Hello, To who this may concern. CVS on 2007 Brookpark Rd. in Cleveland, Ohio, 44109 is a 24 hour Drug store and Pharmacy. I have gotten my prescriptions there and at other CVS's for years. My problem is if this certain store is going to be open for a 24 hour Pharmacy, I believe, along with many others, that the Pharmacists should, with no hesitation, give patients with prescriptions and a history of going to this CVS for prescriptions for a long time and with the same prescription (not like a new one that just came up) but for this prescription that I have been given for at least 1 and 1/2 years. I am 57 years old I am not a spring chicken trying to sell anything or give anything away or what ever her thoughts are. I have a very horrible painfull condition and need my medication when I wake up in the mourning. When my scrip says 4/22/2009 I can get it filled I go at 12:00 am or 1:00am at 4/22/2009 in the early mourn. and try to get it filled. After work before I go home or my husband can pick it up before he comes home. But this Pharmacist at 2007 Brookpark Rd. Cleveland, Ohio, 44109 named I believe (Ellie Green ) will not fill my prescriptions for oxycotin. You should close that CVS Pharmacy down to just 8-12 hours a day for there dispensing, if they are not going to be true to 24 hour Pharmacy. Or if she is losing CVS customer like myself everyone wants to go at there time to get their scrips she should not make anyone wait and come back when she wants them to. Sometimes I am out and need my medication right when I wake up, and I cannot drive 5 miles back to the store where I was 8 hrs ago that is not good business. I hope you think about this and talk to that female Pharmacist so CVS does not lose any more customers. She has done this several months to me. Your other CVS stores do not do that but I do not want to drive 20 miles away when there is a 24 hour CVS closer to my house. Thank you for your time, Marsha Moore 216 328 7755 [email protected] 7342 Brecksville Rd

The first thing I want to say is I have read several of your complaints, not just about cvs but about walgreens and walmart pharmacies as well, and yes several of the stories are...horrifying. In fact, I, in most cases I thank my lucky stars not to be working with coworkers who are as rude as some of the pharmacists/techs you are describing. Some of you have had genuinely bad experiences.

But please, please keep in mind there is another side to the story. The person behind the counter is a human being too. I'm not saying you always have to be sugar sweet. You ARE the customer, and I agree, you DO come first, and my personal opinion is whatever pharmacy you are using, whether it be cvs, walgreens, walmart, whatever, has every obligation to do the very best they can to help you. If there is something wrong, please let them know. But, if the person behind the counter is going to calmly listen to your complaint and try to do something about it, please explain yourself as calmly as possible. (If they're rude to you, then I say have at 'em, or simply leave, because I agree, rude and impatient employees do not belong in a pharmacy). The person helping you is much more likely to do everything in their power to serve you, and follow through, as long as you don't get short or sarcastic, or personally insult them, or spit in their face (this has happened to me). This may seem like behavior 101, but as a pharmacy tech I know: there are days when we become punching bags.

I come home most days thinking I am masochistic, because I love my job, but I take a lot of abuse. And there is a simple explanation for this. I believe that my area of customer service is one of the toughest. If I worked in a restaurant, or at a movie rental store, or a grocery, the one advantage to being in any of those environments is that the customers who come in CHOOSE to be there and shop, spend their time and money, etc. Nobody wants to shovel out money for pills. Nobody wants to be sick. Let's face it, nobody relishes a trip to the pharmacy. It is something the doctor told them they have to do, and many times they have to do it because they are ill, get a bad diagnosis, whatever. When it comes right down to it, most of my customers hate the prospect of dealing with me before they've even met me. I'm another headache, a time waster and money drainer that they did not CHOOSE to deal with. I'm down one from the get go.

But this is why a high level of patience is required. I've been told I have this, but I don't know. Anyway, one thing I sympathize with about most of the complaints is lack of communication. If I see a problem with somebody's prescription, pa required, high price, no insurance applied, new insurance needed, etc, I call the number we have on their file. The customer NEEDS AND HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW what is going on. Communication is vital. Please help us; if you change phone numbers, let us know. I know it's not the first thing that comes to mind when you move, giving the pharmacy your phone number. But people get so angry with me when one of these situations arises and I didn't call them; my honest answer is I tried, but your current phone number is not on file with us. Oh yeah, that's right, you moved two weeks ago. But I should have found some other way. I am still called stupid, and the thing is I am not allowed to talk back. I cannot talk back to a customer, I personally believe this, customers do not deserve rudeness, no matter how rude they are to me. I sit and listen quietly and tell them that now that we are in this situation, here are our options. I will do whichever of these you like, just let me know. And it is so disheartening to me to hear the phrase, "Go blow your brains out, you incompetent bumbling fool, " worked subtly in to the response I get back. I got in to this profession out of a desire to help people, and they all hate me despite my efforts. I consider suicide on a regular basis, by the way.

