Stoxen's Closing

[NurseNell]

I am NOT happy about the letter I received Saturday that Stoxen Pharmacy is closing. All their records will be given to Shopko. I prefer independently owned stores, not big box stores. Shopko is a big box store. I don't want to get my prescriptions filled there but what choice is there? I can't drive to Rhinelander or Wausau just to get my medications. I know many people who transferred their prescriptions to Stoxen's when Shopko took over North Bay Pharmacy's records. Now they have no choice. Shopko has a monopoly for getting prescriptions filled. Frankly, I don't want to use Shopko but I don't see that I really have much of a choice,

[deebug]

There is Merrill. You don't have to go inside Shopko as they have a drive-in. The pharmacy is in the front part of the store. We have to shop locally!!!!! I imagine there is a hardship for those who do not drive but you have a car.

[NurseNell]

There is Merrill. You don't have to go inside Shopko as they have a drive-in. The pharmacy is in the front part of the store. We have to shop locally!!!!! I imagine there is a hardship for those who do not drive but you have a car.

You seem to know me but I don't know you.

I prefer local AND independent. I do have a car, I also have double vision. I can drive but have to patch one eye. I prefer to walk.

I could care less if there is a drive through.

[Deb Richardson]

I'm not sure if you are aware Nurse Nell, Shopko did hire North Bay employees. Locals. As someone who deals with a number of pharmacies on a daily basis, I have found Shopko pharmacies to be the best and easiest to deal with as far the chain stores goes. Of course I don't deal with the Tomahawk Shopko, but other Hometown Shopko pharmacies in smaller places than Tomahawk. I have found the staff at these pharmacies to be very "hometown" minded. Just sayin'.

[NurseNell]

Deb, Shopko did hire some of Northbay's employees, not all of them. They brought in some new people too. I still will always prefer independent stores to big box stores. I will take the quilt store next door to me over Joann's Fabrics. I will take an independent scrap book store over Michael's. I don't like the homogenization of culture. I don't want to see McDonald's, Chili's, KFC, whatever restaurant in Ireland, in Colombia, in China, etc. I think the loss of Stoxen's was another coffin nail in Main Street Tomahawk, another empty storefront downtown.

[Old Scout]

Another down side to only having one pharmacy in town is that in the past where it took 20 min. or so to get a prescription it now takes an hour or you might have to stop back the next day. With everyone having to go to the one place they are swamped.

Had a prescription called in by the Doc. this morning about 9:00 am and when I stopped in to pick it up at 1:00 pm it still wasn't ready and I had to wait for it.

[NurseNell]

Another down side to only having one pharmacy in town is that in the past where it took 20 min. or so to get a prescription it now takes an hour or you might have to stop back the next day. With everyone having to go to the one place they are swamped.

Had a prescription called in by the Doc. this morning about 9:00 am and when I stopped in to pick it up at 1:00 pm it still wasn't ready and I had to wait for it.

Yes, I was there yesterday too. One man (maybe you?) had been there 1' 50 minutes, another lady 1' 45 minutes. I waited 35 minutes for one Rx. They were definitely very busy, everyone at least was pleasant, no tempers flaring. I decided I definitely would never go on a Monday again.

[Renee class of '80]

Isn't this a major breech of personal privacy and a liability for Stoxen just to transfer private and personal information to a non related 3rd party without consent of the clients they served? I believe that is personal information between you and that pharmacy, and unless you consented to your prescriptions being transferred to another location, I think there is big problems for Stoxen. Just because that pharmacy closes, all of their clients should have been consulted as to where THEY would like their new prescriptions filled at. It is not for Stoxen to determine that for anyone.

[Kerry Tobin]

Stoxen didn't just close and give the info to Shopko. Shopko bought Stoxen and then closed it, just like they bought Northbay and "changed" it to a Shopko Pharmacy. When a business is purchased the customer data is part of the deal (that's basically what the business is, access to customers).

[Renee class of '80]

Thanks Kerry! Didn't know that that's what happened.