I only really go to the pharmacy, but the guy at the register is weird and doesn't even greet me properly. Just "what's the birthdate?" Ugh. And stop calling me Ma'am. Also, every time I go (monthly), my Rx is $10 more expensive. Maybe not their fault, but are they really ringing it up correctly? I don't trust these guys anymore. And the shelves are so empty that I can't get anything else if I needed it. Sad, but I'm going to switch pharmacies. read more

The staff here are fine, but since RiteAid bought out Bartells, the store had gone dramatically downhill. At first I thought the largely empty shelves were just the result of Pandemic-induced supply-chain glitches, but the problem persists (unlike at the nearby Walgreens), making me wonder if bankrupt corporate overlord RiteAid is just giving up on the store and its closure is also imminent. I am very angry and sick and tired of this pattern across America of large corporations buying out and then, like greedy vultures, destroying small and medium-sized local businesses, as well as in this case middlemen pharmacy benefit managers skimming off huge profits and bleeding the pharmacies they serve. We are living in a new Roaring Twenties Golden Age of greed at the top and soaring inequality for the rest of us. The center cannot hold, and this pattern is destroying things as we know it. read more

I have been shopping at Bartells for more than 20 years and it's been my favorite drugstore in Seattle. But when they sold to Rite Aid, I thought, oh no, they're going to change...and not in a good way. Last night was the final straw. I went in to buy some candy. I was the only one at checkout--lots of cashiers were available but the guy I got clearly did not want to be there. I said hello, he said nothing back. He didn't even tell me what my total was, just expected me to read the screen. I paid cash and he reached out his hand to give me the change when he suddenly changed his mind, made a hard left with his hand and placed my change and receipt on the end of the counter. Didn't ask if I wanted a bag. No communication at all. It was one of the most bizzarre, awkward, and sad examples of customer service I've experienced. I'm not going back, which is too bad because for years Bartells was a great place to shop. But after this experience, I won't recommend this place to anyone. read more

I was on a tour to prepare for my passport renewal and Denise at Bartell did an excellent job taking my passport photo. This was my third store looking for passport photo to be taken because the cameras at the other Bartell store and the Wallgreens across the street were both broken. Denise was super comfortable with the process and she finished the job the fastest I've ever seen. She also advised and came up to fix my hair because it was messed up by the wind! Quite attentive. Great experience! read more

Ever since Rite Aid bought them, it's been a brutally bad pharmacy - Rite Aid is overworking and understaffing their people, and the automated systems (e.g. for refilling medications) are a complete mess - the automated system will say that your Rx is ready for pickup, and then at pickup they tell you "oh, it's out of stock, but the automated system doesn't know that." Time to find a new pharmacy. Brutal! Bartell Drugs was pretty great as a kid, but the pandemic and Rite Aid acquisition have utterly ruined the place. read more

I really like this location. The staff is always helpful (shoutout to Heidi) and it is very clean.

I've never had any issues at this location or any other. I didn't make any purchases this day but I wanted to give a kudos to the gentlemen who was working Sunday morning around 8:45am. My friend and I were walking to Root coffee when she remembered she left her mask at home. She had me go in cause I had a mask, to purchase a mask for which I had full intention to do. All I saw up front towards registers were kids masks and ask the employee where the adult masks he was nice enough to just hand me a disposable one from his supply up front. It's customer service like this that would make me keep coming back when I need to purchase from a drugstore. read more

I used to shop at this store fairly regularly, but the shelves are now mostly bare. It seems that Rite Aid has given up on Bartell's. My guess is this location will be closing soon, which is a shame since it's the only pharmacy in the western half of Ballard, as far as I know. read more

I've come here for a long time, but I've about had it. First, let me just note, whoever from Riteaid reads these reviews does not follow up with you other than an obligatory initial DM. On to the primary issues: The lines are usually very long. No one picks up the phone ever. The staff are not proactive about helping you and often extremely unfriendly. Hello Walgreens, CVS and Safeway! read more

