The Chemist Interrogation

zoon said:
I'm a pharmacist so can tell you the reason for this - products you can buy over the counter are licensed for human use, not for use on animals. If the pharmacist sells you a product against the product licence and something happens due to use of the product, the are liable. If you chose to lie to the pharmacist about how the product is going to be used, you are liable for whatever happens.
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I have no issue with being liable for what happens to my horse.
 
You want to try buying Benzyl Benzoate and stand there, in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and have the pharmacist ask if you have crabs!!!!

Not an experience I would wish on anyone.
 
I have no issue with pharmacists asking questions, it's when it's the non pharmacist member of Boots staff who starts questioning your motive for wanting slightly stronger throat sweets or whatever that riles me.
 
What bugs me is the rule that you can only buy x number of paracetamol/aspirin at one time. If someone is determined to overdose they would simply go into every shop in town. When you need painkillers on a constant basis it (literally) becomes a pain.
 
One of my daughters was a vet nurse. The majority of pharmacuticals, medicines etc used for humans are also used to treat animals she told me (and vice versa).I admit to buying from our local pharmacy all sorts of things for the dogs, nags (and even occasionaly for the OH ). !!
 
Your lucky you found a farcamist that wasn't on their 4 hour dinner break where the cleaning lady can't sell you a packet of smarties because the farcamist isn't there, gets on my tits a bit with the overprotective mamby pamby attitude to buying a bottle of aspirin.

Is it for yourself, no it's for the wife, she is a bit of a bitch, will that matter, have you used it before, yea I'm 57, it's bum cream and I have an applicator ;) do I have any allergenic reactions to the ingredients, yea I get pedantic vindictive irritable grumpy old man syndrome when asked mind numbing questions regarding over the counter remedies, should I stop taking it or qaudruple the dose..........
 
Ladyinred said:
You want to try buying Benzyl Benzoate and stand there, in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and have the pharmacist ask if you have crabs!!!!

Not an experience I would wish on anyone.
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This thread has me in stitches, talking about general inquisitions from chemists (sorry, just had to put that in to wind up the pedantics on here) is funny enough to read about, added to that the squabbles over degrees, terminologies and such, I am chuckling away to my self quite happily, then I read this post and I think this thread has become my favourite of the night! Poor you, you must have been mortified :o
 
I get totally p #d off with pharmacists interrogation too. Mine couldn't sell liquid paraffin for the cob's knees to me as she thought I might be stupid enough to swallow a whole bottle. Apparently they no longer sell it. Chemist round the corner did though.

Funny that, I'm a qualified nurse, a mother of 6 and a responsible member of society.

Yes, I do get annoyed at their 'everyone is an idiot' attitude. Yes, I know some people need a label to tell them their MacDonalds coffee is hot, but being treated like an imbecile is annoying.
 
sussexbythesea said:
Well I do I have a BSc in Geology and an MSc in Environmental Analysis and Assessment but I am not a Pharmacist nor a Chemist - I wrote a random thread based on what I thought was a funny experience and I didn't particularly choose my words - I didn't think it was a test! Pretty much everyone else who responded knows what I mean and took it in the way it was intended.
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cinnamontoast said:
I can understand a pharmacist not being willing to sell products meant for humans when people mention horses/dogs, but I do wish they'd understand that quite a lot of members of the general public have a modicum of intelligence. I resent being spoken to as though I were five and a slow learner.

I am fortunate that I can discuss medication with my sister in law who is in the top 1% of pharmaceutical graduates in the country.
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and I love this, its like I poker game:

'I'll see your BSc in Geology and an MSc in Environmental Analysis and Assessment and raise you my sisters top 1% of pharmaceutical graduates':D:D;)
 
Queenbee said:
and I love this, its like I poker game:

'I'll see your BSc in Geology and an MSc in Environmental Analysis and Assessment and raise you my sisters top 1% of pharmaceutical graduates':D:D;)
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OOh ooh, my bruv is a professor in inorganic chemistry. Does that help ? Can I have some peppermint oil now pretty please ?
 
