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?

Boots is the champion of embarrassing interrogations at the counter.

"Are you pregnant?"
[no I'm just a bit fat]

"Have you taken this embarrassing medication before?"

"Do you need the vaginal applicator or will you be applying it directly to your arse?"

dying inside

Do complain. It shouldn’t happen. It may be that you are not at all ashamed of having depression, but don’t want MrsS to know because she won’t actually say “I’m sure Horridcreature has depression you know” but “Horridcreature has depression and do you know she’s my child’s teacher and I just don’t think it’s right. I think I’ll have a word with the headteacher”.

There is also the embarrassment factor when it’s obvious what a drug is for (viagra?) or not obvious at all and people can read all sorts into it. My uncle was about 60 when he was prescribed oestrogen for bleeding issues - imagine that being shouted across the pharmacy when you live in a small village.

How else do you want it confirmed that the prescription is yours? It's been covered in great detail that checking the medication is obviously unacceptable.

I have worked in pharmacy, there are so many people with the same name. The only distinguishing questions would be address or date of birth and in my experience people are far more arsey about sharing their age than address. I can guarantee you'd all be up in arms if the other 'Jane Smith' got your medication.

@Devlesko

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

No it is really unacceptable.

All those mentioning the address
Asking for the first line of an address is a safety/identity check.
You would be amazed at the number of people who say yes and step forward when a name is called- when it is not them. Its almost as if no one else in the pharmacy is waiting for a script, only them so the script MUST be theirs.
They shouldn't IMHO, tell you the address, they should ask you for road name, or the village., otherwise people would still say yes! I have known it happen.
But yes OP- complain to Boots area manager or Head Office, If it was a counter assistant or technician it is still the pharmacist's responsibility to ensure their staff are properly trained.
As for all the comments about discussing sensitive things in front of everyone- what the 4X are the Consulting Rooms for? I despair, I really do!
My view, for what is worth is ask yourself "Would I be happy if my gran/mum/child had that experience in my pharmacy? " If not, you know what to do

@ineedaholidaynow

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

This is a requirement now in many areas. The NHS noted that, when pharmacies began sending the orders in to GPs for prescriptions the numbers and costs to the NHS rocketed. Audits showed there was a lot of over-ordering going on so pharmacies have now been ordered, by the CCGs, to confirm every item individually

@Hboo31

How else do you want it confirmed that the prescription is yours? It's been covered in great detail that checking the medication is obviously unacceptable.

I have worked in pharmacy, there are so many people with the same name. The only distinguishing questions would be address or date of birth and in my experience people are far more arsey about sharing their age than address. I can guarantee you'd all be up in arms if the other 'Jane Smith' got your medication.

date of birth and postcode would do

even birth date (not year) and postcode is enough to confirm you are you.

No need to go into detail about medications or conditions.

Kudos to the OP for calling the pharmacist out at the time. Not kudos to the pharmacist for the faux confusion.

I wouldn't bother complaining again though, you told her at the time.

It’s really bad. And I’ve seen it done at the pharmacy I go to. They’ll ask people loudly what medication they are waiting for. Also the doctor’s receptionists do this. I’ve heard people discussing all sorts with no discretion at all. Sorry this happened to you. Maybe a complaint is worth it.

Boots are (cover their own)arses - I got the third degree over asking for Paracodal - not just the usual - when did you last take it and do you know it should only be taken for 3 days but what's wrong? where's the pain? I replied headache - I was then asked what type of headache - like I'm going to discuss my medical issues with a counter assistant in the middle of a bloody shop. I left the medication behind and spoke to my GP to prescribe pain killers so I wouldn't be treated like an addict for over the counter pain relief for a genuine condition.

Hi...I’m so sorry you are annoyed and yes you are right the pharmacist should have showed more discretion and apologised when she realised you weren’t happy. However I would try and wait a little to cool off before making a complaint to head office...staff really get in a lot of trouble over complaints and it is soul destroying. Ring the store directly and speak with the manager or pharmacist themselves...it would be a kind thing to do at the minute. Pharmacists and healthcare staff have had a tough year....I’m not sure the public realise just how tough. Also as someone said it may not have even have been the pharmacist. I work in a pharmacy and we are up to our eyes..so much goes on behind the scenes and we are so used to all the different medications and conditions that we unfortunately forget sometimes how personal it can be. Customers are always in a hurry, deliveries, medisures etc and we do have a duty to counsel and confirm addresses etc...safeguarding and law etc. Indeed many complain when we don’t do this. Would love to be able to take patients into a private room but genuinely don’t have the time or resources at the minute. Definitely speak to the pharmacy...but I really think they wouldn’t have meant to cause distress and would be grateful for the chance to apologise.

