Pharmacy recommendations?

I’m not sure if anyone else has started a thread like this, but I honestly need to vent. I am losing my mind dealing with the CVS pharmacy in my town. We don't have a local municipal pharmacy here, just three private ones, and of course, the closest one right in the center is that CVS. Lately, they’ve become incredibly arrogant and rude. I’ve had all kinds of experiences with them, but mostly bad ones, and I’ve decided I’m done. I would rather walk half a mile out of my way than step foot in there again. I buy birth control, and I have a prescription that's valid for six months. My gynecologist isn't exactly close by, so I can't just run over there every time I need a refill. The moment I go in for my sixth refill, they start lecturing me about how I need a new prescription. They treat me like some clueless kid who has never bought pills in her life. And then there's the constant questioning—every single time, they grill me about my address and insist on entering it into the computer. Why? I haven't gotten married, I haven't moved, I haven't changed my last name... yet they act like it's a daily interrogation. Then there's the situation with picking up meds for my grandma. I tried to get her prescription filled, and goodness gracious, you practically have to hand-deliver her Medicare card to them, even though her entire profile is already sitting right there in their system! Since she doesn't live nearby, it’s such a massive hassle to go pick up her card first just so I can finally grab the medicine. To make matters worse, when I needed some medicated cream for my dog, they used to just give it to me without making a scene. Now, suddenly, it's "Oh, do you have a prescription?" I'm like, what are we even talking about? "You need a prescription." I told them, "Look, I've bought this several times before and nobody ever asked for a script!" Sure, the box says "prescription only," but who do they think they are? I'm paying full price anyway, whether it's a prescription item or not. Honestly, why should they care who uses it—me, my grandma, or my dog? They are just obnoxious. Ever since they added those wellness centers, they've become unbelievably stuck-up. I really hope you guys have better luck with your local pharmacies... I just really needed to blow off some steam. I'm livid.😠👎

Honestly, the pharmacy did exactly what they were supposed to do.

Hey.
Anyone know if there's a pharmacy out in the Midwest that still does compounding for 5% minoxidil? I've hit up a few spots, but they all say they used to make it and now they just push the overpriced brand-name stuff...
I heard some pharmacies in NYC handle the compounding, but does anyone know if there's anything similar in Indianapolis or anywhere else in the Midwest?

The pharmacy staff actually did everything exactly right here.

I was scrolling through an old thread recently, and it got me thinking. I wanted to bump this topic up to see if everyone could jump in and share their own experiences. I have a few questions for you all:

a) Do you have a "go-to" pharmacy? What keeps you going back—is it the expertise, how friendly they are, or just because it's right around the corner?
b) Are you generally happy with the service and how knowledgeable the pharmacists are?
c) Can you actually tell a difference in the skill level of the staff?
d) What’s your ideal pharmacy experience? Do you want someone who really listens and smiles, or do you prefer they just give you a quick, direct recommendation for one specific product?
e) What are your biggest pet peeves when you walk into a pharmacy?
f) On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your usual pharmacy, and what’s the reason for that score?

If you're feeling ambitious, take a look at these articles and let me know what you think:

I’m in total agreement regarding the lack of basic courtesy. If you happen to mention—by pure chance—that they don't have your prescription in stock and you'll just try a different pharmacy, suddenly you're the problem. I once went into a drugstore to buy some lens cleaning solution; when I couldn't reach it on the high shelf, the woman behind the counter actually took offense. She started huffing about "what kind of behavior is this?" before grabbing a ladder from the back room to get it down—all while making a massive scene. These places are famous for shouting things like, "What do you need, hemorrhoid cream or earwax remover?" only to have the entire store turn around and stare at you. And don't even get me started on the pharmacy near my house in Indianapolis—it's a nightmare. They almost never have what I need. I'll order something from one person, only to spend half an hour the next day explaining the situation to another employee who proceeds to search the entire building while insisting they don't have it—only to find it exactly where the special orders are kept. It happens nearly every single time. Honestly, between all the "I'm sure we had it, but now I can't find it even though the computer says it's here!" nonsense, I start to wonder if everyone working there has Alzheimer. They just stare at you with this blank, lost expression. I hate having to go to them, only for them to turn a simple medication pickup into a complete circus. 😢

Honestly, I haven't really had any bad run-ins with pharmacies so far.

