Entry tags:
Longs = Good ; CVS = The Suck
So Longs Drugs was acquired by CVS last year. I was pretty stunned when I heard that all the Longs Drug stores were changing their names, because Longs Drugs is a well-known and respected pharmacy out here on the left cost, while CVS sounds like some corporate monstrosity where a board of directors came up with the name.
Sure enough.
I went out to the drug store to pick up a prescription today, and I noted that the signage was starting to change to stay CVS. While waiting in line (long, as usual), I noted that the pharmacy was even more crazed than usual. I got up to the desk, and they told me that my prescription which I'd called in yesterday was still not ready, and would I please come back in 1 or 2 hours.
So I came back 3 hours later. Things were even more crazed. People were getting turned away right and left being told that their doctors hadn't OKed their refills, that they'd just have to wait a day more, etc. Finally I get up to the desk (again), not feeling that great about actually being able to carry home any drugs tonight (not that I needed them tonight, mind you).
So the lady at the desk asks me to spell my name like 13 times, then goes into a hurried conference with a co-worker, which expands out to 5 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, I idly listen in on other conversations. "No, I'm sorry," says the clerk to the person next to me. "Your doctor needs to give us authorizations on all three meds." "I thought only one was due for renewal," the customer replies." "No, all three," says the clerk.
Finally my clerk wanders back and says, "We're having troubles finding your prescription." I say (because I'm still not sure she managed to get my name right on try #13), "Did you find it on your computer system?" "Yes," she says, then runs off before I can ask any more dangerous questions.
(Because, apparently, all questions are dangerous.)
A few minutes later, she says, "We're still having problems with your account. Could you sit down over there for a few minutes?" Now, not only am I getting aggravated by this point, but I'm also annoyed that they're not telling me if this a problem that's going to take one minute, five, or an hour. If it's one of the latter, I'll just come back later, you know. So I said, "What's. The. Problem?"
"Hold on," she says, and goes into another huddle with that other clerk. She then refuses to answer my question.
I'm getting increasingly annoyed, but K. is more so. She starts asking a bit louder than I what's going on, and finally clerk #2 calls us over.
And, here's the punchline.
In converting my prescription from their Longs system to their CVS system, they LOST THE PAPER COPY OF MY PRESCRIPTION(1) and so now WON'T FILL IT unless they can get in contact with my doctor. Suddenly all those other folks not getting their prescriptions makes sense (as does the circus atmosphere).
That guy who was told that the doctor had to reauthorize all three prescriptions, I'm sure he was being lied to. When the clerk implied that the doctor needed to authorize the refills because the number of refills was up, I suspect he really meant that the doctor needed to authorize the refills because they'd LOST HIS PRESCRIPTION TOO.
Oh, and they couldn't bother to figure out this was the problem the FIRST time I was there today. (When, among other things, my doctor's office was still open.)
Yep, a drug store that can't hold onto its customers prescriptions. That's what the CVS brand now means to me.
Great conversion guys!
Maybe you can now leak my medical data onto the internet too.
(1) Of course, given that my doctor sent that prescription in electronically, I'm not convinced there was a paper copy, but that's what they THINK happened, and they clearly LOST SOMETHING.
Sure enough.
I went out to the drug store to pick up a prescription today, and I noted that the signage was starting to change to stay CVS. While waiting in line (long, as usual), I noted that the pharmacy was even more crazed than usual. I got up to the desk, and they told me that my prescription which I'd called in yesterday was still not ready, and would I please come back in 1 or 2 hours.
So I came back 3 hours later. Things were even more crazed. People were getting turned away right and left being told that their doctors hadn't OKed their refills, that they'd just have to wait a day more, etc. Finally I get up to the desk (again), not feeling that great about actually being able to carry home any drugs tonight (not that I needed them tonight, mind you).
So the lady at the desk asks me to spell my name like 13 times, then goes into a hurried conference with a co-worker, which expands out to 5 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, I idly listen in on other conversations. "No, I'm sorry," says the clerk to the person next to me. "Your doctor needs to give us authorizations on all three meds." "I thought only one was due for renewal," the customer replies." "No, all three," says the clerk.
Finally my clerk wanders back and says, "We're having troubles finding your prescription." I say (because I'm still not sure she managed to get my name right on try #13), "Did you find it on your computer system?" "Yes," she says, then runs off before I can ask any more dangerous questions.
(Because, apparently, all questions are dangerous.)
A few minutes later, she says, "We're still having problems with your account. Could you sit down over there for a few minutes?" Now, not only am I getting aggravated by this point, but I'm also annoyed that they're not telling me if this a problem that's going to take one minute, five, or an hour. If it's one of the latter, I'll just come back later, you know. So I said, "What's. The. Problem?"
"Hold on," she says, and goes into another huddle with that other clerk. She then refuses to answer my question.
I'm getting increasingly annoyed, but K. is more so. She starts asking a bit louder than I what's going on, and finally clerk #2 calls us over.
And, here's the punchline.
In converting my prescription from their Longs system to their CVS system, they LOST THE PAPER COPY OF MY PRESCRIPTION(1) and so now WON'T FILL IT unless they can get in contact with my doctor. Suddenly all those other folks not getting their prescriptions makes sense (as does the circus atmosphere).
That guy who was told that the doctor had to reauthorize all three prescriptions, I'm sure he was being lied to. When the clerk implied that the doctor needed to authorize the refills because the number of refills was up, I suspect he really meant that the doctor needed to authorize the refills because they'd LOST HIS PRESCRIPTION TOO.
Oh, and they couldn't bother to figure out this was the problem the FIRST time I was there today. (When, among other things, my doctor's office was still open.)
Yep, a drug store that can't hold onto its customers prescriptions. That's what the CVS brand now means to me.
Great conversion guys!
Maybe you can now leak my medical data onto the internet too.
(1) Of course, given that my doctor sent that prescription in electronically, I'm not convinced there was a paper copy, but that's what they THINK happened, and they clearly LOST SOMETHING.