Talk > Rants, Raves, and Praise > [Rant] Walmart phamacy

reply to signmeuptoo

Re: [Rant] Walmart phamacy

reply to thegeek

reply to signmeuptoo
You are bashing them because you cant take 3 mins to verify your prescriptions are correct? I'm sorry but as much as I hate walmart I fail to see the logic here.
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Professional student pilot!

reply to John2Jonnie

Re: [Rant] Walmart phamacy

reply to signmeuptoo
All the chain store pharmacies can be pretty bad these days.

It's harder and harder to find a locally owned independent pharmacy, but if they are around, they can be great. And independent pharmacies often are competitive on price, too.

Some states have passed laws ensuring that the healthplans cannot exclude the independents.

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But look (NOT directing this against you personally!), when people started using places like Home Depot and Lowes, that put local hardware stores out of business.

And when people started using chain store pharmacies (especially the superchains like Walmart) that put locally owned pharmacies out of business. And mail order pharmacies have killed local independents too (yes, some customers must use mail order, unfortunately).

So when there is bad service, it shouldn't be a surprise.

reply to Bruschi

Re: [Rant] Walmart phamacy

reply to dvd536

reply to signmeuptoo
Again as I said in my original post, if these meds are so important to your well being why the hell are you waiting until you get home to check them?
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Professional student pilot!

reply to signmeuptoo
I agree with your complaints, but I am not surprised by them.

(Again, this next part is NOT about you personally! )

WalMart is about volume and about pushing the prices so low that the vendors' balls are in a vise.

Now, we all like low prices, but when it means transferring jobs to China, or when it means squeezing American companies so hard that they have to lay off [their] workers, it's not a good thing.

WalMart is so tightfisted that when they make the vendors come to their Arkansas HQ to pay homage and beg to have their products carried by WalMart, they are made to sit on ratty lawn chairs! WalMart won't even provide regular chairs for the visiting businesspeople to sit on! Such is Walmart's disdain and contempt for their fellow businessmen.

WalMart is OK for groceries, socks, and underwear, but I wouldn't buy pharmaceuticals there unless I was limited by my healthplan or by transportation.

This video (Big Box-Mart from the Jib-Jab team) explains it all:
»www.jibjab.com/originals/big_box_mart

Hey, don't go insulting my home state! You obviously are not from the Deep South. It is an "honor" to be offered lawn chairs probably on the patio. I hope you never visit the Big Island as probably our customs will "insult" you also. (I remember the kindness of Sam Walton when I was a small child many years ago and my father paid him a visit when we were in northern Arkansas).

Wal-Mart does not "make" any vendor come to Bentonville to pay "homage" or "beg" for their products to be carried by Wal-Mart. Vendors are free to go to any store they wish. They can choose Target instead of Wal-Mart or CVS, etc. Yes, Wal-Mart is tight fisted but no vendor is forced to do business with them.

How can you possibly claim Wal-Mart is ok for groceries (the staff of life) but not medications? That makes no sense. I don't buy groceries in Wal-Mart as what they offer in our store is the usual garbage products that most Americans are addicted to and determined to eat because they are suicidal (even though they would not admit it...but making garbage your diet is suicidal). The super Wal-Mart (mine is not one) in the town where I grew up has a fine grocery with lots of fresh fruits and veggies as well as the garbage foods so I would shop the fresh fruits and veggies there.

Prescription medications, on the other hand, are the EXACT SAME medication as what you get at any pharmacy if brand name. If generic, I know with my generic drugs, ALL PHARMACIES in this town carry the SAME generic brand of that drug so it doesn't matter which pharmacy I go to. The only difference is whether or not the pharmacy I go to gives me 90 day supply for 30 day price. Many do not do this. They have to make agreements with my Medicare PPO to do this and some do including WalMart but those that don't then the same drug is about 5 times the cost at their pharmacy than it is at the pharmacies that participate with my Medicare PPO. Of course, all the prices are grossly artificially inflated by the pharmaceutical cartels and manipulation of contrived shortages so the price can be jacked up when the supply "returns", etc. (There is also the FDA's total ineptness regarding targeting manufacturers of raw ingredients and the horrific red tape and hoops they must jump through .. partly designed by the pharmeceutical cartels to try and get the compounding pharmacies shut down so patients are forced to get their drug).

