CVS Pharmacy Reviews

I fainted 3 times and drove the car to the mall before I knew this was happening.I fainted at the local Walmart and my children (now grown) picked me up off the floor...we had no idea at this point what caused this. The next day (after making a Dr. appt with my heart Dr, I get the call from CVS saying they filled the wrong medication.

What legal rights do I have? Would I have had to hurt myself or someone else before I can sue or bring any legal action?

Nancy should file a complaint with her state pharmacy board.

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.

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.

My future mother in-law, who is 77 years old lives with me. She still uses CVS even though her prescriptions have been wrong in the past. She at least is of sound mind to notice when this happens. Older people do not like change, but after the following occasion, as of today, she is now going to use the pharmacy I now use. She called in her prescription early on 6/9/04 for **.

Her prescription calls for 60 pills. On the way home from work, my future husband picked up the medication. When he brought it home, she noticed that she only received 30 pills. Reason being is the manufacturer has these pills already sealed with "30 caplets," which is clearly marked on their label. The pharmacist places the CVS label over this label, showing quantity 60. We had called over and explained and they asked him to bring in the prescription back and they would take care of it.

After going to the doctors for my future husband, we stopped in CVS at around 11 PM that night to refill prescriptions that he was given and to pick up hers. That was a 1/2 hour wait, even though no one was in the store at this time. The cashier apologized, gave us the bag and we left. When we got home, my mother-in-law checked, and they still only gave her 1 bottle, the manufacturer's bottle, with only 30 pills and not 60 which is prescribed.

At 11:45 pm the same night, I called over to the pharmacy to speak with the pharmacist. He was very nasty & rude, refused to give me his name. I had to tell him 4 times what was the problem. He then put the phone down on the counter while I was talking to him. When I kept saying HELLO, he then picked it up and said that he was checking on it. He then proceeded to tell me that I had to come in again to show him the bottle, that he couldn't tell from his computer (which now at this time we were having a major lightning storm) and said if I did not want to come back that I could wait until Friday to speak with the pharmacist who filled it in the first place.

(2 more days and my mother-in-law only had 3 pills left!) This person refused to give me his name and I asked him if his name should be on the label, since he filled it that same night. He said yes, but a woman's name was on the bottle. I'm not a lawyer but I thought that the law says that this should be done. (conversation in total was 25 minutes). I was so mad. I called their 800 number the next day. I spoke with a customer service rep who was very polite (kudos to Michelle) and explained what had happened.

She placed me on hold and called the store herself and told me the prescription will be waiting for us. She understood completely how upset I was and does not blame me for not using them anymore and told me that she is turning this over the the "Regional Manager." Needless to say, we could not pick it up on the 10th, the next day, since they had the parking lot closed off for tarring. So we had to wait until FRIDAY the 11th.

On the way home from work, my future husband stopped in to pick it up. He spoke with a "Technician" (which I found out from Michelle, is only a glorified name for cashier) whose name was Venue. He told Venue he was there to pick up a prescription that was called in yesterday. He went to reach a big bag with a yellow paper stapled to the label. He grabbed the bag, walked over to the computer for about 5 minutes, walked back to my future husband, opened the bag, took the medication out, placed it in another bag, stapled a label on it, put it on the shelf, turned around and told my future husband, "you can't have this medication, she already has too much, she will be good until July."

My future husband then explained the situation and told him that headquarter told us the medication would be here. Venue then said to him, "which med did you take out (which was the **)," and wrote it down on a post it note and handed to my future husband and said "I'm sorry I can't give this to you," and turned around and walked away.

I received an e-mail in reference to this at work. I then called back Michelle and told her what happened. She was upset, placed me on hold for about 5 minutes, came back and said she could not get in touch with the store, that it might be busy, but I explained that that was the norm no matter what time it is. I explained that I was going straight there from work and told her I would get the information of whom my future husband had spoked with and would call her back. She said she would keep trying the store and try to get the prescription ready for me by the time I got there (It was 4:45 and I leave at 5).

I went to the store, which the norm has a line about a mile long, and walked up to the front and asked for the manager. (I apologized to those behind me, but we are use to this by now.) When she said he wasn't there I told her to find him. His name is Steve **. I called his name and told him if he received a call from headquarters. He said yes, it was ready, like nothing happened. I asked him if he knew what happened and that the gentleman (Venue) behind him refused to give medication that was asked by headquarters to have ready for us back.

