To STILL be really cross with the pharmacist

[worstdaughter]

This happened a little while ago. Following an emergency appointment I had a handwritten prescription for several items including zolpidem which is a schedule 4 drug, ie a controlled drug but the least controlled iyswim?

I went and handed it in and the pharmacist called me over and handed it back to me saying he was refusing to fill it because my (HANDWRITTEN!) date of birth on the prescription didn't match what they had on file?!
I took a look and the prescriber had written a slightly wonky 4 which was correct, it was still recognisably a 4.
I said what is the issue and he said I might have faked it. He then HANDED IT BACK TO ME and told me to try another pharmacy?? He was speaking to me like I was a child, also.

It felt like he was playing a weird power game with me. If he really thought it was fake surely he should have kept it and... I don't know... Checked with the prescriber?? Not sent me off to try my luck somewhere else?

It really did feel like he was picking on me because my prescriber wrote in a hurry and it was issued by the crisis team - which is relevant a) because I was obviously vulnerable and b) they answer the phone pretty much instantly so it would have been quicker to check than to argue the toss about prescribing.

Not only that but I then rang the crisis team, got them to email the pharmacy and I have never been given a prescription so grudgingly in my life. I still get tearful thinking about it and I want to know if I am overthinking it and need to get over myself.

I'm sorry, I misremembered. He was saying the date of issue looked like a 4 when it was meant to be a 7, ie I was trying to collect a v v late and/or fake prescription. Again easily fixed by phoning though

Was his job to palm it off to another pharmacy?

pharmacists are independent contractors to the NHS.

Therefore they can decide in their business what they will and won't do.

I'm really surprised you got Zolpidem. It and the other Z drugs are used extremely infrequently.

So what is the protocol with a handwritten prescription? Shrug and go "I dunno?" this is my regular pharmacy and the prescription had a phone number and the details of the issuer printed on it. I also, and I feel this is relevant, wasn't asking for it on the spot, this actually happened when I came back to collect it after being told it would be an hour or two.

Also are you really surprised the crisis team issues short-term sleeping meds? Really?

Let it go...

My 4s look like 9s and my 1s look like 7s. Lots of people's writing is weird.
I got accused of stealing my DHs zopiclone script a month or 2 ago. I'm still seething about it. They said I'd taken the meds when I think one of them nicked it.
You should switch pharmacies.

Zero tolerance to illegible or unclear prescriptions .
That’s it. That’s literally all there is to it.
He was doing his job.

Did you get your meds n the end?

But he should have called the prescriber? Its literally the least he could do.

A handwritten prescription, the drug and the mistake are all major alarm bells.
The pharmacist acted entirely appropriately.

They should have called the prescriber. It would be interesting to see their policy on this.

Sorry that it caused you distress.

This. Surely that's the most obvious solution? It's handwritten, not printed and crossed out. Prime for being a bit messy and hard to read. Just be a decent human being and ring the prescriber to check, job done. Some people like to be assholes for the sake of it, and the pharmacist obviously was. OP, you did nothing wrong. Yes the pharmacist has rules to follow but a bit of compassion doesn't go amiss - he could have still followed the rules by making one quick phone call to verify. What a wanker.

He should have just called the prescriber and checked. Yes, Zolpidem is controlled, but it's not crack.

He didn't need to have the shitty attitude with you. I'd go elsewhere in future.

Weird replies, just because there are more regulations doesn't give him permission to be rude. He can call the prescriber and check if he wants, it's not that difficult. We seem to just accept really shit service from pharmacies and there's such a huge gap in GPs knowledge when it comes to the pharmacy rules. I got sent away from a pharmacy after GP told me to get an over the counter eczema cream for DD, pharmacy won't give it to under 10 year olds.

That’s ok, BUT the OP didn’t write the script! 🤦‍♀️
the pharmacist assumed she was guilty of fraudulently faking a prescription by saying to his customer that it wasn’t valid
how many people check the details like date of issue on prescription before handing it to pharmacist
the pharmacist could have handled it in a different way

1. ” oh, I’m sorry, this is hand written and whoever wrote it hasnt written it clearly enough to meet my checks for those meds”
2. so I can’t issue just now
3. we’ll need to contact the prescriber to check and confirm
4. cann you contact them, ge them to contact us, then you can come back

or, even pharmacist call the clinic direct themselves which many would do when they’re actually customer focused

iow, it’s not what pharmacist did, what he said,but how he made her feel! And that was shit for someone who is on meds like that and clearly vulnerable

yep, he was patronising and accusery, and yep that would upset anyone.

Pharmacist being weird we just used to call the GP etc. If something was unclear on a prescription. Might be tricky to do that now, he could have just said sorry need to check, might not be able to get through, do you want to wait etc.

And to pp - yea, even infrequently prescribed meds get prescribed at some point, what a bizarre and completely irrelevant comment

The pharmacist's job is to safely dispense medication.

It is not to pander to individual's feelings or give them what they want because they want it.

Saying he was playing a 'weird power game' 'picking on me' 'speaking to me like a child' 'argue the toss' - all your language is emotive and you seem to have made a narrative in your head that paints yourself as a victim of some terrible injustice.

Refusing to issue a prescription over which there is any doubt, no matter how small, is definitely part of a pharmacist's job. He should have contacted the medical professional who issued it though, and I'm not sure why he didnt.

Sounds about right imo. I was under the crisis team and was prescribed zopiclone and pregabalin on handwritten scripts a couple of years ago. One got refused as the consultant didn't write capsules or tablets on the pregabalin, just pregabalin 50mg. And the second time the consultant forgot to write my address, both times someone had to come out with a correct prescription.

It's nothing personal, think you're reading too much into it. There can be serious repercussions if they're not careful doing their job.

OP didn't 'want it' she needed it and it was prescribed by a doctor. Mumsnetters bend over backwards to decent pharmacists I don't get it.

I've had a think and I need to give my head a wobble - I was getting anxious over collecting repeat prescription today and almost physically reliving how upset I was, which isn't good. Thankful to not be on this particular med any more; was not on it for long thank goodness.

I think if he had explained the rules around controlled drugs (which I had no idea about and didn't even know zolpidem was one) I would have understood much better. I actually went and looked it up before writing the post because at the time he didn't even explain the law he just said it was their policy!

It was also a bit off to suggest I go to my "usual" pharmacy and still not sure why he suggested that when I had been using this one for 10+ years.

I shouldn't have been cross about the date thing except that I felt I was being made out to look like a liar, and if he had explained why there couldn't be any ambiguity I think I would have felt a lot better about it. So I'm not going to feel anxious going there anymore, and if I ever get another handwritten prescription (and I very much hope I never have to) I will make extra sure to check their handwriting before I take it home.