I've been using this Walgreens for the last year and unfortunately my experience has been so routinely difficult that I feel compelled to turn to the internet. First off, I don't blame 90% of the pharmacy or store staff - it's beyond clear that a lot of the dysfunction is structural and that they were severely overwhelmed by other local Walgreens closing and having to absorb their customers needs. By writing this I'm somehow hoping Walgreens corporate will realize there's a serious need for more supports to be put in place. However, there are about 10% of staff that clearly add to the dysfunction or just make the experience even worse to navigate. This week when I called to request a refill (which I have to do over the phone instead of simply submitting a refill request through the app) I had the usual routine of being put on hold for at least 20 mins only to have the female technician finally answer and be incredible hostile and judgmental about the prescriptions I was trying to fill. Despite these being the same prescriptions I've been filling there roughly once a month for the last year, she was incredulous I might need to take them at the same time before insisting she had to get approval and then came back and told me I'd actually have to call again in an hour or so since their "system was down" After calling back an hour later and waiting on hold for 30 mins, I called again later that afternoon and once again waited on hold for only about 10 mins that time! However once I made my refill request to the tech (male this time) he proceeded to not only get my info wrong so began referring to me by another persons full legal name and included other personal info before I had time to correct him. He then put me on hold "to check on whether the meds were in stock" for another 20 mins, only to pick up and once again assume I was an entirely different customer and provide their personal info. After I once again clarified that wasn't me, he then put me on hold another 10 mins before answering the phone "Hello, thank you for calling Walgreens how might I help you today?" having seemingly entirely forgotten there was a person on hold on the line. When I once again reminded him about my situation, he replied that actually my medication was now ready for pick up. So the outcome I was hoping for (thanks!) but not without a whole day spent on and off the phone and him revealing not one, but two other customers identifying info. I showed up the next day to pick up my meds and was greeted with the standard long pharmacy line but since it was only about 8 people in front of me, I decided to wait since it's not uncommon for there to be more like 20 people waiting. Things largely went smoothly except for the fact they've removed some of the chairs from the line, meaning that there were elderly, clearly incapacitated people having to stand on their feet for 20 mins and clearly struggling to do so. Finally I got close to the front and witnessed how apparently they entirely lost the medication for the person in front of me. The customer had called in 3 prescriptions that AM and were told they were ready but for some reason the staff could only find one so eventually told them they had to go wait. While then attending to me, the technician would suddenly stop mid interaction to go help look for the meds despite the fact two other staff members were actively searching. I mainly mention this because it meant that my interaction which should have only taken about 2 mins if the tech just focused on getting me checked out ended up taking closer to 10 min since he kept getting needlessly distracted in a search process he wasn't even really helping. This alone seems a good illustration of why simple requests or expectations become weirdly and frustratingly complicated at this Walgreens. There is no sense of cohesion or authority and this is clearly illuminated on every level of interaction. Sorry for the rant and more importantly, I truly apologize to the many pharmacy tech and store staff who are genuinely trying to do the best they can, especially in response to their frequently (but often understandably) agitated customers. However there is something at this location that is very deeply not working and only seems to be unraveling further. Shame on Walgreens for not being more invested in their store, staff and customer experiences, especially at a location that is clearly such a cornerstone for the Berkeley community. read more

While i read some 1 & 2 Star reviews, I had a very positive experience on my two visits to the Walgreens across the street from the Berkeley Bowl. As sometwho was visiting from New York City, I was very impressed by the size of the store. I found the staff to be helpful and responsive. And on a Sunday morning when everything seems to be closed, I was very grateful that Walgreens is open every day at 7am! This is a huge public service! On Sundsys Berkeley Bowl doesn't open until 10am! Be grateful Walgreens is open and the staff is happy yo assist their customers! read more

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I am always so pleased when stores follow the same model from location to location. Walgreens is no different. While traveling in Berkley, CA I stopped by a Walgreens to get a few items. Always being located on a corner spot, they are an easy in and out off the main road. The handicap parking is also very centrally located close to the doors which is not always the case. I am always pleased when I am properly greeted when I walk through the door. I am especially happy when a clerk or cashier look up from what they are doing to acknowledge a customer walking through the door. This store, like other Walgreens is big and bright with clean isles to navigate through. I needed a few items ranging from pharmaceutical to paper goods. They had plenty of items to choose from and I pleased that their house brand is a substantially reduced price and the same item. I had to make an 8 X10 enlargement and it was an incredibky easy task from transmitting the photo from my phone to submitting the photo to the printer. $4.95 is a price to pay to a print and they had a great frame at 60% off for 4.99. Overall a really easy and simple task from beginning to end. Check out went very quickly and I received the same cordial greeting as I left as when I came in. Kudos to a nice team here at Walgreens. read more

