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?

I don't think everyone would know what Sertraline was, I only know because a friend takes it. But that's not the point they shouldn't have blabbed it out in front of everyone.

Seems odd they would mention what it was, wasn't it in the bag all stapled up? or had they not got it ready yet?

Completely unacceptable.

It's nothing to do with embarrassment,or shame or personal feelings. It shouldn't happen.

Shouting Sertaline is just as bad as shouting Metformin ,penicillin , insulin or genital warts cream. It's irrelevant. It shouldn't happen.

Always complain when this sort of thing happens. It’s the only way things will change.

Ridiculous - I would be raging.

Pharmacies (and H and M with their daft rewards scheme) are about the only places where I get asked to say my address out loud. It's a complete breach of privacy, in the age of QR codes, couldnt we just scan in or something?
So much for GDPR and data security! I know this only applies to online but to be honest I would rather my details were leaked to an annonymous marketing agency, than the fact that I have piles is told to half the village.
*Disclaimer, I dont actually have piles.

Probably shouldn’t have done it. Can’t go back and have her undo it. No point complaining and getting someone in trouble. Who here hasn’t made a small mistake at work? Let it go

There are only 2 pharmacies in my small town, one of which is Boots. I have a lot of prescriptions to collect, and it's not possible to coordinate them all, so I'm in there at least every couple of weeks. I have to say that this happens to somebody nearly every time. One of the assistants once mouthed 'Is it the P E S S A R I E S?' at me, which was very discreet if anyone couldn't lipread at 100 yards away.

Please complain op.

I do lots of community visits as part of my job and was once handed a bag of medication to take into my patient by a pharmacy delivery driver,

Not only did the label have their name and address on, but also their keysafe code. I pointed out how unsafe that was, the driver shrugged, I called the pharmacy who didn’t seem unduly concerned and I also put an incident form in through my work.

I thought tht was common practice. Staff in our Lloyds do that, all the time.

@LilacTwine

I would complain to Boots - they need to train their staff not to do that, it's unnecessary and rather lazy.

Different situation but at a GP the doctor asked me whether or not I was on the pill in a crowded room. He instantly dropped down to a very low voice so no one else would have heard. It would have been far easier for him to ask loudly and clearly as this person did but he made the effort not to.

Was he wearing a mask? Not disagreeing with op that they need to review procedures with that member of staff but at the moment ‘dropping to a very low voice’ is pretty impossible. I’m not even that old and I’ve realised my hearing is awful and I lip read to help

I take it - I would be pissed off as well. YANBU

I mentioned to one of the staff in my local chemist that an item was missing in the bag of meds that she had given me. She asked what it was and went to take a look. She came back and shouted across a packed shop, we have no Vagifem left. I really didn't need everyone to know. I won't be going back.

YANBU. I would complain about this 100%

Bungleandgeorge

This was pre-Covid. I know what you mean though, my hearing is not great and that's why it was impressive - he somehow dropped his voice very low but I could hear every word.

@Pleeby

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?”!!

I used to enjoy greatly collecting sildenafil for dd when she was smaller. The pharmacist and I enjoyed discussing loudly what we were up to, much to the confusion of other customers and any staff who were new. Still have a good laugh about it when I pop in to see them now.

I’m also wondering if you’re in my town?
I’ve just complained to boots for the way they treated me when collecting a prescription!

My pharmacy doesn't seem to get the concept of collection.
I've got my prescription down as collection as pre covid I worked in the office 9-5 so would collect on a sat(drs is electronic prescription do it auto goes there rather than paper). The amount of times they would send it out for delivery and then give it to a neighbor to give it to me was annoying.
During covid they actually just post the medicine (if it fits) through the letter box. Again I'm still down for collection only.. but every time it's out for delivery.

I wouldn't mind the posting so much if

1. I knew it was coming that day as I've kids and I don't want them getting it if I don't hear the letterbox go
2. they act managed to deliver my medicine to another person and only realised when I went to collect , as usual and said it had been delivered. It had not. I then got accused of having the delivery and just wanting more. Yes I want a stock pile of suppositories... Later that afternoon the original prescription turned up. God knows where it had been.

Complain to boots HQ, they do usually take stuff like this seriously.

People jumping in to tell the OP she has no right to be embarrassed by the type of medication she's taking is exactly the reason why we have a right to privacy in the first place.

@FireflyRainbow

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

Yes and sometimes date of birth...

Totally unacceptable to say which medication you’re having

That's awful. I would absolutely complain.

This happened to me years ago in a busy Lloyds Pharmacy, pharamicist shouted 'mrs heidbuttsupper, is it suppositories you are waiting on'. I was mortified and complained

It doesn't matter what medication it is it shouldn't be announced to the queue!

YANBU.

Not me personally, but I work somewhere with a pharmacy attached. While I was in there a couple of weeks ago, the pharmacist called a young girl's name out (I'd guess 15 or 16 at most) and said loudly in front of everybody "have you had this before?" "no" "is it for contraception or heavy periods?".

Valid question of course - but isn't it possible to say it quietly or use the room designated for private colsultations?

Poor girl went bright red & looked very uncomfortable.

I made a mental note never to use my local Boots for anything personal when I heard the pharmacist loudly discussing the dosage for another customer’s prescribed laxatives.

I pick up my mum’s prescription. She has many items on it. In the past I would tick and sign the repeat prescription paperwork. Now I am not allowed to touch it so the pharmacist runs through the items, as DM doesn’t always need the same items every month, and this has to be done from 2m distance