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RiteAid Pharmacy Errors, Problems

(mr.) of Los Angeles CA (12/18/08)
The pharmacist, Kue gave me a medication that was not pure. The perscription was for Norco 10/325 which should have been a yellow tablet. She gave me a white tablet and I told her that this was not the right medicine. She said it was from another company. I insisted on getting the yellow tablet, because I was familiar with it. The medication does and did not work. I took three tablets within five hours and I got no relief from my pain. I reported this the following day 12/18/08 and was told that I could get the yellow tablet that I had originally requested.

This is not the first time that this pharmacy has given me suspect medication. My perscription also called for my blood pressure medication to be increased from once a day to twice a day and this same pharmacist said that I had just had a refill on November 29 and that I was not due unitl 12/22/08. I explained to her, at no length, that the time of dosing had changed from once to twice daily and that I needed my blood pressure medicine. She did not call the doctor or notify me.

I feel that this person must be an advocate for me and knowning that the time of dosing had changed, it was her obligation to notify the doctor to get insurance approval. I am now out of my blood pressure medicne and must wait until 12/22/08.Their whole staff has a negative approach to clients. For staff to have this type of attitude, it is representative of management. I have feed up with Rite Aid pharmacy at this address.

Their medicines are not pure.I am saving the remainder of my perscription in case an analysis must be made. I am asking for your assistance in resolving this issue. A lot of lives could be at stake.These people at this pharmacy are putting lives in danger by not providing unadultrated medicines.

Joshua of Bay Point, CA December 12, 2008

Joshua of Bay Point CA (12/12/08)
Ms. R lost a prescription that I had for Vicodin. All pharmacists and pharmacy techs behind the counter refused to acknowledge that the prescription was ever received. While an employee of Rite-Aid Pharmacy whose first name only was disclosed upon request (B), called the hospital to verify the prescription, Ms. R rifled frantically through documents and drawers in her work area. The hospital stated that according to record I had not received a prescription for Vicodin and that I would have to return by bus, some two cities away to repeat the process of obtaining the prescription. When I handed my prescription to Stephanie it was attached to a prescription for Prednisone and Percoset, neither of which were lost. When I stated that I would file a complaint and needed the license number of the Bay Point Rite Aid pharmacy, my prescription miraculously appeared.

The prescription has since been filled by Walgreens, but I have filed and will continue to follow up on a complaint with the State of California Consumer Dept. and the State of California Dept. of Pharmacy as it is suspect that the Vicodin prescription was separated from the other documents and only appeared after I was treated like a criminal, my time was wasted, I was forced to stand by the pharmacy window ill and in pain for no less than a half hour, requesting documentation that belonged to me. It is unethical for a pharmacy and its employees to lose medical documentation and not admit to its loss until it has reappeared. The staff here is rude and unprofessional.

Ralph of Cornwallville, NY December 2, 2008

Ralph of Cornwallville NY (12/02/08)
I called in several prescriptions for my wife and myself. When I returned home from picking them up (a 26-mile round trip) my wife discovered that she had only 1/2 her prescription for Restaisis and I discovered that I had only 1/2 my prescription for blood pressure medication. When I called about their error, I was told that they would mail the remainder of our order to us. There was no explanation for the shortages, although I asked for one.

This is the third time in six months that Rite Aid has made errors in our prescriptions. They (Rite Aid) are anxious to take our money, but we appear to be receiving only half of what we are paying for. It is annoying and inconvenient, to say the least. Next time I will stand there and count the number of pills before leaving the store.

Jonathan of Los Angeles, CA November 21, 2008

Jonathan of Los Angeles CA (11/21/08)
I am complaining about being assaulted and forcibly detained by Rite Aid Loss prevention. The incident occurred over me having opened a package to try out a product (clear silicone earplugs). I determined that the product was not suitable to my needs so I put it back on the shelf. I went to purchase something else (retractable pencils). Just as I was about to buy the retractable pencils, someone came up from behind me and placed the package of earplugs that I had opened into the bag along with the retractable pencils that I was purchase and demanded that I buy the earplugs. I informed the man that I was not interested in the product because it does no meet my needs. But he insisted and surrounded me with two more people including a security guard.

They proceeded to demand that I buy the earplugs or else sign some papers with a fine attached. I refused and argued with them in a respectful manner. Then they proceeded to violently and forcibly drag me into a back room whereby they reaffirmed their demands. Eventually I agreed to buy the product that I was not interested in buying just to avoid further trouble. Then they released me after I purchased the item in question under duress. Only then did they relent and left me alone. It is appalling that a huge corporation as wealthy and powerful as Rite Aid would use such violent and atrocious methods against poor people in order to obtain a small amount of money.

