I admire the pharmacy knows me and always has my prescription ready. They are so accommodating and could teach a few things on service to others. read more

This location for FDC is ideal with plenty of parking and so many other businesses to visit. You can easily spend most a morning or afternoon right here in the Loreto Plaza (corner of Las Positas and State Street). The staff at FDC is always personable and friendly. Not just the Pharmacist Team, but the two guys at check out, Hudson and Connor, are also very helpful with finding items and good conversation at the register. Their selection of products for all aches and pains is ideal, and their specialty home care and mobility products is life saving. Now adays we tend to only shop online for these products, but it's nice to have these folks to talk to and get all our questions answered in person. Their pricing seems pretty competitive with online or other drug stores, and it's their personal touch that is invaluable. read more

This review is regarding a phone conversation with a male pharmacist on 2/3/25. Hospital staff (nursing, providers and pharmacists) call pharmacies to confirm medications and last pick up dates, especially when a patient or their care partners cannot provide information on medications. We called this pharmacy and ended up speaking to a very rude and condescending pharmacist. He talked to the staff member implying she was an idiot and wasting his time. He mentioned a medication that she was not aware of (think of all the medications that are out there, nurses can't know them all), and asked her if she knew how to spell it or what it was for, she replied she never heard of it so he rudely explained it. She asked if he could spell the medication so she could enter it into a chart properly and he hung up on her. Medical staff do not call pharmacies to verify medications for the fun of it. We need to ensure that we are continuing the proper treatment to prevent any issues while a patient is hospitalized. The lack of professionalism of this pharmacist towards our staff member demonstrates a lack of respect and compassion for his patients. Certainly not a facility I would recommend dealing with. read more

Knowledgeable, employees, very friendly and helpful. They were able to solve a problem that several others were not. Highly recommend them for medical supplies, although a little more expensive than elsewhere. You get what you pay for. read more

This is the only pharmacy I've ever been to that consistently has little or no line, smiling staff who remember me, great recommendations when needed. Oh, and the icing on the cake is they put CANDY IN EVERY PRESCRIPTION bag! You won't find another pharmacy that compares in Santa Barbara. 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

I cannot recommend Federal Drig enough!! As with many in the community, I was completely fed up with CVS and had to switch. Yes, you pay a little more but it is 100% with it! No lines, no BS and free candy!! Thank you for being a great resource for the community!! read more

Ferdy and the rest of the staff are great! Helpful, friendly and so convenient. I highly recommend them.

Daniel's service and Federal Drug's selection of foot supports were a game-changer for me. They had several shoe-boot type options to choose from, and Daniel patiently helped me try three of them. The one I selected works great, and just a day later, my foot is noticeably better, after more than two weeks of pain with my sprained foot. I highly recommend this business! read more

So thrilled that I returned back to my small town neighborhood drugstore... Was having a lot of difficulty filling some prescriptions at any of the big box corporate stores in town after years of being a loyal customer at almost every chain and CVS Rite Aid etc... I have been always so pleased to return to Federal drug and have Ferdy, Brian, and the gang take care of me when I needed them so badly. They treat me with respect and dignity that has been lacking at most places lately and manage to approve assisting me very quickly and on one occasion as an example special ordered one prescription for me and filled the others in less than half an hour. Great!!! I also needed to buy a new cane and I found such a cool one that I ended up having custom cut to my height which I forgot they did on site and was so pleased... Will definitely be returning to them for any others that I need cut to size. *Update: got several more ;-) ! Also found a folding cane with a super cute design and for anyone who is young but still needs to use medical devices, they have a wider selection of different patterns and colors for any different styles for men and women! I appreciate the care they take to help them be right. It can be true that the medications vary in price depending on your insurance and a lot of other factors, if you're paying cash I have found it to be either comparable or sometimes slightly more expensive then some of the chain stores but their customer service is absolutely worth any diff in cost for me! Also to be helped with prompt politeness rather than an often 3-4 hour plus up to an entire day or multiple days wait as I've had at big chains over the years add up to the many reasons I stay with Federal! I try to have fun joking and laughing with everyone behind the counter...they are quite obliging which is great when many of us are so isolated during these trying times. If you need help with finding an item, just ask... Sometimes people prefer to be approached more with questions and others less so and I find they are glad to help if you speak up... often I think they let some people shop without much talk too because they know not everyone wants to be spoken to as much! Overall everyone from the pharmacists in back whom recall me from years ago at other homes and locations I've lived in town, which really creates a feeling of family and camaraderie and trust that I truly need and appreciate in my ex professionals, to the other Mgmt and general staff members whom are always upbeat and polite, it's a pleasure to deal with them every time. Thanks everyone!!! Keep up the excellent work!!! Stay well! Ps ty for the great treatment of my Ada legal issues and my two (now one) service dogs, we are always treated with kindness and under the law as required...wonderful to not have to justify what's right! Red dog says ty too! read more

