First off - NOT A 24 HOUR PHARMACY!
FALSE ADVERTISING * FALSE ADVERTISING
Due to complete insensitivity and incompetence, my prescription was not filled in a timely manner and I am filling this out in a hospital E.R. bed, after a completely avoidable ambulance ride.
I brought in my prescription early this morning; after trying to bring it in at 9:45 last night, only to find that all the advertising (signs and internet) are WRONG). It is the FIRST time I've taken it to Walgreen's because my wonderful pharmacy of several years closed (Super Rx)... anyway, I got an innocent text within 10 minutes saying there was a delay... by around noon I was feeling bad; I called and was placed on "hold" for 8 minutes, then disconnected. I called again, and after another lengthy 7 minute hold, I was told that they had to call my insurance company about a "provider issue." Okay... The girl, Christy, said she would call them and then call me back. Okay... I waited.
I got frustrated and needed a rest. By approximately 3pm I was feeling really bad and called again. With a mere "hold" time of 6 minute, I was told they were waiting for a call back from my doctors office that has a 48 to 72 hour time-frame call-return policy for pharmacies! The point is, Walgreen's NEVER called me to tell me this! With extreme pain beginning and medicinal withdrawal symptoms starting, I called the doctors office, got through immediately and they called the pharmacy
once I explained what was going on. I called Walgreens only to find out, "the pharmacist is on another call...". I'VE NEVER RECEIVED A RETURNED TELEPHONE CALL, AS PROMISED BY ANYONE, FROM WALGREENS. Now, feeling very badly, severe pain and tears... I called my doctor back and spoke to him directly. My pain was extreme and beginning to be disabling, he assured me that Walgreen's had been called hours earlier but that if the meds had not been taken since the day before, and as it was going on 5pm, he advised me to get safe and call an ambulance to get to an E.R., as it was unsafe for me to go without my medication all day, especially after the procedure I had the day before!
The pain got out of control and I am now on I.V.'s, strong pain meds and missing my class... my life disrupted and it was completely avoidable, no one would listen to me or take me seriously at Walgreens today...
This is all because a person who chose to work as a well-paid professional, licensed by the state of California to provide the service of dispensing medication according to the licensure of a medical doctor, didn't care enough to make a timely telephone call to me, the patient - the one person who they are both supposed to be serving.
What has happened to the medical system?
How much extra can I pay you for the extra service
of, "CARE?"
I've reported all this to my insurance company, as they will be the one's that will pay tens of thousands of dollars for this completely ridiculous ambulance trip and hospital stay that occurred so senselessly.
To anyone who actually reads this to the end... be your own health advocate. Obviously, there is no "kindly pharmacist" on the corner anymore who cares how you feel, or even a doctor who doesn't listen to your insurance company before your heart;
take your health seriously and don't be afraid to be the "squeaky wheel;" I'm in the ER with IV's and Oxygen tubes! Be well! read more