CVS Consumer Reviews - Page 3

I don't work in pharmacy, but I see many complaints about the pharmacy and first off just want to say that every store is different. Some stores are busier than others. This was posted by someone in a group of mine... "Why does it take so long to fill a prescription?"

You come to the counter. I am on the phone with a some dude who wants the phone number to the grocery store next door. After I instruct him on the virtues of 411, you tell me your doctor was to phone in your prescription to me. Your doctor hasn't, and you're unwilling to wait until he does. Being in a generous mood, I call your doctor's office and am put on hold for 5 minutes, then informed that your prescription was phoned in to my competitor on the other side of town.

Phoning the competitor, I am immediately put on hold for 5 minutes before speaking to a clerk, who puts me back on hold to wait for the pharmacist. Your prescription is then transferred to me, and now I have to get the 2
phone calls that have been put on hold while this was being done. Now I return to the counter to ask if we've ever filled prescriptions for you before. For some reason, you think that "for you" means "for your cousin" and you answer my question with a "yes", whereupon I go the computer and see you are not on file.

The phone rings. You have left to do something very important, such as browse through the monster truck magazines, and do not hear the three PA announcements requesting that you return to the pharmacy. You return eventually, expecting to pick up the finished prescription.....

The phone rings....... only to find out that I need to ask your address, phone number, date of birth, if you have any allergies and insurance coverage. You tell me you're allergic to codeine. Since the prescription is for Vicodin I ask you what exactly codeine did to you when you took it. You say it made your stomach hurt and I roll my eyes and write down "no known allergies" You tell me...... The phone rings...... you have insurance and spend the next 5 minutes looking for your card.

You give up and expect me to be able to file your claim anyway. I call my competitor and am immediately put on hold. Upon reaching a human, I ask them what insurance they have on file for you. I get the information and file your claim, which is rejected because you changed jobs 6 months ago. A jerk barges his way to the counter to ask where the bread is.

The phone rings. I inform you that the insurance the other pharmacy has on file for you isn't working. You produce a card in under 10 seconds that you seemed to be unable to find before. What you were really doing was hoping
your old insurance would still work because it had a lower copay. Your new card prominently displays the logo of Nebraska Blue Cross, and although Nebraska Blue cross does in fact handle millions of prescription claims every day, for the group you belong to, the claim should go to a company called Caremark, whose logo is nowhere on the
card.

The phone rings. A lady comes to the counter wanting to know why the cherry flavored antacid works better than the lemon cream flavored antacid. What probably happened is that she had a milder case of heartburn when she
took the cherry flavored brand, as they both use the exact same ingredient in the same strength.

She will not be satisfied though until I confirm her belief that the cherry flavored brand is the superior product. I file your claim with Caremark, who rejects it because you had a 30 day supply of Vicodin filled 15 days ago at another pharmacy. You swear to me on your mother's'....The phone rings........ life that you did not have a Vicodin prescription filled
recently.

I call Caremark and am immediately placed on hold. The most beautiful woman on the planet walks buy and notices not a thing. She has never talked to a pharmacist and never will. Upon reaching a human at Caremark, I am informed that the Vicodin prescription was indeed filled at another of my competitors. When I tell you this, you say you got hydrocodone there, not Vicodin. Another little part of me dies.

The phone rings. It turns out that a few days after your doctor wrote your last prescription, he told you to take it more frequently, meaning that what Caremark thought was a 30-day supply is indeed a 15 day supply with the new instructions. I call your doctor's office to confirm this and am immediately placed on hold. I call Caremark to get an override and am immediately placed on hold. My laser printer has a paper jam. It's time for my tech to go to lunch. Caremark issues the override and your claim goes though. Your insurance saves you 85 cents off the regular price of the prescription.

The phone rings. At the cash register you sign....The phone rings....... the acknowledgement that you received a copy of my HIPPA policy and that I offered the required OBRA counseling for new prescriptions. You remark that you're glad that your last pharmacist told you you shouldn't take over the counter Tylenol along with the Vicodin, and that the acetaminophen you're taking instead seems to be working pretty well. I break the news to you that Tylenol is simply a brand name for acetaminophen and you don't believe me.

