To think this is not an acceptable attitude from Boots?

[pointythings]

So apparently they won't lower the price of emergency contraception (Tesco and Superdrug have done so) because they get complaints from people who are opposed to it and because lowering the price might make women 'use it inappropriately.

link here

Of course businesses are allowed to make their own policy choices, but this is blatant misogyny. So they won't be getting any more of my money.

And if I ever find myself walking through their doors I'll slap myself, turn round, and walk straight out again

I work in Tesco and can honestly say the only reason I ask for people's club card is because I can guarantee you when I don't, someone remembers when it's too late and then holds up a queue or kicks off because they're missing out on their points.
I hate club cards and points and the way they work, the local pisshead can come in and get points for his alcohol but I can't get them for DDs formula

When I needed the MAP at 15 due to a broken condom, I walked 5 miles to the nearest hospital to get it, they were out of stock and offered me an appointment in another town out of the time window for it to work to get it, obviously not an option. I went to Boots as I have always shopped and got my prescriptions there, they wanted £35 irc for it, saying because it was a bank holiday I would have to pay, I only got £20 a month pocket money so couldn't afford it. I was really panicking at that point as my 72 hours was almost up. On the last day I went into Superdrug at about 8am just as they opened, and asked the pharmacist there, she said she couldn't as she was the only member of staff in the shop at the time. I burst into tears and she locked up the shop and gave me the consultation, I signed some forms and she gave it to me for free. Had I not have had the option of different pharmacies I would quite possibly be a teenage mum.

Boots is appalling doing this, it is outright misogyny, they are convenient for me as they have a large baby section, the only one in our town centre but I shan't be giving them my custom again.

silkypyjamas, thank you for posting that. Your awful situation when you were 15 perfectly sums up why Boots attitude (not just the wording that we have "misunderstood" is so, so worrying)

I used to live somewhere where there was only a Boots pharmacy. I needed the MAP due to contraceptive failure, but the cost was so prohibitive that paying almost £30 for it would have left me unable to eat for a week or more at that time!

It was over New Year, the GP surgery was shut, so I went to OOH who told me they didn't provide that service and referred me to the nearest Sexual Health service. The one in my town was closed for ten days due to the holidays, so I had to spend over 2.5 hours and three buses getting to the next nearest one. This turned out to be the A&E dept of a hospital in the next city - they didn't believe that I had been told by OOH to go there until I told them to ring them and check, clearly they thought I was a time wasting A&E abuser. In the end after waiting another 1.5 hours I got sent upstairs to the Gynae ward, where a registrar gave me a lecture on not having an implant or similar whilst sighing and rolling her eyes at me. Then she gave me several contraceptive pills (NOT the actual morning after pills) and told me it was basically the same thing. After that I spent hours and several more buses getting home again! I was starting to worry the 72 hours or whatever it is would be over before I got the pills, it took so long!

What a bloody palaver - if the MAP had been a fiver not £30 it would have taken me five minutes to sort out. I was extremely determined not to get pregnant as you can see, but I can see how young women or other skint women would have just given up and crossed their fingers hoping for the best in that situation! I was 30odd and almost gave up.

From reading other posts it's clear there is still a big problem with obtaining free emergency contraception when it's a Bank Holiday. If the only other option is Boots and paying £30, that's a disgrace.

tabbymog - that's interesting, I've had a Boots pharmacist ring my GP to query my prescription for controlled opiate medication too. That was after grilling me about them, saying 'That's a VERY large amount of tablets. It's a very unusual prescription, we wouldn't usually dispense that amount... What are you taking these for? Paracetamol and Ibuprofen would be the usual thing I'd recommend for that...' I'd been on the same prescription for a long time with no issues. I always had it sent to the local chemist a couple of miles away after that as I found it so intrusive.

I'm actually really fuming about the phraseology Boots are using.... about women using it 'inappropriately'.... wtf business is it of Boots what women do with their bodies??? They don't police people using other stuff they sell do they???

Fuming. Actually probably will boycott Boots.

I needed it a while ago. I was in Wales for work. Went to Boots and was gobsmacked (in a nice way) that it was free there. Yet nearly £30 in England.