He proceeded to tell me that it was not the prescription which was needed (which it was, we have the post it to prove it). (Now that I was questioning him, he started to get an attitude and tried to walk away from me.) I explained that this was going on for 3 days and he told me this was the first he knew about it. I told him that the pharmacist at night told me I had to come back on Friday to speak with the one who filled it and Steve told me that he was away on vacation and wasn't even there. I told him that this was suppose to be ready the other day, and he told that it wasn't the pharmacist never filled it.

Since I had a captive audience from the start, I said "Isn't it just like this store. You give out wrong medications, which one day this store will kill someone by this action. You don't do what is required from your headquarters when asked, pharmacists don't fill prescriptions when they are suppose to, you wait on line for hours... Those are the reasons why you will never see this name here again and that is why I go to Wayne Pharmacy, where they treat you with respect, know you by name, help you out in any way possible." I then turned to my audience and said, "If you want to have the service you deserve, go there." (Needless to say, some people were shaking their heads in a "yes" manner.) I then left the store and went home....

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.

I had to wait 'til my husband returned to verify that he did drop it off, which he confirmed he left it at the drive-thru window. I called them and "somehow" they managed to find them, filled under the name SARAH **. Where does that come from? How can they fill a prescription and not be able to read the 2 different names printed on them? The 2 prescriptions were clearly printed Carly on one & Sam on the other, but both were filled under "Sarah". Neither the "clerk" nor the pill counter seemed bothered by this "mistake" as they called it and were rather rude when I expressed by aggravation for having to make a second trip due to their "mistake".

My wife & I called Blue Cross & were told the pharmacy could call the customer service # 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 & it would be worry free for us when traveling. We went to a Walgreens in the same area where they called CVS & refilled our prescriptions with no problems. From now on we will get all of our prescriptions filled at Walgreens. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else at this CVS or any other CVS.

Since it was a few minutes past 9 pm, I immediately called the pharmacy and told them I was supposed to get the migraine medicine **. The person I spoke to said this is a new prescription. I said I know, I had my doctor call it in today, she then put me hold. The person that came back was the pharmacist who I told the same thing. She said, "just a minute", then said, "oh, you were supposed to get **. "I'll be here until 9:30, I can correct it either tonight or in the morning." I said, "I'll be there shortly, I need it tonight."

It was 9:25 when I got there and they were pulling down the gate. I handed the incorrect prescription over to the cashier who gave it to the pharmacist. The pharmacist refunded my co-pay right away. I then had to wait another ten minutes for the correct prescription to be filled. The pharmacist handed it to the cashier when finished and said casually, "sorry for the mistake." Because she was so nonchalant, I wanted to make a big deal out of it, but my head hurt too bad.

I spend $160 or more per month for medicine there and thought it was very strange to be treated the way that I was. I am 51 years old and that is the first time that I have ever been given someone else's prescription.

She couldn't go to school for a week. Second week she went a few days and slept and had to be picked up. She couldn't concentrate or function as normal. Second day on medicine had to call 911 because of her neck and left arm drawing close to her body, was afraid she was having a stroke -- hyperventillating, etc. Doctor feels sure this was caused from new medicine given and not having right one at the time.

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.

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 a that should be taken lightly. It took the other pharmacy 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.

According to our physician, she was receiving more milligrams of one item, none of ** and something he had not intended her to receive at all, the **. Our physician said what probably happened was that they searched their computer and found what they believed to be a generic and made the substitution without my or my physician's approval. While in his office, he called the pharmacy and they confirmed the error. They stated that yes, his original prescription stated to dispense ** only. My question is if it was supposed to be a generic, why did it not have the same ingredients? How could CVS have made such a mistake which could affect my child's health? And who's to say that if she had received the correct medicine to begin with, that her illness would not have progressed into pneumonia?! I am appalled and very frightened. It causes me to wonder how many other times have they made this same mistake to me and others.

I called the pharmacy and they confirmed an error had been made. Of course they apologized. I then returned to my doctor for a new prescription to start a new round of medication. My doctor said my infection had worsened because I wasn't getting the correct amount of antibiotic.

