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Richard Prentice
706 1/2 Pleasant ST
Walla Walla Wa 99362
PH: [protected]
Rite Aid Store
2028 E Isaacs Ave
Walla Walla Wa 99362
ATTENTION: CORPORATE
RE: PHARMACY STAFF RUDE AND UNPROFESSIONAL
On 6/29/23 I phoned Rite Aid ahead of time to verify closing time. Due to my work schedule I had to take time off work to get there by closing. I have received several text messages indicating my prescriptions were ready for pick up until June 30th. As has happened multiple times before I encountered rude staff, the same ones as before. After a short wait I got to the counter at approx five minutes before 7 (close). To my chagrin only one was filled and ready. They are very much aware that I require a certain stomach medicine and they always seem to never have it ready. So I asked very kindly why it wasn’t ready when I have it on auto-refill and received a text confirmation that it was ready. The assistant says she doesn’t know but I will have to come back another day because they are closing soon. So I asked the pharmacist why and she replied “Rite Aide has decided not to due auto-refills on that”. So I asked why that was and if they could take a moment to refill it for me since it was not my mistake and that I have to take time off and go out of my way to pick up medicine that I have been notified is ready, and she replied “We know you’ve complained about us and if you aren't happy with our service you are free to go to another pharmacy”. And I asked again why I received the messages saying it was ready, and I was given no response so I said can you not just fill it now since there was a mistake made, nobody from Rite Aid contacted me to say it wouldn't be filled. At this point the assistant said “ It is not our job to contact you about that. Look, if you don’t like it why don’t you just go to another pharmacy instead?” I then asked the pharmacist if I could speak to the manager, and she said “I am the manager”. And I said I mean I would like to speak to the store manager, and instead of calling the manager on duty she said “I am the pharmacy manager and the store manager has no authority over me”. I then said very calmly I will be contacting the store manager and relay everything you said. She replies “We’ve already talked to him about you”. Also I need to point out that I had to once again spend over $20 of my money out of pocket to pay for over the counter medicine that my insurance is supposed to cover, that I had been told was ready, and I took my personal time to pick up before closing. Also I find it VERY hard to believe the store suddenly decided they have a policy against auto-refilling my stomach medicine. Based on their response I believe they are doing this as a reprisal for my previous complaint, which is inexcusable. I have never once arrived near closing expecting them to fill a medicine that I had not already been notified would be ready. Also, given the mistake was theirs it is my belief they could have and should have taken a few minutes to fill it. I know from past experience it only takes them about 5 or 6 minutes to fill it because it is just a factory enclosed container .
Lets go back to my previous complaint, just a few months ago. I had made half a dozen trips to pick up my stomach medicine and the assistant every time told me they didn’t have the prescription for my stomach medicine. Which I knew wasn’t true because I had been getting it auto-filled for several years. So I even made a special trip to Walla Walla Clinic and the nurse called to talk to them and right away they tell her they have it no problem. The same day I got there ten minutes to close and the first thing that happened was the assistant says “YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES”. No Hi, hello, how van I help you, just plain rudeness. Then she briefly looks at her computer and says they don’t have it. I explained the whole thing about the nurse calling etc, and she gets annoyed and says okay I’ll check again and taps real fast on her computer, like almost fake tapping. Then says its not ready and that I’d have to come back another day. I tried to explain to the pharmacist now, the circumstances and multiple trips and talking to the nurse and how they said it would be ready and the assistant ignores me like im not even there and slams they card reader on my hand (ostensibly to get it out of the way of the rolling cage door), but hurts my hand in the process, then she walks around and slams the rolling door down right while I’m trying to talk to the pharmacist. That is when I went to speak to the manager on duty and he said he was extremely sorry and that he saw the entire thing and would report it to the store manager. After speaking to the store manager (Scott Simkins) on the phone he said he would make sure it never happened again and was very apologetic. I explained that (at that time) I would not like to get anyone fired but that I felt strongly this was serious and unprofessional misconduct that needed to be addressed. The very next day though, they suddenly told me they were out of stock, and when I pointed out it was on the store shelf they said that I was trying to fill it too soon, which I double checked with my doctor AND my insurance and that turned out to be a lie, or just plain incompetence. Also, it turned out they DID have the prescription the whole time and just couldn’t find it on their computer. In addition the last time I was there to pick it up they tried telling me AGAIN they didn’t have it and tried to say the prescription was canceled by my doctor (which I knew was not true) but I was able to insist they take more time to figure it out, and low and behold they found the prescription, but I still had to wait for it to be filled when it was supposed to be ready, and I received no apology.
I have always been a good, loyal customer and I realize mistakes happen but nobody deserves to be treated this way. And it happens repeatedly and the response that no one is in charge of them and that I should just take my business elsewhere is COMPLETELY UNNACEPTABLE. At this point it is my extreme hope that in the future I do not have to endure such extreme misconduct from your pharmacy staff.
Sincerely,
Richard Prentice
