Rowlands Pharmacy Hornchurch

"Terrible pharmacy of recent months. They say they have ordered items in when they haven’t. They take weeks of chasing to fill prescriptions for urgent medication. The staff argue openly and rudely with customers and other staff members. None of them know how to use the computer to order stock or check orders have been raised. Seems staff have zero training of competence. It’s a joke frankly"

"In my efforts to support local businesses I have used Rowlands Pharmacy since the days of Mr Pelling, the then owner, over thirty years ago. Two weeks ago, using the ‘Hey Pharmacist’ app I placed an order for a repeat prescription. After one week I had not heard anything so I rang. A lady answered the phone and told me they had no Pharmacist so could not issue or deal with prescriptions. I was asked to come back in the afternoon. I went back only to be told that they had not received the order for my medication. I then showed them the Hey Pharmacist app with the confirmations showing my prescription had been authorised by my GP and sent through to the pharmacy. I was waiting for about thirty minutes while the bewildered counter staff and back of the shop staff tried to resolve my problem. I was then told that it had not come through from ‘The Hub’. They decided to fill my prescription themselves and I came out minus one of my medications which by then I had run out of. They told me to come back the following day. Upon my return the following day there were about eight people waiting, the pharmacist had gone to lunch, we were back to being unable to deal with the prescriptions because of the lack of a pharmacist. As I was picking up a child from school I was unable to wait for the pharmacist to make an appearance so I left. I finally got my medication after a phone call and three visits to Rowlands. Looking at the reviews it seems a common problem that has gone on for months. I see very little point in getting in touch with the Patient Experience Team as the shambles that is Rowlands has been brought to their attention many times and clearly they only pay lip service. Rowlands are no longer a local pharmacy, they are part of Numark who clearly do not care, I no longer feel an obligation to support them as a local business. I have cancelled my ‘Hey Pharmacist’ account and changed my dedicated pharmacy to Tesco. It is a car drive away, but at least they have a pharmacist and are open more frequently."

"I use the patient access app to order my repeat prescription every 2 months and usually within 24 hours I receive a message back advising “your GP has approved your medication order, please collect it from your nominated pharmacy” unfortunately my pharmacy is Rowlands Ardleigh Green Road. Every time I go there my prescription isn’t ready and they ask Oh, have you had a text? I reply Who from? I use the app and it’s told me to come in and collect. At this point I say i will return tomorrow. When I do return they often inform me they owe me 26 tablets as they only have 30 tablets left in stock. Pharmacies are supposed to improve our quality of life, not frustrate and annoy their customers"

"I am very disappointed. I have been with this chemist since they took over from Mr Pelling but in the last few months it has become so bad I think I will take my business elsewhere. I have just spent an hour trying to talk on the phone but they do not answer only take it off the hook . My repeat prescription was requested Tues last week it`s now 8 days later and it`s not arrived. I run out in 4 days and I don`t know if it`s in hand or forgotten. What`s the point of having a phone I you don`t answer it?"

"I am so angry with this pharmacy. I’m supposed to receive texts to say when my medication is ready but they never do, you can NEVER get through on the phone (it just rings off constantly) and they have lost my tablets on numerous occasions. I wish I had somewhere else I could go!"