Hi allVery stupidly I have come up to Yorkshire from London to stay with friends and I have forgotten to bring my eliquis apixaban. Eek!
I am paroxysmal afib with few incidents and not for long
What should I do?
Just go without til Saturday afternoon (last one taken Wednesday morning?
Or ring doctor to get a prescription delivered up her (getting hold of doctor difficult!!)
Advice please most gratefully received as am quite anxious.
Thank you!
In the US, I'd go to a local pharmacy and ask them to have my prescription transferred from my regular pharmacy. Or vice versa, call my regular pharmacy and ask them to transfer the prescription to one more local. This only takes a phone call with no doctor involved. Worst case, you're four days without it, which is not the end of the world, but worth a try getting it locally.
Jim
Don't know the procedure for getting the pills in Yorkshire, or how long it would take to drive from Yorkshire to London and back, but personally k n owing the risk, I wouldn't be able to enjoy my holiday if I was worried about a stroke. Best, etheral
Doesn't work,like that here Jim. Doctor needs to issue prescriptions
Yes and you need a Doctor to issue a prescription in the US as well, however once the pharmacy receives the prescription, it can then be transferred to another pharmacy.
Here in UK repeat prescriptions have to be issued each month. The problem is that if one has recently been issued, doctors will generally not issue another until the next period is due so once a pharmacy has delivered the drugs you can't re-order. People "stockpiling" drugs has been a constant drain on NHS funds for years especially with elderly people. My wife used to be a community carer and often found cupboards full of un-used drugs in people's houses especially after they had passed. The understandable policy does , however, make things difficult in cases such as this but emergency help is available.
Bob I’ve been able to obtain an emergency supply from a pharmacist without a doctors’ prescription. Usually very limited to 2-3 days supply but as long as you have your NHS number or access to your records and some Photo ID it’s not been a problem both here and in Spain or Portugal.
Thank you. That is essentially what I did as GP refused to help but my local pharmacist emailed me my prescription record. The Yorkshire pharmacy checked it out and then gave me 5 pills for £9.65 (strange that's the prescription fee and I am old enough to get it free but I didn't argue!)
I can get a 90 day supply with my insurance here but yes, if I had just had them filled and somehow lost phone or whatever I would have to pay out of my pocket which is still OK when it is something that important. When I moved a year and a half ago unknown to me and my movers grabbed my box of all of my meds and shipped it to storage. I had no idea when I would be settled into a home and getting my stuff back. Thankfully, my insurance allows a one time advance of medication’s. The good thing now is that I always have a spare supply lol. The bad thing is I am off many of the meds now but it’s not really a bad thing. The only thing I could think of there is that we stay off of it all we used to when having a procedure. What a terrible predicament
Where abouts in Yorkshire are you? Some areas are better than others for getting to see a local doctor for an emergency script.
I'm in lumby near South Milford. But we have a car ....
Where is your prescription normally satisfied?. Is it the same pharmacy every time?. If so they probably keep a record of your medication. Go a local pharmacy in wherever you are in Yorkshire, phone your home pharmacy from there and get home pharmacy to persuade local pharmacy, or a local one in the same chain, to give you sufficient tablets to last you until you're home.. You may have to pay a dispensing fee.
Thanks. If I can't get thru to GP I will try that
Ring 111 they will probably arrange a short course for you to pick up from a chemist close to where you are in Yorkshire. It happened to me in Devon when my hospital at home in Yorkshire had sent me home with the wrong dose. It was sorted in a couple of hours.
A few years ago I went on holiday up north for a long weekend and didn’t take one of my essential meds with me. I went into a local chemist and explained. I was able to purchase the amount of pills I needed (think it was 4 or 5) .
That's what I'm doing now. My GP said they couldn't issue another prescription because I'd had one 10 days ago. And my regular pharmacy said they couldn't authorise pills to another pharmacy up here. But they did email me my medical record to show I have them prescribed. So am off to a local pharmacy here now.
I forgot mine when on a visit from Italy and the local pharmacy in Yorkshire was able to prescribe an emergency packet - I think it might have cost something like £5 whatever it was worth it. A friend (who lives in England) told me the same had happened when she went to Cornwall.
