Being quizzed by chemist's assistant in Boots.

nanna8

I’d go to another chemist in future. Writing down someone’s health issues is not on and I am wondering why they would do this. I’d be furious.

Writing down the issues, would surely ensure accuracy when passing the info onto the pharmacist?
I have complicated health issues, even my GPs struggle sometimes!

eazybee

In our small local pharmacy there is a prominent notice informing you that you can ask to speak privately to a member of staff if you wish.
Our problem is that the pharmacist commutes between the four pharmacies he runs, so you have to catch him first.

Snap, and when the pharmacist isn't there the whole shop closes quite often - not so great when all you want is a sticking plaster.

I have found Boots staff discreet in the main, local pharmacy not so much, especially if they don't have the prescribed medication available.

I am just curious as to how the poor pharmacists are supposed to add all these consultations into their already busy day doing a job that requires expert knowledge and concentration.

They can't wildswan16 ... our poor pharmacist in a small village pharmacy has queues out of the door for prescriptions.

The only time I did get irritated was when I felt a dose of cystitis coming on, and we were imminently off on holiday to India. I’d had it more than once before and knew the sachets you can buy would head it off.

The pharmacist told me that because of my age (early 60s) it might not be just cystitis and I needed to see see the GP. Well, there wasn’t time! As I (politely) told her.
Plus, I knew very well what it was - and that it was going to ruin my holiday if not caught in time.,

Bought some in the supermarket - where I should have gone in the first place.

I did expect to be questioned when buying strong, codeine-containing painkillers when I had shingles. GP had told me what to get, but didn’t give me a prescription since I could buy them without. They were handed over with no comment.

Whilst I have great respect for pharmacists - this 'scheme' is a sticking-plaster fix for a broken NHS - precisely.

I believe pharmacists are highly trained and if you are seen in their consulting room they have a computer in front of them that they pull up your medical history on the screen so have all that is needed of your history and problems .... do we actually want non-medically qualified people in shops to be able to access our medical record? Pharmacists have their own important role - one was very helpful to me in hospital when trying to solve a pain relief problem - he was brilliant at knowing alternative ways to solve my problem. But the medics were guiding the ultimate decisions and that is how it should be.

This is a slippery road. Exactly the same as the use of Physician Associates Just today the BMA have asked for a halt to PAs to reevaluate.

V3ra

^The OP should have asked to speak somewhere privately if that is what they wanted.^

I think the onus is on the person on the counter, who needs to ask these questions, to suggest a chat in a private room.
The general public don't know what questions will be asked until it's too late.

Yes V3ra, my point exactly. But why should it be the counter assistants responsibility? Surely, if a customer goes in for advice on a sensitive problem, itchy vagina, piles, discharge from penis, flatulence etc, then it is the customers responsibility to use their own common sense and ask to discuss in private, not over the counter, but then again, that means using common sense

RosiesMaw

Redhead56

My DH was red faced when the assistant shouted out Mr R what flavour Fibagel do you want all over the shop

For heavens sake, Why?
Fybogel is hardly the same as flavoured condoms, Tena ladies or Anusol suppositories!

For heavens sake, Why?

... because some people are sensitive about the fact they need the stuff and don't want to share that information with random shoppers?

It might not bother you and I don't think I'd be overly upset about it, but can we not allow for the vulnerability of others?

Yes that is correct my DH does not wish for people to know his personal business. He is quiet compared to me I would have pulled the assistant up for not being discreet.

Luckygirl3

*Whilst I have great respect for pharmacists - this 'scheme' is a sticking-plaster fix for a broken NHS* - precisely.

I believe pharmacists are highly trained and if you are seen in their consulting room they have a computer in front of them that they pull up your medical history on the screen so have all that is needed of your history and problems .... do we actually want non-medically qualified people in shops to be able to access our medical record? Pharmacists have their own important role - one was very helpful to me in hospital when trying to solve a pain relief problem - he was brilliant at knowing alternative ways to solve my problem. But the medics were guiding the ultimate decisions and that is how it should be.

Hospital Consultants are using pharmacists as part of their team for appointments with patients.

I only found out by accident that the 'Junior Doctors' I thought I spoke to on several occasions were, in fact, pharmacists.

Oh, and the first appointment with a 'Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon' was with a nurse!

It is so worrying. Getting to see an actual qualified doctor is becoming near-on impossible unless you pay.

This is not to denigrate the other health professionals whose roles are very important. But we cannot fond ourselves in a situation where we cannot access a proper medically qualified person. What I have found is that it saves nothing in money or time - I have been sent to a physio, who then passed me on to a doctor; to a nurse, who then passed me on to a doctor; to a PA (on the phone) who prescribed wrongly and I finished up having to go to the doctor.

This crazy division of roles goes on and on. Instead of taking bloods while chatting to a patient, the GP refers you for bloods with a nurse, who cannot be accessed for a fortnight or more - it is madness. And more costly ... these nurses are booked up for weeks because of all these blood-letting appointments, so using up unnecessary paid time for something that could have been done on the spot during the original consultation.

Curtaintwitcher

Illegal immigrants use pharmacists when they need medicine but aren't registered with a doctor, so it is necessary to ask personal questions. However, as others have said, you are entitled to privacy.

