I tried to fill my prescriptions at this Safeway pharmacy and it was a NIGHTMARE. The pharmacist, Eddie, was treating me like I was a criminal. The medications I was filling were *not* controlled substances. He immediately asked me when the last time I filled a certain one was, and I told him that I didn't remember because I hadn't taken it in a while but that my doctor would know. He was very aggressive and demeaning in his words and actions and said he can't fill it and has "a couple of questions" for my doctor, including when I last filled it and why I'm being prescribed the medication (which is truly none of his business in the first place). He then demanded to know what medication I was filling at the other pharmacy across the street (also none of his business but I told him anyway). My doctor found that one of my medications was actually cheaper to fill at the King Soopers pharmacy across the street, so she sent three to Safeway and one to King Soopers.
I asked if I could get in contact with the doctor now and have her talk to him so I can leave with all of my *necessary* medications as I live 40 minutes out of town and drove there just to pick the prescriptions up. He angrily said I could try to do that.
I then stepped aside and called my doctor's office and they told me that they'd call the pharmacy to talk to him. At some point, he told me I have to step aside (I already was stepped aside and they were helping another customer) so I said "no problem, sorry about that" and moved further away and stood next to the over-the-counter medications. I was in this area for several minutes just waiting for my doctor's office to get a hold of them. After several minutes, he yelled "SIR, I ALREADY TOLD YOU ONCE, YOU NEED TO STEP AWAY FROM ME AND GO SIT DOWN. YOU'RE MAKING ME UNCOMFORTABLE" (aggressively pointing at a nearby chair). I have no idea how standing in an area he instructed me to was making him uncomfortable but okay...
I was very polite and asked him, "Why am I being treated like a criminal? What's going on?". Again, he yelled at me to walk away. At this point I'm getting frustrated and said "What the heck is going on? Why am I being treated like this, like a criminal? This is bullshit". At this point, he tells me he won't fill my prescription and told me to leave because of my language. I never once even raised my voice, though I was upset.
I've been taking prescription medications basically my whole life (I'm 36, started when I was 13) and I've NEVER had ANY issues with a pharmacist or ANY staff.
I've been in patient care for 16 years and regularly have intimate encounters with patients who praise my kindness and loving heart to my managers. I don't expect everyone to have the quality of patient care I do but I definitely don't expect to be treated like a criminal for absolutely no reason. I was just trying to fill a normal medication that, again, is NOT a controlled substance.
The whole time he was acting like I was trying to scam him for oxycontin or something. I did nothing wrong and then when he talked to my doctor's office, he told them that I was cursing at him and making him feel uncomfortable by standing where I thought he wanted me to stand and then he told them not to send anymore of my prescriptions to his pharmacy and HUNG UP on my doctor. I'll admit I ended up getting a little worked up after he was yelling at me to leave his sight but all I said was that "this is bullshit" that I was being treated like a criminal for trying to fill a very common med. I definitely was NOT cursing him out. Though when I was walking out of the store, I did say to myself out loud, "what an asshole".
I have spoken with the manager, Damian, and he is going to have the store director, Dave Wilson, call me in the next day or two. Damian was very professional and apologized profusely. I'm going to suggest that Mr. Wilson pulls the security tape footage to see what went down.
The thing is, maybe this pharmacist was just having a bad day. I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt when they're acting immature and/or angry but his actions and aggressive and demeaning words were *not* warranted in any way. When I'm having a bad day, I never take it out on my patients, EVER. Full stop. I hope Eddie is having a better day now that I'm not making him "uncomfortable" by standing and waiting for my doctor to call him. I truly hope things get better for him overall but I will never go back to this pharmacy or shop at this Safeway again. My wife and I used to do quite a bit of our grocery shopping there but we have decided that ends now.
*Edit: I was previously prescribed a 30 day supply of the med in question (which was well over a month ago, as I've been out for quite some time) and this one was a 90 day supply. I can only assume Eddie didn't look close enough at these facts and assumed I was somehow refilling it too soon. But I really don't know his side, as he wouldn't share any information w/ me. read more
