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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this was poor from the pharmacist?

242 replies

Pharmacy1one · 20/04/2024 11:57

6 weeks or so ago I got two cartilage piercings in my left ear, tragus and helix.

I kept irritating them by turning over in my sleep and my toddler has knocked them a few times too so I was getting those annoying irritation bumps which were tender. I haven't had any pus coming from them, no temperature or discharge, just a bit of clear fluid when i removed them which I know isn't that abnormal.

I went to the chemist and asked to speak to the pharmacist, receptionist asked what the problem was and I briefly explained and said I want to buy something for the inflammation but was hoping the pharmacist could take a look first.

Receptionist relays that to the pharmacist and the pharmacist decided, without looking or even speaking to me at all, that it's infected and I need to go to A&E and get antibiotics and sprays would be no good.

She had her baby with her strapped to her back so I don't think she could have sat down with me in the consultation room in the first place.

I'm a bit miffed as we are routinely encouraged to see a pharmacist for minor ailments to take the strain off of GP's and hospitals, but this is the response I got for trying.

I have PTSD after having sepsis so now I'm scared about an infection that I didn't feel I had in the first place 😔 I can't just rock up to A&E for something like this surely, and there's nobody to have my children anyway.

Do you think I'm being unreasonable for thinking her response was poor?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
Allofaflutter · 20/04/2024 19:27

chocmatcha · 20/04/2024 17:18

@Allofaflutter It's called broken telephone or whispers down the lane these days

Sorry I hadn’t heard any other name for it.

Geebray · 20/04/2024 19:22

This is the most people I've had thanking me ever on here, for anything 😆

To think this was poor from the pharmacist?
Noyesnoyes · 20/04/2024 18:38

FloofyBird · 20/04/2024 18:37

Not sure I'd want meds off a pharmacist with a baby strapped to their back! They're not supposed to be interrupted when dispensing are they?

Of course not, such a distraction! Very unprofessional and dangerous!

FloofyBird · 20/04/2024 18:37

Not sure I'd want meds off a pharmacist with a baby strapped to their back! They're not supposed to be interrupted when dispensing are they?

Noyesnoyes · 20/04/2024 18:37

@TheresAPrayerInEveryLieYouTold god are you five years old? I didn't say it Miss it was Lucy over there!

At least stand by your ridiculous convictions and not blame someone else!

GrinGrinGrin

TheresAPrayerInEveryLieYouTold · 20/04/2024 18:31

Noyesnoyes · 20/04/2024 18:28

@TheresAPrayerInEveryLieYouTold oh give over!

The majority of A&E visits are accidents, due to people making choices

Playing sports and getting hurt
Wearing heels and falling over
Driving too fast and crashing
Over stretching whilst on a ladder and should've moved it closer

Etc etc

Unless you're perfect, wind your neck in!

Um...I was agreeing with someone else. Chill out.

Noyesnoyes · 20/04/2024 18:28

@TheresAPrayerInEveryLieYouTold oh give over!

The majority of A&E visits are accidents, due to people making choices

Playing sports and getting hurt
Wearing heels and falling over
Driving too fast and crashing
Over stretching whilst on a ladder and should've moved it closer

Etc etc

Unless you're perfect, wind your neck in!

PodgePie · 20/04/2024 18:26

Noyesnoyes · 20/04/2024 15:33

It's the weekend in the UK, where OP
is.

Show quote history

Yes, and if I’ve understood correctly, the piercing shop is closed on weekends (as is the other pharmacy where she could have accessed help). However, she used the weekend closure as a reason not to be able to get there … BUT she could attend the piercing session during the week?

TheresAPrayerInEveryLieYouTold · 20/04/2024 18:25

Geebray · 20/04/2024 12:00

I think you're unreasonable for getting piercings that you can't handle in your sleep, with a toddler, then expecting the NHS to pick up the pieces.

The pharmacist knows what they can prescribe for. This is your problem, not theirs. Try and get a GP appointment.

This.

Original poster
Pharmacy1one · 20/04/2024 18:07

I'm not in any pain now, there is tenderness when I clean the piercing holes but I'm not suffering otherwise. I'm just relieved that they're out.

I've no idea why she had her baby with her, it's only a small pharmacy. She might be the owner.

I am wondering whether she felt a bit snowed under and didn't want to commit to more 'jobs', I think she was in the process of doing prescriptions at the time.

