Apollo Pharmacy — Unethical behavior

Jul 28, 2015

Updated by Rhituparna Chakraborty To Apollo Pharmacy management team, This is a serious complain against Apollo Pharmacy located at 1050/1
Survey Parko, Unnayan Market, Kolkata 700075.

I stay alone. I had severe allergy reaction at 6 PM today. My face got
swollen up, my eyes started watering, and my eyes became red and
swollen up. My breating became difficult. It was not possible for me
to even walk 5 minutes and go to the store.

So I called up Apollo Pharmacy on their landline number [protected] at
6.30 PM and ordered anti-allergic Citrizine, one Vicks inhaler for
better breathing, one leaflet of Pan 40 so that I can stop nausea and
vomiting reactions. These 3 were on EMERGENCY basis. Additionally, I
also ordered 1 pack of D-Rise, which was Vitamin D sachet
(non-emergency item).

I called them up 7 times - from 6.45 PM to 8.45 PM, and they kept on
telling me "We are sending it just now" every time I called. I
explained to them it is emergency, and I am having breathing problem,
and my allergy is making me feverish, and I may collapse. They still
kept on lying, and they argued with me that there is no fever medicine
in the order list, so how can you be feverish? At last I screamed at
them at 8.30 PM. Even then they did not send anyone.

At 8.45 PM (exactly after 2 hours 15 minutes from my first call to
them which was at 6.30 PM), one guy came to deliver the medicines. I
tried explaining the situation to him, and he was most lousy started
arguing with me, and started saying he was not there, he just came in,
and I am weird to behave bad with him etc. etc. And then he started
laughing at me. I was so unwell and so frustrated, that I banged the
door on his face and did not accept the medicines. Then one of my
neighbors brought me the medicines just now, and I am feeling better
after having them.

My only problem is, they could have told me that they will take more
than 2 hours to deliver. Then I would immediately search for backup by
speaking to some neighbor to rescue me in the emergency. Or they can
say we cannot send it as we are short staffed right now. But in
medicine industry, is it correct to tell lies to the patient? As a
result of their lies the patient can collapse (specially someone like
me who stays alone).

I know this store for more than 2 years now, and I never have any
history of any bad behavior with them. I always behaved cordially, and
always was brand loyal to this store. But today was one of the worst
experiences of my life. I really need to see some strong action to be
taken against them from your management end, and I would want you to
intimate me on the action that was taken against them.

Thank you.
Rhituparna Chakraborty
Ph no. 98360xxxxx
My home-delivery address:, Apt no xxxxx, A1050/1 Survey Park, Kolkata -
700075 [It is 7 to 8 minues walking distance from the ApolloPharmacy
store where I called].