Dis-Chem Pharmacies
Reviews and Complaints

On the 11th of June 2019, the Pediatrician who was seeing my four-year-old daughter, while she was admitted at Ethekwini Hospital, prescribed a Synchrobreathe inhaler for her, after she was diagnosed with an asthmatic condition.

Dischem Cornubia sold us a product that has expired .

My daughter used the spray for several days, before we could discover that it was expired.

I have few concerns about this situation:

1. It is generally accepted that if I purchase a product (especially a medical product), it must be still within its shelf life. How is it that this product was kept on the store shelves, post its expiry date?
2. Once we discovered this. The product was returned to the store. Surprisingly, it was just a normal "return-and-replace" procedure. I was honestly disappointed that that the matter was trivialized, and there was no sense urgency that the spray may have caused damage. There was no apology or even a follow up to check if my daughter was okay.
3. The question is: What if this expired product had exacerbated my daughter's condition?

I've emailed this to Dischem East London. Even to managers! Still nothing!

Phone me urgently
I cannot go without the Mylan Alprazolam. I told you. Been on it 22 years!
My car stolen 2 years ago. Have to walk everywhere! I'm 50!
I asked you Thursday for 3 items. It's now Monday!
Phone me urgently! Or ask Berea Pharmacy to help me.
Pleeeeeez!
Charlene Wild
[protected]

I ordered, as - I often do, because I am disabled & semi-bedridden - from Dischem Online & paid for it to be delivered at my home, since my mobility is very limited. I saw by accident that they put on the WRONG delivery address - when they got it perfectly right with my previous order - and e-mailed them about it twice to correct - with zero feedback. Then they gave RAM couriers this wrong address, which delivered it to the wrong address to the wrong person. The Ram courier phoned me when he got to this wrong address to ask me to have the security gates opened, which I did, but there was NO-ONE at the gates. So I phoned him back 2x but first got no answer & second he refused my call, and, of course I got no package. I immediately contacted Dischem to inform them. They simply told me to go get the package myself from that wrong address. I contacted them again, but they simply refuse to answer me back. I have paid Dischem for items I did NOT receive & RAM Currier's gave my package to a stranger. I feel so helpless, disappointed & angry. I simply cannot afford something like this sine's I am very poor because I cannot work due to my disabilities. Can somebody PLEASE help me?

9 year old Muslim girl publicly disgraced when wrongfully accused of Shoplifting at Dischem(Carnival)

We were in the store approximately 10 minutes, left the store and as we were walking up the escalator 2 security guards ran up the escalators causing a scene and shouting at us to stop. Everyone in the store watched including the staff as they approached my daughter asking her for the R20 item she had taken without paying. The security guard was insistent that she had the item when we offered to go back into the store and show them where he had put the item and thats exactly what we did. Escourted, my daughter directed them to where she had left the item. Instead of offering an apology the security guards continued to shout and spoke in their language to all the other employees in the store. I demanded to speak to the supervisor as at this point all 4 of my kids were traumatised while the securities continued to shout at me and my husband as I demanded an apology. Once the supervisor arrived, II asked if they were so quick to pick up that she had an item in her hand did they miss the part on camera where she placed the item back on the shelf? This is defamation of character, public humiliation and did they have reason to suspect my daughter for stealing NO, because the everyone can be considered a thief as we all take items and put them back if we don`t require them by the time we reach the till point. Does this constitute theft, NO! I have never been so embarrassed in my life especially since we always shop at this specific Dischem and will never put foot back in this place OR ANY OTHER DISCHEM out of fear of being harassed and humiliated. Im not sure why they targeted us, as they seemed to have been watching us constantly in the store. A man dressed in green undercover security kept following us within the store and then acting impulsively and wrongfully accusing us of theft! I am absolutely disgusted with this behviour and will rather go to other stores who treat their customers in a decent manner but never will I ever enter a Dischem again! The arrogance of these security guards will cost the reputation of a store as big as Dischem. If they had suspected anything they could have validated with the recording instead of putting us through public humiliation. The supervisor seemed like he did not know himself how to handle the situation as he kept saying he will speak to them...how does that help me or my family. I wonder why we were targets, perhaps because I wear full islamic attire we were looked as criminals from the time we walked into the store. One part i forgot to mention was that my 3 year old daughter mistakenly dropped a R15 bottle of nail polish which we called the security and another employee and offered to pay for it. The employee said no problem and came to clean it. So if we were dishonest and thiefs would we even have called the security or offered to pay for the item. Muslims are not thieves...Dischem do not treat us as such!

