Medication supplies

I have been told by a lot of my patients that their Doctor has told them there is no budget for them. It could be his age. He just needs to be a bit more demanding or ask for a consultant appointment
It makes me so cross

If I understand it, your friend still lives in the UK? With the move to electronic prescriptions, I would've thought he could have his 'sent' from his GP practice to any dispensing chemist.

Van-Nan Our GP surgery has just issued DH with a year's prescription for the medication he now has to take. However, this is held at the local pharmacy and he can only pick up 1 month's supply at a time; however, they have assured him that if we are away for longer then he can have extra supplies.

GrandmainOz - has your friend got a new consultant or does he not have to have regular hospital check-ups? He must have had to register with a new GP practice and the local Health Board would surely find him one nearer than having to travel right across the county? That does not seem right.
A sympathetic GP should issue a prescription for longer than one month in exceptional circumstances.

For the past two months my pharmacist has not been able to get hold of enough Ropinerole. I have several conditions, I can only ever have a month at a time but this month in addition to not enough Ropinerole my Lidocaine patches have been stopped which gave me enough pain relief to walk. A combination I think of hoarding in other areas and cost cutting by our HA. A sign of things we are going to have to live with.

We’ve only been able to get 1 months supply at a time....and of course a month in surgery speak is just 28 days. My husband has 7 pills to pop every day....half of them unecessary if he’d only get some exercise...and I have to sort his prescription out...no wonder I pop only one pill a day , and that’s for an ulcer! No change so far at our surgery.

Someone else has probably said it but all GPs now can only prescribe one month's medication at a time. DH used to get 6 months worth but now can only get one as can I. It's to do with so much going to waste if either not needed any more or if the patient dies. Even if unopened and in its original packaging all medicine returned must be destroyed!

Most GPs only issue repeat prescriptions for about 4 months and that will depend on what the drug is eg for depression, kidney disease. Then they will want a review visit. They are also encouraged to limit the amount on each prescription to prevent waste and patients stockpiling. Drugs/suppliers are always being reviewed for cost and effectiveness so there may well be hiccups now and again in obtaining usual prescriptions. Sometimes something like that enforces a full review of condition and treatment which can be a good thing.

I get a month's supply; but we have a problem every month with the surgery's pharmacy not being able to get soluble Madopar (for PD) and sometimes they can only get tablets with a smaller dose in, so he finishes up having to take four of them four times a day - on top of many other tablets - but then they suddenly get the right ones and he just has to take 2 four times a day. You have no idea how this confuses him, and I have to use up a lot of time reminding him the dose has changed - and indeed trying to convince him that I am telling the truth!

I've just received my monthly prescription of fragmin which is usually 1 injection per day but due to shortages with the supply my dose is unavailable so I've now got 3 injections of a smaller dose every day. I'll be like a pin cushion but hey it's better than being dead.

Just occurred to me! Is your friend overdue for a check up? If patients ignored requests to see the doctor or nurse they would limit the amount of medication until they complied.

If this would be a life limiting condition without the medication prescribed, therefore essential I would probably contact either a consultant who may have originally prescribed or maybe there is a hospital clinic for said illness. Otherwise write to the local clinical commissioning body and request larger scripts.

I am on medication for several life limiting illnesses and only prescribed one month supply at a time. If I am going on holiday U out in repeat prescription and more the reason it is earlt. I have not had a problem so far. GPs are asked to ensure patients don't stockpile medication as if the worst happens they cannot be used. Morbid I know, but the cost to the NHS is huge.

Sorry should also have said I can ask for extra if I’m going away. Twice a year have to have blood test to make sure everything is ok , hope this helps x

I used to get my prescriptions every 2 months then new rules say I can only have 1 months supply at a time . I pointed out to the surgery that I had purchased a pre payment certificate so it doesn’t matter how often I have it the cost remains the same. Might be worth your friend doing the same , the cost is about £100 per year

Yes agree FF that’s what should happen

But patients are supposed to have regular medication reviews and GP systems should be set up to achieve this

Our surgery only issue repeats a maximum of 8 times before you have to see a Doctor so that would be a maximum of 8 months and certainly not year after year.

When you are on drugs for any length of time it is important that your general health be monitored for any side effects. I find it concerning that a 6 month supply of drugs can be issued at once and that repeat prescriptions such as my dh has monthly are just doled out year on year without the doctor seeing the patient. These drugs are very strong and taking them over a long period of time can eventually be detrimental. Plus drugs are very expensive and do have a limited shelf life.
There must be someone else at your friend's practice that he can see and get a full explanation of what is happening.

The other big reason GPs are being strongly urged to cut down on prescribing big lumps of medication at a time is to try and cut down on suicides attempting/completed using prescription medications.

You give someone six months' worth of co-codamol in one go, and they have the wherewithal to complete suicide at any time. The imposition of volume limits on non-prescriptions painkillers such as paracetamol to some extent has to be accompanied by limiting the stocks the NHS will prescribe at once, too.

Hello (first post!)

If I understand it, your friend still lives in the UK? With the move to electronic prescriptions, I would've thought he could have his 'sent' from his GP practice to any dispensing chemist. So, I haven't quite understood why he would need to travel in order to fetch monthly, or fortnightly prescriptions.

I am part of a community of people with a lifelong condition and I know of many students who collect their scripts locally when they are away from home, at university for instance.

Of course, your friend needs to be seen for his reviews, but I would fully expect for him to have his repeat scripts electronically dealt with. Unless I have misinterpreted the situation.

I got an extended repeat prescription a month ago after discussion with GP because I take a particular branded preparation of a medicine (the generic which is usually prescribed makes me very nauseous for some reason, probably the carrying agent?) and he wanted to make sure I wasn't scrabbling about post-29 March trying to get it.

The US has had a big crackdown on pain meds and we seem to be following their lead.

Having worked in a GP surgery the amount of wasted medication and paraphernalia is shocking.

Many people just don’t blindly trust GPs any more and some with good reason. Newly qualified GPS and even locums would just refuse to renew prescriptions in a cavalier fashion with no regard to the patient at all. The receptionist then gets verbally abused by the anxious and fearful patients. One of the reasons I left a job I previously loved!

I was told that, although in some countries, 12 months' worth of the medication I am on can be prescribed, the hospital pharmacist here has said no - on the grounds that a patient could be 'run over by a bus the next day and all those drugs would be wasted'!

Riggie our online system is very similar except we can order two weeks before. All surgeries could do this - its standard software. If you need to order earlier, e.g. going on holiday, theres a free text box you type the reason into

For the last couple of years our area has been having a drive on cutting prescription waste. Nothing to do with Brexit!! So I am still getting my regular items on the same 2 monthly basis, but can't order them more than 7 days ahead of running out. The date we can order from comes up on the computer. They will do them earlier if going on a holiday but only with a lot of persuasion!

Yes I have had difficulty obtaining my usual scripts as they cannot source 2 of them but are trying. Likewise my husband is having difficulty with his usual medications and has been given substitutes as his can’t be sourced either. Hope your friend will be ok.