Being quizzed by chemist's assistant in Boots.

I do Marydoll. We both do, but sometimes forget and often have quite a few appointments. Or get mixed up even though its on the calendar. Maybe others are the same. I hasten to add I've only ever missed one doctors appointment.
Also there are things that happen intermittently with people and they think I must get that checked and then forget they've made an appointment.
In no way am I condoning people just not turning up. But I find it hard to believe that the majority just don't care. Are people really like that? Everyone I know would ring and cancel GP, dental, hospital appointments if they weren't going.

nadateturbe

You could have something that is non urgent and forget. I'm very forgetful.

Do you note put it in your diary/calendar?

I am extremely forgetful, so DH and I share an electronic calendar and appointments are also written on the physical one on the kitchen wall.

Belt and braces are a necessity for me? 😉

You could have something that is non urgent and forget. I'm very forgetful.

I find that when I phone for a GP appointment, all I need to do is give a brief summary of what is wrong. E.g, a COPD or RA flare up. I am then triaged by a GP to see if I require a face to face.
No intimate details asked.

A friend, who is the senior receptionist at a surgery, told me that a patient phoned demanding an appointment because she had vomited ONCE, hours ago!
No wonder getting through to the surgery is difficult.

Thankfully my surgery has got rid of the most unpleasant of receptionists.

ALLaV, I totally agree about the time wasters. They prevent others from getting an appointment.
Why would you ask for an appointment, then not turn up, unless the circumstances were exceptional?

ALANaV what an angry sounding post.
It didn't used to be the receptionist job to ask us for details of our ailments. Many of us remember the good times when it was the GPs job. And not giving reception details gives the GP a reason not to see you. Really?
I agree it is a problem, people not keeping appointments. It must be possible with modern technology for automatic text reminders to be sent, which would help. Fines won't work fairly and could be difficult as those on benefits pension etc would have to be excluded.

ALANaV

Having worked in the NHS it IS the job of the first person you ask to have to answer these questions ! I have no problem whatsoever with doing so !!! if you think about it, in what other scenario are you asked questions before , say, putting your car in for service, ordering online, etc etc ...........otherwise it is a WASTE of the pharmacist's time (or the doctor if asked by your Practice receptionist) you are asked to define the problem ..... and refuse to do so In which case I would say they have every reason NOT to see you ! same as when a person makes an appointment and doesn't keep it .High time there was a charge for non attendance (unless a very valid reason ...i e in hospital !) grrr

But not in the hearing of people around you.

Chaze well said!!. People like you do a great job. You are entitled to rant!
I have multiple comorbidities and my pharmacist and staff are so supportive. The pharmacist recently queried a prescription written by trainee GP, he was correct in querying it.

I take several medications, including controlled drugs, which may mean taking another non-prescribed medicine is unwise or even dangerous. I would have no hesitation in discussing this with the pharmacist’s assistant prior to them consulting the pharmacist if necessary. I hope the days when people were embarrassed to say they suffered from epilepsy and depression are long gone.

Having worked in the NHS it IS the job of the first person you ask to have to answer these questions ! I have no problem whatsoever with doing so !!! if you think about it, in what other scenario are you asked questions before , say, putting your car in for service, ordering online, etc etc ...........otherwise it is a WASTE of the pharmacist's time (or the doctor if asked by your Practice receptionist) you are asked to define the problem ..... and refuse to do so In which case I would say they have every reason NOT to see you ! same as when a person makes an appointment and doesn't keep it .High time there was a charge for non attendance (unless a very valid reason ...i e in hospital !) grrr

👏👏👏

I work in Pharmacy and have done for over 30 years. The increase in our workload is unbelievable. I work in Scotland where the system is different. You can literally walk in and be prescribed medication free of charge from a long list of authorised items to treat thrush, constipation, headache, head lice, warts, piles and much much more. In my pharmacy of course we have to ask questions discreetly about your ailment, age, medical history. These drugs are not sweeties. I have many elderly customers who now have lazy bowels because of over use of laxatives. Some urine infections (again in the elderly) cannot always be treated simply. Please do not take your frustrations of not getting seen by a GP out on pharmacy staff and by the way we are not ‘shop assistants’ we are all very well trained. And yes I will ask if you have high blood pressure when buying a cold product because you shouldn’t be taking it! Yes I will ask if you are diabetic or asthmatic. It’s my job. Stop self diagnosing. Rant over 🤬

I feel sorry for my Pharmasists they are doing the doctors job now, always queues of people and they work flat out. If they asked me something I thought too personal I would say so, but they haven’t. They need information to prescribe correctly.

