Walgreens

I am only giving this a 5 star review for the absolutely NICE guy that welcomed customers into the store, checked out my items like he was HAPPY to do so, and I left glad I came in. This was at 2:00 on a Sunday afternoon, do not know his name, but wow! Folks behind the counter, taking my money AND being nice? Refreshing!

My first experience at the new Walgreens was not the best. The pharmacist was not helpful at all. She did not listen to me and was very patronizing. She only entered one of my three prescriptions through my insurance and I only found that out because I left upset with her and called my insurance company and they informed me of that fact. I was going to be charged full price for my prescriptions. I went back and spoke to a pharmacy tech who was much nicer. I, however, had to speak to the original pharmacist before I left. She again was patronizing and rude. CVS down the street might make mistakes a lot but they have always been very nice. Customer service goes a long way.

I’m 39 years old. STOP asking me for my ID every time I come in there for cigarettes. And tell me the point of calling in a prescription when I still have to wait 20 minutes after I get there to get my Meds. And why is that ATM machine still not fixed? It takes 5 minutes to take out $ 20. That is ridiculous.

The pharmacists here were extremely friendly, informative and helpful. I went to get a flu shot because Walgreen’s is participating in the effort to get those without insurance or who are under insured vaccinated for the flu. I really appreciate that. Got my shot and am prepared for flu season now.
While I was there I also shopped the cosmetics department. I was asked if I needed help finding anything much in the same way I would expect from a department store which I didn’t expect. Normally one would just wander around a store like this looking for ages before finding what one is looking for. The sales clerk was super friendly and helped me make a return of nail polish as well.
I would say this Walgreen’s is a class act.

Walgreens, I go here to avoid the grocery store. I get some great hair products from here too.

This Walgreens is a dead hooker in the back of my car. Or at least it’s going to be, when I stab it in the eye and drag it out there.
The events:
1. go to doctor, get prescription.
2. decide walgreen’s is closer to new home than delicious, familiar randall’s.
3. walk in. if the bigass cow with the creepy, veiny udders taking up parking spaces isn’t enough, the staff and the pharmacist running around like they’re on crack behind the counter should have let me know attention to detail is nobody’s strong suit there.
4. drop off prescription.
5. try to come back at 6;30 pm to get it. the cars in line are taking 10 minutes each in the drive thru, and i have somewhere to be. i drive away
.
6. after my somewhere to be, i return. woman at the window (who waited on me the first time) doesn’t remember me and can’t get my name right. they find my prescription.
they didn’t fill ti because they’re out of it.
they tell me they tried to call me. this is absolute bullshit. they had the right number and tried calling my cellphone, which did not ring all evening.
they make me sit there for 15 minutes while they somehow manage to take that long to call 2 walgreens and see if the medication is not. WHICH THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE BEFORE I GOT THERE if they had it together.
the whole time i’m sitting in the car freaking out cause i need my meds. while they’re in there talking and laughing as i sit there. no idea what took so long.
no other store has my meds. i ask for my prescription back and they try to tell me they’ll «have it tomorrow» like i’m going to deal with their shit again.
totally unprofessional. totally doesn’t care about the customer or that they’re dealing with the HEALTH of the people they wait on. totally there for a paycheck and don’t give a shit about anyone else. i’m mad and i’m blowing off steam here because if i call corporate, corporate isn’t going to care either. that’s what walgreens is all about. if the WAL in the name doesn’t give it away, going to this location one time surely will.
additional note for clarity: this walgreens and its employees can suck a fart out of my asshole.

