Drive-thru lanes have a time and place for customers and they are not always the appropriate option depending on the situation. Sadly, not all customers respect drive-thru etiquette and their problems not only prolong their stay at the pharmacy, but also the line of customers behind them. Certain problems can be avoided while others may require more time than the drive-thru allows.
An issue with the prescription fill
- Be willing to come inside the pharmacy or go around. Inside the pharmacy the pharmacist can take more time to explain the situation to the customer and how to solve the prescription problem. Sometimes the prescription simply has not been filled yet, but if we must fill four medications that will take time and the rest of the customers in the drive-thru line do not want to wait as well.
If the doctor was supposed to call/fax a prescription ahead of time
- Call the pharmacy ahead of time and make sure the prescription is already filled. Prescriptions are filled in the order they are received. However, prescriptions brought in to the pharmacy and waited on by other customers take priority. Though your doctor may have called the prescription in three hours ago it may not have been filled yet because the pharmacy has not had time. A call ahead will ensure the prescription has been received and will be placed higher on the list to be filled.
Most pharmacies with a second drive-thru lane is drop off only
- The air powered chute cannot handle heavy prescriptions and may get stuck. While some of the lighter prescriptions may be able to go through the chute, the pharmacy does not wish to risk having a prescription stuck leaving the customer without medication and the chute broken for future customers.
Do not expect to wait in the drive-thru
- Refills may be requested in the drive-thru, however customers cannot wait in the drive-thru for the prescription to be filled. Pharmacy drive-thrus are like fast food drive-thru's. The fast food place may ask you to pull around while the food cooks, pharmacy is no different.
The drive-thru is not for shopping
- The pharmacy staff member may be willing to grab an over the counter (OTC) medication to purchase with the prescription, but do not expect them to also grab you a gallon of milk and a handful of other items.
Other customers are waiting inside
- The pharmacy is well aware of the customers in the drive-thru. However, often other customers are also in the store that must be attended to as well. Be patient, a pharmacy staff member will be with you as quickly as possible.
You mentioned that it's okay to ask for an OTC medication with your prescription, but what if you don't have a prescription to fill? I mean, I'm guessing it's okay if it's something you had to buy from behind the counter (like some allergy medications), but is it okay to go to the drive through and ask for something like cold medicine or Advil if you don't also have a prescription?
ReplyDeleteIt hard to believe someone would try to buy groceries at the pharmacy window, but I guess pharmacists see everything, the Good the Bad and the Ugly.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea there was an etiquette to drive through pharmacies. I'll be sure to follow the rules and look into the rules of institutions I might not have realized had stranded etiquette.
Honestly it depends, OpenArtBox.
ReplyDeleteFirst in regards to allergy medication kept behind the counter check with the pharmacy before attempting to do so (I am talking about the allergy + pseudophedrine products kept behind the counter). It may vary depending upon the pharmacy, but I know in the pharmacies I have worked in to be able to purchase a pseudophedrine product the staff member must be able to swipe your (not expired - yes, I must mention it) photo ID / driver's license. More importantly, our system requires the customer to sign the agreement and our drive-thru registers do not have that capability. If a customer wishes to purchase a pseudophedrine product he or she must come inside the pharmacy to make the transaction.
As far as cold medication and Advil it really depends on who's working and the time of the day. If it's the middle of 5 o'clock rush hour we would greatly appreciate it if you came inside to make such a purchase simply so a technician is not taken away from another task such as typing prescriptions, answering the multitude of phone calls, or filling drugs. It's not that you're not important to us (we do care about our customers, promise!) it's more us asking the favor of having one less thing to do.