There is no such thing as an illegal imigrant and how could you possibly know a persons immigration status.

Redhead56

Yes that is correct my DH does not wish for people to know his personal business. He is quiet compared to me I would have pulled the assistant up for not being discreet.

Can you imagine if someone from the 'higher echelons' of society waiting for their prescription - an MP, for example - that the the assistant would shout out, Mr Sunak, what flavour of Fybogel would your wife prefer?

I doubt they'd do that. We should be afforded the same level of respect - however insignificant others think our medical problem.

Are we not forgetting here that to a certain extent one has always been asked faintly embarrassing questions at the chemist's?

I have personally need on different occasions to ask for or collect prescribed vaginal suppositories, ointment for haemarroids, pills to stop violent tummy upsets and so on and so forth.

It would be a good idea if the shop was provided with a line painted on the floor, like the ones in banks and post offices, instructing people to wait a suitable distance away from the person being served.

And we need to remember that it is bad manners to appear to be, or actually be listening to others' conversations.

I feel upset myself by unkind comments about GermanShepherdsMum.
She is a knowledgable poster who has never been either unkind or rude to another poster to my knowledge.
Please leave her alone.

grandtanteJE65

Are we not forgetting here that to a certain extent one has always been asked faintly embarrassing questions at the chemist's?

I have personally need on different occasions to ask for or collect prescribed vaginal suppositories, ointment for haemarroids, pills to stop violent tummy upsets and so on and so forth.

It would be a good idea if the shop was provided with a line painted on the floor, like the ones in banks and post offices, instructing people to wait a suitable distance away from the person being served.

And we need to remember that it is bad manners to appear to be, or actually be listening to others' conversations.

It would be a good idea if the shop was provided with a line painted on the floor, like the ones in banks and post offices, instructing people to wait a suitable distance away from the person being served.

... a good idea! My local pharmacy has already done that. It's only a small space between the person at the counter and those queuing - but, as you are facing the counter without someone breathing down your neck, it does give a certain level of privacy.

When my mother was alive, in her late eighties, she had a rash which looked very much like thrush, under her bosom. I said I’d go to the chemist to get some Canesten for her to try. I asked the assistant who asked what age my mother was, and before I could speak, my friend jumped in and said 89. The assistant said she needs to see the GP, she couldn’t sell it to me. I went to the chemist across the road and said the cream was for me. I took it to mum, she used it and it improved and healed. Had it not improved, mum would have consulted her GP.

No wonder there are so few GP appointments. We can self treat simple conditions even if we’re 89. It costs the NHS nothing if we self treat such a simple condition.

Incidentally, had I gone to Superdrug, I could have picked it up from the shelf, no questions asked. It just happened to be more convenient to go to the nearby chemist shop.

Astitchintime

V3ra

The OP should have asked to speak somewhere privately if that is what they wanted.

I think the onus is on the person on the counter, who needs to ask these questions, to suggest a chat in a private room.
The general public don't know what questions will be asked until it's too late.

Yes V3ra, my point exactly. But why should it be the counter assistants responsibility? Surely, if a customer goes in for advice on a sensitive problem, itchy vagina, piles, discharge from penis, flatulence etc, then it is the customers responsibility to use their own common sense and ask to discuss in private, not over the counter, but then again, that means using common sense

I don't agree, customers may be nervous and don't want to be a nuisance, or not aware its possible. It is up to the pharmacy to offer it.
but then again, that means using common sense 😁 . This is rude.

maddyone

I feel upset myself by unkind comments about GermanShepherdsMum.
She is a knowledgable poster who has never been either unkind or rude to another poster to my knowledge.
Please leave her alone.

Me too.

I find GSM’s comments generally very helpful and knowledgeable.

Skye17

maddyone

I feel upset myself by unkind comments about GermanShepherdsMum.
She is a knowledgable poster who has never been either unkind or rude to another poster to my knowledge.
Please leave her alone.

Me too.

I find GSM’s comments generally very helpful and knowledgeable.

Agreed.

Skye17

maddyone

I feel upset myself by unkind comments about GermanShepherdsMum.
She is a knowledgable poster who has never been either unkind or rude to another poster to my knowledge.
Please leave her alone.

Me too.

I find GSM’s comments generally very helpful and knowledgeable.

It was an unknowm poster who was rude, but making no meaningful contribution whatsoever.

We never know who is reading posts on GN, do we.
Could be shy lurkers, trolls, anyone.

Thank you all. Please don’t be upset, Maddy - my skin has thickened a lot over the years (not literally, unfortunately!). I was a little surprised to be called an elderly bovine animal on another thread yesterday, but I always think that anyone who has to resort to personal insults has run out of valid arguments (if they ever had any in the first place!).

Germanshepherdsmum

Thank you all. Please don’t be upset, Maddy - my skin has thickened a lot over the years (not literally, unfortunately!). I was a little surprised to be called an elderly bovine animal on another thread yesterday, but I always think that anyone who has to resort to personal insults has run out of valid arguments (if they ever had any in the first place!).

Call me a cow if you like (they are generally lovely creatures but defensive of their young - that's me!) but elderly???

Certainly not, that's offensive.