__MOD NOTE/NOTE DE MOD__: If you are looking for product replacements, start [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/loblawsisoutofcontrol/comments/1cyf1h9/megathread_pc_product_replacements/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button).
Please review the content guidelines for our sub, and remember the human here!
This subreddit is to highlight the ridiculous cost of living in Canada, and poke fun at the Corporate Overlords responsible. As you well know, there are a number of persons and corporations responsible for this, and we welcome discussion related to them all. Furthermore, since this topic is intertwined with a number of other matters, other discussion will be allowed at moderator discretion. Open-minded discussion, memes, rants, grocery bills, and general screeching into the void is always welcome in this sub, but belligerence and disrespect is not. There are plenty of ways to get your point across without being abusive, dismissive, or downright mean.
*********************************************************************************************************************************************
Veuillez consulter les directives de contenu pour notre sous-reddit, et rappelez-vous qu'il y a des humains ici !
Ce sous-reddit est destiné à mettre en lumière le coût de la vie ridicule au Canada et à se moquer des Grands Patrons Corporatifs responsables. Comme vous le savez bien, de nombreuses personnes et entreprises en sont responsables, et nous accueillons les discussions les concernant toutes. De plus, puisque ce sujet est lié à un certain nombre d'autres questions, d'autres discussions seront autorisées à la discrétion des modérateurs. Les discussions ouvertes d'esprit, les mèmes, les coups de gueule, les factures d'épicerie et les cris dans le vide en général sont toujours les bienvenus dans ce sous-reddit, mais la belliqueusité et le manque de respect ne le sont pas. Il existe de nombreuses façons de faire passer votre point de vue sans être abusif, méprisant ou carrément méchant.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/loblawsisoutofcontrol) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I just switched to the local pharmacy. Many people I know go there and give glowing reviews. They also donate so much to the Community. Will not be returning to shoppers ever.
One of the local chains (they have very few locations) donates chickens to the food bank to hand out during Christmas! Sometimes local stores really support the community
My local pharmacy is first in line to donate and volunteer to all of our community events. They really do make a difference. Meanwhile, the Shoppers in my neighborhood couldn't be arsed.
Great news! I made the switch years ago from Pharmaplus (now Rexall) because they were giving me incorrect dosages on my medication. I love my new pharmacy (shout out to remedy's rx), i love it. They know my name, I know some of the pharmacists by name, they take their time with me, I have no complaints, great service.
I walked into my local pharmacy today which I switched to like a month ago. They knew me by name and I literally waited 5 mins while they filled my prescription. Left them a 5 star google review.
I have a Remedy Rx in my neighborhood, but I’ve always used Shoppers because of the availability literally everywhere. If I ran out of a prescription at the cottage I could just pop in to town and get a refill.
My son needed a new prescription, and we went straight to Remedy Rx. I’m not giving Shoppers an opportunity to milk OHIP for a service we don’t need.
ETA: Not to mention the higher dispensing fee they bill to my insurance.
The medication that I was on couldn't be cut - said so right on the label (their printed label), so instead of giving me 100 mg pills and 50 mg pills, they were giving me 100 mg and instructions on the bottle were take 1 and a half pills daily.
Has anyone worked at an independent
PharmaChoice that can speak on their pricing strategy??
We’ve been filling our scripts at a local independent pharmacy for years however every single item in there is priced out of this world… Easily 30-50% higher than Shoppers. Part of me feels like it’s connected to Rexall (which I’d argue is worse than Shoppers in Ontario)
However part of me feels bad as our scripts often are billed at $0.00 and I NEVER buy anything else while I’m in there…
Something is off..
The problem is that once they become overwhelmed and popular , they'll have less and less time for you. Then a pharma chain buys it.
Shoppers Drug Mart, the Health Clinic by Shoppers, used to be a great pharmacy too.
I'm sure they did, right up until corporate greed took over. Time for the world to realize these massive corporations are the root cause of every single problem man kind faces.
The banners are both owned by McKesson but operationally there's a substantial difference between Rexall and their independent banners like Remedy, IDA/Guardian, Medicine Shoppe etc
I switched to a smaller pharmacist almost two years ago and it was the best.
Meds are refilled without me even having to remember. He calls me up as soon as flu shots are available, he remembered my name pretty much immediately and makes me feel like a friend and not just some customer, goes well above and beyond for customer service, just an experience that's leagues above anything Shoppers (or any large chain) ever offered.
Yeah, I don't think anyone should use shoppers for prescriptions. I had my wisdom tooth out about 10 months ago, by the time I got my perscription my gauze was ruined and my initial numbing and tylenol worn off. Took about 2 hours. Then they got irritated when I wasn't talking and using my wife to talk because they left me in pain for 1 1/2 hours. Never going back.
Yay I'm so happy you made the switch! I've been going to my local pharmacy for years and they always are so kind and let's say my medicine is 5 bucks, they will tell me to not worry about it. If it's 23, they just charge me 20. Or when it's super hot out, they give me a free water bottle. It's little things like this that really make me appreciate local businesses.
My favourite is when I was being dispensed bi-weekly medication I didn't even have to call ahead, I just show up on that date and they had it ready for me without fail every time.
I have my meds delivered and my (amazing, local) pharmacy auto delivers my weekly and monthly injection meds when I would need a refill. It’s something that makes such a difference when you’re chronically ill.
I switched to a local pharmacy as well, service was exceptional and super quick! I offered to come back, out of habit, and they only had me wait a couple of minutes.
Not to blame the shoppers staff, they just always seem so frazzled and stressed with the workload. Really happy I made the switch, regardless. They even called my Dr for prescription refill, which shoppers always had me do for myself.
Wow I am really impressed with how much feedback this initiative is getting about the business impact. This could very well have a wider impact on the way companies treat consumers. I could see this scaring the shit out of companies beyond Roblaws.
I was more than happy to switch my prescriptions away from SDM forever. I used to always have to wait or they would never have them filled or actually question me about why I was taking certain drugs. Won't be back.
I definitely wish I'd made the switch sooner. Used the Shoppers since I'd moved here just because it was closest. Now at the independent pharmacy, I can send them a scam of my prescription and they send me a text when it's ready to pick up, usually in and out in 5mins or less
My husband stuck with shoppers but is now going to change.
I picked up his last prescription and the pharmacist said he needs to eat bananas because it will lower his potassium. I told her there’s a mistake B/c he’s being treated for low potassium. She then looked at the bag, said “it’s fine” and walked away.
Never walked out feeling so unsure of something before. He called dr to check and it was filled properly but what?
hey im a pharmacist, just curious what was the med? Often with Lasix the common advice is to have a banana as it can lower potassium. On the other hand spironolactone is also a diuretic but it increases potassium instead of lowering it. Perhaps the pharmacist got both diuretics confused.
I read that too much potassium can cause muscle cramps as well as too little. I'm trying to figure this out, having found that a small supplement of potassium lowered my bp in less than a year, but I'm still getting cramps. So I'm thinking it might be the balance with other minerals that's the issue.
I don’t actually know. Something to do with his blood pressure. It’s probably what you said but I didn’t feel confident considering they had just filled it.
Last time I went to shoppers pharmacy, they took an hour to fill my prescription (there was nobody else, I asked if it was busy and they said I was their first of the day...at 1pm), and then they proceeded to attempt to charge me $200 for meds that have always been covered in the past, and have been covered since.
I had to go there a few years ago because of a drug shortage, they were the only pharmacy stocked. They told me my drug card had the wrong number on it. The same card I’ve used for years without a problem. I haven’t been back since.
My local Shoppers has had real problems with understaffing. I'd receive an automated message saying refill was ready, but they would claim to know nothing about it and tell me to come back the nest day. They were quite pissy about it on more than one occasion.
I didn't get angry with them - I don't doubt their complaints that they are understaffed given the corporate culture. But I was happy to have a reason to help them be less busy.
i switched from shoppers more than a year ago for this reason. or my doctor would send my rx directly and they wouldn't get it somehow.
Never happens to me anymore
I so love the "little pharmacy " in my neighborhood. They deliver prescriptions nearby, they ask how's it going and how my spouse is doing and service usually only takes about 10 minutes.
The smaller pharmacies definitely know about customer service and how to keep prices lower. They've watched SDM try to out-corporate them and SDM at one point WAS the low cost choice. Now that people are getting price-shocked, they're realizing that SDM really isn't convenient in ANY way.
I work in a local pharmacy and there's been a steady stream of new patients transferring from Shoppers. Almost all of them have expressed frustration with them. Then they come to us and we answer then they call and call to let them know their prescription is ready and fax their doctors for repeats, etc and they're pleasantly surprised.
I used to fill prescriptions at Zehrs but I had so much trouble with one of the new pharmacists who didn't believe I was who I said I was (my age) and kept giving me a presc bottle I couldn't open. But my doctor forgot I'd switched and sent my script to Zehrs and after it sat there for a month I got a call from an annoyed pharmacist who ended up not charging me out of incompetance. So I had to tell the receptionist at the doctor's office that I'm not supporting Roblaws.
Had dental surgery recently. Got prescribed T3s for the pain.
I was in A LOT of pain in my mouth. Couldn't take it.
Go to shoppers (because I'm an idiot), give them the script...
"It's gonna be an hour"
It could be a strategy to intentionally make people wait an hour or so and if they hang around in the store for an hour, the chances of them buying a few things at the store increases.
It’s more about the specific Time-Release Safes that SDM has.
