A Walmart customer is going viral on TikTok after alleging that one of the store’s pharmacists almost stopped him from getting his medicine.
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Brian (@brian_in_space), an aerospace engineer, says he was recently picking up a prescription to help his kidney. He shares that he’s been “in and out of the hospital” multiple times in the past week.
While he didn’t share which medicine was prescribed, he says a Walmart pharmacist almost denied him treatment. Brian alleges that he was targeted due to his appearance. (The content creator, who has long blonde hair, is heavily tattooed and sports at least one facial piercing.) As of Sunday, Brian’s video describing what happened to him had amassed more than 458,900 views.
Why did Walmart almost refuse to give him his meds?
According to Brian, he was singled out due to how he looks. He says in his video that it was a female worker who almost denied him his much-needed prescription.
“The lady at the pharmacy pretty much almost withheld my medication based on how I look,” he says.
Without sharing the medicine he was prescribed, Brian says he’s suffered from kidney stones. These are hard deposits that form in your kidneys. While most stones pass on their own, large ones that block the flow of pee may require surgery for removal. The Cleveland Clinic recommends visiting the emergency department if the pain of the stones is unbearable. It also notes that doctors often prescribe medicine to help with nausea, pain, and vomiting.
In his video, Brian says he was picking up his antibiotic, his medication, and a pain pill. Before handing over his prescriptions, though, the Walmart pharmacist had questions for the content creator.
Brian alleges that the pharmacist looked at him, and then his medication, before asking, “What are you using this for?”
That led Brian to explain his “whole medical history,” which he suggested was embarrassing and unnecessary. He says he explains that the medicine he’s on was prescribed by his doctor.
Then he asked viewers, “Are they able to do that? Withhold medication?”
Pharmacists can probe—but only to an extent
It’s not clear from Brian’s video where he lives. But, in the U.S., asking for extraneous information about a patient’s reason for use is not required.
In some cases, though, it’s not unusual for a pharmacist to probe.
For instance, in one Quora thread, Jeanne Stolter, a retired nurse, said pharmacists may ask questions “in regards to other medications.”
Stolter says this is because some doctors prescribe medicines that conflict with each other. So, providing a list of the medicines you take and your medical history can be beneficial for the pharmacist to know.
Another commenter, Roberta Adams, a pharmacy technician, added that pharmacists usually don’t care what patients are up to. Instead, they asked questions to help “ensure” proper care.
For instance, she says, if a patient was prescribed a cream, pharmacists might want to know how big the affected area is. This helps them determine how long the tube will last.
“If your doctor is prescribing a medication ‘off-label,’ which is for other than its specified use; they may be unaware of some potential side effects. There could also be harmful interactions with medications prescribed by other doctors,” Adams wrote.
Viewers are skeptical
In the comments section of Brian’s video, several users wrote that the Walmart pharmacist’s questioning of the content creator was akin to discrimination. If that’s what happened, then the pharmacist might be in trouble.
“Normalize calling the state boards and making complaints,” one viewer wrote.
“I work in a pharmacy and that’s illegal as hell,” another added.
@brian_in_space Can they do that? #question #healthcare #walmart #rude #doctor ♬ original sound – Brian in Space 🪐
“They legally cannot do that,” a third viewer said. “I’m a tech.”
Others, however, offered a more measured take and suggested that the pharmacist meant no harm.
“She is a doctor of pharmacy,” one woman said of the Walmart worker. “It is her license on the line and she has the right to ask questions and even deny giving it to you if they feel they have cause.”
“It’s perfectly legal to verify medical necessity even if it’s not standard practice where you work,” another offered. “The discrimination issue, however, would be a separate issue.”
“A pharmacist can refuse to fill a prescription if they suspect something is wrong,” a third commenter added.
And some commenters said there was a greater issue at hand: Brian’s illness. Many offered their well-wishes and a speedy recovery.
“Bro kidney stones are the worst!!! I hope you pass them and feel better soon,” one user said.
“I’m sorry. Kidney stones bring us to our knees,” another commented. “Hope you feel better and hope she [sees] this post and gets a clue.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Brain via TikTok comment and to Walmart through its online contact form.
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