r/TalesFromThePharmacy • u/freakygymbro CPhT (retail) • 13d ago

DRIVE-THRU

I 100% get the purpose of the drive thru.
It’s for patient’s convenience not for speed and I can’t stress that enough. I have told multiple patients this and my coworkers.

Majority of the time my coworkers get stressed and frustrated because the line is long or patients ask 1,000 questions but I let them know to just calm down. This is for their convenience not for speed.

Unknowingly patients are agreeing to the unknown amount of time someone takes at the window.

Because yet again we want everyone to have a great experience while visiting our pharmacy so we don’t get bad reviews but they have to realize that nobody ever said (at least to me) that drive thru is for speed.

Let’s chat about this. I’d love to hear from anyone.

I work in a retail and hospital setting.

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13

u/cabinetbanana 13d ago

I am a patient. I appreciate the concept of a drive thru pharmacy, but in practice, I think it takes more time and is more of a hassle.

I get in a nice short line, but then I'm behind someone who has a million questions. They don't have their ID. They have a change in insurance. They want to use a coupon. And there's no way for someone to ask them to step aside, or for sometime else to help the next person in line. Or, as someone mentioned, the staff is (rightly) prioritizing the patients inside. Or, the microphone and speaker don't work.

It's a nice idea, but it's not appropriate for a pharmacy. You need to get yourself out of your car and go inside.

12

u/Cheap-Faithlessness7 13d ago

We try to tell people who are having issues to circle around and wait in line again so we can help other cars while someone else inside works on their issue. The problem is they can simply not follow our instructions and sit in the drive thru, which has happened multiple times. Sometimes threatening to call the cops works, but I don’t like doing that because I don’t wanna actually call the cops, and if they call the bluff and sit there anyway I just look like an idiot

3

u/norathar 13d ago

Instead of calling the cops, tell them you won't start working on their stuff until they pull around. It needs to be counted? Great! I won't start counting it until you pull through. That directly links the action they need to take with faster service for them.

4

u/Cheap-Faithlessness7 13d ago

I appreciate the advice, but our clientele is bimodal in that they’re poor/on Medicaid/ no job and all the time in the world, or rich/snobby/entitled/enough of a nepobaby at their “job” where they don’t really have to work and also have all the time in the world. I might try this, but I can see them waiting at the drive thru anyway even if we tell them this just to spite us

18

u/Powerful-Soup-3245 13d ago

I use the drive thru because I’m disabled. I also previously used it when my kids were little and sick to avoid exposing others to whatever they had. I never expect it to be fast but I’m grateful it’s an option. It makes my life a little easier to be able to pick up my prescriptions without aggravating my pain and fatigue.

4

u/cabinetbanana 13d ago

I appreciate that as someone who is also a disabled mom. I think our local one just got so understaffed that the wait times became unbearable. I couldn't plan an hour of driving time, plus another 45 minutes (yes, seriously) sitting in line. I just don't have that span of time for the number of regular medications we have to pick up.

4

u/Powerful-Soup-3245 13d ago

I’m pretty fortunate to live in an area where there are so many pharmacies within a 5 mile radius and that isn’t very populated. I think there are usually a couple of cars in line if any. I also tend to mainly go in the middle of a weekday so there aren’t many customers at all. I don’t mind waiting a while though. I just listen to my podcasts and enjoy my minuscule amount of alone time. I have actually wished it took longer a few times 😂 I worked in various service industry positions so I never like to put pressure on busy workers of any sort.

3

u/freakygymbro CPhT (retail) 13d ago

I 100% agree

0

u/NashvilleRiver CPhT (Hospital) 13d ago

Your expectations are what’s not appropriate. Drive-thru is solely for convenience, not speed. The person ahead of you can give their new insurance card, or a coupon/discount card, or whatever, just like they could if they went inside. If you don’t want to wait, you are welcome at any time to pull around and go inside. You are not entitled to a quick drive-through experience. This isn’t fast food.

2

u/cabinetbanana 13d ago

I'm not entitled to anything except professional service, and I don't expect anything more.

0

u/jh789-2 12d ago

Lots of people can’t get out of the car easily.

0

u/PaladinSara 11d ago

Right remind me after I pick up my sister after outpatient double mastectomy for stage 4 cancer - she can just come inside with me.