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Recent tabloid coverage involving a pensioner who was distressed after her local pharmacy reportedly recommended she order an ambulance after she attended with a bleeding injury has sparked a reaction from pharmacists.

OK! and other outlets carried the story of 84-year-old Pauline Shillito, who had cut her finger while slicing a melon at home and began bleeding because of her blood-thinning medication.

She asked her local branch of Well Pharmacy to put a plaster on the wound but was reportedly told by the pharmacist: “We don’t deal with blood.”

Mrs Shillito told the magazine: "It’s absolutely disgusting. Can you imagine an ambulance coming because of a cut finger when there are people having heart attacks - all I needed was a plaster.”

Pharmacist Tunde Odelade said: “There was a lot of blood. It was literally dripping down her arm onto the floor – in a pharmacy full of people, that’s very unhygienic.

“I told her I couldn’t help her because I can’t deal with blood. I did offer to take her details and call an ambulance, but she refused.”

Mrs Shilllito also attended her GP surgery, who advised her to call 999 because there was no nurse on duty. A neighbour eventually helped her with her wound. 

Pharmacists took to community site Reddit to share their thoughts, with one commenting: “We do enough without bringing wounds into it.

“Can you imagine how inundated we would we in community? Absolutely not, there needs to be a line somewhere.

“I don't really agree with the way this situation was handled but I wouldn't have put a plaster on this lady's wound. I probably have would have given her a plaster and gave a worsening statement but I wouldn't have touched it.

“If I wanted to dress wounds and touch people I would have become a nurse or a doctor not a pharmacist.”

Some said the case shows the public’s expectations of pharmacies have changed. “Pharmacies are turning into drop-in, no appointment needed health centres,” said one pharmacist.

Another commenter said:  “I’m a GP registrar and was collecting a prescription recently. I couldn’t believe the queue in front of me and the expectations these people had of the pharmacists

“Pharmacists are the absolute experts on medicines and their interaction with diseases. That’s something to be seriously proud of. Why shift that professional expertise into being makeshift GPs?”

A spokesperson for Well told P3pharmacy: “We’re reviewing the circumstances surrounding this individual case. As it relates to a specific patient’s experience, it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment further until we’ve established the full facts. Patient safety is always our priority and our pharmacy teams assess each situation based on the individual’s circumstances.”