Pharmacists !!!!

[Cleo]

hi all
I went to the pharmacy yesterday - the GP has increased my testing strips from 5 bottles to 7 as I'm going through pre conception / trying to get pregnant so need to test frequently. She increased it in May and I was given the 7 bottles at the time. When I went yesterday someone else was working the shift (clearly not the decision maker!) and he refused to give me more than 5 "because he didnt have authorization and because the NHS "always" limits it to 5 due to cost". I argued with him and explained that I had previously been given the full supply etc etc at the same pharmacy. Anywho, I knew he wasnt the decision maker and that I was wasting my breathe -- not to mention time -- talking to him. The manager is there on Tuesday so I'll go back and have a "little chat" with the manager to get the outstanding 2 bottles. Has anyone ever encountered this kind of non sense before?. I realize that 7 bottles is quite alot but I'm just trying to keep very tight control and it was the GP who recommended it. Its not like my script will have 7 bottles forever. Maybe he's not a very empowered individual but I cant stand people who behave like robots and dont listen to REASON. Its not like I was asking for valium or morphine. The irony is that even if they do limit it to 5 bottles I'd just end up asking for a repeat prescription more often which would add to the surgery and pharmacy's work load...
rant over thanks for listening!


C x

 

[LeeLee]

Surely the role of the pharmacist is to dispense what the doctor has prescribed? Complain loudly - it's none of their business why you've been given that many, it's the doctor's job to decide that.

 

[Redkite]

Ditto what LeeLee said. The GP prescribes and the pharmacist dispenses!

 

[HOBIE]

The poor man or woman is just doing there job. Thats what they have been told to do. Hope the rant did you some good 🙂 Good luck with testing etc.😉

 

[Pumper_Sue]

If the prescription said 7 then that is what should have been dispensed I would have asked for the prescription back and taken it else where.

 

[Redkite]

The poor man or woman is just doing there job.

They're not though Hobie - the job of a pharmacist is to dispense what the GP has prescribed, not to override it and decide for themselves what they think you should have.

 

[Northerner]

If the NHS limits us to 5, then how come I have been getting 6 for the past 5 years? He's making it up! As the others have said, if it says 7 on the script, that is the amount that must be dispensed, no question. It would be interesting to know where he has got this arbitrary limit from - perhaps he has a friend or relation who is limited to 5 and has been told this, so he is assuming it must be true. Moreover, the NHS does not limit things due to cost (said with tongue in cheek!)

I hope the manager gives you an apology 🙂

 

[Copepod]

Northerner - prescribing guideline do change over time, and so do prescribing bodies.

For purposes such as prescribing and dispensing blood glucose test strips, here is no single entity called the NHS. PCTs (Parimary Care Trusts) ceased to exist on 31 March 2013, replaced by Clinical Commissioning Groups on 1 April 2013.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all have their own systems.

However, I'm still surprised that a pharmacist can over-rule numbers of items prescribed. Telephone GP to check perhaps, but not refuse to issue items over a certain number.

 

[Lauras87]

If the prescription says 7, I don't see how he can refuse.

I hope you get it sorted, if not try another pharmacy as suggested

 

[Cleo]

many thanks to all for sharing your thoughts and insights !
will provide an update on tuesday..🙂

 

[Caroline]

I have been lucky with my pharmacist and whenever he has had a query about items on my prescription he has phoned the doctor and the doctor has said yes it is needed. A couple of times it has been because medications have clashed and the surgery was able to fax an alternative through for me and the pharmacist has both explained and appologised for the hold up.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I'd have thought the pharmacist would jump at the chance to supply 7. They get paid per item they dispense, so us T1s are something of a cash cow for them apparently.

Like Northie I have been getting 6 per script for several years. If you can I'd go somewhere else next time and if you feel inclined... write a note to the old place and tell them why they won't be seeing you again.