Clicks Constantia And Their Shaming Tactics

Before I start, I would like to apologise for the lengthy piece of writing. I would also like to state that this review is slightly emotions based. I hope this does not exclude the importance or meaning. It is just a day that brings about sadness and the reality of how biased our society still is. So, I have to say that I have tried my best with Clicks Constantia Village, Cape Town, but since the very beginning it has been an exercise of note. I am a hugely loyal Clicks client, due to a Clicks pharmacist Nadeem Parker who worked at Clicks Balfour Mall in Johannesburg, and now in Bayside Mall, Blouberg. He treated me with respect and dignity. I am a recovering heroin addict with great sobriety time behind me. Just trying to live my life, without being reminded of my past. I do not expect the world to congratulate me, nor do I expect however to be treated differently. Having a dual diagnosis however is not fun all the time. Clicks is meant to be my service provider of medication that helps keep all of this at bay. The medication I use also costs a lot of money, along with dispensing fees. I am on a maintenance programme for my substance abuse and chronic medication for my psychiatric condition. I am a Clicks card holder, so I don't drift in and out and I try stay loyal to the brand. This past Tuesday, 9th October 2018 was incredibly humiliating for me. Firstly, the dispensary 'ticket machine' was not working and so there was a queue of people. The store was busy. Eventually I was helped by an assistant pharmacist, who started off politely but then went on to test my levels of patience, compassion and empathy. The maintenance medication that I am on is called Suboxone. Any pharmacist who sees this will know then that I am an opioid addict. However, this does not mean that I am treated differently. Its has happened on occasion, but Tuesday was another story. The gentleman who assisted me went on to scrutinise my file. I was in a hurry, and told him that I needed to be somewhere. According to him, my script had expired and I had promised a new script. Which I had done, and had emailed to them. He then wanted me to email it again. I had run out of data on my tablet but could show him that I had sent from my outbox. His expectation was that I go and get data and send it again. Then he asked for my email address. I gave that to him. The domain name of my email address is a persons name who I work for, eg: ********** The assistant pharmacist then said to me that this did not correlate with my surname. I told him that it was the domains name. And had nothing to do with my surname. Now his "red flag" was on high alert. Constantia Village Clicks has since my first dealings with them been very snobby and rude. In my first interaction with them, I was told by a pharmacist there that the medication I need for my substance abuse maintenance "Suboxone" was not a medication that they kept as it was not needed in the Southern Suburbs. Heroin junkies in other words come from a far away place. He went on to suggest that I try get it in Wynberg. As its "more likely" to be found there. To this day that pharmacist is not aware of how much an impact that made on me. I decided not to let that get me down and I collect my Suboxone from a different pharmacy. Getting back to the issue, the assistant pharmacist found my script on their system and printed it. I explained to him that this was getting uncomfortable and I did not like having to discuss my addiction or use of medication with so many people around me. He said that the medication I was asking for had already been dispensed. It was as if he was trying his hardest to catch the ********** goings on of a desperate pill popper. I had indeed emailed the script in to a different Clicks in Sea Point as it does not matter which Clicks it is that receives the script. I had also emailed it to Clicks in Constantia Village because I had been asked to. He then only went on to call the in-house pharmacist to assist. The pharmacist came to find out what the issue was. I have dealt with him before and have found him to be very helpful and friendly. We ascertained that the script had been incorrectly written out and that the amount of medication was accidentally halved. The pharmacy in this case is allowed and do help with an emergency supply which lasts 1 day. I asked the locum assistant pharmacist to please excuse me and the head pharmacist, as he was hanging around and making the situation become even more uncomfortable. He laughed as he walked away. It is unfortunate that my thinking had been forced to move in a direction that abhors me. I am a ***, ex-addict man with a psychiatric condition. (Not the most redeeming qualities). The locum, assistant pharmacist, a muslim man. I abhor ****** or ***ism on any scale. But I was left feeling that this was a shame tactic by the assistant pharmacist. I explained to the head pharmacist that I was so tired of being treated differently by staff as soon as the medication "suboxone" appears on their screen. I did not appreciate being interrogated by a LOCUM, who had no insight into my situation. I did not appreciate being second guessed, to a point of paranoia, and I definitely did not appreciate that this person could lead me to think of myself as victim of "ISM", be it ****** or ***ism. I eventually managed to get 2 tablets from the pharmacist, this after having a record that dates back years with Clicks. My anxiety was through the roof by the time I left. I was VERY late for my following appointment which caused even greater anxiety and stress which lead to an very unpleasant evening at home. Clicks Constantia Village has won. They will never see me again, even though I live only 2 minutes away. Their locum (casual staff) has created a permanent situation. I will never recommend them to anyone either. Being in the industry that I am, I deal with thousands of people, affected by substance abuse and psychiatric conditions. I discuss these issues on very public televised platforms, and often the topic of ************** comes to light. I have been a fixed believer, that as addicts in recovery, we need to remain humble, if provoked, try to remain cool and collected, not to be triggered. I could not keep to my own rules on Tuesday. It is difficult writing this piece with the impact it deserves and may be viewed as hysteria and unworthy. As a the****** I can assure you it is not the case. I do not see myself as a victim. However, I do see this situation as tactless and nasty. I have not named the individuals as I do not want to create an unpleasant situation for them. If I am contacted by Clicks they can ascertain that information from their work roster. I don't expect Clicks to compensate me. I am highly doubtful that I will garner a response from them. What they do forget is that it is the client like me, who is on chronic medication that keeps their boat floating. A pharmacy is expected to be a professional environment. Caring, ethical and with boundaries set by the Pharmacists Council. They are expected to work within those parameters. People who come to a pharmacy are not always well. In most cases the clients are NOT well. Requiring a friendly bed side manner. Not the Spanish inquisition. I hope that there is something done about this situation. I truly do.