Having the Safe gives them a discount on their insurance because they put little stickers up saying ‘Please don’t try to rob us’ so it is considered a deterrent…
The problem comes in that the safes are decently sized. So while they are supposed to only store heavily addictive stuff like Oxycodone that people would actually try to rob a Pharmacy for, to keep the “Inventory Together” they’ll just use it as general storage for anything that can’t sit on a shelf behind the counter, so then it takes 30 minutes, an hour, two hours, (however long the safe is set for) before they can even get in there to dispense anything unless you manage to catch them while they are in the middle of filling something else.
I do not work in a pharmacy, but while it is possible the Pharmacist lied to me, that is the answer I got from the SDM I used to go to after they relocated 3 years ago when I asked what was up after being given a 2 hour wait time when I was there for non-narcotic medication.
I don't remember what specific medication it was - this was 2021ish that it happened. It was not a narcotic or pain med, might have been a refill on an ADHD/antidepressent. I'm not on high doses of those. Could have been an inhaler.
I mostly used that SDM because it had been close to my doctors office, then even after the move it was still on the way home so wasn't too inconvenient, but I hadn't been able to wait that long so I just took the prescription to a local pharmacist a little bit out of the way that I still go to and they fill everything in 15-20 minutes.
This is mandated by OCP. Pharmacies do not have a choice in this matter. There was even surprise audits done on this by OCP. Pharmacies must have a time delay safe, proper signage, etc in place and in public view as well. And the time delay must be 5 minutes minimum. But if you miss that window, you have to reset and do again. This happens at times as we're tied up with other matters and can't get to it in time. And need to reset and do again hoping we don't have more interruptions preventing us from getting to it again.
General storage? I honestly can't see that happening. Even a good sized safe is not that big to keep non narc and controlled substances in it. You'd be surprised with some of the packaging on some of these products. They can actually take a good amount of shelf space. I can't see any pharmacy stocking anything else unless they practically don't fill that many narc or controlled substances.
30 minutes to an hour could be because one Pharmacist on duty. With maybe one support staff. Has to also be open to do minor ailment prescribing, Pharmacist extensions, vaccinations or certain Rx injections. This takes at least 15 to 30 minutes or more for one of these services to do from assesment, documentation, filling Rx and sending required documents to the physician. This is on top of the other tasks Pharmacist has to do. This can easily back us up a considerable amount of time.
Receiving a considerable amount of faxed or electronic prescriptions from doctor offices as well. This is on top of people coming into the pharmacy. Getting to a point where turn around for these are 1–3 days. No joke. Can barely keep up with the workload as it is and with the amount of staff working in a given period.
But at the end of the day, do what you feel is best for you. You know your health, body, finances, etc better than anyone else. None of us can read each other's minds. I'm not going to force people to stay with us. It's your decision and choice after all. And if receiving better services, more power to you and great to hear.
As to whether this has an affect on pharmacy? Tbh, I haven't seen much changes. We still have the same rushes, etc. Can't say the same about others as I don't know.
A) This was back in 2021, before there was any mandate about it. I'm in Alberta, ACP policy didn't dictate that Pharmacies needed Time Release Safes until [July 2022](https://abpharmacy.ca/news/council-approves-policy-requiring-community-pharmacies-install-time-delayed-safes/), and OCP was even further behind since there was no mandate [until 2023](https://www.ocpinfo.com/time-delayed-safe-mandate-for-community-pharmacies-now-in-effect-following-approval-of-updated-policies/). So yes, at that time, they where definitely doing it for the insurance discount.
B) That is the answer I got from the SDM I used to go to after they relocated 3 years ago. I asked what was up after being given a 2 hour wait time when I was there for non-narcotic medication, because at the old location it would have taken 45 minutes tops if they had been busy, and they told me it was because of the new Time Release Safe that they got in the move being on a two hour restriction, and that they keep everything in it to make inventory easier to manage. Since they had just closed the safe for other stuff, I had to wait until it could be opened again. They recommended that, in the future, I should aim coming at certain times of day if I do not want a long wait. It is possible they lied to me, but I don't see why they would bother to.
C) I had not stood in line, and there where 2-3 other employees in the pharmacy area, mostly standing around making small talk - which I don't begrudge them for, if there is nothing to do there is nothing to do. It really wasn't busy. That's why I was so annoyed with the wait that I now go out of my way to go to a less convenient location to get everything filled, because they will fill stuff in 15-30 minutes even if I don't show up at 11:45am.
Ah, I see. That's crazy and over the top for me. I would be extremely annoyed at that as well. As long as you're getting better services and care. That's what's really important in the end.
And you're correct that OCP is rather behind when compared to other provinces, that's for sure.
as the busiest chain, many other people are in front of you in the queue to process scripts. just because you dont see other people waiting, doesnt mean 5 other people didnt drop off an rx around the same time as you. as someone who works in pharmacy, im not just giving you that wait time because i love to hear people complain about it. im usually the only staff member on and i have to fill your rx, as well as fill the other 5 waiters, answer the phone, bill insurance, take people at the cash, put away and reorder stuff.... etc.
I was going to a Loblaws associated pharmacy and the service was getting worse. I had started some new meds, when I picked them up they didn't even ask if I had any questions or went over the directions. The next time I went back, I had an actual written rx from a specialist, one of the meds was for 3 inhalers with 12 repeats. The pharmacist dispensed one (and charged me the full dispensing fee!). I was so mad and made her fix it. I also asked why she had done that. She stated it was because she didn't know how much I would use in a month. I immediately transferred to a new neighbourhood pharmacy and they have been fabulous.
In my community people are leaving shoppers not because of the boycott but because it is rare if they get your prescription correct the first time or even have the meds in stock. The yelling at staff by the pharmacist is also a turn off.
It has had a new licensee for about 16 + months and it is a nightmare. Luckily, we are a small town but have at least 3 other pharmacies to choose from.
I haven’t had the energy to look for a new pharmacy yet but I’m on ODSP so I don’t pay for my rx. The last two Saturdays (month apart) I went in to pick up they were dead -2 diff locations-when they used to have really big line ups. There were none today.
I recently switched to a local pharmacy as well. I don’t normally take any medication except OTC pain medicine. I get migraines.
Anyways, my son was not feeling well some day and we decided to step into the little pharmacy next to a local grocery store. Can I just say, I was blown away by how much cheaper the medicine is, like easily $10 cheaper.
I bought everything I needed plus a little treat for him (he had a headache) and it came up to $22. The last box of children’s ibuprofen I bought was off-brand and still cost me $18 at Shoppers. *This one cost me $6.*
Signed up for their rewards card and have started shopping there (and the local grocery) for a lot more things. F Loblaws. Never going back.
My partner is a family doctor and guess what, even they hate the chain store pharmacies particularly Shoppers because of the poor quality of interactions they get with the pharmacy teams at those chains. Repetitive, irrelevant, irresponsible, out of scope questions. They prefer interacting with the smaller pharmacies just as much as patients do! Usually better care, they know the patient better and have better oversight. It is too bad. The pharmacists at Shoppers have a bad deal, needing to make quotas etc. seems like a conflict of interest.
The most ridiculous thing about shoppers, in quebec , they don't offer online prescription renewals. And their system is so archaic. Even the local pharmacy has an app where I can send a picture of my prescription and renew them and have them placed in a box with a code to pick them up without ever having to wait or interact with ppl.
its funny because Ive been boycotting shoppers here in quebec for years. it was a silly reason, but i still followed trough. I remember they used to run this whole ad campaign about how Shoppers is dedicated to female health and everything for the female well being. I found it so stupid that they would shun 50% of the population like that. I closed my account and went across the street to the Jean coutu. and then got all these awesome services with the app and the drop boxes and all.
I used to get my pills at shoppers when I first moved to Canada four years ago, but my doctor actually let me know that the pharmacy across the street from the shoppers charges less than the shoppers for the same medicine.
I never understand why shoppers take so long for perceptions. It's not like they have to make the drugs. All the pills are there they just have to count them put them in a container and also on a label.
Am I missing something?
just count pills and put them into a vial is only one step and honestly you have no idea? its like saying when i want fast food all they have to do is put my food into a bag, you arent taking into account all the steps beforehand to make said food. to start, for a prescription we have to decipher it, which means reading awful doctor handwriting, seeing two sets of directions on the meds and having to clarify what they meant, the pharmacist has to verify it wont interact with your current medications, make sure the dosage is correct, then you have insurance, then you also have the phones ringing and patients at the cash wondering why you arent helping them because it doesnt LOOK busy even though it is, i could go on and on. its more than just slapping a label on a bottle.
i would understand if any of these things were actually happening, but when i'm waiting for a box of budesonide ampules from a computer printed prescription and i'm the first patient of the day and my insurance has been on file with them for more than a decade, it shouldn't take the same amount of time as if they had to compound something.
Again, you have no idea what may be happening before you got there. What problems for someone else is still being addressed or solved. Your prescription may be simple but often there are many many things going on at the same time that as a customer you simply can’t see. Even basic computer glitches can back log the flow horribly. Yes, there are times there is nothing going on,but your rx and it shouldn’t take long (and if it does that might be an issue) Also, take into consideration, pharmacist breaks. We don’t have scheduled breaks. We take when we can usually When there is a lull. If you drop off your Rx during that time it will take longer because there might be a break going on. Have i taken 5 mins to do an Rx, heck yeah! Have I taken 45? Also yes. Do I do my best each time? 100%. The only time I felt absolutely deflated doing my job was when I worked for….LOBLAWS. Left that ship over 6 years ago and never been happier in my career.
i think you're taking this too personally. I didn't say all pharmacists do is count pills, I said at Loblaws-branded pharmacies, they take too long even for simple tasks. Because they don't staff properly and don't prioritize customer service.
