There appear to be some serious on the ground problems with Walgreen's (NASDAQ: WBA) takeover of 1,000 Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) stores.
I observed the takeover process first hand on August 27, when I filled a prescription at a Rite Aid on South Colorado Boulevard in Denver's University-Hills neighborhood. I came away impressed by Walgreens' people, but skeptical of their process. Here are my observations:
- The Walgreens' staff was great - they filled my prescription in less than 15 minutes. They accepted my insurance even though I had never been to that store before. The pharmacy was well stocked and the staff was great.
- There was no connectivity between the Walgreens and Rite Aid computer systems even though all the Walgreen signage was up in the store.
- The pharmacist was unable to check with another Walgreens a few blocks away to see if they had the medication the lady in front of me needed.
