Maximart Pharmacy

Although I don’t live in Palo Alto any longer, I still feel a kinship to Ben and his wife Robin. I love how they care about everyone and e.g. how he often would question the doctor if he thought a mistake had been made. That’s rare and such 1:1 service, the likes of which I have yet to find, elsewhere. I know this is possibly not the best place to write this, but I am the former Chris Sims and I know they got married the first year of the Superbowl, so if there’s some way someone could please tell them I want to wish them a very Happy 50^th anniversary I would appreciate it. I have always loved them and wish them 50 more!!!

My parents have been going here for years. Very friendly staff — helpful and happy to explain things slowly and patiently to their customers. Yes, they do cater to a more senior population than your average CVS does, but that’s a good and increasingly rare thing. (For those of you who look down on that or lack the patience for it, believe it or not, even YOU will feel differently if you’re fortunate enough to live for another few decades.) They stock the kinds of products it’s hard to find elsewhere. Definitely a five star pharmacy!

There is a pharmacist named Ben there. Probably the rudest person I ever encountered.

Yep the reviews are on target. Long live the high-​quality mom and pop.

True to form for an old-​school pharmacy, geriatrics flock to Maximart like a moth to a flame. Why wouldn’t they? It’s filled with «goodies» for the golden agers, like a wall of cough drops, over-​the-​counter arthritis medicine/​creams, as well as masks and various preventative care items.
Luckily, I didn’t need anything major like a potty seat or fiber supplements. Yet. Nope, I just had a headache and didn’t have an sort of pain reliever on hand. Maximart sells all sorts of Tylenol, aspirin as well as Ibuprofen. They even had a mini carrying case with 10 pills for less than $ 3, which is a steal compared to competitor’s prices.
Folks behind the counter were busy! I guess Friday afternoons are a time for seniors to pick up their pills? Regardless, after a short wait in line, I was checked out and ready to go. Very nice, friendly workers, indeed.
Though I really do enjoy wandering the aisles of a bigger box store like CVS or Walgreens, it is refreshing to visit a locally owned pharmacy. You don’t see these kinds of drugstores very often.

You see all those 5-​star reviews? Yeah, those are regular customers already on a first-​name basis with the employees. If you’ve never been here before, don’t get your prescription filled here unless you want your pharmacist to assume you’re a criminal because he doesn’t know you.
God forbid you would give them a home address that’s out of town (hey, it’s not like it’s a college town or anything, for Christ’s sake) and ask to fill a prescription for a controlled substance written not by a random ghetto doctor but by a *UCLA hospital physician* who has her full contact info on her prescription letterhead. Please tell me what’s so suspicious about that.
At any rate, in my estimation it’s considerably less suspicious than the pharmacy being run by a guy in jeans, a dirty white t-​shirt, and a Miami Dolphins baseball cap.
So what happens to you if they don’t know you? Well, apparently if they imagine a giant red flag (like a Los Angeles home address) it warrants pretending they don’t have the medication in stock and then telling the patient to check back in a goddamn week to see if they managed to find it, all the while never planning to fill the prescription in the first place. What a shitty way to treat a new customer who’s trying to support a mom-​and-​pop business.
Because I was a fool and, you know, took them at their word that there was a «national shortage,» I waited patiently and called them after a week, just like they suggested, and AFTER ASKING FOR MY NAME, they told me they hadn’t received any of the meds. At this point I had run out because I believed their stupid cover.
So I hurried to a different pharmacy and learned that there was no shortage. It’s easily available. Fucking thanks, Maximart, for screwing me and not having the balls under your dirty jeans and stained t-​shirt to tell me you were screwing me.
It’s idiotic that someone with a valid and verifiable prescription from a university hospital physician can’t get the medication because of a pharmacist’s paranoia about people he doesn’t know. And it’s even more idiotic that they can’t be straightforward about this and would instead put their patients at risk by telling the patient there’s a «shortage» and then making them wait a week, running out of the medication they never intended to fill in the first place. That to me is more wrongful behavior than any committed by drug abusers and pill-​mill doctors.
For the non-​controlled substance, they filled it with no problem, although the pharmacist did go out of his way to counsel me that my med «really shouldn’t be taken at night,» even though my physician explicitly wrote for it to be taken at bedtime. Just to clarify: doctors don’t need to write what time of day the med is to be taken, and usually don’t. But mine explicitly specified bedtime. I’ve been taking it for years that way and there is absolutely no safety risk for doing so. NONE. Zero. I asked him why, and his response was «it could cause trouble sleeping.» I don’t have any friggin’ trouble sleeping, dude! You don’t just tell someone their doctor gave them the wrong instructions without even bothering to ASK questions first, like, you know, «do you have trouble sleeping?»
Screw this place and their staff who are self-​important and judgmental toward customers despite wearing jeans and a dirty white t-​shirt and baseball hat to work at the pharmacy. Christ.