You fumble around for 2 minutes looking for your check book and spend another 2 minutes making out a check for four dollars and sixty seven cents. You ask why the tablets look different than those you got at the other pharmacy. I explain that they are from a different manufacturer. Tomorrow you'll be back to tell me they don't work as well. Now imagine this wasn't you at all, but the person who dropped off their prescription three people ahead of you, and you'll start to have an idea why.....your prescription takes so long to fill.

ENDICOTT ST, DANVERS, MA, MASSACHUSETTS -- I am writing to express how offended I was by the behavior of an employee at the CVS store on Endicott Street in Danvers, MA. During a hot dog day of August, I went to this store in order to make a return. A supervisor assisted me with the return issue (no receipt, so only get back half the price that is the products present on sale price - OK - fair enough.) The supervisor left while I mulled over whether to return my purchase or to keep it. I opted to keep it.

I was also returning another product so I went over to the one and only other cashier who was open. She performed the store credit. No big deal I figured. I had a lot on my mind other than CVS and just wished to make a quick transaction and leave. I had laid my purse and a nearly empty bottle of cola ( I had been sipping it in my car and had carried it into the store with me), on the counter.

When the transaction was completed, I picked up my belongings off the counter and started to leave but was snidely, rudely, disrespectfully, sarcastically and insinuatingly asked by this cashier, "DID you pick that up from HERE!?" referring to my nearly empty bottle of cola.

I said to her that IF I had picked it up from the store, I would have have certainly let her know and paid for it. Then she proceeded to shrug, "Well I don't know, SOME people come in here and open our bottles and start drinking". I informed her that she was out of line, inappropriate and making assumptions and judgments and extrapolating other people's behaviors to me. She then proceeded to loudly proclaim without any real remorse or concern,"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

The point is this: Behavior of this sort is a systemic problem with the CVS stores in this area and is not appreciated. We don't live in the days of different water fountains. CVS ought to train its employees so that they never forget this.

I am also amazed that this cashier was in her tone, demeanor and general attitude able to address me in this blaming, superior attitude, with a sense of impunity - an attitude that points to a CVS system wide support of such behavior. Insulting any member of our community, in my case a mature individual with the implication of thievery is beyond reprehensible.

Then to add insult to injury the store manager, a female on responding to my complaint sided with this cashier, and made little of the utter disrespect and rudeness meted out to me, citing "This is one of our best cashiers." As if, that makes any difference to a customer; why should I care if this woman is a good cashier or not? I am only concerned with behavior directed at me, personally. This store manager also implied that it was perfectly fine for this cashier to ask me the question, since, "people do open bottles and drink from them."

This fallacious observation was offered to me, instead of the recognition that asking such a question with such a disparaging attitude is far from good customer service; it's indeed BAD customer service. I went into this store (I normally do not shop here) to make a simple return, instead left the store upset and wasted hours of my time wondering, "what the heck" was that all about.

Sure, employees of CVS are not "slaves" but neither are customers. Whatever happened to civility and manners and "the customer is always right?" Whatever happened to CVS employees addressing customers by their last names? Wouldn't it have been nicer if this cashier had asked me the question in a trusting sort of manner, with the right tone of voice, without racist undertones? A simple, "Ms. X, would you like me to ring that up for you?" instead of " DID you PICK that up from HERE? Manners count.

KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS -- To make a long story short I paid cash for a prescription that needed an authorization and before I even handed the pharmacist the script I wanted to make sure I would get all my money back (minus a $75 copay) when the authorization went through and she said "Oh yes, that won't be any problem at all as long as you keep all of your receipts". (cost of the medication was $603.24) About 2 - 2 1/2 weeks later I called CVS and they said they finally got the authorization so I was able to come back in and get my money back. I go there with ALL the receipts that I needed and out of all that money I got $103!

CVS said I would have to get the rest of the money back from my insurance company. Insurance company said they paid CVS their FULL amount for the prescription so I needed to go back in and get my money back from CVS. Went back and forth with insurance and CVS. This happened on FEB 11th, it's now almost June. Still no money refunded back from CVS. CVS tells them that they refunded me ALL of my money. That is a lie!! I have proof. And I have my own opinions on why that was said but I have no proof on that so I will not say it. Insurance representative apologized up and down and said she gets this quite a lot and she suggested to contact CVS Corporate.

