Complain about a product or service

Florida Pharmacy

Florida NY

Kathleenof Westbrookville NY (6/24/03):
I dropped off a prescription for GUIFED (allergy medicine) a week ago. I have been taking this medication for many years. Pharmacist on duty said they didn't have it, but would order it. Said it would be there the next day. I explained, no rush, I'm having allergy testing and cannot take the medicine until next week anyway. No problem, it will be here waiting for you.

Went to pick it up today, and was told by front cashier they couldn't get it. She gave no explanation why and could not answer any of my questions. I asked why I was not contacted, she couldn't answer that either. I asked to see the Pharmacist so I could find out what the problem was. He was on the phone. I insisted on waiting. He kept me waiting 40 minutes, and I was certain he was avoiding me. He was very vague in answering my questions about his inability to get the medication. I asked if he had ordered it, he said yes, but it didn't come in. I asked when it would, and he said it wouldn't. I asked why, and he couldn't answer the question and said he couldn't get the medicine.

I asked if they still make it, he said he is sure they do. I asked why he couldn't get it then. He couldn't answer me. I asked if there was another medicine similar. He said he didn't know. My frustration is building at this point because I feel he is not being truthful. At some point, he said he didn't know what that medicine was. I said when I had come in last month to see what I could get over the counter that was similar to the prescription Guifed while I waited for an apointment with my ENT, he produced a bottle of Guifessen and showed me that Sudafed non-drowsy would be the nearest in active ingredients. Which I purchased while I waited to see my ENT. Guifed is pretty much the same thing. (Perhaps generic)

Why would a pharmacist tell me he ordered something,when he didn't know what it was, and that he couldn't get it, but didn't know why. All of those statements contradict each other. I feel perhaps insurance reimbursement rates had something more to do with his not getting this medicine...or something I can't begin to conjure up.

Now, I have a "crazy" call into my physician to find out if I need to get a different medicine. Meanwhile, this is the medicine that works for me, and I have to call around to see if there is a problem in getting this medicine elsewhere. I feel as though people are in jeopardy utilizing this pharmacy.