You got the patient app? It has your medication listed their, which may or may not help with a pharmacistCall your gp and ask for a prescription to be sent to a local pharmacy electronically. You can use the app to declare your chosen pharmacist, change it temporarily in the app
Thank you. I am on the phone to go now .... The music is playing and they say "your call is very important". Usually I have to wait about 45 for an answer. It doesn't say where I am in the queue. Sometimes it just cuts me off too. I do have the patient app but no idea of password which is listed in book at home!
definitely ring 111 as they can sort you out with an emergency prescription.
There is a process that I have used for emergency prescriptions where a pharmasist can issue a few days supply. Google Emergency prescriptions NHS for info.
Hi PP,
I was 300 miles from home for a long weekend and had left all my drugs and drops at home, that's 7 items!.
I went to the nearest pharmacy, they gave me their email address and told me to get in touch with my doctors surgery and ask them to send them my proscription details. The pharmacist phoned my about 3 hours later saying all my prescriptions were ready to be picked up and were going me a months supply for each, but as 3 were drops for glaucoma and another two less important; statins and alloprinol for gout , I only took my edoxaban and bisop . As I live in Scotland there was no charge. Th e NHS may be in trouble but it still a great at some things.
A point of interest a worked out in the US a would be paying approximately $500 a month for my prescriptions.
when my husband was in hospital I stayed with him but I had forgotten all my tablets including my apixaban. I spoke to the sister or doctor and they “admitted “ me and gave me two tablets to keep me going until I went home. It literally took a few minutes. If you are worried you could do this by popping to your nearest hospital
Alternatively although it’s obviously important to be regular with our pills, there are many occasions when we have to stop them say before an operation or procedure which seems to be ok, but of course this is because of instructions by a medic
Try not to worry too much, but I’m not sure a chemist would be able to give you any without your prescription. Possibly the new Pharmacy telephoning your usual pharmacy and loaning you some until you go home
All the best
I was told there was no chance of stroke unless you had very fast AF for some time. You could ask for some flecainide to use as a “pill in the pocket” in future and to quote the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy “ Don’t panic!”
Hi Pitterpat. You are obviously not alone in forgetting your medication. If you normally get your medication from one of the large chain chemists and there is one where you are now go to it. They will have your records on their system and issue what you need for your trip. I had a similar incident and Boots were really good at dispensing my medication
Personally, I'd try not to worry too much. Often people have to go off it for several days before another medical procedure. I had severe nosebleeds and had to forego it for a week or so with no issues.
Is there a pharmacy near where you are staying? If so, I would go to see them. Perhaps if you explain the situation, you could get a couple of days supply either by them calling your doctor or? It’s worth a try. I am a big believer in it, but if you were having a procedure, depending on your doctor, they might tell you to hold it for three days or so. Have you done this before? I really would make a phone calls or do they have a clinic nearby where you could see someone? I am a worry wart when it comes to stroke and a fib try to reach someone professional that can help you if you can.
enjoy your stay. You can resume when you are back home. Unless you have an episode which lasts for more than 6 hours then go A&E to get Eliquis. Lesson learned, please do not forget it next time. Some anxiety is normal but I doubt you would get a stroke during your stay. Anyway it is a personal decision to stay with your friend or go back to your house to resume Eliquis.
go to a pharmacy and ask for emergency supply.
If you use online prescription ordering through the NHS mobile phone app, or similar, then you can order an emergency supply to be delivered to a nearby pharmacy; you will need to phone your own surgery, as well, to explain the short time between prescription as they will not prescribe extra otherwise.
Steve
About six months ago on a Friday night I realized I had run out of Rivaroxaban, I thought I had another pack, I should have had another pack but could not find it (I think it may have got thrown out somehow). Looked up online and it said I could go to my local chemist and get an emergency supply. Went to local Boots next morning, had ID and my repeat prescription with me. They looked up my details, said fine, had to pay prescription charge and they gave me 20 days supply. This covered me until I renewed my next monthly prescription, so I did not need to ask GP for a prescription. It was all very easy.
You should be able to get in touch with your friends GP and they will prescribe for you - that is what we have always done when away and forgotten medication.
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