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Feeling very belittled by the pharmacist

Flakey Bake

Well-Known Member
Messages
160
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I had a bad experience at Lloyds pharmacy today. I admit I screwed up a little. For several reasons, including massively changing insulin requirements, I did not get my repeat prescription ordered in time with enough of a safety net to ensure that I do not run out early next week. So I thought I would ask at the pharmacy, where I collect my repeat prescription, for and advance on my prescription/emergency prescription. I have never had to do this before. I am normally very organised. I was immediately met with a lecture on how I should be more organised and threats of being fined by having to pay the full private costs of insulin. I was so angry and upset. They made me feel like I was 5 years old (though I would speak to a young child with far more respect and compassion). I did point out that I have never screwed up before, that I don't intend on making a habit of it and juggling 7 prescriptions that all run out at different times, whilst working full time, travelling a lot for work, raising a 5 year old child, and several disasters this week I have had to deal with, is VERY difficult, which had no effect whatsoever. The threats of fine were repeated and I was told I was only allowed one mistake in my life (NHS policy apparently). I admit I kind of shouted a bit at that point and was essentially told that writing additional prescriptions is wasteful and I am a drain on the NHS. I left (with my insulin) but shaking uncontrollable and in tears.
I am having a really tough time controlling my diabetes and am feeling drained and down generally, I am just about hanging on in there by the skin of my teeth. This mornings confrontation has put me in an emotional tail spin. I have spent the day in bed just crying. I can just about handle all life throws at me, but not the shi££y attitudes of officious jobsworths who are meant to help us. Why can't people show more compassion. SHAME ON YOU LLOYDS!!!!!!!
 
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Hi Flakey Bake, no wonder you are feeling upset and fragile. My chemist is Lloyds and they are good in there and I am happy with the care and treatment I receive.
CarbsRok's post is a good and definitely write to them ASAP, I know you are feeling rotten at the moment, but please don't let these disrespectful and belittling staff make you feel bad, as it will put your BS up. The way they reacted to you sounded shocking, with very little customer care and unprofessional too and shouldn't happen again to someone else.
Try and put it aside for now, relax or go on the scream thread and let rip.

Take good care and sending a warm hug X

RRB
 
Cant understand why the pharmacy has created such a ding dong over a late request for insulin.......all that would need to be done is deduct the insulin dispensed from the insulin to be prescribed. No need at all for the nastiness and yes, make a formal complaint.
 
I have to say that I am gobsmacked at the crass attitude of the pharmacist, also their incorrect information that they used to beat you with.
You are not "only allowed one mistake "
You are not a drain on the NHS. ( Obviously )
Neither are you wasteful - I doubt you are flogging your insulin on eBay

I know it must seem like one more thing to deal with, but wait until you feel calmer, then do email or write to Lloyds Head Office to complain, as CarbsRok has said, and list everything . Including how this made you feel. I also agree you would probably be better off at another pharmacy .

Lastly, this is not your fault. We all have times when we get timing of prescriptions wrong ( or more commonly, the pharmacy or practice makes a pigs ear of it ) They are the ones in the wrong, not you

Signy
 
What about all the mistakes pharmacies and GP surgeries make and not just 'one'
 
Thank you all for your support. I will definitely write and complain to the head office, when I am calmer. There is another local pharmacy (another Lloyds grrr), which I will be switching to asap. I don't feel I can go into my current one again. I am also in the docs on Thursday for my routine practice nurse diabetes checks. I might flag up the issues I have had to her., so the surgery is aware. I have checked out the NHS Scotland web site and it advocates contacting your local pharmacy for emergency prescriptions. It does state that depending on pharmacy policy, they can levy a charge, at the pharmacies discretion. It is not NHS policy as the pharmacist stated.
 
My opinion.? Sounds like you were on the receiving end & the focus of some bad angst of a pharmacist.. It's wrong you fell foul of this treatment.

I recently had issue with my regular pharmacy. Though in this case I tend to give them more than the 2 days grace to process. Between 5&7 days. On the whole with the plan ahead.. & they still screwed up ordering it in after an advance phone call & the grace period I give em being told its in then met with a fob off of excuses...
I'm easy going on mistakes too. So long as a hand is held up with an apology.
I have since changed to a more proffessional set up with a text notification service when the script is in. Which in the last case was quicker than than the 2 days stated. (36 hours was tha last one.)

As an aside. I was told a while ago that dispensing chemists have a policy to keep certain stuff in reserve (including D stuff.) to tide em over in case a patient urgently needs medication.


Switch to a more proffessional & courteous chemist.. Most chemists do s home delivery service these days too!
 
