Has your doctor ever told you NOT to go to CVS for scrips?

[McDiggy]

35. I'm a pharmacist...

...the company doesn't really matter.

What matters are how good the pharmacists are at each location. There are some dumb as rocks pharmacists out there working for each and every pharmacy chain. Especially some of the brand new grads. Ever since the for-profit schools started opening up left and right, its become MUCH easier to become a pharmacist and the quality of pharmacists has dropped in some cases. When I applied in 2003, the average GPA to be admitted at my school was 3.75. Today, its 3.5. And the newer schools, many applicants get in with a sub 3.0 GPA. This was unheard of 6 years ago. But these types usually wind up as "floaters" that don't get a permanent store, but have to fill in when people take vacation time or paternity leave.

The district pharmacy managers also have a role in the quality of services. Some completely sell out and grab bonuses by shorting their pharmacists' technician help, others let their pharmacists use max help as allowed by corporate.

Bottom line, it all depends on a store by store basis, no matter what company is on the facade of the building. More than anything, make sure you are comfortable with each of the "regular" pharmacists that work in the pharmacy. Because it's those guys or gals that will determine how satisfactory your pharmacy services are.

As far as prices, if you pay cash, go to Sam's or Costco. Period. Anywhere else, you will pay more. Places like CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens kind of cater to the insured and sort of neglect cash payers as they are a small subset of their customers. If you have a third party (insurance, medicaid, medicare, gov't employee), it doesn't matter where you go. You will pay the same copay everywhere. Go to where you feel the most comfortable.

Physicians generally have no idea how good a pharmacy is (and vise-versa.) If I had to guess, the cardiologist is probably mad that a pharmacist questioned what he prescribed or something and made a big deal out of it. This happens now and then. They are embarrassed that daggum pharmacist at CVS didn't think I should have the patient on three different beta blockers simultaneously and told the patient it generally is't recommended...or whatever.