My asthma has been uncontrolled for a year now. Since the beginning of this year, I have had five courses of steroid tablets and five courses of antibiotics. Every day I need ventolin 3-4 times. My asthma nurse doesn't prescribe anything new to me, and the specialist didn't change anything either. I am currently on relvar 184, montelukast and ventolin. I am very desperate and went to a private clinic. There I received a prescription for Atimos modulite 12, Flixotide 250. In case of infection, additional Pulmicort and Salbutamol to the nebuliser. I checked all these new drugs to see if they were on the NHS list. It turned out that they are. So I asked my GP to prescribe a prescription because I cannot financially afford to buy these drugs, the doctor replied: you went privately, you have to pay for the prescriptions. I bought just the inhalers and I feel very good after using them. But what's next? What if I won't be able to redeem next month? I am asking for advice on where to go and how to convince the doctor to write a prescription for me.
I do not know what to do.: My asthma... - Asthma Community ...
I do not know what to do.
Unfortunately your gp is correct and there is no compunction for gp to prescribe medications that have been given via a private doctor.
However I would continue with new inhalers and keep a log of peak flows since starting said inhalers. Basically you need to be able to prove the improvement and use this to try and convince your gp to prescribe said medications. Once you have had good results (maybe a months worth) then you are armed with statical information. You can then argue that keeping you on medication saves the NHS money in the long run.
If gp continues to refuse, you can complain first at gp practice and then to health board if it goes that far, which I hope for you it doesn’t.
I think you will have to prepare yourself to having to pay for prescription for a couple of months though.
You could try calling the helpline on Monday for some professional advice. 0300 222 5800 uk office hours. Good luck
This sounds rough but I don't see why you can't switch to nhs . Just say you don't have the funds to continue with private and did that out of desperation. I can't see how they can deny you. Good luck.
Ask the private consultant that you saw if he would write to your GP with his findings asking the GP to prescribe these items?
Hi, something isn't making sense here. If you have had that many courses of steroids then the GP would surely need to start looking into the situation in greater detail or referring you to the local nhs consultant? I would also see what improvements are made with the new inhalers by peak flow etc and if still no help then look to change gp.
In the meanwhile it's definitely worth a chat to the asthma nurses. Good luck!
Hi
The problem is that your private cons has just prescribed a LABA and steroid in two separate inhalers instead of one combined like you already have. Obviously this will cost everyone ( including the NHS) more.
Maybe you could try finding a combined inhaler with the same LABA and steroid in it and try suggesting this to your GP? They might be more receptive if it doesn’t cost them any more? 🤷♂️
Hope you get something sorted..😊👍
NB… maybe Flutiform?? 😊 you will have to check maybe?
I see where you're coming from but I was prescribed a separate LABA and steroid inhaler by an asthma nurse in precisely this situation, on the NHS, after a single course of steroids. It sounds like this specific doctor is not doing their job properly rather than it being NHS policy.
Still worth a try suggested a combined inhaler though. Private prescriptions just aren't feasible in the long run.
Best of luck OP.
Hi
Yes… in some situations people need two separate inhalers to vary the doses..
However I think in this case the cost of private v nhs prescription is more important.
😊
I took this from a NHS GP website (so your own GP website may have the same NHS GMC policy published);
"Under NHS GMS Regulations the patient is entitled to receive any drug which is available on the NHS, via an NHS prescription.
Therefore, GPs can convert a private script to an FP10 if the patient requests this.
However, the GMC duty to prescribe only in the best interests of the patient and only within your level of competence, takes priority.
There are a number of circumstances when prescribers will decline the request or offer to prescribe an alternative medicine.
He or she may decline to prescribe if:
A letter explaining the full rationale for the treatment has not been provided by the consultant in the private sector.
He or she feels the medicine is not clinically necessary.
The medication is unlicensed.
The medication is prescribed outside of its licensed indication.
The medication is not one he or she would normally prescribe.
The medication needs special monitoring and he or she feels they do not have the expertise to do this.
The use of the medication conflicts with NICE guidance or locally agreed protocols.
An equivalent but equally effective medicine is prescribed locally under prescribing advice from the CCG. In this situation you will be offered the equivalent medicine.
In any of these circumstances the patient will retain the option of purchasing the recommended medicine via a prescription from their consultant in the private sector.
There is also no provision for refunding any money already spent on private treatment, including medicines."
So the GP is not exactly accurate in assuming there's no facility to prescribe meds recommended by a private consultant, as long as the meds are available on the NHS and the private Dr has written to your GP, as outlined above. All the terms are listed above.
I know that there was a huge protest some years ago over this conundrum for patients because of NHS waiting lists, so there was huge political pressure to allow a private/NHS mix.
Definitely talk with the Asthma UK helpline for some advice on how to go about securing your improved treatment on the NHS.
You've had good advice can't add to.keep a daily diary of pf,how u feel, improvements.itll speak volumes in s few wks about néw regime..and see a different dr
I can only say that I ran the same illness for nearly a year and did the 5 steroids nothing changed after different inhalers gas type I was sure that was effecting me as well also didn’t know if they where empty and just get propellant 😳anyway I went on to a suck inhaler symbicort 200 6 it worked wonders in about a week at 2 puffs morning 2at night, ask for that no harm in trying and no gas , also your doctor is not kind knowing that desperation made you try any avenue change him but your record will follow i guess good luck in your search 👍
You need to be more firm with your GP that Relvar isn't working anymore. I was on it years ago for a clinical trial and it worked for about a year, then stopped working for me.I've changed inhalers a number of times when they've not been working correctly for me. It might be worth trying symbicort as it's a really good powder inhaler.
Best of luck.
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