Insulin without prescription?

[Madeline]

Then, I feel justified to steal their chips !!!
There is only so far I can go.

 

[Andy]

Do you think we'll see the day when insulin is available in the UK without a prescription?

If you're Type 1 and are under the care of a hospital diabetes centre, then why not allow diabetics to pick up insulin as and when required? It would certainly reduce g.p's workload, time spent ordering, time spent sending prescriptions etc. The pharmacist could do a standing order for your insulin ready for you to pick up each month. Plenty of drugs are readily available over the counter, so why not a non-drug like the hormone insulin. You can buy cigarettes, alcohol and sugar/junk food which are known killers, seems illogical insulin isn't available without prescription.

Your views most welcome.

Thanks

 

[gail2]

wot about those diabeticssuch as myself on insulin and have mental health issues who would od on it given half a chance and access to it

 

[Amity Island]

wot about those diabeticssuch as myself on insulin and have mental health issues who would od on it given half a chance and access to it

Hi Gail, I'd guess anyone in the position whereby they are reliant upon another administering their insulin, would continue in that same arrangement? For those who self manage it's all got to be done with the supervision of a diabetes consultant, e.g those who already attend a local diabetes hospital.

 

[Amity Island]

Do you think we'll see the day when insulin is available in the UK without a prescription?

If you're Type 1 and are under the care of a hospital diabetes centre, then why not allow diabetics to pick up insulin as and when required? It would certainly reduce g.p's workload, time spent ordering, time spent sending prescriptions etc. The pharmacist could do a standing order for your insulin ready for you to pick up each month. Plenty of drugs are readily available over the counter, so why not a non-drug like the hormone insulin. You can buy cigarettes, alcohol and sugar/junk food which are known killers, seems illogical insulin isn't available without prescription.

Your views most welcome.

Thanks

Insulin available to patients without prescription.

Indiana joins nation in allowing patients to obtain insulin without a prescription - TheStatehouseFile.com | TheStatehouseFile.com

thestatehousefile.com

 

[trophywench]

That has nothing whatsoever to do with what we do or need to do in the UK. Prescriptions and the insulin or any other drugs whether directly for the diabetes or otherwise, are completely FREE for all PWD treated by drugs, already.

 

[Amity Island]

That has nothing whatsoever to do with what we do or need to do in the UK. Prescriptions and the insulin or any other drugs whether directly for the diabetes or otherwise, are completely FREE for all PWD treated by drugs, already.

You know my take on it. I'd like to be able to get insulin without putting a request in for it via a g.p. every month. 🙂. Insulin for type 1's is a b s o l u t e l y essential, a bit like food really. Clearly it can be given (in the U.S) to diabetics without the need for a prescription, although yes, they do have to pay for it.

 

[Becka]

The issue with the U.S. is that people have to pay to see a doctor just to get a prescription, then pay for the prescription. Which means if you cannot afford to visit a doctor you cannot get a prescription at all, even if you can afford it.

That is not a problem here as we do not have to pay to get a prescription, because the N.H.S. makes it free to access a G.P. The American situation is a sloppy solution to one of the problems within their system of providing healthcare.

 

[Amity Island]

The issue with the U.S. is that people have to pay to see a doctor just to get a prescription, then pay for the prescription. Which means if you cannot afford to visit a doctor you cannot get a prescription at all, even if you can afford it.

That is not a problem here as we do not have to pay to get a prescription, because the N.H.S. makes it free to access a G.P. The American situation is a sloppy solution to one of the problems within their system of providing healthcare.

I know, it must be harsh out there, especially with insulin prices rising year on year.

 

[Robin]

There are only two sorts of insulin available over the counter in the USA, both older types, not the more modern ones that most of us are on, and not in pens, just vials for which you need syringes, (I checked up on this when I went to the hot deserty bit a couple of years ago, and wanted a backup plan if I compromised my insulin in the heat. I came to the conclusion that I’d just better be very careful with what I'd got!)