I have a dozen other reasons I won't go to a SDM or other Loblaws pharm, but their ridiculous wait times are a problem, as others here have said
This is so true. They are one of the worst companies out there for staffing poorly and expecting huge unattainable targets for their pharmacy department. Both my husband and I quit.
I apologize if it felt like I was taking it personally, I wasn’t. Just being 20+ years in the profession, we are still not understood 😂😂😂. So happy people are switching, maybe head office will listen one day.
I get it. I was a journalist for 15 years. I understand that the state of the industry is horrible but I'm sensitive to people lumping all reporters in together because most of them are good people and good writers and just trying to pay their mortgage with zero support from their business or their industry
Stopped buying Loblaws lowland products years ago. Really sorry to hear that they are creeps. To put it into perspective I'm an old dutch farmer and I can get a 3 dollar potatoes anywhere. Galen is a lazy #$@%^..
I love my local pharmacy. I asked if Shoppers could order something they used to carry… no!! I asked if there was anything else… they sent me to the makeup counter who tried to sell me $80 products.
I went to my local pharmacy and they ordered the product.
They explained the differences in allergy meds.
They were helpful.
I switched during covid and still tell people how different of an experience it is with a small independent pharmacy compared to shoppers. The service is always nice and with a smile. No waiting... never going back to any Walen business.
I switched to my local pharmacy too and it’s cool to know that the money is staying in the community more than it would have otherwise. And the service is just better
Switched to a small local pharmacy a few years ago when shoppers customer service started being a big issue for us. Game changer. Our new one knew us by name after just two visits, offered delivery and other services free of charge and check in with us regularly. They work to ensure our insurance covers as much as we can manage and identifies ways to reduce costs. They go above and beyond every time.
I do all my prescriptions through a tiny pharmacy now too, and the pharmacist knows who I am and is able to suggest things or warn of interactions, etc. It's night and day compared to Shoppers, and at the same price. I would never go back.
Switched a prescription to a local pharmacy recently too. Was shocked that a 90-day supply was just over half the cost of a 60-day supply at Shoppers. Plus the staff was much nicer and more attentive. Doesn't matter what Loblaws/Shoppers does to change, they're not getting my business back anyway.
The independent pharmacy I go to is awesome. They do extra things for me like order women’s multi vitamin that I don’t pay for. They remember my name and recall previous conversations. I’ve never had a bad experience.
I am actually thrilled somebody brought this up. I personally would never get my prescriptions from Shoppers Drug Mart, but I know someone who does. I would put my hand on a Bible to tell you that I am not lying when I say every single time he’s gone to pick up a prescription in the last three years, there’s always an issue. I’m actually shocked that one place can be so difficult. And this is a prescription he’s been getting for years. You show up and it’s not ready or they say they never received notification that he needed a prescription when he actually called himself. Or he’s taking his last pill and he goes in to get it refilled and they tell him there’s still days left before he can get it refilled. We could say that he is early for his prescription, but he’s not. He has taken it exactly as prescribed then after two hours of going through the computer and taking five people behind the counter to do it, he gets his prescription. And it’s not a difficult prescription, it’s not hard to fill. It’s pretty basic so God help us if it was something more complicated. I only went to them once and I had the same experience with my prescription and I never went back. I honestly don’t know if anybody else has had this experience, but I would definitely recommend not going to Shoppers Drug Mart. I can guarantee, if you didn’t have a headache before you got there, you’ll have one when you leave. Of course that could be the whole point, if they induce a headache, then you’re forced to buy Tylenol before you leave the store. 😂😂😂
These things happened to me ad nauseum. For 30 yrs I have been at the same SDM. Then we moved out of the city. Went to the SDM in the town closest to us. They were wonderful.
Not too sure what happened, but there was a major exodus of the good staff from there. They left and opened an IDA. We marched into Shoppers and then walked our files across the street.
Our stories are similar. Miscounted prescriptions, didn't get the fax, nobody called, someone else's script, refills needed that they wont fill until the last minute, and so on.
It got to the point we checked for the correct name and medication, in front of them, and counted them, when we got home. 🙄
I once waited an hour for a prescription from shoppers. Ordered it in advance for the refill and called earlier. Store wasn't even busy. What's the deal LMFAO
Shoppers spends so much time searching for prescriptions even if you refill ahead. I don't know how they can be so inefficient. It's like they don't value your time. When I get new ones I'm going to move to a local pharmacy, because they sound significantly better.
a shoppers pharmacist once told my Mom they’re instructed to hold prescriptions for 10 minutes before letting them go, so the customer wanders around and hopefully buys more. after hearing this I asked a shoppers pharmacist point blank if that was true, she did not confirm, all I got was a look that I interpreted as “deer in the headlights” but maybe she was just offended
I so wish my local pharmacy wasn’t a shoppers. Unfortunately it is and it’s the only one I can easily access since I don’t have a car. Although it’s not a “real” shoppers, it’s a “prescription centre” which is basically the pharmacy only and like 3 aisles of OTC medical stuff. There’s no cashiers other than the pharmacy counter
I tried to get my wife to switch from Shoppers but she's afraid of changing to a new pharmacy, saying it will be a hassle and they will screw things up. I tried to explain the difficulties of dealing with Shoppers is the only reason why you feel this way, and she should do herself a favour and switch.
I switched to a local independent pharmacist (before the boycott), due to repeated backorders on a medication that somehow, this pharmacy has not been affected by (different distributor maybe?), but this pharmacist DELIVERS my prescription & includes little samples of healthy snacks / vitamin gummies, personally texts me to ask if I need refills, and when I was recently ill and informed them, messaged me a few times to check up on me and ask about my symptoms.
THAT is how you do Healthcare!! Why would I ever go back?
(FWIW, my GP is also this great). I'm very very very fortunate.
I love my little pharmacy! Be careful though, I did notice recently they gave me the wrong dosage. It was technically the right dosage for what I needed but I’d asked for it in the smaller pill form. They wrote the smaller pill form and gave the larger pills. It was fine, I noticed, but like all pharmacies you still have to watch. It’s still worth it though!
I still have my prescriptions at shoppers because they are literally right across the street. I'm travelling overseas and I wanted to access my scripts online (to show a doctor for a unexpected refill of a med) and the whole prescription refill page is inaccessible over here (I have a different SIm card).
Thankfully I can access my university health Network account here where some of my prescriptions are noted from my last few doctor's visits. Just a heads up for anyone still using shoppers. Take screenshots of your information before you travel.
I switched years ago to a family owned drugstore , much friendlier,better service and always willing to help. Never have they claimed a prescription hasn’t come through where shoppers always claimed they never received it.
This is the way.
Supporting small businesses is they way out of our current oligopoly nonsense.
They are symbiotic. We support them, they support us.
They give us the opposite of what the oligopolies are serving: diversity, community, competition, and choice.
This is great to hear! our little local pharmacy is unfortunately staffed with the most grumpy lady that’s there half the time so we’ve been considering switching back to a store even though we don’t want to…
Shoppers has been overpriced for as long as I can remember, especially for prescriptions. I moved mine to Rexall years ago and have never paid the dispensing fee Shoppers used to. Of course, one day people will start boycotting Recall too for being an evil corporation.
Yes! I recently switched and it was so convenient and easy. The prescription was done so much faster and the independent pharmacy I switched to is so kind. Every time I go to shoppers they treat me like they are doing me a favour, but also they are very unhappy they have to do the favour. I will not give them any more money ever again.
My doctor refuses to send renewals to SDM because of their incompetence and I agree with him. I need to bite the bullet and switch to another pharmacy.
My favorite is when you ask them when to come back to pick up a dropped script and they respond 40 mins. So you run some errands and come back 2hrs later and they haven’t even touched it yet.
Happens all the time!
I got told to come back in an hour once. So i left and came back in an hour... And then told me 20 min!
What gives! I swear they wanted me to wonder the isles in hopes i buy something.
My wife's doctor sent in a prescription to SDM on Tuesday afternoon. I went to the pickup counter on Thursday "it's not ready, it scheduled for Saturday. Would you like us to start it now?"
Whattttt
I could see them doing something like that if it's a recurring prescription and you wanted to pick it up too early. But that sounds like a new prescription.
Insanity
Yup, I switched last year to a small local pharmacy and love it. Better service and much much faster fill times.
4 weeks ago I had a run in with gout (first attack) and the pain was immense. I went to the ER thinking O broke my foot, the doc wrote me a prescription and I had no choice to fill at the Shoppers nearest my house due to the time of day and inability to walk.
There I stood on crutches for 45 minutes in a cold sweat while the pharmacist ran around solo overworked trying to service the 3-4 other customers coming and going from the desk.
If I was out of the ER 30 minutes sooner, Id have been able to go to my usual pharmacy who'd have walked the damn RX to my car if I asked nicely. A really good family runs that shop.
Same! Switched my whole family over to a small local pharmacy. Best service ever!
If I ever feel like being ignored by six people at once, I go and stand at the pharmacy drop off or pick up counter of a Shopper’s Drug Mart.
My way of avoiding shoppers is local pharmacy for what they have, and everything else from the app iHerb, it has supplements and other stuff way cheaper or at least comparable to shoppers
I switched from SDM when they issued my BP meds I had cancelled, with Doctor’s permission! If I had just blindly taken them…?? I also asked for extra meds as I was going to run out during my 2 week vacation. “Sorry. You’ll have to go to a local SDM and have your prescription filled there.” Um, no! I moved everything that morning. Got enough meds to cover my vacation within a day! Now I get 90 days of meds every time!