God yes Boots

HAVE YOU HAD A PREVIOUS DIAGNOSIS OF THRUSH?

IS THERE DISCHARGE, OR JUST ITCHING???

aaaahhh shut uppp!

I thought I was an assertive, give-no-shits battleaxe and I end up mumbling and blushing. While bloke 2m away trying to look at the plasters is staring at his feet and wanting the ground to swallow him up.

The NHS want us to go the pharmacist for minor ailments but this is one reason people don't!

Oh god, yes, for anything delicate, I go to a non-chain pharmacy... Boots always yell it out.

Having said that - when ex (not ex at the time) had some kind of scrotal fungus issue, I happily explained that over the counter at boots, so they do have their place :D

Oh, ! Hang on, except that time I needed the morning after pill, and matronly, 40 plus me had to go into a back room with the 20 something pharmacist so he could be sure I knew what I was asking for/all was OK.

The poor lad was blushing so much, I'm not sure supermarket pharmacist was the job for him!

@Bonkerz

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

I wouldn’t want random school mums knowing about my athletes foot treatment and that’s also nothing to be ashamed about. We shouldn’t be ashamed about any medical complaint. But we can still expect privacy!

@Pleeby

It was a chain, Boots!!

Complaint to Boots. If the response doesn’t feel adequate complain here: www.pharmacyregulation.org/raising-concerns

Really sorry this happened to you OP.

I think it definitely warrants a complaint if you can face it.

@Clairemul30

Hi...I’m so sorry you are annoyed and yes you are right the pharmacist should have showed more discretion and apologised when she realised you weren’t happy. However I would try and wait a little to cool off before making a complaint to head office...staff really get in a lot of trouble over complaints and it is soul destroying. Ring the store directly and speak with the manager or pharmacist themselves...it would be a kind thing to do at the minute. Pharmacists and healthcare staff have had a tough year....I’m not sure the public realise just how tough. Also as someone said it may not have even have been the pharmacist. I work in a pharmacy and we are up to our eyes..so much goes on behind the scenes and we are so used to all the different medications and conditions that we unfortunately forget sometimes how personal it can be. Customers are always in a hurry, deliveries, medisures etc and we do have a duty to counsel and confirm addresses etc...safeguarding and law etc. Indeed many complain when we don’t do this. Would love to be able to take patients into a private room but genuinely don’t have the time or resources at the minute. Definitely speak to the pharmacy...but I really think they wouldn’t have meant to cause distress and would be grateful for the chance to apologise.

There is a thread of people saying Boots do this all the time.

It’s not about individuals it’s about a culture that exists in Boots. If they don’t know they can’t improve but it’s clearly an issue beyond one branch!

I've no idea what sertraline treats, and I've not experienced the name of my prescribed drug being called out to confirm it's what I'm collecting. But I can see if that's happening it could be really annoying.

I think I'm coming at it from a different angle, but the reason I dislike this is because for a large part of the time I'm living on my own. What I hate is having to say aloud, in public in a shop, my name and address in order to get my prescription filled. I'm starting to think from this thread I'm overthinking things, but I have in my head there's a master criminal (or maybe just a petty one) standing behind me in the queue. He/she hears me say, "My names [...] and I live at [... ... ...] and immediately realise, 'She's in here, her property is unoccupied - let's get over there'. I don't give out my full name and address details to random callers on my phone, why should I feel happy to do it in a public space?

Please contact boots to let them know, this is unacceptable

I would be fuming.

I'm not sure what it is but I'm thinking it's some sort of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication.

The school mum is most likely to not have heard though but that's not the point obviously.

Maybe you should call and complain.

I had to google it if it helps, I'm not sure a lot of people would know, but yeah, not great.

I'm a really easy going person and seldom complain, but I'd definitely put in a formal complaint about that.

Disgraceful of her. Definitely complain.

That's awful! Yes definitely put in a complaint. Ps I once bought a pregnancy test from Tesco and the shop assistant said loudly, "Ahh, are you hoping for a positive result?!?"

Clairemul30 I see your point but someone taking Sertraline is probably also having a tough time.

When I have a tough time and mess up in my job I expect it to be taken higher and processes reviewed if necessary.