Boots are being absolute twunts and have lost my custom

Look in any Boots shop and the majority of the things they sell are for women. Women keep them in business. And personally, I think I'm going to go to Superdrug to fill my makeup and hair dye needs from now on.

but this is blatant misogyny

No it isn't. Get over yourself. They are a business. Save words like that for when they mean something.

When I used to work for the casino, there was a part in the interview/contract process that said, "there's going to be drinking and gambling on the premises. Do you have a problem with either of those things?" The intent being, if you do, this perhaps isn't the job for you.

I think GPs and pharmacists should have a similar thing. "there's going to be people who actually want to use the medicines you're selling. Do you have a problem with selling them?"

I'm a big proponent of "you do all the parts of your job, not just the parts you like". There are parts of my job I don't like, but I do them anyway, because I signed the contract and that's what happens to be involved.

At the end of the day, yes, they have a lot of training, but the only body they have the right to control is their own.

Oh, and, if a woman can't afford the MAP, what makes anyone think that she can afford a BABY? A CHILD? The people protesting emergency contraception/terminations and things seem only to care until it's born, at which point it's not their problem, because they're the same people who tend to be against welfare and tax credits.

I'm also boycotting Boots but I need some Tranexamic acid, is there anywhere, other than Boots, I can buy it over the counter?

I agree with the poster who pointed out Boots is now owned by Americans and we all know their views on women's sexual health.

You have 72 to 120 hours to get "MAP" or an IUD fitted - 5 days after unprotected sex (EllaOne is 98% effective up to 5 days)

But the effectiveness drops off as the time period extends. I didn't know this when I was 21 - had a condom break on the Saturday, waited until Monday to go to the GP and got the MAP. It didn't work. It really is best to take it as soon as possible.

I live in a small-medium sized town and the largest non-clothes store is Boots. We have no Mothercare and the Superdrug is tiny so Boots is it for cheap but good quality baby stuff, it's the only place with mainstream cosmetics brands should you wish to try before you buy, and some things are only available at reasonable cost in Boots own brand (e.g. once a day suncream, contact lens solution).

So I have no way of boycotting Boots and staying solvent.

"Today 03:14 faithinthesound

Oh, and, if a woman can't afford the MAP, what makes anyone think that she can afford a BABY? A CHILD? The people protesting emergency contraception/terminations and things seem only to care until it's born, at which point it's not their problem, because they're the same people who tend to be against welfare and tax credits."

Exactly.
All a woman has to do is wait a few weeks for the NHS referral, abortion is free.

Sorry to de-rail but Roomba it is the pharmacist's job to query your medication, especially if it's a controlled drug and an unusual amount (and you're unfamiliar to the pharmacy). Prescribers don't always follow the evidence based guidelines and the pharmacist is liable for any mistakes made!

Only joined the Advantage scheme for parents club - they're getting the card back in bits now, along with a ''Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' missive telling them why.
Haven't shopped much in Boots before, and now I'll make sure to support my local pharmacy instead.

I'm only on the second page of this thread but thought I'd mention that it's also £28 at sainsburys which is just disgusting.

Last week I read about boots charging a small fortune for the morning after pill and coincidentally had a contraceptive failure the next day. So I decided to boycott boots and go to sainsburys only to be charged £28. I can afford it but to many women that's a huge amount. The pharmacist told me if I vomited after taking it (there's a 10% chance of that happening!) he recommended I come back the next day to buy another one!

ffs so it's expected that 10% of women will need to spend £56! Yet I mentioned this to a friend who had paid about £10 in our small local pharmacist about a year ago.

I agree with it, I don't find in this day and age where contraception is free for males and females!

Bawbag condoms are cheap. The MAP is not. And yet in France you can get it for about £5-6. This isn't an argument about paying or not paying for contraception, this is an argument about whether it's OK to charge rip-off prices for contraception. IMO it isn't OK to charge rip-off prices on anything so why is contraception different?

Always heard my ladies talk about it on one night stands but never realised that it costs £20 a pill! Gosh.. that's a lot to shell out for one night for pleasure especially if you are not earning! You ladies have all my respect for bearing with us. Next time I will either carry a condom or a MAP for one night stand.

I hope, hope HOPE you are a goady fucker.

You'll carry a MAP? Or you could engage is safe sex FFS.