Sad thing is that the Pharmacy Mngr. at that time (which she was just promoted 2 days before all of this happened) is NOW the Supervisor over the local CVS Pharmacy mngrs. in my town! She is the person at corporate that you have to bring your case to and she decides whether or not to spit in your face and call you a liar or give you ALL of your money that you should have coming to you! I will never go back to CVS! If there is anyone out there that had a similar problem that could give me any useful suggestions on getting this matter resolved it would be greatly appreciated...... Thanks.

ARIZONA -- I work in a CVS/pharmacy in AZ and I do consider my pharmacy staff wonderful :) I have never once heard one of my fellow employees be rude to a customer. The complaints that I have heard about on this website confuse me! I can't even imagine some of the things that claim to happen actually happening. Not taking a coupon because it's not in color? That's not right, any other CVS would have taken the coupon. Not taking manufacturer coupons? They are accepted at my store, so please do not make generalizations.

If you do not see someone waiting in line ahead of you, it does not mean that we did not just get 5 prescriptions dropped off before you walked in. It does not mean we did not just get 3 prescriptions dropped off through the drive through. It does not mean that customers are not calling in. Please, we will get to you when we can, as fast as we can.

If you drop off a prescription on a Friday at 5pm or later but there is a problem with the prescription or you need a prior auth. Please do not yell at us when we tell you the soonest we can get it for you is the upcoming Monday- and that is if your doctor even gets back to us that Monday. It is the weekend and doctor's offices close. We cannot hunt your doctor down at their house and make them verify.

Please do not talk on your phone when you come to the counter. This has been such a problem at our pharmacy that we had to put up signs. Obviously, people are illiterate, still. I consider this very rude and can make the process of getting your prescription filled much longer than necessary.

If you see me assisting another customer and the other 2 pharmacy technicians are on the phone with a customer or at the drop off counter, please wait your turn. Do not interrupt me while I am in the middle of a conversation. If I ask you to please wait and tell you I will be with you as soon as I can, do not yell at me. Do not throw money at me. - rude.

Some prescriptions take less time to fill than others. If you have 5 prescriptions to fill and the person behind you in line has 1 and they get theirs first, what did you expect? If you have something we need to mix and another is something we need to count, the counting one comes out first. It's easier and faster to fill. Think of it as a restaurant. If you order a steak and the table next to you orders a salad, whose do you think will be first?

Overall, customers can be very polite and pleasant. Those who are this way make our job enjoyable. Sadly, there are customers who do not truly understand how the pharmacy and doctors cooperate or how the pharmacy and insurances operate. I think overall it is a basic misunderstanding. So please, before you yell at us, give us a chance to explain or ask questions first. And please do not generalize! There really are some of us out there who do our best to make the customer happy! :D Thanks.

WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA -- I was traveling 4 1/2 hours away from home when my pet became ill. I phoned my vet and was told what to get to help her and fast. I put her into her CARRY CASE and ran into the CVS to get the medication. Upon entering the store I was searching for the medication I needed to get into her right away. I did not leave her in the car because I did not want her to get worse when I left her. She would never have gotten out of her case as she was strapped in and I was not going in to browse as I said I was on a mission to help her.

Well you would have thought grown adults would know how to act and not behave so childish and unprofessional. Two staff members were staring at me and literally ran to the back of the store to get the manager, who came out complaining loudly that all she wanted to do was eat her lunch. She came up to me and told me that she had her own dogs and was trying to shove her phone in my face to see a picture of her dogs and that I would have to leave. Staff members surrounded me and were smirking and laughing.

I felt like I was being closed in. No one asked if I needed help. They made a scene in front of customers. Not one person saw fit to see if they could help me. They treated the situation like children who couldn't wait to get someone in trouble for going against a rule and couldn't wait for me to be treated like a misbehaving child. Shame on all of them to not see if they could help. They were so interested and pleased with themselves in getting someone in trouble. I am so disappointed in their childish behavior. You would have thought I did some evil thing to them the way they were filled with joy over "catching" me.

Whatever happened to helping your neighbor? I no longer can spend any of my hard earned money at this CVS store in Winchester, VA. I hope that others will spend their money elsewhere. I am sure that people in other locations in Winchester are caring enough to help their fellow neighbor. Oh, by the way if the manager was such a caring dog lover as she was bellowing out to me then she would have tried to see if she could help a dog in distress.

