Duane Reade

Been coming here for years and have to say that all the workers are very nice and polite. Got a flu shot there today and was in and out within 10 minutes. Really nothing to complain about here.

This Duane Reade is in a prime location and would do really good business if this store wasn’t so sad. I haven’t had any issues with purchasing off-​the-​shelf items but the pharmacy is the worst I’ve ever had to deal with. There’s always a skeleton crew staff there and they never ever have anything in stock so don’t come here if you have an urgent need for a script or if you are in a rush. The main pharmacist on staff (dark haired woman) has no business dealing with customers/​patients at all. If you are fortunate enough to get her to acknowledge your existence, be prepared to receive exasperated sighs, eye rolling, snippy answers and the stone coldest expression you will ever see. Must have been a statue in a former life. Obviously, she ran out of f$&#s to give when the Cold War ended. I only get scripts that I need long term refills on, or ones that my DR can call in out of convenience of location only (and even now I contemplate if I should forget coming here at all). Otherwise, I will drive out to my old neighborhood, where my friendly old staff of Pharmacists know the true meaning of customer care.

This is a decent location. Recently underwent a small renovation. It’s very well lit, kept clean and well stocked. The staff is nice and the best part is it’s not usually busy and they have a parking lot, which, if you’ve ever shopped along avenue U, you know how convenient that is.

This is a nice duane reade, its not huge, but its decent sized.
The people that work here are not so nice though.
Every time i come in here, whether I’m asking for help finding something or if I’m paying at the register, they always give me a hard time and aren’t too polite.
I went here yesterday, and while i was paying the girl asked me if i had a Duane Reade Card, which i do, and i said sorry, but i don’t have the card on me, can you just take my number please. She gave me the most terrible look, and she was like «What, is the card to much for you to carry around with you?» I literally said whoa, i was so shocked.
After I paid, and she handed me my bags, I said thank you have a good weekend, and she literally ignored me, and didn’t say a word, as if she didn’t hear me.

This Duane Reade gets two stars for stock and cleanliness alone. I came here in dire need of some anti-​allergy medication, walked in, found what I needed and headed to the register with the little card-​thingy (apparently 6 $ Sudafed is a hot commodity for those with sticky fingers.) I walked up to an empty register stand, no employees in sight with a few other people waiting impatiently in line looking around… Blast you little-​card-​thingy, you foiled a perfect opportunity at a clean getaway!
A couple minutes later two employees come up drinking beverages, and begin laughing and talking — one behind the counter now and the other leaning on it. Employee on counter picks up phone and begins talking to what seems like her boyfriend while the other is catching on that there is a small mob in front of her hiding in plain sight.
Eventually it’s my turn, and I am told I need to bring the stupid card thingy to pharmacy — my bad I can man up to that one. It says it on the card.
I get to the counter and have to be ID’d, I hand over my government passport because I always get trapped in conversation or weird looks when I give my California drivers license. The employee «helping» me lets out a heavy sigh and says «you don’t have no drivers license? It’s easier for me let me get dat». Don’t… Have no… What? Let you… Get… What? I’ll let the butchering of the English language go.
I pass her my California Driver’s License over, and she lets out another heavy sigh — then asks when it expires. I can let that go too — You don’t see them every day and may not know where the information is so it may be easier to ask. But do you really have to ask me what state it’s from? Seriously? My response (obviously irritated): «California. If you need help spelling it, it is written in huge blue letters across the top of the card.» I think my humor was lost on her.
5 – 10 minutes later I am finally walking away from the register and I am on my way to Happy (anti)Histamine-Land.

Call complaints in to 866−375−6925 — corporate customer service. i usually avoid this place due to the loudmouth immature and inappropriate comments made by a couple of their regular cashiers. Today I needed a difficult prescription to find (brand new dosage of a drug) filled so I figured I would stop in and give it a shot. Apparently one of the pharmacists is also inappropriate and was unwilling to assist me. Completely unacceptable attitude from someone involved in any way with medical care. I filed a complaint; it was fast, easy and the man assisting me on the phone was very nice. I should be hearing back from them.

As far as pharmacy’s go, this one is ok. I have been to nicer DR and walgreens.

Unlike other Unilocalers, I’ve been fortunate enough to never have had an issue with this place. Granted, I mostly stop in to buy basic stuff (e.g. a new toothbrush, soap, etc) or use the Chase ATM. That said, there’s nothing about this place that makes me want to rave about it.

After riding the train on a rainy day, I sometimes run unwillingly in here if my beloved Ka Ka Bakery is overflooded with wet Chinese people.
It’s usually somewhat dim in here and God forbid you find something you actually wanna buy. Good luck trying to convince these workers to do their job and you know — WORK. They visibly argued in front of me as to who’s turn it was on register. Seriously? Be thankful you at least have a job kids and respect your elders; I am 25 now.
Makes the location on Avenue U and Nostrand look like heaven.

Compared to the Duane Reade on U and Nostrand, this one is rather pitiful. Granted, there are actually people at the register most of the time (as opposed to the other DR where you have to wait for someone to page an employee), but the overall store is sub-​par. It’s messy, disorganized, and they don’t seem to hold the same quality of merchandise as the other store, which kind of surprises me. This one strikes me as trying to be a 99-​cent store hybrid, and failing miserably. You’d think being so close to the Q train would boost sales, but for some reason the place is more often than not closed when I pass by. Oh well.