By Ed Hersh
With school in full swing and increased demand for flu vaccines and COVID boosters, the Rag has heard reports of unannounced, sometimes day-long closings of several Duane Reade pharmacies, including the busy location at 79th Street and Amsterdam.
From a posting on the “Next Door” app:
Stay away from the Duane Reade pharmacy at Amsterdam and 79th Street. By the admission of their own staff, it is a “mess,” and “will remain so for some time.”
The poster said the pharmacy was closed for four days last week, and store staff:
…suggested that Duane Reade pharmacy customers switch their “preferred” pharmacy to Broadway and 72nd Street until the situation is resolved. Or to a non-Duane Reade pharmacy in the local area.
When the Rag visited the 79th and Amsterdam Duane Reade Friday, the pharmacy was open. But after this reporter identified himself, a pharmacy staffer said, “we’ve been told not to talk to the press.” A woman identifying herself as the store manager (who was helping out at the pharmacy) said, “You’ll have to talk to corporate,” meaning Walgreens, parent company of Duane Reade.
The Rag had already noted another unexpected closing this past Monday, at the Duane Reade pharmacy at 90th and Amsterdam. One store employee there said at the time, “We were short a pharmacist.” Another told the Rag, “Duane Reade knows about it but there’s nothing we can do.” On Friday, the pharmacy there was open, with long lines for pick-ups and 7 or 8 people waiting for vaccines.
The Rag reached out to the Walgreens corporate media office, and In an emailed statement, spokesperson Kris Lathan said:
What we are seeing in some areas is consistent with what many other healthcare entities have been experiencing – staffing challenges due to the ongoing national labor shortage.
We continue to take steps to help mitigate these pressures, however there are some instances where we’ve had to adjust or reduce pharmacy operating hours as we work to balance staffing and resources in the market to best meet customer demand.
Pharmacists at two small, independent pharmacies on the Upper West Side said they haven’t seen evidence of a national pharmacist shortage. Rather, they said, it’s a shortage of pharmacists willing to work in high-volume chain drug stores like Duane Reade/Walgreens, CVS, and Rite-Aid. A recent New York Times story, “How Pharmacy Work Stopped Being So Great,” described increased pressures on pharmacists working in national chains, citing a number of factors, including keeping up with demand for COVID tests and vaccines.
At the 79th Street Pharmacy between Amsterdam and Broadway, diagonally across from Duane Reade, pharmacist Keith Lewis agreed the working conditions at chains can be tough. “They kill you there,” he said. When he talks to pharmacists at chains, he says, “they all sound miserable.” And because of the random closures at some chain stores, he says he’s been receiving a steady stream of prescriptions. “We’re starting to have people switch from Walgreens,” he said.
On Facebook, another poster commented,
FYI, was at the Duane Reade at 700 Columbus, saw a sign by the entrance for new pharmacy hours. They are now closed Tuesdays and I think Thursdays also. Still closed weekends.
According to the Walgreens spokesperson,
Adjusted store hours are reflected on the store locator, which is updated throughout the day at Walgreens.com/FindaStore and on the Walgreens mobile app. Customers who have questions about their medications can also talk to a Walgreens pharmacist using the Pharmacist Video Chat feature available 24/7 on Walgreens mobile app and website.
The Rag will continue to report on this story. If you have experiences with closures or difficulties at any of our local pharmacies, please let us know at info@westsiderag.com and we will follow up with you.
I went for my fifth Covid shot a few weeks ago, had my appointment all set up Duane Reade 79th St Amsterdam Ave…got there and pharmacy closed. The store manager was a man, was unpleasant and defensive. But it’s true life is different now, life doesn’t run so smoothly any more. The new normal . And I got my shot the next day at another Duane Reade. I am very grateful.
Good that you received your shot in a timely manner, but Walgreens/Duane Reade is a business – THEY should be grateful for your patronage. You should only be grateful when you receive efficient and courteous service.
The Duane Reade at 79 and Amsterdam, to which I have gone since it opened, has always had a surly and seeming untrained staff. I hate to go in there, even to retrieve a pickup order made online.