Alright – 1 ½ stars, really? I don’t think this Walgreens is getting a fair shake.
OK, first of all, another reviewer writes «Walgreen’s on McNeil isn’t near the pricey Arboretum and Great Hills — so for us working class folk — we’re paying a dollar cheaper.» Us «working class»? Uh, I live around here and am hardly «working class». Maybe all those price hikes are in your head, because I shop at both and never noticed a difference; prices are set by corporate and for the most part are pretty much in line. Bashing the Arboretum is soooo late 90’s.
Anyways, with that said, I have a special place in my heart for this Walgreens as this was where I had my first real job the summer before college. I think what I mean by «special place in my heart» is that I absolutely, positively despised working here, and only did so when my parents insisted I try out «the real world» and «show some responsibility». If cleaning shitty toilets, mopping floors, and checking out condoms and enema bags to people is the real world, then clearly, I want no part of it. There’s something so traumatic about the experience of being knee deep in pee pads during a shelving reorganization that I haven’t quite been able to shake it, even more than a decade later. I mostly just pretended to work, while talking to my coworkers and mutilating a Furbee with a razor blade behind the counter. And this was back when that singing fish on a plaque was popular, so some moron would push the button once every few minutes; this went on for months and nearly drove me to the brink of sheer insanity. Finally, one day I left for my lunch break, and as of 9/01/2011…I’m still on it.
However, as a customer on the other side of the counter, I’ve never been disappointed (although I still find myself facing items on the shelves sometimes; old habits die hard). Cigarettes are so much cheaper here, and with a coupon I can get Camels for just over $ 3 sometimes. I rarely pay attention to the staff (and would never admit to having worked there myself), but there’s one really sweet girl who makes conversation every time I see her. One time, she said we needed to do a rain dance to stop the drought; the next time, she was sniffing her blueberry scented fingernail polish. She’s remarkably upbeat; I admire that.
The store is clean and well-​organized, although perhaps lacks that «polish» of the newer Walgreens on Anderson Mill or Slaughter. I find sometimes my sleep aids, soap, or $ 8 Rembrandt whitening toothpaste is cheaper here than at HEB. For some reason, I’m always let down by their greeting card section. No trip is complete without me being both disgusted and amused by the designer imposter perfumes. If you like Ralph Lauren® Romance®, you’ll love our «Being Together». Really? Or how about If you like Unforgivable® Sean John®, you’ll love our «Bring It!» My favorite: If you like Clinique® Happy®, you’ll love our «Wanna Play?» Blech.
They sell beer and wine now, something that people requested – nay, constantly bitched about – during my stint there when it was still a dry store. «CVS sells it, why don’t you?» some drunk would always slur at me. It says «Junior Sales Associate» on this God-​awful nametag, sir, not «Vice President of Purchasing Decisions». Then they’d mutter and ask in a scratchy voice formed by a hard life for a pack of Pall Malls.
I went for my flu shot today. It was $ 26, but I have one of those Walgreens discount cards. I didn’t even bother to see if my health insurance would pay for it, I just threw it on the Express Pay and called it a night. The form to fill out takes two minutes and you have the option to notify your primary care doctor if you so choose. I waited just a few minutes for the pharmacist.
It looks as if the blonde female pharmacist has moved on to other pursuits, leaving in her place a new male pharmacist that I’ve decided is actually really very cute. He has a certain sweet personality about him and a tan that makes him what I like to call «husband cute». And he *was* wearing a wedding ring. Damn.
He called me into the little room and asked if I had any questions about my flu shot. I wanted to ask something along the lines of «How hard are you going to stick that in me?», but I was tired, and didn’t want to scare him off too quickly. One prick, and it was all over with. I hope that’s not how it would really be.
In summary: for flu shots, cigarettes, random toiletry crap, a cute pharmacist and aisles full of memories, this Walgreens will always be my first stop.

So — I used to frequent this Walgreens a lot since it is conveniently located for me.
A few weeks ago, I was in line to pick up a prescription — I saw a somewhat slow individual (possibly from a foreign country — since his english wasn’t the best) having a few questions about his refills. I also saw, to my disgust, the pharmacist, getting completely impatient with him (there was not even a big line (just me and another person in the line). She tried to make him feel like he didn’t know what he was talking about — and in effect, did not address his questions. His questions were simply related to his co-​pay — and whether he would need to co-​pay three times (since his prescription could only be meted out ¹⁄₃^rd at a time).
It seemed like a reasonable question — but instead of answering it, she started chiding him for suggesting that he wanted to see if he could get his whole prescription there and then. A bit unprofessional, I thought.
On another occasion, I witnessed another pharmacist (this time a man) also present himself somewhat rudely with a different patient.
I don’t know if they are all overworked and/​or sleep deprived (even if they are, it doesn’t justify their behavior), but for me, this Duval Walgreen’s is quickly becoming the ‘Short-​Tempered, Irritable Pharmacists Coalition’.
It’s too bad — since the location used to really work for me.

Go elsewhere if you are sick and need a prescription. 100+ temp, Dr. called in med. Go in about an hour after the Dr. visit — told — oh, it won’t be ready for another hour. Myabe 40 minutes if you sit and wait. So, I go home and come back one and a half hours later. Coughing like crazy. Sitll made to sit for 40 minutes while they «work on it». Well, you can see who is working and who is chatting. I do apologize to the other customers who now probably have my flu. Switch your scrips to the HEB across the street. They are fast and don’t lie about when your stuff is ready.

Here’s a tip — if you shop at the 24 hour walgreens down by Duval and 183 — you are probably paying a dollar more for just about everything — yes the Walgreen’s on Mc Neil isn’t near the pricey Arboretum and Great Hills — so for us working class folk — we’re paying a dollar cheaper. Minus one star because its not open 24 hours — only open ’til midnight and another star since its Walgreen’s; then again the days of the Rexall drug store — or corner drug store — well that was then.