They had eyes drops so I was happy. My poor little eyes were tired and irritated. Some drops…read morefreshened them up and made me happy again! Wooohooo!

To the pharmacy manager and pharmacist at the Walgreens on West Walnut Avenue/Dug Gap in Dalton:…read more Shame on you. Last night, my close friend Lisa was actively dying. She had just been sent home on hospice, and while I was there saying what could be my final goodbye, she began experiencing severe distress. Hospice immediately called in comfort medications--medications that weren't optional, weren't for convenience, and weren't something that could wait until tomorrow. They were ordered to relieve the suffering of a dying woman. A family member rushed to your pharmacy and arrived approximately 10 minutes before closing. Instead of showing even the smallest amount of compassion, they were told the prescriptions would not be filled because it was too close to closing time. Your solution? Send the family to Chattanooga to find a 24-hour pharmacy. After making that drive during one of the worst nights of their lives, they were told the wait would be another two to three hours. Think about that. While a family was gathered around a dying loved one, instead of being able to focus on comforting her, they were forced to spend precious time driving from pharmacy to pharmacy because your store chose closing time over compassion. Hospice comfort medications exist for one reason--to prevent unnecessary suffering at the end of life. Every minute those medications are delayed is another minute of pain and distress that no dying person should have to endure. Policies matter. Hours matter. But humanity should matter more. I hope Walgreens management thoroughly investigates what happened and asks whether this is truly the standard of care they want associated with their name. No family should ever have to beg for comfort medications while saying goodbye to someone they love. To the hospice nurse who came out in the middle of the night and to Dustin Saylor for helping secure the supplies needed to care for Lisa--thank you. You demonstrated what compassion actually looks like. You were the light in an otherwise heartbreaking and infuriating night. Lisa deserved comfort. Her family deserved better. Walgreens failed them.