At least most people are able to buy cold medicine when they show a photo ID. Here in Oregon we have to get a doctor’s prescription for “the good stuff” (that other stuff doesn’t work nearly as well). I get several colds a year and I can’t afford to go to the doctor every time I get the sniffles. What’s sad is that I’ve resorted to begging family members to swing by Wal-Mart and get me some Sudafed whenever they are out of state. It’s an unnecessary, draconian law.
A couple of years ago my entire family of four got hit with a pretty nasty virus. I went in to buy Nyquil, dayquil (for my husband at work), children’s cough and cold (for my daughter), sugar-free children’s cold/sinus (my son’s a diabetic)and Theraflu for myself to get through the day. We had four members with different needs and even different needs throughout the day. The virus was primarily expressing itself in my daughter’s lungs and in my poor son’s nose and throat.
I got “red flagged” at the checkout and had to sit down with the manager and justify each and every one of those medicines.
What made me the maddest was that I was trying to buy medicines that addressed my kids’ individual needs so they wouldn’t be getting anything that they didn’t need. I was trying NOT to over-medicate them.
And NOTHING was from behind the pharmacist counter.
I wanted to cough on him AND the checkout girl.