In the process of all this they burned my shoulder with a taser, cut my arm, twisted my arm, forcibly dragged and detained me and slammed me up against a wall and held my back pack as collateral until I paid the fee that they demanded. At no time did I use violence or force against them. The Rite Aid Loss prevention employees initiated the violent force during the course of our argument. I resisted when they began to use physical force and violence against me. At no time did I cause any physical harm to them or become rude or disrespectful. I simply stated that I was buying only the retractable pencils but not the earplugs and I stuck to my will until they had caused bodily harm to me and forcibly detained me. I feel that this is a form of extortion and is not acceptable. I have photos of the cut and burn that I suffered at the hands of Rite Aid's Loss Prevention employees.

Later I felt unusual heart palpitations and chest pain within a few minutes after the incident. As I write this I am still feeling strange muscle tension probably related to the taser attack. I am angry at Rite Aid for using force in order to obtain a couple of dollars from me no matter what. I am requesting that Rite Aid accept responsibility for the attack against me. It was all about MONEY and resulted in brutality in order to collect the money. Thus this can be construed as extortion. I will obtain legal council regarding this if Rite Aid does not acknowledge this incident, take responsibility for it and change it's policies in the future. I have also decided to go public with this incident in the form of media reporting and protesting because the public should be aware of extortion of this kind since Rite Aid seems to encourage it. Please take just action.

Michele of Brookpark, OH November 18, 2008

I am prescribed 2 different medicines from my family physician. One is to help me sleep, and calm my nerves, and the other is for my headaches. I have been taking these two medications for over 2 yrs. 3 months ago I had a major surgery on my shoulder, so I was prescribed 2 medications for pain, and 1 is a muscle relaxer. These were prescribed by the specialists that performed my surgery. I have always used the rite-aide to fill my presciptions, along with Marc's, and or CVS. Recently Rite-aide has a new Pharmacist working there, and this is when the problems came. His name is Dave. I will get his last name, because I am not going to stop here, something has to be done, because now he has caused me physical pain. This Pharmacist has taken things too far, and it is totally obvious this is something against me.

The first problem was, he started refusing to refill my prescriptions, speaking to me in a very nasty, disrespectful tone. He started telling me that even if my insurance is covering the medication on the date, he is not going to fill it because I should have some left. I can respect, and appreciate his concern, but I believe it is wrong for him to make that decision, due to the fact that my doctor had told me verbally to increase my dosage at this particular time, and my doctor had not noted it on the label as of yet. So it seemed like I ran out faster, which I did, but my doctor told me to increase, and my insurance was covering the medication for that time period, so it should not have been refused to be refilled by that physician. He is not my doctor, and he does not control that. Correct?!!

Well this continued to occur several times, until my doctor did update that label. Then since my surgery, I was getting all my prescriptions filled at rite-aide, for it was convienient for me. Dave started decideing that I was getting too many pain medications, and started refusing to fill my prescriptions! I need to understand what gives him the right to do that! I have to see 2 different doctors, and one is my surgery specialist, I also have a therapist, and now I am being referred to pain management. I trust my doctors decisions, and the medications that they prescribe for me, according to my illnesses. Dave is not my doctor!

Now today, I had a migraine, which I had a bad headache all weekend, because I ran out of my headache medicine, so I called my doctor this morning, I had to wait until after he was done seeing his patients, then the doctor calls in his patients updated prescriptions. My doctors office told me that my prescription would be called in after 6pm today. I waited until after 6pm. called the Rite-aide to make sure it was ready, and I was put on hold, then this Dave came to the phone line, and told me that yes my doctor called it in. But that he had called my doctor back, and told him that I am receiving other pain medications from other doctors, and that he would not fill the prescription!

I got totally upset, and I told Dave, first of all, that medicine was not for pain, it was for my headaches, and that I have been on that for over 2 yrs., he does not have the right to take it upon himself to diagnose me, or my illnesses! If he was such a great Pharmacist, then he would know his medicines, and see that that was not a pain med., as my other meds. Then he told me that it does'nt matter, there is nothing he was going to do with that, and that he was not going to fill my prescription! Now my head is hurting even worst, feels like it is going to explode! Somebody please help me, this is harrasment, as well as discrimination, and god knows what else! I would definitely like to discuss this matter more in detail, and also seek some legal help, because I know this is wrong!

Jim of Brooklyn, NY September 24, 2008

Jim of Brooklyn NY (09/24/08)
I wanted to buy 6 boxes of tissue which was sale. BUt the impolite manger only allowed me to buy two. This was totally rediculus beacause there was no limit on their advertisement. The manager was very rude. She embarrassed me. I will never go there again.

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