Insulin without prescription?

[Amity Island]

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".

I too think it would free up a lot of g.p's time. It's not a temporary treatment, we'll always need it and it's not a drug (it's a hormone). My g.p openly admits they know nothing about diabetes, so why should they be given the responsibility of prescribing it, leave it to the experts.

 

[Becka]

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.

One time a G.P. prescribed me a medication contraindicated with the immunosuppressant prescribed by my hospital clinic. It is only because I read the patient information leaflet, then looked up the NICE information that I knew not to take it. I assume had it instead been a medicine the clinic managed and listed under their prescriptions the mistake would not have been made.

And for the same immunosuppressant I had regularly monitoring blood tests. My various levels were always within the normal range, so the hospital was happy. However my G.P., a different one, noticed that my kidney function had gone from being better than normal to the high end of the range. After seeing a nephrologist I was able to stop that medication before it did any serious damage. But those tests were only for the hospital, it was not even necessary for the G.P. to review them. Luckily they did not worry about the cost and time involved.

I cannot remember the last time I had a prescription from my surgery which involved any paper work. But there is also a cost involved in a G.P. not being aware of what is happening with a patient, which includes prescriptions being constantly monitored and kept under review. They get to take a holistic view of a patient's care that a specialist clinic may overlook because of their limited focus. To do this they need to be involved and not treated as though looking after their patents is an unnecessary cost.

I too think it would free up a lot of g.p's time. It's not a temporary treatment, we'll always need it and it's not a drug (it's a hormone).

A drug is any substance which when taken causes a physiological effect, this includes hormones like progesterone, steroids, and insulin. And insulin medication is not only a synthetic manufactured replacement for naturally produced insulin, but also consists of other ingredients to delay its absorption and avoid adverse reactions at the administration site. It is very much a medication.

There are also many other prescribed medications which are also always needed and have to be taken for life. That does not mean they are without risks and complications which need constant monitoring.

It is not as though you can just take one insulin everyday. You cannot simply take a like-for-like replacement for what is missing naturally. The type, dose, and when it is taken need to be constantly tailored to an individual. It is a dangerous and complicated drug that should be taking up the time of a doctor. They should be aware of whether the time between prescriptions is increasing or decreasing. A G.P. should always know precisely what you are taking, and be able to consider it alongside any other health issues. It is their job and their responsibility.

And on a purely administrative level, they are the ones authorizing the payment. And whilst it depends on the individual surgery, issuing repeat prescriptions takes very little effort.

 

[Amity Island]

One time a G.P. prescribed me a medication contraindicated with the immunosuppressant prescribed by my hospital clinic. It is only because I read the patient information leaflet, then looked up the NICE information that I knew not to take it. I assume had it instead been a medicine the clinic managed and listed under their prescriptions the mistake would not have been made.

And for the same immunosuppressant I had regularly monitoring blood tests. My various levels were always within the normal range, so the hospital was happy. However my G.P., a different one, noticed that my kidney function had gone from being better than normal to the high end of the range. After seeing a nephrologist I was able to stop that medication before it did any serious damage. But those tests were only for the hospital, it was not even necessary for the G.P. to review them. Luckily they did not worry about the cost and time involved.

I cannot remember the last time I had a prescription from my surgery which involved any paper work. But there is also a cost involved in a G.P. not being aware of what is happening with a patient, which includes prescriptions being constantly monitored and kept under review. They get to take a holistic view of a patient's care that a specialist clinic may overlook because of their limited focus. To do this they need to be involved and not treated as though looking after their patents is an unnecessary cost.



A drug is any substance which when taken causes a physiological effect, this includes hormones like progesterone, steroids, and insulin. And insulin medication is not only a synthetic manufactured replacement for naturally produced insulin, but also consists of other ingredients to delay its absorption and avoid adverse reactions at the administration site. It is very much a medication.

There are also many other prescribed medications which are also always needed and have to be taken for life. That does not mean they are without risks and complications which need constant monitoring.

It is not as though you can just take one insulin everyday. You cannot simply take a like-for-like replacement for what is missing naturally. The type, dose, and when it is taken need to be constantly tailored to an individual. It is a dangerous and complicated drug that should be taking up the time of a doctor. They should be aware of whether the time between prescriptions is increasing or decreasing. A G.P. should always know precisely what you are taking, and be able to consider it alongside any other health issues. It is their job and their responsibility.

And on a purely administrative level, they are the ones authorizing the payment. And whilst it depends on the individual surgery, issuing repeat prescriptions takes very little effort.

