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

[lboogy]

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!

Yes I probably would go back and apologise

Although on the other hand I’m still waiting for a member of staff from the same shop who suggested “you were very stupid” in doing something (I wasn’t) to apologise so.....maybe it’s not the done thing

@lboogy I got banned from my local boots after verbally abusing a member of staff after he advised me that it would be better if I breast fed my seriously ill gastric fed baby when I question why I didn't get any points on her baby milk!! Seriously wanted to rip his head off!! 😖

Its the rules and if you were a mystery shopper they would be in serious trouble
Pharmacists can sell more so that is who served you second (at least I hope because otherwise she is wrong)

Its as much about accidental overdosing as it is about deliberate. Paracetamol is a potent drug that can cause damage only a small amount over. Lemsip CANNOT be mixed with cold and flu tablets if both contain paracetamol if both taken at max amounts it

One simple solution - use neurofen instead of calpol and dont buy two different types of tablets that you cant use together

It’s a rule based in law which has seen a reduction in overdoses when came into law. It’s not ‘policy’. Pharmacist have different power under the law, as do drs. You were wrong.
If you had listened to the staff buying plain paracetamol plus decongestant is better than lemsip/ cold and flu powder and cheaper, and legal. But you were probably too busy knowing better to listen. Go back and apologise.

I read a really sad coroner’s report about a man on a business trip desperate to feel better for work who took paracetamol,
Cold and flu and then lemsip. And died. It wasn’t a suicide. That is why there are restrictions.

Can’t believe the posters who are piling in and saying they also would have yelled at the staff. Nice.

@Purple shrug I said what I said.

I'm sure you're not allowed to split the transactions. In fact, in Tescos not long ago, I gave two boxes to DD (over 18) to put through the self service and put two through myself (DH is on max dose under medical supervision so a box doesn't last long).

The supervisor came up to us and said "are you two together? Because if you are I'm not allowed to let you buy it". I said "no, I've never seen her in my life" and grinned and she let us through. But I wouldn't have been a dick about it if she hadn't - staff can't risk their jobs.

Now if I want more than the two boxes I don't even acknowledge the family member who is with me!

You should apologise profusely, OP. It's unfair to be rude to people who are just doing a job, however frustrated you feel.

Can't believe you shouted at the staff. You're a grown adult and should be able to regulate your emotions as such. Being ill has nothing to do with it!
Just a warning though, if you'd done that in my store and you came back in to say sorry to satisfy your own conscience, I'd not only tell you to leave, I'd ban you too. How dare you verbally abuse someone just doing their job?

My favourite AIBUs (apart from the ones about in-laws) are the ones by people who are already sure that they aren’t BU and refuse to hear dozens of mumsnetters telling them they most certainly are.

Also, lemsips are shit.

its horrifying how much people think this is staff being petty and not actually trying to solve a real issue

Lemsip plus cold and flu tablets both taken as max dosage could equal serious consequences

Incredibly rude of you. Maybe you should write to the store manager apologising for upsetting their members of staff.

You seem to think the rules shouldn't apply to you. You were exceptionally rude and should apologise. I worked in a pharmacy and had many a customer like you who thought they were the exemption to the rules.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. You feel bad about it and that’s good enough. We’ve all lost our temper at some point. I bet the staff members have already forgotten about it. Just be more cautious next time and remember how bad u feeling now so you won’t lose your temper again. Stop feeling bad about it but just learn from it x

It really is the most ridiculous rule though. If you want to overdose on paracetamol you’d go to several pharmacies and buy multiple packets anyway. Doesn’t stop anyone from doing it or even inconvenience them much if that’s their intention

It’s not though, because if you make an impulsive decision to overdose, and stomp off to queue in boots to buy 2 packs, then have to go to Superdrug to queue, then Lloyd’s etc, you might have calmed down and changed your mind, seen a mate who helped. If you bought six packs in the first shop, you’re then in a whole different place survival wise. Being a mental health nurse in a&e, I’ve thanked this rule thousands of times. But yes, if your intent is high and longstanding it won’t make a difference, but that’s not who isn’t aimed to help.

Op, ‘splitting the transaction’ implies it is still one transaction. The phrase ‘2 items per transaction’ tells you, you can only buy 2. They were not in the wrong.

'Stupid staff'?! The dispensing assistant in the pharmacy where l work told me two weeks ago that a man was very aggressive with her because of this exact situation, and told her to "shove it up her arse."
The pharmacist intervened and told him she was doing her job. lt's a legal thing. They don't do it just to piss you off.

And yes, taking paracetamol and lemsip should not be done together. One or the other.

The restrictions are there for a reason.

They shouldn't have split the transactions. It's still one person who gets the lot.

You were wrong and rude.

My favourite AIBUs (apart from the ones about in-laws) are the ones by people who are already sure that they aren’t BU and refuse to hear dozens of mumsnetters telling them they most certainly are

Umm, did you read the title of the thread and the OP. I think it’s clear the OP knows she is wrong. She admits it 🤷🏻‍♀️

The staff are correct, its the law. Yabu and you know it.

I don’t understand why some people are so quick to anger.

This. I used to be a barista and some people completely lose their shit over the most insignificant things. I don't have time for people who take out their anger on retail staff, YABU.

What do you think the point of the law is if they can just split transactions??? Why would the law even be in place? You should feel bad. And the more you write the sillier you sound.

I think it’s clear the OP knows she is wrong. She admits it

Are you sure you’re reading the right thread? The op still doesn’t think the shop assistants were right not to split the transactions.

She has gone on to say they were all wrong and should have split the transactions.