Additionally, I know some of the things that happen are extremely frustrating. But I will say this: 90% of the time the employee you are talking to is not the one who dropped the ball and caused whatever error it may be. I can't tell you how many times I've been yelled at, cursed at, told very literally to go **** myself for something that happened when this is in fact the first time I've become aware of the situation. I apologize profusely to the person, I tell them I agree, this is inexcusable, I am going to make this right for you while you are standing here, I promise. But despite apologies, and despite the fact that I do resolve the problem while they are there, I am the one that has to take all the flack for somebody else's irresponsibility, I'm told that I should be fired, that I am overpaid (at $9.00/hr), that MY pharmacy always screws up (I am the farthest thing from the top of the totem pole by the way, I have no authority at all). I guess what I'm trying to say is, when something does go wrong with your rx, do not hesitate to say something to the pharmacy staff. But don't unleash unbridled and uncensored tongue lashings on the tech you bring the issue to (unless, of course, they are rude to you first- again I do not tolerate rudeness from fellow techs). Please. Please. Please. Because you are a human being, but so is the tech.

To wrap up, I guess (not that anybody will read this whole thing, I've just had a bad day and am feeling down on myself), there are terrible employees in pharmacies. I know. I've seen them. Some of my past coworkers have been awful at dealing with people. But some of us do want to help. I want to help. You will hate me, but you deserve service. I genuinely want to try to make your life easier, answer your questions, and get to know you as a customer. I swear if there is something I tell you I cannot do, it is because I will lose my job for it (write a fake prescription, fill a control early, give away free meds, don't laugh people ask me to do these things), not because I want to impose hardship. I come home every day basically depressed, borderline suicidal. I try and try and try, nobody thanks me when things go right, but they drill me for things that inconvenience them as if I personally stayed up all night trying to plan the best way to sabotage the prescription. I feel sometimes like I've got a bullseye on my forehead that says "Here's a pushover, get him." But I just have to accept the fact that maybe I did help somebody, even if they didn't thank me or even realize it themselves yet. And I have to wear a thick skin, and take it.

There are two sides to the counter. Your side. And my side.

The pharmists at CVS are rude, and I am on medicare and they can never get the prices right on my meds. I ask for them to fax my doctor for a prescription, and they get the prescription back from my doctor, and put it in a folder, and tell me he hasn't faxed it back. I call my doctor and he says he has faxed it twice already. The prescriptions that are called in, they won't check the phone to fill them. It takes 3 days to get my meds right. this is stress on me, and wear and tear. Something needs to be done. The week end crew are so lazy, and the main pharmacy person is a man and he is the worst of all. We have only one tech who can take care of things, her name is Michell. Can you help me?

i was told by a staff member name ashley that the rxs i dropped off would be ready for me to pick up between 8:30 and 9:30 pm on 1/23/09. when returning at 9:30 pm. i picked up my meds at 10:00 at the drive through service. After my waiting staff member ( alley), or ( ashley ) employee number 548002. was not helpful to me at all!!! after handing me my meds, she shut the window, after conversating with a front end member, locked the window and did not give me a chance to ask any questions on any of the six rx's recieved!!! these meds were for infants and her lack of helpfullness to me really ticked me off! i would like to hear from someone asap on this matter, or willbe contacting again soon, and or returning to the store for another complaint!

Monday, 11/20/08 I picked up my refill for Zolpidem Tartrate, 10 MG Tabtev (Generic brand for Ambien). When I checked the container later in the evening I found, not the small white pill I usually get but a larger purple pill with MZ2 stamped on it. The pill I usually get is a round shaped white tablet imprinted with 93 on the front and 74 on the back. The label on the refill was identical to the other container. Same description, same brand, and MG. It was too late to call the pharmacy that night so I called CVS Tues morning around 9:00 AM and spoke to the Pharmacy supervisor, Ms Teresita. I explained that I was given the wrong medication and she informed me that the medication was correct but that they had run out of the brand I usually get and gave me a new brand, same potency but larger and a different color. She asked me at the time of pickup was I informed of the change and was there a green label attached to the refill. Neither had happened. She apologized to me for the mistake????? and assured me that I do have the right medication.
I informed her that I was still reporting this error and my confidence in CVS was badly shaken. I did learn a valuable lesson. Don't trust the pharmacist who fills your prescription, check to see if all is correct even if the label information is identical to the old container. I hope that whoever filled my prescription is severly reprimanded for their error because this incident could have been alot worse if they had given me the wrong medication. Wrong information is just as serious as wrong medication.
CVS, you have lost my trust and possibly my business for I have 5 precriptions filled at the Glenoaks branch. Your staff leaves alot to be desired.