Hi. Reading the many posts here can I suggest you contact your surgery PPG (pateint Participation Group) if needed to raise issues with the surgery process. I'm a member of our surgery PPG and in conjunction with the Practice Manager we tried to ensure there aren't issues of the type being raised. I think I'm lucky in having an enlightened surgery. Its' the CCG (now the ICS) that has set the rule for 12 or 6 month medication reviews to save cost. My surgery says it will never withhold a prescription if a review has been missed by a month or two. I order online on the surgery's system and am able to re-order after 3 weeks so can gradually build-up a stock if needed. If you don't have a PPG be aware it's mandatory same as having access to the online system so pressure the Practice Manager.
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Type 1 - Issues with Repeat Prescriptions
- Thread starter Karly
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Regarding things “dropping off the scripts” if you haven’t ordered them recently, it should be possible for the surgery to tag items never to be removed. This happened to me for insulin pen cartridges which I have in case my pump fails. I order replacements when they become out of date or if I run out. Given I have been without a pump for 5 days in the last 6 years, I order a box of 5 once every 18 months (when they go out of date). A few years ago, I noticed they were missing from my script and called the surgery who arranged a call with the prescribing pharmacist. Insulin pen cartridges were subsequently marked do not delete are are still there despite ordering them only once since.
JJay
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I think my surgery must be quite unusual in that nothing has ever been taken off my repeat for lack of use - even though I might not have ordered it for over a year - until I asked them to! Prescription reviews are conducted every 6 months by the GP and I only know it's happened when a note appears on my patient record and the number of "issues remaining" is increased. (Excluding actual changes of medication, of which there have been very few). If needed I can re-order items after 3 weeks so I take advantage of this to have around 3-4 weeks' worth in hand at all times.
I feel very fortunate in comparison to some of the horror stories I read on here and wonder what work DUK are doing to impress upon ICBs and GPs the importance of making life-saving medication and equipment readily available to those who need it, without the hindrance of protocols and procedures designed primarily for cost-saving.
I feel very fortunate in comparison to some of the horror stories I read on here and wonder what work DUK are doing to impress upon ICBs and GPs the importance of making life-saving medication and equipment readily available to those who need it, without the hindrance of protocols and procedures designed primarily for cost-saving.
Thanks for all your lovely replies. It's really interesting hearing how other GP surgeries operate. I think the most upsetting thing for me was going onto the online system to order supplies only to find I couldn't because apparently I needed a review. This was despite the fact that I had seen the practice nurse for a review only 4 months previously. I had no idea this could happen without any warning from the surgery and I was then worrying about having to get an appointment urgently at the surgery in order to get what I needed. I just think life can be stressful enough when you are managing a chronic condition day in and day out without having to jump what I feel are unnecessary hurdles to get what you need! I will be writing to the practice manager setting out my case as others have suggested on here. It's a good job I'm very capable of standing up for myself!
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It is a good job, I entirely agree. I never knew Aneurin Bevan but frequently wonder now why no earthquake has been reported from him spinning in his grave.
That's really made me chuckle this morning @trophywench!
Amity Island
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I went to Tesco pharmacy, bought a spare Libre 2 sensor. £35 no vat. Worth every penny.
Oh that's worth knowing thank you @Amity Island. I didn't know I could do that.
Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Yes, they're available for buying. (I started self funding and when I started getting them on prescription I had a couple and I've maintained that.)
(Prices vary between pharmacies, or at least did. For a while ASDA sold them for £35 but I thought that had all stopped and they were the same price as Abbott sells them (£48 or so).)
Amity Island
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Yes, some things are available without prescription! 🙂
Insulin is also available without prescription too (sometimes). I've been away from home, forgotten to take enough insulin, popped into a pharmacy and explained and they gave me a vial of insulin.
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Amity Island
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- Type 1
Another thing about prescriptions is, I won't accept insulin that's been split from the original box (had its factory seal broken), same goes for any other medical items such as re-useable pens, needles, syringes, libre etc.
I've had bad experiences with this before (given broken or expired returned insulin, pens etc). I contacted my gp and they agreed not to prescribe items requiring split / unsealed items.
That's interesting @Amity Island. As my GP will only prescribe 1 Lantus insulin pen at a time it is usually given to me at the pharmacy having been taken out of the box or given to me in the box but the other pens have been taken out. Unlike my Novorapid pens which are given to me in a sealed box of 5 pens. I've definitely got lots to discuss with my GP!
Amity Island
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi,
I'm on 19u of basal each day. A pen contains 300units. So a pen lasts me about 2 weeks. I always get them as a sealed box of 5.
How many units of lantus are you using each day?
I'm only on 6 units of Lantus a day so one insulin pen does last quite a while. It's just strange that I can order a box of 5 Novorapid pens. They last me ages as I'm using on average 7 or 8 units a day. My insulin to carb ratio is roughly 1 to 20g and I don't generally eat particularly high carb meals so at the moment I'm not needing huge amounts of insulin. Although from reading some of the posts on here I know that can change over time!
JJay
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Seems to me you'd be better off asking to change to re-usable pens and cartridges. Cartridges come in a sealed box of 5 which should last you a considerable time and you can time re-ordering so that you have a safe overlap.
Besides which, cartridges take up much less storage space and re-usable pens are much better for the environment!
Amity Island
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi,
I did a post a while back about how much insulin people have in hand.
You may well find that the single Lantus pen is just an error. When I was first put on insulin by the hospital, the bolus was Trurapi. The surgery couldn't source that so switched to Novorapid, but only a single pen. That would have lasted 10 days with 21 days before I could order another. Just human error by someone in admin with no idea. Promptly sorted out with a call to a GP though.
It may pay to request a meeting with the practice manager rather than just sending a letter, to make sure any future issues are headed off.
It may pay to request a meeting with the practice manager rather than just sending a letter, to make sure any future issues are headed off.
Thebearcametoo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
There sound to be a few things that aren’t best practice in terms of your prescriptions so it’s worth writing to or emailing your practice manager and pointing out the issues with the tone of the review and with only issuing you limited supplies. As has been said you would do well to be on refillable pens and this is better cost wise for the NHS too. You should always have a spare pen as well as insulin in case of problems (so a spare refillable one too if you do move onto those). You should always have ketone strips on your prescription (and should check that the ones you have are in date). Libres are a bit different because one month is the norm but here all meds except for controlled meds are prescribed on 56 days (2 months) supply minimum and a few of mine are still on 3 months worth. If you then get no joy get your consultant to write to them. The last thing you need is to be traipsing to get refills when it’s unnecessary.
Amity Island
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Couldn't agree more. Managing diabetes is difficult enough without having any worries about supplies. Do doctors have any idea what it's like to deal with?
Even a roofer wouldn't suppply 1 down pipe for a roof, always put 2 in in case one fails or gets blocked.
Got to say, it's seems a common occurance at my gp's (i'd assume probably at other too) for patients to be getting in verbal and near physical arguments because of restrictions applied to medication. It seems the doctors are too keen to make a reduction, before understanding the patients needs. Everytime i've been in, the doctor has come out and appologised for restricting medication when they shouldn't have.
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