She went back home and checked her medicine cabinet and pill box again to make sure she had not made an error. She went back to the store twice to explain to them that she did not have her pill for Tuesday evening May 13th and she would be out. They said she should come back Wednesday May 14th and they would give her her medicine. She explained that she would be missing two doses of her clonidine. They told her they were sorry but that they could not give her her medicine until Wednesday. Even though a pharmacist was present, they did not ask his assistance nor did they offer to call my mother's doctor.

My question is this ... is there no way to have accountability for such a large company and how they teach their employees to handle customers? There seems to be no way to control them. I have three different people in three different states and four separate situations all having the same horrible experience with the same company and the same results..

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.

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.

She became very aggravated, and told me she had just called the 800 # 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 ** 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 your employee bold-faced lie to me when she told me she called my insurance co. 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 your employees 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'm a reasonable person, and I went back to the store today to have another script filled for my 2 yr. 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'm 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 daycare, 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, and not having my business may not put you out of business, but word of mouth is the best type of advertising, and I will tell everyone and anyone about my experience and hopefully it will put a dent in your company.

After that week on the meds prescribed, I contacted my doctor (before returning to work) to find out what was happening to me, as I felt the bronchitis problems had cleared up but felt something else was going. I did not feel in control as I recall. I saw my doctor and he pulled the chart of the day he last examined me with the prescribed meds. I realized that one of the three he prescribed was not what I had received. I told him and he confirmed same. ** was the name of drug on the bottle in question. I had taken the last dosage of all three meds that morning before the appointment with doctor. I recall complaining to my doctor about a metallic taste, hallucinations, incoherency, and dizziness, as I recall. My doctor felt I had been taking some form of opiates.

Later that night I became violently ill as never before in my life. I thought I was dying. Severe body aches (through my bones), excruciating headaches, horrific nightmares, vomiting, and hot and cold flashes. This kept me from sleeping through the night. I feel that I went through some form of withdrawal. I almost attacked my then pregnant wife thinking she was a prowler in the home. She was simply checking on me during the night. She said I jumped straight up in the middle of the bed screaming at her in a panic.

My health worsened over a 3 year period of time. I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression/anhedonia. Tested for Parkinson's Disease. I noticed the inability to recognize pain, frequently told I was bleeding after attempts at outside activity, & be totally unaware of injury. Was referred to a psychiatrist when my primary care physician noticed symptoms of depression. Over time I have been prescribed **. You name it. I've been on it. I drive for a living (double trailer rig) and began experiencing tremors in my hands while driving. Not good with two trailers behind that are affected by the slightest movement of steering wheel.

I overturned the rig 2 years after the prescription error, encountered numerous moving violations while in rig (driving double trailers in the HOV lane). Everybody knows (including I) that big trucks are not supposed to travel in the far left/fast lane of any interstate system. Yet I did it totally unaware of where I was-several times like nothing was out of sort. I encountered several dangerous motorcycle accidents (once blacking out in a mountainous curve). My physician had earlier ordered all forms of tests, MRI, neurological, etc. Nothing was found. I was later diagnosed with enuresis and lost my libido. I've bedwet more than my now four year old son. A portable urinal container resides by the bed, and in all vehicles I own as well as company rig.

As recent as last week, an instant need to urinate struck me while in an elevator. Thankfully I was alone during that accident. I had already lost interest in my favorite foods, hobbies, with minimal patience exhibited to my family. I was not allowed to hold my newborn son (born four months after prescription error) for nearly a year due to the tremors and fear I would drop him on floor in light of all the glassware I was destroying-dropping from my hands at home. I began to have problems with memory, cognitive skills, unable to understand verbal conversations, inability to write letters/emails without gross errors in word choice etc. I'd never had a need to use spell check in my life till then. My writing/speaking skills was something I'd always prided myself on retaining through the years. It became hard to have a conversation with people forgetting what I was saying mid-sentence. I became a recluse to family and friends, unable to enjoy life.

A year after hiring 1st attorney, he sent me a report on the particular pharmacist in my case. It was from the state board of pharmacy in my state indicating that the pharmacist had been investigated by the state previously for stockpiling narcotics at a drug store where he worked. Further investigation found that the same pharmacist was found guilty of & admitted to changing patients' prescriptions without physician approval, dispensing narcotics to known drug abusers, dispensing narcotics to patients with forged prescriptions, dispensing narcotics via prescriptions from an area doctor who knew the prescriptions were bogus, etc.

