I really like this store for general shopping, however, it houses the WORST pharmacy I have ever been to. The pharmacists and staff there are not only incompetent but rude as well. Every month I come here to pick up the same auto-refill prescriptions, and practically every month they manage to mess it up so that I have to wait an additional 30 mins or so for them to fix it (which sort of defeats the purpose of the auto-refill). Once, I got two prescriptions filled at the same time, they gave me two bottles with the correct drug names on them, however, they filled BOTH bottles with the SAME medication so that I was double dosing on the one and not taking the other at all. It took me almost a week to realize and when I took it back to explain to them what happened, all I got was an "Oops. Here's your replacement meds." Considering how blase they were about it, I imagine that these errors must happen there frequently. Being from the east coast, I love CVS and have never experienced problems anywhere else, but this particular pharmacy is just terrible, and I have since transferred all of my prescriptions to Target. read more

THIS IS ABOUT PHOTO PRINTING I've had hundreds of photos successfully printed here over the last 15 years, but recently picked up an online order here that was terrible. The paper is now barely thicker than letter paper, printed colors are very different from originals and the 4x6 and 5x7 prints were cropped, cutting off heads, even though I adjusted them on my computer for those print sizes. Really, really bad prints in every way. read more

On February 9 I received by email a 20% off coupon from CVS which was good until February 11. I added it to my CVS card, went in to the 1451 Shattuck Ave store on February 10, shopped for half an hour, and brought my purchases to checkout where my card was swiped, my email address was confirmed, and I was informed that the discount was for my NEXT purchase. I insisted that was not what the email said, the saleswoman insisted the discount was for my NEXT purchase, and I left without buying anything. When I got home I checked the original email. It said exactly what I had thought it said. I called CVS, spoke with the manager who refused to confirm or deny if the offer was for now or future and said he would take care of it if I came back. I told him I had wasted enough time. The next day I looked not at the email but at the ad on my browser and it does, indeed -- in tiny out-ot-the-way print -- say what the saleswoman said. Even though the offer was good for just a few days it was an offer for a FUTURE purchase. So I'm forced to conclude that the store isn't pulling a scam but that CVS is pulling a bait-and-switch. It looks like cheating to me. I sent them a few emails but I haven't heard back. If I do I'll let them know I'm walking down the street and shopping at Walgreens from now on. read more

The worst pharmacy!!! Their negligence cost me with a lot of damages. Their employee Lucy at the pharmacy kept dropping the ball on getting medicine, and this ended up with a lot of damages read more

I have chosen to only two CVS Stores one in El Cerrito Plaza and this one on Rose and Shattuck, I love the down home touch and found it here. It is nice to find a place which you get that small little town feeling. All are friendly and desire to give the customer great service, but I appreciate the great spirit of Beatrice at the check out. She always seems in a good mood and friendly. I thought I was unique, but she offers all great service. I do not know all of their names, but all at different times have been great at helping me with my needs. They seem very busy so this must mean others feel the same Thanks guys for providing the down home touch in a big city! read more

Expensive, so I use coupons for drugstore items. Got a 20% off coupon for certain items; my items qualified but the register only gave me 10%. Cashier and manager both agreed it was a computer error, but did NOTHING to make it right. So beware - coupons are "bait & switch", AND some front employees need a refresher on "customer service". (To be fair, employees back in Pharmacy tend to be nice & capable.) read more

I'm not going to lie I'm a little heated at the customer service here. It's one of the only drugstores open around me until midnight so I rushed over and got there at 11:50 so as to have enough time to get out by midnight. When I got there, the lights were off but the doors were open. So I walked around in the dark trying to find the one thing I desperately needed, and the lady who was working started getting mad at me for walking around "after they were closed". When I told her it was before midnight, she reasoned that the lights were off so the store was closed. Luckily, I was able to get what I needed in the end but I think the way she handled it all was very rude and unprofessional. People rely on late night drugstore chains to be open the hours they say they are. read more

It's a CVS. It has the sort of stuff CVS usually has. They accept money in exchange for such stuff. And they have parking. For free. Works for me. read more

I feel it is time to give these guys an update. It's been awhile and they have gotten much much better. The service has gotten more pleasant and efficient and the pharmacists are much more friendly. It's been a gradual change but one I welcome. read more

Based upon appearance alone this store seemingly went from being a higher class establishment to somewhere way beneath a discount store. CVS blaring yellow signs everywhere makes it seem cluttered and messy. Husband was also turned off by the carpet, instead of the original linoleum that can actually be cleaned. Strange part is they actually remodeled the store to look this way. As a result we avoid it like the plague. read more

I have been going to this store hundreds of times from1987 to now (2010). CVS weird/cheapness I mostly ignore. I also seem to have learned how not to take the bait and get involved in any frustrating altercations with the staff. There is no point, and that's been a lesson learned with pain. Generally I am the typical man-hunter shopper. The mission: getting prescriptions filled. Always on insurance, always generic, always with a copay, etc. It works out OK. And I'm now using their auto-renew. The IVR computer voice for prescription renewals still works as it has for several years (they didn't break it). Other notes: ATT iphone 3GS does not get a signal anywhere in the store. It would be nice while waiting in line for prescription pickups to read email, etc. Their promo gallon of milk "special" is about $0.30 higher than Safeway's price across the street. (but both are much cheaper than BBowl on this gallon of milk thing). Oh, wait... there is one thing that ticks me off. Parking lot is often filled to capacity. Guess where all of the employees park -- in all of the spaces closest to the front door. I once asked the manager standing out in the lot if they had any policy for employees' parking- like at the farthest end of the lot. "No" no such policy. First come first served, same for everyone. And I almost got away without recalling something really negative. read more

