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?

@Moulesvinrouge1

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

I disagree, I bet more people.domt know what it is than does know.

I know what sertraline is and have never taken it myself.

But whether people know what it is or not isn't the point, her behaviour was hugely unprofessional. I would complain to the head of office by email so you have a paper trail.

I think by being rude to her, anyone who overheard the word Sertraline will go home and look it up. There’s nothing shameful about an SSRI. Most people won’t have even heard of the name (and it sounds similar to a multitude of other meds) so for all you know they thought it was some kind of cream or a prescription you were collecting for someone else, until you made a fuss!

The pharmacist should have been more discreet, but I’m guessing she’d be on her feet for hours, masked, packing and distributing 100s of prescriptions, from Methadone to Gaviscon.

I’ve had pharmacists in Boots call out ‘do you want the Canestan pessary or just the cream?’ Or explain loudly how if I buy Ovex I MUST treat the whole family. In my head I’m thinking ‘do you really need to inform the queue I have thrush or my child has threadworms?’ But what’s the point saying it out loud? You just draw more attention to it.

You could always get your Sertraline delivered if it’s embarrassing to collect.

I disagree, I bet more people.domt know what it is than does know.

It's irrelevant really.

It was a breach of confidentiality regardless of people knowing or not knowing what the medication is for

It is irrelevant, but I know what this medication is although I have no experience with it (at all)

I have just come across it on here or on social media generally, mental health issues aren’t as taboo as they used to be so I think medication is more of an open topic. Therefore names of treatments are slowly becoming more general knowledge.

Medical confidentiality is important - it really doesn't matter how many people have heard of something or not. Yelling it around the shop means someone could gossip about you or judge you. It's not to do with being ashamed, it's just that there are some things that are not other people's business.

I'm not ashamed of having thrush, I'm embarrassed about something intimate being discussed when someone who isn't me or the HCP can hear. Likewise I'm on anti-anxiety meds, and I'm not ashamed, but that doesn't mean it's everyone's business.

Given that doctors generally are very aware of the need for privacy, it's odd that so many pharmacists aren't (or Boots staff!).

I can’t believe they are still doing this sort of things.

I had completely unmanageable periods which left me very anaemic and barely able to stand as the blood loss led to very low blood pressure so aged 12 was put on the contraceptive pill. When I used to attend the pharmacy to pick it up in my church school very covered up school uniform looking every bit like the innocent child I was, there were a couple of pharmacists who took great pleasure in humiliating and shaming me loudly in the pharmacy next to my school, “This won’t protect against STDs so you’d better be using condoms or you’ll be catching something nasty” then shake their heads and tut at me. My Mum had to have a strong word with them. I was at an all girls school. I’d never even kissed a boy, I had no interest in sex I just couldn’t cope with losing so much blood, especially as I was tiny and anaemic. Even after my Mum going crazy at the pharmacists after 3 such incidents they still had to dig the knife in when I was put on antibiotics at one point and loudly and in a goady way in front of my teacher yelled, “Full Name. Your contraception won’t work on penicillin so you could end up pregnant, at your age you can get condoms free from the walk in centre. Want a map? Or ya know... just DON’T HAVE SEX.” The information was printed in bold on the label, they didn’t need to shout it at me across the pharmacy in such arrogant sneery and condescending tones. If they’d been genuinely concerned they could have quietly took me aside.

Luckily that time, given the pharmacy was full and it was clearly done for an audience, I found my voice and said “My Mum has told you over and over, I was prescribed this by the gynaecologist for unmanageable gynae problems which meant I was fainting at school. I’m not having sex. I don’t have a boyfriend, I don’t want one until I’m much older. I’m 12 and can’t cope with my periods, please stop humiliating me in front of people every month when I have to pick it up. I’ve told you before that I’m not taking this for sex, just my health.”

They still carried on with this each month until I left school, even when older women in the queue told them they were out of order. It was never done out of care or concern, only judgement, shame, disgust, bullying behaviour by women in their 40s and 50s of a child of 12.

