Legal Addict

[mjr]

It's the way that an untrained person now decides what I can have and when, I can't get my head round.

So why don't you change supplier and/or raise merry hell with the head pharmacist, chain PR department, prescribing doctor, NHS Patient Advice and Liaison Service or eventually your MP? When it happens to me, it's merely annoying. When it happens to you, it's a severe impact on your health and wellbeing. PM me if I can help identify the people to call.

 

[mjr]

There was a report saying stockpiled meds was costing the NHS billions and lives (remember Shipman used the repeat meds loophole to disastrous effect). So quite rightly, they've tightened up.

It feels like they've tightened up quite wrongly, messing about loads of people who don't really want to take meds forever but feel it's the best action for our health. A bit of random checking and anomaly detection would probably catch the worst cases (how many Shipmans have there been anyway?) without costing the country so much, but I'm sure this crackdown will look good on the NHS balance sheet because the consequential costs aren't on the prescription bill: my time off work chasing tablets, @classic33's A&E visits...

 

[classic33]

3-6 months!
I'd settle for being able to get a repeat a week in advance. Then I'd not be in the situation I'm in now. Out on one(of four) again, for the second time this year.

 

[machew]

When my wife was refused a repeat prescription for her anticonvulsive. I asked the receptionist who refused to sign the script, since I would hold them personally responsible for putting her in A+E. Two mins later one signed script. It later turned out that the receptionist hadn't passed the script to the GP as she was due an assessment on her meds. My comment to the receptionist was that she had epilepsy for 20 years and as far as I knew there was no cure

 

[machew]

3-6 months!
I'd settle for being able to get a repeat a week in advance. Then I'd not be in the situation I'm in now. Out on one(of four) again, for the second time this year.

The trick my wife using is to use the Boots online service. Two clicks and it is done

 

[classic33]

The trick my wife using is to use the Boots online service. Two clicks and it is done

Last used that sort of service when they, doctors, wouldn't allow two items to go on the same day. The chemists gave up. They also hit the same problem as myself, with regards the order dates.
That last part is the real problem, for me.

 

[Tigerbiten]

When I come back off holiday the trick I use is to do 2 orders 3 weeks apart, then go back to every 4 weeks.
That way I have a 2 week buffer for anything missing.
You can get up to 4-5 weeks ahead by ordering every 3 weeks after that it gets iffy.
I know/do that because I'm on tour for upto 24 weeks and can only get 12 weeks max for a holiday.

 

[slowmotion]

As @Tigerbiten said, you can build up stocks of long-term meds by putting in repeat prescriptions a bit earlier each time. The GP/pharmasists probably only looks at the interval between the the last prescription and the present. Squeese it by a week or two each time and you can get a buffer.

 

[classic33]

When I can get another prescription is imposed by the receptionist, looking at the computer. I'm then given a a new date on which I can again ask, not before. By missing the odd one out here and there over the last week, I stretched what I did have to today. It's going to be late afternoon/early evening when I'm able to pick the medication up from a chemists. They're waiting, just like me. "Ready Tuesday afternoon", Tuesday afternoon they, doctors, were shut. No-one picking anything up from them.

 

[mjr]

As @Tigerbiten said, you can build up stocks of long-term meds by putting in repeat prescriptions a bit earlier each time.

I used to do that. Doesn't work since the last tightening-up.

 

[slowmotion]

I used to do that. Doesn't work since the last tightening-up.

I don't do it as a matter of course, but I seem to be about six weeks ahead on some prescriptions. They all hit the same same starting line about four years ago, but now they are totally out of sync due to small deviations in the amounts prescribed. The dosage has always been the same. It's a really stupid waste of GP's time.

 

[classic33]

I don't do it as a matter of course, but I seem to be about six weeks ahead on some prescriptions. They all hit the same same starting line about four years ago, but now they are totally out of sync due to small deviations in the amounts prescribed. The dosage has always been the same. It's a really stupid waste of GP's time.

How'd you manage that?
Re-order dates are what are really messing me up.

 

[slowmotion]

How'd you manage that?
Re-order dates are what are really messing me up.

Most of my meds are on a three month re-prescription cycle. They are all utterly boring BP , cholesterol-controlling etc stuff. One other requires a blood test for it to be re-prescribed because, potentially, it could screw up my liver, big-time, as a side effect. My blood tests are at six week intervals but the other drugs are on a three month cycle. It's really easy for the whole prescription stuff to get seriously out of kilter with the pharmacy and the GP.
EDIT: By the way, I'm not actively seeking to stack up a stockpile of anything. I'm just slightly frustrated that I'm wasting my time, the GP's time, and the taxpayers moolah.

 

[classic33]

I'm more suprised you've managed to get a three month supply. One month(28 days) maximum is the best I can do.

 

[Mrs M]

I would be phoning up the practice manager, or putting it in writing to them so that they may understand what their actions are doing to you.
It's just not good enough and they need to be helping, not hindering .
Hope you get things sorted .
xx