I was looking for a Bar Mitzvah card at the last minute and ducked into this CVS. There were literally dozens of Christian cards -- pastor appreciation, confirmation, Jesus loves you, Jesus loves me, etc etc -- which I have no trouble with at all. But in the midst of the Jesus love fest there was not a single Bar Mitzvah card. I don't know if this particular CVS is anti-Semitic or if it is a matter of corporate policy, but it was very striking. I will not be giving them my business in the future and I encourage anyone who cares about this sort of thing to do the same. read more

If I could give one star, I would. This pharmacy never has drugs in stock and the pharmacists are unfriendly and rude. Lots of bodies behind the counter with very little assistance-general apathy. read more

Very poor patient customer services at the pharmacy. Long line, poor seating for older customers, and excessive waiting for prescriptions. For some medicines, you have to return the next day.You can waste many hours here. Medically competent, but overwhelmed with too few helping personnel. Find a kinder more efficient pharmacy please! I am a practicing medical doctor. read more

This is the WORST CVS pharmacy I've ever been to. There is always a line because the staff is completely incompetent. You have to ask for the same thing at least twice before they understand what you are picking up or why you are there. It's so strange. If only my insurance was accepted at Walgreens I would go back there in a heartbeat! read more

No abreva, maybe in 2 weeks! Closing pharmacy earlier. Staff has to call manager for everything. Came to pick up prescription. They said it hadn't been called in, so sorry. I started to call my doctor's office to get them to send. Magically they discovered they did have it. Music is a stupid mix. Longing for Longs. read more

I MISS my Long's. This new CVS is full of junk and the choices are much more limited. The vitamins area, stationary, cosmetics, lotions, teeth products have all been vastly downsized, with a couple of brands besides the CVS brand. The CVS brand stuff does not inspire confidence: ex., floss, cleaners etc. are poor quality. The carpet will get grimy in a couple of months. However, there is plethora of cheap undershirts and socks available now. I'm hoping they will adapt to North Berkeley and become better quality. read more

I have been going to this pharmacy for 15 years and it went down hill as soon as CVS took it over. They are consistently out of stock on non-CVS brands, their pharmacy lines are always long, and they only carry generic drugs. So even if your insurance covers the brand name, CVS doesn't. They are the only pharmacy within 5 miles and you can tell. read more

Pharmacy HORRIBLE. Potential SCAM. I have active Insurance that hasn't changed through my employer of now 7 seven years. Despite being in CVS computer with the same Insurance and having current Insurance card with me - this CVS refused to take my Insurance for several prescriptions since their computer was down. In fact, they refused to even CALL my Insurance to confirm. I even called Insurance who confirmed that YES, OF COURSE I still have Insurance! But CVS had none of it. So I had to either pay $150 for the drugs I'd typically pay less than $40 for, or suffer. If you ask me, this could be a SCAM. That or 100% pure unadulterated laziness. read more

Terrible, terrible, terrible. Yeah, I'm over the overwhelming stink of plastic crap that assaults your nose on the way in and the disorganized piles of for-sale garbage you have to wade through to get to the prescription counter. But I'm still not over the weirdness of just how bad the service is here. Every single time I go into this place I feel like I've entered some time warp-y sink hole. Prescriptions take FOREVER and if you make the mistake of trying to buy something because there is a sign saying it is on sale, get ready for an endless chain of confusion between employees and managers debating the price, debating how to enter the price into the cash register, debating what to do when the cash register won't accept that price, various keys must be sought to try to override the cash register, but nobody knows where the keys are, and on and on and on, and I am not kidding. Some of the cashiers smile sheepishly out of embarrassment. Some look at you as if your wanting the sales price is taking the money directly from their own pocket, but all seem ruled by a mysterious bureaucratic force with which they are trying to negotiate and are losing. Please, someone open a decent pharmacy again in this part of the world. Drive across the city to avoid this place. At least you'll be able to listen to your car radio in your wasted time. read more

bussiness has become slow, and customer service odd.

If I could give this store a negative number of stars I would. They NEVER have the products I am looking for. In addition, the fact that the store is filled with unhealthy products with irritating chemicals, and cheap things that fall apart quickly. Their own brand is an abomination! I mistakenly bought CVS brand q-tips one day and they are so cheap they don't reach to the bottom of my jar! ---about 1/4" shorter than J&J's classic brand. And I bought a back scrubbing brush for the bath and its been a week and there are little metal nodules embedded in the clear blue plastic that hold the bristles which have rusted!!!! Who makes something for the bath that can RUST? I could go on and on. Try calling them and asking a question.....wait on hold for 20 minutes and then someone disconnects the phone. The pharmacy wait is incredibly long no matter what time of day you go. On Saturday it is just plain ridiculous. Its a shame the Elephant didn't make it---Berkeley is becoming like the rest of Big Box laden America. But then, there's the internet. And that's the way to go. read more