To be angry they didn't serve me?

[PinkRiceKrispies]

I am 37 first of all.
Had a thumping headache due to the heat today so went to buy some paracetamol and picked up 2 boxes. Got to the till and she said 'Sorry, but do you have ID? I just wasn't sure if you were over 18.' I told her my age and she still wouldn't let me have them. Don't drive so didn't have a license on me either.
Aibu to be annoyed? I look very young for my age but this seems ridiculous.

Get over yourself, the cashier is just doing their job. The policy in most big retail shops is think25 for medicines with stuffiness aspirin/paracetamol/ibuprofen.
In my store you even have to apply it to Sudofed.

I just hope you didn't have a tantrum at the colleague.

@HerRoyalGoddess WTF is that pic/gif?

Not a clue, I pressed a different gif.😂

Said with so much confidence - but you’re the one who is wrong 😂

@EbonyRaven sorry, it was meant to be a joke but I didn't articulate that well in my comment. I'd be on the wine.

This is exactly the problem.

Sudafed IS ibuprofen… you listed it twice. Do we really want untrained people with very limited knowledge on medicine policing who gets it or not based on how old they look?

Every time I buy even calpol at sainsburys I always get the amber light flashing for someone to verify my age. They never ask (too many grey hairs and wrinkles ) but they always scan their pass and click they’ve visually verified in over 16. Assumed paracetamol was 16 as well. And I also know you can only buy 2 packs (not even if each, one of paracetamol and one I h rodents for example).

Often the managers don’t know the logic themselves and are effectively putting a ban on basic medicine for those with no photo on an arbitrary basis just because someone else told them to. Forget the law, many are just following orders. Again, dangerous territory.

So, just to confirm, if management at your job made a rule you didn't agree with then you'd just ignore it and do whatever you wanted?

Bearing in mind that the till will flag it up as an ARS and that comes from head office and will apply to every single store in the chain.

Yes if I know the rule to be illegal. This is what unions exist for. You do not have to do everything your manager tells you if it is illegal and incorrect.

Sudafed is not ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is an anti inflammatory pain killer and Sudafed is a decongestant. Totally different.

And in fact there should be a petition against this because with limited NHS resources this is reducing access to basic care.

Sudafed is not ibuprofen!!

No hun…

Sudafed ingredients.

• Guaifenesin – this ingredient helps loosen mucus, making it easier to cough up
• Ibuprofen – an anti-inflammatory and painkiller helps relieve headaches and reduce any inflammation which could be contributing towards pain.
• Paracetamol – a pain reliever which can be used to relieve mild to moderate pain, headaches and fevers which often accompany the common cold.
• Caffeine – a stimulant, meaning it can help you feel more alert, as well as combatting the tiredness associated with colds.

You can “make” Sudafed at home with other ingredients and cheaper too.

The rule is not illegal.

The rule defies the basic human right to access pain management.

So you'd be wiling to lose your job? Do you think access to paracetamol should be completely unrestricted?

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/what-age-can-children-buy-over-the-counter-otc-medicines/

There are no legal age restrictions for buying medicines.
However, some retail outlets have their own policies that restrict the sale of medicines to children.

Those are not the ingredients of the basic sudafed in the UK (https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/6199/smpc)! There are variations (with different names e.g. Sudafed Mucus Relief Triple Action Cold & Flu Tablets but none have all the ingredients you list.

Not the basic Sudafed. Depends which one you buy. The nasal spray doesn’t have those extra ingredients. Neither does the liquid. I generally buy the tablets that don’t contain paracetamol or ibuprofen as i take them separately and often the doses included in some of the products aren’t the full dose.

To all the folks clutching their mumsnet pearls. Stores gave policies in place for their staff to follow, if you disagree with it talk to the shop's head office and see how far that gets you, your purchase isn't worth the colleague getting pulled up by their manager with the possibility of losing their job or getting disciplined.

NEWSFLASH: The world doesn't revolve around you.

Also, I’m not your hun!! Absolutely hate the assumption that people can call me that.

And that's the whole point of it, you have to i.d everyone who COULD be under the age of 25. So quite often (like in ops case) someone older than 25 gets asked to prove their age. It is gross misconduct, as it's going against the T25 policy that the specific company/store has signed and agreed to follow. I do some work for a national union, and when these things happen, it's a very tricky situation to try and get an employee out of, as part of their induction to their job role requires them to do pretty intensive training around age restricted sales, and they sign an agreement to follow the principles at all times. Yes, it is subjective, but the point of the matter is, everyone who could potentially be under 25 should be asked for i.d, which is why alot of staff members will lean on the side of caution and frequently i.d people who are well into their 30's. They're protecting their job at the end of the day. The younger generations are so used to being asked for I'd now, they usually have it ready to hand before being asked, so this is just becoming the norm.

Some people are ridiculous with the ID thing. When I was 38 I got asked for ID on quite a few occasions to buy alcohol. I may have looked in my late 20’s or 30, but I didn’t look anywhere near 18. If you are that age you usually carry ID. The fact that you clearly look like an adult and aren’t carrying ID is a pretty good indicator that you are of age.

As ex retail worker it’s ‘Challenge 25’ so anyone that you think looks under 25 you should ID. Where I worked we also wouldn’t sell analgesics to under 16’s anyway. Also it is the person selling the items that gets into trouble NOT the shop or the manager, this was drummed into us all the time. If you know you look younger than you actually are just be aware that you may get asked for ID, spot checks by TS officers are more common than you might think.

A 37 year old doesn’t look underage. It’s ridiculous to question someone of that age.