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Original poster

I'm done with Boots (the shop)

106 replies

Tempertamtrum · 18/04/2018 18:30

Ahhh, annoying lunchtime visit to Boots. Told prescription would be five minutes. So I tried to find No7 Gradual Face Tan - couldn't find it and No7 assistant would not help because No7 self tan not next to her.

Went back to Pharmacy - stood there for extra ten minutes asked pharmacist twice (who was VERY BUSY stood in front of my bagged and ready order) who said wait due to needing signature - so told her will come back tomorrow.

Pharmacist then said she would need to put note on ticket - I asked why not just sign it? Which she did!

This isn't the first time such weirdness has happened to me in Boots - all other Chemists I've used are not so odd. I have repeat prescription so regularly use (mainly friendly in store) Pharmacies without any bother.

Anyone else have such annoying encounters in these places?

OP posts:
user1486076969 · 18/04/2018 19:28

If you can go to an independent (local) pharmacy........much easierGrin

Amanduh · 18/04/2018 19:28

My boots is fab but where I lived before was dire. Then again I’ve had awful local pharmacies and crap issues in apps... I think it’s like anything really

ElsieMc · 18/04/2018 19:31

We have nice staff in our small local one, well the majority are. Because it is a small store in the NW, you do not get the free gifts or offers with the large expensive bottles of perfume. The staff say it drives them mad. I challenged head office about this and they said it was because it had sold out. I said it hadn't, the staff told me they never receive any because they are not one of the larger stores. They didn't even offer to send it to the local store for me when I had spent near on £70.

Never, ever use the pharmacy. I remember a cringey incident involving attempting to buy canesten and a male member of staff continually questioning me about my symptoms etc and no, he wasn't the pharmacist. He kept getting packs off the shelf and saying loudly "is it this one?" I wanted to shout "Yes, everyone shopping in Boots today, I do have thrush in case you missed it".

Today they are selling off no 17 nail polishes for 89p because they are stopping doing no. 17. End of an era for the oldies like me.

LauraRashley · 18/04/2018 19:31

A couple of years ago I tried to get into my local, biggish Boots store at about 9.30am ( it opens at 9). Staff were inside but doors were locked because pharmacist hadn’t turned up. I and many other potential customers didn’t want anything from the pharmacy, but apparently that made no difference.

Also my local independent pharmacy won’t hand over my prepared prescription between 1 and 2, as the pharmacist is at lunch.

I’ve concluded that the whole public:pharmacy interface is just a bit odd and antiquated. I CBA doing anything other than working around the whole nonsense.

MaireadMacSweeney · 18/04/2018 19:34

Oh god and the hundred questions when you want to buy some innocuous cream or painkillers.

Someone will be along to tell you they're "just doing their jobs" Good god I'm 65 and would know by now if anything disagreed with me.

I get my prescriptions in Tesco where they treat you like an adult.

SpuriouserAndSpuriouser · 18/04/2018 19:46

Oh god and the hundred questions when you want to buy some innocuous cream or painkillers.

Oh god it is so annoying! I suppose it's catering to the lowest common denominator, but it feels utterly patronising.

dontcallmelen · 18/04/2018 19:47

Mine is dire as well, last couple of times have waited nearly two weeks for my prescription, when I chased it up script had been sitting there for over a week hadn’t bothered to text me, very unhelpful when I telephoned & rather than look to see if the script was filled, told me to ring the Gp, err no go & look you are far less busy than the the surgery.

anxiouspotato · 18/04/2018 19:54

@bookmum08 you're wrong. The pharmacists don't make up the prescriptions, the dispensers do. Then the pharmacist checks them. The person serving on the counter will be a healthcare advisor who has been trained to sell 'p' medications and give advice. They will only need the pharmacist for more complicated issues. And the sale of 'p' lines is still permitted when the pharmacist is on lunch, as long as they are in the building and have signed in as 'responsible'.

HariboIsMyCrack · 18/04/2018 19:55

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

LauraRashley · 18/04/2018 20:02

olderthanyouthink

Thanks for that, I may give Echo a go - I’m not a people person either!

bookmum08 · 18/04/2018 20:03

Apologies @anxiouspotato I didn't realise the difference between the pharmacists and the dispenser.

britnay · 18/04/2018 20:11

@anxiouspotato you are wrong. the pharmacist needs to be in control of the pharmacy, ie present, in order for P meds to be sold. If they are at lunch then they are not present and P meds cannot be sold. GSL meds don't require a pharmacist present at all.

