Shake & Rattle

Gundy

MaryDoll I stand by what I say. I’m not a medical Dr or RN, but I worked in a hospital for 20 years with medical staff.

Twenty-seven different kinds of medications daily is off the charts! Please, anyone on that prescribed load should be reevaluated!

Not Twenty seven medications! Twenty seven tablets daily. Nineteen medications on my repeats, some on alternate days, three inhalers, plus a weekly injection of biologics, prescribed by a hospital consultant, oh and a Fentynal patch for the excrutiating pain I experience on a daily basis as a result of R.A, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, spinal fractures and frequent stress fractures in my feet. Things I have no control over.
You have absoluely no idea of my situation. Multiple Comorbidities make my health very difficult to manage and your pontificating is actually quite insulting.

I will repeat, I have frequent hospital visits and stays in hospital, where my medication is monitored and managed. None are taking away, they are usually added to, when clinicians realise how unwell I am.

As you have said, you are not a medical Dr or RN, but I worked in a hospital for 20 years with medical staff, that certainly does not make you qualified to comment on my health.
You obviously haven't a clue! Do you think I enjoy living like this?

I have said it before, these drugs are necessary to keep me alive. Forty eight years ago I was in ICU and my husband was told I wouldn't survive. I did, thanks to the excellent treatment I received and still do!!!

Walk a day in my shoes.

I forgot to add this. 🤬

Think Gundy is in the US.

Gundy

MaryDoll I stand by what I say. I’m not a medical Dr or RN, but I worked in a hospital for 20 years with medical staff.

Twenty-seven different kinds of medications daily is off the charts! Please, anyone on that prescribed load should be reevaluated!

So what are your qualifications, please, Gundy?

loopyloo

Think Gundy is in the US.

Does it matter? She seems to be more knowledgeable about the patient's needs, than the patient themself.

Sorry for the rant, but I am really annoyed. Life is tough enough, without this nonsense!

Marydoll

loopyloo

Think Gundy is in the US.

Does it matter? She seems to be more knowledgeable about the patient's needs, than the patient themself.

Sorry for the rant, but I am really annoyed. Life is tough enough, without this nonsense!

Marydoll as Gundy is American, she may have a different perspective on this than those of us who live in the UK.

Research on prescription drug spending suggests that the United States consumes the most prescription drugs

As American healthcare is self-funded, perhaps it results in over-prescription in the USA because everyone will be making a lot of money from over-prescription, including the doctors. Everyone except the patient, some of whom may be the "worried well".

In this country, the medicine will be prescribed, in the majority of cases, by NHS doctors who know they have to watch the budget and won't prescribe medication unless they are necessary.

Best not to generalise, Gundy, all countries are different.

I think doctors are probably subsidized by pharmaceutical companies to PUSH certain medications in America, Gundy - in the UK we have a different system.

The issue over here (according to a conversation with a clinical pharmacist attached to my mother-in-law's surgery) is that people are often left on medication they may not need any more or where better options may now be available. This is because GPs are less aware of drug interactions than the clinical pharmacist who can sometimes suggest alternatives that may suit the patients better. There may be tweaks that can be made that minimises side effects (which otherwise necessitate further drugs).

This is why lots of GPs surgeries are now employing in-house clinical pharmacists.
My own surgery's clinical pharmacist is really helpful. I have had terrific service from her. I even came across something quite obscure which I thought might be relevant and she looked into it for me and explained why it was not... Thank you Serena!

My hospital consultant includes pharmacists in his team. I must admit I was startled (and a little miffed) to find some of my telephone consultations had been with pharmacists and not a doctor; however the one I spoke to last time informed me he was a pharmacist and was very professional and knowledgeable.

I must admit my dad's medication was mounting up and I worried about the cumulative effects of taking so many, I asked the doctor to review and remove any non essential medication and the number has gone down by a third. They stopped statins, aspirin and another med (I forget which) as the GP said there was little evidence they benefit those in their late 80s which meant they could stop his antacids. They changed other medications and this combined others. He now only takes meds once a day rather than 3 times which is much easier for his carers to manage and he refuses them far less I can't help but think of the NHS drug bill saving too. A winner all round.

Best not to generalise, Gundy, all countries are different.

It is irrelevant which country a poster lives in, every patient has different needs and only their clinicians know a patient's medical history and needs.
IMO, it is none of Gundy's business, what makes her an expert on the health of people she has never met?
As you can see, I am pretty annoyed. Those of you who know me, should be aware that it is unusual for me to have a rant on GN.

B.T.W, my surgery also has a clinical pharmacist, who is certainly on the ball.

I have to admit to finding the amounts of medication some people are on here rather worrying. It is the case that if people are on repeat presecription then unless those are reviewed regularly they will continued to be issued by the pharmacy even if patients dont need them.
During Covid I had several phone appointments with the practise nurse who despite my saying I didn't need them, insisting on prescribing meds for me that I have never taken! Why? Because presribing was part of his role- he could, so he did.
I have several items on my repeat list which remain there three years later even though I have never taken them. I order two items every month but no one has asked me for a check for months.
GPs are run as busineses now, and those who beleive they won't over-prescribe are living in cloud cuckoo land- as they do get promotions and pressure from the parmaceutical companies to prescribe new drugs. The NHS subsidises this.
It is a terrible waste of public money and can be injurious to health to keep patients on multiple drugs which can interact with each other and become ineffective or even cause further illness.
I would urge anyone who has a long list of meds they take on a regular basis to ask for a review. If you care for someone who is having these bulk prescriptions I would also ask that their meds are reviewed, as we did when caring for my mum who in the end needed very few meds, had become addicted to painkillers even though she had a hip relacement and didn't need them. Also some meds can cause delusions and even hallucinations in dementia patients.

