Lakes Region Pharmacy

[livinthedream]

I've had the third bad experience with the Rite Aid Pharmacy in Meredith. The medication I need is required to sustain my life. Is the Pharmacy at Hannaford any better? Is there a local pharmacy other than a chain?

[FlyingScot]

I have found Walgreens (Wolfeboro, Ossipee, and I assume elsewhere) to be very good. The advantage of a chain is that when you travel, your prescription travels with you. If you forget your pills, the local branch can tide you over.

[Grove84]

I have traveled to the lake only to realize I was short on my medication. I was able to get a refill at the above CVS with no issues

[8gv]

We have moved our prescriptions from RiteAid to Hannaford.

They have done well.

[Sue Doe-Nym]

Hannaford in Meredith has done a great job for us, even when they have had to call an out of state pharmacy re a refill. Very reliable team.

[Mr. V]

Consider Amazon for Rx.

[Hillcountry]

I have been using Rite-Aid, Bristol for years without issue…that said, the Tilton/Franklin store shut it’s doors not too long ago.

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by Mr. V

Consider Amazon for Rx.

Personally, buying everything through Jeff Bezzos gives me heartburn.

[MeredithMan]

I don't get prescriptions at Meredith Rite Aid, but we do shop there for the occasional health and beauty item. I went in there about a month ago to get shaving cream or something, and the shelves in the whole place were barren. Looked like the photos from the Soviet Union stores in the 70's. I asked the cashier what was going on, and she said that because of their bankruptcy and re-org, it is difficult to get inventory. So there's that...

[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

I don't get prescriptions at Meredith Rite Aid, but we do shop there for the occasional health and beauty item. I went in there about a month ago to get shaving cream or something, and the shelves in the whole place were barren. Looked like the photos from the Soviet Union stores in the 70's. I asked the cashier what was going on, and she said that because of their bankruptcy and re-org, it is difficult to get inventory. So there's that...

I was in the same store a few days after the 4th of July and noticed the same sparse selections on the shelves. I said something to the clerk and she blamed it on the 4th of July Holiday business and they hadn't had a chance to replenish their shelves yet.......

Sadly Rite Aid may never emerge from Bankruptcy this time around, however many of their locations are ripe for being snatched up by CVS or Walgreen's.

Only time will tell what will happen.

[MeredithMan]

Drove by this morning and a bunch of "store closing" signs next to the road. Not surprised. I do hope, however, that CVS or Walgreens goes in there.

[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

Drove by this morning and a bunch of "store closing" signs next to the road. Not surprised. I do hope, however, that CVS or Walgreens goes in there.

I heard the same at the Hannaford check-out, and there was a subtle promotion of the Hannaford pharmacy during the discussion.

I've used them before and found them to be very good.

I now use Walgreens, Laconia, just because that's what I use in SF.

[TheProfessor]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

Personally, buying everything through Jeff Bezzos gives me heartburn.

Agreed.

His yacht Koro has a crew of 40 deck hands.

I'd try the Rexall pharmacy in downtown Meredith.

[bobkatfly]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

I have found Walgreens (Wolfeboro, Ossipee, and I assume elsewhere) to be very good. The advantage of a chain is that when you travel, your prescription travels with you. If you forget your pills, the local branch can tide you over.

My family has had a lot of issues with both of the Walgreens you mentioned. Long lines, lost or misplaced prescriptions, delays due to insufficient inventory. Had a few issues with Hannaford's in Ossipee but not nearly as bad as Walgreens. Overworked in Wolfeboro for sure.

[tis]

Originally Posted by bobkatfly

My family has had a lot of issues with both of the Walgreens you mentioned. Long lines, lost or misplaced prescriptions, delays due to insufficient inventory. Had a few issues with Hannaford's in Ossipee but not nearly as bad as Walgreens. Overworked in Wolfeboro for sure.

Yes, I don't know what Walgreen's problem is but I am sick of going back!!

[Newbiesaukee]

……but we have had good luck with the Walgreens in Laconia. We travel between here and Miami and the prescriptions can travel with us. It’s not perfect, it does take some effort, but they try.

[retired]

I switched from CVS Laconia to Hannaford in Gilford. Better prices and service. And I can grocery shop if I have to wait for a prescription.

[gravy boat]

We use Wal mart and can get prescriptions filled wherever we travel in the US. That being said only one of us needs and only BP and cholesterol meds so doesn’t break the bank.

If you don’t travel you can check out Mark Cuban’s company, CostPlusdrugs.com
My sister in law is a rheumatologist and suggested for us to check it out.

Note and an FYI: there are three big pharmacy benefit manager companies that mark up specialty drugs at their affiliated pharmacies by hundreds or thousands of a percent according to the FTC. They are: CVS Caremark. (Owned by CVS Health), Express Scripts (owned by UnitedHealthcareGroup), OptumRx (owned by Cigna). They control roughly 70% of the national market (I have also seen estimates of 80%). CVS Health is the largest with a 21.3% market share. These top three made $7.3 Billion (2017-2022) from the drug markups.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by bobkatfly

My family has had a lot of issues with both of the Walgreens you mentioned. Long lines, lost or misplaced prescriptions, delays due to insufficient inventory. Had a few issues with Hannaford's in Ossipee but not nearly as bad as Walgreens. Overworked in Wolfeboro for sure.

