Royal Mail Health …… do they really think we are that stupid?

What is it with mail services? Here the postal service from the GPO is disgusting, no other way to describe it . What is happening is that people are using more and more private companies, unfortunately. We are lucky to get 2 deliveries a week and we are not out in the bush. Funnily enough, a parcel from the UK takes just over a week which is excellent but send something to just the next suburb and it will take - a week. Go figure. So you are not alone - it seems to be a worldwide issue.

Last week I waited almost a week for a package from within the UK to be delivered to me.

Packages to my customers in the USA take not much more than that - average 7-10 days. When I began selling online in the early 2000s an airmail package to USA took 4/5 days. Things have not improved with Royal Mail.

Many of my corporate buyers (Film/TV and theater companies) want items like yesterday. Fortunately Fedex and the major couriers can pick up from me on monday and deliver to NYC next day.

Charleygirl5

My local pharmacy used to deliver free but now if one cannot pick them up they can be delivered but it is a fiver a box, not cheap. I would find it cheaper to get a local taxi firm to pick up and deliver.

Oh!
Is this possible?
I had no idea taxi firms could do that!

I use Pharmacy 2 U and find it very reliable. Royal Mail delivers with no problem. My only complaint is that the P2U reminder emails are way out of synch with my prescriptions, but I just ignore them and order as I’m about to run out.

Why is it ‘stupid’ to get medication this way? It works for me.

I agree that they never seem to know how many you've got left Doodle. I'm forever adjusting the amount in the app to no avail.
A click or two and our medications drop through the letterbox a couple of days later at no cost. What's not to like.

Both of us order, and collect, our own medications. We are both prescribed items that we take 'as and when required'. If we had our medication supplied and delivered through a third party we would receive a months supply of everything which we don't need and is a complete waste of NHS money.

I only have one medication and have used Pharmacy2U, without any problem, for years. Like Doodle I ignore reminders that are too early, then order on my GP website and delivery is always prompt and I’ve never been left high and dry. My GP surgery is miles away in a remote village and I’m out of range (long story) for a delivery.
I’ve recommended the service to friends, as they’ve now brought in a sort of third party ordering - handy for one friend whose son has MH problems and keeps running out of his meds. However, it doesn’t appeal to my hypochondriac friend, who gets a carrier bag of stuff every month!

When boots closed the pharmacy next to our doctors surgery it put a great strain on the resources of the Boots branch in the town who got desperately behind with orders. I switched to Lloyds pharmacy online who merged with Pharmacy 2u, and deliveries have been very reliable. I'm in a rural area which does make a difference, buy I agree that the marketing is very intrusive.

I've used Pharmacy2U for years without any problem. I have a pharmacy a 5 minute walk from my home, directly across the street from my GP surgery. They have the most dire service I have ever encountered. No matter if you've had a prescription on repeat for years, they will be out of it, half the time. I've also had the pharmacist call (yell) out to me in the shop about one of my medications, with multiple other customers standing around. I was so thankful when I started using the mail order pharmacy and have never had a problem. (Yes, that incident was reported to their head office.)

i order my medication on my gp's website and they send my request to pharmacy2u within hours.
i get an email from pharmacy2u confirming they've received my request and a further email telling me they've dispatched it.
later the same day i get an email from royal mail that they've got my medication and telling me when i can expect it.
royal mail then deliver my medication via my postman when they said it will.
really good service from pharmacy2u and my surgery too.

My previous pharmacy used to deliver but on moving found that the local one will only deliver at a cost of £5 per time. Pension will not run to that so I make myself go to the Pharmacy to pick up my meds. A good thing really as it makes me work round my disability & walk! Postal delivery here is 2-3 times a week if lucky but sometimes a week or more between then a massive amount of post in one delivery. Not the postmans fault but could not rely on getting meds when needed!

Post is generally awful here, but somehow pharmacy2u manage to always deliver mine in time.

We use the dispensary within our GP peactice

You can only get your prescriptions from GP pharmacy if you live more than 1 mile from a pharmacy.
Its those of us that live just outside this restriction but not near enough touse the service and nit a reasinable dustance to the next reliable pharmacy.

We only live a mile from the town centre but still only get. one postal delivery a week, by van. If we had some icy/snowy weather post would not be able to get here with prescriptions. The local hospital sends texts or e mails about appointments rather than letters. The postal service is abysmal but our post lady is very friendly and helpful

My pharmacy used to deliver my meds, then it stopped and there was no where to park nearby so now Lloyds delivers by Royal Mail and I’ve never had a problem

My DH has regular prescriptions. They are sent to our local pharmacy and we collect on our daily walk. Several people I know were having meds delivered but have now realised the value of getting the prescription sent to our local pharmacy instead. If people use these mail order pharmacies we will lose our local pharmacy and with it a fabulous service within the community. Where else can you drop in and ask health advice or buy your over the counter meds if we lose our local chemist?

There is no value to me, I'm afraid.
All it does is cause me an awful lot of stress, and puts upon other people.

Getting there costs me taxi money, as it is just that bit too far from the bus route, and I can't walk far.

My best hope of getting a little better is by taking the meds I'm prescribed regularly, without being reduced to tears trying to do just that.

kittylester

Our pharmacy deliver - free.

So do several on my area. When my husband was ill we used them a lot, but I have not yet had to take advantage of the service. You nominate them at the surgery, and they regularly pick up the prescription forms and deliver the stuff to you.

Royal Mails problem is that it is loosing £million, currently it is reinventing itself as a parcel delivery service, having to compete with all the other carriers, when they lost the bulk delivery contracts it crippled them.

An offer has been made for Royal Mail by a a foreign company, who thinks it’s worth £5bn, maybe they will asset strip it, how they will make money delivering letters I have no idea. There are many parcel delivery companies next day delivery costs a lot more than a stamp today, so don’t expect better or cheaper service IF the takeover is approved.

Mt61

I am on some controlled drugs, so surely they can’t post those?

Yes they can, my son was getting a controlled drug delivered,it had to be signed for. Unfortunately that drug is out of stock across the country at the moment.

Oh ok- still won’t be using that service

The bit that stands out in this post is they live in a city. Living in a village in the countryside is completely different. Our doctors surgery is incredibly difficult to get to without a car as there is no direct bus route and that’s just to pick up your prescription before taking it to a pharmacy, so having your medication delivered is a lifeline for many people.

I was a GP receptionist for 4 years. We always advised people NOT to use postal pharmacies. All our local ones do deliveries for the house bound and Christmas was a nightmare, patienrs not getting mail ordered meds in time because of the excessive mail at Christmas. We used to have to changd their record to a local chemist, reorder, then tell them they had to change back to postal if they still wanted postal.

Pittcity

Never had a problem with Pharmacy2u.

Neither have I. I’ve been using them for three years.