that and I wonder how you even got in to pharmacy school. You should rethink your career because chances are you are killing people by not filling there script.

Andrea Ahw
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1130148

You are wrong. A pharmacist IS a doctor of MEDICATION.

It is your pharmacist duty, by law, to know more about the drugs your doctor prescribes than your doctor does. You pharmacy also knows more about the medications you take than your doctor since most folks who use multiple doctors will use the same pharmacy.

A pharmacist is REQUIRED by law to question you about a narcotic when you have never filled anything at their pharmacy and you bring a narcotic script in the first time you come. It is also their duty by law to verify, and REFUSE if necessary, and script they do not fill comfortable with.

I will tell you from working in a pharmacy, a patient's attitude goes a LONG way in determining whether a script will get filled. When you are questioned, if you show the slightest rudeness, or unwillingness to answer or provide the proof the pharmacist requests, they WILL shut you down and not fill your script.

You can potentially, depending on how bad you act, get blacklisted as a potential abuser and no pharmacy will fill for you.

A few places to never show your ***: an airport, or a pharmacy. The law will ALWAYS back the pharmacist.

Meredith Icw
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1118546

Anonymous,

Thank you for your concern, but my sertraline is a tier 1, non controlled substance and my Rx was written last month for 12 refills. If it was xanax, or adderall, or percocet, I would truly understand.

These drugs ARE being falling into the wrong hands, and people get addicted. I think if Walgreens was more personable, not a mega oligopoly who does not care, maybe we would react differently.

Instead, because profits are worth more than people, we have to get mislead by automated machines and texts.

Guest

It happen to me too! I felt so bad because my son needed his pain medication and Walgreens was the only choice I had on a sat night. They have some sorry costumer service.

Guest

Finzfreak

Guest

In Bayonne NJ, Jerry's Drug store also gives problems to people who have legit prescriptions, in my opinion Jerry's is terrible. I have to say Rite Aid on North Street I have problems too, either drugs from Jerry's was processed and I could not get my Rx at Rite Aid.

I go to Jerry's and they say no Rx is there.

I then go to Rite Aid, they say it was already processed. I really need a good pharmacy that cares about the client!

Guest

It doesn't stop with patients. Walgreens harasses physicians too.

I won't go into the full detail as to how they do it but I agree that it is communistic and abysmal. I personally wouldn't send my dog Walgreens. I can't prevent my patients from going there but Walgreens is shooting themselves in their own foot. The seediness of their practices is disgusting.

One patient was told that they didn't have the generic for their medication so they would have to pay 500 dollars for a brand name medication. In our state this is illegal. The patient demanded generic. The pharmacist would not budge.

He clearly wanted to clear some brand-name medication off their shelves.

That's the only possible reason this would happen. I could go on and on but the transgressions are too numerous to count.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-810362

Wal green, cape coral pkwy, cape cora, fl. Address is 805 cape coral pkwy, cape coral fl.

Date of outrage, 2/13/15. Pharma., manager. In my opinion lied multiple times about calling me, changed story several times, then was a rude ***, acting like i was trying to get heroin,instead of 30 soma 350, 1 a day, for thirty days. I take hydro, 7.5 .

These people accused me of taking alot of medications, which have been listed for over 2 years (supposedly) that i could die if i take. Well, i've used wal greens since 97 being diagnosed with bonedisease. Many problems later, i will not be silent, ever!!!! I will keep telling people about my treatment by these people.

I will complain, fill out reports and call coporate until this is resolved. I'm disabled, not ***, i take 1 narcotic, not a drug seeker.

If i could sue these people i would. No flippin pharmacist, or tech has the right to judge anyone!!!!

Guest

They are doing the same thing with adder all. I have been taking the same amount of medication for years.

Today, Walgreens refused to refill it. They called my doctor to find out my diagnosis was. My doctor explained the situation to them and they still refused to fill it.

This is ridiculous! I am pissed.

Guest

I have had back problems for awhile. I had a prescription for xanax and flexerill and had it filled at walgreens before with no problems.

I got a new scrpit from my doctor and took it to Walgreens and they refused to fill it period. The last time I picked up either of these meds was 3 months ago. I do not take them every day. I took the scripts to CVS and they filled them with no problem.

I was not abusing the medication and did not take either of them as often as prescribed. Why does Walgreens now have a problem filling my medicine?

Guest

I've been going to the same Walgreen for 10 years getting a pain script filled. One day the manager bluntly asked me "What other pharmacies am I using?" At first I was just taken back but finally answered politely "None.

