Dispenser refused to give me my medication? Is this allowed?

[elc19]

Today, I went to the chemist to pick up my repeat prescription which I need as it contains my strong antihistamines as I have chronic angiodema. Also on that prescription is some painkillers for my endometriosis.

I always collect them a few days before I run out, the dr issued then electronically a week ago. I called to ask if I'm able to collect today (pharmacy on the side of my drs) as I didn't want to go if it was busy with urgent prescriptions being issued, the receptionist said of course you can, the queue was short and all priority patients had been dealt with.

Upon arrival, the female dispenser said “No (my name) next week” I asked what she meant and she said “no next week” again.

She turned her back to me and was shaking her head and talking to the pharmacist about me whilst I explained to the female assistant that I always had these tablets and I always collected them a few day’s before I was due to run out.

I asked why again to the female assistant and she said they had been sent somewhere else. I asked why this had happened as I always collected them there and she couldn’t answer me.

The female assistant asked me if I had anyone who could pick them up next week, I explained no, my husband is a key worker working 12-14 hours a day. She then said “are you sure?” as if I was lying, by this point I was completely horrified and in shock by how I had been treated.

They dispensed my pain relief medicine and she gave me my prescriptions to collect elsewhere.

I am currently recovering from my 9th miscarriage, surgery and I’m bleeding very heavily. I had to drive to a different pharmacy and wait 20 minutes, by the time I was walking back to my car after finally getting my medication, I had bled through my clothes, I was in tears through embarrassment trying to stop blood from dripping down my legs and on to the pavement.

I feel like I've been treated unfairly, would you complain to their complaints department about this?

Sadly I’m not surprised, I have been refused my prescription by the pharmacy if I have been a few days early. What they have refused for me is insulin, I cannot survive without it.

Stress is not an excuse to treat people poorly, I personally would write a letter/email of complaint.

How strange, I assumed it may be because they’re opioid based. No excuse to be rude, even if under stress. Do take care of yourself x

I asked why again to the female assistant and she said they had been sent somewhere else.

This is the explanation

Even if they're busy surely it actually takes less time to just say what the issue is. If they gave the green bit back then maybe they didn't have it in stock or something, or perhaps there was a note saying not to give yet (in which case it seems odd to advise you to go elsewhere). Either way why not just say that instead of have you likely at the counter for longer wondering what's going on . In theory yes they can refuse to dispense a prescription, but they must signpost to another pharmacy; usually there an actual reason though.

Yes I would complain. There’s no excuse for how they spoke to you. Hope you’re feeling better soon

The app is called Well Pharmacy!

My GP recommended it to me

@Namechangervaver but she was lying as she had them there, she told me she did after telling me it had gone elsewhere and when I asked where and why she refused to answer, which made me think she was lying which in the end turned out to be it .

@Marieo I didn't put the prescription in myself, the dr sent it electronically a while ago to make sure I had it in time as it's important

@elc19 ah okay, either way they should have explained and not been rude.

@Shmithecat2 she told me they were there but she wasn't giving them to me until next week????

because other people will have been waiting longer- you cant jump teh queue.

@Darbs76 I order them early because it's important I don't run out. It's been the same for years

we are in an unprecedented situation- we cant expect to do what we have always done

@Marieo I didn't put the prescription in myself, the dr sent it electronically a while ago to make sure I had it in time as it's important

As did lots of other doctors for lots of other patients- that's the issue. Demand has risen but supply and those to dispense has decreased.

How many items were on the other prescriptions she handed you back? They wouldn't have dispensed the items then de-issued it. That's too time consuming for everybody.

My guess is - you asked for your prescription and they checked the EPS, could see your prescriptions had been sent by the surgery but hadn't yet been dispensed. They then said they wouldn't be ready until next week because they have a back-log of waiting patients, due deliveries, blister packs and collections, so didn't have capacity to dispense within a reasonable time frame.

Rather than send you away with nothing, they dispensed the painkillers (I'm guessing you told them these were urgent), and handed you the other prescriptions to take elsewhere.

My mum works in Pharmacy and she was in tears tonight. They have no staff, no PPE, too many prescriptions, not enough time, too many silly phone calls and the risk is very high.

I worked in Pharmacy for 10 years, glad to be out of it tbh because it's a thankless, unrewarding job at the best of times.

She could have been a bit politer about it but the pressure they are under at the moment is incredible.

That's a disgusting way to speak and treat a customer. You are still a human being and the majority of people collecting their own prescriptions are in pain, unwell and generally very vulnerable.
Yes, I would phone the pharmacy and speak to the pharmacist themselves and state that you are going to make a formal complaint about their assistant and why.
Not okay to treat anyone badly simply because of external pressure.

