A MARYPORT mother has been left 'gobsmacked' after being refused medication

Christie Shaw, who lives in the town with her husband and three young children tried to get a prescription at AF Norman Chemist in the town - after her children came down with Scarlet Fever last week.

The children aged 12, five and two were prescribed a course of amoxcillin for scarlet fever last Tuesday, December 19.

Mrs Shaw arranged for a prescription to be sent to the Maryport chemist by her doctor and rang to confirm she could pick up the medicine.

Mrs Shaw was informed by the pharmacy that they did have the medication in but alledges she was 'refused' the medicine.

AF Norman Chemist say this was because they only had a limited supply of the amoxcillin and had already set it aside for other customers.

She said: "It was scary, I was terrified I knew that there was a shortage of medication but I was schocked and just terrified aswell, my youngest is the poorliest of the three kids and I have my husband on the phone saying have you got this medication our child needs it.

"I was at the point where I know someone who has got it but point blank refuses to give me it just because I don't use their shop enough.

"It was a mixture of emotions, you angry, your scared your worried and frustrated."

Mrs Shaw wished to thank Maryport Doctor's Surgery for 'how amazing' they were in changing the prescription so the children could eventually get the medication, as well as Allison's Chemists in Cockermouth for how 'accomodating' they were in providing the medication.

She said: "I was actually quite tearful when Allisons finally gave me the medication.

"I ended up bursting into tears when she gave me it, I was so relieved and just emotionally drained from it all."

A spokesman for AF Norman Chemist said : "We had four bottles of the antibiotic for four people that we had prescriptions for that were coming in on the Tuesday morning.

"What we got is one angry sounding woman phoning us,coming in from another pharmacy and what we tried to do is match up if she was one of the people who had the prescription.

"She wanted some bottles and we said well no we can't, they are for people, there is not a lot that we can do."

The spokesman said that pharmacy have worked incredibly hard over the past few weeks to try and help people with sickness, he said: "Nobody ever reports the good you do.

"We are in an impossible position what are we supposed to do."

The pharmacy said it has also been increasingly harder due some prescribers not following correct procedure for giving out medicine in accordance with Department of Health serious shortage protocols.

The spokesman said: "That's why we are having to turn people away."