CVS

The conversation that my husband and I were having with the pharmacy tech was regarding why after at least 10 years of going to the pharmacy that our medications were never available when we brought our prescription in. The prescriptions always had to be ordered and it would take anywhere between 1 to 3 business days. This obviously skews the insurance dates and pharmacy fill dates. We were advised by the tech working on the fill that it was because of the type of drug and how the manager could only order a certain amount. They were basically letting us know it was first come first serve idea based on the order the pharmacist put in. They informed us that there was no other way it could be done to insure that every prescription would be filled. My husband explained that he is in a great deal of pain as anyone taking this medicine, myself included, would be and that there should be a better way. He was looking into the direction of the pharmacy manager. As the manager, Jaime Wu, I believe his name is, completed his task he walked on over asking if he could help. By this time we were in acceptance that our medication had to be ordered and it would take a few days. The tech was ordering it during our conversation. Going to another pharmacy was not an option for us. Because of my cancer treatment, for stage IV breast cancer my immune system gets week. We try to limit our interactions in crowds and stores to a minimal. We drop off our prescriptions at that store as we have done for almost 10 years now because it is on our way home from our doctors. Though we had to concede to the situation, we still wanted to know if there was a better way to assure that our prescriptions would be available when we needed them. My husband explained to the manager that the situation was frustrating, heightened by his chronic pain that is not entirely relieved by the medication and the knowledge that he would have to endure increased pain until his medication was filled. After my husband explained that going to the pharmacy should be like going to McDonald's for a hamburger. You always expect a hamburger and never expect them to run out as it is their business. The Pharmacy Manager Jaime Wu, automatically replied if we are not happy we can go some where else. My husband and I were getting more frustrated as his tone and body language seemed to be placing blame on us. My husband sharply without raising his voice said that this is [censored] there has to be a better way for patients that are in pain and need their medicine to get it in a timely manner. At this point the Pharmacy Manager said you don't need to cuss at me. I said, it is not cussing at you it is the situation. He never offered any assistance, explanation or a word of advice to help quell our discomfort for having to run up against not having our medication available to us when we need it. He simply abruptly picked up and aggressively threw our prescriptions across the counter at us and said, you can take your business elsewhere we are not filling these.

About a week later my oncologist ordered me a prescription straight to the pharmacy. The prescription was to help with side effects from my chemotherapy. I went to pick it up and was greeted by the Pharmacy Manager, Jaime Wu. He told me that my business was not welcomed here and I could not get anymore prescriptions filled after this one. He said that this was told to us. I responded no it was not. He said yes I did say that a few weeks ago. I indicated that what I understood was that we could not have the prescriptions we had that day filled. According to his memory it was for all future prescriptions. He confused me even more. I explained and said this is [censored] as I cannot be running around from pharmacy to pharmacy and continue to be stressed because of my weekened immune system due my chemotherapy. He asked me where he could send my pending medications that were on auto fill. I said Walgreens on El Camino. He confused me yet again by saying Oceanside Blvd. He did not listen to what I originally said. He kept talking over me. I yelled at him to him to just stop he is confusing me. Its not fair what he is doing to me and my family. I asked him his name. Because it was in the drive through it was hard to hear. I believe he said, Jaime Wu. Again he was cold and disregarded me as not just a customer but as a person.

The Pharmacy Manager, Jaime Wu, had no diplomatic problem solving communication skills what so ever.in his position he should have these skills to handle peoples grievances. What he did was inflamed the situation and kept my husband and myself, a stage IV breast cancer patient from getting our needed prescriptions filled. The level of commitment he has to his personal self preservation seems to be detrimental to patients in need of their medications.