to be upset with the pharmacist?

[snowsuit]

i'm 30 weeks pg with twins and taking a baby aspirin a day (started before getting pregnant for migraine prevention). every midwife i've seen has noticed that i'm taking aspirin, and has said it's fine to carry on. my consultant talked to me about it too, he thinks it's a good idea to take it in twin pregnancies, and told me specifically to carry on taking it and not to stop suddenly as this might make my blood more likely to clot.

we have a friend coming to stay this weekend so DH did a big clean of the house yesterday AM, and my little bottle of baby aspirin was nowhere to be found afterwards, so i missed yesterday's dose. i looked for it today and when i couldn't find it, i thought i'd better get some more as otherwise i'd be going 3 days without it.

i managed to drive to our little local boots, hobbled in (i have horrible pgp) and presented myself, only to be told by the pharmacist that she couldn't sell me low-dose aspirin and that i'd have to get a doctor's prescription! i explained that i'd been taking it long-term, that i was under consultant care and that he'd told me specifically to carry on taking it, but she wouldn't budge. her argument was that as i was pregnant, she would be selling it to my babies, who are under 18 . i started to get quite upset as i was worried about missing another dose, especially since i won't have the car tomorrow and can't get to the shops on foot.

i then pointed out that i'd bought it at the bigger boots in town about 3 weeks ago, and said something like 'this is silly, i guess i'll just have to go there and get it' and the pharmacist said 'well i'll just call them and tell them not to sell it to you'. she then said she had to call my GP, which she did, and spoke to the receptionist, who pulled up my records and said i'd never been prescribed aspirin (which i'd already told them). in the end the receptionist managed to get hold of my doctor on her mobile (she'd left for the day) and she told the pharmacist to sell it to me, but she was still really reluctant and kept saying that 'you know this is illegal' and 'i'm breaking the law doing this for you'. after i'd finally bought it she said, in a placating way, 'i could have sold you full dose aspirin with no problem, just not baby aspirin' .

i googled and can't find any evidence that it's illegal to sell baby aspirin without a prescription - it seems like it's at the pharmacist's discretion. and being able to sell full-dose aspirin but not low-dose to a pregnant woman - is that really true??

i felt crappy and cried afterwards. she made me feel like a criminal, and like i was putting her in a bad position. AIBU??

Why did you need to see a pharmacist?

Just buy it www.boots.com/en/Boots-Pharmaceuticals-Aspirin-75-mg-Gastro-Resistant-56-Tablets_872425/

The link is the low dose 75mg tablets rather than the usual 300mg

Did you read the link, QueenLiz?

"This Medicine is sold by BOOTS UK LIMITED at the professional discretion of a Boots pharmacist."

it's called baby aspirin as its a low dose (75mg)
I always thought it was called baby aspirin because 75mg was the strength of the Junior Disprin tablets that used to be given to children.

I sent my DH to get mine - my consultant poopoo'd the idea of needing a prescription for baby aspirin. so I mostly either bought my own over the counter or sent DH when the pharmacist wouldn't sell it to me.
This was my second pregnancy (that went full term), the first time round the consultant had me injecting Fragmin every day - so I guess the aspirin seemed at lot less high-intervention.

That might be for the bigger box.

But they have small boxes on the shelves of 28 tablets and I have bought them myself for my mother when she runs out of prescription for it rather is too fucking lazy to renew it.

To me it seems a bit ridiculous that there is all this fuss over obtaining the 75mg aspirin tablets when you could walk into Tesco (or wherever) and easily purchase a pack of the 300mg aspirin tablets, which you cut then split into quarters with a pill cutter.

Aspirins not been given to children for 30 yrs .

Just checked the Asda website and you can actually buy the 75mg aspirin tablets in the normal (non-pharmacy) stores.

groceries.asda.com/product/aspirin/galpharm-aspirin-75mg-gastroresistant-tablets-entericcoated-28-pack/910000296248

Yup there you go www.boots.com/en/Boots-Aspirin-75mg-Gastro-Resistant-Tablets-28_45137/

The quantity of 56 tablets was the issue. As certain quantities can only be bought from a pharmacist. The 28 tablets in 75mg can be picked off the shelf for £1.59.

I dont understand why people lose their shit over OTC medication when a google search would locate it in seconds.

Aspirins not been given to children for 30 yrs
I know that but it still doesn't change the fact that aspirin tablets for kids were 75mg.

Get it on prescription, I was on it to reduce pre eclampsia from 12 weeks pregnant.
Will stop the hassle for you and the pharmacist.

I'm on the side of the pharmacist here. It's her job to question things. She could have handled it better - but they can refuse to sell anything they like. You should either get this prescribed or send your DH to get it.

I think she was being unreasonable. Whilst she can ask there was no reason for her to be so rude to you by going on about it. Fair enough to ask to confirm with a GP but not to keep on about it until you are in tears. I would complain and suggest she goes on a custom care course.