OP posts:
PoppyCherryDog · 20/04/2024 17:55

dementedpixie · 20/04/2024 12:01

Have you spoken to your piercer as they may have helpful info and provide sprays that can help?

This first port of call would be the piercer. I have many ear piercings and I always speak to my piercer about issues.

Also get a neck pillow and sleep with your ear in the hole part. That’s how I sleep when I have fresh or irritated piercings.

For piercing bumps I used BPA piercing oil. Always works for me but you have to apply regularly.

Geebray · 20/04/2024 17:37

Crysti · 20/04/2024 12:16

A pharmacist employed by Boots pharmacy is a boots pharmacist not an NHS pharmacist

Show quote history

Paid for by the NHS. As I said.

Baileyqueen · 20/04/2024 17:34

Cloudysky81 · 20/04/2024 16:46

The pharmacist knows their scope of practice.
Was it even a pharmacist with enhanced practice, not all have additional training for advice like this.

I was wondering the same. As soon as a health care professional examines someone and makes a recommendation, they are taking responsibility. The pharmacist maybe didn’t feel comfortable with her knowledge of piercing problems to do that. Usually, the person who does the piercing provides the aftercare advice, including what to do to help calm things down if inflammation occurs etc. The baby strapped to her back is very odd though, never seen that before.

thepastinsidethepresent · 20/04/2024 17:30

Maybe she had a cat allergy 😉

Groan 😄😄

dimllaishebiaith · 20/04/2024 17:27

thepastinsidethepresent · 20/04/2024 17:16

If she's squeamish about pus she shouldn't be working in healthcare.

Show quote history

Maybe she had a cat allergy 😉

OnGoldenPond · 20/04/2024 17:26

Womblingmerrily · 20/04/2024 14:19

In terms of the pharmacist's time being used.

For community pharmacist programmes - they are paid by the NHS to see and assess people - I think it's £1,000 a month.

For private pharmacists, I guess they can see people if they think the costs of their time in seeing/talking to them will be reimbursed by that individual spending a significant amount of money on products from their pharmacy.

I think it could be a business decision rather than anything else.

I'm not aware of the existence of two types of pharmacy - as far as I am aware they are all privately owned businesses who are paid by the NHS for the various NHS services they are contracted to provide.

Megifer · 20/04/2024 17:20

Pharmacist sounds shit op of course she should have taken a quick look at the cat (😬) in your ear.

If its a chain pharmacy its worth feeding this back to head office.

chocmatcha · 20/04/2024 17:18

@Allofaflutter It's called broken telephone or whispers down the lane these days

thepastinsidethepresent · 20/04/2024 17:16

ThinWomansBrain · 20/04/2024 13:34

Saturday childcare difficult/impossible to arrange or £££ and she feels quite capable of dispensing medicine with the child on her back, but maybe not peering in peoples yukky pussy ears?

Show quote history

If she's squeamish about pus she shouldn't be working in healthcare.

OnGoldenPond · 20/04/2024 17:16

Noyesnoyes · 20/04/2024 13:37

@Geebray who pays the pharmacist in Boots 🤔!

Attached job description and salary info showing.....surprise surprise it's Boots!

Yup and the NHS pays Boots for providing these services.

OnGoldenPond · 20/04/2024 17:14

Pharmacies, though they may be privately owned, administer NHS services and are paid by the NHS for those services.

Exactly the same is true of GP practices.

Though still no reason OP shouldn't use those services! They are aimed at situations just like this to deal with minor complaints without needing to see a GP.

FuzzyWuzzyWuzABear · 20/04/2024 17:13

She had her baby with her strapped to her back so I don't think she could have sat down with me in the consultation room in the first place.

Why would she need to sit down to see your ears?

How tall is she? 🤭😁

Noyesnoyes · 20/04/2024 17:08

eveoha · 20/04/2024 16:26

PTSD from sepsis and submission to body piercings IMO is a risky mix

What do you think about the AIBU the OP actually asked?

KomodoOhno · 20/04/2024 17:04

I don't know if this will work for you but it did for my dd. She had a piercing down to help migraines. The piecer gave us strips of bubble wrap to cover her ear at night with little band aids. Also there is a spray called demablast that helps prevent and stop infection as well as numbing.

MintHedgehog · 20/04/2024 17:00

Camomile tea is good for soothing inflamed piercings. You can also use warm salt water. With both soak a cotton pad and then hold it over the piercing until it gets cold, then repeat. Do this for about 30 minutes - an hour. It helped clear an infection in my nose piercing.