OT: What do you think about Walmart...pharmacy?

[Gillian]

Anyone here use Walmart pharmacy? What do you think of it? How are the employees?

Thanks!

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

DH is a pharmacist, so heres what I can tell you:

Pharmacists in chain pharmacies get paid more than pharmacists in family owned stores.
Techs in a chain pharmacy get paid less than in a family owned store.

I think Walmart is the one with the $4 perscription, isn't it? I don't think its for all meds, but probally for a lot. The reason they can sell them so much cheaper than any other pharmacy could be one of two reasons
#1 They are buying in bulk and just get a deeper discount.
#2 They are buying pills that have sooner experation dates.

DH's pharmacy did the #2 reason on a few meds that they use for their jails.

Hope I helped!

 

[celiesky]

I filled a perscription there once for my daughter. They accidentally gave her the wrong medicine. Thankfully they called me before I gave her the medicine. Later I found out it could have killed her.
I'm sure this could happen anywhere, but I have a hard time going back there.
HTH

 

[Gillian]

I filled a perscription there once for my daughter. They accidentally gave her the wrong medicine. Thankfully they called me before I gave her the medicine. Later I found out it could have killed her.
I'm sure this could happen anywhere, but I have a hard time going back there.
HTH

That's terrible! I'm glad they realized the error.

I think Walmart is the one with the $4 perscription, isn't it? I don't think its for all meds, but probally for a lot. The reason they can sell them so much cheaper than any other pharmacy could be one of two reasons
#1 They are buying in bulk and just get a deeper discount.
#2 They are buying pills that have sooner experation dates.

DH's pharmacy did the #2 reason on a few meds that they use for their jails.

Hope I helped!

Thank you! I'm sure the $4 prescriptions are purchased in bulk with Walmart's buying power. Some of them may also be loss leaders. They lose money on the rx but get people into the store where they then buy other things. I hear now they have $9 birth control, and they most likely lose money on that.

Where does your DH work?

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I filled a perscription there once for my daughter. They accidentally gave her the wrong medicine. Thankfully they called me before I gave her the medicine. Later I found out it could have killed her.
I'm sure this could happen anywhere, but I have a hard time going back there.
HTH

OMG - I can't believe you didn't take further action with that! Thank goodness your little one didn't take any though. That is one reason you should always have the pharmacist look at the actual pills before you take them out of the store.


Gillian - My DH works in a pharmaceutical packaging plant that does half-way houses, nursing homes, rehabs and stuff like that. DH is incharge of all the jails. He thankfully has only had to go into one of the jails to meet with the people!

 

[tchrrx]

I use them just b/c the pharmacist at ours is HOT!


OK....actually, my DH is a Wal-Mart pharmacist. So, I won't chime in too much on this thread b/c I"m obviously partial to them.

 

[here757]

i prefer target... friendlier folks

 

[Gillian]

I use them just b/c the pharmacist at ours is HOT!


OK....actually, my DH is a Wal-Mart pharmacist. So, I won't chime in too much on this thread b/c I"m obviously partial to them.

Is he pretty happy with them?

Is it becoming clear that I'm looking for a pharmacist job? The stores we have around here are CVS, CVS, CVS, and CVS! But I don't want to work for them. I don't feel qualified for hospital work so I'm looking at different places - grocery stores, Wal Mart, etc. Target didn't seem interested in me.

We don't have super walmarts with grocery stores, and our pharmacy never seems that busy, but the job I'm looking at is in another town & I have no idea what it's like there.

I still want to hear what people think, either as customers or the spouses of employees!

 

[december]

My step sister in law is a Walmart pharmacist-she seems to like it and just built a HUGE house! Her dh is full time guard, so I can tell you the money didn't come from him......

 

[Gillian]

My step sister in law is a Walmart pharmacist-she seems to like it and just built a HUGE house! Her dh is full time guard, so I can tell you the money didn't come from him......

Thanks! I'm not sure where your SIL lives, but (sadly) around here a pharmacist's salary is nice but still not enough for a big house. We are looking at moving in a few years.

 

[Gillian]

Does anyone else use their pharmacy regularly as a customer? Any comments about the level of service?

 

[NotUrsula]

I buy pseudoephedrine products from them all the time, and they do fine with that; the clerks are pretty well-trained. I don't normally use them for scrips, though, for 2 reasons:

1) They are not very close to the house or my office, so they are inconvenient for me to easily pick up scrips from at the last minute. I prefer my nearby supermarket's pharmacy for that reason (and my particular store has a GREAT pharmacist. Nicest, most professional guy I've ever encountered, and he *really* goes the extra mile for customers. Randy, here's to you!)

2) WalMart's pharmacies IME are super-busy nearly all the time working on scrips. I've had one-time scrips I've tried to drop off while in the store and been told nearly every time that the wait is at least 3 hours. I've never had a WalMart pharmacist be able to fill my scrip within 15 minutes or so, which my supermarket routinely can do (they have an in-person priority rule).

