Continuing ...... medication packaging

Thanks for all your comments ..... and there was me in the wilds of Cornwall thinking it was an obscure local issue. Obviously there is no set national standard here ....... its all over the place...... according to , well, whatever.

This issue arose because I reorder my repeat prescription online using an online mechanism favoured by our surgery .....'The Waiting Room'. The thing is I'm on all my meds for life and my doseage is constant, and even my Warfarin is constant - i.e. 1 x 3 mg and 2 x 1 mg 5 days a week and 2 x 3mg twice a week. All other meds are one tablet/capsule daily

So I am wondering why I can't have a pack of 32 or a nice round 30 even. I'll ask my pharmacy today when I go and collect my next 'haul' of meds.

John

[IanMK]

Packs of 28 seem to be quire widespread, though not universal. I’m presently prescribed 7 items. It’s really difficult trying to synchronise repeat prescriptions and visits to the pharmacy (thankfully, quite local). It doesn’t help that my GP’s online repeat prescription service restricts when I can order each item (to avoid over ordering, presumably).

[Hidden in reply to IanMK]

Ian, that pretty much sums up my situation exactly. My pharmacy is about 100 paces from my GP's reception, all part of the same organisation. Yep, I am also prescribed 7 items and syncing is an issue. Thanks.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to IanMK]

I often have one of my drugs in excess of the others but just re-order all on the list. It just means in a year I will have a few tablets of one drug left over and maybe not need to order that one. Can't see any of this as a problem other than the clutter in my bathroom cabinet.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Clutter being the operative word Bob. I just get annoyed that all my packaging is based on the number of days in Feb. My warfarin packaging is always a mystery, I always get double what I order which gives me 56 days supply and it's this med that gets out of kilter when my INR goes wonky, mercifully not very often. So every so often I check my stockpile of warfarin and just don't reorder it.

[IanMK in reply to BobD]

Of course I'd do that if I could, Bob, but the online request system only lets me put in a request for each item within a specified number of days of the item running out. Presumably I'm not trusted to manage my supplies myself 😳.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to IanMK]

I just drop my repeat form into the surgery a week or two before I need anything. Still takes forever!

[IanB48]

I share your frustration! There must be very good reason for only dispensing packs containing only 28 tablets (overdose concerns?) but the repeat prescriptions are a pain especially if you don't live near the pharmacy. To add to my annoyance, the Waiting Room app doesn't work for me so I have to keep submitting paper scrips. One consolation - at least your Warfarin doses are stable.

[Hidden in reply to IanB48]

What I found with waiting room App was if I went into it from say a Google Store download it didn't work. If I go into my surgery website then go around the website till I come to repeat prescriptions I can get into it. Mind you the original setup wasn't simple and caused the practice business manager alot of grief but she eventually got it to work. Picked up scrip this morning - all well, all 28 days on packaging and another 56 days supply of warfarin. Hmmmmm! 😀

John

[Hidden in reply to IanB48]

Call me cynical but might it be that if they refilled based on months with 31 days, then you would be getting an extra pill in April,June,September,November, and God forbid 3 extras in Feb. I see an accountant for the healthcare systems sitting in a little office beancounting how much extra money it costs to allow so many patients to have a stash of 7 extra pills over a year. Also, there are patients who probably get so frustrated they opt for doing without the extra pills to save their sanity. This saves even more money. Money, money, money-makes the healthcare world go round!

[MarkS]

I can order when I like. I typically leave a gap of 3-4 weeks between reorders. As a result I have 3 spare packs each of 5mg, 3mg and 1mg warfarin and have had for the last few years. The stuff is so cheap, that's maybe £2 or £3 worth and I use it in date order.

The only thing I leave to the last minute are the Coaguchek strips as I want them to last as long as possible.

[ted21]

I was taking warfarin for over 15 years and having to go for tests every month I was also taking blood pressure tablets along with stains and prednisilone for poly myalgia.

Until I had a heart attack 2 years ago. initially I had a stent fitted and triple by pass surgery

I must say that i have been a lifelong non smoker and no booze since i first started with a/f. After all this surgery I still had a/f but was not taking warfarin but taking Apixiban everyday but no need for blood tests. I asked the specialist why I had the heart attack he said just were and tear. I had a pacemaker fitted followed by a ablation 6 weeks ago which seems to be working well NO A/F hooray!

There are drawbacks to the pacemaker in that you have to be wary of some electrical things, ie welding sets, battery chargers micro waves and even which pocket you put your phone in and being a DIY and gardening man I am find it very restricting having to become a couch potato. It seems there are drawbacks to every solutin