Woman is told by pharmacy assistant she couldn’t purchase a pregnancy test

A woman was left ‘dumbstruck’ after a pharmacy assistant told her she couldn’t buy a pregnancy test because it is ‘not an essential item’ and she ‘shouldn’t be trying to conceive’ amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The anonymous lady, from the UK, revealed that she went to her local ‘independent’ pharmacy to purchase a test and queued due to only two customers being allowed in the shop at any one time. 

Writing on the British parenting site Mumsnet, the woman went on to explain how she asked to speak to the pharmacist before she was told by a female assistant that she ‘shouldn’t be trying to conceive’ during the Covid-19 crisis. 

She added that she is trying to conceive, but pointed out how she ‘could have been raped’ or had ‘failed contraception’ and did not think it was acceptable to be questioned over her right to have a child. 

The anonymous UK-based woman revealed that she went to her local ‘independent’ pharmacy to purchase a test (file image) 

Responses to the post urged the woman to complain and said it was ‘none of the assistant’s business’ whether customers were trying for a baby. 

‘She’s nuts! I went into the chemist to pick up a bottle of paracetamol suspension for DS. I’d consider a pregnancy test to be far more urgent than this,’ wrote one.

A second penned: ‘That is ridiculous. For all she knows you could be on medication which would mean that a positive pregnancy test required urgent medical advice. I’d also make a complaint.’ 

Another branded the incident ‘outrageous’ and told how she, like many others, would ‘definitely’ complain. 

Writing on British parenting site Mumsnet, the woman revealed how she had asked to speak to the pharmacist before she was told by a female assistant that she ‘shouldn’t be trying to conceive’ during the Covid-19 pandemic (pictured)

She continued: ‘It is an essential item but it’s not up to her to police that and if they’re selling it you can buy it regardless of whether it is “essential!”‘

‘Awful to say you shouldn’t TTC – none of her business at all and how does she know whether you’re TTC or hoping it’s negative?!’ 

‘Hope the test goes the way you want.’  

In a later post, the woman, who decided to order a pregnancy test from Amazon, went on to say how she had since called the pharmacy to complain. 

However, she believed it was the same assistant who answered the phone due to the ‘sound of her voice’. 

And when the customer asked to speak to the manager, the staff member said he wasn’t there and they were unable to call her back. 

Responses to the post urged the woman to complain and said it was ‘none of the assistant’s business’ whether the customer was trying for a baby (pictured)