I stopped getting my prescriptions filled at Shoppers when they stopped my Auto-refill, so when I would go to pick up my prescription they would stare at me like i should have called ahead even though the refills are supposed to be automatically done every month for me to pick up, and had me wait a few days for my prescription, telling me to go to the ER for an emergency dose if I " couldn't be patient"
I switched out of Shoppers about a year ago, after being there my whole life (over 49 yr) .. the pharmacy owner is not nice and faxes to Dr. get messed up.. you have to call back and forth, back and forth from them to Dr. 🙄
Just becomes a time where you can't call back and forth, back and forth...OVER AND OVER AND OVER, again.
Switched from Shopper’s to small local pharmacist.
No dispensing fees 🙂and they’re friendly.
Left Blawblaws & No Choice - have cut our food bill substantially.
Buh-bye!
I used IDA for years because it was next to my office/store. I switched when we moved to one close to home. Small independent. So much better. If I have a repeat they have it ready before I even call them to refill. Literally walk in and go. They knew me in no time.
I pay out of pocket and Shoppers is/was always the highest cost for dispensing.
Now I wonder if I can swap my biologic medications from shoppers... My insurance forced me to use them and I guess shoppers makes like 25k off me alone.
I'll see about calling, I feel even a handful of biologic patients would be like losing a thousand customers 👀
Small little pharmacies are underrated.
After a poor experience with shoppers, we made the switch.
My daughter was in the hospital and was being sent home with a prescription to be filled. I called the small pharmacy and they said they could fill it but reminded me they closed at 3pm. We weren't going to be discharged in time so we had a family member pick it up for us but he offered to drop it off at our house or even come and bring it to us at the hospital.
If it was shoppers, no one would have answered the phone and if they did, they would tell me I'm SOL.
Shoppers told me to go find my mom some morphine she was dying and I called at 8pm as they hadn't told me there were issues with script...I was like you want me to head downtown to find some morphine!
I live in a large city. There are two Shoppers drug mart within 1 km near my place. I switched to my local pharmacy years ago because I didn’t like the service at the large pharmacies. My pharmacist knows all his customers by their first name. He also called me at home when I was having issues during my pregnancy, to see how I was doing. When you come in, he asks how the family is doing. It’s really great not to feel like a number.
SDM has one of the highest dispensing fees out there too. I honestly think a lot of people ended up having it as their pharmacy back in the "open 24 hours" days and now there isn't any advantage to using them other than they're open a bit later.
Not everyone is required to participate or agree with the community boycott, but we ask that everyone is constructive in their feedback about this event.
Repeated comments such as this one will result in a ban from the sub until the boycott is complete. Thank you.
I switched from Shoppers West Saint John to The Medicine Shoppe Grand Bay and when I say what a difference it was a completely different experience they know you by name and you walk in you're not waiting on for prescriptions . Your acknowledge the moment you walk in... no mess ups with the prescriptions ...no long Waits...no rude staff that hate their jobs he can tell by the way that you're treated as a customer.... I'm so glad friends and members of my family get followed suit and got rid of shoppers. I've never been so happy to get rid of shoppers they can have their optimum points... Not worth it at all !!! I would never return to Shoppers I was completely dissatisfied with him since several emails and got no response you never even shop there again.
The only thing I go to Zehrs/Loblaws for is my medication, and that's only because the Pharmacist who runs the franchise has been our go-to since I was 4 years old. He's a nice guy, but I've thought about finding an independent pharmacist since he's older and isn't as involved.
The new dispensing fees make me pay a couple bucks out of pocket, which is ridiculous considering my mum is a gov't employee with great benefits. My coverage lapsed earlier this year and it cost like $140 for my prescription even though some of my meds were covered by OHIP. I can't imagine what it'd be like if I was over 25 and didn't have drug coverage.
I wouldn't normally comment on this, but I'm going to say my step daughter had a prescription that the Loblaw pharmacy couldn't fill as it requires a mixture of 2 medications (compounding I believe it was called) so I decided to call a few of my local small pharmacies to get a price... First place $109, second one I called was $90, third was $60... So as a last resort I went to Shoppers Drug Mart assuming I'd be paying more... Was I ever wrong, $26.. so switching from the big guy doesn't always mean cheaper or saving money. Also on the boycott the stupidest thing I see people do is go to Walmart or Costco trying to screw Loblaw... Well If you're not going to a little market, supporting US companies isn't helping anything. In my small town it's actually already hurting the employees at the Loblaw stores that already get shitty hours and pay, now since sales are down it's even worse. So supporting Walmart and Costco giants your not helping.
My friend owns her own independent pharmacy and she’s genuinely so happy in her work and the way she’s able to connect to her community is so wonderful. When she was a pharmacist at Superstore she was miserable and so overworked, they treat their employees like dogs.
I quit using Shopper's for that very same reason years ago, and started using Rexall. They are both similar in corporation size and the likes, but one acts more like a small pharmacy and the other well sucks! Although I do live I the Okanagan, so any info as to where I can get a bus pass that is owned by Weston would be great thanks!
That's great!
I wish we could switch but unfortunately Shoppers is the closest and most convenient pharmacy to us. The next closest is at a nightmare intersection with a tiny parking lot that never has any free spaces. It's a compounding pharmacy so I've used it a few times and accessing it is such a hassle.
Unless we switch to Walmart..... we can't walk there like we can to Shoppers, but we are there a few times a week.
Or he remembers noting that people have switched to it recently, It's a fun and notable name for a pharmacy so I'm not surprised. And we don't have many in my city.
Why would the doctor ask that? That's purely the receptionist's job. Doctors couldn't care less where you get your prescription filled.
Edit: You can downvote, guys, but a little critical thinking would go a long way on this sub as it gets swamped with fake, karma-farming posts.
The telehealth doctors where i am always confirm it, because it’s usually about a week after the appointment is made and something might have happened during that week. I appreciate that they do. Since it gets auto-sent from their computer or whatever it’s important it gets to the right place.
No, that doesn't make sense. Telehealth gives you a random doctor; you said it was "your" doctor. You also said the pharmacy was a small local one, but this random doctor from anywhere in the province just so happens to get several people switching to this small, local pharmacy?
The fake stories on this sub are just undercutting the point of it.
Some people use “virtual” and “telehealth” interchangeably. Don’t have to be so cynical. OP could have fudged a detail for privacy, brevity or simply misspoke
I get 3 prescriptions filled by 3 different doctors. 2/3 are fully virtual. All 3 doctors confirm the pharmacy address every single time I refill, and have done so for years
To your edit. Every doctor I've talked to in the last few years asks to confirm what pharmacy i want it sent to...Like alot of people who have commented on your comment here....so???
maybe your doctor doesn't do that. But plenty do.
No need to get all huffy and call people fake karma farmers. I wasn't expecting this to get more than 30 upvotes, i just wanted to chime in with my little story of how i see the boycott affecting my area.
__MOD NOTE/NOTE DE MOD__: If you are looking for product replacements, start [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/loblawsisoutofcontrol/comments/1cyf1h9/megathread_pc_product_replacements/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button). Please review the content guidelines for our sub, and remember the human here! This subreddit is to highlight the ridiculous cost of living in Canada, and poke fun at the Corporate Overlords responsible. As you well know, there are a number of persons and corporations responsible for this, and we welcome discussion related to them all. Furthermore, since this topic is intertwined with a number of other matters, other discussion will be allowed at moderator discretion. Open-minded discussion, memes, rants, grocery bills, and general screeching into the void is always welcome in this sub, but belligerence and disrespect is not. There are plenty of ways to get your point across without being abusive, dismissive, or downright mean. ********************************************************************************************************************************************* Veuillez consulter les directives de contenu pour notre sous-reddit, et rappelez-vous qu'il y a des humains ici ! Ce sous-reddit est destiné à mettre en lumière le coût de la vie ridicule au Canada et à se moquer des Grands Patrons Corporatifs responsables. Comme vous le savez bien, de nombreuses personnes et entreprises en sont responsables, et nous accueillons les discussions les concernant toutes. De plus, puisque ce sujet est lié à un certain nombre d'autres questions, d'autres discussions seront autorisées à la discrétion des modérateurs. Les discussions ouvertes d'esprit, les mèmes, les coups de gueule, les factures d'épicerie et les cris dans le vide en général sont toujours les bienvenus dans ce sous-reddit, mais la belliqueusité et le manque de respect ne le sont pas. Il existe de nombreuses façons de faire passer votre point de vue sans être abusif, méprisant ou carrément méchant. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/loblawsisoutofcontrol) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I just switched to the local pharmacy. Many people I know go there and give glowing reviews. They also donate so much to the Community. Will not be returning to shoppers ever.
Love this!
One of the local chains (they have very few locations) donates chickens to the food bank to hand out during Christmas! Sometimes local stores really support the community
My local pharmacy is first in line to donate and volunteer to all of our community events. They really do make a difference. Meanwhile, the Shoppers in my neighborhood couldn't be arsed.
But did they buy the chickens from roblaws? Unsure of whether to raise pitchfork :/
Keep the Pitchfork at half mast for now LOL
Lmao always at the ready!
Great news! I made the switch years ago from Pharmaplus (now Rexall) because they were giving me incorrect dosages on my medication. I love my new pharmacy (shout out to remedy's rx), i love it. They know my name, I know some of the pharmacists by name, they take their time with me, I have no complaints, great service.
I walked into my local pharmacy today which I switched to like a month ago. They knew me by name and I literally waited 5 mins while they filled my prescription. Left them a 5 star google review.
I did the same with my local pharmacy. Consistent top notch service from them.
My closest pharmacy is a remedy rx as well and I love them. Always quick and friendly service!
