Joe’s Pharmacy

Tony is a knowledgable pharmacist and a truly caring human being. He takes time to answer any questions you may have about your prescription and most importantly takes the time to make sure your prescription is covered and approved by your insurance. I am visiting from NYC and he took the time to contact my doctor to authorize my prescription.

Don’t go to Joe’s pharmacy if you want to be an anonymous RX number and you want to be treated with complete indifference. Do go to Joe’s if you want to know your pharmacist (Tony) and have someone looking out for your well-​being. Yes– it can be time-​consuming because Tony chats it up with his customers and you have to wait your turn. BUT that said, I have waited on long long lines at Walgreens too– meanwhile, I never met a pharmacist at Walgreens who even cared to check whether the prescription they were filling for me was something I should be taking. I never recall even learning the name of a pharmacist anywhere else!
Be warned, Joe’s does not stock a full line of over the counter health and personal care products– just a bare minimum. So– don’t go there expecting aisles and aisles of products. This is truly a pharmacy focused on providing high quality service for filling your prescriptions.
Tony and his wife and the staff are nice, good, people. So rare these days.

Terrible service ! Today I asked if this pharmacy carried one of my prescriptions and he said no very bluntly with no regards to my other prescriptions I needed to have filled. He basically pushed me out the door to go to another pharmacy with out any help filling my other prescriptions. I will never step foot in this place again! This may be a convenient place to go to if you live in the Inner Richmond area but I would not recommend using this place as your local pharmacy! Horrible customer service !!!

I’ve been meaning to write a review of Joe’s Pharmacy and Tony for some time but wanted to have been using them long enough to justify it. If there was ever a time, it’s now. There are a lot of negative reviews on here, but be aware that there are also a lot of four and five star reviews that aren’t shown because they aren’t factored into whatever Unilocal’s special formula for review is and therefore not shown as «recommended» reviews. But you can see them all here:
I moved all of my prescriptions a little less than a year ago when the dosage of my bupropion had been shorted, not once, not twice, but three times in 5 months by the Walgreens across the street. And the last time it happened, the tech actually questioned me about it possibly «being my own mistake» what I might be doing. I was diagnosed with depression when I was 8 and in my 30 years since then, it’s the only antidepressant that has consistently and successfully worked for me. But because I’ve had problems with it lasting through the half life, my doctor prescribes me 150 mg of the extended 24 hour release twice a day. That means instead of 30, 150mg pills, I have a specific prescription approved for 60. At Joe’s they understand that and they never get it wrong.
And here are some other reasons happy to get my other prescriptions filled here:
When a prescription for any of my long term medications is set to expire, they call my doctor and have it renewed when filling the last refill so that I have no delays. They just take care of it without me even asking them to.
Tony will always tell you that he is a pharmacist and as such, he only needs to fill prescriptions and sell OTC medications or medical products. He doesn’t sell pepsi cola or chia pets, because it’s not why he became a pharmacist.
Tony, all of his staff, interns, and other pharmacy techs are consistently friendly, pleasant, and caring of their clientele and they always remember you and your medication needs.
And finally, as someone who used to work for OFA and the DNC, as much as I really fought the good fight to get the Affordable Care Act enacted, I have to admit that it has been nothing but a total shit-​storm rolling out. You see, I’m one of those unfortunate people who’s insurance company dropped their individual coverage plan so that it didn’t have to comply with the ACA. So like a responsible person, I signed up for a new plan with Anthem Blue Cross as soon as the ACA went live. And as the year closed, I had yet to see anything for my premium payment. So again, like a responsible person, I called Anthem Blue Cross, who confirmed that they got my application, that I would definitely have coverage, and then took my first premium payment over the phone. As of today, January 7, 2014, they still have yet to process my payment or issue me a member ID and group number. And after spending hours on hold they still assure me that I have coverage, but they have also, and very confidently, given me a lot of misinformation about how to handle getting my prescriptions filled, and now they don’t even answer the phone at all. As a result, I am paying out of pocket for everything. I called Tony and compared to the other big box store pharmacies actually has the best value on medication. For example, for the last year, my birth control pill has supposed to have been free with insurance under the ACA requirements. While I’m in insurance limbo hell, I have to pay full cost for it and after researching it, here is what I have found the out of pocket cost for a 91 day supply of generic Seasonique :
Costco (generic not carried): $ 315 for name brand
Walgreens: $ 295
Target: $ 247.50
Walmart: My soul and dignity + BART fare to Oakland
Joe’s Pharmacy: $ 180
Yep, the guy who makes really nothing compared to the bigger retail pharmacies is the least expensive, not to mention most accommodating and neighborly. If money were no object, I would go to Costco and stick it to Anthem Blue Cross when they have to reimburse me.
The small neighborhood pharmacy is dying out, so sorry, while some reviewers may have issues with Joe’s Pharmacy, I have zero complaints and will continue to fill my prescriptions here.

