If you can find an independent pharmacy in your area, then by all means, switch.
I need to take prescription meds every day, so I deal with the pharmacy more than I want to. My hatred of chain pharmacies runs deep. In my case, the independent one is a little further, but it ultimately saves me time and frustration. The staff KNOWS me and what I take. I can’t tell you how valuable that can be. When I call, the pharmacist recognizes my voice ffs
walgreens is closest to me for convenience of location, but i think walgreens is not doing so well as of lately, they close a ton of stores in my area.
Unfortunately, the only independent pharmacy near me when I lived in the US peddled pseudoscience bullshit front and center, with a huge homeopathy rack and an MLM essential oils wall right next to the entrance. So I said fuck it, at least the grocery store pharmacy gives me antibiotics for free.
Point is, not all independent businesses deserve your money, if they value money over their ethical and scientific training, they’re just aspiring to be the next big chain.
Be picky with where you spend your money, even if it’s a “small business”.
When my previous independent pharmacist went out of business, they transfered all of my prescriptions to the nearest Walgreens. I switched to another “independent” that was part of Rite-aid’s network. The staff were poorly trained in customer service communications, passive aggressively taking control of every conversation and then not listening. I had multiple instances of prescriptions being lost or delayed, in one case for weeks. The owners didn’t care why I as a customer found these experiences frustrating and eventually told me I should just go to Walgreen’s. I did and the customer service has been so much better. Independent isn’t always better.
I used to use Rite Aid for my prescriptions and they automatically rolled them over to CVS. CVS has been a nightmare and keeps messing the prescriptions up.
CVS gave my wife a bottle of pills with no label. Luckily she’s in the medical field and had the pill identification app on her phone so she could double check she got the correct script.
Our independents are conservative mostly, signs in front about Jesus and probably don’t even traffic in contraceptives.
Oddly, best pharmacy near me is Walmart. Not kidding. The pharmacists are so good, didn’t even blink when my trans kid got T, they will call to try to get the doctor to modify prescriptions to include or exclude generics for the best cost, they do immunizations (I get mine there not at the doctor, usually, much easier to schedule) & when Adderall was sold out everywhere they found it for my kid who needs it, when estrogen was sold out everywhere they found it for me. They can always quickly get my vials of injectable sumatriptan, other pharmacies can’t. The combo of ridiculously powerful market share, mostly not affluent customers, and very good pharmacists who have been the same people for 15 years now, we got lucky.
If you can find an independent pharmacy in your area, then by all means, switch.
I need to take prescription meds every day, so I deal with the pharmacy more than I want to. My hatred of chain pharmacies runs deep. In my case, the independent one is a little further, but it ultimately saves me time and frustration. The staff KNOWS me and what I take. I can’t tell you how valuable that can be. When I call, the pharmacist recognizes my voice ffs
Laughs in Aetna
I’m forced to use either CVS or ExpressScripts. I can get a one-off from somewhere else like Walgreens but chronic meds must be CVS or ExpressScripts.
CVS owns Aetna. 🙄
Its such bullshit, how is it allowed. I hate it.
My sympathies
walgreens is closest to me for convenience of location, but i think walgreens is not doing so well as of lately, they close a ton of stores in my area.
Costco has been ok for me.
Unfortunately, the only independent pharmacy near me when I lived in the US peddled pseudoscience bullshit front and center, with a huge homeopathy rack and an MLM essential oils wall right next to the entrance. So I said fuck it, at least the grocery store pharmacy gives me antibiotics for free.
Point is, not all independent businesses deserve your money, if they value money over their ethical and scientific training, they’re just aspiring to be the next big chain.
Be picky with where you spend your money, even if it’s a “small business”.
I second this!! My pharmacist has saved my butt so many times. He knows me by name and reminds me when my prescriptions are running low.
When my previous independent pharmacist went out of business, they transfered all of my prescriptions to the nearest Walgreens. I switched to another “independent” that was part of Rite-aid’s network. The staff were poorly trained in customer service communications, passive aggressively taking control of every conversation and then not listening. I had multiple instances of prescriptions being lost or delayed, in one case for weeks. The owners didn’t care why I as a customer found these experiences frustrating and eventually told me I should just go to Walgreen’s. I did and the customer service has been so much better. Independent isn’t always better.
I used to use Rite Aid for my prescriptions and they automatically rolled them over to CVS. CVS has been a nightmare and keeps messing the prescriptions up.
CVS gave my wife a bottle of pills with no label. Luckily she’s in the medical field and had the pill identification app on her phone so she could double check she got the correct script.
Our independents are conservative mostly, signs in front about Jesus and probably don’t even traffic in contraceptives.
Oddly, best pharmacy near me is Walmart. Not kidding. The pharmacists are so good, didn’t even blink when my trans kid got T, they will call to try to get the doctor to modify prescriptions to include or exclude generics for the best cost, they do immunizations (I get mine there not at the doctor, usually, much easier to schedule) & when Adderall was sold out everywhere they found it for my kid who needs it, when estrogen was sold out everywhere they found it for me. They can always quickly get my vials of injectable sumatriptan, other pharmacies can’t. The combo of ridiculously powerful market share, mostly not affluent customers, and very good pharmacists who have been the same people for 15 years now, we got lucky.
This is why I don’t go to my local independent. Small towns have no secrets.
Edit: I should add, I do mail order.