I get repeat prescriptions from Boots.
Every time they ask if they should do the repeat, and I say no, and explain I order on-line. I have several items I do not need every time and that is why.
They stated (falsely) that they did not order a repeat prescription. I did not shout. I did speak loudly and assertively. I was cross.
But now I am banned from an NHS pharmacist because THEY COCKED UP, by which I mean there was a chain of events that started with them cocking up and then them lying to me which led me to be annoyed and questioning them on it.
It is also worth pointing out that, if the manager had not come over as I was taking my prescription and leaving, that would have been it. He also escalated the matter.
What is particularly annoying is that there was no warning. There was no "If you do not calm down / leave I'll ban you". That would have been a surprise, but I am sure I would have left. No, it was "you're banned". I don't think he even articulated why I was banned at the time - the letter simply says "unacceptable behaviour", which is vague.
Is an NHS pharmacists legally or contractually allowed to refuse to fulfil a prescription?
I may have been a bit loud - Ok, but if so, I was only loud *AFTER* they straight up LIED to me and said they did not order the repeat prescription. I was expecting a "sorry, we don't do that again". No such luck. An apology would have diffused the situation.
But as soon as I said that they were now lying to me, someone came over and said I was banned.
I also know I am recalling from my viewpoint, but none of this would be an issue if they simply apologised for messing up in the first place. The root cause here is they screwed up.
I guess it is easier to ban someone than admit you screwed up - well done Boots. Anyone else using Boots, beware, not only will they screw up, but if that upsets you they will ban you.
Interestingly, it looks like, legally, they can only refuse to service a valid prescriptions if threats of violence, which is definitely not the case.
Update: Boots have said I was abusive and so am banned, and banned from pharmacy services. So I asked if The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 apply or am I misreading it.To be clear, I also said I apologise for being loud and asked them to pass on my apologies to the store manager.
Update: They confirm banned from pharmaceutical services - which I do not know is legal. I should really this this drop, but if that is illegal then I should not. I'll try and work it out.
Update: Doctor's surgery confirm they cannot refuse an NHS prescription, but sounds like down to NHS contract terms. Fun.
Worth buying one share and raising this at their AGM for maximum public humiliation?
ReplyDeleteThat is a fun one, I may have to.
DeleteHi Adrian, I’m an A&A customer and I like your work. I watched the video and I have to say that you were being a bit of an dickhead. They were wrong and should have apologised and fixed it, but raising your voice does come across as a bit aggressive - and many places now have a zero tolerance policy even for the tamer end of frustrations like this because of the increase in abuse of staff (not saying you abused them btw). I think everyone understands your frustration but it’s not their job to manage your emotions. I think neither you nor them comes out looking good in this.
ReplyDeleteOk, thanks.
DeleteDitto. I could not have put it better. They will have a zero tolerance policy and may not perceive the difference between you being loud and abuseful (remember 'recollections may vary'). The only solution in this situation, however much they are in the wrong, is to take the moral high ground and stay polite, keep voice normal and then follow up with a considered written complaint.
DeleteI have not seen the video but I think he is a very nice man and people who care about things do become passionate about it sometimes. Without people who sometimes get angry, nothing would ever improve. I like this man and I can tell he is very gentle and kind spirited.
DeleteNot saying they didn't, but are you certain it was Boots and not your GP that issued the repeat?
ReplyDeleteWe've always found the service from independent pharmacies better than Boots, so I hope you manage to find a good one near you.
Nope, I checked with my GP already.
DeleteWhy do you believe your GP but not believe Boots?
DeleteHaving worked in a public facing role on a number of occasions, I can understand why they took exception to your attitude and raised voice.
ReplyDeleteThere’s no need to get “cross” over an additional repeat item being ordered, you just tell them you don’t need it, they mark it on the system as not dispensed and put it back on the shelf.
It makes no difference to you or them and the GP can reissue it when you do need it. Problem solved, no loud conversation or accusations required.