*What the hell happened?* Ever since Bartell's was purchased by Rite Aid, Bartell's has been in a free-fall: a huge portion of their pharmacy staff at all their locations has quit and the replacement staff is dangerously inept. At this particular Bartell's, they are now 10 days behind on prescription refills. *Ten days.* My scrips were four days late and I explained I couldn't safely wait any longer. So, begrudgingly, they agreed to fill mine by later that night. I explained why it's profoundly dangerous for a pharmacy to run 10 days behind on its refills and the pharmacist in question shrugged it off, as if we were discussing the weather and not the health and well being of actual humans. None of their new pharmacy staff knows how to use the computer system and--for wholly inexplicable reasons--Bartell's changed the font size on all its prescriptions so that the words and numbers are now ridiculously small. Which would be stupefying at the best of times and is downright inane during a pandemic. If you're able-bodied and can easily drive to another pharmacy, for the love of god, do so. Avoid at all costs. read more

Instead of picking up the phone I was automatically transferred to call waiting. No one picked up the phone and asked if I could hold I was just sent there. I assumed that maybe they were busy and didn't have time to pick up the phone... like most Bartell pharmacies. When I arrived at the pharmacy no one was in line and I overheard the pharmacists talking to each other about how slow it's been all day. So... why was I placed on hold? Then I was asked to show my insurance card and when the pharmacist gave me back my card he threw it. It was just all so weird. read more

Man this place sucks now! I have loved Bartell for a long time and the 22nd Ave location has been my go-to pharmacy for over 10 years. I literally loved shopping there! Since being acquired by rite aid it has turned into a total dumpster fire. I was sure things would get ironed out but it's been quite a while and I have seen 0 improvement, in fact it gets worse/weirder every time I go. Half empty shelves, incompetent and odd clerks, and the pharmacy app has become unusable. The wait times at the pharmacy have become outrageous and they close down completely in the middle of the day for lunch. I have the same exact issue with my son's same exact medication EVERY MONTH. They NEVER EVER answer the phone. My doctor has called them and faxed them repeatedly today and they say they have no record of it. I mentioned that I had been working on getting my RX filled for days and she told me I would be better off finding a new pharmacy! That it wasn't going to get any better and they are short staffed and under stocked and I will be happier going somewhere else. Such a shame. Goodby Bartells! read more

Used to love this pharmacy, but way downhill recently. Never answer their phones in the pharmacy and refills take way longer than before. Guessing they are short staffed, but time to find a different pharmacy for me. read more

Just go ahead and close. You don't answer the phone. You have no way to tell me when my prescription that I've been waiting for for over three weeks will be in. The death knell is too painful. Just close already. read more

Ever since Bartell Drugs was sold last year, this location has deteriorated. I have shopped at Bartell Drugs for 40 years. Because of the most aggressively nasty behavior from a staff member, I will never shop at any Bartell Drugs again. Nor will anybody in my very large extended family. iI know we can all have a bad day, but her behavior was bordering on psychotic. What was just as bad as her conduct was the management's response. I have witnessed this store's management continuously turn a blind eye to the nasty behavior of staff in the recent past. If you need a pharmacy, do not go to this location. DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION. Terrible. read more

Convenient 1 stop shop to cover many needs. Prices are comparable to a CVS or Walgreens mark up, but Bartell does often have a heavily discounted section that has some great deals. The staff is very friendly and the store is exceptionally clean and organized. read more

Bartell Drugs - Great selection! - Drugstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

So nice having this large Bartell's location on this end of Ballard! The staff was very friendly and the whole place was super clean and organized (so far)! They also have an awesome beer growler tap station for local beers like the ever-classic Mac & Jack. Great selection of non-grocery essentials, gifts, and a pharmacy! Love the convenience. read more

Bartell Drugs - "Northwest On Tap" beer growler fill-up counter inside Bartell's - Drugstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Normally this has been a great community pharmacy, but I called to refill a Rx (that can't be done online) and the phone rang 10+ times and went to VM. No biggie, assume they are busy. That was at 8pm. I tried the next day at 9am, then on my lunch hour and decided to leave a VM. Day 3, no return call so I called again and thought maybe something was wrong with the phone line? I called one more time and got placed on hold - progress? As I waited on hold, I put on my shoes, grabbed my jacket and decided to walk to the pharmacy while on hold. Got to the pharmacy, 2 people in line, and waited patiently. When it was my turn, I told them I walked over while on hold. I was told there was just the 2 working and they couldn't keep up. I could see they were working hard and they both looked exhausted (too many 12 hour shifts). I told them I was sorry that they were in this predicament and asked what the best way to fill my Rx was. The were both helpful. I think they deserve a raise and hope management hires additional help. I understand COVID has impacted hiring- so I say appreciate your people and pay them well. Help them be successful. I was worried BartellDrugs would go downhill after being sold, prove me wrong. I'm a longtime customer, but I have choices. Previously, a 4-5 star review consistently. read more