Made an appointment forCoVid Booster 79&Amsterdam two weeks n advance. When got there not open and the staff said “don’t know”, try tomorrow. And we’re rude! After two weeks with my email address that they “reminded me” with. Went later 72/Broadway long, long, long line with old people who could not stand up that long. Shame!
Went to pick up prescription @ 63 and broadway today, but the pharmacy is closed
Wow!!! I just got my 5th vaccine (3rd booster) at that pharmacy on September 28th . . . just 3 days ago!! Here is proof:
Appointment Details Location
Date: 9/28/2022
Time: 1 pm
Vaccine(s):
COVID-19 Updated Booster (Moderna)
1889 BROADWAY
NEW YORK, NY 10023
Phone: 212-586-6749
The pharmacist was VERY nice and answered every question about the newest booster! I guess I am LUCKY that I had an appointment just before it closed!!! Lucky me.
The 72nd st. one, with a 24-hour pharmacy, had its pharmacy closed at least at night for several days, and the workers say they’re overwhelmed due to other pharmacies closing. The CVS on 77th and B’way i(I was looking to fill a prescription 72nd didn’t have in stock so called there to ask if they did) said they’re so busy they aren’t doing any calls to move or get prescriptions for customers, said to have a dr. send a fresh script over.
I don’t know if it’s a ripple effect or widespread at multiple chains but it’s not just the 79th DR.
I went to get my second shingles shot a few months ago at Duane Reade on 72nd and Broadway. I got my first shot there with no problem, and this was after getting lots of emails from them encouraging me to get the shot. The 2nd shot was a nightmare. I made the appointment after getting my first shot (2 months prior.). When I arrived for the 2nd shot, I had to wait in a long line just to check in even though I had an appointment. Then I had to wait again. The pharmacist administering the shot was nowhere to be seen. And there were lots of people in front of me. I called corporate to complain but they were useless. Finally the pharmacist emerged and I was promised I would be seen in 10 minutes but a half hour passed and he was still MIA. He then reemerged and said that he had to “mix the shot.” I did not know what this meant. He seemed overwhelmed. I was worried he would give me the wrong shot and I left. I then went to a small pharmacy on 72nd between Amsterdam and Columbus the next day. I walked in with no appointment and got my shot in minutes. I returned to get my flu shot this past weekend and will get my 4th Covid booster there shortly. STAY AWAY FROM DUANE READE! Go to the smaller pharmacies.
Shingrix comes in two vials, which do need to be mixed; I got mine at a small local pharmacy a few months ago. This week I went to the Duane Reade at Broadway and 72nd for flu and Covid shots. After reading this article and comments, I feel very lucky to have gotten both without incident or a long wait!
Between yesterday and today I went to three different Duane Reades six times to get one prescription filled. My doctor sent it to one on Columbus that surprise, was closed and two other ones nearby had different excuses for why they couldn’t fill it. Today the closed one was open but only sporadically and they still hadn’t filled it 24 hours later.
Haven’t been to the pharmacy at Duane Reade on 102 and Broadway recently. But a few months ago they were closed for whole days without any notice.
I recommend CVS.
I went to urgent care twice this month and then to DR on Broadway and 72nd to pick up prescriptions, and both times they were closed. The first time had to wait until the following day, but the second time the script was auto transferred to the DR on 79th. After I stood in line for 40 minutes I was told that they didn’t have my order, and the pharmacist commented that she hadn’t seen those meds in years. I questioned this and the pharmacist started ranting that this wasn’t her shift she was going to get in trouble because she wasn’t supposed to be there. The cashier went to the back and pulled the meds from the bin and asked the pharmacist to ok it. Then she told me that insurance wouldn’t cover the meds because they had already been marked as ‘filled’ at the Broadway and 72nd location. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. In any case, I’ll now be transferring all of my prescriptions to a small local pharmacy.
Can anyone direct me…. What is the process to transfer the prescriptions from a chain pharmacy to another pharmacy without contacting each of the ordering physician office?
