My wonderful Rite Aid pharmacy closed

Murrmurr said:
I liked this Rite Aid because the pharmacy was still run a lot like an old-fashioned pharmacy. They filed bankruptcy late last year, after closing a bunch of their stores in various locations because they're $millions in debt.
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Can’t say in this case, but many California stores are closing as a result of state law that classified most shoplifting of less than $950 to be a misdemeanor - basically the equivalent of jay walking. There are changes to the law in the pipeline. Not sure where we currently stand, but many California stores have given up the ghost and shut their doors.
 
ElCastor said:
Can’t say in this case, but many California stores are closing as a result of state law that classified most shoplifting of less than $950 to be a misdemeanor - basically the equivalent of jay walking. There are changes to the law in the pipeline. Not sure where we currently stand, but many California stores have given up the ghost and shut their doors.
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This particular Rite Aid didn't have a serious shoplifting problem. I think the problem was that a CVS opened right across the street from them last year.

Plus, you can enter the CVS parking lot from all directions. To access the Right Aid lot you had to be traveling either east or south, otherwise you had to make a u-turn after sitting through a red light.

I had to make the u-turn. A bother, but it was worth it.
 
My son was getting his prescriptions from a Rite Aid the next town over (we no longer had them in our city). That one, which also served as an Amazon Hub, closed a few months ago. There was one, same town but in another direction that must've also closed because it's not listed in Rite Aid's location directory. There are still lots of locations listed for Cali though. Perhaps that page is obsolete. It's nice dealing with businesses that know us and give personal attention and great service. Good thing you've found other options. My son is currently getting his RXs from Walgreen's too.
 
Been using a local CVS for years. As I've aged and become somewhat crippled up, I appreciate the drive through for prescriptions. Far better than trudging through the store. And any non-prescription stuff I pick-up with my grocery orders at a local Stop & Shop which is also a drive tthrough pick-up.

Works well for me and I haven't encountered any rude behavior at either place.
 
Pepper said:
Hate CVS. Hate. But I like them because they will take my credit card for a purchase as low as fifty cents.

I have transferred my opioids etc type meds to a local pharmacy, an outfit run by Russian women. I would use them for everything, but I can't use my credit card for small purchases like my co pays. Hate having to deal with small cash purchases, don't like to be stuck with coin change, can't really use coins anymore.
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Like I said earlier, I found a small, privately owned pharmacy real close by. I went in there today to get signed up, or whatever, and everything was going swimmingly until the lady asked me what I was being prescribed. Norco is my only regular Rx. Well, I also have a monthly Rx for Ibuprophen, but I can get that OTC. My doc Rx's it so I only have to pay a couple bucks for 90 600mg tabs. The OTC tabs are only 200mg each, and a bottle of 100 of those is upwards from $10, so that's a huge savings.

Anyway, that lady told me these small, independent pharmacies can't get certain controlled substances. I don't know if that's an FDA regulation or a state regulation, but unless you're a Walgreens or CVS, a corporate pharmacy, you're prohibited from dispensing Norco and certain other medications on the controlled substances list.

Don't that beat all? It's gonna put 'em all out of business, eventually. And I'm convinced that's by design. Really pisses me off. To me, a pharmacist is one of your care providers. That's not what you have at places like Walgreens and CVS. You get a corporate-owned dispenser, and that's it.

My dentist Rx'ed an antibiotic and a pain reliever that I was supposed to start taking 4 days before I had dental surgery. When I got a text from Walgreens saying they're ready, I went to pick 'em up and was told I had to wait til the pharmacist "released" them. When I went back, I was told the dentist hadn't approved them. So I called the dentist's office, and the lady said they most certainly did approve them...twice. When I went back to Walgreens a 3rd time, they told me the same lie story.

Walgreens is still saying that Rx hasn't been approved yet and I had the freaking surgery over a week ago. I'm not gonna tell them I don't need it now, and if they ever ask me why I didn't tell them, I'm gonna lie and say I did....twice.

Now I'm gonna switch from Walgreens to CVS. I hate hate HATE that I'm literally forced to deal with either one of them, but the CVS is way closer to my house than the Walgreens, and they're equally contemptible....so, whatever.
 
I have been using the pharmacy at the grocery store that I shop at for years. It's called Frys' here but is owned by Kroger. I rarely have problems with the pharmacy. And there is not much turnover with the staff that work in that pharmacy which helps.
 
