to find it annoying when the pharmacy won't sell you something because you're pregnant?

[UniqueMeta]

Don't want to bother GP as I have a painful, itchy, discoloured fungal infection on a patch of my skin that I've had a few times before and Canesten will sort. Went to buy. Pharmacy said no and that I need to speak to pharmacist who is unavailable. This is because I'm pregnant. It says on the packet 'safe for use in pregnancy'. NHS states it is safe for use. Even BNF says safe to use.

Went to another pharmacy today in a baggy dress, didn't even ask if I was pregnant, I didn't mention it, sold me the canesten. Infection has since got worse (literally overnight) and spread right underneath my boob. Will now take much longer to fix.

AIBU to think that this is a bit OTT? I understand with any sort of medicine that doesn't clearly state whether it's safe to use in pregnancy, but this was IMO verging on silly and simply meaning that I have to suffer a bit longer.

Hmmph...

A pharmacist refused me gaviscon once when I was about 7/8 months along. I had such bad heartburn I cried on the way out. It was on my lunch break at work and they were the nearest supplier. Went to a convenience store instead and got some

fitz it just seems a bit nuts! Totally get it if it states 'consult pharmacist or your gp if pregnant' but 'safe to use in pregnancy' is a bit of a giveaway!

Well my sister told me to take castor oil when i was over due and i was a young mum and didnt know better. im very glad the pharmacist refused!

butterfly yes they likely refused because castor oil is not safe to use in early pregnancy.

I always said that the doctor advised it. It seemed like a 'magic key' answer.

I posted this a while back they wouldn’t sell me off the shelf Anusol and I was in agony with piles , said I had to see GP I just ordered it on amazon prime

fum I actually called a good friend of mine who is a gp just to check before I went to pharmacy number two today and they said 'oh for goodness sake how ridiculous! Get them to call me at the surgery and I will speak to them if they refuse' - not that I would've done this but even gp thinks it is silly!

ichi anusol is another that says 'safe for use in pregnancy' because I have some at home and have been using it and it says it clear as day on the leaflet!

I had hyperemesis with my pregnancies and was admitted to hospital to be put on a drip several times. They found a drug that worked, discharged me and gave me a prescription for a few weeks. My pharmacy refused to give me the medication as "it's not safe in pregnancy". Cue huge fuss, they phoned my GP who gave them a polite but firm bollocking.

The drug is used as a standard in treating hyperemesis. It 100% saved my life and my kids are fine.

I lie about what tablets I am on and my other medical conditions.

I have been given the go-ahead by my Consultants and my condition/tablets are on the Pharmaceutical Website about contraindications etc.

My GP would be annoyed if I wasted an appointment and wouldn't give me what I can buy in the chemist, on prescription, anyway.

They have to change the rules about what Pharmacists can dispense.

YANBU at all, actually this is one of the reasons I don’t want to get pregnant again because you’re expected to just struggle on! I had an awful cold and cough for 4+ months and the pharmacists wouldn’t sell me anything. I ended up going to the GP with a chest infection. Drives me mad

Sad times! Must be so frustrating for doctors too as we are wasting their appointment times for unnecessary prescriptions.

This never happened to me, ever.

Could you not get someone else to get it for you?!

butterfly it has clearly happened to a lot of us though. I could yes but that's not the point. I should be able to buy my own cream that is quite clearly safe during pregnancy. Common sense should prevail here.

Long reply here, but hopefully this helps you out!

I assume you spoke to a healthcare assistant in the first pharmacy - if a patient is pregnant, they should/must refer you to the pharmacist, who has the responsibility to make a decision on the necessary treatment based on the information gathered from the patient, i.e. whether it should be treated over the counter or if you should see a GP. It's not a counter assistant's call to make. These protocols aren't in place to make it difficult for the patient/customer, or to prolong your suffering, but to make sure that correct advice is given, so that no harm comes to patients and underlying disease isn't masked.

