pharmacists delivering????!!!

[highlyfavored]

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I saw a sign in a grocery store that said if you are sick we will deliver your medication (delivery charges apply). So, who's delivering? Surely the pharmacist is not riding around dropping off meds. I have never seen a sign like this before.

So what do you guys think...do you think this feeds into the public's view of pharmacy being like fast food (drive thru windows and all)?

 

[PharmacyStud]

The pharmacy I work at has delivering. It actually is an awesome idea, it benefits mostly the seniors. A lot of seniors can't leave their house and we usually just send a delivery boy with the medicine. But sometimes, we have to deliver to people that are too lazy to get out of the house, which gets to us sometimes.

 

[sdn1977]

Actually, yes, we do utilize a delivery service - and...no...as a pharmacist I don't do the deliveries. Our deliveries are for seniors and those who have illnesses or circumstances (severe COPD-O2 dependent, mental illness) which preclude them coming in. We are supposed to charge, but we don't....its just a service we offer. No..we don't deliver other stuff - like toothpaste or kleenex...just medications.

 

[DrugDealer]

All CVS pharmacies in Rhode Island deliver at least once a week. Some of the busier stores deliver twice a week, and I think this service is free of charge.

 

[highlyfavored]

The pharmacy I work at has delivering. It actually is an awesome idea, it benefits mostly the seniors. A lot of seniors can't leave their house and we usually just send a delivery boy with the medicine. But sometimes, we have to deliver to people that are too lazy to get out of the house, which gets to us sometimes.

How much is the delivery charge?

 

[npage148]

My rite aid in the buffalo delivers daily. We use an outside service that delviers for a couple of pharmacy. We only deliver Rx medicine, nothing else. The delvery person requires that persone be there in person and there is no delivery charge. Rite aid eats the cost. It works out pretty good, but some customers get pissy becasue we dont know when he will show up(depends on his daily route) and other stuff. But these are the people you can never make happy.

 

[alwaystired]

I saw a sign in a grocery store that said if you are sick we will deliver your medication (delivery charges apply). So, who's delivering? Surely the pharmacist is not riding around dropping off meds. I have never seen a sign like this before.

So what do you guys think...do you think this feeds into the public's view of pharmacy being like fast food (drive thru windows and all)?

The pharmacy that I intern at for school is on the strip (Las Vegas) and they offer a delivery service to the hotels. It is for a fee ($15 or $25 depending on time of day and if it is a holiday). People never blink an eye to pay it because they would otherwise have to take a cab to pick up their medication and that could easily come to $15.

I understand that it is a good service for home-bound people, but I think it may lower people's opinions of the pharmacy. I love when they ask for other items too. (people also do this in the drive thru----they want you to go get them some otc items and once i had some one come through the drive thru for OTC only ) Back on subject, I don't like the idea of delivering new prescriptions b/c the patient usually doesn't recieve any counseling or the opportunity to ask questions.

 

[wheelsonfire]

I saw a sign in a grocery store that said if you are sick we will deliver your medication (delivery charges apply). So, who's delivering? Surely the pharmacist is not riding around dropping off meds. I have never seen a sign like this before.

So what do you guys think...do you think this feeds into the public's view of pharmacy being like fast food (drive thru windows and all)?

My uncle owns a small, independent pharmacy in Arkansas and he makes his living on deliveries. He recently bought a Prius for his tech to deliver meds to his customers and it saves gas and he gets a tax break. This is one of the ways he fights the big chains that have moved into town such as Wal-Mart and Walgreens. I think it's a great idea and a great service. The drive-thru is MUCH worse than a delivery service to me.

 

[highlyfavored]

The pharmacy that I intern at for school is on the strip (Las Vegas) and they offer a delivery service to the hotels. It is for a fee ($15 or $25 depending on time of day and if it is a holiday). People never blink an eye to pay it because they would otherwise have to take a cab to pick up their medication and that could easily come to $15.