Yes, I've had a couple of problems since I recommended Walgreens Wolfeboro last year, and I've had to drive to the Ossipee branch. But I'm still not aware of a better place with 30 minutes of Tuftonboro, so I'm sticking with them

[camp guy]

Walgreen's in Wolfeboro does a fine job considering they are cramped for space and understaffed. At one time there were several pharmacies in Town, but the facts of the matter are that with mail-order pharmacy, and the dramatic change in Wolfeboro's population from season to season, there is not enough walk-in retail pharmacy business to support another pharmacy in Town. Also, I have had a few cases wherein the insurance company said it wasn't time to refill a prescription, even though I was "out", and the doctor had prescribed what I needed. This is not the fault of the pharmacy, it is the insurance company causing the problem. I refuse to use mail order pharmacy simply because I like to do business face to face with the people behind the counter, not over the phone at some "1-800" location or some "www" location.

[Sue Doe-Nym]

We have been satisfied with the service provided by Hannaford Pharmacy in Meredith. There have been very few glitches when switching between here and the pharmacy in Florida. Nothing is perfect, but we find them to be very accommodating and efficient.

[tis]

Originally Posted by camp guy

Walgreen's in Wolfeboro does a fine job considering they are cramped for space and understaffed. At one time there were several pharmacies in Town, but the facts of the matter are that with mail-order pharmacy, and the dramatic change in Wolfeboro's population from season to season, there is not enough walk-in retail pharmacy business to support another pharmacy in Town. Also, I have had a few cases wherein the insurance company said it wasn't time to refill a prescription, even though I was "out", and the doctor had prescribed what I needed. This is not the fault of the pharmacy, it is the insurance company causing the problem. I refuse to use mail order pharmacy simply because I like to do business face to face with the people behind the counter, not over the phone at some "1-800" location or some "www" location.

Just the other day they said they didn't have enough pills but could have a few the next day. I asked when they would have them all and they said the day after. So I said we'd wait. After 2 days I went in the store and they only had five. Tomorrow I am going back and hope they will have the refill complete. They send a message saying they have a script, and you go in, and they don't. One day they sent us to Ossipee and couldn't get it at Ossipee, they said Wolfeboro had it, went back to Wolfeboro and they didn't have it. Somebody in front of us had the same problem apparently. Not having something has happened more than once. Walgeen's has some kind of issue. I hope they can figure it out.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

Drove by this morning and a bunch of "store closing" signs next to the road. Not surprised. I do hope, however, that CVS or Walgreens goes in there.

Never really recovered from chapter 11 and went right back into it. Closing by month end. They were hoping to stay open until another pharmacy bought them out but that hasn’t happened

[Billy Bob]

Originally Posted by tis

Just the other day they said they didn't have enough pills but could have a few the next day. I asked when they would have them all and they said the day after. So I said we'd wait. After 2 days I went in the store and they only had five. Tomorrow I am going back and hope they will have the refill complete. They send a message saying they have a script, and you go in, and they don't. One day they sent us to Ossipee and couldn't get it at Ossipee, they said Wolfeboro had it, went back to Wolfeboro and they didn't have it. Somebody in front of us had the same problem apparently. Not having something has happened more than once. Walgeen's has some kind of issue. I hope they can figure it out.

Unfortunately Walgreens is also in financial trouble, over expanded etc. lookin to restructure. Could be a tough road for them

[tis]

Originally Posted by Billy Bob

Unfortunately Walgreens is also in financial trouble, over expanded etc. lookin to restructure. Could be a tough road for them

Did I hear that somebody was looking to buy them? It hasn't been the same since the Walgreen's sold.

[pondguy]

I moved all my scripts to Walmart in Gilford last week from Rite-Aid in Meredith very satisfied.

[rsmlp]

Originally Posted by pondguy

I moved all my scripts to Walmart in Gilford last week from Rite-Aid in Meredith very satisfied.

Not if you live in Moultonboro! I'm concerned that Hannafords will not be able to efficienlty handle the greater volume that will be coming their way.

[TheTimeTraveler]

We got tired of having issues with filling our prescriptions when trying to get them filled in the Lakes Region on various occasions so we finally decided to make a permanent change back in 2023. Best decision we ever made!

Doing some research we found an excellent dependable drug provider run by some of the major Hospitals in the Boston area (Beth Israel Deaconess in Boston, and Lahey Hospital in Burlington) and they allow anyone from anywhere in the USA to sign up and join.

We shifted all our prescriptions over to them several years ago and have been more than 100% satisfied with the quality of their service (prescriptions is all they do) and everything they ship arrives within one to three days no matter where you are in the USA. Everything is always shipped with NO COST for the shipping charges!

We were vacationing in Hawaii several years ago and they gladly shipped a script that was needed while there. We also go to Florida in the winter and they shift all our scripts to our Florida address in the winter. They always call prior to shipping anything and confirm the address we want the scripts sent to, and then text over a tracking number when the shipment actually leaves their facility.

They also ship any script that needs refrigeration -- it arrives in a larger box and kept cold surrounded by freezer packs so scripts such as insulin aren't a problem for them to be able to handle.

I will leave their contact information below in case anyone is tired of having issues with their current prescription providers and want to make a change:


BILH Pharmacy Direct
80 Wilson Way, Suite A
Westwood, MA. 02090

Phone: 781-352-6500

Toll Free: 866-916-0370



Their call center hours are Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and on Saturdays 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Hope this information helps anyone who needs a dependable prescription provider!