This is the only pharmacy I use." She then very rudely said " What? Don't you ever get sick?" I guess because I haven't had any need for other meds, she just assumed I was shopping pharmacies. 2 months later they refused to fill my monthly script, saying I had been getting my script filled every 28 days and I should have a lot of meds left. But why did they fill the same script 30 days prior?

They are passing their own morality laws upon customers and assuming everyone with a narcotic script is a junkie or criminal.

I went to a Rite-Aid and was treated humanely and had my script filled.

Guest

Oh lord. Heaven forbid she do anything than worship the ground you walk on.

It's almost like she has 100 Rxs in front of yours for people with legitimate health problems. You can suck it. Quit drugging your kid and you won't have any problems. You might have to, you know, be a parent, which might be hard because you are an ***, but do try.

Also, please stop procreating. Your overwhelming sense of entitlement should not persist into future generations.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-689264

Your obviously a ***!!!!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-689264

Hi there, could you kindly take a rusty screwdriver and stick it through your eye? k'thanks'bye.

Guest

Are you abusing narcotis or looking to oxys? That's really the only time something like this occurs.p

Guest

I came upon this while searching if anyone else was treated badly by Walgreens. I have two homes; one in Wisconsin and one in Florida.

I live in Florida right now majority of the time and where my doctors treating me. I always went to Walgreens in Wisconsin and Florida. The Walgreen's here in Florida refused to fill my prescription because I have a Wisconsin ID. Com'on I cant be the only person in the entire state of Florida that has a out of state ID.

I am not! The pharmacist was being a ***. Over four months I kept getting my prescription filled at Walgreens and each month treated so rudely. Per my pain management agreement I need to go to Walgreens as that's the pharmacy I listed.

I had to show proof of my address in florida where Walgreens scan my bank statement showing my Florida address. Well now the pharmacist will not fill and said if he is question he will say he feels I am coming to Florida each month to fill my prescription. Really? Who does that especially I have a valid address and not Florida law to have Florida ID; only to have a valid ID.

I called Walgreens corporate office and said they will stand by the pharmacist decision. What? They been filling it and the pharmacist is clearly abusing his power and profiling me.

I posted on FB not to go to Walgreens especially treating me a disabled veteran so horribly.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-676507

Colleen, I had a similiar problem at walgreens .i had filled my script there the month b4 with no problem. I also have 2 addresses.So I brought my script in and im waiting and the pharacist pulls me 2 the side and tell me i have been flagged.i said 4 what .she says u have 2 other different pres at publix and cvs and i wont fill this .i said u filled it last month .she says no that way over 2 months ago.i pulled out the bottom and put it up 2 her and said see look at the date .she wouldnot fill my presc.I got to a different walgreen in my other city i live about 1wk later and ask if they have meds , now my ins will only pay for CVS which doesnot carry it .That's why the difference pharmacies.

THE TECH AT THE WALGREENS BY ME SAYS I CANNOT ORDER THIS FOR YOU THE PHARMACIST PUT IN UR PROFILE THAT U THREW A PRESC BOTTLE AT HER AND I CANT Fill ANYTHING 4 U. I SAID I KNOW U HAVE CAMERAS AND IM GOING 2 HAVE MANAGER VIEW BECSUSE THIS IS A LIE. WELL THAT WAS 6 MO AGO AND NOW MY INS IN 2017 IS ONLY USING WALGREENS .So this would b a major problem 4 me .Well I did some research and got a copy of the National Good faith target checklist .They have to use this in order to refuse u .They have 2 fill it out and answer questions and it goes to DEA .so Im reading it and i answered yes to every question so she had no right to deny me the presc. Well i just called the store manager and told him what happened .i told him i am in contact with a lawyer and im going to file a suit for defamation and request to view the video because she flat out lied about me ,had i thrown a bottle at her she would of called security or police.The store manager agreed and i also told him she violated the check list ,they have to have validation to deny u or they can get fired.She did none of these things because she lied.

.So manager went into comp and deleted info and was very sorry .I told him i going to fill a complaint against her .He said if she didnt do the checklist he will be firing her.So, we have rights to .If this ever happens again and they deny u look into that checklist and u can get them in serious trouble if they dont have valid reason.

I HOPE THIS HELPS .. THEY THINK THEY ARE GOD AND CAN DO WHTEVER THEY WANT PUT THEY ALSO HAVE TO ABIDE MY SOME RULES.

View more comments (35)