Keepingquiet I’m amazed your surgery prescribe meds you don’t ask for.
DH and I both have to place an order for any item we require. We don’t get anything we haven’t specifically requested.
Maybe some of the meds your practice nurse wanted you to take are for health benefits e.g. statins but you can always say no, like my DH does if he doesn’t think a drug would be of help to him.
Do you really think GPs get promotions (do you mean bribes) and pressures to prescribe from drug companies (are you in USA too?) Far from it I would have thought as all the costs for drugs come out of their prescribing budget.
I agree that multiple drugs can interact with each other and have bad side effects but which drugs do you give up?
The one that stops your blood cancer from turning into leukaemia?
The one that keeps your heart beating at the right rate so you don’t go into AF?
The one that thins your blood so your chances of stroke are lowered?
The ones that ease your pain just enough to allow you to walk a couple of steps without being in agony?
I’m pleased for you that you only need two different medications. Think yourself lucky you’re not one of those who needs many more.

I am amazed at the number of experts on this thread.

keepingquiet, have you actually read the whole thread? I doubt it.

My medications are reviewed by my GP and consultants on a regular basis. My medications, which are ordered online, are checked every time I order them and they must be approved by a GP before a script is written. I get a message saying, Your GP has approved x amount of medications. The procedures are very rigorous. Order a couple of days too early and you must give a reason, usually in a phone call from the surgery pharmacist.

Thank you Doodle for your post and trying to explain to those, who are blind as to what some patients have to contend with to stay alive and/or out of hospital.

I do envy you, keepingquiet, if only I could be on only two prescriptions a month. Your surgery doesn't appear to be as rigorous as mine in monitoring patients.Enjoy being reasonably healthy, you never know what will happen in the future.

Which medication should I give up? The ones which keep my heart beating, the ones which help to prevent a stroke, the ones which help prevent a heart attack, because the inside of my heart is damaged (I have had two I know of), the ones which stop me going into respiratory arrest, the ones which stop my RA attacking my heart, (too late), lungs etc., the prophylactic antibiotics, which help keep infection at bay, the ones etc., etc, etc.
Mmm it's a hard choice. 🤔 I am open to suggestions.

There is so much more I would like to say, but it would probably be wise to retreat!

During Covid I had several phone appointments with the practise nurse who despite my saying I didn't need them, insisting on prescribing meds for me that I have never taken! Why? Because presribing was part of his role- he could, so he did.
I have several items on my repeat list which remain there three years later even though I have never taken them. I order two items every month but no one has asked me for a check for months.

I am astonished, truly, keepingquiet 😯

The one that stops your blood cancer from turning into leukaemia?

One type of blood cancer is leukaemia.
There are others but they are different.

Sorry Callistemon in my post I was referring only to my DHs form of blood cancer not blood cancer in general,

It's OK, Doodle

Yes, I was astonished too. That practice nurse is still there. And yes, people need to realise GPs are businesses who out-source services which cost the NHS. One such example is diabetes- that's where the funding presently is. The GPs get more govt funding for diabetics on role- one of the reasons I was told I was a diabetic by a GP recently following a blood test, only to be told later I wasn't, but my name was on the list and the money came. You need to look below the surface.

Doodle

Grundy I think you may find that people on over 20 different meds a day will by default be reevaluated frequently as they will have some serious health problems. For example my DH is monitored regularly by the GP, Consultants in Cardiology, Vascular surgery, Neurology, Haematology. The Heart failure team. The Asthma nurse at the surgery, the respiratory team at the hospital and probably more I’ve forgotten.

I may have misunderstood but I think the OP was talking total pills taken rather than total different medications.

OP, that's me isn't it? Yes, total pills per day.

Whatever it is, it's a LOT.
Somewhere at about 20 pills a day, and I am sure they must work against each other.

I have had regular medication reviews though.

My Rescue pack was changed, due to contraindications, when I started on a new heart medication, which proves my GP was doing his job by checking!
There systems in place, where a clinician can check.

I admit that the amount I am on is a lot, if anyone can offer a better way, I'm open to suggestions.😉

Even starting the day with a mountainous pile of pills to take is depressing.
More than I ever realised.

MissAdventure

Even starting the day with a mountainous pile of pills to take is depressing.
More than I ever realised.

It dictates what you can do. I have to do the first thing in the morning ones in stages, otherwise I feel really nauseous.
Not ideal if you have early morning medical appts an hour away.

Yes, me too.
One makes me judder and shake, one makes lots of saliva, really quickly and suddenly.
A couple make me vomit...
I wouldnt mind if I felt better at all.

MissAdventure

Yes, me too.
One makes me judder and shake, one makes lots of saliva, really quickly and suddenly.
A couple make me vomit...
I wouldnt mind if I felt better at all.

I can empathise. I hope you start to feel some improvement Miss A, it has been a long haul for you. 💐