Today I’ve partnered with CVS to sing the praises of their Pharmacy app, which gives you the ability to refill a prescription from your phone (without having to wait on hold or talk to a machine) and get alerts when your prescription is ready. Why? Because we’ve all been there. We’re doing errands with our toddlers in tow. We know we have to pick up a prescription and we’re 95% sure the doctor called it in so it should be waiting for us at the counter.
So we risk it.
We drag our kids to the pharmacy, wait in line at the pick-up window, tell them our prescription number and hope that this will be quick and painless. Then we hear the dreaded words…
“I’m sorry but it doesn’t look like your doctor called it in. We can fill it but it will take about a half hour.”
Okay, we think. We can do this. How hard could waiting a half hour with two children in a pharmacy be?
“Sure. We’ll wait.”
The 12 Phases of Waiting with your Kids While You Get a Prescription Fulfilled
Phase One: You and the kids sit quietly in the three chairs that are situated next to the pharmacy counter. You read a pamphlet about flu shots while your kids banter back and forth, making each other laugh and playing clapping games. Oh wow, this is going better than expected! You will be out of here in no time!
Phase Two: You check the time on your iPhone and realize not even one minute has passed.
Phase Three: “WE’RE BORED!” your kids announce, loud enough for the entire store to hear. “Why don’t you read something?” You motion towards a rack of age appropriate books. Your daughter opts for a tabloid magazine instead. “Mom, what is rehab?” “Nothing. Put that down!”
Phase Four: You suggest a stroll around the store. “I’m tired,” your little one whines. “I’ll carry you,” you offer. “That’s not fair!” the older one complains. OH GOD. The prescription must almost be ready, right?
Phase Five: “Excuse me, sir? How much longer will it be until my prescription is ready?” “I told you. A half hour.” “Yeah, but that was ten minutes ago. Is it any closer to being ready?” “No.”
Phase Six: You insist that everyone walk on their own two feet for your stroll around the store. “This isn’t any fun,” one complains. “I want to go home,” the other agrees. Then you turn down a new aisle and suddenly their expressions change to wide eyed crazy people. “CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!” they both scream as they run towards the wall of candy bars and lollipops with their arms outstretched, happier to see chocolate and caramel than they’ve ever been to see anything else in their lives.
Phase Seven: “You can’t have any candy.” “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Phase Eight: You weigh their wails against a moment of peace. Is it worth the rotten teeth? Is it worth them knowing that you will fold if they push hard enough? “Okay pick one thing each.”
Phase Nine: The kids spend time examining each package to see what candy is the best choice. You silently thank chocolate for coming to your rescue once again. This should buy a lot of time.
Phase Ten: After a bit of arguing against a bulk bag of Snickers in favor of a single serve bag of M&M’s, your children have finally selected their candy. You make your way back to the counter to buy the candy. Perhaps you’ll check on the status of the prescription while you are there. Maybe this ordeal is over… when suddenly, “TOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Phase Eleven: You tell them they can’t have both a toy and candy. They will have to choose. “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!” Your little one begins to cry. “Come on. If you keep this up, you are not getting the candy either.” “THAT’S NOT FAIR, MOM!” That was from your older one. Your toddler collapses on the floor, crying in a heap as several customers turn to stare. While you try to rationalize with your three-year-old, your six-year-old is carelessly ripping through a shelf of My Little Pony Equestria Dolls trying to find Rainbow Dash.”Put those down!” you yell. She turns and knocks over a free standing display of wrapping paper and all the rolls come crashing to the floor. “I didn’t do it, Mom!” she screams even though she clearly did.
Phase Twelve: “Put down the candy. Put down the toys. We are going home.” You drag the kids out of there before they cause any more of a scene. You will have to come back and get your prescription tomorrow.
If you never want to wait for a prescription again, I highly recommend using the CVS Pharmacy app. In addition to refilling, managing multiple prescriptions and getting alerts when your prescription is ready, it is now integrated with CVS Pay.
CVS Pay streamlines transactions by consolidating loyalty rewards, prescription pick up, and payment, all in a single barcode scan. If you link CVS Pay with your ExtraCare card, your payment will also process all ExtraCare deals and earn new rewards.
Better still? You don’t have to bribe your kids with toys and candy while you wait.
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I’m proud to be working with CVS Pharmacy to promote the launch of the new CVS Pay service on the free CVS Pharmacy app, available to download via Apple’s App Store and Google Play. All opinions expressed are my own, and all product details can be verified at CVS.com.
I’d add the phase for insurance issues. Our prescription plan changed and didn’t cover (or cover enough) of a medicine. So, I stand there and internally debate it my “sick” husband really needs this ridiculously-priced medicine.
Hahah! Phase 5….is it any closer to being done yet? No.
That is priceless and all too relatable. If I had to wait for a prescription with kids, I would play a scavenger hunt with them. But that app sounds like a much better use of time. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! great to see this topic here. I even made trivia pursuit questions on this topic for the best of the parents.