It would appear that since the

closure of Davenports, the chemists in London Road that, even when buying Aspirins, you are subjected to an inhumane inquisition and the bigger the chemist, the worse it is.

I first encountered this four years ago when I was seriously ill with bronchial asthma. I was desperate for something to stop my cough.

At Boots, in Oxford Street, I was forced to publicly reveal the

intimate and unsavoury aspects on my condition normally confined to the doctor's surgery.

If we must have legal safeguards regarding preparatory medicines, please present them in a customer- friendly way.

Staff should be trained to say "Sorry Sir/Madam I just need to ask you some questions, it's a legal requirement etc." or alternatively produce a laminated card with the questions on.

This could speed up operations, while one customer is reading the questionnaire, another could be being served and it would certainly reduce embarrassing scenes as far as I'm concerned.

Recently, after major surgery, my immune system was run-down and I have had three colds in as many months.

A friend has kindly got any medication I have needed and, until

recently, this arrangement has worked very well.

However, after recovering from cold number three, I decided to stock up my medicine chest in readiness for cold number four.

My friend went into Boots, in

The Glades, to get two bottles of Night Nurse for me.

In addition to dealing with their idiotic queuing arrangement, with its roped off sections which

resemble a milking parlour not a chemists, she was queue-jumped twice, in spite of a sign indication "entrance" and then was grilled by the assistant as to why she was buying two bottles!

I can only assume the staff, qualified or not, think they assume God-like status when they put on a white coat. If, a mature adult, like me, who is "on" nothing more than a soapbox can come up with ways to improve things, so should a big chemical chain like Boots.

I'm seriously considering a more interesting alternative if I need medication in the future, such as a witch doctor, or a medicine man.

In all the movies I've seen, these guys really enjoy their work.

However, I have used herbs to make beauty aids and I have a large black cat, so perhaps I should put an ad in the articles wanted section ... "Cauldron required ASAP, price negotiable".

Ms Stevie West

Bromley

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.