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Original poster

Should I complain about pharmacist?

52 replies

LookWhosInsideAgain · 02/08/2023 23:41

I currently have some kind of open sore on my lip. I’ve never had a cold sore before and I’m not certain it is one so I went to local pharmacy to see if they had anything I could get OTC as it’s very raw and painful and doesn’t seem to be getting any better after 3 days. The entire sore is about 2 cm wide, yellow and wet and is on my bottom lip and goes over the top of the lip from the outside into the inside of my mouth. It’s very swollen and I’ve been wearing left over masks from Covid as I feel very self conscious about how it looks.

When I got to pharmacy lady at the front said she’d get the pharmacist to have a quick look at it and he’d be able to say if they had anything or if it needed a GP appointment. Pharmacist called me into the little consulting room and told me that it’s very common to get results like this if you go to unlicensed practitioners to get lip fillers and that I could get some anbesol - it would really sting but then numbing affect would kick in. I said I hadn’t ever had lip fillers, that this sore had come out of nowhere. He said I can see the puncture mark from the injection and that he couldn’t give advice unless I told him what the real issue was. Again, I said I haven’t had any lip fillers that my lips don’t normally look like this, they’re swollen from the cold sore/ abscess.

He put some gloves on to look at the inside of my mouth and, although I thought he’d just lower my lip down, he instead pinched the sore really hard. I yelped and my eyes started streaming as it was so painful. He said he wanted to see if the filler had collected in a lump there causing the sore and swelling but said actually having felt it, it was a cold sore rather than filler and to ask for some Zovirax at the counter. With that he ushered me out and went back behind the counter.

I could barely speak to ask for the Zovirax as it was so painful. Nice lady at the counter looked concerned and asked if I wanted a sit down but I just wanted to go. This was at around 4pm and it’s still throbbing now to the point that I can’t sleep, it’s far more swollen than earlier and beginnings of a bruise coming up surrounding the cold sore.

I don’t understand why he did this, especially without warning. It seems such an odd way to act for what must be a perfectly standard enquiry at a pharmacy. I don’t know if I should complain or if he was just trying to do his job though. Even if it was filler causing the problem I don’t know how a really hard lunch on an open sore would help.

Any thoughts?

TLDR - suspected cold sore and pharmacist decided to pinch it really hard because he was adamant it was caused by lip filler despite me telling him it wasn’t. Now in more pain, swollen lip and bruise coming up.

OP posts:
User17865 · 02/08/2023 23:45

Yes complain, he’s an absolute arsehole! Sorry you’re still in pain. Have you taken all the painkillers you can? It sounds severe so I’d be asking a GP to prescribe the anti viral tablets personally.

Original poster
LookWhosInsideAgain · 02/08/2023 23:52

Thank you. Yes, I think it’s going to have to be a GP job. I’ve never had a cold sore in my life before so I wasn’t sure if it was that or just a really nasty mouth ulcer. I can feel a few tingly bits on my upper lip too now so I’m guessing I’ll wake up tomorrow looking even worse ☹️

OP posts:
CurlyhairedAssassin · 02/08/2023 23:58

Urgh that's actually quite shocking. Beyond unprofessional and yes, I would definitely complain.

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SarahSaysYes · 03/08/2023 00:02

Agreed, definitely complain.

It doesn’t matter what the reason is or your occupation, you’re not allowed to cause someone sudden unexpected pain unless in self defence. And he called you a liar just before that as well! FFS.

Take photos. He’s lucky you didn’t instinctively bite him or lash out.

TheShellBeach · 03/08/2023 00:02

Definitely complain. This is another example of a pharmacist not knowing what they're doing and going beyond their capabilities.
I never know why people think it's a good idea to consult pharmacists.
They're not trained.

SarahSaysYes · 03/08/2023 00:06

TheShellBeach · 03/08/2023 00:02

Definitely complain. This is another example of a pharmacist not knowing what they're doing and going beyond their capabilities.
I never know why people think it's a good idea to consult pharmacists.
They're not trained.

Pharmacists can give great advice on all sorts of things. A good pharmacist knows exactly where the boundaries are though. Technically OP was assaulted I should think. She didn’t give permission to be pinched (even if she HAD been lying about having had lip fillers).

FictionalCharacter · 03/08/2023 00:06

Absolutely complain. That was appalling.

Original poster
LookWhosInsideAgain · 03/08/2023 00:07

TheShellBeach · 03/08/2023 00:02

Definitely complain. This is another example of a pharmacist not knowing what they're doing and going beyond their capabilities.
I never know why people think it's a good idea to consult pharmacists.
They're not trained.

Getting through to my GP takes a good hours worth of constant ringing. I was driving past the pharmacy and thought that as it might just be an ulcer I could pick up some bonjela or something. The NHS did a whole campaign about consulting your pharmacist for minor ailments.

