Handing Prescriptions To Strangers?

[Smowball]

My cough from last week has progressed to a bad chest infection - I’ve seen my doctor this morning on an online zoom consultation. He prescribed steroids and antibiotics, but I knew there was no way I could get to my pharmacy. So my MIL said I’ll go and get it, don’t be silly. She’s just walked into my pharmacy, said oh I’m Karen C….s mother in law. She’s poorly. Can I pick up her prescription? And they just handed it to her. She could have been anybody? Is that typical? x

[Paigntonian]

No.

[douglas9401]

Yes, we just confirm the address.

[Milo2]

I’ve picked up my husband’s prescription in the past and thought exactly the same as you.

[davebro]

Yes of course - when I pick up my prescription I give A name & and an address. They don't ask for MY name, I could be anybody.

[naomi24]

Nothing unusual in that.

[davebro]

what about folks who are unable to pick up their own prescriptions there must be a lot.

[bobbinwales]

I often pick my OH's prescription meds up and I use to do the same for mIL- it wasn't always the same chemists so its not a sif they all knew me well- I just handed it over and before they gave me the meds they just use to ask me to confirm the postcode. Come to think of it when I pick my own prescription's up they just ask for my name and postcode

[Canary42]

In my experience they just check that the recipient knows the drugs and the address. After all, lots of prescriptions must be collected by someone other than the actual patient who may be confined to bed etc.

P.S. By "know the drugs" I don't mean spell out the names, just what they're for (e.g. chest infection).

[barry1010]

The pharmacy will only ask for ID if it is a controlled medicine such as morphine.
I've fetched prescriptions for different neighbours several times without being questioned or having to provide ID and of course carers regularly pick them up for their clients.

I don't see anything odd with this at all. It is enough that the person knows your name, that a prescription is ready to be collected at that particular pharmacy.

[ladybirder]

Dave there are companies that do it for you. My doctor send mine straight to my chosen chemist who dellver to my door within a couple of days usually.

[davebro]

I've thought of doing that but I think it's more important to try and keep the local pharmacy in business.

[naomi24]

Canary, when I’ve collected prescriptions for other people I’ve never been asked about the ailment or the medication. Just confirmation of the address.

[Smowball]

I just thought , she could have been anybody, that’s all….. I would have said maybe coz she has same surname, which isn’t v common, but they didn’t ask who she was.x

[barry1010]

davebro, it is my local chemist that delivers to me. I use patientaccess.com to order the prescription from my GP, he whizzes the prescription to my local chemist and it delivered next working day, fabulous service.
It's the same chemist I have used for years, from the good old days when I had to fetch it.

[barry1010]

Same as naomi, when I collect for other people I just have to confirm their name and address. Why the heck should I know their medical problems?

[naomi24]

But ‘anybody’ wouldn’t have known you had a prescription to collect from that pharmacy - so it couldn’t have been ‘anybody’.

[Smowball]

No that’s true Naomi xx

[Bobbisox1]

Never having done it for a long time, they asked for your signature on the back when I did

[Canary42]

That sounds fine Naomi, I guess it's up to individual pharmacies.

[bednobs]

do they ask YOU to prove your identity when you pick up a script? they dont even ask for id for controlled meds as far as i know (un;ess it's changed very recently)