Bartells used to be locally owned and managed and they were great! Then they were sold to a big company and now they're terrible. How bad? I checked their web page and scheduled a covid shot. When I got there they said they don't do covid shots there, "corporate forgot they have the wrong king of freezer". My wife scheduled a flu shot there online. When she went in they had no record of her appointment, and even though they had 3 people working and no customers waiting they wouldn't help her. read more

This location has completely gone downhill since being taken over by Rite Aid earlier this year. The pharmacy no longer answers the phone, the drive-thru is closed, the friendly faces are gone, and the lines take 30 minutes to an hour. Such a bummer, as it was a great pharmacy when it was locally owned. I'll be transferring my prescriptions elsewhere. read more

This location will NOT pick up the phone. I have unfortunately had to use this pharmacy for months now, and each time I have to call the regular store, have them run back, and tell the pharmacy to answer my call. It's ridiculous that after multiple tries on multiple days, that they will not answer. read more

I echo the majority of complaints. Ever since Bartell's was acquired by Rite Aid they seem to have gone out of their way to lose everyone's business. It's like shopping in a Soviet era store given the lack of products on the shelves. The items I need are rarely in stock so instead I walk thru the store placing Amazon orders. But the worst part is the pharmacy. I don't know if it's incompetence, poor systems, or both but it takes forever to get the simplest prescriptions filled or refilled. I have now had the same conversation with pharmacy employees at least four times. They say my doctor didn't write the prescription a certain way. I know she did but I ask her office to call the pharmacy anyway. They call the pharmacy to clarify. And then we repeat this idiotic game the next month because the pharmacist tells me they never received any clarification. The online prescription ordering makes even less sense. They seem to issue a new prescription number every time I request a refill - so I have half a dozen prescriptions for the same medications, adding to the "confusion". Has anyone found a better option in Magnolia? read more

Gave me the wrong dosage, double what i usually take with no prescription telling them this dosage. I have no idea how they messed up reading the prescription so bad. Refused to fix and told me it wasn't their problem. read more

A huge shout out to Larry in the pharmacy at the Bartells on 22 NW. From his first day as a front facing cashier to now a tech trainee, Larry has provided exemplary service with kindness, patience and thoroughness. As a regular customer, I'm always so pleased to have him helping me. read more

It's ridiculous how many things in this store are priced incorrectly. Check the register screen as they are ringing up your purchases. If you catch the errors before you finish paying it's a lot easier. Avoid the old, red faced cashier dude. He's smoked a little too much in his day and is a little off. read more

I live above this Bartell's and come here often. The staff is really helpful and nice and the store is really clean and well organized. I end up buying so many household and grocery items here because of the convenience and they carry high quality items. I love their baby items and always seem to find what I'm looking for. read more

I like this Bartell's. It's convenient and the staff are nice. They have to deal with a lot, at this location. Yet it's always clean and well stocked. read more

Love the convenience and location of this Bartell's. Appreciate the brightness, layout and how easy it is to see across the store. We use this store on at least a weekly basis and have never encountered a rude employee. All the service personnel are friendly and helpful. The pharmacy has gotten crazy busy and still the staff continue to be courteous and helpful. We had a prescription sent to the pharmacy that they didn't have in stock. Closest Bartell's that carried it was located in Edmonds. We asked the pharmacist if they could transfer to an outside (competitor) pharmacy located in Ballard. We gave him the name of another drugstore that we have used in the past. We also started phoning other pharmacies in Ballard and no one carried it and assumed we would need to make the drive. The Bartell's pharmacist phoned back that he had found it in stock at a grocery store pharmacy. Amazing. We are so grateful and will continue to use Bartell's as our go-to pharmacy/convenience store! Thanks!! read more