Woman shares ‘humiliating’ trip to get painkillers from the pharmacy

Australian TikTok influencer Anna Dooley said a pharmacist implied she may have a drug problem when she went to pick up prescription medication for a painful condition called endometriosis.

Dooley described the experience in an emotional new video, explaining why she needed the medication in the first place. “I’m working from home today because I’m cramping. It’s not bad enough that I need to go to hospital…I was like I can go to the pharmacy on my break, my lunch break, to get my painkillers,” Dooley said. She explained her GP had recently told her to stick with one pharmacy when picking up painkillers so that she isn’t flagged as someone abusing the medications.

But Dooley said she was met with scepticism—and that her private health issues were publicised—when she went to pick up the medication. “I get my stuff across and he calls out my name and—not even a, ‘Hello, how are you?’—just in front of a whole shop of people [he’s] like, ‘Careful, you might overdose.’” Dooley said she explained that she has endometriosis, which can cause extreme pain, but that the pharmacist continued to imply she might be hooked on drugs.

“[He] just immediately hands me naloxone spray [and says], ‘I have to give you this legally. The government—it’s complimentary in case you overdose,’” Dooley said. “I was like, ‘Look, I’ve been called a junkie before, it’s okay.’ And he was like, ‘I’m not saying that’—yelling in front of everyone.”

She went on to say that the incident was degrading, and that the pharmacist’s lack of respect for her privacy was frustrating. “Imagine if I was an addict,” she said. “How f***ing dare you broadcast this to everyone?” The pharmacist went so far as to recommend that she watch Painkiller, a TV show about the dangers of opioids, on Netflix, Dooley said.

Endometriosis is a condition that causes tissue normally found inside the uterus to grow outside of it. It acts the way tissue inside the uterus should; it thickens and breaks down, and even bleeds with each menstrual cycle, per the Mayo Clinic. But the tissue has no way to exit the body, and it becomes trapped. Sometimes, endometriosis can cause cysts to form. Endometriosis is very common, affecting up to 10 per cent of women in the US, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.

The pain caused by endometriosis can arise in various circumstances: when a woman is on her period, during intercourse, or even while urinating or having a bowel movement. Other symptoms of endometriosis include infertility, excessive bleeding, fatigue, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, and bloating.

Some people have a higher chance of developing endometriosis than others, including people who haven’t given birth; those who start their period at an early age; those who experience menopause at an older age; those with unusually short menstrual cycles; people who have low body mass index; and people for whom endometriosis runs in the family.

A number of tests can be used to diagnose endometriosis, including a pelvic exam, ultrasound, MRI, and a laparoscopy.

There are different treatment options available once a diagnosis has been made; the options depend on how severe a person’s symptoms are and whether they hope to become pregnant in the future. For some, pain medication may be recommended to relieve the symptoms. Hormone therapy, which can also alleviate pain, may also be recommended. This may include taking hormonal birth control pills.

In extreme cases, a doctor may recommend a hysterectomy, a procedure in which the uterus is removed. Right now, there is no cure for endometriosis.

Dooley said the incident at her pharmacy was especially difficult given the lack of options for people with her condition.

“So I just spent $92 on [medication] that isn’t covered by the government for a disease that has no cure and a condition I can’t fix,” she said. Dooley added that pharmacists need to do a better job when interacting with their clients, saying: “Why can’t you ask me questions and treat me like a human being, and stop embarrassing me in front of everyone?”