Complain about a product or service

CVS Prescription Service

CVS • Rx Errors   › Wrong Count   › Wrong Dosage   › Wrong Drug   › Wrong Count   › Wrong Identity • Rx Service • Minimum Rx Charge • Prices • An Insider's View --- News • California Prods CVS to Stop Selling Expired Products • CVS, Caremark Rx Agree to Merge • CVS In Merger Talks With Caremark • New York Fines CVS for Sweepstakes Violations • Extra Care Records Subject to Snooping • CVS Takes Measures to Block Counterfeit Drugs • CVS Settles Pennsylvania Suit

James of Wise VA (8/7/04):
I live in Wise, VA. I have a workers comp-related back problem and my comp physician is located in Winston Salem, NC. I was in NC on the 6th of Aug for a discogram and CT scan. Due to pain and the four-hour drive back, I was unable to travel to Wise that afternoon. I was written 2 prescriptions -- one for pain and the other an antibiotic because my physician informed me that discs are very susceptible to infection and I was to start them immediately.

I always get my scripts through CVS in Norton, VA and figured they were all linked. I visited the CVS in Winston Salem, NC and was informed that I could not get my medicines filled for Comp -- I would have to visit my local pharmacy. On the 7th I was informed by the pharmacist at CVS in Norton, VA that they could have filled my prescriptions and could have helped me out but just chose not to.

The Norton CVS has always gone out of their way to help me in any way possible so of course, I was very disappointed with the service or lack of service I received from the CVS in Winston Salem, NC. Due to my inability to get my prescriptions filled, I was in severe pain and could develop infection in my discs. Hopefully, this won't occur.

R of Oak Ridge NJ (7/31/04):
We have a child who has severe asthma and needs medication to breathe, otherwise he turns blue and a trip to the emergency room is likely. We ordered the renewal on his prescription 3 days before we would run out of the old presecription. We went to pick it up and the people on the counter informed us that we couldn't get it because they hadn't been able to contact the doctor (they didn't call us to tell us this problem, but most importantly the doctor's records show they never called the doctor at all).

They also told us they had called just before we came in that day and were told they couldn't get it. So we called the doctor from our cell phone. The receptionist there said that they hadn't received any calls, but if the pharmacist would call they would fax the prescription to the pharmacy immediately.

First, the pharmacist refused to make the call. Then they informed us that if we called about this again they would file harrassment charges. Plus THE PHARMACIST said that as far as she was concerned the child didn't need the asthma medication. (She has never met the child even in passing). It is necessary for you to know that the child is critically ill, the doctor prescribed the prescription, and the pharmacist is not the child's doctor.

We went next door to the local A & P, they called the doctor, got the prescription and filled it immediately. Luckily, the child didn't suffer from this because we did what had to be done - but there is something very wrong with that pharmacist at the CVS. I can't believe she feels so powerful that she can override a doctor's orders. This wasn't our first problem with CVS pharmacy, but it was our last.

Mary of Dearborn Heights MI (6/1/04):
Last Friday, I called for a refill scrip for my mom -- requip for Parkinsons. This CVS tech told me I would have to call the scrip into another CVS other than Dearborn Heights. I told them that you should send someone to pick up that medicine and bring it to this location. "Oh no, you will have to pick up the medicine," he said.

Everytime I try to get a refill for my mom I am told they don't have the med in stock and it has to be ordered. I was also told that requip is too expensive to have it at hand. My mom has to take this med and her insurance pays for it.

Why is it everytime I go in there they don't have her meds in stock? I thought because she gets her meds refilled there every month they would have the meds on hand. I was once told by a tech who no longer works there that my mom should go on another med besides requip, because there are other people in our area who need it more than my mom. I feel that dealing with CVS puts a lot of stress on my mom who really doesn't need the extra pressure due to her Parkinsons. I for one was in tears when I left CVS on Friday.

Floyd of Westland MI (5/5/04):
My wife and I were on vacation. I needed 2 prescriptions refilled and went to the CVS on Merritt Island, Florida. I needed Lotril and Nexium refilled. I get my prescriptions at CVS in Michigan so we thought it wouldn't be a problem getting them refilled in Florida. The pharmacy assistant told us this CVS was brand new and they would refill my prescriptions but it would not be covered under my insurance because they were a separate corporation. She also said these 2 refills would cost almost $300.

