Is it normal for a pharmacist to declare loudly what's on your prescription?

[hollyisKey]

I collected my prescription today and the item is personal. When I gave my name to the pharmacist she asked me to take a seat and wait.

The pharmacy was very busy at the time and she shouted over to me my name and the item on my prescription was oos and could I pop back tomorrow. I felt very embarrassed and nodded and walked out. There were people I knew in there and I didn't want them all knowing my prescription.

Is this a usual thing to happen or should she have been more discreet?

I don't visit the pharmacy regularly so not sure if It's a normal thing to happen.

No that’s not normal, I would complain. Imagine shouting something like “Janet Pierce, prescription for VAGASIL” you’d die of embarrassment!

This happened to me in a chain pharmacy once (the only time I went there). I emailed customer services and they apologised and confirmed that the items should not be announced. I go to a small village pharmacy now and they have never done this.

No they shouldn’t do this, though this frequently happens at my local village chemist. I think it’s really out of order.

I wouldn't expect them to shout 'Ms Macnamara, your hemlock's ready', but I go to the pharmacy fairly frequently and I usually end up hearing what at least one other person in the shop has been prescribed.

Not in the UK but I felt sorry for the woman at the next counter to me in a big pharmacy last week. Pharmacist was telling her how to apply some kind of vaginal treatment and warning her that her discharge might be abundant. It was done very kindly and properly, but I was a little embarrassed on her behalf

I have seen it a few times in a Chain Pharmacy in our town. It was normally to a family member of the person who the prescription it was rather than to the person themselves.

I would certainly raise the matter with the pharmacist if it is the same person tomorrow

No, that's not normal. I had an identical scenario recently when the GP prescribed HRT patches which had to be ordered specially, and when I went in for them, they hadn't come into stock.

Assistant said "Mrs Fondant? I'm sorry, we're still waiting for those items to come in, could you pop back tomorrow"?

She didn't announce to the whole (busy) pharmacy that my patches were out of stock.

I don't think that's normal. The pharmacist normally just says to me "that's one item/two items"

The only time I've had them mention the medication at all was when I was collecting penicillin and she asked whether I was allergic to penicillin. But I was standing at the counter at that point. It wasn't shouted across the pharmacy.

I've just noticed that the last few times I keep being asked what the prescription is when I pick it up.

The time to challenge it would be at the time!

‘Thank you, I’m sure everyone is delighted at hearing that!’ with a sweeping arm gesture around the packed area.

You could follow it up with - ‘I’ll be back on Tuesday. Hope your piles will have cleared up by then!’ just to give them a taste of their own medicine as it were.

I 'choose' to travel 10 miles to town to avoid this as my village pharmacy has announced my prescription AND what it was for a number of times (post 'sensitive' surgery, ongoing meds)
It's printed on the dispensing label. I've asked the GP to alter it but been ignored. Unsurprisingly the GP is also unprofessional- last time I went to get my blood pressure checked (she'd 'forgotten to do it when prescribing') I was asked about my Divorce & the value of my house! Small Scottish village everyone knows everyone.

That’s not normal or ok.

I recently had an issue buying otc in a pharmacy. The guy was stood in the back, far from the till and asked what I wanted. I said I’d like to buy something behind the counter, expecting him to come down, and he replied ‘yeah, what?’ without coming to the till. I had to shout that I wanted a canestan pessary and then direct him to where they were on the shelf! I was so annoyed about everyone knowing I had thrush but gave in as I didn’t have time to walk to another pharmacy.

I asked, quietly, for the morning after pill in a packed pharmacy once. The woman behind the counter yelled out to a colleague who was stocking shelves "do we have any morning after pills in stock for this lady?". And I mean yelled! Two OAPs started giggling and then so did I - from mortification.

I guess to her it was just another product request. And luckily, they had some in stock.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

I've just noticed that the last few times I keep being asked what the prescription is when I pick it up.

Ours have started doing that - asking what the prescription is for. I never answer with the name of the medication because I don’t want to tell the whole pharmacy. It’s not right. Have they just stopped thinking about people’s privacy?

Definitely complain, that is inappropriate. I find confirming my address bad enough, I can hear everyone’s addresses and they can hear mines - doesn’t make me feel very safe tbh

I once went to a boots to quietly ask what was best for severe constipation as I was in agony. The woman quietly suggested suppositories which I bought chucked in my bag but as I was walking out she shouted "they are for up your bum!" I looked at her in horror only for her to realise and shout "sorry I thought I better tell you as a man came in complaining they didn't work the other day turned out he had been swallowing them!" I was absolutely mortified walking out to the sniggers of other customers.