YW
Yolande W

1 reviews | Active since Apr 2025

30 Apr 2025, 13:54

Negligent and unacceptable service from Marara Pharmacy

I wish I could write this review without even giving one star — Marara Pharmacy does not deserve any stars, nor even a mention of one. As a diabetic, I rely on timely access to my chronic medication. When Bonitas announced that Marara Pharmacy would be the new Designated Service Provider (DSP) for chronic medicine for the Primary and Primary Select options, I attempted to switch to them — but it has been nothing short of a disaster. Over a month ago, I tried to submit a claim through Marara Pharmacy, without success. As a result, I had to return to Dischem for my medication. I was assured this issue would be resolved by this month. Unfortunately, it wasn’t — and the situation worsened. On 25 April, I was told that my claim had been submitted and that my medication would be delivered the following morning but urgent delivery. Please note that I spoke to a pharmacist directly. Today is 30 April, and I am still waiting. I followed up on 29 April and was promised again by a manager that it would be sent out as soon as possible. On 30 April, after an exhausting 30-minute phone call, I was transferred to a manager named T. Malungani. Here’s what happened: 1. I was told (again) that my medication had been dispatched. 2. I requested a tracking number — they couldn’t provide one. 3. I asked for confirmation that my parcel would be delivered today — no clear answer. 4. I asked if I could cancel the order and go back to Dischem, and whether Dischem would still be able to claim for my chronic medication. I was told they needed to confirm with Mappew Nolan from the dispensary and that I’d get a callback. Shortly after, I received an SMS stating that my prescription was only just processed and would be delivered in the next 48–72 hours — along with a tracking number. This confirmed that every person I spoke to, including the call center agents and managers, had **** to me. Nothing had been done up until that point, despite repeated assurances. When I tried to contact the manager again, the call center agent was rude and claimed they couldn’t transfer me — because managers supposedly have no direct extensions. Eventually, the manager called me back and said that M. Nolan was in a meeting and would call me later. When I mentioned that I had now received a tracking number, she casually said I could just send the parcel back if I no longer wanted it. The service has been absolutely appalling — careless, dishonest, and ***********. For a service provider responsible for chronic medication, this level of negligence is unacceptable and dangerous.

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Replies (1)
Marara Pharmacy
Marara Pharmacy's reply30 Apr 2025, 17:23
Official
Dear Yolande W,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We want to begin by sincerely apologising for the frustration, delays, and distress you have encountered in trying to access your chronic medication. Your experience falls far short of the standard of service we aim to provide, especially when it comes to the health and wellbeing of our patients.

We fully acknowledge the importance of timely, transparent service—particularly for chronic conditions such as diabetes, where access to medication is not negotiable. The breakdowns in communication, the inconsistencies you encountered, and the unfulfilled promises are deeply concerning, and we agree that this is unacceptable.

Your complaint has been escalated to our senior operations and quality assurance teams for a full internal review. This includes investigating the timelines of your claim, the accuracy of communication provided by our team, and how your calls were handled. Immediate corrective action will be taken where required.

Regarding the tracking of your parcel and your request to potentially revert to Dischem, we will gladly assist in facilitating whichever option you feel is in your best interest. If the medication has already been delivered and you choose not to keep it, we will guide you through the return process and ensure your claim is appropriately cancelled or redirected.

We truly regret the inconvenience and disappointment you’ve faced and appreciate you holding us accountable. 

Your feedback is not being ignored — it is helping us improve.

Regards 
Marara Customer Experience Team