My wife and I called Blue Cross and were told the pharmacy could call the customer service number on our Blue Cross card for assistance when traveling. The pharmacy assistant refused to call this number. We were very disappointed with the service. We were under the impression that all CVS's were connected and it would be worry free for us when traveling. We went to a Walgreens in the same area where they called CVS and refilled our prescriptions with no problems. From now on we will get all of our prescriptions filled at Walgreens.

"C" of Tampa FL (12/30/03):
If I had not worked for over a year building a relationship with this pharmacy and staff, my complaint would not have value. But in spite of the fact I come in every 30 days for a perscription for my 12-year-old, the pharmacy staff is very cavalier about not ordering or taking special measure to assure me the medication is available. I frequently arrive to pick up this medication and either the staff can not find it or has not stocked it. I find the fact that the medication, that must be daily taken, and can only be filled as it is needed, ties my hands. It is important to me and the staff does not take this issue seriously.

I was told that the trouble to call around and locate my medicine or call me about the location of a pharmacy is not important. The staff feels free to tell their customers to go fly a kite if the prescription is too much trouble. Well, it is trouble and high maintenance to fill Metadate, however, the staff should either do the job or not leave me hanging. I have had interrupted services about 5-6 times. THis is not a convenience factor, but rather a medical necessity and the pharmacy treats it as a joke.

It take six or so weeks to establish a chemical stabiltiy with this medication. Running out and skipping a dosage because the pharmacist cant do the job causes an interuption in the cycle. This medicine allows my child to meet his performance expectation in school and in his daily activities. When he is off kilter the world around him is too.

Francine of Worcester MA (12/10/03):
My brother ordered his meds from this CVS store. He dropped off his prescription for Thalidomine five days before it was do to be refilled because of the length of time it takes the store to get it in. He was promised the meds on Monday morning. Tuesday morning he went to the pharamcy to pick them up only to learn they were nevered ordered. So he had to call the doctor's office hoping they had some. They didn't but were able to refer him to another pharamacy.

The other pharmacy was more then willing to fill the scipt but the problem was CVS already billed the insurance company for meds they never ordered or delivered. When asked if they could resolve the situation with the insurance company my brother was told they did not have time and would get around to it whenever they had time. Cancer is not an issue that should be taken lightly. It took the other pharamcy hours to straighten out the mess CVS made. Isn't that insurance fraud when you bill for meds that you never gave to a patient or even ordered?

Victoria of Asheville NC (8/9/03):
Picked up 2 prescriptions which had been called in. Had add'l items in cart, asked pharmacist if we needed to pay for items separately. She showed us where to sign and said take everything to main cashier. Went to main cashier to rang up items until she came to drugs. She we would have to go back to pharmacy line and have those rung up separately. I told her we had followed the pharmacist's instructions and could check out here. She refused, saying again we would have to get out of line.

I told her to get the pharmacist and bring her to our line (3 steps away). She refused again, by this time my husband got loud enough for the pharm. to hear, who came over and finished checking us out, with no apology or comment at all. This store is known for its rudeness, immature employees, and slow service. We are in the process of changing all our prescriptions to another facility who knows and cares about what they're doing.

Kim of Port Chester NY (3/27/03):
I went into this particular CVS to have a prescription filled at around 8:00pm. There were no customers at all in the pharmacy. The Pharmacist took my prescription and told me it would be 5 minutes to fill it. I was having a cough syrup refilled.

A friend of the pharmacist came to the counter with a home drug test kit and other various shopping items. She halted filling my prescription and started talking with him and ringing his order up. I very nicely walked to the register and asked if she had to make my prescription (sometimes they have to mix things) she said no I just have to pour it. So then I proceeded to ask why she stopped filling my prescription and started ringing up a customer as I had been patiently waiting and I was there first. The pharmacists friend got nasty with me, then he proceeded to get threatening, harassing and she (the pharmacist) thought it was quite entertaining and funny.