Hi. I use Lloyds and my local branch is superb and would have dispensed the insulin regardless. I have to say that I have always tried to avoid the risk of this happening. Where I have a long-term need such as diabetes I always build up a stock so that I have 1 -2 months in reserve. I do this by moving the script by 1-2 days each month. I order my prescriptions online and keep a reminder in my PC diary. I merge all of my different meds into one monthly script to keep it simple. I don't use Lloyds re-order service as any script changes causes it to go wrong.
 
Have a good shout about it, and quite right too. Bang out of order. I complained to Lloyds management about mistakes they made and now customers are asked to complete a "satisfaction" form. I tried switching my prescription (statins) to another branch but they couldn't handle it.
Absolutely not your fault and you're obviously doing a grand job coping with a very demanding life.
(French accent) I spit in ze general direction of your chemist.
 

Sorry about your rotten experience. No one should have to put up with that.

When you are calm, write a letter of complaint to Lloyds. The pharmacist shouldn't get away with it or they'll do the same thing to someone else.

If you are having problems with your control, contact your DSN for some advice. When our blood sugars are all over the place, it can affect our moods, so the sooner you get sorted the better.
 
Do write a letter of complaint to Lloyds .. but don't leave it too long as they may have the incident on CCTV .. then she can be fully disciplined.
 
I'm in the same process at the moment. Building up a reserve of needles and lancets has been easy as I'm allowed 100 of each per month, but only use 60 and 30 respectively. I'm allowed 5 insulin pens per month, but only get through 2, so that's not been a problem either, it's the test strips that I'm working on as my script is for 150 per month and it's a struggle to manage, so like you, I sneakily put the repeat in for these a few days early and have so far managed to gain a pot of 50 in reserve and I'm now working on the second 50 !! I'm aiming at a total reserve of 150. I slightly resent having to do this, as I have strong views that as a UK born and bred citizen, having paid my NI contributions and taxes all my working life, I shouldn't have to struggle for supplies. After all, the more I test and take this disease seriously, the less chance there is that I'll finish up in hospital costing the NHS even more money. Oh dear, it's late and I'm on my soap box again...............

I have to add that I'm fortunate enough that my gp surgery has their own pharmacy in the same building, so if I should slip up, hopefully they'll be understanding and help me out unlike the dreadful treatment that @Flakey Bake had to endure.
 
I am so upset for you and the treatment you have received. Not with lloyds but another pharmacy I had to put a complaint in with due to mess ups. I would say definitely write a letter they have to reply within 20days so if they don't bug them. I built a relationship with my pharmacist I explained my life and that I take various things so scripts can't be put in the same each month. They set up a system where I can ring up to put my scripts in to advoid issues or late issues. My guess is scripts emergency ones have to be paid for by th company and I believe lloyds are a franchise so you may have changed me across a pharmacist/manager who is aware of books no excuse though! You can also write to the pharmacist governor my board as it is lack of patient care. You may or may not get anything back from it. Any good pharmacist knows the struggle of diabetes. We all make oops in remembering scripts I do. Dry much so but whether it's a script or a eve to a ham no one should speak to you that way. I wish you the best with it. You lease remember though this is more the pharmacists own personal stuff than anything you did
 
They make money from you using them. You need to complain to the highest level and then tell those miserable little buggers to go fornicate with themselves.

Who gives a **** what they think?!!

Change chemist and let them know why and who it was that made you do that.

I often run out of stuff before my prescription comes through as my GP's are pretty hopeless/erratic and I am always given an 'advance' by Boots without any drama.

This is outrageous; also they are making up this 'once only' ****. What swine; really stick it to them.

Best

Dillinger
 
June_C said:
my script is for 150 per month and it's a struggle to manage.
Click to expand...

Blimey. I get 200 a time whenever I need in cartridges for the Accu-check Mobile. Some sort of post code lottery? Though my D nurse is an absolute star..!
 
Jaylee said:
Blimey. I get 200 a time whenever I need in cartridges for the Accu-check Mobile. Some sort of post code lottery? Though my D nurse is an absolute star..!
Click to expand...
You're very lucky. When I was looking to buy a spare meter, I came across the Accu-check and then saw the price of the cartridges. I settled for a Codefree, as it's only going to be the spare and the strips are inexpensive. My gp's dsn is a treasure and I think I could probably persuade her to increase my strips to 200 in a few months time. I started out with only 100..................
 
June, you don't need to buy a spare meter just ring the meter company and ask for a spare as you are insulin dependant. I rang to enquire about the Bayer Contour next meter and asked for 2 meters as on insulin. The reply was certainly we always recommend that people have a safety net of two meters when using insulin. Two meters arrived in the post the following day
 
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