The only chemist in town, and the week they had none

Started 25 April 2026 · 14 replies · 103 hearts · read 2k times

OrsolyaBudapest, HU · 25 April 2026

3 months ago

The only chemist in town, and the week they had none — putting it in its own thread so it does not get lost in the check-in.

I have a letter in front of me and I do not know what it actually says.

I have been quietly not mentioning the cost at home and that is now its own problem, separate from the money itself.

The arithmetic has changed and I need to decide something in the next month, and I would rather decide it with information than in a panic.

I will report back with what happened, because appeals threads that stop are the most frustrating kind.

IlyaAlmaty, KZ

What I would flag is that a supply problem is much worse here, because there is no second pharmacy to try.

5me too 4

ClémenceNantes, FR

I keep a written note of what to do if I cannot get somewhere, agreed with my prescriber in advance, and I have used it once.

PetraFacilitatorMelbourne, Australia

I want to say plainly that there is no shame in any of the situations described on this page, including the one that has not been described yet.

IslaOban, UK

My experience of remote appointments has been better than in-person, mostly because they start on time and I am at home.

BramleyBath, UK

Petra — yes, and the bit that took me longest to accept was the next part.

The isolation is its own thing. There is nobody within eighty miles doing this and this circle is my entire peer group.

MairéadMayo, IE

What I got wrong early was assuming I could get something at short notice. I cannot, ever, and planning around that fixed everything.

10me too 7

BryherIsles of Scilly, UK

Somebody in this circle who lives similarly gave me a practical list that saved me about six months of learning it the hard way.

TavitaApia, WS

Reading Mairéad, I recognised more of that than I expected to.

My bloods are done locally and sent on, which took some arranging and has saved me perhaps eight round trips.

LeniLeipzig, DE

Something worth knowing: the postal service here is unreliable in winter, so anything time-sensitive is collected rather than sent.

GwythFishguard, UK

#10

Thank you for writing this down. It helped.

SindriReykjavík, IS

#11

What I would say is to build in far more slack than seems necessary. Everything takes longer here and something always goes wrong.

SerenLlandudno, UK

#12

Picking up Leni’s point rather than starting a new one.

My pharmacy is forty minutes away and only open certain days, so my whole schedule is built around their opening rather than mine.

PetraFacilitatorMelbourne, Australia

#13

Facilitator note: this circle can be heavy going to read as well as to write. If it has caught you somewhere tender, our support resources page lists the kinds of service worth looking for.

LlianCarmarthen, UK

#14

The weather is a genuine planning input. Twice this winter I could not have got anywhere if I had needed to.

3me too 6