I’ve been on Sertraline before. Most people know it’s for depression and/or anxiety. It’s bang out of order to announce what medication you are on. Whilst it’s nothing shameful or embarrassing to have to take it, you have a right to privacy and to choose who you want to know your confidential health problems. If it’s Boots you should definitely put a strong complaint in writing. This is completely unprofessional.

@Pleeby I’d most definitely be complaining. She has no right to be shouting out what medication you are taking. That is between you, your GP and the pharmacist. Nobody else

@FireflyRainbow

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

Oh I hate that!

Bloody hell NameChanged! That's appalling.

Omg this happened to me once in boots too!!!!!! The pharmacist was a man and he either said was I there to collect my canneston or fungal cream. I was mortified and launched into a huge explanation to the pharmacy waiting area about how I had a small rash on my eyelid and thats what the cream was for.

Also always feel uncomfortable stating my full name and address.

Pharmacist here. I’m appalled. Your patient confidentiality should have been respected. It doesn’t matter how busy the dispensary was or how long the pharmacist had been working - it’s a lapse in professional standards. Patient confidentiality is drummed into every pharmacy student. I would complain to the manager and I would copy the Superintendent Pharmacist on my complaint. I’m so sorry you experienced this

Totally out of order. They should have called your name then quietly spoken to you

@NothingIcando

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.

I've been the "listener" in that situation. Not that I wanted to be!!

I would be furious, and getting a shrug instead of an apology ! I would complain to the manager.

I wanted to thank all the staff in pharmacies who have worked through Covid while I was safe wfh.

I’m so pleased to see pharmacists confirming that even in difficult times confidentiality is important and that Boots should change practices.

Thank you all. I complained to the boots customer service this evening and they’ve told me I’ll get a call back within 72 hours.

For what it’s worth, I know how hard everyone is working right now, I’m NHS myself. Weirdly enough I had to have a conversation with one of my staff today about confidentiality after she discussed patient details on the phone with someone who wasn’t a next of kin,

I do get how easy it is to slip up and I literally never complain about customer service unless it’s truly awful but this was something else.

I recently went to pick up my prescription which had been sitting for almost a week, gave my name and off they went to look for it. Heard a bit of murmuring and it was obvious they couldn’t find it.
Came back out “ sorry what was your medicine?”
Mirena Coil

“Ah right I know where we put that!”
Then out they come with a huge box as wide as a car seat. They were obviously tripping over it all week

I was trying not to make it apparent that I could hear an elderly gentleman being instructed on how to use his cream and where and when earlier. It’s a tiny independent pharmacy, an old house, the living room is the actual shop/tills so it’s really small. No aisles, just shelves around the edge. I was trying to pretend to read creams etc but I’m sure the more intently I tried the more obvious it looked that I could hear everything.

@blubberyboo I don't get it, surely a medical professional has to insert and fit the mirena coil?

Receptionist at my dentist shouted across a crowded waiting room 'just checking nothing's changed about your medicines. Are you still on HRT?'

I complained to the dentist when I was seen. She laughed.

I’ve had this in a number of pharmacy’s, they literally don’t give a shit, and treat it like you’re buying toothpaste. I’ve even had some advice me on how to take whatever it was, and how often, side effects etc, and even why I take it. In a loud voice in front of others, it really pisses me off too.

I had to go to a joint family planning / sexual health clinic. It was in a really rough area and the reception desk was protected by huge thick perspex screens. When patients arrived they had to fill in a form to say what they were there for, and hand it under the screen, so that the receptionist could read it and if they were there for STI treatments bellow at them AND HAVE YOU GOT ANY SYMPTOMS TODAY? They had to yell the answer back, and if they weren't loud enough to be heard they had to yell it again. Utterly humiliating.

@rattlemehearties you take it with you to the appointment to get it fitted, saves having Them in the practise as they can sit and go out of date etc. I get my depo injection from the pharmacy however I do mine myself it does say you take it to the nurse to administer.