I am sad to write this review as I have used this business a lot in the past but will never use them again. I called about the availability of a medication which they told me they had in stock. The man on the phone said that insurance didn't pay enough to them for it. I asked was there a difference between what insurance would pay and what private pay was-- no answer. He told me that for a month it was a little over $1000, I said oh other pharmacies take insurance and he then yelled at me "then go to another pharmacy!" And hung up. read more

I changed Rx insurance carriers just so I could stop using CVS and support Federal Drug; a wonderful local business. I can't tell you how happy I am to have made the switch. I now communicate with a knowledgeable person who takes a personal interest in my well-being. Everyone with whom I have had contact is there to help. Even thought it may cost me a little more to patronize Federal Drug, you get what you pay for and my research and my limited experience demonstrates that axiom to be very true here. read more

Could always find what I needed as well as a friendly answer for my questions. Great selection with great service.

Santa Barbara is so small we do not have a good selection of pharmacies and they have gotten even worse especially CVS they are absolutely terrible since we started going through the pandemic we just started with federal drug and it's like night and day compared to the other pharmacies the pharmacist and his wife and their employees are extremely pleasant I am so glad we were referred to them. It's on believable how CVS can't get your doctors orders for certain quantity and the pharmacist takes it upon his self to give you what he wants to give you which waste the prescription and also waste their refills we have heard nothing but awful things about all the CVS is They're all extremely rude. Federal drug is a family owned company and it's always very pleasant to go in there they are very knowledgeable and very caring. read more

My favorite pharmacy. Very friendly staff who go above and beyond. Plus, it's nice supporting a local business.

This place is a rip off to the customer. If the insurance copay is less than their cost, they make you pay for your prescription out of pocket. What they should do is take the payment from the insurance and have the patient pay the difference. They claim their system won't let them do that. Well then:: Fix Your System. Obviously their cost is going to be higher than other chain pharmacies but they make no incentive to the customer to patronize their store. And judging from how many employees they have standing around on any given shift it's clear their bottom line is upside down. If you've got money to burn this is the place for you. read more

Ever since CVS refused to fill a prescription of mine, I've been giving Federal Drug my business. The kindest and most customer service-oriented people work here. I love this place. They are my go-to for prescriptions. No stress. No lines. read more

this pharmacy is top notch. needed medication, and they had it. joyful, kind, and caring. Huge recommendation. and i HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Federal Drug is a gym of a drugstore for Santa Barbara... The service is amazing, very personalized. They have an amazing assortment of products for elderly care, wound care, etc., and are very knowledgeable. If you're tired of being just a number at the big chain drug stores, give Federal Drug a try! And as an extra treat, they put a little piece of candy in your bag with your prescription :-) read more

Absolutely the nicest pharmacy experience I have ever encountered. The workers there are so nice and helpful and they have a wide range of health goods. By far my favorite part was the actual pharmacy area itself, the dude at the counter was super nice and super quick. Love this place, i'll definitely continue to get my medications from here! read more

So Many Knee Braces to Choose From Have bad knees from overuse. Federal Drug has just about every knee brace, from the hinged ones to the sleeves, also the velcro-close ones. I chose Futuro Comfort Support With Stabilizers. Price was lower than buying online, and they let me try it on before I bought it. Love it, and will go get another one for the other knee today. read more

I love the people at Federal Drug. Every single person there has gone above and beyond to help me, to work with me and to extend care and kindness. It is as good as it gets with a small business and I always leave feeling like I matter. They are knowledgeable and have always treated me with the utmost compassion and respect. I couldn't recommend them more highly and I couldnd believe that anyone could have an unkind word to say about this wonderful, old fashioned treasure of a drug store. Mary Glick read more