I won't buy prescription medication at Target and will only pay cash in that store because of their sick spying on customers (which goes way beyond what other stores do). As for Safeway, who wants to buy medication in a grocery store? I had to get my flu shot there last fall and that was a very crappy experience. There is no privacy there. In Wal-Mart, there are private areas for consultation where you sit down and others can't hear you. Also, here Wal-Mart is the ONLY pharmacy in town that offers delivery of prescription medication. Plus the delivery is FREE OF CHARGE. That is awesome and has alleviated a worry of mine. How would I get medicine if I was too sick to drive to the store? A taxi would be awfully expensive.

I don't think Wal-Mart is perfect but the rabid folks that get into any thread about Wal-Mart make me want to puke. I think the OP has a legitimate gripe and, as I said earlier, I am sorry to hear about such poor treatment. That doesn't mean though that all Wal-Mart pharmacies are evil places to be avoided at all costs. The rabid Wal-Mart haters should just stay the hell out of these threads.
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson

reply to signmeuptoo
My mom takes about that many meds too but here in texas uses the CVS pharmacy. I think she used to use walmart years and years ago though. CVS has been pretty good about filling all her scripts on time and they even do courtesy calls to remind you that they've been filled and to come pick them up. Not quite sure if ghetto-mart does that though.

reply to Mele20

reply to John2Jonnie

quote:

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India

Many drugs in India are manufactured in FDA-approved or inspected facilities. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspects more drug manufacturing plants in India than any other country outside the U.S. However, the drug supply in India is not as strongly regulated as it is in the U.S. and some other economically developed countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom. Consequently, it has a higher rate of counterfeit medication.

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reply to signmeuptoo
I've dealt with a few pharmacies over the years a while back I go to walgreens to pick up a very common medication for acid reflux I talked to the pharmacists he told me they had not gotten there order delivered and he had called a few walgreens in the general area he was straightforward and stated many different pharmacies are running low on med's not only due to a high demand but there are some counterfeit medicines going around getting into big chain and independent shops and evening into hospitals

reply to Doctor Olds

It all depends on where you purchase them, or rather who. I agree, there are many in India that sell out of apartments and who knows where. My support group has members world wide and members in India have checked out the place we purchase from.

In addition there are also members of the group who can have any medication tested. The bottom line is that you have to do your homework.

As an example of price differences: My seizure medication, Trileptal has the generic Oxcarbazepine. Locally here I can purchase a thirty day supply for $435 from Rite Aid. The same thing can be purchased from Walmart for $65, and I purchase a five month plus 2 weeks supply for $97 - and that includes the $20 shipping. I have shown my medication to my Neurologist who has examined them along with what is supplied from Walmart and Rite Aid. Guess what - they are all identical.

Another is my Estrogen. Ten ampoules cost $72 here locally while the ones from India cost $14. And the two are identical, right down to the labeling which shows they were manufactured in India. The only difference I have ever seen was the box they come in. The ones from India are in a plain gray box with black writing - also Heidi writing and maximum allowed selling price. The box sold here in the US is bright white with multicolor printing - and there is also a brochure on the correct way to self inject.

reply to PX Eliezer

reply to signmeuptoo
Why dont you get them by mail???
My insurance would rather I get them by mail through them as it is cheaper for them and me.
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...brought to you by Carl's Jr.

reply to signmeuptoo
Even walmart does home delivery:
»www.walmart.com/cp/Pharmacy-Home···/1042239
Free Home Delivery of Your Prescriptions

Walmart.com offers FREE home delivery of all prescriptions, including 90-day generic prescriptions for $10.* Save time by managing your refills or setting up auto refills online. No gimmicks, just hundreds of medications priced to help you save money.
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...brought to you by Carl's Jr.