Walgreens

My dad had needed antibiotics after he checked out of the hospital. We couldn’t find any pharmacies opened during Christmas and his nurse recommended this Walgreens. The wait was not long and we are very appreciative of the good people who worked to help people during Christmas. Thank you for helping my dad.

I’ve tried, for the last months, to work with the pharmacy to get my prescriptions filled, and it hasn’t worked correctly, even once. I have to return several times a month for a myriad of reasons, mostly due to their incompetence. Incredibly frustrating. I second and third everyone who complains about the inordinately long waits, indifference, etc. Drugstore chains like this have NO INCENTIVE to do it any differently, so all the complaints in the world won’t change the incompetence. I’ve given up, and looking for something else.

I spent 30 minutes on the phone waiting to talk to somebody from their pharmacy department. After losing patience I called back and reached customer service. 4 different times they tried to transfer me to the pharmacy department but each time I was transferred back to customer service. I finally asked to speak to a manager and was told I would be connected right away but instead I waited another 5 minutes before giving up on this place entirely.

I loved this big Walgreens, it’s clean, lot’s of items. My Aunt, myself and my little dog had lunch at Peets Coffe. There’s other types of places to eat & places to sit

This was the worst service I have ever experienced at a Walgreens. We searched online for a specific product and the Walgreens site stated that this location did indeed stock the product. We entered this Walgreens to find the product. We were «greeted» (if you can even call it a greet) by a young lady, who was already in the aisle so she was definitely not inconvenienced even though she made us feel terrible for interrupting her to ask a question. We asked her if they had the product in stock because we could not find it on the shelves. She then proceeded to call a taller man who was extremely rude. He told us if it wasn’t here then they don’t have it. We explained that their website states that this store has the product to which he replied «that’s not our problem, it’s corporates problem because they update the website» and then he walked away. This is pathetic!!! I’m sorry if you hate your job, that’s not our problem, but it is in fact your job so do it properly!!! We had three other items we needed buy but we left to take our money to support another store. If this is how the local Walgreen stores and corporate do business then I’m sure we can expect the company to dwindle. I wasn’t shocked when I saw that this Walgreens has a low rating on Unilocal!!!I will never come back here.

Actually quite an entertaining location that brings about some interesting characters. They usually have what I need and are open ²⁴⁄₇ I think.

This Walgreens is the worst. I went in there today and they were playing Jesus music, I know that can’t be approved by the corporate office. What a shit show.

Walgreens — do you care???
I have been waiting in your drive through lane for an hour so far.
This problem is chronic. Oakland gets no respect. Shame on you walgreens. And clean your drive through window– do you ever look at it from the outside? The customers view of your pharmacy??? I have even mentioned this to your management several times. I guess you don’t care.

LOL this pharmacy is a joke. No, really, I have too many stories of rejection, rudeness, and outright stupidity to even write a concise review. Even as I write this I’ve been sitting at the drive through window for, ohhhh, 15 minutes without so much as a side eye my way. Always a pleasure, guys. Always a pleasure.

This is the closest Walgreens to me that is open 24 hours and has a drive-​thru pharmacy. Note that the drive-​thru isn’t always available.
Walk-​ins can take a really long time (15 – 45 mins) and while I’ve never encountered anything shady INSIDE the store, I have seen people doing rather dubious things just outside, such as peeking inside parked cars or arguing at the bus stop. Because of this, I make it a habit of requesting refills and new prescriptions using my Walgreens app or by phone and head there only after I get a text or phone call notifying me that it’s ready for pick up.
That convenient feature and the friendly employees keep me coming back to this location.
(I read some of the other reviews by fellow Unilocalers and it sounds like this location has had some crime-​related history in previous years. Fortunately, I’ve never encountered anything quite that extreme, though I did see 2 police cars parked in their lot last night.)

I see I’m not the first to compare this place unfavorably with the DMV.
When I showed up last time I was second in line (one at the counter and one at the point where everybody queues up). Thirty minutes later, I got to the counter.
That’s bad enough, but when you consider that there were five people working behind the counter and only one of the people was helping customers (and he was doing both the drive-​through and the counter), it gets ridiculous. I’m sure these other four people were doing something important, but when 6 people stack up behind me and the line’s not moving, I have to wonder why just ONE of those other four people doesn’t help out to get through the rush. I have to think they put the other two registers in there for reasons other than aesthetics.
The thing is, this is my experience every time. And this is why I’m transferring my prescription elsewhere — anywhere else. Yes, even the DMV could probably get my meds to me quicker.

As drug stores go, this one’s OK, if you can get past the various homeless that like to hang out in front. It’s not the best part of town, but it could be a lot worse.
Parking here is nearly impossible on the weekend, but if you come for a late night run, no problem. I’m no fan of most of the junk that drug stores carry, but this place keeps it to a mimimum. They should stop selling cigarettes of course.

Worst pharmacy ever. I am with all the Unilocalers that rate this place low. Long lines, constant waiting, miscommunication, apathy, and no accountability. Save yourself the time and go elsewhere. I transferred my prescriptions today. Enough is enough.

