Kroger

Kroger Pharmacy, 1670 Starlite Dr, Owensboro, KY 42301, [protected]

I have been a loyal customer at this Kroger Pharmacy for approximately 15 years. Last winter, wait times became incredibly long to pick up medication and there was no drive-thru open. I was frustrated but understood due to lack of enough staff. Things got better after a while but then deteriorated again in the past two months. In October, my husband picked up his Jardiance (10mg) medication. When he took his medication the next day, he noticed the pill looked different but took it anyway. Upon closer examination, he saw that he was given 20 mg instead of the 10mg he was prescribed. The label still said 10 mg but the pill was actually a 20 mg pill. I reported this the next day (10/29/22) to the pharmacy and spoke with the pharmacist. She apologized and said she would make a report and gave me the correct dosage. I thought this was a terrible mistake since many people more than likely would not pay attention to the dosage and what the pill actually said, and that could lead to terrible health complications. I let it go and did not report it and continued to use the pharmacy for both mine and my husband's medications.

The line has continued to be incredibly long, waiting no less than 45 minutes at a time to obtain needed medication and the only option to pick it up is to go inside since the drive thru is always closed. For the past several weeks, I have noticed that medications are filled once the person speaks with the pharmacy employee. I have tried to call the pharmacy numerous times to ensure my medication is ready, but no one answers the phone. I even let the phone ring for 25 minutes and no one answered. I am signed up for text alerts, but I can refill something 5 days or more prior and still not get a text that it is ready. Medication is never ready by the promised time.

The last straw with this pharmacy was on December 8, 2022. I stood in line for 45 minutes and was planning to pick up two of my medications, and one of my husband’s medications before going out of town the next day. My husband had refilled his medication around Dec 2-3. When I finally reached the pharmacy employee, they said none of the 3 medications were ready. They were very near closing time by this point as well. I asked for one of my medications to be filled at that time because I needed it, but the other one I could wait a couple of days to save time. The pharmacy employee took a long time to look at the screen, and shared that my husband's medication (Lamictal 200 mg) was "denied by the provider" on 12/4. This has happened once before, and my husband's provider assured him that she would never do this for his medication. She said that they would fax them again. My husband had been out of medication at this point for a few days because he had been waiting on the text that the prescription was ready. There is no way to call them to see if it is ready since they do not answer the phone. He assumed he wasn't because he had not gotten the text, and he works out of town when the pharmacy is open. A good, normal functioning pharmacy would have called my husband to tell him it was denied, and maybe reach out to the provider. He did not even know this until the provider's office was closed. I left 3 messages with the provider's office but they did not get them until Monday morning (12/12). Monday morning, the provider called and talked with my husband and myself, explained that she did not deny the medication at all and she actually approved it on 12/4. She was not happy, so she contacted the pharmacy herself to explain the situation and also explained how my husband will have to begin his new dosage at 25 mg instead of the 200 mg he was on for years. She explained the dangers of mental health patients not being able to access their medication. My husband has had an increase in depressive thoughts, irritation, and even suicidal thoughts during this time that he has been off of the medication. The provider called Meijer Pharmacy and sent the medication there and the medication was filled in less than an hour and he was able to pick it up. I spoke with Meijer Pharmacy to get my entire family (4 members) to transfer prescriptions there. The employee there said “we cannot do any transfers from Kroger on Starlite because they will not answer their phone. Please have your provider send all of your prescriptions here and we can get them filled.” My husband and I have numerous medications from different providers and even though this is very inconvenient, we will do this due to the negligent behaviors of Kroger Pharmacy. It is ridiculous that Kroger Pharmacy is so bad, it is well known by other pharmacies in the community and they cannot even work with them.

I picked up my last medications at Kroger Pharmacy on 12/17/22. The pharmacy was more staffed, but I still waited 30 minutes in line and was already in line when they were closed for lunch. I inquired about transferring my prescriptions to Meijer Pharmacy. The employee stated that Meijer Pharmacy would have to call them to get it transferred. I explained that I had told them that, but they said that they could never get an answer when they called Kroger Pharmacy to do transfers therefore they no longer accept them. She said “we have more staff now and we are beginning to answer the phone again so they can call us.”

I am just extremely disappointed and angry with how this pharmacy has handled these situations. A person needs their prescribed medications, and as a busy person I cannot waste so much time waiting in line and not getting needed medication. I am not the only one dissatisfied with this pharmacy; each time I’ve waited in line, there are numerous complaints from the customers all around me about the time waiting and how they are beginning to get their prescriptions elsewhere.

I am a patient and understanding person, and have never complained about a pharmacy, a store, or a person; but the way this pharmacy has done their business is completely unprofessional and not even functional. At this point, the pharmacy shouldn’t even be open. I wanted to report these incidents so they can be addressed and hopefully no one has to suffer like my family has suffered at the hands of this Kroger Pharmacy.

Heather Autry [protected]