Woman on the Sainsbury's pharmacy counter

[SoggyBottomBoys]

Shopping in big Sainsbury's this morning with baby. Tried to buy some Solpadeine at the counter. Have been suffering from various post-birth complications and SPD that's flared up pretty badly (I was basically hobbling). Conversation (in full earshot of 3 people queuing behind) goes like this:
Pharmacy assistant: Have you taken this before?
Me: yes
PA: Are you on any other medications?
Me: No.
PA what are you taking it for?
Me: I'd rather not discuss that.
PA: Then I can't sell this to you.

And she refused to sell it to me! Unless I told her what was wrong with me. Which (because I was really annoyed/emotional by this point) I refused to do. So I walked off almost in tears and now have to lug myself to a chemist to buy some when I can frankly barely walk.

Am I right in thinking she crossed a line here? The first two questions are completely fine. I have no problem with being warned of side effects, don't take for more than 3 days, etc. But the third one just seemed so intrusive, especially in public when it's a woman who clearly has a small baby they have recently given birth to. They can't demand you tell them what's wrong with you...can they?!

Tell me if IABU... as I am so cross I'm considering complaining.

I'm baffled as to why anyone sees this as a problem? What the hell is wrong with telling the pharmacist, who is doing their job, that you have pelvic pain

Customer confidentiality is key - the number one responsibility of ALL staff in a pharmacy.

And how does this square with asking about your medical issues in close earshot of other people?

OP I understand what you mean. I've also just had a baby and had a number of issues from a messy birth. It was my first baby, and I've never had any previous medical issues or been in hospital. Then all of a sudden you're dignity is shot to shit because you've been in stirrups with a room full of people rushing in, then stitches etc. Which then need checked by a midwife every day, and your nipples are bleeding and you can't poo and your body doesn't feel like your own anymore. It's a vulnerable and emotional time. Especially the first time. And you don't have a stock answer like "pelvic pain" prepared because you've not done this before.

If, then, I was asked that question in a busy supermarket pharmacy by a person who just seemed to be working on the counter, who didn't even have enough training to be sensitive to the fact that there were other people there and you're standing there with a baby (so potentially it's going to be childbirth related and you might not want to talk about your resulting gynae issues in front of Joe Bloggs behind you), then I'd have been caught off guard by the question, got flustered and embarrassed, and not have been able to come up with a discreet way of saying it.

Luckily my GP gave me a prescription and the pharmacist/assistant or whoever didn't ask me anything. Because "precious/snowflake" as it may be, I wouldn't want to explain it in earshot of other people.

When pregnant with my DS I was given a prescription for antidepressants as I was struggling massively with depression and anxiety. Took it to the pharmacy at my local Sainsbury's (High Wycombe) and the pharmacist there, who was pregnant herself, really kept repeating herself about the possible risks and was I really sure? Which obviously had been discussed with my gp and weighed up against the risks of me continuing to be so ill. She took out the reference book with all the drugs listed in it and pointed out to me the potential side effects, patted her bump and mentioned we were about as far along as each other. I was felt quite ashamed and went away without the tablets, didn't take them and suffered far worse over the next few months than I would have done otherwise.

I so wish I could have done pregnancy, birth and postnatal period with that extra help and in hindsight I really blame that pharmacist. I was vulnerable and needed that medication and what she said was impossible for me to make a sensible judgement over, because of the nature of my anxiety. A simple 'have you discussed the possibility of side effects with your doctor?' would have been appropriate, nothing more.

Just thought I'd chip in with my experience with intrusive Sainsbury's pharmacists!

Leggit as far as we know it wasn't a pharmacist, it was an asst who could have been a Saturday girl.

I'm quite happy to be asked these questions- have a small baby and both of us have that awful bug going about, went into boots to get lemsip with him, and pharmacist politely said 'do you mind if I ask if you are bf' and then advised against the lemsip due to the phenylephrine.

OP if you are suffering get a prescription for a better pain killer - I use naproxen for back pain

Honestly she has to do her job - as shit as it was for you though

I have never been asked what it's for when I've bought co codamol - I didn't realise it was a rule!

leggit as far as we know it wasn't a pharmacist, it was an asst who could have been a Saturday girl. oh so what! I mean it doesn't matter what the job description is, of they are allowed to sell over the counter meds then the same rules apply surely. I don't see why anyone would have a confidentiality issue when buying meds for bloody pelvic pain. Literally no other fucker cares.

"the zantac patient information leaflet"

The Zantac patient information leaflet doesn't know the current situation as regards getting GP appointments, pharmacists do so you obviously have to use common sense.

It's like those warnings to see a GP before exercising. If we all did that, we'd be chucked of the room by angry doctors and the NHS would collapse within a day!

"they start asking about your symptoms... Again not medically qualified! And sometimes in earshot of other people"

The receptionist at my surgery made me shout smear test all over the waiting room because she couldn't hear me through the stupid "bullet-proof" glass they have. Yes, I know there's nothing to be ashamed of, but I was still embarrassed.

Not read all 13 pages but when I was in my early 20s I developed a rash - very itchy along with a sore throat and general exhaustion. I actually thought it was hay fever or some kind of allergy so went along and asked for some piriton.

Pharmacist asked me why I needed it so I explained the above and she asked to see rash - gazed at it for a while - it was on my throat going down to my chest then asked to see back of my neck -where she found rash had spread.