Someone could have offered to get the items for me while I waited at the door. Instead they took precious time from my pet getting the assistance that she needed. This situation was handled in the most unprofessional and childish manner. I feel that all of these employees should be replaced with caring individuals.

The way the economy is at this time there is no reason why these employees should remain employed. Someone who actually has compassion for people should be hired. Stop the injustice now and help spread compassion instead. What kind of people take such enjoyment in someone else's time of need. Sick, disturbed people. I can only hope that if you (The employees of CVS) need assistance you will not run into people who are exactly just like yourselves.

MCKINNEY, TEXAS -- I've been terminated and I am crushed. I feel I have been lied to and treated unfairly. I want employees of CVS to know that no one's job is secure. I worked for CVS for 8 years. I loved my job and was very good at it. While I was on vacation, I got arrested and went to jail. It was nothing to do with my job. I was not convicted of anything. When I returned back to work and almost a week had past, I was asked to the office to talk with human resources about my arrest.

I told them what happened. They then handed me a form to fill out and put in writing what happened. I went out to my car to sit and do as they ask. I called my attorney to let him know about this and he told me he would like to look over the form before I gave it to them.

I went back inside and ask my manager and HR if I could return it to them the next day because my attorney wanted to look it over. They were totally OK with this. So the next day I came to work and gave it to my manager.

After working for 2 hours I was asked to come to the office. HR was waiting to see me. That's when he told me I was being put on suspension until this matter was over. I was shocked and so upset. He was very nice and assured me that after the hearing I could return back to work and continue where I was in my position, same hours and rate of pay. I had just gotten a nice raise. He said this was normal procedure and he had to go by the rules.

I got my things and left. 4 months later, things were finally over and I was so ready to return to work. I went to my home store and everyone was so glad I was coming back. Even my manager. He said he had to wait to get the OK from District manager and he would call me.

A week passed so I called. He said he still hasn't heard anything. So I called him about 2 weeks later and he says he has no hours. At this point I told him I'm willing to work at any store even if it was a different one everyday. I was broke and it was 2 weeks before Christmas. I was told it would be Jan. 1 to check back then.

Finally, Jan. 15 I got someone to return my call. I was told that HR decided I was terminated. Reason: I did not fill out that form explaining what happened the day I was asked. Some excuse. Then why didn't they tell me that in the start. They lead me to believe for several weeks I still had a job. I was not convicted of anything. I have never been in trouble with the law. I have a clean record. I am so confused, embarrassed, and broke.

After the death of my husband 8 years ago, I chose then Eckerds now CVS to be my future. I put 100% into my job. I loved it and felt so blessed to have a job I enjoyed. Now I'm mad. I want everyone to know at CVS they really do not give a crap about you. Trust me. Protect yourself. Document incidents and have them initialed.

So now I am looking for a job. However, I do believe in karma! What goes around comes around, twice as hard. I thank God I had my mom for financial support. So you in corporate that lied and mislead me, you know who I am! One day you will feel the hurt and embarrassment that I still feel. Think of me. OK?

THE COLONY, TEXAS -- I had a really bad experience at the CVS store on January 15, 2009 at around 2 pm. This pharmacy store is located at 6749 Main St., The Colony, TX 75056. The store number is 6982. My mum and I always go to the nearby pharmacy store to shop for daily toiletries. However, after today's experience I would not want to go to a CVS pharmacy store ever again.

My mum and I were buying some cotton balls and facial cleanser pads. I was holding on to two boxes of facial cleanser pads. One box was orange color and the other box was blue color.

My mum suggested just getting one orange box of the facial cleanser so I put the other blue box away on a random shelf in the store. After my mum paid for everything, we walked out and left the store. However, at the front of CVS store stood three cops.

They grabbed my mum and my hand and didn't let us leave the store. They said that the manager of that CVS store called the cops and said he saw us putting a blue box in our own bag. In order not to embarrass us which the cops said, we were brought to the back of the store.

I wanted to show to the cops where I put the blue box, but the cops just wanted us to wait as they did the investigation in the store. The cops apologized to us about the inconvenience caused as they just wanted to do their job. After a while, they could not find that blue box anywhere and could not find it in our bags or pockets. The cops said that there were no evidence or proof of stealing.

