Repeat prescriptions are expensive and time consuming – it’s time for an NHS rethink

Status
Not open for further replies.
Northerner

Northerner

Admin (Retired)
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Over a billion NHS prescription medicines are issued by pharmacists in England every year – at a cost of over £9 billion. Many of these are prescribed by GPs to manage long-term health conditions, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

The current “repeat prescription” system allows patients to request a further supply of medicines without the inconvenience of another doctor’s appointment.

The UK Department of Health advises that the frequency of repeat prescriptions should “balance patient convenience with clinical appropriateness, cost-effectiveness and patient safety”.

However, it does not recommend a specific time period. As a result, local health service commissioners have developed their own guidance, with many encouraging GPs to issue short-term supplies of repeat medications, typically 28 days in length. This is supported by the UK’s Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.

http://theconversation.com/repeat-p...e-consuming-its-time-for-an-nhs-rethink-93522

I've always thought that restricting to monthly prescriptions is a bad idea, both economically and for patient inconvenience. My surgery allows repeats as and when you need them and I usually get mine about 6 weeks apart.
 
I would welcome being able to order, say, two months at a time for both of us. At my surgery they will only issue
repeat prescriptions for 28 days.
 
My surgery issues us two months at a time. Hadn't realised that others didn't. When I worked there it was monthly, guess I assumed all surgeries had changed their policy when ours did
 
I've had Omeprazole on repeat for about 4 years. Still need it but use it much less than I used to, so I only ask for it about 4 times a year. Haven't had any GP intervention in all that time.
 
Nothing I have on repeat (13 items I think!) is there going to be a cure for in the foreseeable future. 3 are for insulin - pump cartridges, then both single Novorapid and Levemir disposable pens 'just in case' then the strips for my meter and a sharps bin - so 5 for diabetes. Hang on - 6! - cos a box of pen needles too! 2 more are Levothyroxine as the dose I'm on doesn't come in one tablet. 2 more are two different BP tablets I take all the time, and another one is Clopidogrel because of my PAD. They keep Omeprazole on repeat too even though I've never needed a single tablet cos it's only there cos the Clop very often causes acid reflux but for some unknown reason, it hasn't done that to me yet and I've been on it at least 2 years now.

Oh and a Salamol inhaler cos I have got a bit of emphysema, but only use the inhaler if I get wheezy - tree pollen irritates it sometimes, but not always.

That's 12 I think.

It's utterly ridiculous having to order all that half a ton of tablets I do take every day each sort in a separate packet, every 28 days and the pharmacy having to be paid to dispense them every 4 weeks. The strips and pump cartridges I have enough on each repeat to last me longer than 28 days, so I only order them as and when, same as I do the Salamol. One inhaler might last me over 6 months. Don't need any more ruddy boxes in the cupboard, thanks!
 
I am glad that I can get all my tablets on a to month supply and then order insulin and test strips (at 500 a time) as and when I need them. Makes sense and saves time for the Gp
 
Lucy Honeychurch said:
I've actually had problems getting enough testing strips and needles.
Click to expand...
@Lucy Honeychurch . That is awful. How many do they allow you ? Do you drive ?
I think their is something about this on the main site that may help you, I’ll go have a look .
 
Last edited:
Last edited:
I request needles so infrequently they don’t register on the repeat system. They always have to ask which ones I use. A box of 100 lasts about 9 months. I do have some shabby habits, though, like seeing if I can make a needle last a whole pen. Still, saves the NHS money, and a decent needle, like a decent razor blade, will last longer anyway.🙂

I wouldn’t want to lead younger readers astray, though, you do what you’re told.🙄
 
At the moment, I get prescriptions for 2 months. At one point, just after my hospital stay May 2017, they were for 1 month. In the past, when I was stable on my meds, My prescriptions for the last 6 years, switched to insulin, were for 6 months: before that; a year. I'm regularly updating my form with dosing info & I'm currently writing "Temp. the dose. Attend. hosp. Out Patients".

Their computer system know how long you've been on doses of meds & issue prescriptions accordingly!
 
SB2015 said:
I am glad that I can get all my tablets on a to month supply and then order insulin and test strips (at 500 a time) as and when I need them. Makes sense and saves time for the Gp
Click to expand...
That is what I need, and you are in Somerset too. I will make sure next week, my prescription changes.
 
Ask your hospital clinic to tell your GP 'officially' how many of what you need. It's been infallible for me when I've needed 'intervention' - and in fact it was the previous 'Lead GP' at the surgery who told me to do it if ever I needed to.
 
Mine is 28 days. At my old GP's, the things I'd been on for a while where 3 (luna) monthly. Then I changed practice a couple of years ago and everything became monthly.
 
All my meds are prescribed on a 28day basis then my script is passed from my GP's surgery to the adjoining Pharmacy for processing. My meds are then delivered to me by the Pharmacy. I don't have any qualms with this arrangement....but....if I forget to order my repeat script when it's due, then all meds are delivered whether I need them or not! When this happens I return the unwanted items to the Pharmacy via the delivery service driver.
WL
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top