Pharmacy just refused to sell me ibuprofen because I’m breastfeeding

[BestBeastie]

Have a fever, sore throat, headache - caught from my toddler who I’m still breastfeeding.

It’s bad enough that - feeling so shit- I can’t take magic syrups etc. But hey my choice.

Went down to my local CHAIN pharmacy to restock my paracetamol and ibuprofen supply. Still feeling like total crap.

Pharmacist refuses to sell me ibuprofen. Tells me that it’s illegal. I protest that the hospital gave me bucket loads of the stuff. But he said I had to go get a prescription...

I said - well you know what - I’m going to
Take some anyway because we are out of it and my husband might need some. He refuses to sell it.

I feel totally infantilised, patronised - can’t be trusted with basic household Medicine because I’m still breastfeeding?

And btw...

Here’s nhs advice: www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/medicines/can-i-take-ibuprofen-while-i-am-breastfeeding/

No problems according to the NHS...

Buy it off the shelf in the supermarket then

I don't understand why you went to a pharmacy? Just go to a supermakret and pay 20p for a pack??

I don’t understand why you had to speak to the pharmacist to get either, or why you felt you needed to tell them your breastfeeding. However I’d also send the chain a follow up email outlining the basic error made.

Maybe the pharmacy was just closer? It's a perfectly reasonable place to go for OTC meds.

He was being an idiot and YANBU about the patronising of pregnant and breastfeeding women but at least you can very easily get it elsewhere anyway.

Yes, that happened to me. I'd been told by the community midwife to use it when I was fighting off incipient mastitis but it cut no ice. Dh got it for me instead.

I have sympathy for the pharmacists though. They are solely responsible for the medicine they provide so shouldn't hand over anything they're not sure about and some will not be willing to give anything much to bf women.

Yeah it's massively annoying. As others say, buy it off the shelf but it doesn't stop how annoying it is

I have literally never spoke to a pharmacist for ibuprofen in my life 🤷‍♀️

Were you looking for a reaction; speaking to the pharmacist to buy ibuprofen, and taking care to mention you were breastfeeding?
You can literally buy it at the Tesco garage near me; consulting with medical personnel is so not necessary.
But you knew that...

Pharmacy nearer - just down the road. I’m sick. Don’t have a car.

Mentioned it because pharmacist assistant was offering me one with codeine in it and I said rather not because I’m breastfeeding.

I don’t think I am being unreasonable to get annoyed about it. I felt really infantilised by it. And it was bad advice, delivered badly...

I’m sorry I don’t live near a Tesco garage.

I have bought both ibuprofen and paracetamol from a pharmacy (I lived over the road from one and you can buy bigger packs, which is a bonus) so I don't think that's too bizarre.

If the pharmacist asked before handing them over whether I was pregnant/breastfeeding I suppose I would just answer without giving much thought. I can understand where the info may have been exchanged, that's not particularly odd either.

Whilst I understand a pharmacist has a responsibility to dispense medications safely, part of that includes keeping themselves up-to-date with current guidelines.

Ultimately, as others have said, it is an annoyance but one that can easily be remedied.

@sleepyhead - yes, I’ve been told at various points to take it by midwives and drs. Hospital sent me home with packets of the stuff, which now I’m wondering about. I don’t understand why the nhs advice is so ‘it’s all fine’, and this pharmacist at least said that it was ‘illegal’ for him to sell it to me.

This is what the BNF says: "Use with caution during breast feeding.
Amount too small to be harmful but some manufacturers advise avoid."

It's not illegal for him to sell it to you, but the guidance is vague enough that if he has no particular knowledge/interest in drugs and bf he's going to see the words "caution" and "avoid" and err on the side of not dispensing.

I also got sent home from hospital with ibuprofen, and stronger stuff than the OTC stuff at that.

I just don't think there's that much standardisation to the advice/guidance given. I remember when I was pg and needed antibiotics the pharmacist (central london, near work) had to phone up my gp (different borough) and have a chat about it because one health trust thought they were safe in pg and the other didn't.