I had a text from the pharmacy ate 12.25 pm. I had tried to ring them in the morning but they were permanently engaged.
By 2.00 there was a queue of about twenty people. Or maybe ten, on reflection, but it felt like twenty. So I went to TESCO to use the cash machine. Two have been shut down due to social distancing, and the third wasn’t working. Next I tried Sainsbury’s, again the only working machine wasn’t working. If that makes sense you have, like me, been in lockdown too long.
Back to the pharmacy…
The queue was down to one person, with two in the shop. They only allow two in the shop at one time, presumably because the previous restriction of three was too efficient. At that time it was actually three in the queue and two sitting waiting, Today they actually had two sitting waiting and nobody being served. Not the best use of the four staff they had in the shop.
I waited outside for 25 minutes. I timed it especially for this post. The lady in front of me was finally admitted. I waited another ten minutes. They allowed me in. Then they made me wait again. The lady in front of me was told she would have to wait ten minutes for her prescription. Mine, when I was served, was ready for me as arranged. I heard the sound of celestial trumpets and felt warm rays of light fall upon my head.
Because I have learned from experience I checked the bag.
My Warfarin were missing. Another five minutes passed before they waved a slip of paper to prove I didn’t have a prescription for it. If only they’d been as keen to contact the doctor and sort it.
I had to walk five yards and press doorbell to contact reception. I did this and waited. They were busy and it took a few minutes. They refused to discuss it with me as there were “people about” and they didn’t want me to have to discuss it with people listening. I don’t actually feel the need to hide the fact I have atrial fibrillation. If I’d contracted it in a brothel, or had to take my trousers off to explain it, I might feel a bit embarrassed, but I didn’t, and I don’t. I could actually have sorted it in five minutes but no, I had to ring.
So they sent me away with instructions to sort it out by ringing them.
After sorting a number of other things out, and calming myself down, I was able to ring the surgery and establish that they had missed the Warfarin off the prescription. As usual there is no explanation, no apology and, seemingly, no concern that they have cocked up yet again.
As a result, my careful planning has come to nothing. My exposure to the virus has been doubled by the need for a second visit. My attempt to avoid exposing pharmacy workers to the virus has been negated. Sometimes I wonder why I bother trying.
Other, more interesting things also happened, but they would merely cloud the issue.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
At least you can provide some humour from the frustrating incident. What a shambles.
Yes, shambles is a good word. It’s not impressive is it?
Looks like the world is going to pot!
Careful, you’ll start to sound like me, and everyone knows I’m an appalling role model. 🙂
😊
It does seem hard that fate (or incompetence or both) should pick on you so often. Sometimes I think that my life here might be a little too quiet but at other times, as when I dropped into the chemists on the way back from my walk yesterday and picked up my prescription, I feel that the tempo of life here might be just what the doctor ordered.
I knew it wasn’t just the climate and the cheery inhabitants that made life in the Borders so rewarding.
It was pissing with rain today!
I noticed that your weather was a little different to ours when I watched the forecast this morning. WE had to water the veg patch this evening – still no rain.
Come down here to live – you will find you are better treated
Better treatment and, of course, better neighbours… 🙂
🙂
Careful the stress dosn’t get you. Common sense would dictate that they should give you a repeat prescription that goes for a few months at least, but the world is short on common sense these days.
They just seem unable to get the paperwork right.
Gosh oh gosh! Any chance you can have your medication mailed to you? That’s how Clif gets his.
I will look into different systems when the virus is over. Unfortunately everyone reports problems, no matter which system they use.
That is a horrible experience. Is there some way they can give you a 2 month or whatever the interval is supply so you don’t need to come back as often?
They give me a two month supply, apart from the Warfarin, where they give me 100 tablets (just over a month’s supply).
The real problem is slipshod admin work in the surgery and a poorly managed pharmacy. It’s happened so many times now I’m getting past a joke.
Goodness.
What an experience.
I swear I do nothing to cause the problem. Maybe Creation just likes to see me turn red and fulminate.