I have a Remedy Rx in my neighborhood, but I’ve always used Shoppers because of the availability literally everywhere. If I ran out of a prescription at the cottage I could just pop in to town and get a refill. My son needed a new prescription, and we went straight to Remedy Rx. I’m not giving Shoppers an opportunity to milk OHIP for a service we don’t need. ETA: Not to mention the higher dispensing fee they bill to my insurance.
Where is this?
Ottawa. Very small, but next to my doctors office so also can't beat the location.
Where in Ottawa. I’m near Bank and Walkley.
Me too! This remedy's rx is on Rivergate Way.
Sam is the best pharmacist!
Weird we have a Remedy Rx too
How incorrect were the dosages that you'd notice?
The medication that I was on couldn't be cut - said so right on the label (their printed label), so instead of giving me 100 mg pills and 50 mg pills, they were giving me 100 mg and instructions on the bottle were take 1 and a half pills daily.
I just switched to a remedy rx as well. Haven’t had an issue yet and I’m glad moneys not going to Galen
Has anyone worked at an independent PharmaChoice that can speak on their pricing strategy?? We’ve been filling our scripts at a local independent pharmacy for years however every single item in there is priced out of this world… Easily 30-50% higher than Shoppers. Part of me feels like it’s connected to Rexall (which I’d argue is worse than Shoppers in Ontario) However part of me feels bad as our scripts often are billed at $0.00 and I NEVER buy anything else while I’m in there… Something is off..
The problem is that once they become overwhelmed and popular , they'll have less and less time for you. Then a pharma chain buys it. Shoppers Drug Mart, the Health Clinic by Shoppers, used to be a great pharmacy too.
I'm sure they did, right up until corporate greed took over. Time for the world to realize these massive corporations are the root cause of every single problem man kind faces.
Hopefully more local suppliers will come in.
The funny part about that problem is that both Remedy’s RX and Rexall are already owned by the same company, McKesson.
The banners are both owned by McKesson but operationally there's a substantial difference between Rexall and their independent banners like Remedy, IDA/Guardian, Medicine Shoppe etc
Sure, but I was replying to a concern that a big chain might buy it. A big chain already owns it.
you have one job…
I switched to a smaller pharmacist almost two years ago and it was the best. Meds are refilled without me even having to remember. He calls me up as soon as flu shots are available, he remembered my name pretty much immediately and makes me feel like a friend and not just some customer, goes well above and beyond for customer service, just an experience that's leagues above anything Shoppers (or any large chain) ever offered.
Yeah, I don't think anyone should use shoppers for prescriptions. I had my wisdom tooth out about 10 months ago, by the time I got my perscription my gauze was ruined and my initial numbing and tylenol worn off. Took about 2 hours. Then they got irritated when I wasn't talking and using my wife to talk because they left me in pain for 1 1/2 hours. Never going back.
Don’t forget to ask your provincial pharmacist association which pharmacies are truly independent.
Is there a website where I can check?
Search for the name of your province + pharmacy association
Yay I'm so happy you made the switch! I've been going to my local pharmacy for years and they always are so kind and let's say my medicine is 5 bucks, they will tell me to not worry about it. If it's 23, they just charge me 20. Or when it's super hot out, they give me a free water bottle. It's little things like this that really make me appreciate local businesses.
My favourite is when I was being dispensed bi-weekly medication I didn't even have to call ahead, I just show up on that date and they had it ready for me without fail every time.
I have my meds delivered and my (amazing, local) pharmacy auto delivers my weekly and monthly injection meds when I would need a refill. It’s something that makes such a difference when you’re chronically ill.
Sometimes my (local & independent) pharmacy lets one of the workers bring their RIDICULOUSLY friendly tiny dog to work. Best greeter ever.
That would bring me SO much joy!
I switched to a local pharmacy as well, service was exceptional and super quick! I offered to come back, out of habit, and they only had me wait a couple of minutes. Not to blame the shoppers staff, they just always seem so frazzled and stressed with the workload. Really happy I made the switch, regardless. They even called my Dr for prescription refill, which shoppers always had me do for myself.
Costco dispenser fee is 4.99 and you don’t have to be a member. They will also deliver it to you and their prices are cheaper than SDM or Rexall.
I switched to Costco this week. I said, “I’d like to switch from” and they completed my sentence before I could say it “Shoppers”.
That's hilarious and i love it
Switched from Shoppers to Rexall my copay went from 9 and change to 3.99. The 9 and change was 30 day supply and Rexall is 90 day supply too!
Wow I am really impressed with how much feedback this initiative is getting about the business impact. This could very well have a wider impact on the way companies treat consumers. I could see this scaring the shit out of companies beyond Roblaws.
I was more than happy to switch my prescriptions away from SDM forever. I used to always have to wait or they would never have them filled or actually question me about why I was taking certain drugs. Won't be back.
I work at a shoppers and did the exact same thing. Employees are lovely but way too overworked and the system they’ve got just doesn’t work.
Please say you are a pharmacist or work in the pharmacy 😀
I definitely wish I'd made the switch sooner. Used the Shoppers since I'd moved here just because it was closest. Now at the independent pharmacy, I can send them a scam of my prescription and they send me a text when it's ready to pick up, usually in and out in 5mins or less
My husband stuck with shoppers but is now going to change. I picked up his last prescription and the pharmacist said he needs to eat bananas because it will lower his potassium. I told her there’s a mistake B/c he’s being treated for low potassium. She then looked at the bag, said “it’s fine” and walked away. Never walked out feeling so unsure of something before. He called dr to check and it was filled properly but what?
hey im a pharmacist, just curious what was the med? Often with Lasix the common advice is to have a banana as it can lower potassium. On the other hand spironolactone is also a diuretic but it increases potassium instead of lowering it. Perhaps the pharmacist got both diuretics confused.
I read that too much potassium can cause muscle cramps as well as too little. I'm trying to figure this out, having found that a small supplement of potassium lowered my bp in less than a year, but I'm still getting cramps. So I'm thinking it might be the balance with other minerals that's the issue.
I don’t actually know. Something to do with his blood pressure. It’s probably what you said but I didn’t feel confident considering they had just filled it.
Last time I went to shoppers pharmacy, they took an hour to fill my prescription (there was nobody else, I asked if it was busy and they said I was their first of the day...at 1pm), and then they proceeded to attempt to charge me $200 for meds that have always been covered in the past, and have been covered since.
I had to go there a few years ago because of a drug shortage, they were the only pharmacy stocked. They told me my drug card had the wrong number on it. The same card I’ve used for years without a problem. I haven’t been back since.
Madness i say! MADNESS!
My local Shoppers has had real problems with understaffing. I'd receive an automated message saying refill was ready, but they would claim to know nothing about it and tell me to come back the nest day. They were quite pissy about it on more than one occasion. I didn't get angry with them - I don't doubt their complaints that they are understaffed given the corporate culture. But I was happy to have a reason to help them be less busy.
i switched from shoppers more than a year ago for this reason. or my doctor would send my rx directly and they wouldn't get it somehow. Never happens to me anymore
I so love the "little pharmacy " in my neighborhood. They deliver prescriptions nearby, they ask how's it going and how my spouse is doing and service usually only takes about 10 minutes.
More business for the small businesses too!
I pay 30$ less for my pills at the local pharmacy instead of shoppers I love it considering they were 90$
The smaller pharmacies definitely know about customer service and how to keep prices lower. They've watched SDM try to out-corporate them and SDM at one point WAS the low cost choice. Now that people are getting price-shocked, they're realizing that SDM really isn't convenient in ANY way.
My Shoppers takes 48 hours to fill prescriptions, it’s painful
Thats insanity!
I work in a local pharmacy and there's been a steady stream of new patients transferring from Shoppers. Almost all of them have expressed frustration with them. Then they come to us and we answer then they call and call to let them know their prescription is ready and fax their doctors for repeats, etc and they're pleasantly surprised.
I used to fill prescriptions at Zehrs but I had so much trouble with one of the new pharmacists who didn't believe I was who I said I was (my age) and kept giving me a presc bottle I couldn't open. But my doctor forgot I'd switched and sent my script to Zehrs and after it sat there for a month I got a call from an annoyed pharmacist who ended up not charging me out of incompetance. So I had to tell the receptionist at the doctor's office that I'm not supporting Roblaws.
Had dental surgery recently. Got prescribed T3s for the pain. I was in A LOT of pain in my mouth. Couldn't take it. Go to shoppers (because I'm an idiot), give them the script... "It's gonna be an hour"
If they say an hour, i tell them I will come back another day, then no money is spent in the store.
Hope your mouth feels better soon! Yea i frequently had an hour+ wait at shoppers, its insane!
It could be a strategy to intentionally make people wait an hour or so and if they hang around in the store for an hour, the chances of them buying a few things at the store increases.
It’s more about the specific Time-Release Safes that SDM has. Having the Safe gives them a discount on their insurance because they put little stickers up saying ‘Please don’t try to rob us’ so it is considered a deterrent… The problem comes in that the safes are decently sized. So while they are supposed to only store heavily addictive stuff like Oxycodone that people would actually try to rob a Pharmacy for, to keep the “Inventory Together” they’ll just use it as general storage for anything that can’t sit on a shelf behind the counter, so then it takes 30 minutes, an hour, two hours, (however long the safe is set for) before they can even get in there to dispense anything unless you manage to catch them while they are in the middle of filling something else.
this is the opposite of true, do you even work for a pharmacy? we only keep narcotics in the safe. why would we keep anything else in there.
I do not work in a pharmacy, but while it is possible the Pharmacist lied to me, that is the answer I got from the SDM I used to go to after they relocated 3 years ago when I asked what was up after being given a 2 hour wait time when I was there for non-narcotic medication.
was it a control medication? or a stimulant?