The cops talked to the manager and said that the manager of the store did not like us being there, and the manager wanted the cops to file a criminal trespass warning against us. Which means if we go back to that store again, that manager will call the cops again and arrest us. The manager claimed that the store is his private property.

When the cops escorted us out of the store, I showed the cops where I put that blue box and the cop showed to the manager. To this point, the manager have not apologized to us for his false accusing. I was really unsatisfied about the warning they gave us and about the conduct of that manager.

In addition, when I asked the manager if he can show me the store's videotape, he did not want to show it to me but insisted that he saw us stealing on the video camera. I believe I am the customer and I do not have the right to be accused of stealing when I did not do that and there were no evidence showing that I stole that box of facial cleanser.

I really feel I am being harassed and discriminated by that manager. Having this kind of character defamation by this CVS manager really disappointed my view towards the store. I thought CVS believe in customer, value and service, but I had a terrible experience shopping there.

This is my first time having to deal with the cops and also falsely accused of stealing and also my very first time being treated like a criminal. I felt that this case is really unfair and I am not settle with this case. I do not really mind about not going back to the store again but I really do not like the treatment by that manager.

As a customer, I have never ever in my life having to be searched by the cops of something I did not do. My mum felt really violated as the cops had to search his purse. I wish this manager would be dismissed from his job. Even if he is the manager, he should not falsely accuse people of stealing when they did not do that. This is also not how to run a business. The manager is misusing his powers.

People come back to the store because they enjoy the customer service being provided. Hence, it really changed my mind about shopping at CVS again. The manager not only wasted our time but also ruined my mood for the whole day. My mum's emotions were really hurt as she has never met this kind of situation her entire life.

My mum wants to file a lawsuit against this CVS store manager but we do not want to make this case any bigger. I do not know the name of this manager as he refused to tell me his name. But he is this Hispanic manager with a stocky build. I hope there's actions done against this store manager.

CONROE, TEXAS -- I have been going to Eckerd drugs, now CVS pharmacy for 30 years. I am 49 years old and normally deal with a pharmacist who I have known at least 35 years. I am on Medicaid and in a major lawsuit with my health. I have never had a problem with this pharmacist. This lady pharmacist I have had a problem with. She got in an argument with a Walgreens pharmacist over me when I wanted one of my prescriptions transferred because it was easier for me to get at the time and closer to home.

The Walgreens pharmacist told me she was unprofessional and didn't do her job right, since that time this women has made life miserable for me. She put in the computer that no one but the pharmacist I have known for 30 years could fill my prescriptions. Most recently when I went to fill a prescription at the Cleveland pharmacy. The pharmacist there said that the prozac for August couldn't be filled because it was already run. Not true.

The night pharmacist in Conroe had loaned me 9 and I had the prescription which called for 90. I called Conroe and the on call pharmacist denied anything had been run for August saying the last Prozac was filled in June. Sorry CVS is lying as I had just got my August prescription and it was not filled. I have proof of this.

It had been run in Conroe which they deny the female pharmacist who does not like me told my drs I dr shopped and sent them a printout of my meds without my permission. They know it is a lie that I am a silicon breast implant patient and also broke my arm and tore my shoulder, not to mention having a torn meniscus in my left knee as well as having a neurosurgeon which I need surgery on. In the course of my illness I have had various illnesses including pleurisy among other things this female pharmacist knows nothing about, but the pharmacist I have known for 30 years and is currently on vacation does know. I trust him but was told he was on vacation.

I was going to a pain clinic on 1960 but this female pharmacist told a girl to tell me my dr at the time was under investigation when he was not and would not fill my medication because it came from Houston, so I just found a dr who not only is local and can handle my pain but will be doing 3 of my surgeries. I was told that CVS pharmacy will no longer fill my prescriptions.

Fine, I will no longer use your pharmacy, but I am suing you for ignoring the Hippocratic oath among other things as well as some of your staff talking to family members I did not give permission for, and for flat out fraud as the pharmacist in Cleveland Texas in CVS in Cleveland said the Conroe store ran my August Prozac yet the last Prozac run for me was in June, according to Cleveland per their call to the CVS pharmacy in Conroe.

