CVS

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

Have any of you had trouble with the CVS pharmacy in Davis? They seem really disorganized, and I wonder if it's just my bad luck to always go in at a bad time. They haven't given me the wrong medicine. I'm just concerned about how many times I phoned ahead to refill a prescription, and they didn't have it ready. They couldn't do anything at all because the computer is down. Or I needed to wait half an hour while they scrambled to fill the prescription (something like 27 hours after I called in the refill and 90 minutes after I said on the phone I'd pick it up.) Or my doctor's office had just sent over a prescription, and they couldn't figure out how to send it to the Porter Square CVS which has the medication they're out of.

It's not a problem for a pharmacy to be out of a particular medication and tell me I need to wait until the next day, or the next day after midafternoon. I don't expect any pharmacy to keep everything in stock. It's a problem when they tell me on Thursday they will have something on Friday, and on Friday when they tell me it will be there on Monday, and it's REALLY a problem when on Monday they tell me it will be there Tuesday. This problem, thank goodness, only happened once.

The pharmacists and their assistants aren't rude to me, and I don't think they are deliberately dishonest. I just can't tell if I've had a run of bad luck in dealing with them (aggravated by the fact that I use a bunch of different meds and refill the prescriptions at different times of month,) or if they are incompetent enough that I should take my business to another pharmacy.

I used to be fairly happy with the CVS at Porter, though since they built one at Davis, I resent that the one in Porter is so far away. (When the weather is reasonable, I can walk to Davis, but not to Porter.) I refuse to do business with the East Arlington CVS--the pharmacy staff there is narrowminded, dishonest, rude, and viciously selfish, as well as incompetent.

Comments

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

I kinda feel like every CVS is a huge shitstorm of incompetence. The one in Porter especially (granted, I've refused to go there for at least five years now)

[justjess.livejournal.com]

I've had similar issues with the new CVS in East Boston. I think it's unfortunately a company-wide problem.

[cheeseydreams.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you have access to other pharmacies during your day, but have you thought about using an independent pharmacy? There aren't many left, but there is Skenderian's Apothecary in Cambridge which has a website, and apparently you can do refills on the website and have options for prescription pick up/delivery. I go to the Gary Drug Co on Charles St in Boston for my prescription, mostly because I've worked down the street from them for 5 years and prior to that my mother worked there.

What problem do you think that is?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Glitchy restocking software?

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I've never had a problem with any CVS, but I've never had prescriptions done at the Davis Square one. Although, if you're having problems with them, I'd go back to going to the Porter one.

[smacaski.livejournal.com]

I've had some problems with them (not being able to figure out how to enter my prescription plan info, which delayed getting my prescriptions by a day or two--luckily they weren't urgent), but they haven't been too bad.

Have you tried Rite Aid?

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of independent pharmacies, but Skenderian's Apothecary is a nuisance for me to get to. The only independent that's really convenient to me these days is Maida Pharmacy, in Arlington, and I have strong philosophical differences with the owners.

[mamabunny72.livejournal.com]

I've had the occasional, run-of-the mill prescription filled at Rite Aid without a problem.
For the past year or two, I use the pharmacy at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates because they started accepting my health insurance/ Rx plan. And it's super-convenient b/c my family's PCPs are at HVMA.

Re: What problem do you think that is?

[justjess.livejournal.com]

Just general incompetence.

[valadil.livejournal.com]

I've never had a problem with their ability to fill a prescription, but customer service is lacking. Whenever I approach the presciption desk they avoid eye contact until they're ready to deal with me. A simple "I'll be with you in a minute," would go a long way.

[rax.livejournal.com]

I have had problems at the Davis CVS --- I go to Davis Square Family Practice, who sends them online prescriptions, and they routinely say they haven't received them and I should wait a while, and then I wait, and they say they still haven't gotten then, and DSFP says that there was receipt acknowledged, so I just get a paper prescription and bring it over and then have to wait longer. I would not bring anything but a paper prescription there at this point after the problems I have had; Porter does not have the same problems, in my experience.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever tried Rite Aid at all, for anything. Is the Davis one especially good, or just not terrible?

[ominousspectre.livejournal.com]

The only time I went there, I had to go in and out 3 times because they kept telling me "we haven't had a chance to fill it yet, it should be 20 minutes" when I'd originally called ahead. Every 30 minutes or so, I went back and was told "another 20 minutes" for about an hour and a half. I was pretty sick, so that sucked. I finally just stayed until it was filled (which ended up taking longer than an additional 20 minutes!)

Nothing will ever be as bad as the Amherst CVSs. There were 2 and somehow they would mix up prescription files between them all the time. To the point where I'd call the correct one to have a prescription filled and it would still get filled at the other one. Never figured out what was wrong there.

[tracelina.livejournal.com]

I've heard of Maida, but hadn't heard anything about their philosophy. Would you be willing to elaborate?

[lac.livejournal.com]

The only CVS that I have never had a problem with, is the one on Medford St in Magouin Square. I'm in the process of transferring my stuff from the one on Boylston St in Boston to that one. It's not quite as convenient but it will do.

strong philosophical differences

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

They're strict neoplatonists, and and adrian_turtle is an aristotelian. So, you know, that's not gonna work out.

Re: strong philosophical differences

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

This is why I resorted to Draconian philosophy.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I would not bring anything but a paper prescription there at this point after the problems I have had; Porter does not have the same problems, in my experience.

That matches my experience pretty closely. I don't know if we were just lucky not to have had any trouble at the Porter CVS, or if they really have their act somewhat more together.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I think that's what I'll do. Thanks.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

try acupuncture

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I moved away and I kind of miss them. It was nice having a 24-hour pharmacy a couple of blocks away. My current CVS is good, too, but they close at 5 on weekends :-(

[teko.livejournal.com]

I've had exactly that experience, multiple times. It usually involves calling DSFP, telling the pharmacist that I've got receipt confirmation, and they roll their eyes and tell me that SOMEbody back here must have screwed up. They look through various bins and eventually find my prescription stuck in the wrong box or stuffed under a sandwich.

I usually figure it'll take 1/2 hr or so to get my prescription filled, at best.

[smacaski.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I don't have any experiences there aside from occasionally stopping in for odds and ends, but it's in Davis and it's not CVS.

[joyeuxnoel.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I've been having my prescriptions filled at the CVS Pharmacy at downtown Summer Street for years. It's usually 5-6 scripts, spread out so they're refilled two different times a month. Usually with like a 14 hour notice of refill. Then again, none of the meds are too rare and I mostly just use their automated system. Although, any time I've had to call and speak with someone, they've always been helpful.

I do run into the lack of eye contact thing sometimes but it really doesn't bother me terribly. (Although their automated calls asking me to refill my prescriptions drive me batshit. x_x)

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

I understand that this isn't easy for you to get to--if it was, you'd probably just go to Skenderian :)--but I get all my scrips filled at the Walgreen's near Inman Square and they seem to be both reliable and pleasant to deal with.