Furious with pharmacist

[Pleeby]

Queuing to collect my prescription. One lady already waiting and a school mum behind me.

Pharmacist comes out and calls my name, I said yes that’s me she then calls “are you waiting for your sertraline”. No discretion at all.

I said to her “I’m sorry did you just call my actual prescription out in front of everyone” she just kind of shrugged and said yeah sorry is that what you’re waiting for though?

What the actual fuck? This must be a breach of some kind of confidentially?

A lot of people won't know what it is though. They'd have to be really nosey and google.

Was it an independent or a big chain?

It doesn’t matter whether anyone knows what it is or not, the pharmacist should not have done that!

Completely out of order - I wouldn’t hesitate to report that. Shocking.

That is shite. Complain

I always find it weird when they ask your full name and address infront of everyone.

That's awful. I'm sorry that happened to you.

This sort of thing happens a lot when I collect my kids’ prescriptions. It’s actually quite embarrassing if others are in the shop, as they’ll ask questions like “have they had the * medication before? “. “Is it for acne? “ etc etc. I keep my replies to a hushed tone .

Bloody hell, I'd be furious. Definitely complain

No, that is unacceptable. Complain.

It was a chain, Boots!!

Retired pharmacist here.
Totally out of order, breach of confidentiality- best that she should have said is are you waiting for your script or your repeat? Absolutely out of order to specify your medication and the response to you makes it worse.
I'd complain. I would definately having a meaningful discussion with my pharmacist managers/locums if I heard about that. If a locum I wouldn't be using them again.

I think you are right to be annoyed by this if it could be overheard by the school mum nearby and you were right to challenge them. This has never happened to me. I am always uncomfortable by giving my address in front of everyone though. I am sure the other people were more interested in their own situation rather than yours so put it behind you.

I would complain- clear breach of patient confidentiality, it's the shrug which would annoy me most.

That is awful. And I disagree with a previous poster I think most people would know what sertraline was wouldn’t they?

I do find it slightly odd having to discuss your medical and your contact details 2m away from the pharmacist so everyone else can hear. I just hope that no-one else is really listening as I don’t tend to take any notice of what anyone else is saying when it is their turn

I’ve had this happen to me but it was more ‘we don’t have the X in stock come back tomorrow etc’

It’s crap and I agree out of order but not sure how else they could do it without it taking up more time etc?

I always think the address thing is weird too. Not many other places you’d have to confirm your address out loud in front of strangers.

@Pleeby

It was a chain, Boots!!

Lol are you in my town! I recently got a prescription for antibiotics sent to boots because the doctor saw it was my nearest geographically (but a pain in the arse to get to with a car) and as she brought the prescription over IN THE MIDDLE OF A BOOTS SHOP she went ‘FTEngineerM - whats your address I have your inhaler’ I gave it and she handed it over then said shall I order another. Total wrong person, wasn’t even my prescription but it definitely seems to be a boots problem because I was shocked too.

They could ask you to come to the counter and point at the item on your script and ask if that’s what you’re waiting for?

There are lots of ways they could ask without actually calling out your script

Can’t imagine they would holler at a man “you waiting for your viagra?”!!

Thats shit op. Sorry that happened YANBU.

I went for the morning after pill a couple months ago.

Im 34 , it's the second time in my life I took it but that's beside the point.
She put me in a private room...then went back out behind the counter and opened a hatch to the room and shouted questions at me about contraception..how it works and what I can do in future. Questions about all sorts I was fucking mortified.

I then had to let myself out of the room and stand with the people who had been watching and listening through the hatch.

You have every right to be pissed off. Working in a pharmacy she should know better than to do that.

I would like to add that taking sertralene is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of though.

In her defence, masks can make it difficult to assess the volume of your voice. If you constantly get told to repeat yourself whilst wearing a face covering, you might accidentally over compensate and be too loud on occasion

Having said that, obviously she’s in the wrong and shouldn’t have announced your private medical information so your complaint is valid. I don’t really get why she asked you if that’s what you’re waiting for? It was unnecessary as usually they just ask if you have free prescriptions or not, take your payment and hand you the bag. If it’s out of stock or will take a while to prepare, there’s certainly more discreet ways to hold that conversation. A complaint will hopefully refresh her training.

I've given up on Boots Pharmacy, my small local one is so much better. I complained after a pharmacist was downright rude to a very elderly couple who were waiting for their flu jabs.

Why are you embarrassed about taking it?