The time it blessed takes for a prescription to be filled?!

[Looklively]

Am I the only person that can’t quite understand why, when there is no queue, and apparently three members of staff plus the pharmacist (hiding) behind the counter it still takes an eternity for someone to serve me, and then another lifetime for them to fill the script?? I wouldn’t mind but this happens every single time at every pharmacy I’ve tried recently, and I was collecting medication that had been prescribed and sent by the doc (he checked it had been sent whilst I was at the surgery) at least four hours previously - I even received a text to say that it was ready! And why, when all I’m doing is confirming my name/ address are they so damn surly? Am I just really entitled for thinking that these people don’t really understand the idea of expediency/ efficiency/ customer service? It takes less time to collect my orders from next - and they are almost always friendly and usually only have one or two people on hand.

I just wish if you had a walk in they would be realistic about how long it will be. DS had to have steroids for his breathing a fair bit when younger, and I'd drop it off and say shall I come back later (even though that's not good as he needed them as soon as possible but didn't want to put pressure on them)- no it'll be a few minutes so I'd wait. And wait. It reaches a point you think I've waited this long no point going now, it's stressful when your child is struggling to breathe and you want them to have it ASAP to try and avoid yet another hospital admission- saying it'll be a few minutes when it will take longer makes it much more stressful. They also always mess up my dad's prescription which is supposed to be on the auto ordering (they are all 2 month supplies so all should come in at the same time), I've said please can I take it and put the repeat in manually, oh no this helps us with planning etc please leave it in. Every time. I have started driving to the town over where they're not all miserable and seem to be more open about communicating. Also sad but not surprised to see the comments by pharmacy staff about methadone users, I'm sure it's the highlight of their day going in for their scripts . Almost as if it would be more effective for the government to address social issues that often lead to drug use, or invest in effective rehab eh. But let's look down on these people obviously having a whale of a time.

I agree especially when you ring up beforehand and they say it is ready for collection. What I do notice though that most pharmacists bar a few seem to have this snotty attitude and believe me I am always nice and polite and if it is not ready will say no worries and will wait or call back later. Maybe they are all just miserable in their jobs.

I've always found pharmacists in supermarkets/ chemists really good and you can't blame them if it takes time for them to sort a prescription that's just been handed to them. But our GP has an attached pharmacy that is apparently only for their patients in rural areas . Pre-covid it was good because if you saw a GP the prescription would be sent straight there and you could pick it up 15 mins later.

Now they operate through an open window with a box on the end of a 2 m stick whilst you stand out in the rain. DH orders his repeat prescriptions from the GP and you have to allow 7 days between ordering and collecting and even then sometimes they aren't ready.

Baffles me because the pharmacy is part of the GP surgery. I think I'd actually rather just be given the prescription and go elsewhere so that I don't have to wait in the rain. And asking the pharmacist for advice is impossible when it's through a window 2 metres away!

We had a good system during the pandemic which prevented people hanging around in the surgery and the pharmacy next door. Patients would order their prescription and we would advise them it will be sent to the pharmacy and it would be ready in 4 working days. The patient would go to the pharmacy, pick up their meds and off they would go.

Because of staff shortages at the pharmacy and more services being offered, flu and covid jabs, and patients not ordering in time they have stopped the scripts of patients ordering their own medication doing this. The surgery has become busier with people picking up their scripts and people are having to wait at the pharmacy. We do tell them they can use any pharmacy though.