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Old 09-27-2019, 01:37 PM
 
2,410 posts, read 5,787,604 times
Reputation: 1916

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I've recently been going to a couple different pharmacies (large chains) for my meds and noticed how understaffed they are, seemingly all the time. Fortunately, I haven't needed meds for a while until recently, but it was really troubling to see how rushed, frantic, and frazzled all the employees seemed to be, regardless of time of day or which day of the week. And there are usually lines at checkout. This has to be due to understaffing for the volume of prescriptions filled.

Customer service suffers in that environment, and asking questions seems to "bother" them because they are literally running around the work area. In addition, this kind of workplace is a recipe for mistakes. I double checked each prescription after paying for it, to make sure the tablets were the correct ones and that they had given me the right number.

I've also noticed "shortages" of some common meds. I had to call around a few other pharmacies to find one med I needed. And forget calling them to ask a question. The person on the phone is again "in a hurry."

It seems that things have changed, and not for the better, in these chain pharmacies. Anyone else experience this kind of rushed, frantic pharmacy service?
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Old 09-27-2019, 01:46 PM
 
Location: near bears but at least no snakes
26,635 posts, read 28,423,267 times
Reputation: 50438
Quote:
Originally Posted by xz2y View Post
I've recently been going to a couple different pharmacies (large chains) for my meds and noticed how understaffed they are, seemingly all the time. Fortunately, I haven't needed meds for a while until recently, but it was really troubling to see how rushed, frantic, and frazzled all the employees seemed to be, regardless of time of day or which day of the week. And there are usually lines at checkout. This has to be due to understaffing for the volume of prescriptions filled.

Customer service suffers in that environment, and asking questions seems to "bother" them because they are literally running around the work area. In addition, this kind of workplace is a recipe for mistakes. I double checked each prescription after paying for it, to make sure the tablets were the correct ones and that they had given me the right number.

I've also noticed "shortages" of some common meds. I had to call around a few other pharmacies to find one med I needed. And forget calling them to ask a question. The person on the phone is again "in a hurry."

It seems that things have changed, and not for the better, in these chain pharmacies. Anyone else experience this kind of rushed, frantic pharmacy service?
Yes. I switched from CVS because I have to stand there for so long waiting for someone. Then the person can barely speak English, and that worries me because they might get my name wrong or my medicine wrong. They are rude and unfriendly. So now I go to another chain and they're wonderful except that they gave me the wrong generic this time. The one that doesn't work. But at least I get helped the minute I go to the counter and they are very knowledgeable and helpful on the phone. They do run out of medicine a lot though and have to give me just a few until they can order more.
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Old 09-27-2019, 01:48 PM
 
1,201 posts, read 609,807 times
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Pharmacies are not receiving fair reimbursement for prescriptions from insurers. The easiest solution is to cut staff. A lot of common drugs are currently on backorder.
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Old 09-27-2019, 02:20 PM
 
Location: Texas
5,838 posts, read 6,106,900 times
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What time of day do you go to the pharmacy? I always hit my CVS on weekdays mid morning to early afternoon. Often, I am the only one in line, and if I have to wait, it's usually no more than 5-10 minutes. If you have flexibility with time, it's definitely something to consider. As far as staffing, my CVS almost always has just one pharmacist and 1 Tech (maybe 2 max) at any given time.
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Old 09-27-2019, 02:41 PM
 
Location: Central IL
20,726 posts, read 16,190,043 times
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Yes - which is why I do mail order for all my "chronic" meds but you do still need something local for an antibiotic, etc. that's a one-time fill. Whenever I have to do that it is inevitably "come back in an hour" - so too long to wait and another trip back to the store at some point unless you have other errands you can try to run. A real pain, especially if you're sick and dead tired.
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Old 09-27-2019, 02:42 PM
 
17,314 posts, read 13,047,011 times
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In our area, they are cutting pharmacists to only one per shift, plus cutting back on techs


Overworked pharmacy staff is not just a customer service issue, it's a PATIENT SAFETY ISSUE!


This is why I left retail
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Old 09-27-2019, 07:15 PM
 
2,410 posts, read 5,787,604 times
Reputation: 1916
Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland View Post
Yes. I switched from CVS because I have to stand there for so long waiting for someone. Then the person can barely speak English, and that worries me because they might get my name wrong or my medicine wrong. They are rude and unfriendly. So now I go to another chain and they're wonderful except that they gave me the wrong generic this time. The one that doesn't work. But at least I get helped the minute I go to the counter and they are very knowledgeable and helpful on the phone. They do run out of medicine a lot though and have to give me just a few until they can order more.
Yeah, I have the same issue with non-English-speaking techs and pharmacists. Easy to make mistakes if English isn't your 1st language on complicated prescription drug names.

Running out of meds seems to be a big problem these days. They always give me a couple tabs and then I have to go back again the next day. Pain. I wonder what is going on with drug shortages? In my case it was amoxicillin, certainly nothing exotic.
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Old 09-27-2019, 07:17 PM
 
2,410 posts, read 5,787,604 times
Reputation: 1916
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike1003 View Post
In our area, they are cutting pharmacists to only one per shift, plus cutting back on techs


Overworked pharmacy staff is not just a customer service issue, it's a PATIENT SAFETY ISSUE!


This is why I left retail
It is definitely a patient safety issue. That's why I double check everything I received before I leave the pharmacy.

Last edited by xz2y; 09-27-2019 at 07:50 PM..
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Old 09-27-2019, 07:52 PM
 
6,033 posts, read 4,382,757 times
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I'm waiting from Thursday night - went around 8 hoping it would be calmer, but no luck - until Monday for them to order the generic that works. They are so understaffed and every time I go I get a receipt with a survey on it and fill it out and say how understaffed they are. I have managed to get the refill timed for a few days before I run out so I have enough to last because I've gone through this so often with the wrong med no matter how many times I ask them to put my request on file.

One pharmacist, 3 techs - pharmacist filling scripts, one tech serving the line, another the drive-thru, the third doing every other thing. I wouldn't have their job for any amount of money.
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Old 09-27-2019, 08:00 PM
 
Location: colorado springs, CO
9,512 posts, read 6,013,286 times
Reputation: 28830
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike1003 View Post
In our area, they are cutting pharmacists to only one per shift, plus cutting back on techs


Overworked pharmacy staff is not just a customer service issue, it's a PATIENT SAFETY ISSUE!


This is why I left retail
I agree. You are forced to work short-staffed & do the jobs of 2 or 3 people but if you make a mistake ... It's YOUR butt & license in the wringer. And when you work in medicine; you don't always get a do-over. People can die, plain & simple.
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