Nope, Im afraid Im only qualified to sell you a pack of cotton buds and a hair grips, as long as you promise not to stick the cotton buds in your eyes and are not intending on swallowing the hair grips:D
 
Now I understand why I got a funny look the last time I bought Benzyl Benzoate.... They thought I had crabs ha ha ha haha.... That's hilarious, and the young girl behind the counter went all red when I asked for it too!!! I must be dodgy old crab lady now....! But they didn't ask what I wanted it for ;) :o :)
 
Same with me when I tried to buy antihistamines for Maje a few years ago :/

Also had issues getting enough iodine and particularly eucalyptus oil to poultice his sole with.. Yes a tiny tub smaller than rescue remedy is sufficient, but can I please have another 9 as you only have one on the shelf..

The biggest problem I've ever had for me is finding silver nitrate for a pyogenic granuloma.. I failed miserably..
 
In the days before chemist/pharmacist had to ask what you wanted stuff for, my parents were first in the queue for the Sunday opening chemist shop in town. On the stroke of noon mother raced into the shop and asked for 3 pints of liquid parafin, as it was 'an emergency'. The bemused assistant sold her the required amount and mother then brought it for the colicy mare :D I still wonder what the poor assistant thought mother wanted that quantity of emergency liquid parafin for.....
 
Have any of you tried getting vets prescriptions filled at the chemist? I'm about to start getting my mares drugs (not all licenced for horses btw) this way as vets cannot supply them at best cost. I will most likely order online but this thread got me questioning if my local chemist would fill vets prescriptions.
 
I've found getting stuff for humans is harder than getting stuff for horses!

Went to collect my house mates prescription for her, had to give my house mates full address, DOB, spell her name, answer questions on her previous 2 addresses, was interrogated on the condition that she needed the tablets for, asked her weight to assess whether the prescription strength was too strong, listen to a lecture on the dangers of the drug and how to take them safely etc. Then the conversation went as followed, and I managed to embarrass the chemist (;)) . I'm not normally like this, but I was getting pee'd off!
To add, myself and my house mate are both 21yr old female uni students. We're both heterosexual but have been friends for a long time!

Chemist: Is A on the pill?
Me: No
Chemist: Well, what does A do for contraception then?!
Me: She doesn't ... (as a note, A is single, so has no need for it)
Chemist: Right, and what is your relationship with A?
Me: I'm her girlfriend, thus no need for contraception. Now could I have the prescription please, or would you like our full dating history??

I'm not normally so rude (or normally prone to lying about my sexuality!) but she interrogated me for 15 mins before I could get the prescription. What's worse, is A has gone on to tablets that I'm on! If the chemist had got up my record, she could see I know all about them. A's seen how well they work for me, and spoke to her Dr about changing over and giving the course a go.
 
jesstickle said:
Firstly they aren't chemists they're pharmacists.

Secondly, it is there job to only sell over the counter medicines for the purpose they are licensed (and tested) for.

No need to get peed off that they're doing they're job to try and keep people safe.
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Ahh but you are wrong, they are chemists shops and may well have a pharmacist . Back in the day , we used to buy certain chemicals for all sorts of household uses ,guess where we bought them ? The chemists shop. Half a pound of Borax please. Thankyou. job done! Why should I speak to a bloody pharmacist when what I want is none of their concern . Yes they do P me off because it is none of their business if it is not for human use. half a pound of Potassium Nitrate please.What are you going to do with it, Make a bomb? No cure a pig! Sorry cant sell it for veterinary use! Its not for veterinary use ,The pig is dead! Then how can you cure it? You cure it to make bacon stupid ...???????????????
 
Living in a very horsey village it's quite usual to hear the village pharmacist say "it is for *insert human condition*, isn't it?" when he knows perfectly well it's for horses. Covers him & also means if I need to go elsewhere another time I know what to say it's for! My chemists is also the only one I've ever known that sells a whole range of horse wormers :)
 
