• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Funny looks at the chemist's !!!

CathyN

Well-Known Member
Messages
248
Location
dorset
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
prejudice, racism, complacency, ignorance
I am type 2. Diet and exercise controlled. 5ft 1 and weigh under 9 stones. I test my BG about 3 times a day now, after a pretty full-on 3 month period of finding out how to eat by testing before and after every meal.

I have to purchase my own testing strips because they are not on prescription from my surgery - and am getting just a bit miffed at the strange looks I get at the chemist counter when I ask to buy a pot of strips. :evil:

In fact, at one well known chemist, the woman behind the counter told me she didn't think I was allowed to buy them. At others I have been viewed with what I can only describe as suspicion.

It's not my imagination. I think they just regard non insulin type 2 s who want to test as a bit weird.

I have not purchased on-line as I wanted to support my local shops .................. thinking of changing my mind - then I wouldn't have to put up with comments like "are you aware of how much they cost?"

yes I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd rather not have to buy them - I'd rather the NHS promoted self-help and encouraged pro-active control - I'd rather not have to THINK about testing my BG. ANYTHING ELSE YOU"D LIKE TO ADD????????

Phew - that's better x
 
CathyN wrote
In fact, at one well known chemist, the woman behind the counter told me she didn't think I was allowed to buy them.
Click to expand...

Were you wearing shoes or were you in boots at the time :lol:

It's sad we become some sort of freak show
Perhaps if you'd had a letter from your mum, saying it was okay :roll:

Geoff
 
Sod the local shop, I bought 300 for £12 from ebay with 300 lancets too. Quite a saving.
 
That's really unfair and stupid of them in general I know people don't really know much about who can get test strips or not. I work in a pharmacy myself, and know once when i went into boots to buy some strips as had lost mine on a night out I get mine on script but needed to test to inject my insulin so easier just to buy a one off and they were so unhelpful and refused to give the vat back as anyone who has a medical exemption card will get vat back on diabetic items.
 
My supermarket chemist is used to me now and I get them without too much trouble although they always worry about how much it costs me (me too!). I used the opportunity to explain what I was doing and why which they found interesting..... come to think about it I use every opportunity to explain what I am doing and why. I figure the more people that are exposed to different thinking the better. :lol:
 
Agree with dawnmc - get them on e-bay and save yourself a fortune.
 
you want to be a bloke trying to buy your 2nd dose of Caneston Once in a week
 
thats not odd at all, you should see and hear some of the things that people do and say in a chemist shop :lol: RRB
 

you're also entitled to have them VAT free as well...

If the boxes of strips are in front of the counter on a shelf where YOU can pick them up, then you ARE allowed to buy them. Anything behind the counter or locked away behind glass needs the pharmacist to approve... mind you they put some things behind the counter just to make you beg for them and prevent pilferage by schoolboys...

I got the same weird looks at first in my local branch of Lloyds... the counter staff didn't know what to do about deducting the VAT off the price...

Get them online now far cheaper after switching to the SD Codefree.
 
Reminds me of an incident during my BSc Marine Biology course. One of my fellow students had worked in a chemist's shop through her A levels. We were both filling a questionnaires about conctraception, and one of the questions was something like "Do you find it embarrassing to buy condoms?" My friend answered "Not as embarrassing as selling them!

There are many items sold in a chemists that do have legal restrictions eg large quantities of paracetamol can only be sold with the supervision of a pharmacist (to lessen the chances of the buyer using for an overdose), so while the assistant shouldn't make the buyer feel embarrassed, they do have to check carefully, as failure to do so could have serious effects, even resulting in pharmacist being struck off, although not usually after a single incident, more likely after a series of errors, and there are spot checks by "secret buyers".
 
Dont think you can OD on test strips :lol:
CAROL
 
I really wouldn't pay too much attention to people like that. Ask to see her supervisor.

I tried to buy Adios weight loss pills in Boots a while ago. First the girl told me that she couldn't sell them to me because by the look of me my BMI was too high. After I wasted five minutes pointing out her illogical thinking (that overweight people aren't allowed access to weight-loss pills), she spun me some yarn about how they were told not to sell weight-loss pills to men because they might force their girlfriends to take them. I called the pharmacist over and the child tried to contradict everything I said about our conversation.