I'm not one for going around complaining but in this instance I think you should as it was uncalled for to keep on harping on about it after you had explained.
I had a lecture about taking it once. I explained my GP had put me on it for my heart and he didn't agree and went on and on about it then said that in that case I would be going to a well known large city hospital ( not in our city) for a referral. Once he finished rabbiting I inform him that I indeed had a referral there the next month. He then looked suitably embarassed. I was annoyed that he brought it up in a small shop which was busy and I discovered a parent from school was there. I had only informed the head about it. My GP mentioned it at my next visit so I told him I hadn't been happy. He spoke to the pharmisist and told him he should have taken me aside. Hopefully he will treat the next person with more respect.
I hope you feel better soon and that your pregnancy and birth go well.

Pharmacist oops!

To those saying 'get it on prescription'- the prescription fee is probably much more than the otc cost. Though of course the op would be getting free scripts given she's pregnant so that's probably a moot point.

She was doing her job, albeit clumsily. I remember hearing an interview with a pharamacist where she had questioned a patient, discovered they had another condition that the dr hadnt accounted for, which could have led to them becoming seriously ill. She would hAve taken 70% of the blame in that situation.

I get that things like that are really annoying, but she was just being cautious.

Pharmacists do have to be careful about stuff like this.

My local pharmacist refuses to sell me phernegan even though it's an over the counter drug and I don't need a prescription. I'm not pregnant, he just doesn't agree with me taking it (to help me sleep when I'm on nights). Ive even tried telling him it's for hay fever but he won't budge. So I go to Tesco and don't get asked any questions.

He also argues with the amount of antibiotics im on as im in a medical trial of long term high dose antibiotics. He's stopped hitting the roof quite so much now but initially rang the consultant in London insisting there was a mistake. Which is fair enough, I understand him worrying about that.

Pharmacists are responsible for the medication they issue. If it's outside license or unusual in any way they should check that it is correct. It's why pharmacology is a degree subject and technicians aren't just dispensing medication. It was her clinical responsibility to check

I'm 5 months pg and had a checkout assistant refuse to sell me a bottle of wine the other day! Even after lengthy explanations that it was for spag bol, not for drinking, she wouldn't budge! I ended up asking to see the manager!

I would be furious about the wine refusual. I hope the manager let you have it. We don't live in America (or do you Fenella)? Because ive heard that sort of thing is common in America!

But here it is not up to a supermarket employee to police your drinking in pregnancy, perfectly legal to drink in pregnancy.

I was on 'baby aspirin' (and yes, it is commonly called that by medical folks) in pregnancy, recommended by my consultant obstetrician. He did warn me that I may have trouble getting it as aspirin isn't licensed in pregnancy, although the small dose is recommended in specific circumstances, and said he'd write out a prescription of necessary. As it turned out the pharmacist was happy to sell it to me, although I get all my prescriptions there so they now my medical history and the condition that it was prescribed for.
That said, if they'd refused I don't think I'd have had an issue, it's their career on the line after all.

The pharmacist was right, but handled it badly. It's their job on the line, and they're not meant to sell it to pregnant women. By the way, you can get 2 boxes for £1 in pound land.

Oh I would have been cross about the wine it might have been a gift for someone else.
I had a bad shoulder and wrist and my daughter who was almost eighteen and her friend were helping me with the shopping. I bought some of those Barcadi Breezers and due to them being on a higher shelf,which meant I could move my shoulder to get them,my daughter took them off the shelf and put them in the trolley. She had put a joint of roasting meat in earlier despite being a vegetarian. We also put in a couple of bottles of Pimms and vodka. Then went to the checkout.a woman raced to the checkout and started telling me I couldn't buy the alcohol. She said the girls were under age. They don't wear makeup and were three days and four days off being 18! I explained it was for a party and the trolley and checkout was full of party food and birthday candles. She wouldn't have it. Apparently she had been watching the cctv in the back and saw that I was chatting to the girls before my daughter was getting the bottles off the shelf and putting it in my trolley. Yes, I asked them to get them down and put them in the trolley. I had bought a bottle of wine ...shock horror! I had also bought Pimms. It was summertime and I showed her I had also bought strawberries and cucumber to put in it. She said I had bought all the alcohol for underage girls. I explained again they were having a birthday party together but neither of them drank and the alcohol was for the party attending by my friends, relations and their friends who were all eighteen already because they were the youngest in 6 th form. She was quite unpleasant and threatened to call the police if I didn't put it back. I would have liked to have walked out and leave the very laden trolley but I didn't have time to go again before the party so we left without any drink upset because of the party. I had to drive to another part of the city and bought it all at the co- op.
Now I realise she could ask but when I told her it was for a party I thought it was ridiculous that she couldn't have figured it out.i even showed her that my shoulder was strapped up.

You know you could've just bought adult aspirin and taken a quarter of a tablet? The pharmacist sounds a bit rude but she was just doing her job.