to be annoyed that I can't buy castor oil

[Jux]

from Boots (the only chemist in town), because some people use it to induce labour and make themselves ill.

At the time of the supposed terrorist ricin plot, I witnessed my local council gardeners frantically digging up the castor oil plants from in front of the town hall.

I tried it to induce labour ow ow ow ow ow never again!

I've been refused citric acid from a chemists before now (wanted to make homemade lemonade) because junkies use it apparently. I asked the woman if it was actually illegal to buy it and she said no. So, all the junkies in the country must be cured by noe then, since they stopped me from making lemonade?

There was also a time about 8 years ago when Boots refused to sell Keto-sticks (to test for the presence of ketones in urine) most commonly used by diabetics, to anyone who wasn't diabetic, because the Atkins diet was 'dangerous' and they didn't want to be seen to encourage or facilitate it. So Boots were obviously saving lives by denying people the right to piss on a stick.

Asian grocery stores tend to have castor oil.

I don't see the big fuss though as I used it (and bought it) when overdue with dd, worked much better than pessaries/hormone drips for induction for me, tastes foul though.

Boots wouldn't sell me 6+ calpol, even though I had a prescription for 6+ calpol from my GP as ds who was 2 at the time (I was having to force meds into him and dr said a smaller dose of stronger stuff might be easier to get in him) and wouldn't fill the prescription with branded stuff either only generic.....which they had run out off.

I absolutely loathe Boots. We have two branches in the High Street. One used to be a really, small, independent chemist with wonderful staff, who knew you, knew what they were talking about, gave great advice. It's the same staff, but since Boots took over they really seem to have to bite their tongues a lot and have their hands tied. They don't seem able to talk to you properly about alternatives to Boots' own stuff etc, and don't carry anything like the range they used to.

Plus, Boots' bloody computer has been makiing decisions about which medications in my repeat prescription it will reorder and which it won't. I haven't had a trouble free repeat now for 4 months. They are just doing their last one for me and I will go back to ordering the repeats myself - even though I lose track and sometimes run out - because at least I will only be angry with myself!