In my experience you can take your old ‘script to the new pharmacy & they will do it for you.
I found a form online to transfer prescriptions out of DR but I don’t know how safe it is. I think the best bet is to have the new pharmacy request a transfer for you. I only have 3 regular/monthly prescriptions so I was told to have the providers escribe new prescriptions directly to them. If your doctors or urgent care have DR on file as your preferred pharmacy make sure that you also update that info.
You also need to stop/turn off any automatic refills at the old pharmacy. Otherwise, your insurance will decline to fill it at the new pharmacy, because in the insurance records it was already filled at the old, so you exhausted your monthly covered supply, even if you did not pick it up.
This article and the comments makes me think that people might want to think about not using DR anymore?
I use the CVS at 86th and Amsterdam. I went a few weeks ago around lunch time and there was a sign that they were closed for lunch. A clerk was standing there doing nothing so I asked for help and they pointed at the sign. Very frustrating.
Some people I know are very happy with Capsule. I would prefer to have a person there but if this is the service we should expect then maybe I will switch.
I like Capsule, but they now also have big delays in filling scrips. I used to be able to get delivery on the same day or the next day at most. Now it’s 2-3 days to get your medication delivered.
I am experiencing the same thing. They say it’s because they are moving facilities, but that’s been their excuse for over a month. I am thinking about leaving Capsule, but I don’t know where to go? I abhor going into a DR or a CVS for an Rx.
I was waiting on line at the 72nd St Duane Reade and listened as an older woman (using walker, with aide in attendance) asked a tech quite reasonably why even accurate information about hours and operating times was so hard to get. She found that the website listed the pharmacy as closed – when in fact, here we were: it was open. Or, the reverse. (And of course little chance of a phone call reaching anyone.). This was a couple of weeks ago.
For anyone within easy reach of Chateau Pharmacy on Amsterdam between 68th and 69th, they have limited hours but personal and reliable service, and are easily accessible by phone.
Of course most insurance prefers we get stuff mailed – which is fine when it works, most of the time.
But Walgreens customers should rise up and demand better treatment from corporate for their pharmacists and techs. It must be dire.
If you can patronize a small local pharmacy (easier on people who aren’t working 9-5), you should. The chains aren’t going to learn unless they get hit in the pocketbook.
I go to ParkWest becauseI had so many problems at CVS.. My prescriptions are filled quickly and I can talk to a pharmacist!
Two weeks ago I had an appointment for both the flu and COVID booster shots at the Duane Reade on 79 & Amsterdam, made through the Walgreens website.. When I showed up at my appointed time, there was a sign that the pharmacy was closed for the day. ““You’ll have to talk to corporate”??? They had my appointment registration telephone and email address as a registered Walgreens customer. All they had to do was shoot me an email.
GO TO APTHORP PHARMACY. They won’t let you down, the pharmacists will actually speak with you, and everyone is friendly.
Keith and the whole team at 79th Street Pharmacy—with a special shout out to Rose, Bobby and Sam—are the greatest. Their friendly attitude and helpfulness stands in sharp contrast with my experience at Duane Reade across the street. It’s as if they inhabit two different worlds.
I agree, 79th street pharmacy is great and always helpful with all issues. Rose is fantastic as is Keith.
Agree about 79th Street Pharmacy. I had an issue with medicare, and it was great telling them to call the pharmacy and ask for Keith. Issue solved in minutes. Don’t think that would happen at Duane Reade or CVS.
We also agree that 79th Street Pharmacy is outstanding. We’ve used them for 8 years and wouldn’t go anywhere else. Keith and Staff are all wonderful.
