Pharmacy won't give me OTC drugs because I have a prescription ........

[whenlifegivesyoulemonssuckonthem]

I am prescribed 30/500 co codamol for my knee - I take 2 each evening as its the only thing that controls the pain enough to let me sleep.

i've just had a tooth out, developed dry socket, and am in agony. There are two pharmacies in town. One, the easiest to access, I use for my prescriptions. I went in to buy Sopadeine max soluble - she would not sell it to me because I have an active prescription for co-codamol. I pointed out that (1) I only take two a day as prescribed (2) I don't want to take more because they knock me out (3) I wanted the solpadeine because the destist won't prescribe anything for the pain and told me to buy solpadeine max (4) The doctor won't deal with dental pain and said there should be no problem

I ended up telling them fine, I'll go to the other pharmacy. which I did and walked out with my drugs. However I had to hobble a lot further on my injured knee as that pharmacy is on a street with no parking.

I now take 3 x 2 sopladeine during the day for my pain and 2 x 2 co-codamol at night which deals with both.

Why do they have to make it so difficult.

Isn’t that too much paracetamol? Five doses?

This.

I can't work out to edit it - the evening should have been 1 x 2 co codamol

Edit to remove post as x-posted with OP.

How do you edit? Or is it no available as I recently changed user names so I was not recognisable given I know some of the people at the pharmacy

3 dots at the top of your post, click 'edit post'. But you can only do it within a few minutes of posting.

Go to another pharmacy, there's bound to be another one not too far away where the staff don't know you. Obviously don't take both drugs at the same time and leave a reasonable time between the two.

You can buy Solpadeine Max online and if you are prepared to pay the extra postage/shipping, next day delivery is available. Just google 'Solpadeine Max online' and several places will pop up, choose the one that will get it to you quickest.

I went to the pharmacy because of a Friday evening bodged root canal, and he was able to take a look at what I had taken and then work out what else I needed or could take. Which is what you would expect them to be able to do 🤷‍♀️

@LBFseBrom Did you even read the OP?!

OP, Solpadeine Max Soluble is a massively popular drug of abuse. I worked in a chemist as a student and we questioned and restricted sale of it. If the pharmacist knows you're on co-codamol and sells you more, they could be enabling an addiction. Is your co-codamol 30/500 prescribed 'take 2 four times a day as required' or 'take 2 at night'? That would make a difference to me tbh.

You could have taken one co-codamol 30/500 and one paracetamol three times through the day for a similar effect

Solphadine Max is co codomol, they are the same drug. It won't help with pain any better than the medication you already have. The pharmacist won't sell them to you because of the risk of overdose. If you are in pain then take the max dose of co-codomol that you have and if that is not enough then you need to contact your GP

They won't give it to you because essentially its giving you more of a drug you are already taking! You should check with a doctor how much its acceptable to actually take.

The co-codamol you were already taken isn't location specific - it should have helped with both the knee & the dry socket pain.

buying otc painkillers will interfere with your co codamol you will be taking too much. the pharmacy was right not to give it to you.

Yes bad pharmacy being responsible.

Why don't you just take 1?

I can't understand why you are trying to buy something you already have

Why don't you take 1 cocodamol 30/500 and 1 paracetamol? That way you'll receive 1gram of paracetamol and 30mg of codeine.

I've been buying OTC cocodamol for a pain issue. I wasn't happy with the amount of paracetamol I was consuming. My GP has now prescribed me just codeine.

You can't keep upping your paracetamol intake, you will need a new prescription.

I wouldn't sell you cocodamol either on the basis of addiction and the paracetamol involved. Especially if you've finished all pills from your prescription.

If OP takes her co-codamol 4x daily (which would be an appropriate dose for continuous pain) she would use it up 4 times faster than if she took it at the current rate and would run out. Using Solpadeine Max the rest of the time (no more than 4g paracetamol each day) for a few days would make sense, and be safe.

Did you speak to the actual pharmacist OP?

Solpadeine and co-codamol are the same drug

why can't you take ibuprofen instead oparacetamol you can take that.

They are doing their job. YABVVU.

It's your dentist you should be seeing. Getting the dry socket packed should be instant relief. If not, keep going in until it's sorted.

Take 2 at bed time

For those of you who say pack it - they do until, whilst I'm asleep I dig it out. I don't have time to keep going back every day.

I don't want to take 4 of my prescribed drug every day as I'll run out after two weeks before my next prescription.

I don't need 8 x 30/500 a day

I just need the lower does 25.6 mg OTC and only whilst my tooth is hurting.

I'll just use the other pharmacy if I need to

In the case the pharmacist was a little unhelpful, as presumably the GP prescribes you the exact amount you need so it should be clear you're not abusing them. It's a difficult one though as if anything went wrong it's her registration on the line, so ultimately I can understand refusal to sell. They could have suggested taking one three times a day alongside a paracetamol though, that would have been some use. I take it you have an appointment to see the dentist again?

Not quite.

Co-codamol 30/500 is codeine 30mg and paracetamol 500mg. Up to 8 tablets can be taken in one day.

Solpadeine Max is codeine 12.8mg and paracetamol 500mg. Up to 8 tablets can be taken in one day.

If OP takes 6 x Solpadeine max and 2 x co-codamol 30/500 this is the same quantity of paracetamol as taking either one of the single-medicine options, and less codeine.