I understand that it is a good service for home-bound people, but I think it may lower people's opinions of the pharmacy. I love when they ask for other items too. (people also do this in the drive thru----they want you to go get them some otc items and once i had some one come through the drive thru for OTC only ) Back on subject, I don't like the idea of delivering new prescriptions b/c the patient usually doesn't recieve any counseling or the opportunity to ask questions.

This is what I was thinking, too. I mean pharmacists talk about wanting respect and all. I realize they can't change this, b/c the company is offering this service. However, it's not like I can call up my MD and say "I'm not feeling well, and I can't make it to your office to get a Rx. Could you send someone to my house to drop it off?"

 

[npage148]

However, it's not like I can call up my MD and say "I'm not feeling well, and I can't make it to your office to get a Rx. Could you send someone to my house to drop it off?"

That happens way more than most people realize. People call their docs all the time and cry that they want an RX cause they are sick and he phones it in.
I feel that deliverying isnt making people think less of us. Its no different than a doctor making house calls or the office mail scripts to the patient or pharmacy. Its a service that some pharmacys provide that help customers.

 

[DrugDealer]

(people also do this in the drive thru----they want you to go get them some otc items and once i had some one come through the drive thru for OTC only )

I once had a lady come through the drive-thru to pick up her scripts and ask for 2 bags of Tostitos. I was flabbergasted and had not yet come up with a polite response when she said, "They should be back there. I called yesterday and they said they would put them by the drive-thru." Sure enough, I had been stepping around them all day. I just thought they were go-backs from someone who changed their mind.

I've had folks ask me for OTCs at the drive-thru, too, but I don't mind that. I'll come back with 4 flavors of throat lozenges and ask which they prefer.

 

[highlyfavored]

I once had a lady come through the drive-thru to pick up her scripts and ask for 2 bags of Tostitos. I was flabbergasted and had not yet come up with a polite response when she said, "They should be back there. I called yesterday and they said they would put them by the drive-thru." Sure enough, I had been stepping around them all day. I just thought they were go-backs from someone who changed their mind.

now, that's funny.

 

[tennismn]

My father had his own independent pharmacy for 20 years in a rural town, and he delivered all the time. Even when Wal Mart and the grocery stores moved into town, his customers stayed put. I drove with him a couple of times when he did deliveries. It was mainly to seniors.

The other thing that was great was that he would open his pharmacy after hours if it was for a small child - he hated seeing children have to wait for meds until the next day. I think that won him a lot of customers too. That didn't happen very often, but those are the things customers remembered.

 

[michele_107]

The pharmacy I work at delivers every day, for FREE! It's just a nice service to offer the customers that may not be able to get to the pharmacy to pick up their medication. Obviously, the pharmacist doesn't do the actual delivery, one of the cashiers does. But, I don't think it makes the pharmacy or pharmacist look less respectable in any form... it's actually more respectable, because they go out of their way to help the customer.

 

[Kris10h]

I work at an independent pharmacy also. We deliver Monday through Friday for free. We hire a delivery service. I have had tons of people come through our drive-thru asking for otc's, that has become no big deal. We do have one lady who comes through and hands us a shopping list. I have also been asked on more than one occasion to select a sympathy and birthday card! 😱 That is just annoying!

 

[MoXiEguRl]

My uncle owned his own pharmacy (he is now retired and my aunt still has it going) he would deliver all the medications himself, after business hours. Once it became too much for him he hired someone to do it. He would always make a joke that you had to pick up a 1\2 gallon of milk for Mrs. so and so when you delivered on Fridays. (yes sometimes we got some really funny requests)

When i got my drivers license i became the delivery girl as well as the inputter, cashier, and counter! 😉 I have to say i truely enjoyed delivering, although i do agree that being able to counsel the patient is non-existant. I always assured them they could call the pharmacy or better yet i could have the pharmacist call them once i got back. I feel this is the only reason our family pharmacy is still up and running..

As funny as it sounds i would check patients mail boxes, answer the phone, and let the dog out whenever i delivered. Most of them just wanted someone to talk to.. that was always something my uncle and aunt told me, "spend as much time talking to them, just be back before we close." I had a lady who would get OTC stuff just so she could visit with me.. It's kinda sad how a lot of these older people are left alone, day in and day out.