She never offered me any help other then to ignore filling my prescription and continue agreeing with her friend on how she should accept his $10.00 tip for dealing with people like me. The manager of the store appeared to be very young, not knowledgeable at all of how to deal with a threatening environment and not interested in helping at all. I was so upset and so scared and was offered no help at all by any employee in the CVS store that I had to have the local police called.

After I told the store manager four times that I called the police because I was afraid to go to my car outside, only after the fourth time did he offer to walk me to my car and by then it was too late because the police finally came. Never did the Manager or any employee in the store offer to help me after I was threatened, harassed by the pharmacist's friend and the pharmacist herself.

Barbara of Philadelphia (3/27/03):
I have been a steady customer at CVS in the Belair shopping center for almost eight years. Over the past two years I have noticed a decrease in customer service. I need heart medication and anti-seizure meds. The last several months, despite my calling in for refills an average of 7 days prior to need, CVS has failed to have sufficient pills when needed.

It seems to me that they should not need more than 7 days advance notice and they know how dangerous it is not to have the anti-seizure pills. After having been a long-time customer they should know when you will need your refill. In February they told me they only had 12 seizure pills left and would not have the necessary amount (180 pills) until the following Tuesday. I ran out on Monday. I called to verify that they had the refill before sending someone over for the refill and they very rudely said it had not come in. I asked if they had a smaller amount and told them the 12 pills from the week before had run out. They did not apologize or sympathize at all.

Because I ran out of my pills, my seizures increased and my condition worsened. I already cannot drive while my seizures are being controlled, and do not need any worse problems with this condition.

My friend put his foot down and said it was time to find a new pharmacy. So we no longer take any of our business to ANY CVS ANYWHERE. My new pharmacy has the pills ready in advance and is very professional and friendly -- everything CVS was not.

Melody of West Brookfield MA (3/12/03):
I have been having an ongoing problem w/this store (in Ware, MA) and the staff is very unreasonable and not very sympathetic at all. About three weeks ago I went into the store to pick up two scripts for myself, and to also drop off two new ones for my children. I received my medication w/no problems, and was told the kids' would be ready in less than an hour.

About an hour and a half later I called the store before leaving my house to make sure they were ready, I was told yes they were. When I arrived at the pharmacy, not even one of them was filled. Then the pharmacist proceeds to tell me that it's going to cost $280. Not discreetly at all, she tells me that my insurance is cancelled. I at the time did not have the money to pay for them, so I questioned her about the insurance.

She became very aggravated, and told me she had just called the 800 number on my card, and they verified that it was cancelled. Now I have two insurance carriers, and my primary doesn't cover scripts, so the secondary insurance picks it up. I knew I was covered, why had they just filled my scripts using the same insurance. So I took my two sick kids home without any medication.

My son who just had a script for Zithromax filled there three days before was very sick, the medication didn't work for him, and his ear infection was so bad he was falling over, he couldn't even sit in a chair without falling out. Bright and early the next morning (since I had been up all night w/the kids) I called my insurance company, and come to find out there was no problem w/my insurance coverage. I was completely covered.

Needless to say I was very upset that my kids went through the night without their medicine, and also that the CVS employee bold-faced lied to me when she told me she called my insurance company herself and that it was cancelled. I immediately went to the store, the employee from the night before was not there. I asked to speak to the manager of the pharmacy, and was told they were not in.

I explained my situation and that I needed the scripts ASAP, I was the only customer in the store at the time, they had just opened, but was still kept waiting for 45 min. When she finally gave me the medicine she tried explaining that the other girl just didn't know how to bill my secondary insurance with the rejection from my primary ins. So the employee's incompetence could have cost my son his hearing because come to find out later that day I had to bring him back to the doctor, and his eardrums had burst.

Now I'am a reasonable person, and I went back to the store today to have another script filled for my 2yr. old daughter who has a sinus infection, and again the same problem. They were trying to charge me $83 for the medication, I tried explaining to the girl about having to file it with the rejection from the primary, and again was treated very poorly, and told very sarcastically that she knows how to do her job. Which apparently she doesn't. I asked for the paper back, and told her I was going to just go to Brooks across the street, and they still managed to keep me waiting there for another 20 minutes, while they looked for the paper I had JUST given them.