 

[Amity Island]

There are only two sorts of insulin available over the counter in the USA, both older types, not the more modern ones that most of us are on, and not in pens, just vials for which you need syringes, (I checked up on this when I went to the hot deserty bit a couple of years ago, and wanted a backup plan if I compromised my insulin in the heat. I came to the conclusion that I’d just better be very careful with what I'd got!)

Hi Robin,
I hadn't realised the situation was so dangerous in America, it's a real national scandal. People working just to pay for the insulin they need OR the health insurance required to get it included.

The human cost of insulin in America

Diabetics in the US are rationing insulin - and dying. How did we get to this point and what's the fix?

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[atoll]

My daughter has always been under hospital care, although that might change when she becomes an adult! (My mum has always been under GP care for as long as I can remember.) The hospital team are fab, but don't do any prescribing, that has to go via the GP. I think so that it can all be controlled in one place, could be dangerous if the hospital is prescribing one thing and the GP another and they don't talk to each other! We recently got the go-ahead to get Libre sensors on prescription having self-funded them for 2 1/2 years, when we collect those now the instruction on the chemist's label says "use as per hospital instructions" or something like that, and the letters that go from the consultant to the GP every time we've had a check up now say "please continue to prescribe Libre sensors" every time! (I know because they always send us a copy).

Last year I finally managed to get the amount of insulin we get per prescription increased, because the original amount which used to last 2 months now doesn't even last one, and I had to go through quite a palaver to get it changed, so there are checks in place. And curiously, every time I ask for a glucagon kit, this stops the whole prescription from being sent electronically to the chemist and I have to faff about picking it up from the surgery and then waiting while the chemist gets it ready. The GP said it's because glucagon is a restricted drug. But the pharmacist says it isn't, insulin is far more dangerous than glucagon if it falls into the wrong hands and that comes through automatically! So I can only assume that it's a glitch in their system that nobody has got round to correcting, after all you don't need glucagon kits very often!

the problem with glycagon is that it needs to be mixed,then the syringe needs to have any air expelled before administering,failure to do so can result in embolism.

the first question a gp will ask is who will administer it,and what is their qualifying factor for use of the medication in the event that an ambulance cannot get there in a reasonable time period with trained first responders.

 

[atoll]

That has nothing whatsoever to do with what we do or need to do in the UK. Prescriptions and the insulin or any other drugs whether directly for the diabetes or otherwise, are completely FREE for all PWD treated by drugs, already.

currently you can only get 3 months supply of medication from the pharmacist,at one time which is free.
,those of us brits who are only resident half the year in the uk will have to purchase insulin somewhere else for the time that they are away,in europe currently my meds(metformin ,clopidogrel,lisonopril) and insulin(NR and abseglar),cost about 200-250 euro a month if bought over the counter with a prescption in france (unsubsidised by french NH).

 

[JohnWhi]

Just a point, Amity Island. Some GP surgeries do not allow their Type 1 patients to be registered with their local diabetes hospital. For me, it took at least one letter of complaint to the CCG (or its predecessor) to be permitted to attend a specialist clinic there. Ordering on line and collecting from the pharmacy or dispensary at least leaves a record of insulin requirements. What you are suggesting sounds like the "tiers payant" scheme that operated in France about 38 years ago. One simply told the pharmaciste that one needed more insulin, and it was provided a day or two later, and the equivalent of the GP was informed. For those speaking of insulin over the counter in the USA, my consultant regaled me with a story of a patient of hers who was a GP and who ran out of insulin when she was there. A single vial cost her a lot more than 100$.

 

[trophywench]

When we were going to Europe for longer than 1.5/1.6 months, because it wasn't regular as clockwork, I made arrangements with the GP being Head of Practice (also the one 'with a special interest in diabetes' who in truth knows very well the hospital clinic deal with it, not him, and happily continues to renew the scrips until he's told different by them - except when he needs to for whatever reason) so that I could order repeat scrips more than once every 28 days prior to setting off. OK so our Moho fridge 'butter' shelf is a bit full of the stuff to begin with but so what?

