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.

Yes- all weekend staff I've ever employed have then undertaken the appropriate training and have been closely supervised whilst in the process of gaining the qualification. As previously mentioned, being trained to sell medicines safely is a requirement of working behind a pharmacy counter. I've also locumed for both pharmacy chains and independent pharmacies and have never encountered a situation where someone untrained/not undergoing training was selling P medicines OTC.

I have never been asked by a pharmacist, or the assistant in a pharmacy, what I want codeine based painkillers for. Not in one of the large chains or one of the small independents.

I'm fine with them talking about side effects and asking if I take other medicines, warning me if the dangers of addiction etc, that's a sensible precaution. But I would have been annoyed to be quizzed about what it's for as well.

Livin I'm the PP whose DD was put behind the pharmacy counter with no training. She was given a list of questions along the lines of a telesales script and no advice on confidentiality etc. In her branch this was not uncommon. Friends in other chains had similar jobs in supermarkets.

Most of the questions here are not 'required by law' and in 'secondary' pharmacies they seem to be more focused on arse covering than anything else. In particular when filling prescriptions after a doctor consultation most of the questions are not even relevant. As i said earlier - I see a marked difference between independent/specialist pharmacies and the type which are bolt ons to other businesses.

sorry should be 'similar experiences in supermarket jobs' not 'similar jobs'

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

i hope they keep their training more up to date than this! Latest advice is that the warnings on hydrocortisone use were too strict and that its ok to use on the face, and for longer than previously said. People weren't using it when it was medically indicated because of the warnings, and the research shows it is fine to use when indicated. Even in babies and children.

winter hydrocortisone containing products still should not be sold for use on the face.

www.evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/bnf/current/13-skin/134-topical-corticosteroids/hydrocortisone/over-the-counter-hydrocortisone-preparations

The dr can prescribe for this reason but pharmacies can not sell to a patient who wants to use it on their face.

And it could be extremely dangerous to sell steroid containing preparations for use on babies. Currently they can not be sold for use on children under 10.

I bought some last week, to use on my babies face (as directed by a doctor) after the prescription ran out.

I'm sure many pharmacists would have refused that sale and referred you back to the GP as steroid use in babies should be very closely supervised, and that would include the quantity being used and the frequency of application. This is to protect the health of your baby.

I would have been quite annoyed if they had, since I knew what I was using it for, had been told to do so by a dr, knew how long I could use it for, how much, and had more up to date knowledge of the latest research than they did! Plus its on the GSL, so doesn't need the ok from a pharmacist anyway.

Op I really feel for you. I've found some of the people at chemist counters quite intrusive and don't actually know why they are asking the questions so then have to involve the pharmacist. Unfortunately for us whowantmedsnoquestionsasked it's something that they should do hence why the meds are otc . I also prescribe and there's a load of things to be aware of with products containing codiene (particularly if your breast feeding) and there may be a more appropriate drug to take. It sounds like she was being efficient but unfortunately lacked any awareness of confidentiality. Congratulations on your little one x

Ah this is silly.
She was doing her job. I have been a counter assistant/dispenser at one time (often it was just me doing prescriptions and the counter).

You may feel she was being over the top, and yeah I understand you may have wanted to talk somewhere quiet which she should have provided you, but the questions she asked are part of her job.
Knowing what you are using it for can help her advise you, even offer you an alternative if you are breastfeeding etc.

If they didn't ask customers what it's for, they could be giving it to their 10 yr old child or their dog.
It's there shoulders on the firing line of something goes wrong. So they have to be sure.

And in any case, even 'just' counter assistants are trained to give advice.

Hydrocortisone is P not GSL Winter - it is irrelevant how annoyed you would have been I wouldn't have sold you hydrocortisone for use on your babies face, because it does not have an otc product license for use on the face or on children under the age of 10.

I have it on prescription again anyway.

Hello,
Yes, it is part of her 'due diligence' to check. If you'd had a prescription then she wouldn't have asked, she would have just reiterated the instructions on how long to take it for.

But it is horrid to be grilled, especially in front of others. I feel she should have offered the private room to chat straight away x

Climbing I prescribe and would be very cautious about px a cortisone for a child's face , short term ok but as a repeat I'd want more specialist advice. The complications for later on worry me too much

Just to point out just because a dr has given you a prescription doesn't mean it's safe or even recommended. They miss interactions and get things wrong. That's why you have a pharmacist!

Just to point out just because a dr has given you a prescription doesn't mean it's safe or even recommended. They miss interactions and get things wrong. That's why you have a pharmacist!

Thats veering from professional pride into arrogance. You're basically claiming that pharmacists know better than drs and are there to save you from drs making mistakes.

Just because a pharmacist queries a prescription doesn't mean they are right. They haven't examined the patient, they don't know their history, they don't know the complaint. They shouldn't be querying the dr without a very good reason.

It's odd isn't it. You wouldn't go to your GP and say I'd like a script for painkillers. Where is the pain? I'm not telling you...

I think the OP is BU but I think every pharmacist and pharmacy assistant should say to the customer; "I have to ask these questions, would you like to step into the privacy booth?". The onus is on them to ensure confidentiality and data proction, the customer should not be made to feel uncomfortable and to have to ask, it should be offered straight away.

I don't think it's arrogant to say that pharmacists know more about drugs than doctors do. It's their job to know more, I'd be worried if they didn't.

Yes that's exactly what pharmacists do! Er they do a long degree, focusing on medication! Doctors on the other hand do very little training about drugs.
It's like a cross check. If you gave a patient an incorrect dose of medication even if it had been prescribed, it would still classed as professional negligence.

Ok, if you say so. I just found your comment rather dismissive to drs.

The difference between refusing to tell your doctor where your pain is, and refusing to tell the person in the pharmacy us that you have a professional relationship with your doctor. The person in the shop is just a person in the shop.

I live in a small village where the village busybody works in the pharmacy. She's not bound by any rules on confidentiality when selling OTC medicines (unlike prescriptios where presumably she is) so you can bet your bottom dollar that if you go in in the morning looking for anthistamines, by lunchtime someone else in the village will be commiserating with you that you've had an allergic reaction. Wouldn't happen with your doctor.

By 'just the person in the shop' I don't mean they are a lesser person than the doctor. I just meant in terms of being a random someone that you have no professional relationship with.