Page 8 | Furious with pharmacist

Branleuse · 22/04/2021 09:38

at least it was just your antidepressants and not your haemerroid cream or worm medicine

LilacTwine · 22/04/2021 09:44

I don't think she overreacted. If I saw another school mum at the chemist and heard the pharmacist loudly calling out "here's your sertraline" I would feel upset on her behalf, and if she complained i wouldn't blame here. I know what that drug is and so do many people.

There are ways of conveying sensitive information in a busy room that don't breach confidentiality - of course it's easy to call out loudly "Here's your XXX" but it's not particularly professional or respectful. And I think it's fine to let that person know there's been a complaint so they can improve their communication skills.

penguin23 · 22/04/2021 11:38

Not in a pharmacy but the doctors surgery, when I was pregnant (but not obviously so) had the receptionist say loudly that my chlamydia screening came back clear. The whole busy waiting room heard, probably people in there that vaguely knew of me but wouldn't have known I was pregnant, and that the screening was routine, not because I suspected I had it. I was mortified. Should have complained but was too upset to.

Ithinkyoucan · 22/04/2021 11:43

This happened to me! I had a very embarrassing prescription, everyone would know what the items were and were for, it was a small shop, absolutely rammed with customers and she called out BOTH my prescriptions, loudly, by name. The lady behind me pulled a face at me when she did it. I felt so humiliated. I made a formal complaint.

I used to work in a pharmacy myself and confidentiality is bloody basic. If you can't grasp that, don't work in health care.

ArnoldJudasRimmer · 22/04/2021 11:58

Some of the receptionists at my GP surgery do similar. You tell them your name, they repeat it, take your date of birth, then "and that's my address ?".
Since GPs are doing phone consultations according to urgency, they'll take a description of what's wrong so they can see if you need a call sooner rather than later, and it always makes me wonder if someone waiting to be seen knows you and can hear all the details of your ailment. 🙈 Just glad it hasn't been anything potentially embarrassing!

HikeForward · 22/04/2021 14:13

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?

This is how OP said she responded. To me that is a rude response to somebody giving you medication. OP only drew more attention to herself. Obviously we don’t know the tone but written down it sounds like a sarcastic rhetorical question and the pharmacist (or pharmacy assistant perhaps) didn’t twig why she was upset and even apologised. What’s wrong with ‘yes that’s mine but please don’t call it so loudly next time, it’s embarrassing if someone hears’.

The pharmacist was indiscreet and shouldn’t have said the word Sertraline loud enough for anyone but OP to hear. I don’t think anybody’s disputing that! But did it warrant OP being ‘furious’ and telling the pharmacist off on the spot, then following up with a formal complaint? And ranting about the pharmacist on here too, as if a terrible crime had been committed? A brief email to the pharmacy manager would have been enough surely? The girl handing out prescriptions may not even be a pharmacist, just an assistant drafted in to help with distributions. She may not have realised what Sertraline was herself. I’d rather they checked my name and medication with me than risked giving out the wrong one!

As patients we have choices about where and how we collect our meds. OP chose to wait in a busy pharmacy to pick up her antidepressants. She could have chosen delivery or sent someone to collect on her behalf. Or returned when it was ready instead of waiting. Or she could have chosen a quieter pharmacy. Or a small one that has a 1 in 1 out policy. Sometimes I go to pharmacies further afield when I need to buy things like Canestan or a pregnancy test, because you anticipate they’re going to question you and someone might overhear.

There’s a high chance you might see someone you know in a large busy Boots pharmacy. There’s also a high chance staff will be rushed or people will have the same name, or OP could have other medications on repeat hence the pharmacist checking they’d processed the right one.

LabiaMinoraPissusFlapus · 22/04/2021 14:17

I have reported the exact same thing in the past, except it was me collecting my husband's prescription. She called his name and the drug name. It must be reported, this is a breach of confidentiality.

CustardySergeant · 22/04/2021 14:30

What was the outcome of your complaint Ithinkyoucan?

LolaSmiles · 22/04/2021 14:35

No, that’s not what I said or how I meant it to sound. Of course people shouldn’t ‘shut up’ if they feel something unprofessional or indiscreet has occurred.

My point was I felt OP overreacted to what is quite a normal practice in many pharmacies (at least the pharmacies I’ve been to).
Exactly, you think the OP over-reacted to having her medication called out and then go on to talk about being grateful for the health service, have people known families go without food to fund antibiotics etc.
If you weren't intending it to come across as a shut up line then it very much did.

Even there you're saying you don't think people should put up with poor care, whilst dismissing someone as overreacting for being upset at poor care.

Why is the onus on the OP to have her prescriptions delivered rather than on the pharmacist to be professional and not call out someone's medication in a public place?

Butwasitherdriveway · 22/04/2021 16:19

@HikeForward

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?

This is how OP said she responded. To me that is a rude response to somebody giving you medication. OP only drew more attention to herself. Obviously we don’t know the tone but written down it sounds like a sarcastic rhetorical question and the pharmacist (or pharmacy assistant perhaps) didn’t twig why she was upset and even apologised. What’s wrong with ‘yes that’s mine but please don’t call it so loudly next time, it’s embarrassing if someone hears’.

The pharmacist was indiscreet and shouldn’t have said the word Sertraline loud enough for anyone but OP to hear. I don’t think anybody’s disputing that! But did it warrant OP being ‘furious’ and telling the pharmacist off on the spot, then following up with a formal complaint? And ranting about the pharmacist on here too, as if a terrible crime had been committed? A brief email to the pharmacy manager would have been enough surely? The girl handing out prescriptions may not even be a pharmacist, just an assistant drafted in to help with distributions. She may not have realised what Sertraline was herself. I’d rather they checked my name and medication with me than risked giving out the wrong one!

