Advice from Pharmacists

ThemeOne

You know how we're always being encouraged to seek advice from local pharmacists for minor ailments etc? Well just how good do you find them?

I never bother with them any more as far as asking for advice goes, as despite their years of training have often found them to be poorly informed and/or uninterested in discussing things beyond a superficial level. Today a friend was told in Boots something was prescription only when it's available over the counter - he was told by an assistant with the pharmacist standing close by.

Artytarty

I quite agree,useless, disinterested and unhelpful. Well that was my experience the one and only time I asked to speak to the pharmacist directly.

Hedgehog99

I trust the actual pharmacist, but not always the counter staff - it depends on the individual shop.

I have been told by Boots staff that they're told to sell something whether the person enquiring needs anything or not - something innocuous such as a moisturising cream if the customer has asked about a rash that doesn't need treatment. But then Boots isn't a pharmacy anymore - they're more concerned with selling summertime tat than caring about people's health.

teddysmum

Our GPs lost two nurses and two GPs last year. They replaced the nurses with like, but replaced the GPs with a part timer, a nurse practitioner and a pharmacist.

Minor ailment patients now have to see one of the latter, with the GPs only seeing those with particular illnesses, those referred 'upwards' by these two or those deemed to be more serious by the reception team, so staying with this practice leaves no choice, but to consult a pharmacist or nurse. (The practice has been excellent, but is going down the slippery slope with many others, now. They ended walk-in morning surgeries in October.)

iammumtoone

I find our local independent one excellent.

Last visit was to check if my son had athletes foot as I suspected. They confirmed it and advised that if he walked barefoot when possible in the house and made sure he dried between his toes then it would heal itself. I asked for some treatment to clear it up quicker, I had to practically force them to sell me something as they keep saying there was no need!

ThemeOne

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

I have been told by Boots staff that they're told to sell something whether the person enquiring needs anything or not - something innocuous such as a moisturising cream if the customer has asked about a rash that doesn't need treatment.

In that case they missed a chance with my friend today. Due to their own lack of knowledge he walked out empty handed.

coffeehound

The two times I've sought advice from a pharmacist they told me to see my GP. To be fair, one did sell me something semi-helpful.

Mrs_Ryan

My OH went into Asda pharmacy on Sunday to buy some decongestant tablets. The ones he wanted are pharmacy only and are very good but look very similar to ones which are sold off the shelf and are rubbish. He has mental health problems and struggles with simple tasks such as this but he assured me he would be ok if I just nipped to the loo.
When I came back I found they had sold him the rubbish ones and when I asked to swap them the 'pharmacist' said 'oh they're exactly the same as the other ones there's no difference at all' I pointed out to him that they couldn't be the same as one specifically states on the box they are pharmacy only therefore they couldn't possibly be the same strength as the ones sold off the shelf. He didn't try arguing further and
I got them exchanged for the correct ones.

ThemeOne

We're also encouraged to "take any unused medication back to the pharmacist, who can dispose of them safely".

Good idea, I thought, better than flushing them down the loo or, more likely for me, keeping them in a cupboard for the next decade.

There were quite a few, all in their labelled packages, so off I went. They were received wordlessly, but with a look from the pharmacist suggesting I'd just caused her some major inconvenience. As I was leaving she just shouted out to me "Any CD?" which I twigged meant controlled drugs, so I just shouted back "No" and walked out.

If she'd known anything about drugs one quick look in the bag could have told her there were no CD, so I felt the implication was I'd somehow hidden some amongst the other stuff in an attempt to get rid of it.

So nil points for all aspects of that service, and I won't bother again.

sammyjammy

I asked the pharmacist about a small mole that had started to grow on my cheek to find out if it was anything to be concerned about, she told me it was a spot despite me knowing perfectly well it wasn't and if she had actually looked at it from a distance of less than a metre she would have seen, I felt really stupid. It was Boots and i won't ask for advice from that store again.

sammyjammy

teddysmum wrote: »

Our GPs lost to nurses and two GPs last year. They replaced the nurses with like, but replaced the GPs with a part timer, a nurse practitioner and a pharmacist.

Minor ailment patients now have to see one of the latter, with the GPs only seeing those with particular illnesses, those referred 'upwards' by these two or those deemed to be more serious by the reception team, so staying with this practice leaves no choice, but to consult a pharmacist or nurse. (The practice has been excellent, but is going down the slippery slope with many others, now. They ended walk-in morning surgeries in October.)

I think my surgery has employed a pharmacist too, when i went for my annual medicine check I saw a pharmacist, I take medication for high blood pressure and depression. She literally asked the general question of whether everything was ok with my meds and told me she couldn't take my BP because she didn't have a monitor (I was seen in an a little anti room off the back office.). Complete waste of my time and theirs.