JenBarber · 18/04/2018 20:17

Ours is wank.

Moved from a sensible location in the centre of town to the outskirts of town. It was in a row of about 6 other 'new' shops but four have closed. Just Boots and Argos standing there in a 'mall' of about twenty shops.

They also once turned their nose up at me because I had a Visa Electron card. No real bother, I went to Tesco instead.

Adventuritis · 18/04/2018 20:21

I think it all went wrong when Boots persuaded pretty much every GP practice in the country to directly send them the majority of prescriptions. They just can’t cope. I feel sorry for the independent pharmacies that can’t compete even though their service is generally far superior. Very unfair really. I make a point of requesting prescriptions to an alternative pharmacy or collecting them myself.

Bluelady · 18/04/2018 20:23

I stopped shopping in Boots when it was divulged that they put a massive mark up on the morning after pill. They charge double what Superdrug does on "moral grounds".

HildaZelda · 18/04/2018 20:27

My local Boots is shit. I hate going in there. The staff are all rude and obnoxious and constantly look down their noses at you. They seem to have a real problem with the fact that there are customers in the store. (I used to work in retail before so I know it's not the easiest job, but staff in my local Boots just take the biscuit)
The only reason I go in now (once in a blue moon) is for Soap & Glory stuff which I can't get anywhere else, otherwise it's Superdrug all the way for me. Superdrug are much more competitive price wise as well.

Oh, and don't even get me started on Boots website! Angry

Whywonttheyletmeusemyusername · 18/04/2018 20:29

Agreed...our local one is dire. I get all my scripts from my independent pharmacy. ..far better, and quicker

BrazzleDazzleDay · 18/04/2018 20:31

The only good thing about our boots is the pharmacy/prescription side. The actual shop is about the size of my living room and sells absolutely fuck all.

They text when my prescriptions ready or chase up the gp if they haven't issued it etc. The pharmasist is a bit of a strange bloke right enough, but he does his job.

VerbenaGirl · 18/04/2018 20:36

My local Boots is dreadful too. I use a lovely independent just down the road from them and it’s so much better.

notsohippychick · 18/04/2018 20:39

I use my local pharmacy. The pharmacist is awesome, so helpful and he actually enjoys what he does bless him.

Juells · 18/04/2018 20:43

My constant beef with Boots is the way they display their supplements. Why not alphabetically? How do I know what section CoQ10 will be in? What about Zinc? Who has the time for all that searching?

CanIGoToBedNow · 18/04/2018 20:52

I was stood outside the closest shop on a Sunday morning with a prescription for my husband who’d been to the out of hours doctor the night before....

The doors were locked but we could see the staff on the inside.... time to open came and went.... there was a crowd building up and in one lady in particular was become really annoyed and kept trying to call someone on her phone.

The staff wouldn’t open the door at the pharmacist wasn’t there.... turns out annoyed lady was the pharmacist but she was the stand in and they didn’t know her.

The staff wouldn’t come close enough for us to let them know the pharmacist was outside... was a farce.

When we eventually get inside the poor pharmacist had never been to this store before so had no idea where anything was...

DH had an infected saliva gland and possible stone, which apparently one of the most painful things you can ever have.... was not impressed with the lack of service!

auntilin · 18/04/2018 20:53

I really don't know how they keep going.
the prices are too high, they are unhelpful & have such antiquated pharmacy rules!

I asked for a mooncup & none of the staff, in a large shopping centre branch, knew what I was talking about!

I did manage to find one eventually, on a floor level shelf, they definitely did not want these sold!

Tara336 · 18/04/2018 20:55

I stopped using click and collect in my local Boots more than once they have forgotten to check my item in so I don’t get a text telling me it’s in store for collection, one staff member laughed when I went in and enquired if my parcel had arrived and moaned to me about another staff member being useless. Then gave it another go at Christmas and I had items missing and after queuing ages to collect then had to wait ages to return whole lot as apparently that’s how they have 5o do it

CocoaGin · 18/04/2018 20:56

I had been taking some medication that had irritated my piles, so I went in and asked the pharmacy assistant for something else - she sniggered, went bright red and sniggered again. I said "I'm glad my discomfort is funny for one of us" and walked off. Who puts someone like that on a pharmacy counter - good job I didn't want Viagra.

Never been back since.