Can I ask to jump the queue?

[Random452]

There is a pharmacy in my local supermarket. I don't need to do any shopping. I will be going to the pharmacy, collecting my medication and going home.
There is no pharmacy nearer to me that is open.
Do you think it would be OK to ask the staff member at the front of the queue if I can jump the queue outside the supermarket to go straight to the pharmacy and straight out again? Or is that being cheeky, queue jumping, and I should wait with everybody else to get inside?

You need to wait I'm afraid so many people have tried this and then just pop in the grocery bit for one or two things. They end up with baskets full and didn't have to queue up .

I’d just stand in line tbf

If it’s Asda, there’s a number outside you can ring for the pharmacy and someone will come out and meet you and take you in... well at my local one that’s what happens.

Why can't you just stand in line? We could all do that - where do they draw the line?

Thank you! It's annoying because I just want to hand my prescription in, get the medication and go. I guess I'll just go at a quieter time (if I can work out when that is!) so I don't have to wait long.

My local Asda has been allowing people to do this. I wouldn't mind if a customer did this ahead of me (I'd probably swing by the pharmacy when I got in to check ). Just ask security.

Why can't you just stand in line? We could all do that - where do they draw the line?

I see your point- it's just a pain when you don't actually intend to use the store itself, I suppose!

Some supermarkets are letting people in to go to the pharmacy. Maybe give them a call.

Our tesco when all this 1st started I asked the security guard and said is this the same line for pharmacy.
He said if for a prescription you can go in as soon as someone comes out.
If for an OC medicine then it's to que.
He wanted proof of it being a prescription collection. I just said itwas a telephone call one for my at the time 7 week old and he let me in.
I would of been happy to que. Its the only pharmacy local that the gp could seem to send it to, so it's now a default.

Since I have queued up as I try and combine it with needing groceries.

Also when I was waiting Tonge tin sainsburys. The line control lady was shouting up. If anyone just for Argos come this way. But I was a bit miffed as the person behind said to her teen, quick just say we want argos.. F this queue!

Our local Tesco says you don’t have to queue if you’re just going to the pharmacy

Thank you. I'll call the store in the morning and check.
Happy to wait if that's what their rules are.

My guess is that you will have to stand in line, though it won't hurt to ask the staff if there is a separate system in place for those who only want to use the pharmacy.

I agree that the queueing systems are a pain in the arse, especially if you only need a couple of items, although I have pretty much got used to them now. Not sure how well they will work if the weather turns bad though. We've been quite lucky in that respect so far, certainly where we live.

I skipped the queue into Waitrose to collect a parcel. But the customer service desk is right by the door, so security could see that I didn’t go shopping afterwards.

But what about those who just need formula milk or just need bread? Should they queue jump too as they only need 1 item? Just wait in line like everyone else. If they have a special arrangement for pharmacy customers you will find out when you get there. Otherwise you will just need to suck it up

Sainsbo let my dh in for his prescription as a matter of course - I mean they encouraged him to go straight in.

The queue is to enter the shop. Doesn't matter what you're planning to do once you're in it. I honestly can't get my head around people thinking it's ok to queue jump for any reason.

I would just queue. But personally i haven't had to wait more than 10 mins to get into a supermarket (I've been to 1 superstore and several big shops). I normally go between 4 and 630pm mid week and I've only queued twice this whole time 😁

If you’re handing a prescription in, why not just go to a pharmacy that isn’t part of a supermarket?

My supermarket allows this. When I had to pick up a prescription for DD there was a 40 minute queue to get into the pharmacy (it's the Asda pharmacy but is set up like a separate shop within the supermarket building) so they weren't making people queue in the main queue into the supermarket building, and then queue again into the pharmacy bit once inside.

I don't see that going to 'just the pharmacy' is any different to going to 'just the cake counter' tbh. You want to enter the supermarket so you would need to queue. I queued for 40mins at my local sainsburys and when I was 2 from the front a young man walked to the front and told the security he had a prescription to collect and he let him in. When I got in he had also collected quite an armful of groceries which pissed me off - nobody likes a cheat. I'm sure you wouldn't be this person but it does make queuing the fairer option.