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I went to the doctor last week with typical spring head congestion/respiratory symptoms. I ended up with a prescription for amoxicillin - the doctor renewed two maintenance medicines, and sent all of the orders to be filled at my local Walgreens.
I get there several hours later. None of the orders were ready. They were out of the amoxicillin. I had to call two other Walgreens to find that - when I did get it, I got about half of the twenty that were supposed to be in the bottle. One medication is a weekly injectable - they had one of the four doses I needed. Another order was for 82 doses of a daily pill. They only had five. Everything I received was either unavailable or incorrectly filled.
I scheduled a COVID vaccine there a year or so ago. They hadn't given me the shot 45 minutes later. I had to leave and get back to work.
I ended up looking into Amazon pharmacy. Everything from the order was accurate, with an information sheet for each medication.
I've been to two different Best Buys over the last few weeks. Outside of TVs, shelves and displays are often out-of-stock or poorly organized.
I like a specific cut of Levi's jeans. I probably found them at a retail store years ago, but trying to find them at department stores that sell Levi's is often difficult. If you can find them, who knows if the store will have your size.
A lot of the big box B&M retailers, and even some essential businesses, never seemed to recover from COVID. Things are still all to pieces at some of them.
The home improvement stores are a place I don't see much of an alternative, but they're much better run than most other retail.
How are they going to manage to survive when Amazon can get most non-perishable stuff to my door in a few days?
Strange. I don't have these issues in my town in Georgia.
I just ordered a maintenance script this morning from CVS and received the email 2 hours later that it's ready to pick up. It's a 90-day supply. They also do COVID vaccines, but I make an appointment on their website first so I don't have to wait. I haven't been in years though. My doc said the latest vax is not updated enough to make a difference.
I had to buy a laptop backpack the other day. I wound up at Best Buy because everywhere else (Office Depot, Staples, Target) had really high prices. BB had the cheapest and best of them all, and fully stocked shelves.
I went the other week to Belk to buy an Easter dress for my newest granddaughter. They had a whole section of Levi denim and other clothing.
Strange. I don't have these issues in my town in Georgia.
I just ordered a maintenance script this morning from CVS and received the email 2 hours later that it's ready to pick up. It's a 90-day supply. They also do COVID vaccines, but I make an appointment on their website first so I don't have to wait. I haven't been in years though. My doc said the latest vax is not updated enough to make a difference.
I had to buy a laptop backpack the other day. I wound up at Best Buy because everywhere else (Office Depot, Staples, Target) had really high prices. BB had the cheapest and best of them all, and fully stocked shelves.
I went the other week to Belk to buy an Easter dress for my newest granddaughter. They had a whole section of Levi denim and other clothing.
Office Depot and Staples are dinosaurs. Surprised either are still open.
The Walgreens thing shocked me. I live in a relatively small city with a low income, so maybe that's part of the issue, but these were common medications.
Amoxicillin has been in short supply for quite some time, but sure go ahead and blame your location. If your injectable is anything along the lines of Ozempic, Wegovy, etc, same deal, demand outstrips supply so stores receive an allotted amount.
They also didn't only have 5 of your 82, they give you five, some other person, five, another person five, etc, because they don't have the whole prescription amount available and the five are meant to tide you over until they get the next shipment, typically the following day or two. https://www.ashp.org/drug-shortages/...l=SSOCheckOnly
As to the original question, many/ most B&M stores also have an online presence, they aren't relying solely on people coming into stores to shop.
Flat out, I won't set foot in a Walgreens now. I have too many reasons to list, yours is just one minor one. If at all possible, going for a local pharmacy will slow the craziness of ordering meds by mail and having them sit in a mailbox that can reach 130 degrees in the south until you get your mail. That is what is coming - BIG distribution, eliminate the local pharmacy, they don't care if on a Sunday night you need a scrip filled immediately to keep you alive.
Amoxicillin has been in short supply for quite some time, but sure go ahead and blame your location. If your injectable is anything along the lines of Ozempic, Wegovy, etc, same deal, demand outstrips supply so stores receive an allotted amount.
They also didn't only have 5 of your 82, they give you five, some other person, five, another person five, etc, because they don't have the whole prescription amount available and the five are meant to tide you over until they get the next shipment, typically the following day or two. https://www.ashp.org/drug-shortages/...l=SSOCheckOnly
As to the original question, many/ most B&M stores also have an online presence, they aren't relying solely on people coming into stores to shop.
But that is exactly my point.
The W State Walgreens couldn’t get any of my orders fulfilled on time or completely. I don’t really care about the reason. If I needed some odd drug that maybe one person in town needs, I could see it being unavailable. All of these were very routine medications.
I called my doctor and had them forward the prescription to Amazon. I placed the order Tuesday night about 9, and all of it is at my house, all correct, by Thursday afternoon.
Why would I go back to a Walgreens that has messed up a few orders when Amazon rarely messes anything up? That’s not counting the time I wasted there.
Flat out, I won't set foot in a Walgreens now. I have too many reasons to list, yours is just one minor one. If at all possible, going for a local pharmacy will slow the craziness of ordering meds by mail and having them sit in a mailbox that can reach 130 degrees in the south until you get your mail. That is what is coming - BIG distribution, eliminate the local pharmacy, they don't care if on a Sunday night you need a scrip filled immediately to keep you alive.
My prescription provider has expanded the use of Walgreens and CVS, so no, they are not trying to eliminate the local pharmacy.
The big issue lately has been the unavailability of some medications. Antibiotics is one, and there are a ton of news items about ADHD drugs being in short supply.
The W State Walgreens couldn’t get any of my orders fulfilled on time or completely. I don’t really care about the reason. If I needed some odd drug that maybe one person in town needs, I could see it being unavailable. All of these were very routine medications.
I called my doctor and had them forward the prescription to Amazon. I placed the order Tuesday night about 9, and all of it is at my house, all correct, by Thursday afternoon.
Why would I go back to a Walgreens that has messed up a few orders when Amazon rarely messes anything up? That’s not counting the time I wasted there.
What part of "allotment" on drugs on short supply do you not get? Timing matters, apparently your scripts came through before their replenishment orders. It's in short supply not because few people need it, but because MANY do. MFG can't keep up with demand.
You waited two days for your Amazon drugs, you could do the same two day wait for Walgreens, CVS, Kroger's RX, whatever.
But you like to make out that everything is because of your location, even on a nationwide shortage.
Tiny town OK - no issue with Walgreens with SO's medications. I take none. It is 20 minutes from clinic to Walgreens and generally to notification that it is ready comes in during that time.
Small Kohl's store carries Levis and I quit counting at 20 different cuts not to mention regular sales and coupons. Younger men around here often wear brand jeans such as Cinch, Rock&Roll or Ariat. Stacks of Levis in every Western or Feed&Seed store.
That you do not care about the reason for medication shortage - a personal thing. Sometimes it is helpful to understand the flow of things. It sounds like you were set for a week on injections and pills.
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