Need medicine urgently

Montroseee

Basically, I have asthma and my inhaler has run out. I really need to use it, if I go into a pharmacy without a prescrption and explain my situation can they give me one?

smcgiff

Yes - bring your empty inhaler. They should give it to you unless they are sticklers.

Montroseee

The pharmacist point blank refused to give it to me, said it would be unprofessional. Is it worth trying another?

nino1

Montroseee wrote: »

The pharmacist point blank refused to give it to me, said it would be unprofessional. Is it worth trying another?

Say you are having difficulty breathing and want an emergency supply

RobFowl

Can the pharmacist again and if no joy phone the doctor on call.

No medical advice allowed here as per forum charter

locum-motion

Inhalers are prescription only medicines, so if you need one, you really should make a point of carrying a valid prescription tucked into your wallet for emergencies, and - of course - there's nothing wrong with being prepared and making sure that you get your new one before your old one runs out.

BUT: when there is a genuine emergency, the law does allow a pharmacist to dispense a small supply of a prescription medicine to get you out of a hole. You have to be able to demonstrate that there's a real genuine need, that the medicine has actually been prescribed for you in the past, and that you are unable to get to a doctor to have a prescription written.

So, if you just didn't bother to go to the doctor and you're going to run out of your blood pressure tablets tomorrow, that's not an emergency. However, if you have an empty inhaler in your hand and are having an asthma attack, then that would usually count as an emergency, and it would be a very sticky pharmacist that wouldn't give you an emergency supply. That being said, if you're not actually having an attack in the pharmacy, even if it's Saturday lunchtime, you should be able to see a doctor. It might not be your own doctor, but it doesn't have to be - that's what the Out Of Hours service is for.


Finally, a quick tip for asthma sufferers:

Q. How do you know when your inhaler's about to run out?

A. Take the canister part out of the plastic holder, and drop it into a bowl of water.

If it floats vertically, it's full. ( l )
If it floats at an angle, it's part full ( / )
If it floats horizontally, it's empty or very nearly so. ( - )

Remember to dry it (especially the tip) before you put it back in the holder.