I want to note that I have had great service from the Sam's Club pharmacists; they don't seem quite so swamped. I do use them for one-time scrips fairly often, and have always been pleased with the service. Their hours seem a bit short, though; my only complaint.

 

[Gillian]

I buy pseudoephedrine products from them all the time, and they do fine with that; the clerks are pretty well-trained. I don't normally use them for scrips, though, for 2 reasons:

1) They are not very close to the house or my office, so they are inconvenient for me to easily pick up scrips from at the last minute. I prefer my nearby supermarket's pharmacy for that reason (and my particular store has a GREAT pharmacist. Nicest, most professional guy I've ever encountered, and he *really* goes the extra mile for customers. Randy, here's to you!)

2) WalMart's pharmacies IME are super-busy nearly all the time working on scrips. I've had one-time scrips I've tried to drop off while in the store and been told nearly every time that the wait is at least 3 hours. I've never had a WalMart pharmacist be able to fill my scrip within 15 minutes or so, which my supermarket routinely can do (they have an in-person priority rule).

I want to note that I have had great service from the Sam's Club pharmacists; they don't seem quite so swamped. I do use them for one-time scrips fairly often, and have always been pleased with the service. Their hours seem a bit short, though; my only complaint.

That is helpful. From what I understand, they are trying to make some changes to shorten wait times. Supermarkets generally do have lower volume so they're able to help you faster.

Sam's Club seems to be a pharmacist's dream job because the hours are so short!

 

[Mom 2 Two]

I am a Wal-mart pharmacist and have been for nearly 7 years. I work part-time, only 1-2 days a week. I have worked in 3 different stores, so I can tell you that service does make a difference from store to store. If there is a staffing or more importantly, a managerial issue, then that store usually has a reputation. Are you a pharmacist? If you are, I assume you have a pretty good networking relationship with other pharmacists. I would ask around casually. I guarantee if it has any problems, you will find out!

I love working for Wal-mart. They have been very good to me, especially letting me work part time after I had my kids. My district manager is wonderful. However, I can tell you that my experience might be different if I didn't have such a great boss.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to PM me.
Karla

 

[TriMom]

This is just for MY Wal-Mart - your miles may vary.

I refuse to use my Wal-Mart pharmacy ever again. The staff is rude. It always takes over an hour to get a script filled. I have had the wrong family member's name on a script. I have even been given a script for some other person entirely. After these 2 errors that I had to catch, I decided that the $4 generics were not worth it. I didn't even get an appology from them.

I now will only use a locally owned pharmacy with good hours, and impecable customer service. (They also make the best milkshakes I have ever had)

 

[chzypoof2]

Our Family has been using Wal Mart Pharmacy for years...We love it there...The people know us and every one is very nice...The only downside sometimes is the wait for the perscription...I have to have a certain medication every month so i just order mine a few days ahead of time, that way i don't have to worry about not getting in time..

 

[Talking Hands]

I filled a perscription there once for my daughter. They accidentally gave her the wrong medicine. Thankfully they called me before I gave her the medicine. Later I found out it could have killed her.
I'm sure this could happen anywhere, but I have a hard time going back there.
HTH

I have seen this happen at Eckerd's and Walgreen's as wel. The case of Eckerd's it was not caught until my coworkers husband came close to dying.

Our Family has been using Wal Mart Pharmacy for years...We love it there...The people know us and every one is very nice...The only downside sometimes is the wait for the perscription...I have to have a certain medication every month so i just order mine a few days ahead of time, that way i don't have to worry about not getting in time..

Same here. As a person without medical insurance I find the pharmacists are will to work with me to find the cheapest way to get my scripts. I order refills a few days before and don't have a problem with getting them. To the person who complained about an hour wait. That seems the norm with chair pharmacies around here.

 

[december]

Thanks! I'm not sure where your SIL lives, but (sadly) around here a pharmacist's salary is nice but still not enough for a big house. We are looking at moving in a few years.

Central MS. They make alot more than most of the rest of us-especially public school teachers.

I've never had to wait long on a prescription either. If it is a new prescription, I just drop it off and do my shopping. For a refill-call the automated number and put in your prescription number, and it should be waiting for you the next day!

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

I did use them for awhile but seeing as how I have to go in to drop off and pick up I would end up staying and spending more money so use walgreens especially since they finally put one in my small town and it has the drive through plus I like the fact that no matter where I go any walgreens can pull up my scripts. This definitely made things extra easy for me when I was living between here and houston for medical care. If walmart could just do have the info available at all stores I would probably use them more.

 

[tchrrx]

I did use them for awhile but seeing as how I have to go in to drop off and pick up I would end up staying and spending more money so use walgreens especially since they finally put one in my small town and it has the drive through plus I like the fact that no matter where I go any walgreens can pull up my scripts. This definitely made things extra easy for me when I was living between here and houston for medical care. If walmart could just do have the info available at all stores I would probably use them more.

All Wal-Marts (except in NJ) should be able to access your scripts on their computers.