To want to shout from the rooftops at how shite Boots Pharmacies are?

[wineoclocktimeye]

They have:

• without my permission, set up some electronic system meaning my prescription goes directly to them
• when I query and tell them to cancel it, say they have but then don't!
• get the wrong brand of drugs TWICE, despite having a note on the system
• And to cap it off, when the above happens, be so spectacularly unhelpful and rude.

And based on the comments of the people in the queue behind me, i am not alone.

STAY CLEAR!

I maybe being unreasonable but I'm not well (hence the need for the bloody prescriptions) and their attitude totally stinks.

That sounds frustrating, and the last thing you need when you are ill.

We have big issues with Co-op pharmacy, they never have any items in that we need.
The worst offender is the one at the hospital. It is the only place we can get the prescriptions that are issued by the hospital Drs - so like Dermatology prescriptions from the clinic. So if they don't have the items in stock we can not take the script elsewhere. Instead we have to wait for the items to come in, and go back in for them a few days later. Which is very annoying as our hospital is not on our usual route, so we have to go out of our way.
Last time the lady in front of us in the queue got visibly upset that she would have to return, she was elderly and struggling to walk with a walking frame. she explained it would be 2 buses for her (she could get hospital transport for clinic appointments but not to collect prescriptions) to get there. The staff said there was nothing they could do.
Some of the Consultants hate it too, they end up ringing the pharmacy and asking whether they stock the items, and if they have any available. If not they try to prescribe something else if possible that is in stock, which is not always possible.

I tried a local co-op pharmacy near our home (usually use an independent pharmacy but their car park was full so thought I would give co-op a chance). I needed Epipens and Salbutamol inhalers. They had neither in stock at all. I was disgusted. Epipens and inhalers should be the bear minimum they have in stock.

Because of the above I will avoid Co-op wherever possible!

Boots are rubbish in every way. Lost a CD with what could have been my only copy of a photo they were supposed to be putting on a mug. And getting hold of anyone in the branch was a nightmare. Stay away.

See our local Boots pharmacy is fantastic - have gone above and beyond to help re my frail and ailing father and couldn't have been more helpful to my friend and her family when her mum was dying over the last few weeks.

I've had awful experiences with them too. The staff are nice but it seemed to be a complete mess behind the scenes and it left me in a horrible position. I'll never let them handle my repeat prescription again.

I had a fantastic experience with them last week. Developed cystitis when I was on holiday (in the UK). They have a service where you can give them a sample, they test it there and then and give you antibiotics.... It really helped. (Bet a Boots woman dreamt up that service).

Ah Boots... 20mins to even get served then 20min wait for prescription then 12 yr old chemist says to me before handing it over .. "so you have some still at home looking at last prescription". (Long pause, looks at me accusingly). No sherlock/and your point is? Of course i have, i am not going to wait til i am down to one/none now for something thats ongoing & long term. I just gave my death stare and he then handed it over. I now go to independant round the corner, run by Polish twin brothers. 2min wait to be served then 2mins to get the prescription. And they do the Camay soap i cant find anywhere else for 50p a bar!

wine let me know when and we could get a little choir going!!

Boots are getting worse, and they are being bought out by American drugstore chain Walgreens.

They are also removing all of the Advantage Card kiosks in all stores.

no need i already know through bitter experience promises of medication check medication in? nope its okay instead of taking two tablets a day take 8 of these lower strength ones instead we will get them in for a few days time medication ordered? ummm nope!

inhaler ordered right strength? nope double the dosage go back to complain looked at like cant you just you know take half the dose? yes i can if i had been made aware!

round three childs prescription for piriton with childs dosage on prescription mysteriously gets changed to adult dosage this was to be given during school time and they wont allow me to pencil in my own corrections (health and safety) and i need a bottle with a label on to give to her in school so they can get the right dosage so i go back i need the CORRECT dosage on the label and it needs to be printed on not biro they couldn't do it my doctor had to do a whole other prescription and instructed me NOT to take it there!

Agree, the boots near me is always chaotic, queues everywhere, incompetence and mistakea all over the place, unfriendly and has the air of a system close to collapse.

Ive given up as its impossible for me to access, as i cant stand for more than a few seconds, and they refuse to accept i have to sit and still have a place in the queue. It's almost like they can't understand how sick and disabled people need medicine - quelle horror 'ill person needs drugs' shocker!

Anyway, the pestle and mortar round the corner is efficient and sensibly run.

the best chemist was the one who had my phone number im kind of infamous for dropping off a prescription at one of the many many pharmacists in our area and forgetting which one they had my phone number from an issue with my nans script and called me sweetly asking if i had forgotten (pause) again they were lloyds right by my nans when i used to clean for her i dropped mine off and wandered home!

My local pharmacy (lloyds) is attached to my surgery. Only once in 7 years have they not had my migraine meds and even then it was in the next day and I recieved a phone call to pick it up. The most annoying thing though is this new ordering system for repeat prescriptions.
You're supposed to hand your script in to reception (upstairs) then 2 days later it's ready and waiting for you downstairs at Lloyds. It is NEVER there. I have to go upstairs and go through the charade where they search for it in the mini filing cabinet, the net bag that goes downstairs (it was in that once), and then finally they ask my details, look on the computer screen quizzically, wince, then ask when my last issue was, ring the meds manager who isn't there, ask if I have enough left to last until tomorrow (I do now having gotten so used to this faffing around), go back next day where it's either upstairs or downstairs ( there's no rhyme or reason to it) and get my meds handed over by the lovely lady in lloyds who asks me if I'd considered moving over to the new system that will soon be compulsory? :o
is it so hard to believe that someone on tramadol that has to take 2 four times a day would consider putting the script in early "just in case". I asked to be removed from this automatic thing as it causes me more hassle than the traditional "hand it in and comeback in two working days" thing.

Ha! Boots' online prescription request thing is dire.

Filled out the online form. Three and a half weeks later I got an email to tell me the prescription was ready for collection. By which time I'd rung the gp myself, collected a paper prescription and collected it from another pharmacy. Who on earth wants to wait three and a half weeks for a prescription? Convenience my arse.

Yep, totally agree boots prescription 'service' is truly rubbish. I thought it was just our local branch but now I know why head office were so relaxed when I complained about our branch - they must be used to complaints from branches all over the country.

And I've just realised I have never received a response to my complaint.

YADNBU!

I have to go to one later.

Two branches of boots are the only pharmacies in our small town.

They too somehow magically obtain these repeat prescriptions from the surge, and distribute them randomly between them, resulting in a huuuuge wait in one, followed by some painfully SlowLooking For The Medicine; ask someone else, more Slow Looking, oh, not here, must be the other one; head up there, more queue, more Slow Looking, oh, we have some of it, not all, and do you know how to take them, and we've phoned paediatrician to say too many on this prescription, so that you will have to endure this fucking irritation again sooner, and could you pop back when we have the rest of the order in...?

Oh, and here is a receipt for the juice/lollipop you bought to keep you and dcs from exploding with waiting, and look, you get money off some shit skin products, and an online survey of our shop to win more crap and wtaf do you think I would actually put on that survey if i ever did fill it in rather than scrap it immediately to try to forget...

That feels better, actually. Cathartic, thanks OP ??