COVID antiviral percription

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Fatterthantheshadow

Fatterthantheshadow

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Just a quick post as I think some ringing about to do, After a tit for tat between the gp and consultant I’ve been given a hard green script for covid antivirals to be started with 5 days (Sunday), nowhere is stocking them, 111 it is then! A white script would have been better? Any other ideas?
 
Sorry if that last post is nonsensical, a mix of brain fog and a language learning App has ruin my predictive text, hope it’s understandable
 
What on earth is a green prescription, I only know yellow ones are used by dentists and green prescribing normally refers to social prescribing - eg for exercise or membership of eg Weightwatchers - not when it's for necessary dugs?
 
The script issued by GP, are green Vs the white hospital ones. Maybe it's a regional thing.
 
Been years since either of us had a prescription from a hospital and our hospital, and we always have to have it dispensed at the hospital, they don't resemble GP prescriptions.
 
It could well be only hospital pharmacies are stocking those antivirals, as they won't be too commonly prescribed. As I understand it, a hospital pharmacy can dispense from a GP prescription.
 
AndBreathe said:
It could well be only hospital pharmacies are stocking those antivirals, as they won't be too commonly prescribed. As I understand it, a hospital pharmacy can dispense from a GP prescription.
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Would be sensible for people to be able to find out where they need to go to get it. I'd suggest contacting the consultant and/or GP, but I guess it's possible they don't know either.

Still worth doing, I think. Whoever you get on the phone might know who's likely to be able to answer.
 
Correct- they are white prescriptions and only to be completed at the hospital pharmacy!
My gp has given me a green percription for a high Street pharmacy for a drug they can't get
Clinic and Gp been batting this one back and forth for two days!

After 111 called back turns out it's quite simple to refer a case to CMDU (covid Medical delivery until) for England. Obviously not an email my gp bothered to open
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Would be sensible for people to be able to find out where they need to go to get it. I'd suggest contacting the consultant and/or GP, but I guess it's possible they don't know either.

Still worth doing, I think. Whoever you get on the phone might know who's likely to be able to answer.
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As it transpires my Gp wrote a prescription (at my consultants insistance it was his job) that no pharmacy would dispense.
Turned out that a referral to Covid medicine delivery until was required and actually quite easy,
##@@BANK THIS FOR LATER PEPS##@@
Where I live the hospital won't do green scripts, I work there, that would make things very convenient
 
Is it just me? It eventually got me. I'm a public facing key worker. Worked through 2020 with T1D. Think I did well to avoid it this far.

Now I have covid, of course I'm going to check the latest updates, I try to stay well informed through official channels.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/oral-covid-19-antiviral-paxlovid-approved-by-uk-regulator
Says Diabetes Mellitus is a risk factor mitigated by the use of Paxlovid antiviral (parrtot phrasing here).
Despite this information being on the .gov website, it latter turned out T1D does not by itself meet the criteria for this drug.

Asking my gp about this was a mistake and confused him, I'm certain not helped by that fact I never got to speak with him in person but relayed via the practice nurse and reception. He wrote a prescription for a drug that needs a referral and cannot just be collected from Boots. This in turn lead me to seek advice from nhs 111 as now OOH, can of warms never to be opened!

OK, I'm moaning! Thank you forum
Point to myself, I and my GP both know he's rubbish, and I shouldn't have broken my rule of minimal contact!

Apologies and thank you NHS 111 & my local OOH service for straightening this out, it wasn't intended to waste your time.
@.gov your Website is poorly informing people, please sort this out

OK I've finished rubber ducking
Sorry, but thanks
 
Fatterthantheshadow said:
Despite this information being on the .gov website, it latter turned out T1D does not by itself meet the criteria for this drug.
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That's my understanding, yes. MHRA allows use in a broad range of people, but the NHS decides who they're willing to give it to and I think that probably doesn't include you (or me), judging by https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coron...s-for-coronavirus/treatments-for-coronavirus/

If the intent were to offer it to us they'd surely make sure we still had access to testing. If someone (like us) has a positive test (by buying one, for example) we can participate in https://www.panoramictrial.org
 
The people coded as being CEV (Clinically Extremely Vulnerable) received a letter and priority PCR test (to keep in case) through the post. If the returned test was positive, a medical professional from the CMDU (Covid Medicine Delivery Unit) is supposed to ring within 24 hrs to discuss therapeutic treatment which is either anti viral tablets or an infusion of monoclonal antibody Sotrovimab which I had on Boxing Day. My eligibility is through blood cancer and being immunocompromised not diabetes. Even people who are eligible in terms of meeting the criteria are having a tough time getting the necessary treatment. The infusion is supposed to be given within the first 5 days following a positive Covid result.
The monoclonal antibody infusion is supposed to be the preferred Covid treatment but our blood cancer members have usually had anti viral tablets delivered to them rather than trailing about for prescriptions. The CDMU certainly should have them at their disposal and these units are usually attached to local hospitals. Here’s a list of the location of the CDMU’s (but they wouldn’t let me ring them direct);

 
Thanks for replying Bruce and Amigo, you make perfect sense, my personal issues are with the misleading info on .gov and the GP for not taking the time to check this.
The HCP I spoke to later on had all information Amigo referrs to.

The .gov site says it's for people with high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Correct me here, if that isn't T1D, a lower level than CEV.
I'm sure I'll be absolutely fine though lots of people could be helped
Hope everything turned out fine for you after Boxing Day Amigo
 
Fatterthantheshadow said:
The .gov site says it's for people with high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Correct me here, if that isn't T1D, a lower level than CEV.
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Yes, we're at greater risk than most people of equivalent age but (generally) not that much greater. For whatever reason, they've decided to limit them quite a lot.

If you've got the pills (or whatever the treatment is) I'd go ahead and take it as directed (don't feel guilty for having obtained it).

My guess is the government's restricted the use of them so much that the problem will be using the things before they expire and need to be discarded rather than a shortage.

Apparently even in the US (where the criteria are broader and would most likely include us, though we'd also need insurance cover or other funding now that the Federal government hasn't been given any money to run the programs) they're really not using the antivirals and monoclonal therapies as expected (so they've got lots just sitting on shelves).
 
My brother had antiviral drugs infused in hospital. 30 minutes, with a 15 minute wait to make sure there was no reaction, ans sent him on his way. He got the treatment because he has CLL. As far as I know, diabetes doesn’t qualify for the IV treatment.

I would take the prescription along to A&E, they would point you in right direction to the hospital pharmacy who will definitely have the drugs.
 
Bruce Stephens said:
That's my understanding, yes. MHRA allows use in a broad range of people, but the NHS decides who they're willing to give it to and I think that probably doesn't include you (or me), judging by https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coron...s-for-coronavirus/treatments-for-coronavirus/

If the intent were to offer it to us they'd surely make sure we still had access to testing. If someone (like us) has a positive test (by buying one, for example) we can participate in https://www.panoramictrial.org
Click to expand...
Participating in that is difficult too, i tried to get onto it but they've been full every day since my positive test. If you do get on it, it's randomised whether you get the drug or not
 
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