When I moved to Seattle and found an affordable doctor, he sent my prescriptions to Safeway, the giant grocery store chain. Doc said their prices were the cheapest in town, and maybe he’s right, among the Kroger-Walgreens-RiteAid nexus of giant chains. My four long-term prescriptions cost about $180 every three months, which was more than when I lived in Wisconsin, but that’s not why I quit going to Safeway. I went elsewhere because Safeway sucked.
No matter how many times I asked, they couldn’t master “60-something man doesn’t need childproof containers,” or “Don’t robocall remind me day after day after day that my prescriptions are ready,” or “Don’t automatically refill my meds after 90 days,” or if you do, then automatically refill ALL of them, not two out of four. Also, Safeway offers long lines and don’t-give-a-damn service, but that’s the same at any of the chains.
Then I switched to an indie drug store, Bob Johnson’s Pharmacy. They have only one location, 30 miles from my house, but they’re willing to mail meds for a few dollars extra, so there was no waiting in line, and the price went down, from $180 at Safeway to about $140 every three months at Bob’s, for all my meds.
Independent doesn’t necessarily mean excellent, though. Bob’s refilled my prescriptions every 90 days for a year, but never once without a minor or major hitch or glitch — a prescription was forgotten, or they forgot to mail the meds, etc — so I’ve switched to a different independent place.
My first impression is, wow. The Stations Pharmacy filled my prescriptions with a smile, without a hassle or waiting in line. They offer free delivery, but I don’t need it, because they have locations at two different light rail stations, so I’m often there anyway.
It’s a very small shop, 1/50th the size of a Walgreens, but with an adequate selection of over-the-counter stuff for sale in the lobby, and get this — they even have a public restroom!
I was wary about the price, though. I hadn’t comparison shopped over the phone; that’s for responsible adults, not me. I’d heard they were good, that’s all, so I switched without any research, and the cost was about 50 bucks less than at Bob Johnson’s — under $100 for 90 days of all my meds — even though my doctor added a fifth prescription!
If you’re looking for a good, independent pharmacy in the Seattle area, pretty sure I’ve discovered the answer, and it’s Stations Pharmacy.
12/7/2024
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