Every month I collect my meds and every month they miss something or forget to order in something etc etc etc. So I've downloaded the Patient Access app so I can check it's ordered and you can write notes on there for other things that are required less frequently. First time I've used it was last week - went to collect today and they've fucked it up again. The doctors aren't registered to the national database so I can't just change chemist . It's a disgrace given that I had to make a special essential trip out to get it, because it is essential to my health. To make a hash of this once is forgivable but every bloody month is shocking.

I didn't put the prescription in myself, the dr sent it electronically a while ago to make sure I had it in time as it's important

And the important thing to note here is that the lady in the chemist was right.

but she was lying as she had them there, she told me she did after telling me it had gone elsewhere and when I asked where and why she refused to answer, which made me think she was lying which in the end turned out to be it

Nope. Electronically sent prescriptions go exactly to where the surgery sends them to. She was just telling you that, historically you were a week early & she didn’t have your prescription, she wouldn’t know where the surgery had sent it.

You asked for them early, they weren’t there and
was shaking her head and talking to the pharmacist about me

she was talking about you to the pharmacist saying the drugs you ordered - early- were not there....car issues are not anything to do with them but...whatever, your prescription still wasn’t there, BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN SENT ELECTRONICALLY BY THE SURGERY TO A DIFFERY CHEMIST -REMEMBER- ELECTRONICALLY I’m sorry to shout but she wasn’t rude, if your prescription had been sent elsewhere, how can you actually think it was the pharmacy fault? The drs/nurses at the surgery send the prescriptions through to the pharmacy.
I know, I’m surgery based. They made an error, the surgery NOT the pharmacy and certainly not the poor woman that hands prescriptions over and has to deal with patients yelling at her when the drs have sent prescriptions to the wrong place.
I’m sorry for your losses, I have 4 IVF losses but your 2nd to last paragraph has nothing to do with the woman in the chemist not having your prescription a week early when it had been sent electronically elsewhere.
If you need to complain by all means complain to your surgery for sending your prescription to the wrong place, I’m sure they will happily deal with after they have finished dealing with the current pandemic. In the meantime do confirm, when you next order, that the prescription will go to your nominated pharmacy as there was an error last time.

@Haveitheright I don't know if I've made myself any clearer but the prescriptions WERE at the pharmacy.

I just asked for some advice here. Not to be bashed. My prescriptions were with the pharmacy that they were meant to be at. For some reason the assistant said they'd gone elsewhere, when I asked where so I could collect from the appropriate place, the dispenser then said they were there. Where they were meant to be. I just asked if a dispenser can refuse to give medication that they had a prescription for, signed by a dr.

@Haveitheright I don't know why you assume the "poor lady" was shouted at. I never raised by voice or was rude in any way, she was rude to me for absolutely no reason.

My GP sent a text yesterday to say that no prescriptions would be issued early because people had been stockpiling medicines and there were now shortages, could it be the same in your area op, so a blanket policy and not aimed at you?

I has same today. GP sent prescription through 3 days ago to them and pharmacy called me this morning to say it was ready to collect. I'm self isolating as have diabetes and other medical issues so not left the house and had a 30 min walk dodging people as don't drive and didn't want to use the bus in case I couldn't stay 2 meters away from anyone.

Got there and was told will now not be ready until Monday or Tuesday . No idea why. I asked why they called me to say it was ready to collect but nothing given in reply. Just they are very busy and others have priorities and they will now call again when ready. I will run out of one of my meds by then.

Must admit had a little weep outside before the long walk home trying to dodge people by walking in the road.

Hope you are ok OP

I have to say I am not sure why everyone is trying to find a reason for the person at the chemist to behave the way she did - lying and being abrupt verging on rude.
Sometimes it IS the person being rude rather than the OP not understanding the system somehow (even though she had been getting the same prescription for years).

I would actually complain @elc19, not the least to get an explanation as to why you ought to have waited. And to be able to get my point across about that behaviour.

Btw I can’t understand why pharmacists are so busy.
I mean they aren’t doing any more work they normally do. People who do have the virus are told to stay at home and there is no treatment bar paracetamol. The ines who are really ill are in hospital.

So why the sudden ‘oh we can’t cope and you’ll have to wait?’. And why that sort of attitude and NO EXPLANATION. No one is a mid reader or will know what the heck is going in with chemists. (I certainly don’t)

@SimonJT that makes no sense. I use more insulin in winter than in summer (more food, less active) and if I’m ill so how do they know how long a script lasts. It’s not like it’s one pill a day!

I’d definitely complain!

Thank you to everyone who responded after actually reading what I wrote xx

I hope you all also get the meds you need. Stay safe xx