<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Hello Everyone, I thought I would share what happen to me and my daughter on Labor Day, to let everyone know to always check your medication for gluten or other allergens. I am not one to publicly bash a company, but the pharmacy's I visited this weekend need to be avoided if you live in the same area as I do in North Texas. Katherine and I were taken to the emergency room last night, Katherine has pneumonia and I have the beginnings of it. We both have lost our voices, except for a low whisper. I went into our local Eckerd's in Wylie and went to the Pharmacy counter were several employees were working on a display. I stood for several minutes and finally said "is anyone working in the pharmacy this evening" One employee said "Yes" and came around the counter, I presented my prescription and she then told me they were closed for Labor Day. As I was turning around to leave the other employee, a young man said "Oh, by the way, we were just seeing how long you would stand there, before you got mad." and I told him "obviously" and went and got a manager. She and the young man apologized and said they were just being sarcastic. After some apologies they directed me to a 24 hour Eckerd's, which was a 30 minute drive for me. I went into the pharmacy and it was now around 7PM and this pharmacy closed at 8 PM. I went to the counter and they told me they would feel the prescription. I told them of my allergies and listed Gluten intolerance, with a note that said Gluten is derived from Wheat, Barley, Rye, and Oats. I gave this to the intake receptionist and also spoke to the pharmacist. It took until 7:45 to get the medicine ready, all while my Mother and Katherine were trying to stay comfortable in the car. I went to pick up the medicine and asked the woman at the counter if they had any problems with any of the medicines containing gluten. She said she did not even know what gluten was. I explained that I had already told her, and then I showed it to her on the notepad in front of her. I then requested to speak to the pharmacist and asked him if he had any problems with gluten in any of the medications. He said "gluten" gluten" and I said " " yes, gluten, it is derived from wheat, rye, barley, and oats". The pharmacist then told me " I did not check for gluten, we do not know what the ingredients are in our medicines, they do not send ingredient labels with our products." I told him I thought he was mistaken, that it is a law, they must include a list of ingredients" Well this really made him mad and he then told me that "if I was so worried then I should not take the medicine anyway, that it was nothing more than sinus medicine, and that avoiding gluten was not important anyway." "I then asked if he was a physician and could make that determination, whether my daughter and I should or should not take a particular medicine" The medicine's we were trying to purchase were 2 antibiotics and 2 cough syrups. I told him that we both had Celiac Sprue and that it was a life threatening disease, and we could not consume anything with gluten in it. He again told me that "Gluten in the medication was not important". I said " It is important, it is no different then someone with allergies to peanuts, milk, eggs, or other food products" He then said, " Like, I told you before, it is not important, and if you are so worried about a medicine having something you are claiming to be allergic to, then don't take it." " I told him, he would think it was important if someone took some medicine with say peanuts, or penicillin if they were allergic to it, because it could kill them." I even offered to read the labels myself. I finally told him that I could not take a chance on the medication and that I would like to have my money back. He then told me that "I was disrupting his customers and that he did not appreciate me one bit" " He said, "I am now going to research it, but it is going to take another 30 minutes for me to do such a thing" I told him that, I would not be treated in such a rude manner, and that I wanted my money back". ( I could not possible been that disruptive, I can barley talk.) Well after arguing over the return, it was 7:40 P.M. There were five customers in line and he said he was not excepting any more prescriptions, because he had enough and for them to leave". Anyway I found the Assistant Store manager, and she could have cared less, she never even said I am sorry. She just said " Ok, Ok, Ok," Needless to say, there was a line of customers waiting to complain about bad treatment also. We then had to drive to a 24 Hour Tom Thumb that took us another 35 minutes to get too, and they were very busy. Since I have told my bad experience, I must share a good one. I went to the pharmacy desk at Tom Thumb and they could not have been nicer. The intake window was great, about all types of food, dye, and medicine based allergies or diseases. The pharmacist was great and told me that she had doubled checked all medicine and only one had gluten, and she had found a replacement for it. We did have to wait an hour, but they told us it would take a while and they even used my two favorite words, "Thank you" and "Sorry" I would highly recommend going their if you need medicine and you have special needs, it is located at Preston Rd. and Park in Plano, Texas. It was almost midnight when we got home and Katherine had a very difficult night, she is doing much better this morning and is reading a book in her room. She is so mad because she can not go to school this week. She was also scheduled for a biopsy tomorrow but it has been rescheduled. I too am feeling better, but can only whisper at times. I just thought I would share my terrible experience with everyone, I called Eckerd's Corporate office and they are supposed to have a district manager call me back. I also called the Texas State Board of Pharmacist and I am turning in this pharmacist, before he seriously injures someone. The Eckards is located at Walnut Lane and Shiloh Road in Garland, Texas Lucy Shriver