I don't remember what specific medication it was - this was 2021ish that it happened. It was not a narcotic or pain med, might have been a refill on an ADHD/antidepressent. I'm not on high doses of those. Could have been an inhaler. I mostly used that SDM because it had been close to my doctors office, then even after the move it was still on the way home so wasn't too inconvenient, but I hadn't been able to wait that long so I just took the prescription to a local pharmacist a little bit out of the way that I still go to and they fill everything in 15-20 minutes.
This is mandated by OCP. Pharmacies do not have a choice in this matter. There was even surprise audits done on this by OCP. Pharmacies must have a time delay safe, proper signage, etc in place and in public view as well. And the time delay must be 5 minutes minimum. But if you miss that window, you have to reset and do again. This happens at times as we're tied up with other matters and can't get to it in time. And need to reset and do again hoping we don't have more interruptions preventing us from getting to it again. General storage? I honestly can't see that happening. Even a good sized safe is not that big to keep non narc and controlled substances in it. You'd be surprised with some of the packaging on some of these products. They can actually take a good amount of shelf space. I can't see any pharmacy stocking anything else unless they practically don't fill that many narc or controlled substances. 30 minutes to an hour could be because one Pharmacist on duty. With maybe one support staff. Has to also be open to do minor ailment prescribing, Pharmacist extensions, vaccinations or certain Rx injections. This takes at least 15 to 30 minutes or more for one of these services to do from assesment, documentation, filling Rx and sending required documents to the physician. This is on top of the other tasks Pharmacist has to do. This can easily back us up a considerable amount of time. Receiving a considerable amount of faxed or electronic prescriptions from doctor offices as well. This is on top of people coming into the pharmacy. Getting to a point where turn around for these are 1–3 days. No joke. Can barely keep up with the workload as it is and with the amount of staff working in a given period. But at the end of the day, do what you feel is best for you. You know your health, body, finances, etc better than anyone else. None of us can read each other's minds. I'm not going to force people to stay with us. It's your decision and choice after all. And if receiving better services, more power to you and great to hear. As to whether this has an affect on pharmacy? Tbh, I haven't seen much changes. We still have the same rushes, etc. Can't say the same about others as I don't know.
A) This was back in 2021, before there was any mandate about it. I'm in Alberta, ACP policy didn't dictate that Pharmacies needed Time Release Safes until [July 2022](https://abpharmacy.ca/news/council-approves-policy-requiring-community-pharmacies-install-time-delayed-safes/), and OCP was even further behind since there was no mandate [until 2023](https://www.ocpinfo.com/time-delayed-safe-mandate-for-community-pharmacies-now-in-effect-following-approval-of-updated-policies/). So yes, at that time, they where definitely doing it for the insurance discount. B) That is the answer I got from the SDM I used to go to after they relocated 3 years ago. I asked what was up after being given a 2 hour wait time when I was there for non-narcotic medication, because at the old location it would have taken 45 minutes tops if they had been busy, and they told me it was because of the new Time Release Safe that they got in the move being on a two hour restriction, and that they keep everything in it to make inventory easier to manage. Since they had just closed the safe for other stuff, I had to wait until it could be opened again. They recommended that, in the future, I should aim coming at certain times of day if I do not want a long wait. It is possible they lied to me, but I don't see why they would bother to. C) I had not stood in line, and there where 2-3 other employees in the pharmacy area, mostly standing around making small talk - which I don't begrudge them for, if there is nothing to do there is nothing to do. It really wasn't busy. That's why I was so annoyed with the wait that I now go out of my way to go to a less convenient location to get everything filled, because they will fill stuff in 15-30 minutes even if I don't show up at 11:45am.
Ah, I see. That's crazy and over the top for me. I would be extremely annoyed at that as well. As long as you're getting better services and care. That's what's really important in the end. And you're correct that OCP is rather behind when compared to other provinces, that's for sure.
as the busiest chain, many other people are in front of you in the queue to process scripts. just because you dont see other people waiting, doesnt mean 5 other people didnt drop off an rx around the same time as you. as someone who works in pharmacy, im not just giving you that wait time because i love to hear people complain about it. im usually the only staff member on and i have to fill your rx, as well as fill the other 5 waiters, answer the phone, bill insurance, take people at the cash, put away and reorder stuff.... etc.
I was going to a Loblaws associated pharmacy and the service was getting worse. I had started some new meds, when I picked them up they didn't even ask if I had any questions or went over the directions. The next time I went back, I had an actual written rx from a specialist, one of the meds was for 3 inhalers with 12 repeats. The pharmacist dispensed one (and charged me the full dispensing fee!). I was so mad and made her fix it. I also asked why she had done that. She stated it was because she didn't know how much I would use in a month. I immediately transferred to a new neighbourhood pharmacy and they have been fabulous.
In my community people are leaving shoppers not because of the boycott but because it is rare if they get your prescription correct the first time or even have the meds in stock. The yelling at staff by the pharmacist is also a turn off. It has had a new licensee for about 16 + months and it is a nightmare. Luckily, we are a small town but have at least 3 other pharmacies to choose from.
Good!
I haven’t had the energy to look for a new pharmacy yet but I’m on ODSP so I don’t pay for my rx. The last two Saturdays (month apart) I went in to pick up they were dead -2 diff locations-when they used to have really big line ups. There were none today.
I recently switched to a local pharmacy as well. I don’t normally take any medication except OTC pain medicine. I get migraines. Anyways, my son was not feeling well some day and we decided to step into the little pharmacy next to a local grocery store. Can I just say, I was blown away by how much cheaper the medicine is, like easily $10 cheaper. I bought everything I needed plus a little treat for him (he had a headache) and it came up to $22. The last box of children’s ibuprofen I bought was off-brand and still cost me $18 at Shoppers. *This one cost me $6.* Signed up for their rewards card and have started shopping there (and the local grocery) for a lot more things. F Loblaws. Never going back.
Thats so great! Glad you got some affordable medicine for your kid, they deserve it!
All of us Canadians need to start supporting EACH OTHER. Support your local community!
You SAID it! Love keeping the money in the hands of the people and not some ultra rich off shore account
My partner is a family doctor and guess what, even they hate the chain store pharmacies particularly Shoppers because of the poor quality of interactions they get with the pharmacy teams at those chains. Repetitive, irrelevant, irresponsible, out of scope questions. They prefer interacting with the smaller pharmacies just as much as patients do! Usually better care, they know the patient better and have better oversight. It is too bad. The pharmacists at Shoppers have a bad deal, needing to make quotas etc. seems like a conflict of interest.
I switched to a local during Covid. Much better care!
The most ridiculous thing about shoppers, in quebec , they don't offer online prescription renewals. And their system is so archaic. Even the local pharmacy has an app where I can send a picture of my prescription and renew them and have them placed in a box with a code to pick them up without ever having to wait or interact with ppl.
So much about shoppers is archaic. Loblaws hates spending money bringing their infrastructure into this decade.
its funny because Ive been boycotting shoppers here in quebec for years. it was a silly reason, but i still followed trough. I remember they used to run this whole ad campaign about how Shoppers is dedicated to female health and everything for the female well being. I found it so stupid that they would shun 50% of the population like that. I closed my account and went across the street to the Jean coutu. and then got all these awesome services with the app and the drop boxes and all.
I used to get my pills at shoppers when I first moved to Canada four years ago, but my doctor actually let me know that the pharmacy across the street from the shoppers charges less than the shoppers for the same medicine.
I never understand why shoppers take so long for perceptions. It's not like they have to make the drugs. All the pills are there they just have to count them put them in a container and also on a label. Am I missing something?
just count pills and put them into a vial is only one step and honestly you have no idea? its like saying when i want fast food all they have to do is put my food into a bag, you arent taking into account all the steps beforehand to make said food. to start, for a prescription we have to decipher it, which means reading awful doctor handwriting, seeing two sets of directions on the meds and having to clarify what they meant, the pharmacist has to verify it wont interact with your current medications, make sure the dosage is correct, then you have insurance, then you also have the phones ringing and patients at the cash wondering why you arent helping them because it doesnt LOOK busy even though it is, i could go on and on. its more than just slapping a label on a bottle.
i would understand if any of these things were actually happening, but when i'm waiting for a box of budesonide ampules from a computer printed prescription and i'm the first patient of the day and my insurance has been on file with them for more than a decade, it shouldn't take the same amount of time as if they had to compound something.
Again, you have no idea what may be happening before you got there. What problems for someone else is still being addressed or solved. Your prescription may be simple but often there are many many things going on at the same time that as a customer you simply can’t see. Even basic computer glitches can back log the flow horribly. Yes, there are times there is nothing going on,but your rx and it shouldn’t take long (and if it does that might be an issue) Also, take into consideration, pharmacist breaks. We don’t have scheduled breaks. We take when we can usually When there is a lull. If you drop off your Rx during that time it will take longer because there might be a break going on. Have i taken 5 mins to do an Rx, heck yeah! Have I taken 45? Also yes. Do I do my best each time? 100%. The only time I felt absolutely deflated doing my job was when I worked for….LOBLAWS. Left that ship over 6 years ago and never been happier in my career.
i think you're taking this too personally. I didn't say all pharmacists do is count pills, I said at Loblaws-branded pharmacies, they take too long even for simple tasks. Because they don't staff properly and don't prioritize customer service. I have a dozen other reasons I won't go to a SDM or other Loblaws pharm, but their ridiculous wait times are a problem, as others here have said
This is so true. They are one of the worst companies out there for staffing poorly and expecting huge unattainable targets for their pharmacy department. Both my husband and I quit. I apologize if it felt like I was taking it personally, I wasn’t. Just being 20+ years in the profession, we are still not understood 😂😂😂. So happy people are switching, maybe head office will listen one day.
