Chemists who f*ck about with your meds 🤬

[LittleeJuann]

Currently sitting on my doorstep covered in sore itching hives and trying keep my airways open in the fresh air, because I've been without my correct tablets since the weekend.

I take fexofenadine 180mg tablets up to 3 x daily to manage an assortment of auto-immune conditions

I've learned by trial and error over time what brands work best for me.
Problem is my chemists try to give me a different brand every time.

Went to collect my latest supply last week and they gave me a brand that doesnt work and gives me heartburn, I could take a whole sheet and they'd wreck my stomach but not touch my symptoms. So I politely declined and asked for different ones. They said I'd have to come back in a few days as that was all they had.
I always keep a few days supply aside, so not a prob.

Went back, and they gave me yet another different brand I've never tried before. I was a bit annoyed but took them as I'd totally run out by that point so didnt have much choice.

Took a tablet of this new brand before a walk in park with DD 16 months, DP came along, and thank god he did because I suddenly came over like I'd drunk a whole bottle of wine. I could barely even walk straight, I was absolutely off my face. If I'd been alone with DD and passed out, I dont even want to think what could have happened.

Staggered back to the chemist, gave them back these new tablets and stated very clearly how badly they affect me and insisted on my proper brand, that I know works and doesnt knock me out cold.
Again it was "You'll have to come back in a few days" -leaving me with absolutely no tablets at all.

I went in yesterday and it was just /shrug/ "Dont call us, we'll call you"

So I've now gone 4 days without the tablets I should be taking every day, and my asthma and immune problems are kicking up. I'm absolutely wrecked.

I work full time and have a toddler to take care of, ffs! I'm just so fuming

Does anyone else have this issue getting their correct meds?

Why do chemists think its ok to do this to people, mixing and matching tablets like fucking pick n mix!?!!

Yes the ingredients might be the same but the quality is different in different brands, and we all absorb them at different rates.
Its like asking for Chanel No 5 and getting Impulse -yes they might both have sandalwood, but one is top quality sandalwood, the other is shite. Meds are no different.

Rant over. Thanks for reading!

Yeah they should. It's been 14 years. I've not taken it anywhere other than our local pharmacy but I'll mention it when I need more (have 4 month supply left) in case I ever need to take it to a new pharmacy.

Yanbu.

one of my kids has food allergies and has to have antihistamine at school and after school club (both will only give medicines if prescribed and in the prescription bottle).

My GP, sensible man that he is, didn’t even NEED to be told this and automatically sent through two prescriptions for her (he is clearly used to prescribing for children and is aware of the usual school rules)The Fucking pharmacist, EVERY SINGLE TIME, puts BOTH prescriptions in the same damn bottle. Grrrr.

Why? Surely in their profession they come across this situation all the time and can use their bloody brains to figure out that if there are two prescriptions for the same item for a child, they need to be in two different bottles!!!!!!

Every time I have to peel one the blooming labels off the bottle/ box and stick it on a bottle of antihistamine I have bought in the pound shop. Winds me up.

I live in a small village, North Yorkshire. I have a chronic illness. They do know me very well. They know me well enough to know that I was previously prepay and the rest of the staff obviously remember. Just this particular one. Did you only read the parts you wanted to dislike?

Have you gone to a different pharmacy? Just go and buy the ones you need.

Can’t you just reuse a bottle from last time

Does anyone know if there is a difference between Amitriptyline brands because I’ve been getting a frequently dodgy tummy since December which coincides with when I changed pharmacy where they use a different brand?

Same thing happened to me with an antihistamine. I was out for a walk and started staggering around the place like I was off my face. I only take over-the-counter antihistamines now, I'm too afraid to take prescription ones and I get them prescribed for sinus infections from time to time.
There seems to be worldwide shortage of various medications at the moment. There are 4 people in my house on various medication and I often have to make second trips to get meds they were short on.

It happens for loads of stuff, my cat needed heart medication and there was a shortage of the animal pills so they had to give him human heart medication and we had to cut it up into small bits.

They wouldn't swap if the doctor prescribed the actual brand though. It sounds like they are prescribing by the drug name rather than the brand though which means that the pharmacist needs to give the cheapest brand because that is all the NHS will pay the pharmacist for the drug.

Love the fact that so many posters are blaming the pharmacist for dispensing the drug the GP prescribed. The GP is perfectly able to prescribe the brand but instead hey are prescribing by generic drug name which mean the cheapest brand should be dispensed and then blaming the pharmacist for doing so.

Whether or not the member of staff knows you why do you think they would remember whether you are exempt or not?

Because, out of all the staff, she forgot. Her tone was rude and judgemental. And I told her the week before. She remembered that I used to be pre-payment.

pharmacists are having trouble getting stock AND are required to prescribe the cheapest version of the medication. You clearly need to get the GP to specify the brand - and the reason - on th prescription. The pharmacist isn’t doing anything to you deliberately.

Just buy it somewhere else till they get it

I dont blame the pharmacists one bit. Stock issues means they try and dispense whatever they can get to hand. Don’t blame them.

Why are people so quick to blame individuals rather than engaging their brains and looking at the systems that don’t always work?

Just take out what you need for at home and store it in an old bottle or any jar, then hand the proper bottle into the school. They don’t count the pills. They just take the bottle.

Most pharmacies just give you the cheapest generic item.

I’ve had the very same conversation with a pharmacist today. I had anaphylaxis and a very long hospital stay due to meds and they’ve switched them again to generic due to cost! They won’t take back meds after dispensed so go in the bin, complete false economy for the nhs who pick up the bill either way. 🤷‍♀️ why do they keep doing this? my gp specifies the brand and the pharmacist is in the doctors surgery!

Yes, because the NHS will generally only reimburse them for that so if they give something more expensive they would be out of pocket.

The GP is prescribing the generic. You need to have a conversation with them rather than the pharmacist.

The first one, they give the generic when the doctor prescribes the name brand all the time. They aren’t supposed to swap, but they do.

the second, there is no name brand, only a variety of generics. The pharmacy still has to source the one that doesn’t contain allergens. That is part of their job

I always end up ringing round pharmacies for the specific meds for my DD14 adhd. But your prescription should be brand specific if that's what you agreed with the GP

They are only allowed to give a different brand if they have been given permission because there are supply problems.

Generics will usually have a brand name too and if you are allergic to some it is important that the GP uses it rather than writing the generic drug name. It isn't part of the pharmacists job to source an expensive generic brand that is your preference as the NHS won't reimburse them. See your GP who should make sure you are only prescribed the correct generic brand.

Nah, they have use by dates on them

Another one repeating what has already been said. Ask your GP to state it on your prescription notes.