As an unwilling expatriate from NYC (my 93 year-old mother in Buffalo needed help) I have experienced a similar situation in Buffalo. The local CVS has fallen apart. Long lines, confused service and claims of “under staffing.” And I believe them. They are trying their hardest, they are working their asses right off their butts, and they can’t keep up. It seems to be a corporate problem, and here, coincidentally, is an article I just read today:
https://www.mdlinx.com/article/self-pay-pharmacies-why-some-pharmacies-are-opting-out-of-insurance-altogether/5Da0VpqxlcoQtdDFReOAZ7
The Duane Reade on 79th & Amsterdam was also closed for several days the last week of August. Not sure why and the store gave me no reason when I asked. 79th street pharmacy is very good and reliable.
I’ve been using the Duane Reade pharmacy at 79th and Amsterdam for more than a decade and have overwhelmingly had good experiences there. But it’s true that they’ve had recent closings, presumably due to not having pharmacists to take shifts. The chief pharmacist there, who’s great, is on maternity leave. But obviously pharmacy closings are a serious problem.
DR at 4 Amsterdam/59th is fine as is W57/Broadway
4 Amsterdam was NOT fine yesterday when we went for Covid booster. Long wait times (for vaccines and prescriptions) – and no information. It was great last time we got boosted – but yesterday was anything but
This happened to me and my son on Sunday afternoon at 609 Columbus. We had an appointment scheduled for a Covid booster weeks in advance, showed up and the pharmacy was closed. No notification. Got the shot at a cvs the next day.
I use Valley Drugs near 100th and Amsterdam–mostly over the phone and they deliver. Very satisfied.
Yes. I switched from CVS to Valley. And Ivan Pharmacy has been recommended by friends.
Ivan Pharmacy is the best, at 691 Amsterdam (93/94) polite, responsible service and it is not part of a chain. Phone: 212 222 4400, in case you want to make an appointment.
The Duane Reade at 609 Columbus seems not to be accepting vaccination appointments. They don’t show up as a website scheduling option any more. I was there two weeks ago to pick up a prescription. It was a total mess, staff arguing with customers, people yelling at each other, etc. etc.. 15 people waiting for vaccinations none of them happy. My prescription, which was supposed to be ready at 9:45am was not ready until 7:30pm
There is no pharmacy at 90th and Amsterdam. Perhaps you meant 90th and Columbus.
The pharmacists didn’t sign up for giving free vaccines all day. They can’t get their work done. Like everywhere, these places are way understaffed.
They are free for the recipient but the pharmacy does get paid
The reason Duane Reade is being so uninformative about their closures is that it is just a matter of time before someone dies and his relatives sue saying that if he had gotten his medicine he would be alive.
It is a time to support our local pharmacies. For those who live on West 79, I recommend the 79th Street Pharmacy and Apthorp Pharmacy. You’re not going to pay more for a prescription, so who not? They won’t let you down as we’ve seen with Walgreens/Duane Reade. Plus, they are friendly and you actually speak with a pharmacist. Win-win.
” You’re not going to pay more for a prescription, so who not? ”
The problem is you very well may pay more. Prices can differ WILDLY between pharmacies, with insurance, without, with their own membership programs.
Everyone says to switch to an independent pharmacy. Unfortunately the only pharmacies that take my insurance are Duane Reade and Rite Aid.
Are the Duane Reade pharmacies on the Upper East Side having the same issues?
I went to the DR/Walgreens on 2nd Avenue @ 70th last Saturday morning for Moderna booster – easy to make appointment online – they saw me right on time – and pharmacist was polite and competent. There was a sign in the window outlining reduced hours due to staffing issues.
My usual go-to DR/Walgreens is on 86th and First, and for the most part they have been responsive and “normal”. They’ve shortened some hours, esp on weekends, but seem to be on top of things and functional.
Yes. I had an appointment at DR on 102nd and Madison last Saturday. Showed up and the pharmacy was closed, with a sign saying to go to a DR on 3rd Ave. When I got there they were overwhelmed and couldn’t help me. I walked back to 102nd and Broadway and they honored my appointment.
Why do people seem to hate independent pharmacies? Why go from one Duane Reade to another? It makes no sense. Walk into one of the many fantastic pharmacies we have all over the Upper West Side. Personally I use Chateau on Amsterdam between 68th and 69th. Why put up with surly and indifferent service? Support our small business owners! They are our neighbors and our friends.