OTOH if we can afford to bog off to Europe that's the lifestyle we chose, so some might say I shouldn't expect the NHS to pay for it. I have chosen not to find out whether he's allowed to do this officially, I'd rather not ask frankly. The tablets are more difficult being only 28 days per repeat scrip - hence I've often had a whinge about them being on 12 repeats - should be 13 if they're theoretically sposed to last a year!

 

[atoll]

When we were going to Europe for longer than 1.5/1.6 months, because it wasn't regular as clockwork, I made arrangements with the GP being Head of Practice (also the one 'with a special interest in diabetes' who in truth knows very well the hospital clinic deal with it, not him, and happily continues to renew the scrips until he's told different by them - except when he needs to for whatever reason) so that I could order repeat scrips more than once every 28 days prior to setting off. OK so our Moho fridge 'butter' shelf is a bit full of the stuff to begin with but so what?

OTOH if we can afford to bog off to Europe that's the lifestyle we chose, so some might say I shouldn't expect the NHS to pay for it. I have chosen not to find out whether he's allowed to do this officially, I'd rather not ask frankly. The tablets are more difficult being only 28 days per repeat scrip - hence I've often had a whinge about them being on 12 repeats - should be 13 if they're theoretically sposed to last a year!

i think going on holiday for up to 3 months or 90 days is no issue as you will have to return to the uk for 90 days if traveling to europe under the 90/180 day rule that will apply to brits in future.
post brexit,if you want to stay in europe longer than 90 days you will need to apply for residence in a european country to get indefinite freedom to remain in the shengan area.longer than 90 days .

however having residence in europe might have implications on your residence status in the uk and entitlement to free NHS meds here as the EHIC scheme is rolled back and private insurance becomes mandatory for temporary residents both in europe and the uk.of which there about 4 million currently who transit between homes in the uk and homes in europe.

 

[trophywench]

Hardly the job of a diabetes forum to advise members of something that only affects people who do go abroad in excess of 90/180, it's hardly hidden info hence I'd expect anyone so affected to have discovered that for themselves before now. Leaving the EU was never going to be easy for everybody, perhaps those who were so in favour of it didn't delve beneath the false message on the side of the bus?

 

[atoll]

Hardly the job of a diabetes forum to advise members of something that only affects people who do go abroad in excess of 90/180, it's hardly hidden info hence I'd expect anyone so affected to have discovered that for themselves before now. Leaving the EU was never going to be easy for everybody, perhaps those who were so in favour of it didn't delve beneath the false message on the side of the bus?

not trying to advise just asking the question,as far as i know pensioners are not effected as they can just join the eu system if they are residents,however there are millions of gap year students and others of working age who travel,many of whom are diabetics that may fall foul of the system where residence is not an option,,having to buy comprehensive health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions and purchase over the counter meds could prove to be a significant financial barrier to extended travel for students and the like where before they had a degree of protection under EHIC (as diabetics) in europe.

 

[trophywench]

Yeah, pensioners just ring Newcastle and get a form 1 sent to them. Clueless as to 'extended travel for students' - but very often the 'Year Out' brigade go much further than boring Europe - well remember lads I went to school with joining VSO and going to eg Ethiopia for a while to help out with whatever before they went to Uni. (One taught in a school and had 'digs' next door to the local brothel ..... wonder what happened to him? LOL)

 

[leonS]

I believe that the solution would be to make insulin and certain other associated consumables "free issue", so that anyone with the correct authorisation from a prescriber could obtain supplise without a prescription.

We should be awate that there is a cost associated with issuing a prescription, both in the Dr's time and in the paperwork involved in arranging payment to the dispenser.

I have often thought it odd that when I go to a new GP I explain what I need and how much and he transcribes this verbatim to his pad. At the pfarmacy I am made to wait 20 minutes while they prepare a label to stick over other important information which says "Use as directed".