I usually just stick to the one in my neighborhood right next to the local clinic. It’s the closest thing to me, and I actually get along well with the staff there. The women working there are great—polite, they know their stuff, and they almost always have whatever I'm looking for in stock. I can't find a single thing to complain about regarding service. I've been trying to dig through my memory to see if I've ever had a bad experience with them, but honestly, nothing comes to mind.

The one thing I'll call them out on, though, is how much they hike up the prices on certain meds. It’s getting ridiculous. Look, I get it—drug prices are going up everywhere—but some pharmacies are slapping on margins that are just insane. No one can tell me the price *has* to be that high when I can go to another pharmacy down the street and grab $17 the exact same thing for less.

What kind of markup would feel totally out of line to you?

Could you let me know which specific medication we're talking about?

I don't know the exact percentage, but I know there are massive differences between pharmacies, which means their margins aren't all the same.

Take beta glucan, for instance. I paid $120 at the pharmacy you told me was the cheapest one, but then a friend of mine found the exact same thing at another shop for about $150. It’s the same story with everything from eye drops—where the gap isn't quite as huge, but it's still there—to just about anything else. It makes sense that there are both state-run and private ones, and sure, private shops can charge whatever they want, but I was genuinely shocked by a price gap that big.

edit: Just remembered. I actually found that same beta glucan online recently for $77 with free shipping, when the standard price is usually $87. Honestly, I have no clue how these people justify charging $150.

I gotta admit, I’ve started dodging my local pharmacy altogether. Not because of the medicine, but because the pharmacist there has given me this long, drawn-out, painfully slow lecture—for the third time now—about exactly which day of the month I’m allowed to pick up my prescriptions. It’s like they think repeating the same thing over and over makes things more efficient, but honestly, it just kills the line... And when you consider that some chronic meds cover 28 days, others 30, or even 20, plus I’m picking up stuff for three different family members... then if the doctor gets a dosage slightly off... I still have to sit there and take this whole sermon while being totally powerless to change anything...

And don't even get me started on e-prescriptions. 🤦 It’s wild how much "modern technology" can actually grind an entire system to a halt.

And no, it's not even a universal problem. If I go to other pharmacies, they don't play these games. They give me what they can, and if they can't, I just call the doctor for a new script and move on. In and out in two minutes, easy.

...

melloworca6 said:I don't know the exact percentage, but I know there are massive differences between pharmacies, which means their margins aren't all the same.

Take beta glucan, for instance. I paid $120 at the pharmacy you told me was the cheapest one, but then a friend of mine found the exact same thing at another shop for about $150. It’s the same story with everything from eye drops—where the gap isn't quite as huge, but it's still there—to just about anything else. It makes sense that there are both state-run and private ones, and sure, private shops can charge whatever they want, but I was genuinely shocked by a price gap that big.

edit: Just remembered. I actually found that same beta glucan online recently for $77 with free shipping, when the standard price is usually $87. Honestly, I have no clue how these people justify charging $150.

The same regulations and laws apply to both private and public pharmacies.
It doesn't necessarily mean they don't have the same margin. It's more likely they just aren't using the same supplier.
Since beta glucan isn't classified as a prescription drug, it isn't subject to those specific differentiated margins required by the pharmacy board. Every pharmacy is free to set its own markup, though it never goes over 35% of the wholesale cost.
If someone doesn't want to make a profit, well, I don't see much point in them being in business at all.
Nobody is required to justify their pricing, but they probably won't sell much at $150.

Yeah, the price online is without shipping, but once you factor in the cost of the beta glucan, you end up right back where you started.

Tyler James5 said:I gotta admit, I’ve started dodging my local pharmacy altogether. Not because of the medicine, but because the pharmacist there has given me this long, drawn-out, painfully slow lecture—for the third time now—about exactly which day of the month I’m allowed to pick up my prescriptions. It’s like they think repeating the same thing over and over makes things more efficient, but honestly, it just kills the line... And when you consider that some chronic meds cover 28 days, others 30, or even 20, plus I’m picking up stuff for three different family members... then if the doctor gets a dosage slightly off... I still have to sit there and take this whole sermon while being totally powerless to change anything...