Undoubtedly one of my worst retail store experiences ever. I tried to fill a prescription there today. The guy there told me he was closed because it was four o’clock. It was actually five minutes to four and I showed him on my (accurate) watch. He then claimed that he didn’t know the doctor who wrote the prescription. I asked if this was needed to fill it. He then falsely claimed it was certainly the case. He then feigned the doctor’s signature not matching the letterhead on the prescription by misreading the name. The signature was clearly legible. All kinds of excuses! He did not fill the prescription. He just kept coming up with different lies, so much so that I would never believe anything this guy said. I wouldn’t trust him to tell me the time in a room full of clocks!
I promised him I would write a detailed review of my experience there and here I am.
It’s too bad too because I like to support local businesses. I wound up going across the street to Walgreens to get it filled. No problems there.
I too would like to give no stars. Unilocal,please add the option.

Joe’s Pharmacy provides a community service with a box for disposing leftover non-​narcotic prescription medicines for free. If you don’t want to put it in the trash or flush it down the toilet to pollute the ecosystem, this is the proper way to get rid of it.
Odd thing is, Walgreen’s across the street recommended that I come here to dispose of all of the meds my late family member had purchased at Walgreen’s.
Staff is nice and while I was there, patrons were stopping by for their prescriptions.

Joe’s is a great place with a family friendly atmosphere. I used to go here years ago and moved back to the area and am going back again. It’s a welcome change as I used to go to a chain pharmacy when I was out of town and had forgotten how much I had missed.
The pharmacist is helpful as always, love the nostalgic and retro feel of the place. Not sure if the negative reviewers understand that the pharmacist is simply not a cashier and cannot cater to everyone’s needs on demand.
Happy to be back and support a local business, and Joe is awesome as always. Try this place for yourself, or at least walk in for a pack of gum and see what you’re missing.

Rude. Unhelpful. Never Again.

I don’t think people understand the concept about Joe’s pharmacy. This is not a pharmacy where you buy shampoo and toilet paper. But if you want one on one service to help your pharmaceuticals this is the place. After going to CVS pharmacy and getting no help at all, I came here and Tony sat and explained all my medications to me. Go to Walgreens for all your makeup and toilet paper, but for your medications that you’re on this is the place.

I have lived in SF 30 years, 25 years with the same Dr. Two years ago when I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (no thanks to our wonderful health system) he asked if I would go to Joe’s Pharmacy. As I walked into the store, I noticed a gentleman speaking to a woman. It was Tony, the Pharmacist. Not eavesdropping, I picked up that he was carefully explaining to the lady about her prescription. As a college student, I worked in a professional Pharmacy and my boss was just as concerned with his customers as I had just observed. Handing Tony my prescription, his first words were, «I’m not a dispensing Pharmacist, I am a PRACTICING Pharmacist.» I immediately felt comfortable and safe. Tony has not only become MY Pharmacist, but my friend. His meticulousness in making sure I am covered and am doing well is impressive. He even consults with my Dr. when needed.
Tony has customers of many ethnicities and cultures and patiently takes his time to be sure they understand about their medications. As far as talking to the woman about her trip to Europe, when people travel outside of the country it is extremely important they have their medications and what to do in emergencies. Tony is very well qualified in that area also.
Too many people today are only concerned about instant gratification, they are continually on the cell phones, Ipoops and Dingleberries. Back in the 60’s we had a saying, «Stop and smell the flowers.» Walking in with a prescription may take longer than the instantaneous handing you your medications at the chain stores. But I bet you can’t name the person that gave them to you. Call ahead and your prescriptions will be waiting for you. Joe’s is a place where you not only get great medical advice, but you can even smell the flowers. I consider Tony as a second doctor.

I start going to Joe’s Pharmacy long time ago .They are very good people.
Always ready to help. Yes, some time you need to spend the time or call before you pick up medication
.Right now it is everywhere.