Need to fill a prescription? Please, please, please, do not go here. This is a hell scape that will ruin your day. If you don't get harassed by the homeless people, you are guaranteed to wait in a line, serviced by employees that simply have zero sense of urgency. Quite possibly the most unaware service in both the store and the pharmacy that I have ever encountered. You can go at any time during the day to pickup your prescription, and you are likely to be standing there waiting for slow, unaware workers for a long, long time. Please avoid. read more

Long waits and chronic understaffing... Plan on a very long wait at this pharmacy- it's always understaffed, with usually just one person at the window (sometimes two), leading to snaking queues with chairs down the aisle. I've waited 30+ minutes multiple times, even with vaccine appointments. Calling is no better; you're on hold forever due to the backlog. They're slow and overwhelmed. Switched to insurance-covered delivery--tipping the courier is cheaper and faster than dealing with this hassle. read more

Walgreens - Waiting in line forever at the pharmacy. - Drugstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

Crazy lines at the pharmacy with only one over worked helper. Avoid this place at all cost!!

PLEASE hire some more people! Your employees are so lovely and work so hard, but it is clearly physically impossible to keep up with the volume of customers, and lines at the pharmacy and check out therefore take FOREVER every time, even when employees are doing wonderful jobs. read more

The store met my needs except that there is a customer with a dirty dog who is sniffing and licking the merchandise. Bright wide open store. Helpful staff. Parked at the curb outside. read more

Great place to buy essentials. Also the selection of food is very good. Only used their photo services once and it wasn't very difficult. Awesome place if you're in the neighborhood. read more

This Walgreens was our first stop on our hunt for my shampoo this weekend. Walking in we were struck by how this location gave off a bit more of a warehouse vibe than I've found most of the Walgreens I've recently been in to have. It had quite a bit of space with just not a lot product taking up the floor. I was able to pick up a couple locked bottles of my shampoo (score!) from a friendly and kind associate and then after a bit of a wait in line (a second cashier ended up stepping in) we quickly checked out and were on our way. All in all, this location was pretty solid. read more

I am completely baffled by the contempt that Walgreens has for its customers. Plan about an hour once you walk into the door to get your medications. They have several times sent me notifications that my medication was ready only to wait in line for 40+ minutes to find out they never filled it. The store looks like it was built in the 70s and hasn't had any maintenance since then, the employees are clearly shell shocked from having to deal with extremely frustrated customers (and often physically disabled customers who are forced to stand in line for very long periods). The final straw for me is my doctor sending a new prescription to them and they listed it as "reviewing insurance" then just not filling it. When I had been out of my medication for more than a week, been to the pharmacy and told they had no record of my medication, double checked with my doctor that it had been sent to the correct pharmacy, I learned they had just cleared it with insurance and never filled it. Done done done. read more

Staff is friendly, helpful - but they are absurdly understaffed and you might wait in a queue for 20 minutes or more, and do not even think you can speak to them on the phone, as I have been kept on hold for 30 minutes several times - they NEVER answer the damn phone because their staff is overwhelmed by the counter queue read more

The people at the pharmacy desk are both some of the most incompetent and rudest folks I've ever met. My doctor put in a prescription order here TWICE and both times the people here either couldn't find my prescription or just said it hadn't been ordered. I eventually gave up and just told my doctor to put in the order at the CVS in the City Target in Berkeley. They filled the order same day. Honestly, avoid this place at all costs. It's not worth your time. read more

This pharmacy is an absolutely mess. I stopped getting my prescriptions here years ago. today came by for my previously scheduled flu and Covid vaccine. I start waiting in line at 9:55. At 10:05 the lady at the counter calls my phone number and I say that I am here. She tells me they have no Covid vaccines. I said that's ok I'll still get my flu shot. She reviews my appointment, I had said that I once got dizzy in my appoitnment booking. Now the pharmacist says I can't get my flu shot. Why did it allow me to book in the first place??? And why didn't they call me before I came for my Covid vaccine to tell me they were out?? Seriously this is the worst services pharmacy in the area. What a quick reminder after not coming here for years. read more

The absolute worst lines of any pharmacy. They take forever with every patient. Each time I've been there is only 1 person behind the counter. I only come here because they usually have prescriptions in stock. I hope to stop using this crazy pharmacy soon! read more

Don't come to this pharmacy. Seriously, don't worst experience ever:-( in line for gods know how long.

