Tesco instore pharmacy...GRRR!!

pulliptears

I refuse to use my local Tesco Pharmacy after they left me stood by the counter for 45 minutes telling me my script was being processed only to finally admit they didnt have it in stock and by that time the small pharmacy locally was closed.

These days I stick to that small pharmacy, they know me, know my meds and the service is much more personal.

zaksmum

Is that right, Samba Pa Ti, they really do have to sell you it if you say it's for the first aid box? Not heard that before, but I wouldn't care if it was a fib, long as I got the eye drops!

Pulliptears, sounds like you had bad service from the Tesco pharmacy too. A bit of consideration wouldn't have gone amiss there. No wonder you won't use them now. I certainly won't be using them again. Thankfully I've never met such a jumped up little s*it as that pharmacist!

CookieMon

Just a quickie zaksmum, no we don't have to sell it to you if you say it's for the first aid box. Firstly Optrex Infected Eyes is a fridge medication and secondly generally you should only be given it in acute situations - ie, as I said before we need to see the patient and confirm the infection before we can sell it.

Generally when people say it's for the first aid box, it just tends to explain why patients may want several different items, rather than us then having to say that you can't take them all together (eg if buying Lemsips, Panadol, Paracetamol, etc). It doesn't make it so we have to sell anything, just probably means we realise you may not be needing to use them at that time

Unfortunately zaksmum, there's one in every job! I really hope you don't have that experience again, but I promise you, we're not all like that!!

zaksmum

Are you a pharmacist then, CookieMon? Does this need to see the pharmacist in person only apply to eye drops? There are many over the counter remedies for which you most certainly wouldn't want to have to display the affected part of your anatomy to the pharmacist!

Could he have sold me the eye drops? Or would he have been breaking the law...or relevant code of ethics?

bogdweller

you would have been given them in spain,you can buy most general prescription drugs over there,at a fraction of the cost of an english prescription £7.00 + per item.
aren,t we all in the same european union ?

CookieMon

I am zaksmum (for my sins!). The asking to see the particular person in this case applies to the specific eye drops you were trying to buy. Optrex Infected Eyes are a Pharmacy Only Medicine (P-Med) which contain Chloramphenicol, they used to be POM up until a few years ago when they became available for purchase. From all the information I have ever dealt with regarding these particular eye drops, yes I do require to see the patient in question before I can issue the antibiotics. A lot of eye complaints are misdiagnosed,and with the eye being quite a vital area, we want to check that what we are giving the correct medication out. Also, with them being an antibiotic, giving it out willynilly can cause all sorts of problems with resistance etc.

There are a few medications that require the personal intervention of the pharmacist - mainly those that have only recently been released from POM to P-meds. It's never just to inconvenience you, just to make sure that the medication is actually suitable and safe for you - often people see adverts and think they'll try it, without realising that there are actually tight restrictions regarding their sale. The requirement to see the patient applies to very few medications, again they include mainly the ones which have only recently been switched from POM to P.

Hope that makes sense a little If not feel free to PM me, don't want to derail your thread!

gordikin

So the Tesco Pharmacist was correct in not handing the drops out afterall. Over prescribing antibiotics in the past has led to a lot of the older and much cheaper antibiotics being rendered ineffectial and also has led to many deaths due to MRSA.

DCFC79

This reminds me of the time i went to boots to get some of the eye drops which the OP asked for, i went into the boots pharmacist and asked for xyz eye drops please and i was told i couldnt buy them as i needed a prescription which is a load of BS as over the counter medicines dont require a prescription,

frivolous_fay

CookieMon wrote: »

With Levonelle it is essential (to quote RPSGB guidelines)
"a) Pharmacists must deal with the request personally and decide whether to supply the product or refer the patient to an appropriate healthcare professional."

Blimey, that's a worry! Hope I never need it! Jolly difficult these days to get an appointment with my healthcare professional, let alone a prompt one... :eek:

CookieMon

frivolous_fay: Don't worry, all that means is that you have a sit down chat with the pharmacist before we can sell it. It's just to make sure the item is the right medication for you, and that you do warrant taking it, that it won't cause any harm if you do take it and to refer you to the correct people if something else would be required - generally in those sort of situations there are either specific clinics you could attend rather than your GP's, or, if necessary, refer to get an emergency appointment.