Today I tried to buy a bottle of Calpol, a bottle of Calprofen and a packet of paracetamol …….I was not allowed to buy all three at the checkout. I could buy any combination of two but not all three. I am quite offended that we are all treated as stupid…..I can read instructions, and I didn’t like the way I was made to feel as though I was doing something wrong. All I was trying to do was stock up my medicine cabinet as Little M isn’t well and the cupboard is empty.  The paracetamol was for me in case I need it!

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23 thoughts on “The painkiller police

  1. You write very detailed,Pay tribute to you.Couldn’t be written any better. Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!

    Posted on October 5, 2010 at 11:53 am
  2. I tried to buy 3 packs of painkillers before going on holiday one year to cover all of us but wasn’t allowed. It is annoying but I can see why they do it!
    .-= Lookingfabinyourforties´s last blog ..Style Stealers =-.

    Posted on June 29, 2010 at 8:36 pm
    1. LOL….but calpol? 😉

      Posted on June 29, 2010 at 11:01 pm
  3. This drives me crazy – it’s so daft and I get it all the time in Waitrose. If I wanted to OD on calpol (yuk) I’d just go and buy it in different stores. I guess on the flip side – can you imagine the field day the papers would have if someone did buy it all in one place and then did themselves some harm? We can’t win! So looking forward to seeing you tomorrow! We cannot OD on champagne! xx
    .-= FortyNotOut´s last blog ..Halston And Hot Summer Nights =-.

    Posted on June 29, 2010 at 8:22 pm
    1. Exactly! LOL. X

      Posted on June 29, 2010 at 11:00 pm
  4. I know it’s ridiculous. I tried to buy the same thing as you did. I needed paracetamol for a headache and the little ones needed calpol and ibuprofen for a fever. I wasn’t allowed to buy them, so I suffered. Do they really think this has reduced suicide attempts because they need to stock up months in advance or go to a lot of shops? I would like to see the statistics behind this. Also if someone on a counter saw someone with about 10 boxes of paracetamol surely they would say something. No? Just me? grrrr this irritates me.

    Posted on June 29, 2010 at 1:05 pm
    1. It is very silly, in my opinion. As you say anyone wanting them for any other means would just stockpile them. Grrrr too. ;(

      Posted on June 29, 2010 at 1:58 pm
  5. It is completely ridiculous, isn’t it – if you were really that intent on buying huge quantities, what’s to stop you buying two and then coming back and doing the third in a second transaction? I mean, I know the idea is to stop people deliberately overdosing, but if someone is that determined to take their own life with painkillers,surely they will find a way around it anyway.
    .-= JulieB´s last blog ..TV like in the Good Old Days =-.

    Posted on June 29, 2010 at 10:13 am
    1. I said that too…..they weren’t very happy that I was questioning it though. They also didn’t seem to understand that as the Calpol and paracetamol have the same ingredients then why would they let me buy those and not the third item that had a different ingredient. Oh well. 😉

      Posted on June 29, 2010 at 10:57 am
  6. Yes I have been held by this rule too, it is shocking that we as adults can not make our own decisions
    .-= TheMadHouse´s last blog ..A Birthday with The Wiggles =-.

    Posted on June 29, 2010 at 8:58 am
    1. Exactly. Makes me cross. 😉

      Posted on June 29, 2010 at 10:43 am
  7. It drives me mental all this nanny state crap.. we now go to the counter separately and both buy the limit as chemists are too far away to just nip to… and of course we are both drug addicts LOL
    .-= Ruth Johnston´s last blog ..Chicks =-.

    Posted on June 29, 2010 at 8:46 am
    1. exactly….I could have just gone back but I couldn’t be bothered. ;0S

      Posted on June 29, 2010 at 10:42 am
  8. I cannot believe this – my children are beyond Calpol age but I can’t ever been told not to buy as many medicines for my children as I liked. What is going on in this country?

    Helena xx

    PS. Enjoy your tweet up tomorrow, I’m really sorry I can’t come too, but will hopefully make the next one. xx

    Posted on June 29, 2010 at 8:33 am
    1. No idea….sad really that we are all treated as children. Grrr. I hope we get another time to meet up soon. x

      Posted on June 29, 2010 at 10:42 am
  9. Not quite sure what those items are….but if it’s like Sudafed and the like over here – they do that because people have been using them to make meth. So over here, they put them behind the counter, get your driver’s license and assorted info, if you are buying in “bulk.”
    .-= Gigi´s last blog ..Is It Hot In Here =-.

    Posted on June 29, 2010 at 1:03 am
    1. I was going to explain but then it sounded boring…..calpol is paracetamol based and I think they are your equivalent of tylenol? Calprofen is ibuprofen based so different and can be used along side it, with care of course. The medicines are for children up to twelve so not very strong. I could be wrong but I’m sure we can buy sudafed here easily. Sounds even worse for you than here….just annoys me that we can’t make our own choices….those meds can be bought off the shelf yet limited, although I could have just gone to another checkout and bought them again if I wanted! Silly isn’t it.

      Posted on June 29, 2010 at 10:40 am
  10. Oh I’ve had this at the supermarket – I was surprised that someone didn’t race over with a large billboard reading “potential suicide attempt” and hold it over me while they allowed me to conduct multiple transactions and buy 2 boxes of paracetamol and two of ibuprofen *gasp*. It’s absolutely ridiculous….

    Pxx
    .-= Peabee72´s last blog ..Intuition =-.

    Posted on June 28, 2010 at 9:14 pm
    1. They allowed you to do that….hmmmm, I assumed it was a standard rule throughout. Was so annoyed especially when told I can’t do something….makes me want to all the more. ;0S

      Posted on June 28, 2010 at 9:31 pm
  11. Try buying more than one package of sudafed in the states. You need to show them ID and be interrogated. Seems people crush them and sniff them…
    .-= Susie´s last blog ..Especially If You Have Little Kids- Don’t Go Out Without Tissues Or Wipes =-.

    Posted on June 28, 2010 at 9:18 pm
    1. Really? Oh dear, that’s sad isn’t it. :0(

      Posted on June 28, 2010 at 9:32 pm
  12. I know! Nanny state gone mad.
    .-= Brighton Mum-Teenage Angst´s last blog ..SO trueWhat goes around =-.

    Posted on June 28, 2010 at 9:12 pm
    1. Sad isn’t it that our every move is virtually watched.

      Posted on June 28, 2010 at 9:30 pm