As patients we have choices about where and how we collect our meds. OP chose to wait in a busy pharmacy to pick up her antidepressants. She could have chosen delivery or sent someone to collect on her behalf. Or returned when it was ready instead of waiting. Or she could have chosen a quieter pharmacy. Or a small one that has a 1 in 1 out policy. Sometimes I go to pharmacies further afield when I need to buy things like Canestan or a pregnancy test, because you anticipate they’re going to question you and someone might overhear.

There’s a high chance you might see someone you know in a large busy Boots pharmacy. There’s also a high chance staff will be rushed or people will have the same name, or OP could have other medications on repeat hence the pharmacist checking they’d processed the right one.

But none of this is any reason for why the pharacmist did what she did. Why are you blaming OP?

brogo · 22/04/2021 16:22

Yes that was bad of them , I'm was pharmacy dispenser for 6 years up untill I had my son last year and would have got into alot of trouble if I did that. Pharmacies have had it bad during covid though , it's a very stressful job, it would have been better if the pharmacist had given you a better apology.

itsnotmeitsu · 22/04/2021 18:29

Agree @BarbaraofSeville with 'Re the name and address, it's to make sure they give you the right medication. Standard patient identification procedure.'

But, '...if they'd just shouted out John Smith on Green Lane, that would have applied to both of them.' But surely that's more reason to be discreet about checking the correct prescription. For instance, calling one John Smith to the counter and asking him to quietly say his property number and, if it doesn't concur, calling the other one to the counter and checking.

ThewaterlilliesofGiverny · 22/04/2021 18:36

No issue at all with being asked to confirm my name and where I live, in line with procedure.

Do have an issue, when buying a box of laxatives the assistant on the till turns to her colleague and loudly says “normally only old people use this, ha ha ha.”, or buying tampons when one assistant calls out to her colleague behind the till “what have you got there” and her colleague screeches back “TAMPONS!”

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 22/04/2021 18:46

@Butwasitherdriveway I'm surprised she hasn't suggested portals in that long list.

I mean anything goes, as long as the pharmacy staff doesn't have to serve OP and breach confidentiality.

Apparently that's the way to deal with the issue, avoid any staff that might breach confidentiality. Better yet never leave the house.

It's hilarious really. Someone breaks the rules, but the other person is guilty for "putting them in a position to break the rules".

justanotherneighinparadise · 22/04/2021 19:13

I wouldn’t have a clue what that medication was but if your reaction was as you describe, that would have piqued my interest enough to wonder.

Butwasitherdriveway · 22/04/2021 19:32

[quote AccidentallyOnPurpose]@Butwasitherdriveway I'm surprised she hasn't suggested portals in that long list.

I mean anything goes, as long as the pharmacy staff doesn't have to serve OP and breach confidentiality.

Apparently that's the way to deal with the issue, avoid any staff that might breach confidentiality. Better yet never leave the house.

It's hilarious really. Someone breaks the rules, but the other person is guilty for "putting them in a position to break the rules". [/quote]
Quite.

I thought she was quite polite personally.

Butwasitherdriveway · 22/04/2021 19:32

@justanotherneighinparadise

I wouldn’t have a clue what that medication was but if your reaction was as you describe, that would have piqued my interest enough to wonder.

Be thankful you don't.

SophieGiroux · 22/04/2021 23:42

they say "can you just confirm those are the correct name and address details" which is much better.

That would be a lot worse as if it isn't your medication then you are seeing another patient's private information

DaenerysD · 23/04/2021 00:01

😳 this happened to me a few years ago when I was on serious meds as was not in a good place. Pharmacist calls across the crowded shop detailing the items they had and were waiting to count. I was stunned and walked over and she realised she'd fucked up but just kinda shrugged her shoulders and walked off. Turned round to see open mouthed customers. Think they were just bloody grateful it wasn't their script she'd announced
Still see her regularly too and she's sweetness and light towards me 🙄🤬

Frownette · 23/04/2021 00:23

@NameChangedForThisFeb21 that is terrible :(

OP that's awful, hope you complain.

Mittens030869 · 23/04/2021 00:28

YANBU, that was so not on. The worst thing was the way she responded with a shrug when you pulled her up on the breach of confidentiality. Yes, you should definitely complain IMO.

And no, it isn’t anything to be ashamed of, being on MH medication (I’ve been on it for a number of years), but that isn’t the point. It’s supposed to be private.

Seasidemumma77 · 23/04/2021 00:33

I loathe the power pharmacy staff have to make you feel embarrassed, tried to discreetly ask for canestan last week only for pharmacy assistant to shout to pharmacist that I was requiring it for thrush,. Live in small town, work in main supermarket, I know I shouldn't be embarrassed but I was.

HikeForward · 23/04/2021 09:13

It's hilarious really. Someone breaks the rules, but the other person is guilty for "putting them in a position to break the rules"

Who said anything about the OP being guilty or at fault?

If you’re referring to my post, I was suggesting multiple other ways OP could pick up her prescription discreetly in future. Ways that don’t involve the risk of pharmacy staff saying the name of her prescription within earshot of others. Because lets face it, pharmacists/pharmacy assistants are well known for calling people by name and loudly discussing a prescription and any precautions related to that prescription. They’re not going to change overnight just because OP felt ‘furious’!

Harrythewho · 23/04/2021 09:53

A fair bit of victim blaming going on here!

Dasher789 · 23/04/2021 10:34

@caringdenise009 that is comedy show material but agree, utter humiliation in real life. No wonder many will go unchecked.