LOL– I couldn’t agree with all of you more !! For those of you who gave him 5 stars or 1 star – you are all RIGHT! I know what it’s like to be at Joe’s pharmacy — I interned there as pharmacy student.
The first time I heard Tony’s voice (the pharmacist/​owner of the pharmacy), I thought I was going to have a rough time interning there since he sounded so abrupt and harsh on the phone. This was until I started working there.
Of all the pharmacists I worked with, Joe is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable pharmacist I have ever met! He’s not all about business like other chain pharmacy or even independent pharmacy may be. He really cares about his patient and developed a deep relationship with each and everyone of them. The longer you know him, the more you trust him with your medications — and with your life.
While I worked there, he had saved numerous lives, catching both minor and fatal mistakes. A woman who had heart problem presented there with a drug for headache (Imitrex). He stopped her from taking the medication even though she protested at first, and referred her right away to a cardiologists (one of his numerous doctor-​friends). She was seen the next business day and the cardiologist sent her primary doctor and Tony a letter to stop the drug since it can kill her due to her condition.
Beside being a great pharmacist to the community, Tony is an excellent mentor. Every time I see Tony, he would be bursting with passion for the pharmacy career. He sees his pharmacy students as seeds that he can grow to successful professionals that would promote the future of pharmacy. The first time I saw him, he looked me into the eyes and told me that he will not allow me to be a mediocre pharmacist when he’s done with me. It’s either I’m going to be a «Pharmacist» or a «Pharma-​shit».
Not only does he empowers his patients and students with knowledge, he shows great concern about their present and their future.
Also, I love the his wife, Araxy, and his technicians, Nelly and Irena, who works there. You’ll learn much more than pharmacy there with them around. I’ve learned so many cooking techniques and dishes there. They always bring Lebonese, Russian, and Italian food for everyone to indulge. Yum!
So in conclusion,
For those who desire a pharmacist who will take care of them passionately –Joe’s is right for you.
For those who wants to learn the possibilities of the pharmacy field – Joe’s is right for you.
For those who just care about dirt cheap and quick services– he really doesn’t care if you come or not. He probably fires you before you leave him. Trust me, I seen how his patient would crawl back to his pharmacy after selling him for a few dollars and switched over to another phar, acy. They would seek him for his help and advice later on .and boy did they regret it. Once you give him up – you lose him forever.
By the way, I enrolled on to Unilocal just so I can leave this comment.

Support your local, independent pharmacy! Yes, they’re slow because they do it the old-​fashioned way: not only are they filling out your prescription, but they are developing a relationship with you. Try to do that at Walgreens! I’ve only been in once so far (cross my fingers, I’ve been healthy), but in that one visit I ended up having a friendly insult session with the proprietor.
Straying off-​topic — I just googled «The Dozens» and found this great insult: «Your mom is so fat, that when she jumps in the air, she get’s stuck!»

I am sorry to see all of the bad reviews for Joe’s. I am a firm believer in supporting local businesses instead of chains so when Evergreen closed, I moved my prescription here. They are sometimes slower than I would like, but I appreciate that it is because they know their customers and are serving people, not just RX numbers. They have been most helpful to me, both in person and over the phone.

I am very sad to read the reviews below. My experience at Joe’s for the last 5 years have been great! Obviously the people below were not aware that Joe’s is a neighborhood pharmacy so the staff are very connected to their regular customers. If you are just looking to drop in once, go to Walgreen’s. If you are looking to come in often and have a relationship with a skilled pharmacist, then go to Joe’s. If I have a question about a drug, I will wait until the pharmacist has time because I want a thorough answer to my question. For those who want a convenience store with a pharmacy in the back, there are many chain pharmacies that will suit your needs. For those who want to go into a real pharmacy and speak with a patient advocate, go to Joe’s!

I agree with the doctor in the previous post. Tony definitely goes out of his way to help all his patients no matter where they come from. He not only spends his time trying to get medications approved, but also takes the time to explain to his patients what they are taking so they can take control of their health. As a physician, I always recommend that my patients go to Joe’s Pharmacy to receive the best care, as Tony is also specialized in medication therapy management.

I should of read the reviews on this place. If I could give it no stars, I would.
I had to pick up some OTD cough medicine for my hubby and since I was at Peet’s on 16^th & Geary, I thought I’d save the trip to Walgreens and «just pick it up» here. Boy, I am so sorry I wasted my time. The «pharmacist» was too busy talking to this woman about her upcoming trip to Europe to even talk to me. He finally «noticed» me after 10 minutes to ring up my purchase.
Moral of story, I should have walked out right away when he didn’t even acknowledge me standing there.

I couldn’t agree more with Valerie’s review of Joe’s. I just called to find out whether they carried brand-​name dilaudid and the guy on the phone cut me off mid-​sentence, told me they didn’t have it and then hung up on me abruptly.
At first I thought he had treated me as such because he probably thought I was an IV drug abuser and that it’s a-​ok to mis-​treat addicts but, after reading Valerie’s review I realize he’s just a big dick. How do these people stay in business?