Pharmacy (undeclared consultation fee) - Is this legal?

user1977

And (obviously, I hope) it's mum who should be having any such discussion - I'd hope the pharmacy aren't going to discuss anything with third parties.

Okell

As a retired NHS manager I'm amazed that an ordinary community pharmacist would charge any sort of "consultation fee" at all.

Many times over the years (and on these forums) I've advised posters that they would often be better off talking to their local pharmacist about health concerns rather than possibly having to wait weeks to see a GP.  The NHS website even recommends that people consult a pharmacist in the first instance regarding "minor illnesses" and conditions.

I'd be horrified to think that I'd been advising people to speak to their pharmacist and that they might end up getting charged for doing so.

If it's the case that the OP's mum's condition was so serious or complicated that the pharmacist thought that their advice merited a charge, I'd suggest the ethically correct course would have been to advise her urgently to consult a GP or got to the nearest hospital.

I don't think I've ever heard of a pharmacist charging in these circumstances...

As the OP has already been advised, their first course of action ought to be to clarify with the pharmacy concerned exactly what happened.