She then phoned my GP told him that in her opinion I had blood poisoning and got me booked in for an emergency appointment half an hour later. Two hours later I was in hospital on a drip and they told me she'd probably saved my life.

If she hadn't asked I might not be typing this now. Yes OP the questions may seem intrusive or odd but I'm bl**dy glad she did - piriton was not going to cut it

Agree Gwen. Perhaps nae fucker gave a shit, but I would. I wouldn't want the entire (packed) waiting room to know I was there for a smear. I actually think it's shocking that GP receptionists expect you to discuss things (even briefly) in front of others. I can also hear them giving blood test results to people on the phone and they'll say the name of who they're speaking to. What if someone in the waiting room knows the person?

Confidentiality is really not adhered to, in pharmacies, GP surgeries, maternity wards or many other places.

Aye - the receptionist did apologise when she realised what it was that I'd been repeating over and over. It's not her fault, but the fault of the stupid thick glass they only have to have because people get so frustrated with the system that they're in danger without it.

Me: Can I have some solpadeine plus please.

She: Is it for you or somebody else?

Me: It's for me.

She: Are you taking any other medication?

Me: Yes. Some beta blockers for migraine.

She: What do you need the solpadeine for?

Me: Torn ankle ligament. Doc gave me naproxen, but it's giving me awful
stomach pain. Worse in fact, than the pain in my ankle.
I can't get on with it. I need the strongest thing I can get OTC until I can see GP again.

She: Ok. Here you are. I can see you need these for 3 days. No prob.

That's a genuine normal scenario that I had this week.

I don't mind in the least being asked. It's a very addictive medication and I understand why questions have to be asked. I don't understand why SPD would be any more embarrassing than torn ligaments.
I think OP has over reacted massively to normal pharmacy regulations.

Just answer the question honestly and you will get the medication if it is appropriate. Get mardy and and recalcitrant about why you want it and they will have very good reason not to give it to you.

It's not about them having power over you. It's about dispensing addictive OTC medication appropriately.

She asked you why you wanted it and you walked off.

She didn't cross a line. She had to ask why you wanted it and you walked away without explaining. YABVU. I have a feeling that you are extremely young ergo you feel particularly entitled.

As an afterthought. Of course I'm not an idiot. maybe these people buy job lots of solpadeine for the codeine content. Duh.

Yabu.

I really hate to read on here, people railing against the NHS,
They are doing a fucking brilliant job.

I have to regularly access appointments at my local hospital with my daughter who has serious ongoing health problems. We sometimes have to wait an hour or more. Who cares? She is having the best care available. I regularly see people complaining that their appointment is 10 minutes overdue. I just look at them as utter idiots who simply do not realise that they are the luckiest people in the world to have the NHS at their disposal.
The vast majority of these complainers are Eastern Europeans, who expect more of our health service than we local people do.
It's understandable. They came to live here because they believed that our health service was second to none. Which it is.
But it's struggling now. I wonder why.

There's research just starting to come out about the dangers of mid to long term opiate usage, I wouldn't be surprised if regulations are tightened even further.

That said, it's poor form if they didn't have a private room available, I'd be pretty uncomfortable in the same situation.

Sorry OP YADBVU
As said by pp the assistant was doing her job, it's absolutely standard practice to ask WHAMM questions when selling anything (gsl and p meds), spd is a valid reason and I don't really understand why you wouldn't just tell her why? Joe public standing behind you isn't likely to know what that means (not that it's taboo in anyway) but the woman working in the pharmacy who is, you know, trained would have had her required information. She needed to determine whether it was an appropriate sale. If she'd been able to carry on consulting with you she could have also determined whether or not you were bfing, ensuring the safety of your child, as there was another post just on here just the other day where posters were completely unaware that codeine can enter milk and is not recommended to bfing mothers. She also needed to make sure you knew not to od on paracetamol, lots of people are unaware of the contents of branded medicines and would ignorantly take paracetamol as well. Also caffeine intolerance. I'm sure you would have been suitably outraged at her negligence if she had sold you it and you or your child had become ill.
The dynamic is that people think they are entitled to buy what they like 'fuck the regulations and the law, here's my money give me what I want', and actually that feels all wrong to me.

Also Polly so fuck, even 'Saturday girls' have trained to do the job if they are standing behind that counter.

You're charming aren't you Livin. Have a lovely day Maybe think about some anger management?

Also Livin if you bothered to RTFT you'd see posters saying their DDs worked on pharmacy counters with no training at all.

I buy Solpadene (paracetamol and codene) and Ibuprophin & codine every month due tohirrendous period pain.
I NEVER get asked what it is for. Only, have I used it before and am I aware I need to stick to dose and use for no longer than 3 days.

I don't buy it from the same chemist each month either.

Anger management for calling you out on the assumption that saturday girls won't have even had some form of basic training? I'm willing to bet my life that those PP's daughters with absolutely no training will have had to refer to a pharmacist or trained member of staff if a request was made to buy P meds.

At the end of the day, pharmacists are licensed to sell drugs for certain conditions, those are almost always age bounded and limited by what other medications are being taken.

Sometimes they are simple things like "you must not sell hydrocortisone cream for use on the face"

Sometimes more complex - if you take blood pressure meds then you should not take decongestants (including stuff like Lemsip)

If they act outside their license they can lose it. Everyone who sells the drugs has to be aware of the conditions for sale. The pharmacist has ultimate responsibility for every item that leaves the pharmacy.