I'd agree with you there, definitely a medicine not a drug, hence probably why it's available without a prescription in the U.S. My g.p. admittedly knows nothing about diabetes or insulin or diabetes management, hence id prefer to put my trust in the experts, hence why I have stayed with my consultant. That's one of the reasons why I'd like to be able to pick up insulin without a g.p's prescription.

 

[trophywench]

That's fine, as long as you stay sane and don't feel the need to commit murder, I expect.

How would you propose guaranteeing against that eventuality?

 

[Becka]

I'd agree with you there, definitely a medicine not a drug, hence probably why it's available without a prescription in the U.S. My g.p. admittedly knows nothing about diabetes or insulin or diabetes management, hence id prefer to put my trust in the experts, hence why I have stayed with my consultant. That's one of the reasons why I'd like to be able to pick up insulin without a g.p's prescription.

But you are not agreeing though, because insulin is a drug! That is why people get insulin at a drug store in the U.S.

A drug is something that is introduced to the body to produce a physiological effect.

A medicine is a drug used to treat medical conditions..

And a G.P. does not have to be an expert in every condition. Their job is to manage a patient's care. This means referring people to specialists where particular expertise is required, and then acting on instructions from specialists, such as issuing and monitoring prescriptions.

If the G.P. was not issuing the prescription, the specialist would instead. And aside from whether this is something a specialist should need to be doing, aside from the risks to patent health when G.P. do not know what they taking when judging overall health and issuing other prescriptions, it is actually very annoying.

For G.P. prescriptions (which includes ones they have been directed to prescribe by a specialist clinic) I go online, select the ones I want, and click submit. A few days later I walk into the pharmacist at the end of my street and they hand them to me.

But for my immunosuppressant I have to contact the hospital to ask the department secretary to ask the doctor to issue a prescription. This is then sent to the contracted pharmacy in the hospital reception, so I have to travel several miles to collect it.

I am sure my G.P. knows nothing about the drug because it is a non-standard treatment, but I wish they were managing the prescription. It would have saved me once being prescribed a drug that was deemed too dangerous for me, and regularly going through a lot of hassle to renew it.

But whoever does the prescribing, no one is going to want to pay for and issue dangerous drugs without monitoring and authorizing it. And nor should they.

 

[trophywench]

Suggest you contact Dominic Cummings .......

 

[Amity Island]

But you are not agreeing though, because insulin is a drug! That is why people get insulin at a drug store in the U.S.

A drug is something that is introduced to the body to produce a physiological effect.

A medicine is a drug used to treat medical conditions..

And a G.P. does not have to be an expert in every condition. Their job is to manage a patient's care. This means referring people to specialists where particular expertise is required, and then acting on instructions from specialists, such as issuing and monitoring prescriptions.

If the G.P. was not issuing the prescription, the specialist would instead. And aside from whether this is something a specialist should need to be doing, aside from the risks to patent health when G.P. do not know what they taking when judging overall health and issuing other prescriptions, it is actually very annoying.

For G.P. prescriptions (which includes ones they have been directed to prescribe by a specialist clinic) I go online, select the ones I want, and click submit. A few days later I walk into the pharmacist at the end of my street and they hand them to me.

But for my immunosuppressant I have to contact the hospital to ask the department secretary to ask the doctor to issue a prescription. This is then sent to the contracted pharmacy in the hospital reception, so I have to travel several miles to collect it.

I am sure my G.P. knows nothing about the drug because it is a non-standard treatment, but I wish they were managing the prescription. It would have saved me once being prescribed a drug that was deemed too dangerous for me, and regularly going through a lot of hassle to renew it.

But whoever does the prescribing, no one is going to want to pay for and issue dangerous drugs without monitoring and authorizing it. And nor should they.

Hi Becka,
I know where you are coming from and don't disagree per se, but since I was diagnosed I've always thought of my type 1 diabetes being about the lack of a "hormone" (insulin) not the lack of a "drug". That's the only reason why I say insulin is not a drug. I've never felt I've ever lacked any drugs lol

I don't think anybody on or off this forum would dispute the fact that diabetes is the lack of a hormone and not the lack of a drug.

 

[trophywench]

Yeah well so are the birth control pill and HRT for the older ladies and you need prescriptions for those too. If you had certain things wrong with your prostate you might be prescribed female hormones (and grow boobs) to counteract the production of testosterone feeding the prostate problems.