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Difficulty obtaining prescriptions (again)

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J

JohnWhi

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Sorry to come back to this. I was grizzling in April about having to wait nine days for a prescription, whereas in January things arrived consistently within three days. Over recent weeks I notice that notification of an item ordered on-line being ready for collection is coming 16 or 17 days afterwards. Speaking today to somebody at the GP surgery, I mentioned that this could be a problem with an essential item, and asked if it would be safer to order three weeks in advance. I was told "You must always order seven days in advance." I mentioned that 17 days was rather longer than this and the answer was "If you order more than a fortnight in advance, the order will probably be cancelled." For insulin and testing strips, the solution is easy, as I made a complaint when the monthly allowance was cut by half, explaining the variability of doses and requirements as well as the danger of being without. A recurrent problem has been with tablets taken on a daily basis, where the monthly allowance is a pack of 28, also with Freestyle Libre sensors where the monthly allowance is for "2 kits" i.e. 28 days. Running out of things you actually need is not a pleasant experience, and those in the surgery simply ignored my recital of abnormally high (self-monitored) blood pressure readings after four days without the prescribed tablets. My current strategy is to order things as long as I can before I need them, experimenting to see how much leeway the system can give, and try to build up a reserve supply. Is this the same for others?
 
Hi John,
what you need to do is ask for a phone consultation with your GP and request that your prescription is increased so if you have 2 vials of insulin/month ask for 3 then you can order in the normal way with one in hand still.
I explained these issues with my GP and he could see my point of view and the worry it was causing.
It has worked very well up until now. Just had a new group pharmacist join the practice who seems to think I am cured so has removed sharps bin and lowered some other items. A call has gone into the GP for a conversation on Tuesday morning.
 
Thanks Pumper_Sue. I did raise the problem during a phone consultation a few weeks ago and the GP recited "You must always order seven days in advance" which didn't help much as I had been waiting 13 days for that one. I imagine that days are flexible in the medical world and am hoping that they will understand that 28 tablets at one per day may only last for 14 days or so. The doctor also mentioned that his requesting that a patient be given something very often resulted in them receiving nothing at all.
 
I'm sorry - who the hell is writing and signing the scrips if not the ruddy doctor? Who the hell does HE have to ask and why?
 
I'm not sure where the delay is happening with your scripts? When I order online my surgery approves them within one day at most which I can check by logging in. They are then carried over to my local Lloyds within 2 days. Who is delaying your scripts? If it's the surgery raise it with your PPG team as that's their job and your surgery will have a PPG (I'm a member of ours)
 
Thanks DaveB. The receptionist told me that three-week delays are common/universal and she had no idea why. Local instructions are to write to the Complaints Manager at the surgery you use, and that is what I am doing. Part of the problem is probably that all the practices in my area amalgamated into one a year ago, nine surgeries in all, and they need time to make it work properly. I think we are on the third practice manager in that time. Approval is normally shown within 24 hours. Then the prescription is transmitted electronically to the dispensary (two remain in the area) or to the chemist. The dispensary is usually the place where the delay occurs. Sometimes the prescription is in the wrong building, about ten miles away. Sometimes there is difficulty in obtaining items, and they don't issue the rest until they obtain it. Sometimes, usually for insulin, "We can't get it anywhere!" In the past, the person on the desk was able to check the status of the prescription on line. Now one is forbidden to approach the dispensary until one has a mobile phone text to say the prescription is ready. (Large notice outside and queue lasting up to 40 minutes, one has to show the message.) As a result of a house move, I can no longer collect at the dispensary. This might just solve some of the problem, as one is allowed into the chemist's and they may be able to say why something is not there.
 
Depending on items ordered we've had dispensed a few hours after sending an online re[eat or up to a week if the chemist has an issue obtaining a certain product (generally everything was ready but my sensors hadn't been delivered to the chemist yet) unfortunately where I am they are trying to move everyone to a serial prescription where you get a supply of the things to last you 4. 8, 12 weeks and so on, my first is ready to be picked up but I already know there will be issues as I'll have loads of some things but getting fewer test strips so I'll just have to pray the Libre sensors continue to play ball and read pretty accurately xx
 
I have my meds delivered to my home and GP sends the prescriptions to the pharmacist.Have you tried doing it that way?
 
Totalwar said:
I have my meds delivered to my home and GP sends the prescriptions to the pharmacist.Have you tried doing it that way?
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Unfortunately not all areas offer such services xx
 
See one on tv there national just contact them give them your details your done.
 
Totalwar said:
See one on tv there national just contact them give them your details your done.
Click to expand...
Yes but unfortunately they aren't always that reliable and many have had issues with them, some even receiving broken insulin cartridges etc
 
Totalwar said:
I have my meds delivered to my home and GP sends the prescriptions to the pharmacist.Have you tried doing it that way?
Click to expand...
Kaylz said:
Unfortunately not all areas offer such services xx
Click to expand...
Some pharmacies don't deliver, even though they advertise delivery. My pharmacy had it in big writing on the outside wall, and refused to deliver for me.
I've switched, and now waiting to see if and when they'll deliver. My GP practice provides the pescription within two days. After a while I had them send it automatically to the pharmacy, and they'd have it ready (normally) would have everything ready in a day or two.
I don't do insulin or get strips at all though.
Been trying to ring my new pharmacy today to see if they have my prescription and find out what's happening. Couldn't get through. After it ring for a little bit it just stopped ringing!
 
I get 2 months supply of all meds on each prescription. This saves the GP work as he only has to do one script every two months. For my insulin the automated system allows me to reorder the next day and is listed as ‘as necessary’. Test strips took a bit of a battle, but I now get 250 at a time, and I reorder when I need to (with a pot in hand) . It did take a few phone calls

When you say that you can only order 7 days ahead, I think your doing other right thing by creeping the date forward a little so that you have more leeway.
 
Do keep records of when the prescription was requested and when it was available, so you are able to quote the exact delay times and get rather pointed with whoever you can find to take your complaint.
 
Drummer said:
... and get rather pointed with whoever you can find to take your complaint.
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This is the difficult one, finding anybody who is remotely interested and who understands my concerns. A few months ago, I did send a letter to my MP who passed it on to the Secretary of State for Health. I received an unctuous reply from the latter, stating that there was no problem and I should stop worrying about it. The new normal!
 
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