CVS Pharmacy

CVS is my go-​to pharmacy. I can always find what I need there. The people are very helpful and everything is easy to find in the store. Meter parking is the only parking.

Huge store with good variety of grocery options!!!
Although the store is nice and big, checkout line and self-​checkout is confusing. Since the line is not organized, there are people jump in front of you and act like they’re confused.

The staff (excluding pharmacy — see other review) is generally pleasant and helpful. I am giving a 5 star review based primarily on Ms. Tina, who works the register. She is very friendly and helpful, yet efficient. She should be (at least) a manager!

It’s worth noting that, like any other place, rating can very much depend on the customer experience.
When I walked in here yesterday, on Black Friday, I saw the guy who did not help me standing guard near the self check out kiosks. Interestingly enough, there was a guard, and they were just hamming it up the ENTIRE time I was there.
I was in search for a couple of Black Friday deals — yes, that’s right. Nothing was really clear to me as I usually come here for some snacks so I had to hunt for things. I asked a woman whose name tag said, Ms. Queenie, about the deals, and she told me she didn’t know anything about it because she only works one day a week and suggested I talk to the people up front.
Eventually I decide to ask someone else, hoping she would be more useful than everyone else I’ve interacted with. Tina, as my receipt indicated, was sooo helpful. At the self check out, she even suggested I «pay» for one thing, get the ExtraCare bucks and use it to pay for the remaining items so that I really did end up with a couple of free things.
She even scolded the guy who was supposed to be keeping an eye on the self check out kiosks because the one I was at had no paper to print out the ExtraCare bucks or my receipt. She then stopped what she was doing to help me and take me over to the registers to ring me up.
Thank you, Tina. Great customer service deserves to be rewarded, and I hope that’s really your name because I didn’t get a chance to see your name tag.

This is by far the seediest CVS I’ve ever been into. The store is typically dirty and disorganized. You have to help yourself to almost everything from getting Gatorade out of the case to self-​checkout only after a certain time of night. They either don’t stick efficiently or can’t anticipate demand as they are often out of products like bread and dairy products.
But, the real detriment to this one star rating is their horrible pharmacy. There’s two female pharmacists who refuse to help each other it communicate. I called in a prescription for my bulging disc that was extremely aggravated. After half an hour on the phone trying to get my prescription transferred from my home store in Florida, the pharmacists says «the computer says your insurance is rejecting this.» After arguing my point and getting a dozen «well, I don’t know what to do» I was told to come by in an hour and hopefully the computer will fix itself by then. So, an hour later I go in and the pharmacist says «oh, you. I still can’t get this to work. You have KMart instance, right?» No, I said, I have a national company that’s pretty well known. She then asks the other pharmacist for help and was told «you should know how to do that» and then refused to even respond to her coworker. To make this still frustrating story short, the pharmacist just hands me 6 pills of the prescription and says hopefully it’s fixed tomorrow, come back then. So, I end up calling my insurance company and they tell me the prescription was requested dozens of times, but CVS was sending it in with me listed as a female so the system was rejecting it. They fixed it for me. I go back to CVS the next day and was able to get the rest of the script. When I explained that I called the insurance company and told they submitted my script with me listed as a female, the pharmacist says «oh, that’s funny. Sorry.» It’s funny when your disc isn’t bulging perhaps…

This review is from early 2013: Out of town customer with emergency refill need. Called ahead and asked if they could refill as I came to pick up. They said yes. Didn’t start the process until arrival, after 30 mins waiting I asked status. They had filled prescription with misspelled name, took another 15 mins to correct. Slow and poorly motivated staff in the pharmacy.

The actual pharmacy is the worst part of the store. Staff are rude and need a course in health privacy laws. They practically broadcast your prescription details and personal information. Awesome for stalkers.
The rest of the store is generally sparse and unpleasant, which to be fair is par for the course in DC. No human cashiers so just hope the self-​service machines work.

This CVS is underrated. Agree the pharm hours could be better, but customer support has been great for me. When I arrived here 10 months ago, I discovered my pharm back home had filled a script incorrectly. Pharmacist here swapped it out no questions asked! Ever since, stellar performance.
Shelf stocking a problem simply due to variance in tourist traffic, I am sure.

