How long have you waited in line at the pharmacy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never do mail order mostly because I am worried about temperature issues, particularly in the summer. Not sure if the delivery truck is properly temperature controlled, then it might sit outside in the sun for hours if I am not home. Same reason I don't let prescriptions sit in my car after I pick them up.

This concerns me too.

[Anonymous]

I had a visit at Kaiser this week and here is what I did in 60 minutes:
Doctor visit
Got 2 vaccines
Was handed a summary of the visit
Picked up 2 new meds from the pharmacy
Had labs drawn

I was back in my car 60 minutes after arrival! Best visit ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A minute or two is average for my neighborhood, I’d guess. Our 2 CVS stores don’t seem to have the issues others report elsewhere.

Where do you live Mayberry?

Not that PP but I live in Bethesda and I’d say I wait an average of 3-4 minutes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t usually wait that long to pick up a Rx— usually dr calls it in and I pick it up later that day.

Do you literally mean the pick up line or the time between dropping off and picking up?

Not op. I waited 50 minutes or so to get a prescription my doctor had called in mid day. I went to CVS at 6:30. The pharmacist caused the problem because she seemed not to trust the walk in clinic I used. The prescription was for a cheap antibiotic. She acted as if this clinic was shady and run out of a van and I was trying to get oxy. At first I was told I had no prescriptions. I pressed and was told to talk to the pharmacist. The pharmacist lied and said the clinic had just called in the prescription. The clinic office had closed hours before. I was told to wait 15 minutes. Not filled then. Was told to wait 10 more minutes. Not filled then. By this time I had been there 35 minutes or more and no prescription. The pharmacy was not busy. When the pharmacist finally filled it because I began to be loud, she refused to hand over the prescription until I answered a bunch of questions. She wanted to know the name of the doctor, was this a walk in clinic, did I have an appointment or just walk in, on and on. I stopped answering her questions and just kept repeating "give me my prescription". This clinic has been open for 20 years.

The pharmacist is a nut job and won't be there long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I mean the pick up line. The pharmacies are chronically understaffed and have been for years even before the pandemic

You can't mail order HDHD meds (which there are shortages for across the country)

You also can't mail order meds prescribed by an ER doc (one of which apparently has been on backorder "for months" said the pharmacist). Why would an ER doc prescribe something you can't get?

They have no idea you can't get it. I just went through this- the pharmacist needs to call the ER and get a replacement.

And you're right, pharmacies are overwhelmed and having to give out vaccines isn't helping. What happened to going to a county wide health clinic for vaccines? Or doctors offices having most vaccines? It's crazy.

[Anonymous]

Is it the cvs in brookland? I've waited about 90 minutes total (twice in line) to find out they were out of stock of the drug I needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTF is wrong with this country? We used to get our prescriptions filled at CVS, but they are so understaffed that we gave up and moved all our prescriptions to Giant. It's better in that the staff aren't surly, but the line! 17 minutes and counting.

Anyone have any ideas for actual solutions? This can't keep going on, somethings gotta give, and I am willing to be an activist to work on this, but don't know where to start

My solution is to come back another time when it’s not busy and use mail-order whenever possible. Seems to work and a lot less involved in whether “activism” bullshit you’re mulling.

Not pp. You are full of it. I couldn't get my prescription even though the store was not busy. Some people need to start their prescriptions right away and for a lot mail order is not a possibility. The prior poster is right, something is wrong that many of us experience a nightmare getting prescriptions filled.

I blame the companies like CVS for not staffing enough people and not paying the pharmacists a reasonable salary. When I went to UNC back in the day, lots of people were studying pharmacy. Now it is nothing but lower paid immigrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe don't go immediately after work on a Friday night, duh.

Duuuuh right back at you. If only life and illness worked on a convenient schedule. It doesn't fool. You think the parents needed to get their kid started on an inhaler and antibiotics that they've been told the kid needs to start that night should just look at mail order? That's how dumb you sound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a visit at Kaiser this week and here is what I did in 60 minutes:
Doctor visit
Got 2 vaccines
Was handed a summary of the visit
Picked up 2 new meds from the pharmacy
Had labs drawn

I was back in my car 60 minutes after arrival! Best visit ever.

Yea but it's Kaiser. You got the wrong medicine for an illness you don't have while the doctor missed the serious issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I mean the pick up line. The pharmacies are chronically understaffed and have been for years even before the pandemic

You can't mail order HDHD meds (which there are shortages for across the country)

You also can't mail order meds prescribed by an ER doc (one of which apparently has been on backorder "for months" said the pharmacist). Why would an ER doc prescribe something you can't get?

Assuming you mean ADHD medicine. We have gotten a 90-day supply of ADHD meds from our mail order pharmacy for years. Yes, you need a new prescription sent in every 3 months, and someone has to sign for the package, but it is better than waiting in line at the pharmacy!

Np here. My insurance will not allow us to get a large supply and will not allow mail order. I have tried. My kid has used this medicine for 10+ years.

[Anonymous]

My insurance makes me pay more if I don't use CVS. I found a great cvs that now sucks just as bad as the others.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s mostly a retail operations issue. I also use the McLean CVS and it’s terrible (but I still use it so to the people making spending decisions they think they’re doing fine). It’s not just volume at this CVS though. They are very disorganized. Often they look around for 5 minutes to find someone’s already filled and bagged order. It’s absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a visit at Kaiser this week and here is what I did in 60 minutes:
Doctor visit
Got 2 vaccines
Was handed a summary of the visit
Picked up 2 new meds from the pharmacy
Had labs drawn

I was back in my car 60 minutes after arrival! Best visit ever.

Good God that's impressive!!!

[Anonymous]

Haha, try Fort Belvoir's pharmacy and you'll stop complaining.

Even after using their system where you text "get in line" and wait days for it to be ready, it easily takes an hour once you're there to pick up. Military medicine at its finest.

[Anonymous]

I haven't read all of the responses, so this might have already been mentioned, but do the CarePass with CVS. It pays for itself- you get a $10 coupon monthly, but best of all free same day prescription delivery. So worth it!