Bloody doctor's receptionists.

Two weeks ago yesterday I ordered 4 repeat prescription items on line from my doctor's practice. They were ordered early because I'm used to their inefficiency.
7 days later, last Friday, I phoned to make sure they were ready to collect, it was confirmed that they were, and I made my way the 10 miles to pick them up.
The prescriptions could not be found.
Yes, the computer showed them as ready but the paper script was lost.

Receptionist printed out another script but there was no doctor available to sign it. They were all on house calls.
It was agreed that once it was signed she would phone it through to my local pharmacy and post out the script, so I left.
Medical Receptionist phoned me 1 hour later, the script was signed and had been phoned through to the pharmacist however for one item (Tramadol slow release) the pharmacist had to have the actual script.
I went to the pharmacist and collected the other 3 items.

So, Receptionist would post the script out to me and I could then go to the pharmacy and collect the 4th item. All mail would be 2nd class and it wouldn't be posted until Monday as the outgoing mail had left for the day (Friday).
So we'd expect it to arrive on Wednesday.
No show on Wednesday.
No show on Thursday.
On Thursday afternoon I phoned the medical practice and spoke to the receptionist in question..... Oh so sorry, I forgot !! says receptionist. Admittedly she was very embarrassed and sorry. I'll post it today.
I asked for 1st class..... sorry.... our mail can only go second class.
I then asked for the Practice Manager.

All of a sudden they found a first class stamp and it was sent first class yesterday..... and my prescription for my 4th item arrived today. 8 days after I was told it was ready to collect.
This was my Slow Release pain relief.

I feel sorry for any person who is not in a position to chase up matters such as this, who may not just be on top of things, and who may assume the Medical Practice/Doctor knows that a drug is missing and thinks that the doctor has 'made a decision'.

The reason I don't change to my local medical practice is that I have been with my current one for 40+ years, my medical history is quite complicated and at long last I am on a medication regime that 'sort of works'. I don't want a new doctor to start and question my medication regime and mess it up.

Ruby if you use the same pharmacy regularly, if the pharmacist is familiar with you, is there any chance that you could be given your inhaler on the Monday, pending your prescription on the Tuesday. His computer would show your regular usage. Just a thought.

to you after an awful week.

Gosh, that was a mess Coolgran. Whey can't they just think that just sometimes we have had enough and need cooperation and care. I'm glad you did get your tablets but it is a good job that you didn't run out and was in pain.

If I had spoken to the doctor he would have done it without any problem at all. He is lovely, it's just his henchmen (women) lol.

I would ask to speak to the practice manager. It is concerning that a prescription for strong pain killers like Tramadol has been 'lost' - more likely to have been stolen, in house or not- so it is important to report this.

It is an excellent pain killer (had it for a few days after my knee replacement)- but is closely related to morphine and can create dependence- so the prescription going 'missing' is a serious matter.

Ruby-I'd get back onto the practice and insist on having your inhaler for Monday. Does this silly woman realise that you could have an asthma attack without your reliever meds? Speak to the practice manager if necessary. It's not as if you just 'forgot'-you've had the most difficult of times. Hope you get it sorted out.

I agree that you should speak to the practice manager about this. Your inhaler could be a vital medication and it is not up to the receptionist to take what is basically a medical decision - i.e. that you can safely have 24 hours without this available to you.

We have a bit of a problem sometimes over our meds. We are given a date to pick up the next lot, but invariably we find that something is missing. I have taken to phoning beforehand before travelling the 12 or so miles only to have to go back again.

I'd use what *Luckygirl' said and ask receptionist if she a/feels qualified to take this medical decision and b/is prepared to take responsibility shouid you become unwell.

Our vet would have produced the Tramadol (for Grace, of course!) within a matter of hours.
Better to be a dog sometimes ???

Ruby I reiterate what previous posters have said.
Ring first thing on Monday morning and if inhaler is not to be available on Monday as for an emergency telephone appointment with Dr. Your script for signature is likely to be in a pile for the Dr who is doing the signing that day. It would be helpful if a considerate receptionist pulled it out and asked a passing Dr to sign it, which should be no problem if it is on repeat.

Thank you all, luckily I have found another inhaler in the drawers in the bathroom which I didn't know was there but is still in date. But the receptionist didn't know that, did she? Don't worry, if that was the case I would have been seeing someone tonight to get another.

You can now breathe more easily..... pun intended

Rubylady I don't mean to interfere but if you are so reliant on ventolin ( which is a reliever not preventer) do you think you should perhaps be on a stronger steroid type inhaler? Sorry, none of my business really, but as a long term asthma sufferer myself I have two inhalers and only use the ventolin as backup if needed.