I feel that the staff in that pharmacy is very unprofessional and rude. I know that I'am not the only person in the world to carry two insurances, and it shouldn't be a very hard thing for them to handle, Brooks had me in and out of their store within 15 minutes,and they didn't even question me about the second insurance. Now I have two young children in day care, who are sick quite often, and I would say other than the medication I visit this store at least twice a week for other personal items, spending between $10-$100 at a time. I will never do business w/any CVS again because of this.

My son goes to see the specialist this coming Monday about his ears to see what the damage is, and there I will find out if him having the medicine any sooner would have prevented his eardrums from rupturing.

Lavonda of Fairfield AL (8/4/03):
No one at CVS has ever asked me if I had any questions about the medicine. Nor has a pharmacist ever explained what a medicine was for, or the possible side effects. I am presently taking a law and ethics class. One of our first lessons explained that they should do this or risk being sued for malpractice. My daughter is 4 and has been getting her prescriptions filled here since she was born. She's asthmatic. No one has ever explained or asked anything.

Mary of Valparaiso, IN writes (10/17/02):
I got 2 prescriptions from my doctor -- one was for a very expensive drug. I decided that I would work with my insurance provider and shop by phone for cost quotes. I called 3 different places that my insurance suggested in my locality. I decided on the cheaper chain Pharmacy, CVS, because it was $100.00 cheaper.

On Oct 7th I was told by a pharmacist at CVS that they didn't have my medicine but that it would be ordered that day and would be in the next day on their truck and I should call around 6PM. I asked if they were sure because I only had enough medicine to last that up until that time. They said yes.

Oct. 8th, I called around 6:15 and I was told that they were busy and couldn't find it, I asked them to check the fridge, it must be refrigerated. They then said they couldn't find it and if I gave them my number they would return my call. At 8:00 pm a man called. I asked if they had found my medicine. He put me on hold and I got disconnected. I called back, I kept calling, 5-6 times at least. Each time when I could get thru, he was annoyed at me, like I was bothering him. The last call I made and talked to him, he said he checked everywhere, he couldn't see where it was ever ordered, he even said he couldn't find the order sheet from the day before or the invoice of what did come in or anything.

I inquired about maybe another one of their stores may have it and was told that they didn't have that type of communication. He said he couldn't call and get it shipped there, I told him I would drive to one. He said they didn't do that. Finally, this phamacist just told me flat out that MY PRESCRIPTION, WAS NOT ORDERED. THAT THEY COULD NOT EVEN GET IT & THAT IT IS NO LONGER EVEN BEING MADE.

I said "Oh my God." After being assured that it would be in that night and knowing that I had already eaten, I went into sheer panic. Having already taken my other medicines, I should not have even thought about driving but I immediately asked if I could come right down there and get my RX back. They said yes, and I took off.

It was already after 8pm. I raced. When I got there the man said he didn't know where the RX was at, didn't know where they filed it and it took some other person about 20 minutes just to find it. He didn't even look for it. This RX is very important to me. It is not a common drug, it is a very expensive drug. Have been taking it since May. You can not just stop taking it. I take some of the strongest pills outside of a hospital setting, for pain, this particular medicine is to keep me from waking up in the middle of the night and choking on vomit after eating.

After finally getting the original RX from CVS, I went immediately to my usual pharmacy and they had in stock, enough to keep me going until their shipment would arrive Thursday (as they assured it would, it did).

I have not worked since May 17th because of medical reasons. I am fighting to find out what is wrong with me, to get better, to go back to work, and to not lose my mind. I can't digest food and keep it down. IU Medical even brought up the fact of an eventual feeding tube, down the road. That was not right, what that Pharmacist did to me, panic hit hard, I got so super sick. I had to pull off the road to vomit on the way home. I vomited almost the entire night into the next day ... due to the fact that I ate without the medicine.

So, I contacted the CVS Headquarters and was immediately passed to an area supervisor who returned a call. We both agreed that it was not the way a customer should be treated and he would look into it right away. Next day I called the Store Headquarters again to request the name and job title and the phone number of the Supervisor I talked to. Got the information instantly, just by giving my name. So I called the number and on voice mail I said I was going to follow this through, and would he please return my call. He has not called back as of this writing.

If Mary wants to pursue a complaint against CVS and the pharmacist, she should contact the Indiana State Board of Pharmacy.