A customer who is probably in the wrong who is making an unnecessary fuss about a non issue is generally what pisses off customer facing staff the most.
People don’t come to work to be talked at “loudly and assertively” over an insignificant error that they may or may not have made and that the organisation itself may or may not have been responsible for. Perhaps consider that they are individuals trying to just do a job before giving them so much stick.
That said, banning outright appears possibly excessive unless there’s more to it, which there could be, but refusing to serve you on that occasion and asking you to leave would have been entirely reasonable in the circumstances shown in the video.
You could try going and apologising in person for being unnecessarily arsey with them. It may pay dividends.
Just out of curiosity, if a customer spoke to someone at A&A like that what would be the outcome?
ReplyDeleteGood for you though for apologising for being loud etc. things do get heated.
I don’t think we would have got to that? But at worst it would be ending the call I expect. I did not call them names or swear or anything like that. Just when they said they don’t order repeats I said “but you did!”, and that was a bit loud.
DeleteYou were banned because of your own actions, you weren't banned because they screwed up. Take some god damn responsibility and stop blaming other people for YOUR actions.
ReplyDelete
DeleteI was banned because I was cross and annoyed, I was cross and annoyed because (a) they screwed up and (b) they lied to me about it - there was a chain of events caused and escalated by them. I accept that I was annoyed, even a bit loud and regret that, and will try and be less so in future. But the cause of events was them screwing up and lying about it.
If you do want to take it further, I would suggest you take the matter up with your local ICB pharmacy team, as there is no right for an individual patient to pursue a breach of the pharmacy contract.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I would urge you to reflect on the fact that even though the commenters here only have your side of the story, they seem to think you are in the wrong. As others reference a video which I cannot seem to find, I think it would be unfair for me to come to my own judgement but I can see why they have reached the conclusion they have.
The pragmatic course of action and the one I would recommend would be to find another pharmacy, be it one local to you or a distance selling pharmacy.
Is it possible that you are banned from that Boots store, but that the pharmacy would happily fulfil your future prescriptions if a family member came in on your behalf?
ReplyDeleteThat might be their way out of The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013
I asked for clarification of this, even asked for procedure for collection when not allowed in store, and even cited that legislation but they say they will not fill my prescriptions and I am banned from all pharmaceutical services.
DeleteHere's an analogy. Say you have BGP peering agreement from a bigger wholesaler that pays A&A for some customers' traffic transiting through that peer. You deliberately punt some customers traffic through them so they pay you a few quid more. Said punter happens to realise their pr0n is being routed erroneously through the wholesaler and throws up a fuss to A&A customer service and then looks into the peering agreement and calls the other peer to dob on A&A. Would you be happy a) that you were caught, b) that your staff in A&A got yelled at and c) that said customer started poking into legal arrangements with your business' wholesale suppliers? Of course not. In fact I'd imagine just like Mr Boots Manager, you'd step in as MD and say something pretty similar to that customer.
ReplyDeleteLikewise in this case, while it might be a grey area whether Boots legally or illegally filled your scrip, it's their business with their wholesaler which happens to be the NHS. You as a punter aren't in the slightest bit injured by the event. So as others said, drop it and go find an indie chemist to flirt with.
Well, I would be warning someone before banning them, I am sure, which did not happen in this case. Also the analogy is odd as we don't pay our get paid for traffic through peering by volume, and porn is irrelevant as (a) generally legal, and (b) all involved have mere conduit so not an issue, oh, and also normally encrypted like most web traffic. I sort of think I see what you are trying to get at, except the NHS is owned and run by the country for the people, it is not some unknown wholesaler, it has a responsibility to the patients so it is not involving some random third party. It also looks like there is actual legislation covering this not just NHS contracts. Saying I have a lack of choice of pharmacy "is no injury" is, of course, not true, as there have been occasions where there have been issues with supply of one drug, and the reason I was with boots in the first place.
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