Given what you were requesting, the multiple uses for this and your pregnancy, the counter assistant may have assumed you had vaginal thrush, but should have asked what you were treating (if they didn't). Regardless of this, they must run the sale past the pharmacist who may well have sold you the treatment if they had been available, with advice to see a GP if not resolving or it returns. Bear in mind though, that even though the leaflet states the cream is safe to use in pregnancy, which it is, recurrent fungal infections (not just vaginal thrush) can be a symptom of diabetes, which can be a complication in pregnancy. As you have mentioned that you have used it before a few times, this would also be a red flag to a healthcare professional. It may not be unreasonable to advise you to see the GP. I'd have been in the 'I'll sell you it, but see the doctor if not resolving/returns' camp, but it's each individual's registration, so it's their judgement being exercised.

It sounds like the first pharmacy were very thorough. I'd always mention I was pregnant though, for the reasons above.

Annoying but we are lucky in the UK that a lot of medication we can get outside of a pharmacy other countries you can't even pick up paracetamol without discussing it with a pharmacist. (Really annoying when you have a pounding headache at 9pm at night).

master gp said nothing about diabetes when I explained situation to them so doubt pharmacist would either? If this is protocol it should be changed because it is silly. Surely the pharmacist should then speak to everyone? Pregnancy related diabetes isn't the only reason that certain things could recur. Just my opinion and take your point however

Reading some of the other things people have been refused though....Gaviscon and Anusol!! I can see why you get frustrated.

Pharmacists have little control over what they can sell in certain situations. It's down to the licensing of the products. GP's can prescribe products that can also be bought over the counter, but this may differ from what pharmacists can sell them to treat - a good example being steroid creams for children. GP's can prescribe the same product for use on a baby, but a pharmacist cannot sell it for the same patient as it is not licensed for use in children under 10 years. Midwives advising buying co-codamol in early labour is another we see often and would refuse. You could lose your license to practice if you knowingly do this. Even speaking to a GP on the phone to OK this does not change the responsibility for supply.

Was it was a medication that can only be sold when a pharmacist on the premises, if it's behind the counter it often means it must have pharmacy approval. This happens to me if I go when the pharmacist is at lunch. You get free prescriptions when you're pregnant.

uniquemeta I totally get your frustration - I don't know if the pharmacist would have questioned this. GP's are much better at taking risks than pharmacists, which is why it sounds like they take things like this less seriously, but if you are requesting this from them on a regular basis, from my experience they would generally investigate.

master
Couldn't agree more. I don't think people realise the stress and responsibility pharmacists carry.

master wasn't regular. Never been to this pharmacy before. Literally just asked for canesten which I said I had used before whilst pregnant. She put the box on the counter, I read it, safe to use in pregnant women. If it's not safe surely they should be asking women 'are you pregnant?' when they sell it? Next pharmacy had no issue selling it to me as it's 1%. Didn't even ask what it was for.

I understand the worry for pharmacists. I don't think most people underestimate the stress they may feel. The issue was not with the pharmacist. I just think it's silly not being able to buy 1% clotrimazole. OTC without running it past a pharmacist when you can just hide the fact you're pregnant, get someone else to buy it for you, or buy it online. Think I just got unlucky in this instance as I was wearing a tight dress. (Also heavily pregnant and cranky and fungal infection under boob is driving me nuts so may be over-annoyed )

If it’s a product I know is fine, I just don’t tell them I’m pregnant. This happened to me for something similarly fine so I just lied from them on!

If it’s complex and I need advice then I look up online or see pharmacist.

I think it’s assumed we are stupid. I never took anything when pregnant unless I had to and had looked it up first.

It’s a piss take. How do they know you aren’t buying something for your partner or someone else? I’m not suddenly an imbecile who needs minding.

This is why I’m glad I have a small bump!

I'm still fuming that ASDA refused to sell me lemsip for DH, but allowed me to buy some paracetamol snd a lemon