According to the investigation report, when he was asked why he was stockpiling narcotics-he stated that he was "stockpiling drugs for drug addicts". He also admitted to his own illegal narcotic use and indicated in deposition that he requested confined rehabilitation at one time because he was a threat to himself (as I recall). My attorney gave me the impression that this information was significant to my case.

Then we get to mediation last September & I'm told that pharmacist's prior bad acts cannot be used in my case. My attorney starts taking up for the pharmacist saying that he was not a junkie, just had a drug problem. I don't see the difference when my health is affected by his error. CVS' attorney (in his opening mediation remarks) said that he just happened to have had dinner the night before with a cardiologist who indicated that he does not use the drug listed on the mistaken bottle (**). The alleged cardiologist said that drug is not used because "it does nothing". I don't know of a drug manufacturer in the world that markets a drug that has no effect on people.

I feel that CVS is solely profit driven. CVS was negligent in their hiring process if they knew about my (former) pharmacist background/license suspension/drug addiction. If they did not know about his background/suspension, they are still liable because the information with the state board of pharmacy is public record. If you hire a person with an addiction, wouldn't you place them under random drug testing stipulations, if foolish to hire them in the first place? I probably forgot some details. I apologize as there is so much to tell. I do not believe that CVS has ever had a malpractice case adjudicated against them to the end of trial. If true, I intend for mine to be the first. The disregard for the public by CVS has to cease.

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.

Unfortunately, that all changed on April 22, 2002, when CVS bought us, and we became CVS #5450. I was so disgusted at what happened there, I finally quit yesterday. What happened? Everything imaginable.

They (as in the CVS staff) lost the handwritten prescriptions for several customers. Imagine me (a high schooler) trying to explain to a customer why we don't have your prescription because the techs and pharmacists lost it. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

A majority of the insurance information did not transfer properly, either. So a prescription that would normally cost a person $5 all of a sudden is priced at over $200, with me trying to explain it to the customer. We have also a customer come to our store 8 times in one week to attempt to get 3 prescriptions.

Do I blame him for being upset and yelling and flipping out at our techs and pharmacisits? No I do not. I could spend even more time telling you every thing that has happened, but the point is CVS is a chain that does not care about their customers. I am very surprised that I could not find CVS in the Rogues Gallery, because that is the only place where CVS belongs.

If Michael checks again, he'll find CVS in the Rogues Gallery.

I was not able to stop and pick it up as planned and the weekend off meant I would not be back 'til the next week. I called the Lorain CVS 12/15/00 and asked if my prescription could be transferred to their location. The pharmacist on duty (Woody **) advised me that even though I had been taking the medication for some time, since the doctor called it in, it was considered a new prescription and had to be filled at the location it was phoned into. I explained to him what I was taking & that if I waited 'til the following week to pick up, it would mean me not taking it for a few days. He took my phone # and said he would see what he could do.

About a 1/2 hr later he phoned me and verified my information and said he would fill the prescription. I picked up the prescription and continued to take as prescribed. Throughout a course of a week I started having symptoms that were not there before. I became frequently nauseous and extremely anxious & very emotional. I was getting angry over the smallest things and I felt something was wrong. I began reading the information enclosed in my prescription and looking at my "bottle" of pills and realized I had been taking ** for almost 2 weeks. The pharmacist had put a label for a prescription of ** on top of a bottle containing ** and I immediately quit.

He returned home and showed us the receipt for the monitor which should have been $59.99 (as advertised). However, the store charged us over $90 for this item. I went back to the store to straighten out the problem. After a long wait at the counter, I received slow and apathetic service from an untrained 20-year-old. He insisted the monitor I was talking about was a different model from what was advertised in the brochure.

Once he finally realized that the monitors in the brochure and in my hands were indeed one and the same, he refunded the money and sent me to the front register to re-purchase the instrument. Why he couldn't simply refund the difference, I don't know - he insisted he must give me a full refund and that I had to pay for the monitor up front. This would not have been a problem had the front cashier been informed of what was going on. I went through the exact same procedure at the front counter; the same inexperienced 20-year-old came to fool with the register, and as it turns out, the correct price had never been entered into the main computer. Therefore, anyone else who tried to purchase the sale monitor would have paid over $40 more than they were supposed to.