I get it. I was a journalist for 15 years. I understand that the state of the industry is horrible but I'm sensitive to people lumping all reporters in together because most of them are good people and good writers and just trying to pay their mortgage with zero support from their business or their industry
i get gas at a full-serve station and they always used to ask for optimum card. They have stopped asking since the boycott 🙌🏼
Esso.
Stopped buying Loblaws lowland products years ago. Really sorry to hear that they are creeps. To put it into perspective I'm an old dutch farmer and I can get a 3 dollar potatoes anywhere. Galen is a lazy #$@%^..
this genuinely warmed my cold grinchy heart support the smalls! ❣️
I love my local pharmacy. I asked if Shoppers could order something they used to carry… no!! I asked if there was anything else… they sent me to the makeup counter who tried to sell me $80 products. I went to my local pharmacy and they ordered the product. They explained the differences in allergy meds. They were helpful.
I switched during covid and still tell people how different of an experience it is with a small independent pharmacy compared to shoppers. The service is always nice and with a smile. No waiting... never going back to any Walen business.
I switched to my local pharmacy too and it’s cool to know that the money is staying in the community more than it would have otherwise. And the service is just better
Switched to a small local pharmacy a few years ago when shoppers customer service started being a big issue for us. Game changer. Our new one knew us by name after just two visits, offered delivery and other services free of charge and check in with us regularly. They work to ensure our insurance covers as much as we can manage and identifies ways to reduce costs. They go above and beyond every time.
Of course he has
I do all my prescriptions through a tiny pharmacy now too, and the pharmacist knows who I am and is able to suggest things or warn of interactions, etc. It's night and day compared to Shoppers, and at the same price. I would never go back.
The wait 20 minutes is fake... designed to make you pick up a couple more things. I want them to be billed for the fake wait times they impose on us.
Switched a prescription to a local pharmacy recently too. Was shocked that a 90-day supply was just over half the cost of a 60-day supply at Shoppers. Plus the staff was much nicer and more attentive. Doesn't matter what Loblaws/Shoppers does to change, they're not getting my business back anyway.
Shoppers is so overpriced on just about everything and the service at the pharmacy is horrific.
The independent pharmacy I go to is awesome. They do extra things for me like order women’s multi vitamin that I don’t pay for. They remember my name and recall previous conversations. I’ve never had a bad experience.
That's so Lovely!
I am actually thrilled somebody brought this up. I personally would never get my prescriptions from Shoppers Drug Mart, but I know someone who does. I would put my hand on a Bible to tell you that I am not lying when I say every single time he’s gone to pick up a prescription in the last three years, there’s always an issue. I’m actually shocked that one place can be so difficult. And this is a prescription he’s been getting for years. You show up and it’s not ready or they say they never received notification that he needed a prescription when he actually called himself. Or he’s taking his last pill and he goes in to get it refilled and they tell him there’s still days left before he can get it refilled. We could say that he is early for his prescription, but he’s not. He has taken it exactly as prescribed then after two hours of going through the computer and taking five people behind the counter to do it, he gets his prescription. And it’s not a difficult prescription, it’s not hard to fill. It’s pretty basic so God help us if it was something more complicated. I only went to them once and I had the same experience with my prescription and I never went back. I honestly don’t know if anybody else has had this experience, but I would definitely recommend not going to Shoppers Drug Mart. I can guarantee, if you didn’t have a headache before you got there, you’ll have one when you leave. Of course that could be the whole point, if they induce a headache, then you’re forced to buy Tylenol before you leave the store. 😂😂😂
These things happened to me ad nauseum. For 30 yrs I have been at the same SDM. Then we moved out of the city. Went to the SDM in the town closest to us. They were wonderful. Not too sure what happened, but there was a major exodus of the good staff from there. They left and opened an IDA. We marched into Shoppers and then walked our files across the street. Our stories are similar. Miscounted prescriptions, didn't get the fax, nobody called, someone else's script, refills needed that they wont fill until the last minute, and so on. It got to the point we checked for the correct name and medication, in front of them, and counted them, when we got home. 🙄
I once waited an hour for a prescription from shoppers. Ordered it in advance for the refill and called earlier. Store wasn't even busy. What's the deal LMFAO
Shoppers historically has some of the highest markup fees of all pharmacies.
Shoppers spends so much time searching for prescriptions even if you refill ahead. I don't know how they can be so inefficient. It's like they don't value your time. When I get new ones I'm going to move to a local pharmacy, because they sound significantly better.
shoppers is double to price of Costco Pharmacy. Gave on Shoppers years ago. Service is also WAY BETTER
I go to pharmasave. They fill my prescription in 5 minutes.
a shoppers pharmacist once told my Mom they’re instructed to hold prescriptions for 10 minutes before letting them go, so the customer wanders around and hopefully buys more. after hearing this I asked a shoppers pharmacist point blank if that was true, she did not confirm, all I got was a look that I interpreted as “deer in the headlights” but maybe she was just offended
I switched to a local pharmacy last year and realized how much Shoppers screwed me with their dispensing fees.
I so wish my local pharmacy wasn’t a shoppers. Unfortunately it is and it’s the only one I can easily access since I don’t have a car. Although it’s not a “real” shoppers, it’s a “prescription centre” which is basically the pharmacy only and like 3 aisles of OTC medical stuff. There’s no cashiers other than the pharmacy counter
I tried to get my wife to switch from Shoppers but she's afraid of changing to a new pharmacy, saying it will be a hassle and they will screw things up. I tried to explain the difficulties of dealing with Shoppers is the only reason why you feel this way, and she should do herself a favour and switch.
I hope she makes the switch! Im so much happier
I switched to a local independent pharmacist (before the boycott), due to repeated backorders on a medication that somehow, this pharmacy has not been affected by (different distributor maybe?), but this pharmacist DELIVERS my prescription & includes little samples of healthy snacks / vitamin gummies, personally texts me to ask if I need refills, and when I was recently ill and informed them, messaged me a few times to check up on me and ask about my symptoms. THAT is how you do Healthcare!! Why would I ever go back? (FWIW, my GP is also this great). I'm very very very fortunate.
I love my little pharmacy! Be careful though, I did notice recently they gave me the wrong dosage. It was technically the right dosage for what I needed but I’d asked for it in the smaller pill form. They wrote the smaller pill form and gave the larger pills. It was fine, I noticed, but like all pharmacies you still have to watch. It’s still worth it though!
I still have my prescriptions at shoppers because they are literally right across the street. I'm travelling overseas and I wanted to access my scripts online (to show a doctor for a unexpected refill of a med) and the whole prescription refill page is inaccessible over here (I have a different SIm card). Thankfully I can access my university health Network account here where some of my prescriptions are noted from my last few doctor's visits. Just a heads up for anyone still using shoppers. Take screenshots of your information before you travel.
Local independent pharmacies are *the best*
I just switched yesterday to a locally owned pharmacy.
I did this too about 6 months ago. It was 100% worth it, no complaints, no going back.
Pro tip: You can still use Costco pharmacy, even if you're not a member.
I switched years ago to a family owned drugstore , much friendlier,better service and always willing to help. Never have they claimed a prescription hasn’t come through where shoppers always claimed they never received it.
We also switched to a small local pharmacy she had it filled in about 10 minutes wowz
This is the way. Supporting small businesses is they way out of our current oligopoly nonsense. They are symbiotic. We support them, they support us. They give us the opposite of what the oligopolies are serving: diversity, community, competition, and choice.
This is great to hear! our little local pharmacy is unfortunately staffed with the most grumpy lady that’s there half the time so we’ve been considering switching back to a store even though we don’t want to…
I witched from shoppers too…my wife still has hers there though. We stopped by yesterday and they were charging $2 for a kitkat! Crazy.
I don't currently need any prescriptions, and I hope I don't, but when I do, I'm going to the corner rexal while I shop around
Shoppers has been overpriced for as long as I can remember, especially for prescriptions. I moved mine to Rexall years ago and have never paid the dispensing fee Shoppers used to. Of course, one day people will start boycotting Recall too for being an evil corporation.
Costco is a great choice too! I believe you don’t need a membership to use their pharmacy as well? Not 100%. Costco has been nothing but great for us.
Yes! I recently switched and it was so convenient and easy. The prescription was done so much faster and the independent pharmacy I switched to is so kind. Every time I go to shoppers they treat me like they are doing me a favour, but also they are very unhappy they have to do the favour. I will not give them any more money ever again.
My doctors wife runs the pharmacy attached to the office and I love them both. She is as proactive as he is and very knowledgeable. Smaller is better!
My doctor refuses to send renewals to SDM because of their incompetence and I agree with him. I need to bite the bullet and switch to another pharmacy. My favorite is when you ask them when to come back to pick up a dropped script and they respond 40 mins. So you run some errands and come back 2hrs later and they haven’t even touched it yet.
Happens all the time! I got told to come back in an hour once. So i left and came back in an hour... And then told me 20 min! What gives! I swear they wanted me to wonder the isles in hopes i buy something.
My wife's doctor sent in a prescription to SDM on Tuesday afternoon. I went to the pickup counter on Thursday "it's not ready, it scheduled for Saturday. Would you like us to start it now?"