And don't even get me started on e-prescriptions. 🤦 It’s wild how much "modern technology" can actually grind an entire system to a halt.

And no, it's not even a universal problem. If I go to other pharmacies, they don't play these games. They give me what they can, and if they can't, I just call the doctor for a new script and move on. In and out in two minutes, easy.

...

Technology hasn't slowed things down at all.
People seem to forget how messy it was back when paper prescriptions expired and you had to trek back to the doctor, wait again, and then head back to the pharmacy.

Patients get annoyed when we're late because of the lectures,
but we get annoyed when people don't pay attention to when they should be picking up their meds,
leaving them without their very last pill,
then begging us to "lend" them a few doses early,
or we have to call them because they forgot to mention their new script was ready.
We shouldn't have to constantly repeat that everything is clearly stated on the
refill authorization (you can pick it up 7 days before or 14 days after the date listed).😁

But hey, that's just part of the job.

swiftbear86 said:Technology hasn't slowed things down at all.
People seem to forget how messy it was back when paper prescriptions expired and you had to trek back to the doctor, wait again, and then head back to the pharmacy.

Patients get annoyed when we're late because of the lectures,
but we get annoyed when people don't pay attention to when they should be picking up their meds,
leaving them without their very last pill,
then begging us to "lend" them a few doses early,
or we have to call them because they forgot to mention their new script was ready.
We shouldn't have to constantly repeat that everything is clearly stated on the
refill authorization (you can pick it up 7 days before or 14 days after the date listed).😁

But hey, that's just part of the job.

You've got a point there—I agree that tech shouldn't slow the process down, and for the most part, it doesn't. There are about eight pharmacists working across three nearby pharmacies around here, and I only ever have issues with one of them. So yeah, the majority are totally fine.

Btw—if a patient shows up late and can't get their medication, just don't give it to them. There’s zero point or benefit in wasting six minutes arguing. It's just more efficient this way.

...

swiftbear86 said:The pharmacy staff actually did everything exactly right here.

I was scrolling through an old thread recently, and it got me thinking. I wanted to bump this topic up to see if everyone could jump in and share their own experiences. I have a few questions for you all:

a) Do you have a "go-to" pharmacy? What keeps you going back—is it the expertise, how friendly they are, or just because it's right around the corner?
b) Are you generally happy with the service and how knowledgeable the pharmacists are?
c) Can you actually tell a difference in the skill level of the staff?
d) What’s your ideal pharmacy experience? Do you want someone who really listens and smiles, or do you prefer they just give you a quick, direct recommendation for one specific product?
e) What are your biggest pet peeves when you walk into a pharmacy?
f) On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your usual pharmacy, and what’s the reason for that score?

If you're feeling ambitious, take a look at these articles and let me know what you think:

a-Yeah, mostly because of how nice they are, how much they know, and just pure habit.
b-Yes.
c-No.
d-They need to listen. Obviously, I don't want to sit there for two hours listening to a lecture on God-knows-what. Just give me clear, concise advice and offer up maybe three options.
e-Honestly? The crowds. Most people seem to have the exact same mindset, which leads to lines. Plus, some pharmacies—even though the staff is incredibly kind and smart—are just painfully slow.
f- A 9, for the reasons I mentioned above.

swiftbear86 said:The same regulations and laws apply to both private and public pharmacies.
It doesn't necessarily mean they don't have the same margin. It's more likely they just aren't using the same supplier.
Since beta glucan isn't classified as a prescription drug, it isn't subject to those specific differentiated margins required by the pharmacy board. Every pharmacy is free to set its own markup, though it never goes over 35% of the wholesale cost.
If someone doesn't want to make a profit, well, I don't see much point in them being in business at all.
Nobody is required to justify their pricing, but they probably won't sell much at $150.

Yeah, the price online is without shipping, but once you factor in the cost of the beta glucan, you end up right back where you started.

Look, I get that it's a supplement, not a medication. I only used it as an example of how drastic the price gap can be between two pharmacies. I assume supplements work a bit differently than actual drugs.

