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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To complain about this chemist for happy prescribing??

15 replies

ScarlettCrossbones · 18/11/2009 16:11

Dropped by the chemist with DD (2.5) this morning, to ask advice about her eyes ? they've been a bit red and pussy the last two days. Just the afternoons really. Chemist didn't even look at her, stayed well behind his counter, asked her name and address, disappeared for 10 mins then came back with a sealed bag with a box of antibiotic eye drops and told me to put them in her eyes 4 times a day, carrying on for 2 days after she seemed to be better.

When I got home, I googled Chloramphenicol for children, and the overwhelming consensus was that antibiotics for minor eye infections in young children were not necessary, they would get better by themselves in nearly all cases, and there were all sorts of studies saying that control groups fared only a teensy bit better than placebo groups in trials. And this afternoon her eye's got a fair bit better just by itself!

I honestly just went in to check a) it wasn't serious b) that cooled boiled water with a bit of salt in it was all she needed. But I was so taken aback when he brought the bag out I just thanked him and left! And if I'd taken him at his word I'd have already started dosing her with ABs by now.

Think I should say something or just let it drop?

OP posts:
Sassybeast · 18/11/2009 16:15

YABU. You would have found the appropriate self help remedies by googling.

MistletoeNoelPresents · 18/11/2009 16:15

Can't understand why he needed her name and address unless he was contacting the surgery, most he would have needed was age and how long it had been going on for surely?

ScarlettCrossbones · 18/11/2009 16:18

It's the Minor Ailments Scheme, Mistletoe. Don't know if it's just a Scottish thing or not ? you register your kids and get free Calpol (a generic brand) and other stuff.

Sassy, I just wanted to check it was nothing serious, without having to make a doc's appt for 3 weeks hence ...

OP posts:
dickiethepunchlinedonkey · 18/11/2009 16:23

yabu

MistletoeNoelPresents · 18/11/2009 16:23

i see tho doesn't explain why he is handing out AB's without giving you options.

Sassybeast · 18/11/2009 16:23

Totally appreciate that but I think it's fair to assume that he thought you wanted something to clear them up. Granted, he may not have given you 100% attention but I think pharmacists are under a huge amount of pressure at the minute with swine flu, not being able to sell tradional meds for a lot of under 6's etc - every time I've been in our local chemists the last few weeks, the phatmacist is getting an earful from someone not an excuse but a reason as to why he may just have gone ahead and given you something to help.

Hope her eyes clear up soon.

lockets · 18/11/2009 16:28

This reply has been deleted

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FerretInYourTrews · 18/11/2009 16:33

I've always been told that if one eye is red and pussy then just clean it with cooled down boiled water and leave it alon as much as possible. If it's both eyes then it's normally an infection which needs antibiotic drops.

sayithowitis · 18/11/2009 16:36

YABU. As someone else said, you could have googled the possible remedies before you went to the chemist and I would think it was reasonable for him to assume you wanted something for it. I don't know about Scotland, but in England, Chloramphenicol is now available over the counter anyway, either as drops or an ointment. So it's not even as though he was 'prescribing' a POM in any case.

ScarlettCrossbones · 18/11/2009 16:40

Ok, see where you're all coming from. I should've made myself clearer. Fair enough, IABU!

OP posts:
groundhogs · 18/11/2009 16:41

ha ha... does Google have any suggestions for getting a 2.5 yo to lay still for more than a nano-second while you put cooled wet patches on the DC eyes???... thought not...

IME the drops can easier to administer as you only have to get them restrained to hold still for a second while you put a drop in...

I did try the bathing the eye with cooled boiled water thing when DS had conjuctivitus... but it just wasn't ever going to happen...

abbierhodes · 18/11/2009 18:21

Try teabags! An old wives tale but it really seems to work.

lovechoc · 18/11/2009 18:37

he was going by the book, since you told him your daughter's symptoms. they don't just dish out medicine willy nilly.

hope your DD gets better soon. and yes, have also heard the T Bag thing too.

Minor Ailment Scheme is brilliant. Never need to buy calpol again! yipee!

howmuchdidyousay · 18/11/2009 19:18

have heard of meningitis developing from conjunctivitis.You can't tell from just looking what bacteria are affecting the eye so he was just erring on the side of caution.Also did you forget he is a businessman and would want to make a sale ? perhaps see/ring HV if you want unbiased advice.

ThatVikRinA22 · 18/11/2009 19:31

yabu.

if they were red and pussy it could have been bacterial conjunctivitis which is highly contagious.

the fact that you went to the chemist suggests you wanted a treatment, which he gave you.

not sure what is meant to be unreasonable about that really.

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