This review is for the dumbass security guard manning the store entrance. Up until now, I’ve never been asked to leave my backpack at the front while shopping here (or any drugstore, for that matter). This dude asked me to do so, and I begrudgingly left my bag there before going to the other side of the store to grab toothpaste.
I come back to the register to pay, and the security guard had totally walked off, leaving my poor backpack unattended and alone, ON THE FLOOR, right near the sliding doors. I angrily walked back to pick it up just as he returned, and I asked him if anyone else was watching the bags while he was «patrolling.» He said, «Well, everything’s on camera,» as if a surveillance camera would stop someone from swiping my bag. Had he asked me to put my bag behind the cashier counter, I would have sort of understood.

I have given the Walgreens PHARMACY department many chances to service my Rx needs over the years as the location is a block away from my house. I learned quickly that the incompetence and indifference of this pharmacy staff and Walgreens procedures and policies make a trip to this pharmacy INTOLERABLE. The staff is overworked-​not effectively trained and obviously not supported by their management team. The turn over of staff and managers at this location is very high. The place is a 3 Ring Circus-​a joke. I have many Rx needs-​and spend thousands of Rx dollars a month-​Years back I switched to a small independent establishment. I had recently however needed to pick up an order for my partner which was processed by Walgreens at 5505 Telegraph. It took them 4 days and 3 «alleged» phone calls to his doctors office that, again, allegedly went «unreturned» and as a result the scripts were not filled. The truth of the matter is that the office contacted the pharmacy on the first time and faxed requested information the first time as well. That information was misplaced and until I had a very stern conversation with the pharmacist and insisted she process the order it would have remained in limbo. The long and short of it is go elsewhere for your Rx.needs. This is by far the first place you will want to avoid if your looking for competent and efficient service. My sentiments are shared with many here in Temescal. I continue to let anyone and everyone know in my neighborhood to boycott the pharmacy at this location-​you will thank me.
Side note-​the front end of the store, ie clerks are charming and friendly-​I have zero issue with the retail side of the business.

I duck in here either before Bakesale Betty’s when I want a beverage, or afterwards when I need some gum.
There are ALWAYS people harassing you outside for money. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS.
I should just pay the extra $ 0.75 and get my drinks at BSBs, methinks.

Employees are very helpful.
People asking for money outside not good.
I visit this walgreens 3 – 4 times a week.

I regret it every time I go to the Walgreens pharmacy. It just happens to be the closest pharmacy to where I live, so I keep going despite the bad service.
I have picked up prescriptions here about 10 times in the past year and every single time I either had to wait in a long line (they’re very understaffed), deal with miscommunications or wait for someone to figure out insurance issues, which ended up just being improperly logged data. The only person that has actually been helpful and tried to get me in and out as quick as possible was a guy named Jono. Any other time, I had to explain my problems or questions to at least two staff members because the initial individual that I spoke with needed to defer to his/​her manager to help me figure out my very simple requests. There were a few times that I wasn’t able to leave with my prescription and the pharmacy staff basically just shrugged their shoulders about it as if they had no concern about the fact that this could potentially impact my health.
The rest of the Walgreens staff here is helpful (although the digital photo kiosk didn’t work and I wasn’t able to print photos there) and friendly, but the pharmacy is really awful.

Good: Has a good general selection of everything you could need. Had your run of the mill pharmacy and photo center.
Bad: people outside always harassing you for money. The lines can get slow and long. It’s right at 51^st and telegraph which I think is the worst intersection in Oakland traffic wise.

I used come to this Walgreens once or twice a week, give or take. I probably won’t be here as often anymore after the lecture I got from the manager last night on a return.
This Walgreens is open 24 hours, but I don’t know if that includes the pharmacy, as I have never used it. I do know that I have heard more complaints from pharmacy users in store about problems with prescriptions and wait time than I have heard good. Take that as you will.
It’s a fairly large store with a good assortment, but their prices are outrageous. Everything is at least 2 times the normal price at other retail stores. This is why I made a return – two things I bought here were priced twice as low at another big box store. It usually wouldn’t be a big deal, but the savings were significant enough to merit a return.
When I came in, I had both items (new, in package) and my receipt (I circled the two items for return myself). The manager took one look at my receipt and sneered. He then asked me if I circled the items on the receipt myself and I told him I did. I then got a long lecture/​rant about why I shouldn’t have done that and how bad it is and how skeptical he was about the return and other managers might not even take the return. ALL BECAUSE I CIRCLED THE ITEMS I WAS RETURNING ON MY RECEIPT.
FUCK YOU, MANAGER GUY!
If you are trying to say I stole two pencil sharpeners you are insane. When he asked why I was returning them I said because they were cheaper elsewhere I got another dirty look. Sorry, I don’t know anyone that wants to pay double in this economy. He then made very sure to put all of my information in the computer, and took his sweet time doing it. I felt like he was doing a background check on a totally legitimate return of purchase.
Aside from my return purchase, the other store clerks are usually pretty slow and range from average to rude. The line to check out can get out of hand. I’ve personally seen the parking lot security guy asleep in his car a few times during the day/​evening. The panhandlers are aggressive and seem to be getting closer and closer to the entrance.