Love love love Joseph’s on 72nd St between Broadway and West End, and Wellness Pharmacy on 72nd between Columbus & Broadway (same ownership – I guess it’s a mini-chain!) Short, if any, waiting, low prices, and friendly staff. Moved there from Rite Aid and sorry I didn’t do it sooner.
Also, hours. The small independent pharmacies are often closed by 7. I don’t blame them, but I usually don’t get off work until at least then. If I were retired, it would be a different story.
Insurance companies.
Exactly. Chateau is great and I shop there whenever I can, but my insurance plan doesn’t cover my prescriptions there. I am hoping to find a plan that does. It’s really unfortunate that chains are favored by some major insurance companies.
Duane Reade is awful. It’s not that there is a shortage of pharmacists because CVS is doing just fine.
The DR at 94 and Broadway is usually open but short staffed. I get prescriptions from there but all else online as the place is full of thieves no one does anything about. The homeless and druggies are passed out in front of place . It’s disgusting.
Tried to fill an Rx at the Duane Reade on 63 and Bway and I got a message that it was out of stock with no expectation of when it would be ready. I called the pharmacy the next day to speak with someone; I was put on hold for ~15 min before the phone rang, and then the line disconnected. I had my Rx transferred to CVS on 57th and it was filled right away. Duane Reade is a disgrace.
Yes, Duane Reade’s pharmacies close frequently with no warning to staff or customers. (At 79th & Amsterdam, they told me they get a call from HQ at 9pm the night before.) I also use Walgreens in Great Barrington, MA, and it is the same issue. They say there is a shortage of pharmacists. It’s a nightmare if you need your medication. And, if you are on the AARP United Health prescription drug plan that mandates you use Walgreens/Duane Reade, you can’t just switch. Another reason for single payer and affordable drugs. This country’s health care system is a for-profit business and that’s an abomination. Costs are twice the cost per person of any other wealthy country and health outcomes are worse. Duane Reade and the other chains could pay better salaries and I’m sure find competent pharmacists.
There are other pharmacies that accept AARP United Health Care..you may pay a little more..but they do accept this insurance.
There is no Duane Reade at 90th & Amsterdam. It’s at 90th & Columbus (609 Columbus). There’s also one at 94th & Columbus (700 Columbus).
The 94th street one is a TOTAL disaster. The 102nd one also. has random unannounced closings. It’s a terrible corporation and should be held to account. Employees at 94th street are routinely rude and incompetent.
Please Stop patronizing the chain stores.
Support our local pharmacy’s they are all over the neighborhood.
For many years I used a wonderful independent pharmacy on First bet 85th/86th, paying more for meds and other items by choice to support them. I was forced to shift when the owner died suddenly, and the neighborhood mourned. Years ago, now…. Capital Chemists, RIP.
Similar issues at 63rd Street. They close from 1:30 to 2:00 for lunch each day and are closed Sundays. I understand the staff needs to eat, but all at once? You can’t keep one person behind the register for pickups during that half hour? They’ve also been closed at least one time when I went there because a pharmacist didn’t come to work – again, no way to pick up filled prescriptions and no way to steer elsewhere a Rx that’s been sent in for a pressing issue. Not to mention some ridiculous ventilation issues they had for a long time that was pretty much roasting their employees. On top of that, they couldn’t care less about people who come in, steal bags of stuff off their shelves and run out (at Target, too). It endangers the workers, customers and pedestrians on the streets outside their doors.
Pharmacy staff needs to eat. With the pharmacy being open staff will work 12 hours without eating because people will get upset if the pharmacist is there but unavailable because they need to eat. Pharmacists work on average 10 to 12 hours a day. They need to eat. I am saying this as a pharmacist. 30 minutes to rest and eat out of a 9 to 12 hour shift is not a lot to ask for. Schedule your life around that time. It’s 30 minutes.
