Good Morning Tuesday 17th January 2023

He's a lovely chap, happy to turn his hand to any odd job that turns up for only £25/hour - every town should have its Andy.

We have such a handyman over here Taichinan. He’s brilliant. He bobbed over yesterday to do a small job for us (Himself doesn’t keep any tools out here, wise man) and he only charges €10 an hour! Cash in hand. Black economy. There’ll always be a market I dare say!

Marydoll so sorry to hear how appalling that pharmacy is. That can’t continue! 💐

Good morning everyone from a very cold (minus 2°C) and slightly snowy Lancashire. I’m sat up in bed with a big mug of tea. I have only skimmed the thread, will read properly later.

Marydoll that pharmacy is a disgrace. Is there no other one you can use? I had some bad experiences with a previous pharmacy (since closed) but nothing as bad as that! I hope you have a better day today.

Thank you all.
I have a plan. My children have all offered to pick up prescriptions and I will take them to a very respected pharmacy in my own town. ( My surgery is in a different town).
It will take longer to get them dispensed, but much less stressful.
I have been with my present pharmacy for over 40 years, but it has seriously been going downhill. All the usual staff seem to have left recently.

Good morning from a very frosty Essex by the sea.
DH has a painful problem with one of his hips. He's worried his latest replacement is failing (he has had both of them replaced twice), a worry.
So sorry to hear of your problems with your pharmacy Marydoll, that is not the way to treat people.
Many congratulations Pittcity, a new grandchild, how exciting.
I must now pop out to drop prescriptions off at our pharmacy. We are lucky never had any problems with them and two minutes walk from here.
Have a good day everyone and stay safe in the cold xx

Congratulations Pittcity. It's -3 here with an heavy frost. I have dentist this morning then supposed to be going out with friend but the frost may put her off.

Good morning from a frosty but lovely and bright Co Armagh.
Reading your messages today I am horrified at the altitude of that pharmacist, Marydoll it’s her job to read and dispense the medication, she’s not expected to more nor less ! And her lies and excuses are most improper

A hug on its way marydoll. Your new plan sounds so much safer. That was appalling service. Proud of you for fighting your corner. I wonder how many poorly folk just give up.

Good morning all from a frosty Black country, late up so haven't read through yet.
Trip to the bank and local shops then back to do more decluttering, filled the shredder twice yesterday and still more paperwork I no longer need.
Best wishes to anyone celebrating, safe travels those on the move and virtual hugs where needed.
Enjoy your Tuesday and may you all find some ☀️.

Good morning from a frosty, sunny W Kent. Glad you got your scan Mick very wise to stay in. Marydoll so sorry you had to go through such a horrible experience. Congratulations Pittcity.
Friend coming for tea this morning, I hope, she lives up on the Downs so her weather may be worse than here, we all seem to be getting reluctant to drive in anything but perfect weather.
Best wishes to all.

Marydoll I am appalled at your treatment. I know what you mean about prescriptions - my DH still believes that as the doctor approved it yesterday it will be ready on Wednesday. I told him it will be more like a week on Friday. I think your plan of physically taking your scripts to the chemist yourself is a good one.
I hope you feel better today.

I am so sorry to hear of your dreadful experience in the pharmacy yesterday Marydoll.

I was a pharmacy technician before retiring and my experience over many years working in different pharmacies is that a pharmacy is only as good as it’s pharmacist or manager.

I have recently had to change from using the pharmacy I worked in for years to another pharmacy in town as the service had gone from brilliant to appalling.I had seen the writing on the wall a few years ago and one of my reasons for retiring slightly earlier was that like you I was worried that there would be a dreadful dispensing error with catastrophic results.

Covid is being blamed for a lot of the issues.I know that several pharmacies now employ someone specifically to order difficult to obtain medications.It is now a full time job, a job that used to automatically be done by the computer.As an item was prescribed/dispensed it would automatically be reordered.

However covid cannot be blamed for bad service,bad manners,bad practice, telling lies and treating customers with such disrespect and causing a customer to have an angina attack.I feel so upset/angry on your behalf.

Thank goodness you have a caring and loving family to help you.💐

Good morning Mick and all from a slightly white northwest Lancashire coast.
Son arriving later so hope he can sort my leaking radiator out. I have turned the ch off and am relying on two halogen heaters and my heated throw brr.
Anyway off to music club this afternoon and it’s warm there.
I wish my darling cat didn’t wake me up at sparrow fart, I’m a night bird and I don’t appreciate it, much as I love her.
No, don’t sit about in the cold Mick and congratulations Pittcity

Just popped in after Sainsbury’s delivery to read latest posts. I’m appalled by your treatment, Marydoll. Hope your new plan works. We are lucky with out local pharmacy, they deliver within 48 hours of me ordering our prescriptions on line with our surgery.

So sorry Marydoll to hear about how you were treated by the pharmacy and the distress it caused you. We always now check our medication before we leave the carpark as items are invariably missing from both of our repeat prescriptions. Ours are from the on-site dispensary in the surgery so no excuse… not that wherever the pharmacy is there should be.

Talking to friends who use various pharmacies around here these mistakes seem common. What is going on? Hope you are now treated with respect and get all your medications when you need them.

Marydoll what a dreadful time you had at the pharmacy. I realise it’s more effort but could you/DH collect the script from the surgery and take them to (another) pharmacy so they can’t say they haven’t got them.
Sending you a gentle hug.

Hi Doodle, my rebellious pupil!

I have already spoken to the surgery, all sorted.

Goodness Marydoll. I'm glad that you have made other arrangements but that pharmacist needs to be reported. I can't believe she was ranting at someone in the throes of an angina attack! And who was so upset.

Good day Mick and all. I am very late getting going today - I stayed up too late watching the documentary The US and the Holocaust. There are so many resonances with contemporary debate about refugees. I couldn’t go straight to bed afterwards.

Susan I hope you get help for your blurred vision.

Congratulations on the expected new gc Pittcity. Sorry about the worrying news re your mum.

karmalady I feel we need a photo of the lovely jumper. I have a similarly heavy one, knitted by a woman from the Western Isles, that my DH bought for me years ago. It is always admired when I wear it in the cold.

Ashcombe what a palaver with your charity night - they need some strict instructions for next time 😬

Marydoll my heart was pounding after reading your account of your ordeal at the pharmacy. I hope your new plan works out better and you get all you need to make your conditions a bit more bearable. DD2 needs a number of medications and her pharmacy also seems to be struggling.

Grammaretto lovely to see see the water of Leith. I am hoping for good weather next time we are in Scotland and have plans for walks 🙂

I have my book group (discussing Lessons in Chemistry) chez moi tomorrow so must get on with a tidy up - including outside as our small garden can be seen through the big patio doors and it’s strewn with all the pots etc that the wind has blown around these past few weeks.

Thanks all for the 👶 congrats.
I'm seething for MD and hope things improve from now on.

Just came back here to read all the news, sending a big gentle hug to marydoll after yesterdays dreadful experience 💐

Marydoll Words fail me (and that doesn't often happen!). What a dreadful situation. So pleased you have made a new plan! Take care of yourself and keep that remarkable spirit you have going strong. xx