AIBU - Pharmacy issue

[Andromeida29]

Hello. AIBU advice please. I have had chronic pain for the past three years. Some of this time I have been prescribed Tramodol. After the issues with the woman in Egypt and after seeing people's comments on here. I realised that I need to sign the CD part of the prescription. However in three years, I've never been asked to do so. On the last occasion when my partner picked it up he was not asked to sign the CD part of the script. I spoke to the complaints line of the pharmacy and made them aware of the issue. Today, I received a really aggressive call from someone in the pharmacy basically accusing me of lying. She said I'd only had Tramodol the once in three years and that it's not mandatory to sign for the CD part but it's something they always do. When I asked about why my partner had not been asked to sign it she started reading from a script. I started feeling really uncomfortable with her due to her manner and asked for a call from a manager or someone similar. She refused. She then proceeded to get more aggressive. I then asked her for her name and she refused to give me her name or her role within the pharmacy. I have been going to this pharmacy for years and I don't think I've ever had such an aggressive call (and I've worked in call centres). I was concerned because of the pharmacy because they're obviously not following protocol and think this could be potentially an
Issue but her call made me feel really unreasonable. AIBU?

The woman WBU definitely. Obviously the staff are worried st being caught out not following procedure. I would follow up with head office.

Thank you. I have done. I really don't know why she was being so hostile.

I work in a pharmacy (going back on Saturday after maternity leave.. dreading it!) Yes it's something that should always be signed. If it's not, we get in trouble. If it's not the patient that's collecting, whoever IS, has to sign and we need to see ID.

Wishing you the best Nina. My partner even took ID for both of us in case they asked but nothing was requested. They didn't even ask for my address as ID. Thanks for your reply x

Oh, when I had Tramadol and Diazepam (few years ago) I dont recall having to sign anything - apart from the prescription part to say that I paid.

She's definitely BU! I have recently had to collect prescriptions containing CD for a housebound family member. I had to show ID when collecting the prescription from the GP reception (and sign for it) and the same in the pharmacy along with answering to why I was collecting it and how I was related to the person. All totally reasonable considering the drugs I was collecting!
It sounds like they realise they've really messed up and have gone on the defensive.

I always pick up the family medication and sign the section for dh's tramadol. I've been signing that for a while now as the pharmacy explained at the time legislation had changed to ensure the medication wasn't being abused or something along those lines. I think Dh might have picked his script up once or twice in that time.

I've previously had cause to notify the pharmacy that the wrong medication had been put in a box. Thankfully it didn't cause problems as I realised a) before we needed the tablets and b) before any had been taken. I did it discretely by asking to speak to the manager in their consultation room. Over the phone certainly wouldn't have been confrontational.

Yanbu that her tone sounds unnecessary at best. And at worst the pharmacy (or someone there) might be (I don't know how) manipulating their tramadol scripts.

I would be reporting to head office as I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable continuing to collect medication from there. Do you have an option to get it elsewhere? (We have rural gp/pharmacy services so I know it isn't always possible).

The law around Tramodol changed a few years ago so now it is mandatory. Thankfully I can go elsewhere.
I've worked in customer service in the past and as a rule am never rude or confrontational. If they'd just admitted they'd messed up that would have been more understandable but she was just so rude.
I also don't like the way my details were given to the pharmacy. It's left me feeling quite vulnerable. There just don't seem to be any checks in place. I've never had to take in ID and neither has my partner.

You can report them here.

www.pharmacyregulation.org/content/how-do-i-make-complaint-about-pharmacy-or-pharmacist

Intriguing. The only CD med we have to sign for (and won't be dispensed until we are physically on site unless being delivered) are Butrans patches. The tramadol and other opiates are just treated like paracetamol by our local pharmacies. Strange.