Damn, Walgreens, Fix Your Online Vaccine Booking System!

The BBQ Pit
1

We (me and allthegood) are going to be participating in Berkshire Music Festival for the first time, in July. Standing in close proximity to 140 other singers from all over, inhaling and exhaling very deeply, sharing air for hours and hours each day for several days. That struck us as a very good reason to get updated COVID booster shots, as there’s a new ugly variant going around that has “sore throat so painful it feels like razor blades every time you swallow” and we don’t want it.

I open a browser window and type “COVID vaccine near me”. Get a Walgreens portal that lets me input all our info (names, dates of birth, demographic info), confirm we’re over 65 (additional boosters are not currently being recommended for folks who aren’t), and pick a time and confirm the location of our local Walgreens. “Hey, wanna go at 4:20 today? They’ve got a space!” She nods, I click the Book Appt button and get the confirmation email moments later.

We show up at the Pharmacy window. The pharmacist is handling a prior customer, which takes nearly 10 minutes (“sir, it doesn’t include any instructions”; “there are no refills but I can call your doctor’s office”). Finally she turns to us and says, “You’re here for pickup?”

“COVID vaccine. Here’s our confirmation printout…”

She looks back blankly. “Oh. We don’t have any of that here. We don’t have any of the vaccine in stock.”

“But… it was Walgreens’ web site that booked us. This is [specific address], right? See? For 4:20 today!”

She shrugs.

“How do we go about booking an appointment for a place that actually has the vaccine on hand?”

“Well, we should be getting some in August…”

“That won’t help, we want to be freshly inoculated before we go sing with a whole bunch of people in July!”

“Oh…well, we can order some and it should be here Monday, if you can come in on Monday.”

We ask if we can come in for it on Tuesday because we have a conflict on Monday; she nods, and says we don’t need to make an appointment, just come in.

Get back in car. Drive home.

2

I hate Walgreens for lots of reasons.
This is added to the list.

I get my vax at the doctors office, I’m in alot for other things, anyway.
I know thats not convenient for everyone.
Try the County health office if they don’t get the vaccine in on Tuesday.

Good luck.

3

The Walgreens in my area can’t even figure out when the pharmacies will be open.

4

My Walgreens can’t figure out how to print out the record of the vaccination I received there. I went home and printed it out from their website.

5

I went to Walgreens for my first Covid booster because they were associated with my Medicare insurance. They had a problem entering my information even though it was the company they were partnered with. It seriously took them nearly an hour to figure it out. I had an appointment for the second booster and had to wait 45 minutes. I was the only one there for a shot. I changed my insurance company during the next open enrollment.

6

I’ve had no problems using Walgreens for Covid shots, either with their online reservation system or in person at the pharmacy.

7

We moved to CVS for our last rounds of vaccinations (COVID update and flu, I think it was). Easier, accurate, less waiting,

8

My Walgreens is supposed to be sending me emails when my auto-refills are ready to pick up. Phone calls too. When I’m down to my last week of pills, I get on their website to request a refill and see “Your prescriptions are ready for pickup.” I check my settings: both phone and email notifications are checked. So I have no clue why I’m not getting my notifications.

9

Have you accidentally shut off notifications when shutting off other apps?
Do you have the Walgreens app installed?
Have you specifically told them to send notifications to your phone? I assume they ask before they do. People get bent outta shape when they get stuff unsolicited on their phone.

10

EDIT: sorry thought Beck was aiming that at me. Obviously not.

11

No, they are supposed to call my home (landline) phone and send me an email. Both items are checked in my profile, neither one happens. I do not have their app installed on my phone.

12

Wow, that’s crazy.

13

I’ve been thinking about switching pharmacies – to Walgreens as they’re open on Saturdays and making it to my usual pharmacy after work can be tight sometimes.

Maybe I’ll rethink this.

14

My Walgreens is walking distance. About a ten minute walk. Last summer, when I went for my COVID19 vaccination, they asked me to scan a QR code to sign in. I had left my phone at home. When I said this, the lady behind the counter gave me a blank stare. A co-worker happened by. They asked me to go home and get it. I gave the same blank stare in return.

You ever have a blank stare contest?

15

“We’ll see who blinks first.”

16

I told the maintenence guy not to lay carpet between the first and second floor and he gave me a blank stair.

17

Oh, I see what you did there!

18

I’ve given up on my local Walgreens pharmacy. During Covid, they’d close for a week or more at a time when their pharmacists got sick, which is understandable, but without letting anyone know via phone answering system, website, or any other means. Since the pharmacists never had time to answer their phones even when they were there, you had to waste a trip every day. Lots of customers were old and feeble and unable to manage how to get their meds.

Turned out the grocery store across the street is known for their great pharmacy. I wish I’d known years earlier!