So what, eye drops, cough syrups, creams, gels, pain sprays—everything has to cost the exact same amount at every single pharmacy?

I don't know, I've just noticed that prices have gone through the roof over the last few years. I also see more and more people around me driving out of town just to buy medicine. We're close to Mexico, Canada, and maybe even some parts of South America depending on where you go, and anyone who needs meds just heads across the border where things are easily 30% cheaper than here. It scares me to think what's going to happen when we fully integrate into the European Union and tax structures shift.
I realize this isn't strictly about pharmacies and depends more on the state of the economy and general inflation, but it honestly hurts to see that even when we're sick and miserable, we still have to shell out even more cash for basic meds. 😢

Tyler James5 said:You've got a point there—I agree that tech shouldn't slow the process down, and for the most part, it doesn't. There are about eight pharmacists working across three nearby pharmacies around here, and I only ever have issues with one of them. So yeah, the majority are totally fine.

Btw—if a patient shows up late and can't get their medication, just don't give it to them. There’s zero point or benefit in wasting six minutes arguing. It's just more efficient this way.

...

If someone misses the window to pick up their medication, we have to explain that they can't get it and need to contact their doctor for a new script.
I agree, you definitely don't need a six-minute lecture for that.
Some people get it right away, while others will never quite wrap their heads around it.
They call the clinic, and the doctor says, "Oh, you have a refill on file."
Then the patient goes, "But the pharmacy wouldn't let me have it!"
It isn't our choice; we're just following the rules.

vividsailor7 thanks for breaking that down point by point.

melloworca6 Cough syrups, nasal drops, teas, sprays, cosmetics—none of those are subject to margin regulations.
Basically, every pharmacy has total freedom to set their own prices on those.
Most often, the margin sits around 35%, and the final price might even be dictated by the manufacturer or distributor (like McKesson) just to ensure their products cost the same across all pharmacies.
Only actual medications fall under differentiated margins—meaning anything listed in the drug registry, whether herbal or synthetic, that is restricted to pharmacies (which is what Medicare regulates).
Here, the tax on drugs is 25%except for those covered by Medicare, which aren't subject to sales tax, making them relatively more expensive here than in neighboring countries.

Regarding the whole topic of pain medication, I came across this one line: "the pharmacist at the drugstore told me...

It really makes you wonder—why is there this perception that we’re just retail clerks?

I usually just call them the lady at the pharmacy 😁, but honestly, it’s mostly because I actually like them. I haven't run into a single person there who was grumpy, rude, or refused to answer a simple question when I had one.

Most people probably stick to calling them "the cashier" because they have no clue these folks actually went to college for this. They just assume standing behind a counter is all they do with their lives.

swiftbear86 said:Regarding the whole topic of pain medication, I came across this one line: "the pharmacist at the drugstore told me...

It really makes you wonder—why is there this perception that we’re just retail clerks?

I mean, look—you’re standing there behind the counter, right? You're basically running a sales pitch every single second you're on the clock. It’s easy enough to lose your footing when you're constantly being pushed to move product... honestly, anyone could get tripped up in that situation.

Kate Collins67 said:I mean, look—you’re standing there behind the counter, right? You're basically running a sales pitch every single second you're on the clock. It’s easy enough to lose your footing when you're constantly being pushed to move product... honestly, anyone could get tripped up in that situation.

You're oversimplifying things.😉

A good pharmacist does more than just ring things up; they offer guidance and education while taking full responsibility for what they say. 😁

And we aren't just talking about a retail transaction here—we're talking about clinical expertise and prescriptions. 😁

Kate Collins67 said:I mean, look—you’re standing there behind the counter, right? You're basically running a sales pitch every single second you're on the clock. It’s easy enough to lose your footing when you're constantly being pushed to move product... honestly, anyone could get tripped up in that situation.

I disagree. 🙂

I know plenty of cases where GPs messed up and wrote down a slightly higher dose—like, just a tiny bit off, what's the big deal, right? 😁 But then the ladies at the pharmacy 😁 catch the mistake, tell the patient, call the doctor, and fix the dosage. So, honestly, sometimes those clerks 😬 are actually saving lives.

Though, being a doctor, you probably already know all this and you're just being difficult now. 😁