I swear to you, folks, that conversation actually happened.
 
If I go to Boots, I can buy a pot of 10 strips from the aisle, if I want a pot of 50 I have to go to the pharmacist. I could buy 5 pots of 10 without question, but that would be very expensive. I discussed this with Boots who didn't seem to appreciate what I was saying!
I now buy from Amazon :lol:
 
Hi All.
Just to chip in here and make a suggestion...
If you wish to speak in private to staff/pharmacist they should have
a room or secluded area in chemists to offer you this option .
My chemists have a small private room where you can discuss anything in confidence
with them .
Saves any exposure or embarrassment :thumbup:
Hope this suggestion helps ...
Anna.
 
Great suggestion Anna, and that means we can punch them in private without causing a scene too :lol:

Boots staff are notorious for nonsensical comments or as they call it 'advice'. I hate topping up my painkillers as I get the suicide watch comments about not being allowed to buy x amount of this painkiller or Codeine is addictive etc etc (I mean are there not warnings on the flipping packets...?)

I deal with my local Rowlands it's near my house and open pretty late, also the Boots near my work kept running out of oh I don't know important things like Ketone test strips. I'm beginning to re-consider Rowlands these days, I appreciate I'm more of a regular in the local chemist than in the pub :lol: As I'm in there so much, some of the girls are starting to get a bit friendly which is ok, when they ask 'How I am' and know exactly which is my perscription without asking me all my details, which is a nice touch.

The other day I went in to order 2 months worth of the pill, and one of these friendly girls blurted out 'are you ok for insulin?' I politely told her yes but I must admit I was a bit annoyed as I think I'm going to ensure I have enough of a medecine designed to keep me alive!

What next? 'You're nearly at the end of your 6mth long once a a week anti thrush medication, will you make a GP appointment?'

What's that saying from the cartoon Futurama? (a bit of an odd reference but I do like cartoons from time to time)

"You're not paid to think so shut up and do your job".
 
She was only trying to be helpful and did not realise how you would feel
 

The reason you are asked questions in boots is because we legally have to ask you them i do not work for boots i work for another leading pharmacy. There is a set of questions we have to ask before we sell them to you, especially as we can be held responsible if we have not asked these questions. They are as much for your safety as yours, a lot of people do actually want to buy something that will in fact make there conditions worse or are not safe with other medications. Anything behind the counter we have to ask questions ok some of it is more common sense like olive oil would not go through all the wham questions. And actually it is kind of offensive to say that quote about not being paid to think - considering all the time what we handle and the affects if someone buys something that they are unaware has the strength to do them serious damage. For the elderly generation personally i know we like to double check they have ordered and have enough of things like insulin because we know how serious it is that they have it and we need to order some things in and depending on where its coming from may take up to a few days therefore we do double check at times.
 
I once had to pick up a Canestan pessary for a previous partner. The chemist asked me "is this for personal use?". :shock:

You'd have thought that the beard would have been a giveaway.
 
borofergie said:
I once had to pick up a Canestan pessary for a previous partner. The chemist asked me "is this for personal use?". :shock:

You'd have thought that the beard would have been a giveaway.
Click to expand...
:lol: So funny, thanks for sharing it with us all.
Anna.
 
More seriously, I think I've discovered the vaue of qualified pharmacists here in France. There are no chains because pharmacies have to be owned by pharmacists and they have to be on the premises when prescriptions are dispensed. There are no big companies so if you use the same place you get to know your pharmacist , mine knows me , my present problems and what I need (and has helped me out when I've had to make emergency visits to the UK)

At a more serious level, my friends husband was dying of bowel cancer, his pharmacist was very much part of the palliative team He joined in meetings at his home to help alleviate pain and allow him to die with dignity.

I do wonder why we train our pharmacists well but then the system makes them (at least those out side hospitals) to become little more than drug dispensers and shop managers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…