To think it a a bit shit that pregnant women can't buy Castor Oil?

[BlueButTrue]

Yes, I’m aware some people use it to induce labour. But some people also seriously abuse alcohol or whatever have you and are still sold it You wouldn’t even know they’re an alcoholic half the time!

Castor Oil is brilliant for the hair and eyebrows.

Boots won’t sell me anyway.

Holland and Barrett won’t sell me any.

Local chemist say they don’t think it suitable so won’t sell it.

Superdrug won’t sell me anyway.

Apparently they cannot sell to those who’re pregnant. And I’m very clearly about to drop.

AIBU to say this is a bit shitty towards pregnant customers?

I know it gets misused but so does a lot of things sold in chemists etc... And yet those are on shelves!

@darknessafterdusk why on earth would you think it your business to quiz a person with diabetes about their "control" (by the way not a good word to use). Is this really something that you are advised to do or is it something you take on yourself?

Because it’s my job to t1mum3

And I would have asked them, not quizzed them - don’t make it sound more dramatic than it actually is.

It’s one of our essential services under the community pharmacy contract

psnc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/service20spec20es62020support20for20selfcare20_v1201020oct2004_.pdf

With regard to the citrates - there isn’t a huge amount of evidence of benefit. Most people will recover from cystitis with or without treatment in 48 hours. The treatments aren’t licensed in pregnancy and my biggest concern would be that using them would delay appropriate treatment.

It's very intrusive and offensive for HCPs who are not expert in a condition to make unsolicited enquiries about somebody's medical condition. Reading through the link you posted I can just about see why you might possibly think it was within your remit but it's stretching it. Believe me, it's hideous having health care professionals make enquiries which overstep the mark.

@Spangles1963 Just what I was thinking too

It’s not overstepping the mark. If you don’t want to talk about it then say so, but don’t be surprised when I refuse a sale. As an aside you clearly have no clue about the role or training of a pharmacist and I find your attitude rather insulting.

You would refuse a sale of thrush medication to someone who didn't want to disclose their HBA1C and you don't think you are overstepping the mark?

@darknessafterdusk If you are interested in understanding why "control" is not a recommended word, this might be a useful link static.diabetesaustralia.com.au/s/fileassets/diabetes-australia/f4346fcb-511d-4500-9cd1-8a13068d5260.pdf

I'd have no problem with being quizzed by a pharmacist, to be honest. They have in-depth knowledge of drug interactions etc and the questions are just there to make sure no horrendous mistakes are made. They have rules that they have to work within and no amount of annoyance is going to change that. It's annoying, of course, but it isn't their fault.
I'd have more of an issue with someone unqualified making a similar judgement, especially if they are making a judgement about what they think a pregnant woman should have/do/take, rather than following any sort of safety guidelines.

This thread is ridiculous. Let's do away with pharmacists then, and let people buy whatever the hell they want. And as for the idiot who took sodium citrate in pregnancy, well, I have no words. It is not recommended in pregnancy. But of course you know better than a pharmacist and the drug companies

Pharmacists know WAY more about drugs than most Drs do. Even in hospital, the pharmacists will do regular ward rounds to check drug charts are correct.

Our pharmacy is fantastic and I have no problem with them asking me how often I'm using the co codamol I sometimes use because a) I assume they have a protocol that requires them to and b) I might not be aware of the risks of long term use. But there are definitely some examples here of pharmacists acting over and above what is required to act as gatekeepers.

Every time I take a prescription to the same chemist and the same pharmacist
"4 a day? It's one a day. That's an overdose, I can't prescribe it"
Well you have been doing, and I've been taking it for 21 years and I'm not dead yet
Have now given up and buy it from online chemist as it's cheaper and no arguments about how many I take
You should have seen the face when the consultant gave me a prescription for 350mg (total) antihistamines 😂😂😂

I agree with @t1mum3 it defeats the object of safeguarding when it’s
overbearingly officious. I rarely step foot in a high st chemist now.

I was refused pile cream when I was pregnant, after being advised to 'you can buy it in the chemist', by my GP.

I was in pain, I was uncharacteristically rude.

Technically you could beat someome to death with a frozen chicken but no questions are asked when buying frozen chickens...

Plus you can cook & eat the murder weapon/evidence.

I’m going to go into H&B today, try and purchase the same thing and then proceed to get fake teary and ask for the manager, explaining that my body confidence issues are enough as it is without being accused of being pregnant!

Technically you could beat someone to death with a frozen chicken but no questions are asked when buying frozen chickens...

Plus you can cook & eat the murder weapon/evidence

And if you are heavily pregnant you are probably more likely to do both of those things

^^This. And for people who know more than the pharmacist, there is the internet. Knock yourselves out (sometimes literally). My SiL has been devising her own treatment for a back injury for the last 4 months - she'll take advise from the internet, her mum, the postman, random strangers in the local shop -anyone but a doctor it seems. Post-expert world.

When I was heavily overdue with Babythulu, I went to buy Raspberry leaf tea. The lady in Holland and Barrat wouldn't let me buy it "because it might induce labour." Well, until I told her how far along I was, then she let me have it. Didn't do a bloody thing.

@Mumthulu go back and tell them they’re training is wrong. It doesn’t induce labour it strengthens the muscles around the uterus.

Pharmacists are brilliant, I often use them for advice rather than make a GP appointment. And one refused to give me a prescription once, quite rightly so as it could have interacted fatally with a drug I was already taking, which the (locum) doc knew I was taking as we discussed why I was on it!