I choose grocery stores over cvs now. Usually not as crowded.

Anonymous wrote:It's horrible. Long lines, they don't answer the phone, half the time they don't have it in stock / there's a shortage / and zero help with where else to get it (even if the pharmacy is part of a chain).

One small measure would be to move vaccines out of pharmacies. They are just stretched too thin.

Also corporate greed not to fund them better / pay for more staff / better IT.

The government funding for outside vaccine sites has lapsed.

It's horrible. Long lines, they don't answer the phone, half the time they don't have it in stock / there's a shortage / and zero help with where else to get it (even if the pharmacy is part of a chain).

One small measure would be to move vaccines out of pharmacies. They are just stretched too thin.

Also corporate greed not to fund them better / pay for more staff / better IT.

CVS near us always had ridiculous lines and sometimes failed to have prescriptions ready so we gave up on them years ago and switched to Walgreens. It’s hit or miss. Sometime i walk straight up to the window and sometimes I wait 15-20 minutes. I try to go at off times and that really helps. I agree that the small independent pharmacies are also a great option.

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.

Just to be clear, you want the nation to tackle minimum wage so pharmacies can employ more staff?

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?

A ER doc isn't a pharmacist. They don't know what's in or out of stock at your pharmacy.

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?

Foer’s or tcfilly pharmacy

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?

McLean CVS always have long wait line. No matter when you go. We switched to delivery instead. It’s free with Fed BcBs.

I changed to small pharmacy, Friendship, that delivers and it is wonderful. For more immediate needs, found the Walgreens in the Bradley shopping center near Strosneiders. It is primarily for prescriptions, not other merchandise. It’s worth the drive.

CVS does delivery- I think they charge you, but might be worth it.

Mail order pharma when it's a routine item.

If you need it same day, use a small pharmacy, not a big chain. For example in Bethesda there's Glen Echo Pharmacy.

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