AIBU?
Do all Pharmacies do this? Aibu?
Tilda77 · 15/10/2022 12:17
I've just returned from collecting a prescription from the pharmacy and am wondering if I'm right to be concerned about their way of doing things. It is a very small pharmacy so the 5 customers were all about 1 to 3 metres away from me. First off you're asked for name and date of birth. When they give you the prescription you're then asked for your address. Then you're asked if you are exempt from the prescription charge. I took the prescription exemption paper work with me and she read it and said it out loud for all to hear. Do all pharmacies do this? Am I being unreasonable....it's fine people probably don't care? Am I not being unreasonable...this is not ok and they should change the way they do things?
Am I being unreasonable?
AIBUYou have one vote. All votes are anonymous.
OneTC · 15/10/2022 12:59
I'm collecting for someone else and give name and first line of address, never had to explain exemption although perhaps it's implied by the medication I'm collecting.
I also don't sign anything but I think that's something they introduced since plague and didn't discontinue
newnamethanks · 15/10/2022 13:04
I collected a prescription a few months ago, dispenser called out my name. 'Yes' I said. So did the person next to me. 😮What? Are you together? No, don't know each other. You're not related? No, never met. Er . . .how odd this has never happened before. Date of birth? Yes, different and that's my prescription, thanks. But yes, they need to ask the questions.
bellac11 · 15/10/2022 13:04
No not unreasonable. I have never thought that this is acceptable to enable people to overhear your private details. The argument about them having to check you are the patient or that you are picking up for the patient is a different argument to that of everyone in the chemist overhearing your personal details.
Its a complete lack of confidentiality.
MatildaTheCat · 15/10/2022 13:06
Our pharmacy just asks if you pay for your prescriptions when you arrive so they know whether to charge you. I’m fine with that.
BUT they also routinely talk loudly to people about their medication which is not fine. They also ask very loudly for confirmation of address before handing it over. Now obviously they have to get this information but under no circumstances am I going to shout out my address in front of a shop full of strangers when I’m being handed a large bag of (mostly) controlled drugs. I make a point of going over and saying it very quietly indeed.
LooksBetterWithAFaceMask · 15/10/2022 13:08
That made me laugh. I works in pharmacy until this year and it’s so true. During Covid people came in looking for lateral flow tests and we didn’t have any and every customer politely didn’t listen to what the person in front was saying (and ignored the massive out of stock signs everywhere) so it was repeated individually to a whole queue of people.
simbobs · 15/10/2022 13:12
Our pharmacy only asks for the 1st line of the address, not DOB. There should never be discussions about medication in earshot of other customers. We are pretty sure our neighbours had a break in by someone aware of the controlled substance they were being prescribed, and their address being broadcast in the pharmacy was the reason.
MatildaTheCat · 15/10/2022 13:15
YellowTreeHouse · 15/10/2022 13:06
YABU. Nobody is listening and nobody cares. Nobody is that interested in you or anyone else.
You might not be but plenty of nosy people are very interested to hear that Nora from up the road/ the primary school teacher is getting advised on her hrt, antidepressant and laxatives. Health care is private and even in a small space efforts should be made to safeguard privacy.
Tilda77 · 15/10/2022 13:19
simbobs · 15/10/2022 13:12
Our pharmacy only asks for the 1st line of the address, not DOB. There should never be discussions about medication in earshot of other customers. We are pretty sure our neighbours had a break in by someone aware of the controlled substance they were being prescribed, and their address being broadcast in the pharmacy was the reason.
This is probably why I don't like it as I live so close to the pharmacy. The people there see me walk in my front door afterwards. I don't think they'd want what I collected though😅
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/10/2022 13:20
MatildaTheCat · 15/10/2022 13:15
You might not be but plenty of nosy people are very interested to hear that Nora from up the road/ the primary school teacher is getting advised on her hrt, antidepressant and laxatives. Health care is private and even in a small space efforts should be made to safeguard privacy.
YellowTreeHouse · 15/10/2022 13:06
YABU. Nobody is listening and nobody cares. Nobody is that interested in you or anyone else.
I agree!
lannistunut · 15/10/2022 13:28
YellowTreeHouse · 15/10/2022 13:06
YABU. Nobody is listening and nobody cares. Nobody is that interested in you or anyone else.
This is astonishingly naive. You must have lived outside human society to think this. Have you not met many humans? Gossip is and always has been rife, especially in smaller communities where people know all their neighbours.
jessieminto · 15/10/2022 17:02
This is normal. A few years ago I had walked to my local chemist early evening and it was dark. I was the only one waiting but they were still getting the prescription ready.
Then 3 people came in for their methodone and I felt hugely uncomfortable. They had cans of beer with them and were very loud and I just felt really intimidated and unsafe. Then the chemist then shouted out my name and full address, which was just a few streets away. I was so scared walking home. I didn't feel safe at all.
I know others will say I was just being judgemental and paranoid, but I still have a right to keep my actual address private.
newnamethanks · 15/10/2022 23:13
I've also had a similar experience jessieminto and was miffed when assistant bawled 'Mrs Newname, here's your diazepam'. We had words. It's one thing checking medication is going to the right person, quite another to let the neighbourhood junkies you're picking up a saleable item.
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