Diary Entry 9th aug, 2016

My back was hurt last night, and i had trouble sleeping. I have chronic back pain amongst other types, so this was just a little bit too much to deal with.

It's a week's wait to see a doctor up here, unless you have money (yay for living in the middle of nowhere!).

I tried ignoring it, barely got any sleep, so thought i'd go to the chemist and buy some codeine.

Now, some years ago, they used to sell "panadeine forte"

Basically codeine is the effective bit and paracetamol is a placebo that also does organ damage, so ideally you want a high codeine - low organ killing placebo - tablet.

However, the gov't decided that bad people might buy the tablets, so restricted them. There was a weaker version which still had codeine but it was back of counter only. Did not used to be a problem as I had gone to the same chemist for 6 years - the staff knows me on sight.

Anyway, I go in today to the one near coles at erina fair - and they refuse to sell it to me. I must have photo id! I point out that i have ID - I have the government issued healthcare ID. No, no, that's unacceptable for healthcare now - you must have a driving license.

I point out the reason I can't drive is because of chronic pain meaning I have the government issued disability ID that they have on record.

What about a passport?

At this point I'm feeling cranky. I explain the reason I can't travel is pretty much the same reason as before.

No. No service without photo ID. Next!

Now, if the government had changed the rules, ok, but then surely it would have made the healthcare ID have a photo on it... it's not exactly difficult. Assuming everyone will drive to get painkillers is ludicrous - no wonder there are so many old people desperate to keep driving long after it's unsafe (and yes, licenses expire and can't be kept as ID).

So I leave and ponder going to another chemist - but they won't have my medical history etc on file like that one does. So even if the gov't hadn't changed policies, they'd refuse me without a script from a GP - it's a catch-22.

I have a look online. Sure, I can get some shipped out in a few days, it'll be very expensive, and it requires a phone call with special conditions that I have to agree to without being able to read them beforehand. Lemme guess - must have photo ID?



Fuck it. Australia voted in a referendum against mandatory photo ID. The gov't is obviously sneaking it in through the back door. I expect I'll cave eventually - they'll make all travel impossible without it or something - but just because they are building a police state doesn't mean i have to help them lay the bricks.