Dear Dis-Chem Pharmacy, Cape Road, Port Elizabeth
On a hot and humid Monday (3rd of April 2017 @ 15:20pm) afternoon after leaving work I popped in to Dis-Chem Pharmacy Cape Road to get my babies formula and food as it was the closest Pharmacy to my work and at the same time I thought while I am here I can get my Monthly Asthma Medication at their Dispensary because I didn’t want to drive to my regular pharmacy at Metlife Plaza in Linton Grange because my Baby needed to be fed and it was a far way to go to get to Linton Grange.
Mrs Bonita Peacock assisted me at the Dispensary. She was very helpful and kind. I gave her my doctor’s script to process and get my emergency inhaler and my corticosteroid inhaler. Upon which she checked the system and saw that my emergency inhaler was out of stock. Then she got up to check the shelves just to make sure. She returned and told me that she can only give me corticosteroid inhaler. I said that is ok, I will go to another pharmacy to get my emergency inhaler. Mrs Bonita Peacock then got up to go get my medication, upon her return she gave me back my script which I put in my wallet. She did all the paperwork as usual, I signed the document and was about to leave. At that moment Elmarie Saayman (Pharmacists seated in the next cubical) leaned in on our side and Mrs Bonita Peacock told her she made a copy of my script as I am keeping the original. Elmarie then said to me in an extremely unpleasant, annoyed & VERY RUDE TONE of VOICE, ‘NO you can’t keep the original; I must give it back immediately. It is against the Law that I keep my original script. The pharmacy that I purchase medication from MUST keep it.’ At that point, I said back to Elmarie: ‘Since when do the pharmacies keep an x6 month repeat script with them? I still have one more repeat on my corticosteroid inhaler and x6 on my emergency inhaler. I need to go to another Pharmacy to get my Emergency Inhaler, but how can I do that if she keeps my Original Script? I don’t have any Asthma Medication, I need my inhalers! Plus nobody has EVER kept my original”
Then Elmarie said: ‘I must give it back now!’
Because she was so extremely unpleasant, annoyed and VERY RUDE, it felt like I was being talked down to and I was made to feel bullied. Upon that, I gave the script back to Elmarie, and left the Pharmacy VERY UPSET because this meant I can’t go get my EMERGANCY INHHALER at a different Pharmacy which I needed the most. I desperately need my emergency inhaler but because I don’t have a script or an inhaler I can’t get one because of her. I will have to wait till 2 May 2017to get a new script from my Doctor as it cost R420 to get a new script and money doesn’t grow on trees and my script still had x1 repeat of my corticosteroids inhaler and x6 emergency inhalers. I hold her solely responsible if ANYTHING has to happen to me relating to my Asthma because I don’t have my medication.
Elmarie Saayman has spoilt my image of your company. I believe that Elmarie Saayman needs to have some training on what customer service and good manners actually mean towards clients and fellow colleagues. I feel that you should address this poor attitude as soon as possible. And if she won’t go for training I would recommend placing her in Admin behind the scenes and not in the Dispensary dealing with clients directly. As a customer I do not appreciate being treated rudely for just getting my monthly medication to be able to breath. I didn’t ask to have Asthma, I was born with it. It may be worth reminding Elmarie Saayman that the clients coming to Dis-Chem helps to pay her wages. And this is not the first time that Elmarie Saayman has had an attitude problem. Every time I have been to Dis-Chem for a script, ( AND I HAVE BEEN A LOT because I get my asthma meds every month) and had to unfortunately be assisted by her because she was available, she questions and undermines what the Doctor has prescribed or refuses to give the medication that is on the script. This forces us as paying clients to go to a different Pharmacy to get better friendlier service and our medication because she thinks she is superior to a Doctor and you’re paying clients and then refuses patients their medication prescribed to them. By Elmarie Saayman’s Attitude you are losing plenty of clients, and why I know this is because I have spoken about what happened to me to each and every person that I have seen since Monday, and most of them have had the same issue with her.
I don’t usually complain, but as a business owner myself, I thought the way she made me feel was unacceptable and if she treated me like that as a client all the time how many other people hasn’t she made feel so stupid, sad and angry.
I just needed to let Dis-Chem know on how their staff, Elmarie Saayman, treats their clients.

