Pharmacy worker - NHS.

[Duckduckgosling]

My DM works in a busy pharmacy as a dispenser, in a Dr's surgery, (whilst also training on the job to further her career in that industry) - as you can imagine, she is rushed off her feet at the moment, long days and working what is supposed to be her day off.

Some of the supermarkets are opening early for NHS workers with an NHS card (she has one as is classed as working for them through the pharmacy) so she went to do her shopping during this time. It's also the only time she has had available due to working all hours.

I told my DP about this and he said she shouldn't have an NHS card for only working on a pharmacy, it's hardly a difficult job & that it should be for the drs & nurses!
This has given me the hump!

I know she's not performing heart surgery but she is still providing a service to everyone & classed as a key worker at this time so why shouldn't she go shopping when she's been informed she can.

AIBU to be annoyed about his comment?

He is a prick. She’s an NHS keyworker. What does he do incidentally? Is he performing heart surgery?

Tell him to do her shifts first then comment.

What a tool. Of course she should have one. Pharmacists are just as important at this time. What about all the asthmatics, diabetics, epileptics people suffering with MH needing their meds. Without pharmacists we would be having an even bigger crisis than we are now!

Your dm should absolutely have the card. Please thank her from me for doing a difficult job in very trying circumstances.

Your DP is a prick. Of course she should have a card. God we don’t get many perks!!

My local pharmacy have been a lot more help to me over the last week than a lot of other people, especially when I turned up there having a panic attack because I'd been told I might not be able to get my anxiety medication. Your mother is absolutely a keyworker, and if she's anything like the ones in my local pharmacy an angel and overworked and pushed to the extreme just now so may as well take the few "perks" that are available!

Mine are angels, I have sat waiting for prescription and seen them question meds for patients re contra indications for other drugs.

I work in a pharmacy and have a nhs smartcard. We are entitled to have it as we are providing NHS services

And also the cards are needed to log on for dispensing items and therefore helping the audit trail as to who dispensed a particular prescription.

Your partner sounds like a prick if he can't recognise that pharmacies are providing a vital role at the moment. If people don't have access to uurgent, life-saving medication, the hospital's will be even more eoverstretched than they normally are. People cannot wait three weeks until after lockdown is over for their heart medication, asthma, diabetes medication , HIV antiretrovival drugs etc

I work in a hospital pharmacy but recently come out of community and this attitude really pisses me off! We do not just stick labels on boxes!! Its not about the drugs being "already made just give it to me" which is the latest i am getting.
There are clinical checks to be done on so many levels to make sure the drug is right for the patient and is the right thing being handed out.

Pharmacists have to do 5 years of training before they are qualified how is that easy? Also because of this their training is more in depth than a gps as they have to know the drugs effects on the body and interactions etc.

Dispensers have to do an nvq to do their job, yes the pharmacist checks their work but a mistake from either/both could kill someone/ cause long lasting damage and the pharmacist would lose their license.

But no the job is easy right?!!

Tell your husband he is a nob, from a front line pharmacy dispenser working in a hospital! (Which incidentally is exactly the same as working in a gp's surgery or a community pharmacy!!!)

Sorry for the rant but this attitude drives me nuts

Thank you all, I agree, he is a prick.

Thank you everyone who is helping us get through these difficult times too

Does she work 12 hour shifts?

The wheels don’t turn without every single cog.

Please tell
Her thank you

NHS is NHS, we all play our part. He owes your dm a big thank you.

He's a prick. My DS is also a dispenser, she's shattered at the moment. She said it's been busier than they've ever been.

As a midwife most frontline NHS staff love the pharmacy part of our NHS family and have the utmost respect for them

The pharmacy team are working hard and are also exposed in the same way any district or community nursing/midwifery member is

Your DP is ignorant and rude. Your poor mother will be worked off her feet in the coming weeks and should be thanked at every opportunity.

Would you like to know who has had the most positive impact in my life in the last few years?

My local pharmacist.

I went there to collect a prescription after a miscarriage and just burst into tears. She bundled me in to a back room and comforted me. She was the first person to share her miscarriage experience with me (at that time a stranger). She made a point of meeting me two days later outside of the pharmacy to check on me and that really helped me turn a corner. She has made sure I have had enough of the right painkillers and that I know how to take them after surgeries and medical miscarriages.

Not every pharmacist is like this. But every pharmacist is in a position to help people in this way.

Frankly, I think she should be sainted.

And your DP is a muppet.

RedHelen she probably doesn't work 12 HR shifts but she probably works five days a week.

Redhelen I think I misunderstood your post - do you mean she could shop after work?
I initially thought you meant that only people working long days were deserving of thanks for working in the NHS, but by the same token, someone working 12 hr shifts only does three or four a week so could shop on the other days

No NHS staff are having to cover colleagues and working 5 or more 12 hour shifts so have less time to go shopping.

Sorry, to be clear I think she is deserving of respect but I think the shopping hour was to help those NHS staff that were working longer hours. My friends a midwife but she's shopping in normal hours cos she can.

I don't think people realise that ALL NHS workers are considered key workers, and that's because even if working in a totally non clinical area, they can be asked to be redeployed to take on any duties (within guidelines) to support the NHS in crisis time.

You could very well found that the person taking patients back into wards is an Accounting Clerk. Should they turned away from shopping at special times because of what role his badge says he is?

He is totally unreasonable, I could have cried with relief earlier on today when I had to go to the pharmacy for pain relief for toothache , I actually said to the chemist lady thank you so much for coming in to work. NHS and pharmacy staff are angels