Naval Hospital Jacksonville - Satellite Pharmacy

Staff- 6 out of 5 stars. Always polite and helpfulnPhone system- less than zero stars. I’d almost assume pay for my meds out in town than deal with the automated phone system.nnEVERY time I put my prescription number in, regardless of which medication I’m working with, I am told I don’t have any refills available. When I show up in person, there’s no issues I’ll have two or even three refills available. You do not have the option to speak with a representative. I have no choice but to drive across town to place the order, and wait or return the next day to pick up my order. I’ve brought this up for two years through various chains. Never any resolve.nn“Good enough for government work” has never been more accurate

Each of the last three visits here to pick up medicine in the drive thru lane has resulted in a well over a one to two hour wait. Over the years the quality of service has definitely declined. Looking back, when the satellite pharmacy was located in the hospital parking lot it was run more efficiently. If there was a line, runners were used to collect ID cards from waiting vehicles. By the time you drove up to the window your prescription was usually ready. Perhaps it’s time for a site survey to see how changes could be made to shorten the wait time. Surely the navy can do better than this.

Mondays will be the busiest day for pickup due to Pharmacies are closed on Sunday and senior citizens wait to pick up multiple prescriptions on Mondays. So Mondays require the most manpower. An attendant at beginning of car line is required so active duty don’t enter car line, since they can go to walk up line for both pick up and drop off. A fourth line is also required the entire day instead of allowing a two hour lunch on that line. Realize manpower is short but need to put a data analyst on this challenge.

As a former corpsman who actually worked at this hospital and sometimes satellite pharmacy, and as the now spouse of a corpsman who sometimes does, they do incredible work for how undermanned they are. Pharmacy services have expanded in the few years since I was there but the manning has not. Especially in the wake of what is going on in the world and the effect that has on undermanning even more. Please remember that corpsmen are the unsung heroes of navy medicine rn. Yes doctors and nurses are, but we never remember the ones who actually get the mission done in navy medicine, it’s the corpsmen trust me I know. Please remember that these are people too and they are doing their best. Some of these comments make it seem like they should just work around the clock without break, in the midst of a global pandemic. They have lives and ones they care about also. Just like you want to go home they do. Duty sections remain and they do the best they can offline as well but they cannot work 24/7 with how understaffed they are. And why should corpsmen have to when so many other rates have a very light schedule b/c of the pandemic? That’s not fair because the pay is the same. PLEASE try and give grace to those who work in the pharmacy because trust me it is a madhouse and they are doing an incredible job! I wish that more people had had corpsmens’ backs when I was in because it is hard work to be one in today’s navy. We know every process in the navy moves slow b/c of staffing so why should corpsmen pay for doing their jobs well by having to work longer or more than other rates? Be reasonable guys. Please remember they are trying their best!

There needs to be a better free option And a way to exit the drive thru in case of emergency. Not stuck for an hour and a half or 2 hours. This may also reduce the wait times for everyone.