It just hit me went I asked an associate for assistance and he looked right at me and grunted, barely acknowledging my request. .. these folks maybe don’t give a sh*! Basic customer courtesies are noticeably lacking. I live 100 yards away and I’ll try not to go back.

Three stars because it’s hella convenient to work. I can pick up birthday cards, a bottle of Diet Coke, a box of uh, sanitary items, aspirin, whatever I need and it’s reasonable. I mean, it’s CVS. The prices aren’t any better or worse than anywhere else.
Definitely some points off for their refusal to deal with the panhandlers sitting literally outside the doors. I’m sorry that they’re in that situation, really, but I do NOT appreciate being assaulted with «spare a lil» coming both in and out of the store. You’re not going to want to have people coming to your place of business if that’s what they’re going to have to deal with every single time they visit. Seriously.
Self-​checkout is a huge pain in the ass, definitely — the machines don’t work half the time — but it’s still preferable to actually being forced to talk to a human being (at least in my opinion).
It is what it is. It’s a CVS. :p

Just a quick note: the website and the phone announcements for this location both announce that the pharmacy is open until 10:00. When I arrived at 6:15 last night, the pharmacy was already closed.
Considering I very much needed medicine for a health issue, I find this irresponsible and unprofessional.

slowest pharmacy ever! understaffed, not with it and act like they hate their jobs and are so pained to get off their chair and ring you up for the prescription that was called in 8 hours ago and was promised to you 2 hours ago and still is not ready…

Only one thing I can say about this place… the shelves and beverages are never fully stocked. I can never find a bottle of water and the energy drink selection is sad.

Ok, I have a confession to make. I bought a purse at CVS.
**Reactions from my imaginary audience**
Gasp
Sigh
*Side Eye*
Ohh, girl! No she didn’t?!
Ohh yes she did!
I thought she had style?
*Brakes pumped*
Some things are better kept to yourself, Tara.
Your diva card has been revoked!
**Back to reality**
I came in here for some gum and some cash back, but I walked out with a cute little purse for only $ 14.99!
Hmm, after my Fuego review I could compare it to… falling in love with a stripper. You never thought you would do it. You know it’s wrong. She looks great on your arm. You will never gain acceptance from your friends and family, but you love her still.
That’s how I felt about my purse. If I put her on a shelf at Nordstrom, she would fit right in. Just please, do not check her tags or inseam — she is extremely sensitive.
Oh yea, but this review is for CVS. This store location is just across the street from Teaism and is fairly small, congested but pretty organized, all things considered. Cash back, max of $ 35, pharmacy to the right upon entry, plenty of fiber supplements… bla, bla, bla standard CVS bla, bla, bla.
Oh and of course, they sell designer CVS handbags. *grin*

I go here every night on my way to work. It is usually quiet with a good stock of items. I just wish they had the lemon flavored propel I like!!!

Water is essential for life on Earth. Thankfully, it is also our most abundant resource. What I don’t understand, is why CVS, which has cooler after cooler after cooler, ostensibly to keep drinks cold, did not have a SINGLE bottle of normal water.
Every cooler was about 95% empty, and all I could find was flavored Dasani. Does anyone want flavored Dasani?
The Sharpie selection was poor too.

Hmmmm… since this is not a food or entertainment venue, I’m not exactly sure how to rate it but, how’s about C for competent? This applies strictly to the Pharmacy, btw. They have (1) discovered the wonders of computerized files, so I don’t have to re-​request my quarterly pick-​ups, they’re ready when I drop in! (2) Their system also allows them to ping your doc so you don’t have to re-​visit the doc’s office to get a new prescription; I think that’s brilliant. Finally, points for customer service, bec/​my sources tell me that pharmacy techs don’t get paid nearly enough for doing retail, and handling all kinds of drugs for 18 hours a day. And PPS, the pharmacist has hazel eyes; I can’t determine whether they’re real or contact lens, but she’s kinda cute, and has great recommendation for foot care.

Even if you see tons of people in line to pay with the cashier and no one at the self-​service checkout stands, don’t be douped into self-​service. There’s a reason no one else is using them. Because the machines never work! And they seem to always fail in the middle of the transaction so you have to wave someone down to cancel the transaction, re-​print the receipt, or to painfully start from scratch. If you do attempt to use them and you are successful, go buy a lottery ticket. It’s your lucky day.