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I shouted at the pharmacy staff today and I feel really shit about it

290 replies

lboogy · 12/09/2019 19:32

I went to boots to buy some lemsip and calpol for me D.C. and DH who are sick with cold.

The rule about not selling more than 2 paracetamol items applies. I've got 2 packs of lemsip, calpol and one pack of cold and flu tablets. Fine. In the past the staff just do 2 transactions.

I get to the till which is long. They call another member of staff to help out. Lady on the beauty counter tells me to come to her for service. Scans the calpol and lemsip and says I can't buy anything else since I've exceeded my 2 paracetamol limit. I said just split the transaction in 2. She says no she can't do that. If I want more than 2, I need to go to the pharmacy. I said if I left the store or even left the queue and came back I'd be able to buy those items again. She's like, I don't make the rules.

Fuming, I walk to the pharmacy. Pharmacist isn't there. Waited for 7 minutes. Even more annoyed I go back to the original queue. New staff says can't buy more than 2. I politely asked her to do 2 transactions. Nope, can't do she says. Before I know it, I'm shouting at her about this ridiculous rule and how I've now been in 3 different queues / tills trying to buy some bloody lemsip.

Anyway, she refuses to serve me. Walks off😡

Now new staff at the till: I said I'll pay for these 2 lemsip and re queue. I paid and walked back to the pharmacy with my 2 other lemsips where the pharmacist or possibly manager is serving. She said she was really sorry the staff are allowed to split the transaction. She doesn't know why they didn't. At this point I started crying - I guess being ill and the stupid staff not using their brain plus finally being validated set me off.

Anyway, now I'm gone and I feel really shit for shouting at the staff. I remember being on the texting end of terrible customers and it's awful. I want to go back and apologise to the staff member but at the same time I'm pissed that 3 different people lacked the ability to use their brain over some bloody lemsip!

OP posts:
chinateapot · 12/09/2019 20:08

Also I’m sure you know this but just in case - the cold and flu tablets will probably have max dose of paracetamol in them as will the Lemsip, please be careful about combining them that you don’t exceed max safe dose of paracetamol, plenty of accidental overdoses have happened like this too.
And get well soon!

eccentricalice · 12/09/2019 20:09

Are staff really allowed to put it through on two separate transactions? I have never heard of this seems a bit strange. I don't believe the manager said she didn't know why they didn't serve you either

justasking111 · 12/09/2019 20:09

I often throw a packet of paracetamol in the trolley as I am passing because of this rule. It does prevent trouble at the checkout.

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pbdr · 12/09/2019 20:10

I work as a doctor, and while aggressive, hostile patients are a fact of life they never fail to ruin my day, and are one of the main reasons I would like to retire early from general practice.

Please remember these people are just trying to do the right thing, and do not deserve to be attacked just because you're in a bad mood and haven't got your way.

Goingbacktokansascity · 12/09/2019 20:10

By them saying in thier policy a single transaction they mean you can leave the shop, come back another time and buy more and you MIGHT be allowed. Definitely can’t just split it otherwise every suicidal person would go to buy 10 packs of paracetamol and say “split it in 5 transactions hen”. I’ve been in the same position, buying calpol for my son and paracetamol for me and instead of going tonto at the store assistant I accepted that it was a really sensible if inconvenient policy and I went to another shop!

Bouffalant · 12/09/2019 20:11

I thought it was now law, as opposed to shop policy?

AProblemHasOccured · 12/09/2019 20:11

This happened to me when I worked in tesco. A customer wanted to buy 2 packs of paracetamol and 2 packs of lemsip. The till flagged up there were already two paracetamol products sold and informed me no other paracetamol products would be able to be scanned through. No split transactions allowed either. Explained this to the customer and they got arsey with me demanding I scan them through or they would speak to the manager. I told them I would gladly get the manager for them as I wasn't prepared to lose my job over it. She went mental and threw the medication in my face before flouncing out without any of her shopping. Nobber.

Please apologise to the staff.

escapade1234 · 12/09/2019 20:11

A good friend of mine is a pharmacist and you wouldn’t believe the entitled customers she gets. People demanding prescription-only drugs without a prescription simply because they know what’s wrong with them and they don’t see the point of wasting a GP’s time with it. People demanding medicines instantly even though she’s in the middle of processing maybe a dozen scripts already when they rock up. Oh, and someone once asked her to rub deep heat cream into their neck!!!!!! 😂

managedmis · 12/09/2019 20:11

Why are you even asking the question? You know the answer YABU

I don't know why you didn't just go elsewhere

GrapefruitGin · 12/09/2019 20:11

Yes OP they’re all in the wrong and you are totally right 🙄
No one is agreeing with you here, perhaps you should take that as an indication you were a complete a*hole. Go and apologise.

escapade1234 · 12/09/2019 20:12

That one has always stayed with me.

feathermucker · 12/09/2019 20:12

You need to apologise, preferably in person. It won't be easy, but it's the right thing.

Mum2jenny · 12/09/2019 20:12

OP, you can get most of these products on a garage forecourt. Just know the rules and play the game.

Loveislandaddict · 12/09/2019 20:12

guidelines

EmmiJay · 12/09/2019 20:13

Why are you apologising to the staff?? I most likely would and have acted like you did. YANBU imo. Hope you all feel better soon!

GrapefruitGin · 12/09/2019 20:13

@AProblemHasOccured that is awful!!! I hope karma came their way.

lindyloo6 · 12/09/2019 20:13

You should be ashamed of yourself. I work in a pharmacy and these are the rules about buying paracetamol. If the superintendent was in the queue then the person serving would get into trouble or even get the sack. If we restrict the amount of paracetamol sold in one transaction it covers our back if the customer was to overdose. The rules are for the safety of our patients.

Ated · 12/09/2019 20:13

Stupid rules followed and made up by stupid people. Go back and shout at them again for being ridiculous.

Celebelly · 12/09/2019 20:14

@Bouffalant I'm pretty sure the law is only about size of the packs. Number of packs sold is up to the shop but pretty much all follow the guidelines. You just can't sell more than 100 tablets.

Weirdly I know this as I was watching an ItV drama last night where the guy bought four packs of paracetamol and went online and found someone has written article about it!

www.google.com/amp/s/www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/viewers-confused-after-itvs-confession-16892236.amp

PurpleDaisies · 12/09/2019 20:14

Why are you apologising to the staff?? I most likely would and have acted like you did.

And you’re proud of that? Hmm

Dandelion1993 · 12/09/2019 20:15

Just by two in one shop then the others in a different shop.

Marnie76 · 12/09/2019 20:16

You were completely in the wrong. Do you think the rules don’t apply to you? They risk losing their jobs if they give in to customer tantrums. Yes you should apologise.

Livpool · 12/09/2019 20:16

No matter how angry you were or how right you thought you were - shouting at someone doing their job is awful. If I were you I would be mortified

57Varieties · 12/09/2019 20:17

It really is the most ridiculous rule though.

Is it? I thought I’d heard that it had reduced paracetamol overdose by a large amount.

AlexaAmbidextra · 12/09/2019 20:17

Well it’s clearly ridiculous isn’t it? The fact that they are able to split into two separate transactions make an absolute nonsense of the entire process. Having said that, I don’t agree that it’s a shop’s responsibility to stop someone from committing suicide.

I feel sorry for the staff being shouted at because they wouldn’t risk their jobs for you. That’s completely unacceptable.