This is typical corporate takeover behavior: buy a rival and proceed to eliminate stores to concentrate sales, saving money on real estate, operating costs and most of all, people, to the detriment of customers and employees alike. The only happy folks are the shareholders and the executives who get to keep their jobs by wringing what was once a good business dry.
Is there an independent pharmacy near 110th and Broadway or Amsterdam?
113th and Amsterdam — Town Drug and 120th and Amsterdam — Hartley Pharmacy
UWSers last 5 years: “There’s too many chain drugstores here! We’re like a NJ strip mall!”
UWSers now: “Why aren’t there numerous chain drugstores here all open 24/7 to meet my demands!”
I think what they are actually saying is “we have these chain stores, and they’ve driven out the smaller stores, and now they are not even living up to what they promised.)
Today my husband had an appointment to get his booster shot at the Duane Reade located at 4 Amsterdam Ave near 59th St, but when he arrived he was told that the pharmacy was closed. We’d made the appointment online two weeks ago and received a confirmation. We never received any word that the appointment had been canceled. It’s helpful to know that this is part of a larger problem. Anyone who has scheduled an appointment to get vaccinated at Duane Reade might want to call to confirm they are open before making the trip.
Happened to me too.
At the risk of overwhelming Keith and Rose at 79th Street Pharmacy with new customers and thereby making them too busy to take care of me, I have to second everyone’s comments about what a pleasure it is to do business with them.
after years of frustration with the chain pharmacies i switched to Broadway Chemists. they give efficient, friendly and personal service. all insurances are accepted. when you call a PERSON answers – no recordings. they are on broadway between 85th and 86th street. 212 877 0888. let’s give small businesses money instead of large corporations. i’m only sorry i didn’t switch sooner!!!!
Try Mark Cuban’s https://costplusdrugs.com/
Joseph Pharmacy at 216 West 72nd
has been filling my prescriptions for many years. They are polite and reliable and the pharmacists will answer questions.
Looking for a very good and pleasant pharmacy that is at least somewhat close to our treasured Suba Pharmacy on 104th and Broadway, sadly now closed – perhaps in the 100’s or 90’s of the UWS. Appreciate the mention of Valley Drugs. Any recommendations?
Barbara, try San Juan Pharmacy at 960 Amsterdam & 107th. The pharmacist there, who also is an owner, tries to to meet customers halfway on drug prices if an insurance plan doesn’t cover prescriptions there.
I GAVE UP ON DUANE READE AT 102/BWAY, ALMOST A YEAR AGO. THEY ARE EITHER RUDE OR INEFFICIENT. LINES TO P/U ALLTHE TIME. ALSO CLOSED FOR “LUNCH”. I SWITCHED TO CVS AND HAVE THEM SENT TO ME. WORKING SO FAR. GETTING VACCINES IS STILL A WAIT ON LINE, BUT WALK-IN. NO APPT. NECESSARY.
My prescription drug insurer, WellCare, keeps pushing their “preferred pharmacies”, including Walgreen, because they are presumably less costly. They don’t admit that there are other factors besides cost. We deal with an independent pharmacy, where they know us, provide exceptional same day service, and deliver free of charge. That more than compensates for the higher cost.
Doesn’t anyone remember when it WAS a real Duane Reade? Before Walgreens ruined our drugstores, they were efficient, personal, and very fast. Then Walgreens came in and closed many UWS stores and stopped carrying useful merchandise, raised all prices, and completely failed the neighborhood. There was a great DR on 72nd&WEA and another elegant one around 76th/Broadway with high end cosmetics and fully stocked. The pharmacists were smart and experienced. AND THEN WALGREENS CAME IN…there’s the partial answer. The rest is due to the deteriorating neighborhood. When even Rite Aid closes, you know you’re in trouble. We’re lost on the UWS, someone ought to tell Gale Brewer and whoever else is supposed to care.
Chain pharmacy employees endure brutal working conditions for minimal pay. Decades of failure to enforce antitrust laws have rendered those laws unenforceable; thus, in every industry, two or three companies have carte blanche to victimize workers, suppliers, and customers.