When was the last time you went into a mom and pop pharmacy? Probably never!
I came here for the first time and was so happy to give them business over a large chain like CVS. If your service sucks, you don’t deserve my money! That’s how I feel about CVS.
The lady I spoke to over the phone at Maximart was sweet and I could tell she was very patient and calm. She was thorough in what she needed from me to fill my prescription and had excellent follow up by calling back when she said they would.
Speedy friendly service here. Will come back again!

Best Pharmacy in the world. I’ve been going here ever since I was a little girl going in with my Mom to fill her prescriptions. I’m so happy to have this pharmacy. Ben knows you by name and makes sure you know everything about the prescription that you are about to receive. The staff is top notch and there is never any turn over so you see the same people each time. They have a great selection of products from shampoo to band-​aids to vitamins and everything in between. I miss it dearly as I know live in Sacramento.

This type of pharmacy you don’t see around much anymore. Small and packed with goodies.
Personal attention from the pharmacist himself. He seemed to know everyone that walked in that day.
The pharmacist is not stucked behind his counter. He stepped out of his little area behind the counter several times and helped out customers looking for a particular item.
How cool is that? You’re a person to him!

Been going here for years. The neighborhood spot. Ben, the pharmacist & his wife as well as the rest of the staff are always friendly & helpful. The place is tiny and doesnt carry everything but they have a lot. The personal service & knowledge makes up for it.

I have been going here for about 8 years now. This is a wonderful pharmacy where the people are so friendly you just want to invite them home for dinner.
I was very sick this weekend with the flu and was in bed all weekend after a trip to the doctor on Thursday. Somehow, when my friend Nora comes over with her kids, no matter what time a year, I seem to get sick. It never fails and I just don’t know how that is, but it is what it is.
My doctor called in the prescription right before closing time. I didn’t think I was going to get any relief that night because it was so late in the day. Luckily for me, even though it was late, and a holiday weekend for most, they were able to get my order filled for my daughter to pick up.
I am one of those many people that has many allergies, including penicillin and some other medicines, so the pharmacy will always call me once they get the call from the Doctor just to go over it all and make sure I haven’t developed any new allergies. They really care about the people they provide a service to, and so that is another reason why I love this pharmacy.
Today, I am feeling a little better, although still a little sick, but well enough to be up and moving around. I plan to send the Pharmacy a card and a gift certificate for lunch. I always like to do something like that because when I am sick, they seem to always deal with me when I am at my worst, so it is the least I can do for them for helping me get better.
Kindness, Professionalism, great prices and all around very good people.

Best pharmacy, leaps and bounds above Walgreens. Let ms tell you a little something about Walgreens generic medicines — as much as possible, they now source them from India, South America, and other third world locations where factories don’t get inspected and regulations don’t apply. You have to be really trusting to consume generics from locations where they could care less about quality. I have found on a few occasions that where Walgreens offers me a shoddy international generic, Maximart is instead getting the generic sourced from the US. Besides that obvious advantage, Walgreens is the master of screw-​ups. It’s all about maximizing profit by hiring throw-​away workers. Long waits in line too. This is why I still come to Maximart. I’d rather patronize a high-​quality business than cough my money up for the conglomerate.