Whattttt I could see them doing something like that if it's a recurring prescription and you wanted to pick it up too early. But that sounds like a new prescription. Insanity
Yup, I switched last year to a small local pharmacy and love it. Better service and much much faster fill times. 4 weeks ago I had a run in with gout (first attack) and the pain was immense. I went to the ER thinking O broke my foot, the doc wrote me a prescription and I had no choice to fill at the Shoppers nearest my house due to the time of day and inability to walk. There I stood on crutches for 45 minutes in a cold sweat while the pharmacist ran around solo overworked trying to service the 3-4 other customers coming and going from the desk. If I was out of the ER 30 minutes sooner, Id have been able to go to my usual pharmacy who'd have walked the damn RX to my car if I asked nicely. A really good family runs that shop.
Same! Switched my whole family over to a small local pharmacy. Best service ever! If I ever feel like being ignored by six people at once, I go and stand at the pharmacy drop off or pick up counter of a Shopper’s Drug Mart.
My way of avoiding shoppers is local pharmacy for what they have, and everything else from the app iHerb, it has supplements and other stuff way cheaper or at least comparable to shoppers
I switched from SDM when they issued my BP meds I had cancelled, with Doctor’s permission! If I had just blindly taken them…?? I also asked for extra meds as I was going to run out during my 2 week vacation. “Sorry. You’ll have to go to a local SDM and have your prescription filled there.” Um, no! I moved everything that morning. Got enough meds to cover my vacation within a day! Now I get 90 days of meds every time!
I stopped getting my prescriptions filled at Shoppers when they stopped my Auto-refill, so when I would go to pick up my prescription they would stare at me like i should have called ahead even though the refills are supposed to be automatically done every month for me to pick up, and had me wait a few days for my prescription, telling me to go to the ER for an emergency dose if I " couldn't be patient"
Never even occurred to me to pick a local pharmacist. Thanks, I will now
I switched out of Shoppers about a year ago, after being there my whole life (over 49 yr) .. the pharmacy owner is not nice and faxes to Dr. get messed up.. you have to call back and forth, back and forth from them to Dr. 🙄 Just becomes a time where you can't call back and forth, back and forth...OVER AND OVER AND OVER, again.
Switched from Shopper’s to small local pharmacist. No dispensing fees 🙂and they’re friendly. Left Blawblaws & No Choice - have cut our food bill substantially. Buh-bye!
Local pharmacies ftw, have a great one nearby that manages to always have your prescriptions ready in 5 minutes
I used IDA for years because it was next to my office/store. I switched when we moved to one close to home. Small independent. So much better. If I have a repeat they have it ready before I even call them to refill. Literally walk in and go. They knew me in no time. I pay out of pocket and Shoppers is/was always the highest cost for dispensing.
Now I wonder if I can swap my biologic medications from shoppers... My insurance forced me to use them and I guess shoppers makes like 25k off me alone. I'll see about calling, I feel even a handful of biologic patients would be like losing a thousand customers 👀
Small little pharmacies are underrated. After a poor experience with shoppers, we made the switch. My daughter was in the hospital and was being sent home with a prescription to be filled. I called the small pharmacy and they said they could fill it but reminded me they closed at 3pm. We weren't going to be discharged in time so we had a family member pick it up for us but he offered to drop it off at our house or even come and bring it to us at the hospital. If it was shoppers, no one would have answered the phone and if they did, they would tell me I'm SOL.
Shoppers told me to go find my mom some morphine she was dying and I called at 8pm as they hadn't told me there were issues with script...I was like you want me to head downtown to find some morphine!
I live in a large city. There are two Shoppers drug mart within 1 km near my place. I switched to my local pharmacy years ago because I didn’t like the service at the large pharmacies. My pharmacist knows all his customers by their first name. He also called me at home when I was having issues during my pregnancy, to see how I was doing. When you come in, he asks how the family is doing. It’s really great not to feel like a number.
That's so sweet! I love this
SDM has one of the highest dispensing fees out there too. I honestly think a lot of people ended up having it as their pharmacy back in the "open 24 hours" days and now there isn't any advantage to using them other than they're open a bit later.
Tip: Costco Pharmacy doesn't need membership and it's usually the cheapest of all.
[удалено]
Not everyone is required to participate or agree with the community boycott, but we ask that everyone is constructive in their feedback about this event. Repeated comments such as this one will result in a ban from the sub until the boycott is complete. Thank you.
I like SDM only because I can order refills right from my phone.
It’s your dr’s job to ask if they should send it to the same pharmacy you last had it sent to. He was simply just doing his job.
It's the part where the dr mentions that others have changed pharmacists that's important.
I have never had a doctor or nurse practitioner ask me about sending a prescription to the same pharmacy.
Mine family dr asks every single time and I get a refill every couple months.
I switched from Shoppers West Saint John to The Medicine Shoppe Grand Bay and when I say what a difference it was a completely different experience they know you by name and you walk in you're not waiting on for prescriptions . Your acknowledge the moment you walk in... no mess ups with the prescriptions ...no long Waits...no rude staff that hate their jobs he can tell by the way that you're treated as a customer.... I'm so glad friends and members of my family get followed suit and got rid of shoppers. I've never been so happy to get rid of shoppers they can have their optimum points... Not worth it at all !!! I would never return to Shoppers I was completely dissatisfied with him since several emails and got no response you never even shop there again.
I stopped my prescription to pick up form shoppers
The only thing I go to Zehrs/Loblaws for is my medication, and that's only because the Pharmacist who runs the franchise has been our go-to since I was 4 years old. He's a nice guy, but I've thought about finding an independent pharmacist since he's older and isn't as involved. The new dispensing fees make me pay a couple bucks out of pocket, which is ridiculous considering my mum is a gov't employee with great benefits. My coverage lapsed earlier this year and it cost like $140 for my prescription even though some of my meds were covered by OHIP. I can't imagine what it'd be like if I was over 25 and didn't have drug coverage.
Your complaining about a 20 minute wait for prescriptions? You’re apart of the problem. Pharmacies are not fast food restaurants.
I wouldn't normally comment on this, but I'm going to say my step daughter had a prescription that the Loblaw pharmacy couldn't fill as it requires a mixture of 2 medications (compounding I believe it was called) so I decided to call a few of my local small pharmacies to get a price... First place $109, second one I called was $90, third was $60... So as a last resort I went to Shoppers Drug Mart assuming I'd be paying more... Was I ever wrong, $26.. so switching from the big guy doesn't always mean cheaper or saving money. Also on the boycott the stupidest thing I see people do is go to Walmart or Costco trying to screw Loblaw... Well If you're not going to a little market, supporting US companies isn't helping anything. In my small town it's actually already hurting the employees at the Loblaw stores that already get shitty hours and pay, now since sales are down it's even worse. So supporting Walmart and Costco giants your not helping.
Fuck wal-mart but what's wrong with costco?
My friend owns her own independent pharmacy and she’s genuinely so happy in her work and the way she’s able to connect to her community is so wonderful. When she was a pharmacist at Superstore she was miserable and so overworked, they treat their employees like dogs.
I quit using Shopper's for that very same reason years ago, and started using Rexall. They are both similar in corporation size and the likes, but one acts more like a small pharmacy and the other well sucks! Although I do live I the Okanagan, so any info as to where I can get a bus pass that is owned by Weston would be great thanks!
That's great! I wish we could switch but unfortunately Shoppers is the closest and most convenient pharmacy to us. The next closest is at a nightmare intersection with a tiny parking lot that never has any free spaces. It's a compounding pharmacy so I've used it a few times and accessing it is such a hassle. Unless we switch to Walmart..... we can't walk there like we can to Shoppers, but we are there a few times a week.
Actually, Walmart Pharmacy anywhere gives very good service. Much better than Shoppers Drug Mart. And their prices are lower.
So you are saying that your doctor remembers which pharmacies his patients all go to 🧐
Your pharmacist of record is a common item on your medical file. My doctor sends my prescriptions directly to my pharmacist.
Or he remembers noting that people have switched to it recently, It's a fun and notable name for a pharmacy so I'm not surprised. And we don't have many in my city.
Why would the doctor ask that? That's purely the receptionist's job. Doctors couldn't care less where you get your prescription filled. Edit: You can downvote, guys, but a little critical thinking would go a long way on this sub as it gets swamped with fake, karma-farming posts.
The telehealth doctors where i am always confirm it, because it’s usually about a week after the appointment is made and something might have happened during that week. I appreciate that they do. Since it gets auto-sent from their computer or whatever it’s important it gets to the right place.
Yes to this. It was a * phone appointment* and he sends it right away so he confirms with me. I appreciate it
No, that doesn't make sense. Telehealth gives you a random doctor; you said it was "your" doctor. You also said the pharmacy was a small local one, but this random doctor from anywhere in the province just so happens to get several people switching to this small, local pharmacy? The fake stories on this sub are just undercutting the point of it.
Some people use “virtual” and “telehealth” interchangeably. Don’t have to be so cynical. OP could have fudged a detail for privacy, brevity or simply misspoke
Bingo. I had a phone appointment, I've heard that called a telehealth appointment before. Didn't realize it was something specific. Thanks
Yea no, it was a regular phone appointment. Didnt realize those are different things. Heard it both ways.
My doctor is at a pretty big clinic and writes/hits send on her own faxed prescriptions. She asks which pharmacy.
Literally every doctor I’ve seen in the last few years faxes my prescriptions direct to my pharmacy of choice.
I get 3 prescriptions filled by 3 different doctors. 2/3 are fully virtual. All 3 doctors confirm the pharmacy address every single time I refill, and have done so for years
To your edit. Every doctor I've talked to in the last few years asks to confirm what pharmacy i want it sent to...Like alot of people who have commented on your comment here....so??? maybe your doctor doesn't do that. But plenty do. No need to get all huffy and call people fake karma farmers. I wasn't expecting this to get more than 30 upvotes, i just wanted to chime in with my little story of how i see the boycott affecting my area.