This Medicine Can Cause Overreactions
My girlfriend was pregnant with our child around a year ago. She had terrible morning sickness, and it became so bad that she almost couldn’t eat for two days; she could only drink water and eat a few saltines.
We visited our health clinic on the third day, and they concluded after some testing that she was fine and that it would pass within a week. They recommended a specific over-the-counter drug that would alleviate the morning sickness to help her feel better. I drove her home so she could rest and went to buy the medicine from our local pharmacy.
Pharmacist: “Is this medicine for you?”
Me: “No?”
Pharmacist: “Who is it for?”
Me: “My girlfriend. Why?”
Pharmacist: “Is she pregnant?”
Me: “Excuse me?”
Pharmacist: “Is she pregnant?”
I reasoned the pharmacist had relevant information about the medicine, so I answered truthfully.
Me: “Um, yes. First trimester. She can’t eat because she feels so ill.”
Pharmacist: “I’m sorry, I can’t sell you this medicine then.”
Me: “What? Why?”
Pharmacist: “You have to be very careful with pregnant women! Medicine may be harmful for her or her baby.”
She really emphasized the “her” for some reason.
Me: “Thanks for looking out for her and our baby, but the doctor recommended these to help with morning sickness. We contacted the clinic since she hasn’t been able to eat for two days, and they explicitly told me to buy that medicine for her. But I understand your concern.”
Pharmacist: “You don’t, if you intend to give her medicine! Pregnant women shouldn’t take any medicine unless prescribed by a doctor!”
Me: “But this was prescribed by a doctor, he told me to buy this for this purpose!”
Pharmacist: “It isn’t a prescription drug!”
Me: “I know, but a doctor told me to buy it!”
Pharmacist: “I cannot sell you this medicine, not in good conscience. Pregnant women shouldn’t take medicine just because they feel a little bad.”
Me: *Dumbfounded silence.*
Pharmacist: “Well? Is there anything else?”
Me: “Do you have a manager I can talk to?”
Pharmacist: “Yes, but that isn’t necessary. She will back me up.”
Me: “Get her anyway. Please.”
The pharmacist rolled her eyes but complied. She went away and came back with a manager, who looked at me disdainfully.
Manager: Right. I have heard the story from [Pharmacist]. Are you aware that we reserve the right to deny service to anyone we suspect will be harmed by the medication?”
Me: “Yes, of course you do. But that’s not the issue.”
Manager: “Isn’t it?”
Pharmacist: “Oh, did your complaint change in the minute it took me to get the manager? Never heard that one before.”
Me: The issue is that I want to buy medicine for my girlfriend. She is in the first trimester and feels ill all the time, so much so that she couldn’t eat for two days—”
Pharmacist: *Interrupting.* “—And since pregnant women shouldn’t take any medicine unless prescribed by a doctor. I refused to sell to you, but you threw a fit since you were denied by a woman.”
Me: “…and we went to the clinic where the doctor told me to buy [Medicine] to ease the symptoms until they passed. And she didn’t want to sell it to me.”
Manager: “[Medicine]? As in, the over-the-counter drug?”
Me & Pharmacist: “Yes.”
Manager: “Well… um…”
Pharmacist: *Sarcastically.* “So, are we going to sell medicine to him?”
Manager: “That medicine isn’t harmful for pregnant people, nor to the child. It is commonly taken for this purpose. And since a doctor said to take it, it’s fine, and it probably would have been anyway.”
Pharmacist: “But she’s pregnant! And pregnant women shouldn’t take medications for feeling bad!”
Manager: “Yes, they may. Just not a long list of medicines, but this isn’t exactly Neurosedyn*. Just an antihistamine.”
Pharmacist: “What does that change?”
Manager: “It’s safe for her to take. We can sell the medicine to him.”
Pharmacist: “When you started here, you told us that you would have our backs regardless of the reason! Were you lying?”
Manager: “We can discuss this later, perhaps?”
Pharmacist: “No, don’t you wiggle out of this!”
Manager: “All right then! [Pharmacist], I meant that I would do my best to back up my staff against angry customers with stupid complaints! I didn’t mean that I would back you up if you acted contrary to scientific evidence and good practice!”
Pharmacist: “Liar!” *Storms off.*
The manager and I looked at each other awkwardly.
Me: “Wow. That was an interesting interpretation of your policy.”
Manager: “I am terribly sorry for this. She’ll be reprimanded, and probably a lot more than that. That’s not… I… sorry. I’m lost for words.”
Me: “It’s not your fault. It’s okay.”
Manager: “Thanks. I’ll ring you up now so you can go take care of your girlfriend. Do you want some vitamins and folate, on the house?”
Me: “Yes, please.”
Manager: “And would you be okay if I took your contact information, in case the Department of Health Inspection gets involved and wants your statement?”
Me: “Yes, very much so.”
The medicine worked as intended, and our baby boy is healthy and happy.
I got a call from the department a few months after this incident. They took my statement, and I heard nothing more from them. She stopped working at the pharmacy, and the manager is very vague on the details of what happened, but I saw the pharmacist waiting tables at a shabby restaurant known for having trouble hiring and retaining staff.
*The drug Thalidomide was sold under the name Neurosedyn in Sweden as an over-the-counter drug against morning sickness in the 60s. It caused a lot of terrible birth defects, due to it not being tested for this purpose before being sold for this purpose. The scandal, known in Sweden as the Neurosedyn scandal, is still talked about today. I was unsure if I should call the drug Thalidomide, since that is the international name, or Neurosedyn, since that’s what the manager said.