Nari said:
Living in a very horsey village it's quite usual to hear the village pharmacist say "it is for *insert human condition*, isn't it?" when he knows perfectly well it's for horses. Covers him & also means if I need to go elsewhere another time I know what to say it's for! My chemists is also the only one I've ever known that sells a whole range of horse wormers :)
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Presumable the horse wormers arn't for *insert human condition* hopefully :p
 
happyhacking:) said:
Have any of you tried getting vets prescriptions filled at the chemist? I'm about to start getting my mares drugs (not all licenced for horses btw) this way as vets cannot supply them at best cost. I will most likely order online but this thread got me questioning if my local chemist would fill vets prescriptions.
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Yes, all the time. I have regular customers who are dogs, cats and horses, and even a budgie at one point. Prescription laws are different so you can have whatever you like on one without the third degree from me ;). The pharmacy I manage guarantees to beat any price with private prescriptions, so we do a lot of them. I went into the be the other day to pick up some injections for my mare and a gent was at the counter paying for 2 inhalers for his pony. Inhalers regularly used in humans and set him back about £60. On the way out I discretely informed him they'd be less than a tenner in my pharmacy, plus about a tenner for vet to write out prescription
 
Yep
Tried to buy baby eye drops for my rabbit and they refused...the damn drops are most likely tested on rabbits in the first place so I'm sure they are safe!
Don't mention any animals now...
Yes I need a disinfectant, no a bottle wont do as i need to spray in the field...yes I often get injured in the field!...lol!
Just try not to tell them anything now :D
 
Yes, have learned never to mention animals to the power mad staff in our chemists. The one that had me fuming was an enema for a new foal. Had got them previously from vet and they were for humans. So if the vet is using a human enema for a horse why could I not buy the exact same brand in the chemist. Because I said it was for a foal and caused chests to puff out and fingers to wag. Oh no you can't buy that I'm afraid.
For gods sake, apart from being the same brand I picked up after driving 15 miles to vet surgery, it's little more than soapy water. Ahhhhhhh I understand the concerns with some items, but really, an enema !!!!!!
 
I wanted some Nizoral shampoo for my mares mudfeveer, it wasn't on show so I asked, she picked it off the shelf, said "Is it for you?", I said "Nah, its for a horse", then the pharmacist chips in and says "we can't sell it to you if its for an animal".
Its only shampoo!!!. Anyway I went up the road to the Lloyds chemist, picked it off the shelf and bought it no questions asked.
I thought it was funny..but silly.
 
I heard a story (might have been via someone on here, so I apologise for thunder-stealing :o) about a vet. nurse who was sent to a chemist in a small, 'smart' village. She had been tasked to buy tampons and condoms to pack into a large bleeding wound. I think the condoms were to inflate in the hole. For some reason the pharmacist insisted on describing all the different sizes, colours and advantages of the various condoms in stock. Vet. nurse became very flustered, and in front of a full shop, blurted out - "It really doesn't matter - they're for a horse!" :eek::eek:
 
I got quizzed one day when I went to Boots to buy some Hibiscrub for the only time in my mare's life she got mud fever during one particularly muddy winter. My local tack shop was out of it so went there. I was in my jods so the chemist ended up asking me if was for my horse, lol, turns out she had a horse too!!

I HATE trying to buy Sudafed though. I have small eustachian tubes in my ears that get clogged up and infected when I get even the tiniest bit sick (cold, flu, sore throat, the wind caught my ear funny, whatever) and the drug in it, Pseudoephedrine, is the only drug available at this moment in history, that unclogs small eustachian tubes. I have to take it before I go on a plane to unclog my ears (the doctor recommends it for me) but buying boxes of it is a pain in the *rse as the Pseudoephedrine, is used by drug addicts to make meth or whatever it is they use to make their illegal drugs so you are only allowed to buy two boxes at a time.

If I'm with my OH, they won't even let him buy two extra boxes and he got got really annoyed one time before we were going away, that he told them that "it's not as if we are going to open a meth lab with two extra boxes, it's for her flipping ear!".

We just ended up going to a few chemists and stocking up so we had enough for when we went on holiday.
 
You need 2 find yourself a horsey pharmacist (like me!) I'm more than happy 2 help with animal probs altho u may find I ask 2any qus bout ure horsey bit only cos I'm nosy oh & then u'd have 2 hear bout my boy!!
 
bikerchickone said:
Now I understand why I got a funny look the last time I bought Benzyl Benzoate.... They thought I had crabs ha ha ha haha.... That's hilarious, and the young girl behind the counter went all red when I asked for it too!!! I must be dodgy old crab lady now....! But they didn't ask what I wanted it for ;) :o :)
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I wonder if all the horsey folk are unwittingly affecting government stats on the % of population that has crabs by buying so much Benzyl?
 
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