Do pharmacies have the worst drive thru customer service (non-food)?

Wait like a good junkie for your opioids!

I always hit the button as soon as I pull up. Isn’t there a sign that says “push for service”? I thought that’s how it’s done

I don't think I've ever had a problem at a drove through pharmacy. Average length of transaction is probably 90 seconds. You're probably just impatient or looking for something to bitch about.

cvs

I’m married to a pharmacist. They hate the drive thru. They don’t have the staff to man them at the big chains. Yet corporate makes them have not just one but 2 lanes open.

Bottom line, yeah the service probably sucks, simply because they don’t have support to fill scripts, man the register inside and 2 drive thru lanes. Usually just 3 ppl doing all of those.

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I’m married to a pharmacist. They hate the drive thru. They don’t have the staff to man them at the big chains. Yet corporate makes them have not just one but 2 lanes open.

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The small guys can do it just fine. Destrehan Pharmacy and Dry's In Zachary. The wait is rarely more than 2 minutes.


But... They have more staff and fewer customers b/c they aren't money grubbing cocksuckers like the chains are.

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Can anyone think of another drive thru service (outside of food) that is worse?

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I work at a pharmacy with a drive thru. The ignorance of the OP is hilarious. You actually think pharmacies staff people to just wait at the window for cars to pull up???

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pull behind someone already there, it seems like days before its your turn. WTF are these people doing or getting that takes so long? You either drop off or pick up, right?

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Again, I wouldn't expect most to know this but don't just assume.... that isn't the only thing going on. New patients that bring RXs have never filled there, so we need all of their information (address, med allergies, insurance info, etc.). You don't just put medication in a bottle in bag it up. I personally like to make sure the drug is in stock before we start the process so we're not wasting their time. I also try to make sure they know the price before hand, bc there's nothing worse than people being pissed at you for a high co-pay when it's not your fault to begin with lol.

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I sit there for what seems like an eternity before I feel the need to hit the button. At that point, its usually a fairly quick transaction paying and receiving script but if you have a damn drive thru window, is it too hard to have someone monitor it for customers actually using it?

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Most Drive thru windows have an automated sensor for when customers pull up. We know you're there, but once again, you cant just staff a person to watch a window. It may not look like it, but there are tons of things going on than just filling RXs like Answering phone calls, trying to get refills for patients, getting ahold of DR offices to correct RX mistakes, etc.

Hope this answered your burning questions. Be more patient next time. You're the type of customer that everyone hates.

I'd also prefer patients to come in and handle problems with their RXs too bc it's easier, but people are too damn lazy to come inside.

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I have never been through the drive thru at a pharmacy so I would have no idea.

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Some can absolutely blow. Walgreens on Essen for example. They are understaffed and incredibly busy. They have permanently shut down the 2nd lane. You can still sit at that window for 3.5 minutes(I've timed it) without being acknowledged after the initial "be with you in a minute". But they have a little mirror thingy I can see them back in there working and shite. It's not like they're playing Words With Friends on their phones.


CVS at Perkins Rowe is busy as frick but they acknowledge you and shite.

Maybe you could just like press the button when you pull up?

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I’m married to a pharmacist. They hate the drive thru. They don’t have the staff to man them at the big chains. Yet corporate makes them have not just one but 2 lanes open.

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This.

Also married to a pharmacist. The big twins are wildly understaffed - beyond the point where it’s dangerous for the public - and can’t possibly keep up.

They hate the drive through.

Compounding the staffing issue is that the big twins make insane profits on flu shots this time of year. And guess who is the ONLY person who can give flu shots? The already overworked lone pharmacist on duty.

The big bottleneck is the fact that they legally have to do a “consultation” on every prescription pickup. And the big twins only staff one pharmacist per shift anymore, so no matter how many technicians they have on shift, the limiting factor is the legal requirement for the pharmacist to constantly go around offering consults on every pickup.