OP posts:
Whataretheodds · 03/08/2023 00:10

TheShellBeach · 03/08/2023 00:02

Definitely complain. This is another example of a pharmacist not knowing what they're doing and going beyond their capabilities.
I never know why people think it's a good idea to consult pharmacists.
They're not trained.

"They're not trained"

Where do you get that from??

MachinesOfGod · 03/08/2023 00:13

If I he thought you'd had filler then he was probably checking the capillary refill time to exclude the possibility of you having a vascular occlusion.

Sounds like he was very rough though.

Nemesias · 03/08/2023 00:17

MachinesOfGod · 03/08/2023 00:13

If I he thought you'd had filler then he was probably checking the capillary refill time to exclude the possibility of you having a vascular occlusion.

Sounds like he was very rough though.

She told him she had never had fillers. He had no need to do what he did

GrumpyOldCrone · 03/08/2023 00:21

That’s shocking. I would definitely complain.

okiedokie1 · 03/08/2023 00:21

TheShellBeach · 03/08/2023 00:02

Definitely complain. This is another example of a pharmacist not knowing what they're doing and going beyond their capabilities.
I never know why people think it's a good idea to consult pharmacists.
They're not trained.

They are trained. They are trained to be pharmacists. No idea what you are talking about. Pharmacists know more about medication than doctors. Doctors diagnose. Pharmacists dispense medication and can give advise on simple common issues abs advise on appropriate medication

Walesagogo · 03/08/2023 00:27

Take photos. He should've asked your permission before touching the area. Hope you got his name and yes definitely report him.

Aquaphant · 03/08/2023 00:30

Anbesol would do absolutely nothing if you did in fact have a vascular occlusion from filler, that's a medical emergency. What a moron, definitely report him!

Original poster
LookWhosInsideAgain · 03/08/2023 00:31

Walesagogo · 03/08/2023 00:27

Take photos. He should've asked your permission before touching the area. Hope you got his name and yes definitely report him.

That’s the reason I’m hesitant to complain - he asked if he could touch it to pull my lip down to see what it looked like inside my mouth and I said he could. I wasn’t expecting him to pinch me really hard though. I thought he’d just fold my lip down to have a look,

OP posts:
BenWeatherstaff · 03/08/2023 00:43

Different circumstances - in hospital - but a consultant once turned around and drew on my boob without any warning. I had undressed so he could ‘look at the problem’ so, although I was expecting him to most likely touch the area he hadn’t technically asked permission for even that much. It didn’t hurt thankfully but it shocked me so much I screamed! And the scream shocked him to the extent that he acknowledged it was off to give me no warning.

I think a lot of medical folks act on the assumption that they know best and just need to do it, or that what they are going to do is totally obvious and expected because it is to them. I think it would be helpful to report because even if it wasn’t meant maliciously- though it sounds awful- it would be good to give him reason to reflect on his approach.

WomanHereHear · 03/08/2023 00:49

That sounds like assault. All the doctors/nurses I’ve ever seen always ask for consent before they prod and even ask my children including the baby 😂. So I expect other health professionals to do the same, especially if there is a chance it could hurt.

WomanHereHear · 03/08/2023 00:50

I’m talking about A&E doctors rushed off their feet, still managing to ask for consent. No excuses.

TwoShades1 · 03/08/2023 00:50

I think you were right to visit the pharmacy first, but sounds like it might a gp visit now. He definitely should have taken you at your word about lip fillers and should have warned you that he was going to touch the area so you could be ready/decline. Im not sure I would complain as aside from pushing about the lip fillers (though it sounds like he did believe you in the end) and not throughly explaining how he wanted to examine it, he hasn’t done much wrong.

FlamingoQueen · 03/08/2023 00:50

I would complain on the grounds alone that he was insisting it was caused by lip filler.
Hope you feel better soon

WomanHereHear · 03/08/2023 00:52

I’ve just read he asked your permission, I don’t think that was clear in your OP.

Insideallday · 03/08/2023 00:56

dab it with cotton wool that has been soaked in hot salty water.

Then put on aloe Vera. It sounds like it has gone past the stage of Zovirax

ALongHardWinter · 03/08/2023 01:19

How awful and unprofessional! Yes, definitely complain. I agree with the previous poster who said it was assault. Hope you feel better soon.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 03/08/2023 01:23

okiedokie1 · 03/08/2023 00:21

They are trained. They are trained to be pharmacists. No idea what you are talking about. Pharmacists know more about medication than doctors. Doctors diagnose. Pharmacists dispense medication and can give advise on simple common issues abs advise on appropriate medication

Show quote history

Yea I’ve found pharmacists very knowledgeable and experienced if eg having side effects from drugs. Eg cough from some blood pressure medication that I had once. They understood why it was happening and tried to explain it to me in layman’s terms.

cant remember other times I’ve found them very useful but to be honest I wouldn’t ask them to diagnose anything like OP had. That sounds like it’s more a GP’s job, it could be anything.

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