Federal Drug is in one word, QUALITY. It is a Highly Organized and Efficient, Full Service, Old Fashioned Style Pharmacy. Not only is Federal Drug Well staffed. The STAFF are Friendly and Knowledgeable people that will assist you throughout the store helping you to find anything from a basic pharmacy good to a more specialized item like a shower bench. They will also come to know you and greet you by first name. PRESCRIPTIONS taken to Federal Drug are filled quickly. Average is about 20 minutes. And they usually have most medications in stock. On rare occasion they don't, Federal will order them for you quickly. If you need a prescription filled and are told it will be ready at a specific time, it will be ready for you. You will also receive very thorough explanations from any of the pharmacists whom are happy to answer your questions. You also get a special treat in your bag ;) Did I mention that they DELIVER for a small fee? And regarding FEES, I listed Federal Drug as Moderate, Not Pricey. While some of the more basic items for purchase like deodorant, moisturizers, or sunscreen might be a few coins or A dollar more than a large discount store. The fact that Federal both stocks most of these common products and provides you with such amazing CUSTOMER SERVICE is well worth the additional small amount these items costs. Convenience + amazing customer service that is almost extinct these days AND take into consideration that they are Not a huge chain store (costing Federal $ to stock such wide variety of products and keep the costs reasonable) NOT= pricey in my defintion of the word. I am NOT associated or related to Federal Drug in any way except as a customer for the past 10 years. I have never had 1 problem with them, but they have helped me solve numerous issues over the years including dealing with insurance companies to obtain approvals, and Federal staff even helped me contact a doctor on a weekend one time. That IS Customer Service! ***Please read my TIP*** They Close the doors promptly at 6pm M-F and 2pm on Sat. Closed on Sundays. Federal always does their best to fill every prescription that comes in before closing. Usually, you will see the staff is still inside even after the doors have been locked. They are probably finishing up with customers that arrived close to quitting time. But do NOT expect to walk in at 5:58pm on a weeknight or 1:58pm on Sat. and have your prescription filled immediately. On more than a few occasions, I have witnessed people arrive at Federal just as it was closing and become enraged because they couldn't get their medication filled. These people need to, in my opinion: 1) come earlier 2) expect not to receive their prescription's until the following day (it does take 20 minutes) 3) RELAX and stop blaming Federal for their own lack of poor timing or bad organization skills??? (Stop yelling at staff too, please). Because I for one truly appreciate that Federal accepts RX refills as late as they do and hope they don't stop providing or change their great service. *This is NOT a problem, issue, or fault of/or with Federal Drug. They do have to close at some time. However, and unfortunately, I have seen some negative reviews regarding this exact issue And I hope this helped explain/address any negative reviews regarding closing early. read more

My family has been Federal Drug Company customers since 1962. I am always treated with respect, kindness, and compassion. Bill, the owner, is knowledgeable about all aspects of the pharmacy and can always be counted on to straighten out any questions or problems. Federal Drug Company has evolved over the past fifty years into the very best niche market in Santa Barbara. Specialized equipment --everything from wheelchairs to recliner chairs, bath tubs, and blood pressure readers-- is available, and if they don't stock the item in question, they order especially for the customer, and generally can fill the order in the next business day. One thing I have come to appreciate and count on is their delivery service. I am disabled and do not drive, so being able to call them and have the items arrive within a very few hours is wonderful. The staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Some of the employees have been there for decades. Bill (the owner and head pharmacist), Ferdy, Danika, Lorena, and all of the staff terrific. The only drawback I have encountered is the lack of a computerized system for doctors to send in prescriptions. Since Federal Drug is a mom and pop sort of store, no computers are available to connect them to the system used by virtually every other pharmacy in Santa Barbara. They still use the fax to receive prescriptions from the doctors. read more

I was hoping to find something to help alleviate the pain I was getting from my heel spur sometime this past spring and basically no one bothered to ask me if I needed assistance even though I wandered aimlessly through the small store. The checkout gal had her head down looking at some papers the whole 5 to 7 minutes I was there. This stop was a rare one and probably the last. There are better options. read more

I rented a nebulizer from Federal Drug that didn't work. Upon bringing it back, instead of trying to find a solution or offer me another one, the person at the pharmacy accused me of breaking it. Absolutely unacceptable. I will not be returning. read more

the absolute worst customer service! rude employees.. will never shop there again..They will not stand by their products.. AWFUL.. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!! read more

I've been using Federal Drug for many years. They have everything you could possibly need, products the other local drug store (CVS) has never even heard of (Thermotabs for instance). The staff is knowledgeable, helpful and personable. I wish there were more stores like this. read more

This pharmacy ripped me off. I needed a prescription that my Dr told me was only available in a couple of locations in the area. They ran my insurance and said that it wasn't covered (which I was expecting) and charged me $95. I went to Costco to fill the same prescription this month. They ran my insurance (no change in coverage), and found that the same drug was covered, charging me $10 co-pay. read more

The pharmacist was rude to me. I tried to communicate, and was cut off mid-sentence and talked to like a child.

