Hopefully you've all heard about the Taskforce for Lung Health by now (here's a handy link in case you haven't - blf.org.uk/taskforce/about). Well they're working on a project to make sure that people with lung conditions get the services they need from community pharmacies.
There's a lot to think about. What services do you use at the moment? Wait a minute, we're living through a global pandemic. "At the moment" is probably not the right question.
So, what did you use before Covid hit? How has that changed? And what would you like to see happening at your local chemist going forward?
We'd love your help answering these questions. If you have 15 minutes to spare, please could you fill in our survey and let us know what you think?
I have a friend who is extremely ill in the U.K. and it usually turns out they say his medication is ready , only to find something or several things are missing. Because of Covid 19 and because he is terribly unwell he has to rely on others to collect his prescription. When they make a mistake, it means he has to ask someone to pick up what they "forgot" to put in.
I also feel for people who are house bound ideally there should be a free service to deliver the medication. It's just too much for very ill people to go to the chemists, and they feel like a burden on others when they ask for help and unfortunately sometimes they are treated as such. I suppose I am not familiar with the system in the U.K. but here for house bound patients the task of delivering medication falls on the district nurse or doctor who makes house calls.
My humble and probably very unhelpful thoughts. 👋😁
That sounds awful. If you wanted to share the survey with your friend, or anyone who goes to pick his medicines up for him, it would be great to hear more from them.
I should add that part of the reason for doing this is that services can vary so much around the country. We need to hear about the good and the bad if we're going to improve things for everyone.
I am happy to say that my pharmacist has been delivering my prescriptions throughout the COVID-19 emergency
I was fortunate to have the pharmacy organise and deliver my repeat prescriptions before the pandemic. This is definitely a need and a most welcome service offered by my local pharmacy. They have continued to offer this service throughout Covid so far and I understand they have enhanced it to include others who were shielding but perhaps not as seriously restricted. I am hoping they continue to offer me the service into the future.
I get my meds delivered, regularly, but, Whilst there is no probs with the pharmacy the doctors receptionist has refused to supply a script for some of my meds that I don't need all the time.
When I do get on to them they say we will have to check with the doctor.
I DON'T need to take nebulisers all the time until the hospital say I should start to take them, even when I say to her that the hospital has said I should take them the receptionist still argues.
It is the same with some other skin care meds.
My opinion, these non medical people should learn to read notes on high risk patients and stop trying to be a non useful dictatorship of non qualified (can't use the language here )I think they are too destructive to people of a severe illness and only serve to increase anxiety in patients.
During shielding I got free delivery from my chemist no problem and very quickly as well. Prior to the pandemic, I would only request home delivery if I was ill with flu, chest infection and severe weather during winter months. Previously there was a a once a week delivery on Wednesday, which was a bit difficult if you need the meds asap, then would have to either go get yourself in illness or try and find someone else who would go get for you.
So I guess an improved free delivery service for meds would be good Every day or alternate days would be good.
Its difficult as well if ill with pneumonia and chest infection with sub zero temperatures outside and the doctor tells you to get to the hospital for a chest xray, too ill to drive self, doctor says no to organising patient transport, so again have to try and find someone who is willing and able to drive you or get a taxi or wait till you think you could manage to drive yourself.
Same difficulty if needing to get a sputum sample to the Surgery before mid day when unwell and living on own.
As far as access a GP goes, this gets more and more difficult even before pandemic and also just have a telephone conversation with respiratory or diabetic nurse is nigh on impossible (because specialist nurses don't take telephone appointments)
Certainly home visit when needed ie too ill to go out. Although this pandemic has made things so much more inaccessible for medical profession and patients.
I use a local independent chemists and they are fantastic and very helpful. They are aware how dire my my local surgery is so if I have a problem with them they help in any way they can. For example I usually order my meds online but this keep changing and I get confused. My chemist will then step in and order them for me even though they aren't supposed to.
Bethany I just want to say I really appreciate the work BLF do for us all and you give me comfort and hope in an unforgiving uncaring world. xx
The taking of blood, my GP's nurse used to do it but now I have to get a bus, taxi or lift from family to get this done.
I, too, have a terrific independent pharmacy where they know me. I always used to go and pick my medicines up but since the start of the pandemic they have been delivering them. I order repeat prescriptions on-line from my doctor and they usually get delivered 48 hours later. Even the things I don't need regularly like the stand-by antibiotics are on the repeat medicine list. All in all a very good service.
From my perspective the pharmacies are filling in for GPs who are currently not providing a proper service to their patients because of the pandemic. Last time I was at the pharmacy collecting my prescription there was a queue of people who couldn't get an appointment with their GP waiting to see the pharmacist for advice. That's fine but pharmacists shouldn't be replacements for GPs. Pharmacies in my area are struggling with demand from a population that isn't getting sufficient care from their GPs. There's a lots of things that pharmacists can do but they haven't got the premises and sufficient numbers of pharmacists to do it. Pharmacies are under resourced. As I see it that has to be addressed before you start asking them to do more.
I have a code from my surgery, which allows me to order through my local independent pharmacy. I used to be a ‘customer’ with a large chain opposite my surgery. They did deliver but if you attend they took so long. As soon as the independent opened a few shops down the road from the other chemist, I changed to them.
They are amazing. As some of my medications are hospital directed, they do not have them in stock. I phone - they order - by the time the script gets back to them electronically, the order is in and they deliver. They are also very helpful and have worked out for me that one medication interacting with another was the reason I was having problems.
I filled in lots of the tick box survey but gave up near the end because it wouldn’t allow me to not tick a box or to tick more than one. I was too unwell to continue.
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Every day or alternate days would be good.
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