Sincerely,
Mrs Stephan

I purchased few items from the Cresta branch today and while
I was walking in the mall a security guard stopped me and asked me if I was at
Dis-chem. He informed me that that the store wants me to return to the store. I
was already near CNA side of the mall as I parked on that side of the centre. I
asked him what this is about and he did not know. I paid at Dis-chem with my
credit card the transaction was not at first successful. I returned to the
store thinking that there was a problem with the purchase or my payment went
through twice. However, I realized that they actually that were under the
impression that I stole an item. Mr. Mzwkhe Nkosi requested that I empty my
pockets and the security guard searched me. Needless to say there was no stolen
item in my possession. I was very upset, embarrassed and frustrated with the
whole situation. I informed them that I will never ever support Dischem again
if this is the way they treat their customers. Mr Nkosi asked me to wait in the
office and after a few minutes Mr Bandile Ngcobo, the assistant manager arrived
with Mr Nkosi. He agreed with me that I was not supposed to be called from the
other side of the centre back to the store. That is basically the only value he
added to the situation. They in fact informed me that they have a right to
search any person. I am not even sure if they have the right to do this but let
me walk all the way from CNA back to the store. This is unacceptable to me and
if you have any respect towards me, you will immediately call for disciplinary
action against the people involved and take the necessary action. I doubt that
this will happen because I lost all hope in this service industry and
especially how Dis-chem runs their business. I will in future shop elsewhere
and I do not need Dischem in my life. What a disgrace and waste of time!

I have laid a formal complaint with Dis-chem in connection with one of their staff members that intimidated me in the store. I received a response from them in favor of their staff member. Firstly implying that I’m falsely accusing the guy and second off all implying that what he did was okay because I seemed to have been wrong. I’m very disappointed and intend on taking this further. No customer deserves such service .

I purchased prescribed medication from Dischem Carslwald, Midrand on 21st Feb for Flu. Later that day i was rushed to hospital as i was dizzy, weak, nauseous and not in my senses.I later found out that Dischem had incorrectly supplied me with High Blood Pressure tables i.e Amloc 10mg which is meant for 'chronic patients'.I took 2.The doctor told me that if continued taking this tablet, it would of lead to death. I was put under drips, went for various blood tests and an Ultra sound scan as i had a very high inflamation rate as well as high white cell blood count. I still have more tests to follow. Discovery is not paying for my bills as it is not covered in my scheme. I have contacted Dischem and advised them on what happen.The staff that dispensed the tablet is a temp and I think she is not a qualified pharmacist.I have recieved no response from Dischem not even an apology or any sympathy to date.This service is pathetic.I could of lost my life and they cant be bothered. How many other patients do they do this to?At least i was lucky to find out in time.I want Dischem to compensate me for all my medical bills.I have reported them to the HSCPA and I will open up a case against them.

I bought things from them for the amount of R69.60, but when I tried to pay with my debit card it said insufficient funds, which I knew was impossible.

But i then paid cash, after they assured me that it won't go off my account. When I received my statement today i saw that it still went of my account, thus i paid double for the thing i bought.

I am very disappointed and unfortunately have no proof of it as I didn't keep the receipt.