There's always a long line waiting at the pharmacy. They used to have a line of chairs for customers waiting. Now they've removed the chairs. Today I waited in line for 30 minutes! Finally, they brought in another checker. I've been a Walgreens customer for 40 years, during that time I've lived in 4 different cities in California. Walgreens on Adeline is the WORST! read more

I am writing this review not out of frustration, but out of deep concern for the safety and well-being of patients relying on this pharmacy for their healthcare needs. Over the past several months, I have witnessed repeated instances of negligence that appear directly linked to chronic understaffing. Wait times have become excessive--often over an hour just to pick up a prescription that was supposedly ready. On multiple occasions, I've seen only one pharmacist on duty trying to manage a packed line, answer phone calls, verify prescriptions, and consult patients--all at once. It's an impossible load for any professional to handle, and it inevitably leads to errors. Most troubling, I experienced a serious issue where a prescription was filled incorrectly--wrong dosage instructions. When I called to report it, the staff were apologetic but overwhelmed. It became clear that the mistake wasn't due to incompetence, but rather a lack of adequate staffing, support, and time for proper checks. This is not just poor service--it is dangerous. A pharmacy is a critical part of the healthcare system, and patient safety must be non-negotiable. If the company managing this location continues to cut corners by understaffing, they are putting lives at risk. I urge management to immediately address this issue by hiring and retaining sufficient qualified staff to meet demand safely. read more

The lines at the pharmacy are way too long. I usually wait about an hour to pick up a prescription. It is NOT the fault of the staff. The staff work very hard and do the best they can. The fault is with Walgreen's upper management, who refuse to hire more pharmacy techs. Staffing levels are rock bottom. Shame on Walgreens management. read more

Please hire more pharmacy staff. Came in and there were 12 people in front of me and after waiting 20 min they had only moved 4-5 people and I had to leave or I'd miss an appointment. It's the worst here consistently. So understaffed. Second time leaving a review with how bad it is read more

Here we go again. WHERE ARE THE CHAIRS for the swamped pharmacy line? They had at least six and now only two. They need EIGHT. That's the minimum line I have ever been in for the last five years. Someone said they have seen the line all the way to photo dept. Large senior population relies on this particular Walgreens. The store locks up just about anything people need, so put some chains on the chairs? Where on earth could they have gone!? I do not mind the hour wait if I can read my Kindle from a CHAIR. I will say nothing bad about the staff. They always are focused until they take a peek at how long the line is. They must be exhausted at end of their shift. DO SOMETHING WALGREENS CORPORATE. This is absolutely uncalled for. It's not like this is an ice cream parlor. Sick people are patiently waiting and will stop doing business with you as soon as they can find the extra patience to switch up their meds to a different place. read more

Avoid this pharmacy at all costs. I could never have imagined so many problems--and with this place it runs the gamut--medications constantly out of stock, prescriptions partially filled, inept and confused staff, and always long lines of people waiting. If I call to check on an issue, I will get a different answer depending on who answers. I sympathize with the counter service staff, but there is something very wrong with the way this pharmacy operates. Truly a glimpse into purgatory. read more

You would think with FIVE people in the pharmacy they might have more than one person helping customers, but they rarely do. I was told my prescription would be ready at one and I got there at 2:15 and it was not and they told me 10 more minutes, and after 20 the line was unbelievably long, and there were already three people that needed to be called back to the window before me. They should be handing out free Xanax for everyone in line. read more

Multiple calls to transfer prescriptions (after trying to do the same online), with the person on the other side of the line claiming they were taking down information. Then when I arrive in person, they claim to have no record at all and don't know who that was. I nearly ran out of critically important medication with all the hassle and delay. And when they aren't incompetent, they're just understaffed and harried. Expect long lines. The most unpleasant pharmacy experience, even in these austere times. If I had a car I'd go elsewhere. At least they're open till 9pm? read more

Understaffed pharmacy, miserable lines and overall bad experience. The closure of the closest alternate location has just made things worse. They should either close this location altogether or staff the pharmacy appropriately. read more

The pharmacy is so slow and there is always a really long line . I would not recommend this place

Super long lines at the pharmacy. When you call and wait for over 15 minutes the call gets disconnected!! Do they hang up on callers??

I honestly just feel terrible for the poor woman who works the counter. Prescriptions are never ready for pickup, even after getting notifications. The line reaches halfway across the store and the wait has carried between 20-80 minutes for each of the last three visits. My prescription isn't rare or expensive or anything, its just understaffed af. read more

Don't come here unless it's an absolute emergency, especially the pharmacy. Snail's pace is an understatement.