Absolutely. I used to attend a surgery where they had thoughtfully set aside an area of the counter for privacy, although admittedly there was enough space to do this. I now attend a surgery with a tiny counter, and an equally tiny reception area, where you cannot help but hear about everyone else's medical problems. This is wrong.

I have consulted a pharmacist twice. First, 2 years ago for a lump of skin that appeared on my lower leg. Second, a month ago fir a toenail problem. On bith occasions I just had to give very minor details of the issue to an assistant ie growth on skin and toenail issue. Then was ushered into a consulting room. For the leg growth issue, was informed best to be photographed, which would be sent to a lab for an analysis then pharmasist would phone with result. Wanted £90 for that. Thanks, but no thanks. Saw Dr. and given hydrocortisone cream, problem vanished. 2nd problem pharmacist examined and advised best to see GP as outwith her remit for prescribing.
Both times assistants were very courteous and helpful as were the pharmacists, until the £90 suggestion. You shoujd have been at least taken aside from the main counter and asked for details. Terrible service you had.

"The girl behind the counter" at a pharmacy is not a "shop assistant". At least she shouldn't be.
Everyone who works in a pharmacy has training from day 1.
There are basic questions that should be asked to every customer by law. These are to make sure that you are not sold something that will do you more harm than good.

I think that this new minor ailment scheme is piling too much on pharmacists. But then again when I worked in a pharmacy there were many times when it was obvious that a simple antibiotic was all that was needed and being able to bypass the GP is a godsend.

We'll never get back to how it was.....sigh!

I don't mind if it's some sort of controlled medication but I don't think I'd like being questioned if buying some normal OTC stuff

Last time I went to a (pre-booked) GP appointment, the receptionist asked what it was for and I said ‘It’s personal and O’d rather not tell the whole waiting room!’ I’d said when I booked I had thrush that was not clearing up, so the information was available. Yes, there were people in the waiting room, including at least one person I knew! I once found out another mother at school was pregnant like this, it could have been all round the school if I liked gossiping, so I am really wary!

I have done this a few times… I go up to the pharmacy section in Boots, where I collect my prescriptions, and just ask to speak to the Phamacist. There may be a wait, but the Pharmacist always comes out and talk to me as privately as possible. If it was really private I would ask if we could ‘talk privately’ … I know they have a private room available, but I’ve only used that once. There is NO need to talk to a ‘girl behind the counter’ .

Some people are very ungrateful.

Germanshepherdsmum

I also gave you some useful advice as I recall.

Perhaps you should send a bill!

I also gave you some useful advice as I recall.

I also found Germanshepardmum to be quite short Netherbyg84 when I posted once. In fact the post was removed by Gransnet

And another one misdiagnosed by a pharmacist. Glad you got the right diagnosis eventually GrandmaHH. And what a surprise, a doctor diagnosed your illness.

Never go to a pharmacist for a diagnosis!

Lyn57

In 2014 I went to the pharmacy with chest pains, aching jaw, nausea and pain between shoulder blades the pharmacist prescribed gaviscon. The next morning feeling no better I called 111 and was admitted to hospital having had a heart attack - I did complain to the pharmacy afterwards about being treated for indigestion when it wasn’t ( the hospital could tell from elevated blood levels that it had occurred the day before) the pharmacist just said oh must have happened after he spoke to me !

And this is precisely why being told to go to the pharmacist is not where anyone should be going to be diagnosed. Pharmacists learn about drugs, what they do, how they interact with other medications. Pharmacists are not doctors and should never be trusted to diagnose. If a person knows what is wrong ie a UTI, then it is safe to buy the three day antibiotic from the pharmacy to try, but it is not safe to allow a pharmacist to diagnose your illness if you’re unsure what it is.
By the way, even a pharmacist should know that a heart attack can mimic the symptoms of indigestion. I know that, and I have no medical qualifications whatsoever. This pharmacist put your life at risk Lyn. I’m glad you were diagnosed and treated correctly eventually.

A few years ago I, like others, took the advice to avoid the doctor's waiting times and went to see our local Boots pharmacist as I had a rash on my chest and was concerned that it might be shingles as I had been with a GC with chicken pox. I was told 'no, no it can't be shingles as the spots are not in a straight line'.
She then proceeded to give me some thrush ointment to rub in as she said it was a fungal infection. This was an extremely painful experience. I ended up at the local hospital where a very nice, young doctor took one look and said 'Of course it's shingles! Why did you go to the pharmacist?'
I gave my reason and he said 'Doctors diagnose and prescribe, pharmacists dispense!'
I haven't been to a pharmacist since!