Nathan said:
@Murrmurr , I'm sorry that your Rite Aid closed. Several years ago the local Rite Aid built and moved into a new building in our town. I'm pretty sure they are planning to stay. Here's a neat peak at the Rite Aid in our town: Rite Aid - Commercial Development Resources
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Nice looking building.

I can't find when ours was built but I know it was fairly recently, like late 90s/early 2000s. Three others located within 25 miles are closing, 31 total in Calif. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is why. It's notable that CVS built or opened a new pharmacy within walking distance of all 4 of the nearby locations. A CVS was built directly across the street from my Rite Aid...another reason I hate to have to do business with them.

The article I read says Rite Aid closed more than 200 stores in the past several months across the US, and that the justice dept says it's because they over-dispensed opioids, which hints that I'm gonna have issues with CVS. (and same w/Walgreens)

I have tried multiple other pain relievers and they've either been totally ineffective, or they've messed with my brain; made me feel soused and lethargic. Hydrocodone makes me feel like getting sh!t done every day. Plus, it keeps my RLS under control really well while the others don't, and a couple of them made it worse. Also, I've kept my dosage down as low as possible since I started taking them in 2010. It just really sucks that people like me will eventually be forced off it...anyway, that's what I expect will happen.
 
Do you have a pharmacy in your hospital? I know ours charges higher fees and it’s not easy to access, though maybe it would work for you, if your doctor is affiliated with it.
 
Jules said:
Do you have a pharmacy in your hospital? I know ours charges higher fees and it’s not easy to access, though maybe it would work for you, if your doctor is affiliated with it.
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I do, but it's a ways out, has regular business hours, and I'd have to pay for parking...not a lot, and it would only be once a month, so that's not the main pain; the hours are. I used the hospital pharmacy for several months when I first moved here. Closed on weekends didn't work for me.

It would have been fine if pharmacies were allowed to let you pick up on Friday a med with a due date that fell on a Sat or Sun, but they can't do that anymore. Not with "controlled substances", anyway.

I could understand flagging individual patients who want to refill a 30-day supply of, say, Oxycontin or Fentanyl within 2 weeks or whatever, but patients who consistently request their refill on the recommended 3 days before the due date should be left alone.
 
Jules said:
Do you have a pharmacy in your hospital? I know ours charges higher fees and it’s not easy to access, though maybe it would work for you, if your doctor is affiliated with it.
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I just read that, or it finally sunk in is more like it. That's interesting.....and I wonder why that would be.

I don't pay much (always under $2 per Rx/good coverage), and I would probably remember if I paid more than that at the hosp pharm. Maybe they don't charge more because they're affiliated with a university... idk.
 
Murrmurr said:
I just read that, or it finally sunk in is more like it. That's interesting.....and I wonder why that would be.

I don't pay much (always under $2 per Rx/good coverage), and I would probably remember if I paid more than that at the hosp pharm. Maybe they don't charge more because they're affiliated with a university... idk.
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The average pharmacy can charge whatever dispensing rate they choose. The little mom and pop places can charge more and more for the prescription itself. There are probably limits, though I’ve never checked into it. I had to go to one for something that was out of stock at my local place. Everything in the place was higher priced. There are many older seniors who love this place.
 
Jules said:
The average pharmacy can charge whatever dispensing rate they choose. The little mom and pop places can charge more and more for the prescription itself. There are probably limits, though I’ve never checked into it. I had to go to one for something that was out of stock at my local place. Everything in the place was higher priced. There are many older seniors who love this place.
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Ok, I get you. Their prices are competitive but also keep them in business....fair enough.

The university pharmacy no doubt gets support from the university, so they can price things per an average if they want.
 
I am registered with a primary care service in our town who offer me "primary health care" over a wide range of health needs including prescribing of medications, They liase with a local chemist who provides "webster packs" one per week and I get issued with four weeks supply - these are delivered to my doorstep. Bingo No fee involved for the delivery or the tabs? Size of town - 4000 popn approx - 1 hospital who provide minor surgery etc etc - hearing testing etc etc
 
They closed some of the CVS Pharmacies by me as well as a pharmacy located inside a supermarket chain. This last one was our favorite. The pharmacist was so helpful. We had to transfer to Walgreens along with lots of other customers. At first it was really bad because they could not absorb so many people at once. Now, it is a little better. The advantage is that they have a drive-in pick up window and offer relatively good hours of operation.
 