My sister picked up 9 loaners from Conroe on my Prozac I have the bottle. So not only are the CVS people unprofessional and liars but they ignore the Hippocratic oath. Walgreens is aware of said situation as the pharmacist there got in an argument with the female pharmacist at CVS pharmacy in Conroe and told me she was unprofessional.

This unprofessional behavior which has ended in a nightmare for me when I go to pick up medication and she puts in computer only pharmacist I have known for 30 years can fill. To add insult to injury, without my permission she talks to my sister about me and says I am a liar. I believe this is taped. So much for the Hippocratic oath huh?

MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK -- Welcome to an evermore dehumanized world where a genuine smile is now extinct. I have found myself in the middle of a dispute with CVS, and not quite sure how I got to this point. It began when I went to fill an allergy prescription with a new insurance card. Having walked to the store with my 3 children, waiting for the prescription to be filled would be a nice rest on such a hot day.

Apparently, I was not the only person happy to escape the heat in an air-conditioned store. There happened to be an elderly woman sitting, obviously suffering with the weather. As I approached the pharmacy counter, she was harshly asked, "What do you need?!" from a loud woman behind the counter. She seemed flustered as she explained her need to rest. Why should any elderly person be questioned on such a hot day?? If that woman wanted to come in, grab a cold drink, sit in a chair, and put her feet up -- she should be allowed to. Instead, she was made to feel like a burden or eyesore.

Forgive me, I digress... Anyway, I give my script to a tech behind the counter along with my new insurance card. I asked if she knew how much this drug would cost. She simply said, "No" and left it at that. True Customer Service would have had her make a phone-call, check a chart, or ask someone.

This May seem petty to some but when you don't carry more than $20 on your person, these things matter. I wish that was the extent of my troubles -- I was then told it would take 30 minutes to fill, so I took my children to a neighbor store for 20 minutes before returning to CVS. When we returned, I was sure to purchase snacks for myself and my children as not to seem as loiterers (I mean, they kicked an old lady out for just sitting).

Knowing I still had 10 or so minutes before my script would be ready, we sat in the pharmacy waiting area and had our snacks. At that time, I see the 2 techs whispering and looking my way. The harsh-voiced woman then told me they needed verification from my doctor about the new insurance. All of this was said as I sat quite a distance away and she didn't even approach the counter... So much for privacy.

I nodded in response and continued to eat my Snickers bar - I could wait. I guess she didn't want me to wait because then she informed me that the verification process could take all day and that I was "crazy" if I wanted to wait! At this point she is still deep in the pharmacy area and talking across the way to me - so much for the HIPPA laws! As I was determined to sit and wait, a fax came through - the fax she said would take a day or more - it was regarding me.

My privacy finally became important to her, because she finally called me up to speak to her "in private". Instead of 15 feet apart, now we were 3 feet apart - too bad the volume of her voice didn't change! The tech puts the fax on the counter and tells me I have been terminated from my insurance. I found that odd seeing as that I had received the card the day before.

I meekly explained that I had not yet seen my physician with my new insurance so they were probably confused. The crass woman then picks up the fax, holds it eye level to me, and begins pointing at the name on the fax, loudly stating, "NO! NO! Your INSURANCE is saying you're terminated, NOT your doctor!" I couldn't believe this woman was talking to me as if I didn't speak the English language.

I asked her for a copy of the fax and that really ticked her off, but she gave it to me, eventually. I then sat down, took out my cell phone and called the insurance company. I, in fact, was an active member. Then I called my doctor, explained that I had new coverage and was told they had misunderstood the pharmacy's query. Two phone calls that took me less than 5 minutes to make. That should have been done by the people behind the counter.

Instead of dismissing me as some black woman who didn't pay her bill, they should have tried to help me figure out where the miscommunication was coming from. I relayed the information to the tech who seemed annoyed that I did her job for her. I informed her that my doctor would be faxing the info needed and that it should take no more than 2 days. There was no apology for not believing me nor one for her rude behavior.

As I left, I stopped the store manager and told him that his techs were very unpleasant, and I even told him that the loud one "needed an enema"! I called CVS Headquarters and told them this story. Has anything been done? If it has I don't know about it. This is only part one of my story, after all, I had to go back and get my pills! You'll have to check out part two of what I've termed "My CVS Experience".

