To think a pregnancy test is an essential item?

[FluffyKittensinabasket]

I popped to the local pharmacy today. There was a sign on the door saying two customers at any one time. So I waited outside.

A pharmacy assistant came to the door.

“You have to wait outside you know, you can’t just barge in!”

I looked at her, a bit confused. “Yep I know, that’s why I’m waiting here.”

She asked me what I wanted. I said a pregnancy test. She took real umbrage to that. “THAT IS NOT AN ESSENTIAL ITEM! You can pick up a prescription or medication ONLY.”

I just looked at her. “Well I would like to see if I’m pregnant or not, please can I buy one or can I speak to the pharmacist?”

“I’ve just told you no. You shouldn’t be trying to conceive at a time like this anyway.”

I walked away at that point, came home and ordered one on Amazon to arrive tomorrow. I am left dumbstruck by this interaction. I was polite, I stood well back from her, I didn’t raise my voice. But it’s okay to be shouted at now? And being told I shouldn’t have a baby? Very bizarre.

Seriously why would she be so rude and on the basis that non essential shops have opened today then they should reconsider their policy!
I do think this has sent some people mad!

I would definitely complain. It is not her place to comment on what you are buying in a pharmacy. She would have hated me last week as I popped into Boots to buy suncream!

Make a complaint. For me -knowing if I was pregnant or not -is a serious issue due to prior surgery.

I would be going back down there and insisting on speaking to the manager in person. If you write she will probably bin it. And you can guarantee you are not the only person she has been rude to. Her attitude is shocking

I think the press has a lot to answer for, people have become so terrified manners and common sense have gone out the window. Everytime someone is rude and irate at the moment I just remind myself they're probably very scared. Sometimes it helps.

I would leave a review on google reviews and/or similar and keep trying to speak to the manager.

Most times I've used a pregnancy test I definitely have not been TTC. What a horrid woman.

That's awful Op. I was told after my third NOT to have anymore because of C section scars so for me it would be an emergency. Only a man would not place importance on a possible pregnancy. She had no right to speak to you in that manner.

I think we might live in the same place and I prefer chain pharmacies tbh

That's ridiculous. Other than the restrictions in numbers of customers in the shop (depending on its size) we didn't have any restrictions on what we could buy once we got inside any shop during our strict lockdown back in April (I'm in Jersey, not on the mainland, but we have Boots, Lloyds and a whole host of independent chemists and pharmacies on the island). The only restrictions were what they didn't have in stock to start with! No one, to my knowledge, was ever judged about what they asked to buy!

So I'd say keep complaining. Right now, small independent shops need to keep their customers - if anything, they should be bending over backwards to help you! I bet if you keep trying by phone to talk to the manager (or contact by letter/email to the manager marked 'Confidential') the manager will be appalled. No one wants their shop to have poor customer relations in a small town!

Good luck - both with the manager, but more importantly with TTC.

PP was right fear makes villains of us.

Email head office OP!

I am usually very slow to anger, very tolerant, the last person to complain and would always try and give someone the benefit of the doubt...but this is NUTS. Ask to speak to manager AND write a letter. And keep following up until the message has got through.

I work in an independent community pharmacy. We try to be helpful - As a counter assistant, if there were 2 customers indoors and someone waiting outside, my question would have been - "How can I help?"

Please complain, that was appalling - even if they have a no pregnancy kit at the moment policy they could have gently said "I'm sorry, we don't have any available at the moment, but they are available online or at larger pharmacies".

They have to tell you what the complaints procedure is if you ask.

Ask to speak to the pharmacist - even if the assistant's manager isn't there, a pharmacist legally has to be so you can raise it with them and get them to tell you when the store owner/manager will be there. You'll get more sense out of them

Please, please complain!

Wrong on so many levels.

If it's a small pharmacy that's part of a larger chain there will be a larger management structure to speak to. For example our small pharmacists locally are owned by Coop, Alphega etc.

Blimey, you couldn't make stuff like this up.

I would report the whole thing to the GPC (visit to shop and the phone call.)

www.pharmacyregulation.org/

Good luck for tomorrow, I'll keep everything crossed for you.

“I’ve just told you no. You shouldn’t be trying to conceive at a time like this anyway.”

And this is verbatim, is it?

She’s barmy!

Please please please make a complaint to the manager of this pharmacy. What a vile woman she is.

Also, the shops that remained open stopped caring about what is an essential purchase back around the time of that second "update", mid-May!

I've been to the pharmacy (small, local) to buy eye wash. Much less essential than a pregnancy test and no one bollocked me for a) wanting one or b) waiting outside as instructed.

She sounds like a fruit loop. I'd keep phoning, or just go in and ask for the manager until you get him.

I’m just gobsmacked at this! Please write to complain very strongly. Picking up antibiotics last week, I presume I could have bought anything else on display in the (naice) pharmacy I went to? Would they have refused to sell me a lipstick had I seen one I fancied?