Grr!!! Prescriptions

[Northerner]

Just went to order more medication as I am running out of insulin - online form says I can't order more insulin or strips until 17th December - time to have words, I think! 😡

 

[grovesy]

Just went to order more medication as I am running out of insulin - online form says I can't order more insulin or strips until 17th December - time to have words, I think! 😡

It seems to be common to have at date on them. I was surprised I could order my next prescription earlier this week. I was thinking it would not be till the end of the week.
Good luck.

 

[Robin]

Just went to order more medication as I am running out of insulin - online form says I can't order more insulin or strips until 17th December - time to have words, I think! 😡

My Patient Access ordering system puts the next date I can order as a month from the last one on some of my stuff, but I just ignore it and carry on, and I’ve never been refused. ( I’ve worked out that it’s the ones that my nurse put on, the ones my GP initially did show the date I can reorder as the next day after the previous order! Presume the monthly date is the default one and the GP can override the system. I’ve never tried doing one straight way, though!)

 

[PhoebeC]

Phone them! I dread the day our surgery changes to online.

 

[Lanny]

I've never had when I can order dates on my prescriptions! I always fill out my doses info on all my meds, including insulin, each time I order online. I just check, really, that the dose info is the same & change it when I need to. Based on my doses I get meds for various amounts of time. At the moment I'm getting 2 months supply but, last year I was on 1 month supply after being in hospital & my doses were changing all the time. A year's supply is the longest my GP practice does for those that have been on stable doses for a long time & the supply I get can vary from 6 months to 1 month if my doses are not stable.

The only trouble I've had is over test strips but, I phoned the practice, explained & I got my strips again. Now when I need more strips when testing more while ill, for example, or injured. I always say so on the extra info box on the online form, which is separate from dose info beside each medication.

It might seem a lot of fuss & bother to fill in all that info each time but, it's saved & it's mostly checking if I need to change anything!

 

[Northerner]

It's because it's a new surgery - at the previous one I could order items when I needed to, not some mathematically innumerate limitation. The only thing on my prescription that would last the full 8 weeks is the BP medication - 56 tablets - the rest is more like 5/6 weeks. They'll either have to allow my to get more meds on each prescription or remove the limitations. I can't order online @Robin, because there is no box to tick

 

[grovesy]

It's because it's a new surgery - at the previous one I could order items when I needed to, not some mathematically innumerate limitation. The only thing on my prescription that would last the full 8 weeks is the BP medication - 56 tablets - the rest is more like 5/6 weeks. They'll either have to allow my to get more meds on each prescription or remove the limitations. I can't order online @Robin, because there is no box to tick

Is there no facility for a custom order?

 

[mikeyB]

There certainly should be a custom order facility. Systems can’t generally cope with widely variable use, such as insulin or Creon. They are designed to prevent over ordering of higher strength pain relievers such as Tramadol, and the current recreational drug of choice in the North East, Gabapentin.

But if you talk to the doctor, this should all be sortable. No need for an argument, it’s just the system.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Just went to order more medication as I am running out of insulin - online form says I can't order more insulin or strips until 17th December - time to have words, I think! 😡

The 17th! you are lucky mine is due for ordering on the 24th and the unhelpful twerp I spoke to said It's your problem live with it a few days without wont kill you.
Was tempted to murder her myself but that's another issue

 

[Northerner]

The 17th! you are lucky mine is due for ordering on the 24th and the unhelpful twerp I spoke to said It's your problem live with it a few days without wont kill you.
Was tempted to murder her myself but that's another issue

That's outrageous! 😱

 

[Northerner]

There certainly should be a custom order facility. Systems can’t generally cope with widely variable use, such as insulin or Creon. They are designed to prevent over ordering of higher strength pain relievers such as Tramadol, and the current recreational drug of choice in the North East, Gabapentin.

But if you talk to the doctor, this should all be sortable. No need for an argument, it’s just the system.

Yes, I'm sure you're right - it's actually a very good surgery, and I'm sure this is just the default when they take on a new patient. I'll pop in tomorrow and explain 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

The 17th! you are lucky mine is due for ordering on the 24th and the unhelpful twerp I spoke to said It's your problem live with it a few days without wont kill you.
Was tempted to murder her myself but that's another issue

I do hope you sorted that out without any capital crimes

Not that any jury in the land would return a guilty verdict....

 

[Madeline]

After all, you have access to an excellent murder weapon 😎

 

[Mark T]

I've had this fun a couple of times. I just submit a custom request on the system and ask them to fix the re-order dates whilst they are at it. The annoying thing is that I can tick the box on the metformin type I don't want but not the one I actually want! (I can't easily swallow the 1g tablets so I get the 500mg).

 

[Sally71]

We're lucky, we're supposed to only get things once a month but they don't seem to mind if we order early and have never argued about anything. The only time I've had a bit of a palaver was trying to get the amount of insulin vials per prescription increased from 2 to 4, because daughter's insulin requirements have shot up so much in the last 2-3 years. One vial used to last a whole month but now they barely last two weeks! Had to have a phone conversation with the GP's resident pharmacist (didn't even know there was one!) to get it changed. Certain things can only be amended by certain people it seems, I suppose that's fair enough when you are talking about drugs that could easily be misused.

 

[AndBreathe]

The only thing I take is Levothyroxine, and have only been on it a few months, so this is my first bun fight season since I've had a repeat prescription (ever, ever!).

Although I can pnly order a month's supply at a time, I can reorder after 21 days, so by doing that have been able to accrue a very modest buffer. On SystmOnline I can make a custom request where necessary, although I've never had to do this,........... yet.

It must be horribly uncomfortable to be in your situation @Northerner , when your medication is critical to your well-being, even over the short term.

 

[trophywench]

Do you know if the rude being who is the receptionist, is a Vegan, Sue?

Pete commented the other day that since proper ones don't take anything tested on animals, they can't be Type 1 ethically. We wondered if they curl up and 'expire' naturally under a tree, or what? She obviously doesn't approve of you taking whatever it is you wanted to order anyway …… so insulin is just my first guess. Who knows what other drugs have been tested on and I would rather not know TBH. I've always been extremely grateful to the ones I know about.

And also sad, for them.

 

[DaveB]

Hi. I don't understand the problem? My online script shows my insulin 5-packs as orderable every month but obviously I only order every 2-3 months. Why can't you do that? If the script is wrong e.g. the Metformin tablet size then ask the DN to change it

 

[KARNAK]

The 17th! you are lucky mine is due for ordering on the 24th and the unhelpful twerp I spoke to said It's your problem live with it a few days without wont kill you.
Was tempted to murder her myself but that's another issue

Ridiculous Sue, what a statement to make! What`s wrong with these people? I can order up to 10 days before prescription is due or if I need extra e.g. Insulin or test strips no problem.

 

[trophywench]

Insulin isn't the only essential to life drug that Sue needs to take - and if 5 x 3ml cartridges of it lasts you longer than 30 days - your need for it must be an awful lot less than a very large number of people, Dave - therefore your statement is very dismissive of what can be a huge problem for any of us, when or if it arises.

The online ordering system at my surgery sort of has the opposite problem - when I'm going abroad in excess of 28 days, I obviously need more than 28 days supply of my meds, but it only allows one to order 'I month' worth of anything. Hence I have to order as many repeats of 28 days worth, that the length of holiday dictates. I have to put a note on Request 2 and 3 saying why. It's never been a prob doing that as long as I explain. But, if the system doesn't allow anyone to do it - then that would be a prob !