This is, by far, the best pharmacy I have been to. The customer service is leaps and bounds better than the large pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. Once, when picking up a medication, I found that my doctor had called in the wrong prescription. I was expecting that I was going to have to figure out how to contact my doctor and get the prescription fixed, thinking it would take another day or two to sort out. Instead, the pharmacist offered to call the doctor immediately to get it fixed. Within 15 minutes, I walked out the door with my proper medication, thanks to the pharmacist. Unbelievable customer service!

I love this pharmacy!!! I stopped in here in desparation after several failed attempts to give my 2 month old son liquid zantac. It was so upsetting because he really needed the meds but kept on spitting it out. Even though I wasn’t a customer at the time the pharmacist gave me instructions on how to get my son to take it and it was SO much better than the instructions from the CVS pharmacist or our peds nurse. We have switched all of our prescriptions here that we can (one has to be compounded at PAMF).

My first choices in choosing a retail business are the small, independent, friendly ones which are near my house. Maximart fills the bill. The service provided by the pharmacist and his staff are a huge improvement over the clumsy, impersonal, slow and frustrating treatment I have gotten at the big chain pharmacies in town. If you appreciate personal attention and friendly service Maximart is your place. I have been a customer for years and expect to remain one for many more.
John Kelly

Thank you, Unilocalers, for this gem of a find. After dealing with the local chain stores, I can finally say good riddance.
Maximart’s bags have their motto on them: «Quality, Courtesy, Service.» They live up to each of these and more. It is a tiny shop, but a dedicated pharmacy. When I was there, there were several older customers ahead of me and each one was greeted by name… as in, «Mr. _​_​_​» or «Mrs. _​_​_​» and even one «Dr. _​_​_​». They are a true mom and pop establishment embedded in their community.
My prescription was sent to them by my doctor and ten minutes later, I arrived at the shop. They diligently searched for my prescription the moment I got there and it was filled within ten minutes. From doctor to getting medicine in hand, twenty minutes including travel time. That has to be a record breaker for me.
The pharmacist took the time to explain my medication to me and despite feeling grumpy and overall miserable from being sick, his attitude and clarity in communication through it all made me feel a lot better.
Highly recommended. They are one street off of California Avenue, across the street from Mollie Stone’s and the post office. I have been on Cambridge Avenue several times, but totally overlooked it. I am happy to have found it :)!

Maximart is the best pharmacy in town, by far! Why go to Walgreens where you’re a number in a computer, when you can go to Maximart and everyone knows your name.
Support independent pharmacies. They’re a dying breed, unfortunately. Support Maximart, a true neighborhood pharmacy!

I have been going to this «mom and pop» pharmacy for over 20 years and I have NEVER had a bad experience! Ben, the pharmacist, actually cares about each and every customer, not to mention knows everyone by name! The staff is always helpful and friendly. And if you don’t see something you’re looking for, just ask — they might be able to order it for you. I will never switch to another pharmacy until the day they close this place down, and I pray that won’t be for a long, long time.
And, yes, it IS a tiny place, but the great service makes up for the tight quarters!

Wow, I remember back in the day when Maximart was a big department store. It was located in the now Palo Alto Fry’s.
Anyway, this is a small personable store. I think it has continued to stay in business because the level of service that they provide is in direct correlation to what the Palo Alto community expects: Excellent Service.
Two thumbs up to the tiny weenie Maximart Pharmacy that is small in stature but big on service!

Outstanding Service. They actually care about their clients. Very personalized care. They will answer any question you have, provide recommendations and give you personalized suggestions and recommendations.
Simply outstanding.
Small store. Everyone is within sight and will speak with you. So very different from the typical chain drug stores.
Outstanding!