SURFSIDE, FLORIDA -- I got my medication for free, but I ended up taking an incomplete dose, late, with a busted lip, graciously accompanied by prostitutes, drug addicts, geriatric alcoholics and the mentally ill -€“ in prison. Shall we take it from beginning?

I walked into the pharmacy and said hello, and I asked **, the assistant, for my pills. She typed something into the computer and told me that my refill had expired. Judging by the way she brushed off my introductory hello, and her tone of voice, it was plain that she either lacked the most basic customer service skills or she really was in a bad mood. I asked if she would talk to my doctor, who had personally answered my call right away. With an expression bordering on repugnance, ** looked at my cell phone and announced that that was the pharmacist's job.

I asked where he or she might be. A man's shout identifying itself as the person in question came from a tiny cubicle. The man grabbed my phone from out of my hand. The attitudes of both employees had struck me speechless. I've been shopping at CVS pharmacies for 20 years - €“that's since they were called Eckers - but honestly, this Surfside, Miami Beach store was something new to me.

I muttered to myself that perhaps they were deaf. The pharmacist, Mr. **, had no hearing problem; he cut off the call with my doctor, and shouting again, he said that he wasn't going to sell me anything. He didn't like the way I was looking at him either. What? What?!

My health is delicate. I need to take these prescriptions daily for my digestion, for the rest of my life. I called 911 for help; they conveyed that the problem was not an emergency. It was then that I lost control. I was now the livid one, and I demanded service.

A pair of buffed out cops appeared. The way they walked in indicated they weren't there to clear things up. Quite the contrary. They had come to humiliate me even more by defending the candies that I had knocked to the floor in my show of disgust. The presence of the repressive force caused ** and ** to metamorphose. They suddenly began to act how they should have from the start, politely. The pharmacist said that he would give me the medication. It was too late, the everyday me had been pushed over the edge.

The bodybuilders cum policemen ordered me out of the store, and I refused. They took me by the arms and pushed me down, in the process busting my lip on the floor, and then handcuffed me. I cried that this was an abuse; I demanded a proper report of the events be taken. The officers waited until I was given the medication. The pharmacist "€(oh, mother of Mary, so diligent and philanthropic!) said of course I wouldn't have to pay a dime.

The paramedics arrived to attend to the busted lip the officers had given me. I was then loaded up into the patrol car and taken to jail, where I fainted several times and was denied my medicine and medical assistance, but survived to tell the tale. I learned first hand that my experience was nothing compared to how two lady cops dragged an old lady in the middle of an epileptic seizure by the hair, but I leave that story for another time.

The next day, they took me to appear before a judge, who immediately let me go. I was "free". They returned my wallet. Ten dollars were missing. I was as shocked as surely you are now: robbed by the police! I felt lucky -€“ one prostitute was missing her money, jewelry and cigarettes. We were both especially bummed about the cigarettes.

The police report's record of events started after the candy incident. The initial verbal aggression and the refusal of the employees to help me aren't mentioned. There is said to be a video, which I can have access to if I hire a lawyer; provided said video has audio, has not been edited, and covers all possible angles to establish causes, consequences and responsibility for the events.

It's been more than a month now, with me trying to recover physically and emotionally. I've also used the time to reflect on all the ** and ** working at CVS pharmacies and other places. These employees are poorly trained and paid even worse. They never get to sit; they have problems eating and sleeping because they work such irregular shifts. They are totally alienated individuals. For these poor souls, the American dream has long since turned into a nightmare they can't wake up from. They hate their lives, and consequently they are incapable of empathy with other human beings.

They derive pleasure from provoking and hurting people, especially those who, like me, have a triple minority condition: woman, Latina, handicapped. They know well that they are protected by the lackeys who serve the interests of big business: the officers of our brutal police departments. In the words of Huxley: "The individual will be repressed and oppressed, freedom and initiative will be abolished; only at this highest of prices may humankind survive."

Logically, I switched pharmacies. There's not much I can do: send these lines to different places, write a blog, a webpage, things like that. All talk and no trousers. This microscopic experience appears to confirm the idea that in small and great acts, the human race has already failed.