This place is great. My insurance wasn't working and I had 4 prescriptions to fill. The women working was patient and very helpful. They even gave me chocolate with my medicine :) read more

I was the type of person who really didn't care where my prescription was filled. If I was going to be close to home, I'd always choose some chain store that was close. If I was going to be at my office, I'd choose some place near there. NEVER AGAIN. These guys are awesome and incredible. I know, two adjectives, but they are worth it. I had a prescription that was not covered under insurance. They stated that a different dosage with a different amount in the vial would wind up being cheaper. They offered and did talk with my doctor to get it changed to save me money. That was above and beyond what I would ever expect. Then, just because I wanted to cure my cynicism I called Walmart to get a price for the same thing. Walmart was 11% more expensive! Yes, when you walk in, it looks like it is straight out of the late 60's early 70's and kind of has that fluorescent look of a Woolworths. The service of the staff can't be beat. I have now had four different prescriptions filled there and each time the wait is nominal. This place has my business and there is no way I will go back to those Rite/CVS/Walgreens/Costco places again. read more

Wow, a real pharmacy with great staff, not corporate owned and run. I feel like I am going back to "the good old days" when I shop at Federal Drug. They have so many things even in such a small space. read more

While their prices are a bit steep, the staff is a nice bunch and they carry just about everything one would need for medical needs; from tape to commode chairs. read more

Store smells like ashtray. Walked in, sales girl right next to me did not acknowledge me, walked away. I had to go ask her if she worked there, she said yeah looking away. I asked could she please help me ? she said whaddyawant? Acted like it was a big hassle to help a customer. Worst service I think I have ever seen in store. Will order from online from now on read more

We have found that not only is there plenty of staff to help you and the service is efficient and pleasant, but contrary to what one might think, the prices are competitive at Federal Drug compared to the bigger box stores. The pharmacists remember us and are willing to take the time to sit and talk over the prescriptions we have. It just feels like a place that is Santa Barbara. Though the shelves are not loaded, I have found what I needed beyond the drugs... read more

Sweet, family-owned drugstore and pharmacy that has everything I need. Service is prompt, store is large, and there is a comfortable waiting area for you to sit. Prices are affordable and they throw in a few pieces of candy with your prescription! read more

I felt like I was back in time. The service and care for people is awesome. They have things you can't find in your typical DS. Thanks again!! read more

The worst customer service! I have shopped here many times. I like to support local businesses if and when I can. Most every time I have been here they have new sales clerks, who don't seem to know where the products are or much if anything about them. The other day I spent over $100.00 yesterday on post surgery wear. The 1st sales person didn't even know where or what they were. The second one was friendly and helped me find tie items. She promised me if they were not correct that they would take them back as long as they were salable. The times were too small. And the flimsy packing tore when I tried to put one of them back in. When I went back today, the woman who made the promise was standing right next to the other clerk as she refused to take my items back. She didn't say a word, even when I mentioned that she had told me this. Amazon, CVS and Rite Aide have better customer service, prices and return policies! Plus you don't have to put up with the horrible arrogant service; not to mention lack of available parking! Save your money and your sanity and stay away from this place! Update: Say what you will about Amazon taking over... Maybe it's because they know how to treat a customer: I was advised by a friend to purchase an item that I discovered I didn't need. When I attempted to return it, I explained this to Amazon and that it was still in an unopened packaging. Within a few hours Amazon sent me an email kindly explaining explaining the policy of some merchants not being able to except returns of personal items. They said that they had chosen to refund my purchase in full. Not only that, but that I could keep the product or donate it at my discretion. I am in awe of this level of customer care. And you can bet they will continue to have me as a loyal customer. And that Amazon, which started in someone's garage, will continue to grow. And why small self serving mom and pop's like Federal Drug are on the way out. People want to be treated with care and respect. Especially from a company such as a pharmacy who caters to ill and wounded. read more

This Pharmacy is incredible and has been helping my friends and family for years. Like the others reviews indicate its like going back in time to the "good ole days" with this place. They treat you so well are extremely genuine. read more

Federal drug was listed as a store that complied with AARP United Health Care pricing for long term care facilities and nursing homes. Unfortunately they charge an extra $4 per prescription per month as a blister pack fee. The blister pack is required but CVS Omnicare and other drug providers do not charge for this and it can run up to several hundred dollars extra per year. read more