Rossana said:
They closed some of the CVS Pharmacies by me as well as a pharmacy located inside a supermarket chain. This last one was our favorite. The pharmacist was so helpful. We had to transfer to Walgreens along with lots of other customers. At first it was really bad because they could not absorb so many people at once. Now, it is a little better. The advantage is that they have a drive-in pick up window and offer relatively good hours of operation.
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The FDA implemented a bunch of new regulations. Some of them are confusing and some cost a lot of money. That's what my Rite Aid pharmacist told me yesterday. His store would have had to hire 2 new fully certified pharmacists for a specific number of hours and days per week, and they couldn't afford to do that. And that's what's happening at a lot of pharmacies, but especially smaller ones, like in small towns, for example, and ones inside other businesses, like Walmart and grocery stores.
 
As far as I can tell my Rite-Aid and the next two closest (and probably beyond) will all be closing/closed July 5th 2024.

There is a tiny independent not far, and a couple pharmacies inside larger grocery stores, but aside from that there is a Walgreen's not too awfully far... and then the one inside the despicable Costco I hope to never set foot inside.

I'll probably choose the one inside the Meijer's nearest me. As soon as I get things I'm short on refilled I'll go in and start the transfer process hoping everything moves over without complication. Some drugs aren't easily transferred and may need brand new prescriptions.

Needless to say I'm less than pleased at the way society is crumbling.
 
dilettante said:
As far as I can tell my Rite-Aid and the next two closest (and probably beyond) will all be closing/closed July 5th 2024.

There is a tiny independent not far, and a couple pharmacies inside larger grocery stores, but aside from that there is a Walgreen's not too awfully far... and then the one inside the despicable Costco I hope to never set foot inside.

I'll probably choose the one inside the Meijer's nearest me. As soon as I get things I'm short on refilled I'll go in and start the transfer process hoping everything moves over without complication. Some drugs aren't easily transferred and may need brand new prescriptions.

Needless to say I'm less than pleased at the way society is crumbling.
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My Rite Aid automatically transferred all their patient's files to Walgreens, except ones who personally requested CVS or whatever. I hope yours did. I hate those kind of hassles.

I took all my Rx medications to an independent pharmacy just down the street, hoping to do business with them. But the FDA prohibits them from dispensing opioids and other tier III meds, or whatever they are. I was really bummed, not just for myself, but for that pharmacy, too. I think it sucks that they can't dispense certain frequently prescribed medications. It isn't right. It's a pharmacy, with a licensed pharmacist ...who happens to own his own pharmacy. It's unjust.
 
Murrmurr said:
My Rite Aid automatically transferred all their patient's files to Walgreens, except ones who personally requested CVS or whatever. I hope yours did. I hate those kind of hassles.

I took all my Rx medications to an independent pharmacy just down the street, hoping to do business with them. But the FDA prohibits them from dispensing opioids and other tier III meds, or whatever they are. I was really bummed, not just for myself, but for that pharmacy, too. I think it sucks that they can't dispense certain frequently prescribed medications. It isn't right. It's a pharmacy, with a licensed pharmacist ...who happens to own his own pharmacy. It's unjust.
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No, no. FDA federal should cover NY. But it does not prohibit it. I only use my independent, Russian women's collective pharmacy for my opioids. It must be your state, CA, not the feds.
 
Some medications can't be transferred to a new pharmacy, others can only be transferred once (???).

Sometimes the fix is to have your Doc re-prescribe with the new pharmacy.
 
Pepper said:
No, no. FDA federal should cover NY. But it does not prohibit it. I only use my independent, Russian women's collective pharmacy for my opioids. It must be your state, CA, not the feds.
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That pharmacist said the FDA, but maybe it was a "recommendation" and Calif is one of the states (or the only state) that adapted the FDA's *recommendation* into law. It wouldn't be the first time.
 
Went to Rite-Aid. One prescription was in, one is delayed until Monday (?), another is on order and will be thee Monday too. So glad I made the trip! :ROFLMAO:

But the July 5th closing was bogus, at least for this location. This one won't close until July 29th.
 
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