Can you not get your repeats get sent straight to the chemist ?
Mine re-orders mine for me ,the reason I do it this way is because I had ran out of tablets.
My chemist let me borrow some until I got my re-peat .


I had the same Dr from being 3 yrs old and he brought my son into the world ( he is 36 now)
When he retired evrything changed going from a friendly pratice it went to a money
making one.
You could not get to see a Dr at all.
My husband had not been to see a Dr in over 20yrs when he call he was told it would 10 days before he could get an appointment.

We looked for a new Dr's we found one not too far away .
They saw him that day ,we are very happy with the new pratice .
They still do house calls and all the staff are helpful.

I find it depends on who you get on the phone some are good and some very bad if you want to see a doctor that day then you have to phone before 8.30 but they have started a practise at my local hospital and if its urgent they will book you there, but on the whole mine arent so bad had a lot worse.

Always insist on reporting things tot he practice manager. Also leave reviews on the appropriate site (can be done anonymously) because who is goi ng to monitor standards if the public can't be bothered?

This is always an interesting one, we are fortunate to have very good receptionists at our surgery, and I even know how to circumvent the system to get an appointment with my GP of choice the same day. I found myself with an expired inhaler on holiday, went into the local Boots pharmacy explained how I always got my prescriptions from their pharmacy locally and a couple of phone calls and proof of my identity later, I came away with the inhaler

It's surprisingly easy to change doctors. I thought it would be a hassle with questions asked, but it's not.

I enquired around friends which surgeries had good doctors ( and reception staff ! ) and found one. It was just a matter of signing a form and having a phone consultation with the new GP.

I changed doctors because my own doctor of 24 years left to work at the local hospital. When I visited my new GP to discuss my high blood pressure he actually whistled at me and pointed to his lips impatiently when I started to write a few notes in a notebook. The end for me I'm afraid.

The new GP is great and 99% of the staff in reception are too.

We have to phone to get a telephone appointment, telling the receptionist why we need one, the doctor then calls us back sometime during the morning, then the doctor decides if you need to see a doctor, (normally not the one on the telephone) or if they can diagnose whilst talking to you. You have to go through it all at least twice. If they decide to issue a prescription they send itover to the chemist sometime during the day.

This seems like a total waste of everyone's time and why does the receptionist need to know why you need to see the doctor.

I am sure sometimes things can get missed with this way of doing things

I always said there was a Royal College of Doctors' Receptionists for these dragons. In fact if they got up my nose too much I would inform them that I had worked for the RC of Physicians and that even the President didn't have their attitude.

The last practice I was with in England was wonderful and knew me well. When my mother went into a local care home she was registered with a different practice. Both the doctor and receptionist were truly dreadful, arrogant, wouldn't include me on things with my mother who had no memory and needed me with her. I asked my practice if they would take her and the receptionist said 'I know you want your mother to be where you know you are loved' - how good is that!

When I telephoned my mother's practice to say I was taking her away the snooty receptionist asked if it was because of the distance (about 3 miles), no I said it's because of your attitude. That sorted her and made me feel a whole lot better.

There are some genuine concerns here but please remember it is the doctor/practice manager who will have made the rules. If the receptionist sticks to them she gets it in the neck from the patient, if she breaks them she's in trouble with the boss. She does not make medical decisions she does what she has been told to do. Of course if you speak to the doc/pm they will be all sweetness and light, they don't want to be the bad guy. If you are taking medication on a regular basis it is best to set up a repeat scrip with a local pharmacy or online, this avoids all contact with the receptionist.

My daughter is on slow release Tramadol as she has fibromyalgia. She takes two tablets a day and is issued with 60 tablets. As far as I am concerned that's enough for the month. However her online prescription always states that she cannot order again until two weeks after she has run out of tablets. I've had the same conversation with the prescription clerks at our surgery for two months and have now written a letter to the doctor asking them to change it so that she can order each month. Still nothing has been done!!! We don't want to change surgeries either as we have been with them for years. Don't know what the answer is really. And yes Tramadol is now on the "controlled drugs" list so prescriptions should certainly not go missing.

I'm surprised nobody picked up on my concern that a prescription for a morphine related vers strong painkiller, with dependence problems for some- just 'vanished'.
Somebody picked it up very probably- and probably not for the first time- so it should be investigated. Theft of prescriptions for strong painkillers, opiates, etc- is common place and needs to be dealt with.

Nanevon - posts crossed.