On hold for 55 min trying to just speak with someone in the pharmacy department. Never got to talk with anyone. Worst Walgreens ever ... they offer customer not service ! read more

I used to come here to restock my basic hygiene and makeup products. Every single item I used to buy is now locked up, (every single makeup product and most hygiene products). There is also never anyone working to help unlock things for you, and you end up waiting a ridiculous amount of time to get each individual item unlocked. I now go somewhere that isn't walking distance so I don't have to deal with this. read more

Avoid this pharmacy at all costs--it is an absolute nightmare! The level of disorganization and mismanagement is genuinely appalling. As reviewers have described elsewhere here, the people at this pharmacy second-guess medical professionals and refuse or delay medication unreasonably. We switched pharmacies and are much happier. My family recently moved to Berkeley from the Peninsula, and we made the grave mistake of trying to fill our prescriptions at this pharmacy and working with them (for months) with the pharmacy's constant delays and requests for more information. Our doctors are all at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, where we have received care for over a decade. According to this Walgreens pharmacy, having "out of area" doctors is a cardinal sin in the eyes of this pharmacy's incompetent staff. These are medications that my daughter and I have been taking for years. ADHD meds in one case, Accutane in another, and, for me, an anti-narcolepsy medication that I've relied on for 20 years. The prescriptions are never filled when asked, and the pharmacy constantly pesters our doctors for additional information. They are obsessed with requesting additional "treatment plans" for the medications. It's like second-guessing the doctors, making them write a report on it. Even when our doctors take the time to provide the requested documentation (they've done this once but won't every month). When refill requests are sent in, the pharmacy still fails to fill the prescriptions. To add insult to injury, the staff dared to be rude and confrontational about prescriptions coming from "out-of-area doctors," and suggested to us that we are "forum shopping." Excuse me, but last time I checked, Stanford was one of the top medical institutions in the country. It's located very close to Berkeley. The Stanford doctors know what they're doing! The rules for additional treatment plans because Stanford is "out of area" is a made-up hurdle and arbitrarily applied are beyond absurd. We've transferred our prescriptions to CVS, where they actually do their job and fill prescriptions without arguing with doctors and jeopardizing patients' health by withholding critical ongoing medications. I cannot warn people strongly enough to avoid this Walgreens pharmacy. Save yourself the aggravation, wasted time, and potential medical consequences for your family. There are plenty of other pharmacies in Berkeley (the CVS on University seems great). Take your prescriptions elsewhere. read more

Long lines every time. Unfriendly staff. This is the Walgreen I would avoid. I will recommend the Walgreen right across the UC Berkeley on Telegraph and Bancraft. I would hire Uber to get my prescriptions filled. It is much faster, knowledgeable and friendly staff than other pharmacies. It is worth the money and time. read more

UPDATE: I got my doctor to renew my prescription and call in a refill. (Everyone I talked to at Kaiser was professional and helpful!) Naturally, Walgreens immediately cancelled the order because they noticed I'm on Kaiser and I couldn't possibly be willing to pay out of pocket. But they sent me an email letting me know, so we're making progress. read more

PHARMACY: Over an hour's wait and seven people in line BEHIND me! The hard-working staff was harried and hassled. The pharmacy was understaffed and disorganized; this is not a staff problem, this is a corporate STAFFING problem. Profits over service. People should not have to wait like this, especially people with health problems! read more

Never doing business with this piece of shit company again! Make an appointment for an in store COVID test, show up on time for the appointment they tell me they have been out of tests for two weeks. Don't waste my fucking time, I won't cry when you file for bankruptcy. read more

Wow. The worst customer service! The response time to have someone unlock the cabinet to get Tylenol was interminable so I just left (after 20 min, trying to give staff the benefit of the doubt) read more

This is my neighborhood Walgreens but I'm probably going to stop coming here. It's impossible to go in and out quickly, which is unsafe during COVID times. Every time I'm here there's a long checkout line and some cuckoo customer. Pharmacy is understaffed. My flu shot from months ago took nearly an hour, with an appointment. Today, I waited for 10 min for someone to help me pick up my photo prints preorder. No help was in sight, so I decided to just walk behind the (unmanned) register to grab my photos myself. I can't imagine having to take a passport photo here. read more

They had a deal saying 3 for 17.43 and the manager even though he saw it he checked and one employee was amazing and sided with me and the other employee yelled and said we are dumb and the manager said he would be right back and took an hour and later after an hour we didn't get the deal but if y ok see a 5 foot 3 Asian lady she is the only good employee she always was nice and caring and she has been working there for a long time and deserves manager instead of this horrible rude one.and we put a coupon that we got the other day and they didn't put it what a joke read more

Walgreens - Deal for the soda - Drugstores Near Me - Berkeley, California

WORST customer service! Made a special trip for passport photos after checking the photo shop hours. They were open with two employees working in the photo studio and we let them know we needed passport photos. We were told "just a few minutes"...after waiting for 10-15 minutes while another patron decided which of her pictures to keep and pay for no luck! The second employee snaps at us and says "no passport photos after 6pm!", makes a face, huffs at us, and storms off. Really?!! read more