AIBU to complain after rude treatment at Boots over medication?

There are a lot of people on here who don’t get it. Much like the assistant didn’t get it. Some medication is not prescription only (as in you need a GP or nurse prescriber prescription) but it’s not over-the-counter either. Many previously prescription medications now can be issued with minimum fuss after answering a few questions with the pharmacist. A bit like it used to be with the morning after pill.

So this sounds like a medication the pharmacist should have been asked to speak to the OP about rather than getting a rude and incorrect ‘it’s prescription only’ brush-off from the dispensing assistant.

Using click and collect bypasses the assistant and gets the request direct to the pharmacist. This is what the assistant didn’t like. I have done similar in wickes where an assistant couldn’t be arsed to look and said they were out of stock, yet online they had 10 in store so I ordered click and collect. I went to have a coffee and came back a little over an hour later where the same chap handed me the item he said was out of stock. See also restaurants saying they can’t seat you as they are fully booked and immediately getting online outside and booking a table for 15 minutes time, only to be seated by the same staff who claimed they were fully booked.

It’s bizarre and only pushes people away from in person services. Getting had a go at for showing-up the assistant as lazy/incompetent is really not on. If you have alternative pharmacist you can use I would be tempted to put in a formal complaint but to head office via resolver.

You mean like "Mary Smith, 36, High Street, Haemorrhoids, Constipation, Lactulose, Anusol Cream"!? 😮

Shocking! - and, why?

I've found customer service at Boots so random over the years that I stopped going there. Even when I worked across the road and they had the best meal deals.

2 things stand out. I went to pick up my FiL's prescription and was told that I couldn't have it even though we lived at the same address and that he was the only person who could collect it. I pointed out that he was in his 90s and was just out of hospital and could not walk to the store from the parking (about half a mile). There was much huffing when I insisted on talking to the manager. Apparently they though I was trying to steal his medication!!! fyi - there was nothing narcotic included just blood pressure and other normal things for an elderly individual.

The other time I'd been given a prescription by my doctor for something that could be bought over the counter but because of the high cost it was agreed that I could get 2 months worth on one script at the normal prescription price. I was grilled about why I thought I needed this (period relief costing £45 a month) and that I had likely forged the script. I found this staggeringly shocking. I suggested they ring the doctor's surgery to check and was laughed at. No manager was available so after giving the individual a polite but stinging response I left. But before doing so she did try to keep the script so I couldn't use it elsewhere but decided to give it back when I asked loudly if I needed to ring the police for her stealing my property.

But that's not rude. Yes, she was mistaken, but the normal response is for you to politely point out that you don't believe it is prescription only; possibly with the additional detail that you've bought it over the counter before (if you have).

Click and collecting it in front of her and then making a point of talking about her to her colleague is, however, rude. Although shouting at you across the shop is deeply unprofessional.

Evana is licensed as a P med - can only be sold in a pharmacy, with a pharmacist present. It is not a POM - prescription only medicine.

So, did you ask for “Eveana” (as you’ve written here), or “Evana”, which is what you actually wanted? If you said “Eveana” then she obviously heard “Eviana” which is HRT and prescription only.

Ask for the correct item next time. The funny look she gave you was probably her thinking, “Ffs, she’s just spent ages arguing with me and she wasn’t even asking for the right thing. Is it home time yet? 🤦‍♀️”

Take care, OP

Do you need a hug? It sounds like you need a hug.

I think the pharmacy assistant was rude and unhelpful to give the customer a weird look, and to keep arguing back instead of offering to go and get the pharmacist to discuss it; and doubly so if the OP has evident learning difficulties.

Shouting across the shop is so ‘out there’ wrong that I can quite believe that the assistant was out of order previously and knew it.

Surely you have a bit of a temper and she responded in a rude way? Perhaps it’s better to just let it go.

What was the medication?

Struggling to understand who said what in this interaction.

I would complain. I have had the exact same issue and they got very shirty. Not my fault they are wrong and l know they have are wrong -l am a qualified nurse. I’m not sure if it’s due to laziness, stupidity or lack of training

How long between you going in initially and then returning to collect?

If you asked for “Eveana” I would assume you meant Eviana, which is a POM.

Evana (tranexamic acid) is also a POM and can be ordered online from Boots, but needs to be approved by a pharmacist (usually a prescribing pharmacist).

You wouldn’t have been able to buy it OTC, so she wasn’t wrong about that. I feel a bit more context is needed; what exactly did she say? Her shouting down the shop at you was rude.

How was that rude?

I will not go anywhere near my local Boots since the pharmacist shouted my confidential medical information all over the shop. Not just my name and address, but my diagnosis and the prescribed medication. I am sure everyone else in the queue and surrounding area were fascinated. You would think pharmacists would at least try to be discreet.

It can also depend what you answer when asked why you need it/if you have had it before.

I tried to purchase a drug from boots last year and when asked what it was for they couldn’t give it for that reason without prescription. Frustrating but I get it. (So I went to a different store and lied which I know is wrong but we had it prescribed it was just to tide over!)

Boots website says

• Order Online & Collect: If the item is in stock at your local branch, you can select "Click & Collect" at checkout for same-day pickup, usually within a few hours.

You can with Superdrug.

<<also misses point>>

@TheOpalFox She then shouted across the whole shop… you better not be talking about me!!!!

Were you talking about her? And if so, what did you say? And to whom?

<misses point>

I didn't think you could click and collect instantaneously

It's okay, no worries.
It sounds like you've got a lot going on in your life at the moment.

Maybe this was the last straw in a very difficult couple of weeks.

If the assistant didn't explain well to you about the Evana, or she was plain wrong, I can see why you were upset.

Can you try to put it behind you? The assistant was annoyed because you kind of proved her wrong.

I hope your bleeding stops soon and you get your hysterectomy done ASAP.