Medication

[Mdea1988]

Anyone else having issues with their surgeries and medication?? I was due a review in end of Sept I had bloods then heard nothing else I saw they said abnormal but was told they was waiting for correspondence from cardio as they requested some info, while I waited I got 2 lots of emergency meds from pharmacy, they got that letter early Nov and issued me 1 month warfarin as usual but not my other meds I had some spare boxes luckily. Come to end Nov I saw nothing was avaliable to order again so I called and they said I needed review booking I explained about cardio nothing medication wise to change and that I was not told anything else otherwise so I agree and have booked a review for 18th Dec and was told to call if I need meds and now they are asking why I haven't requested any since the Earl Nov!! Wtf. I explained again and they think I've not been taking my meds. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't!! So fuming waiting for an apparent text link so I can give them Info on what I've been doing with meds n where n when I got them 😞😞 honestly so stressed now I only got 6 days warfarin left n a few extra days of bisoprolol amlodipine n candestartan. And christmas coming up.

[Lowerfield_no_more]

Next time you talk to someone tell them you intend to complain and see what the reaction is. It might accelerate you getting sorted. Or if you don't want to wait that long write to the Practice Manager. I've certainly found that by making a justifiable complaint you quickly get resolution, although I don't make a habit of it. More on complaining about your GP service here

which.co.uk/consumer-rights...

Conversely my GP practice, who have recently been downgraded to 'get your act together' rating recently sent out messages inviting folks to submit repeat prescription requests early to cover the Christmas period and I got mine back quicker than normal!

[Seal59]

my husband has trouble nearly every month now with his meds. I got so fed up I complained via the online link and I’m sure it was dealt with by an AI generated response as it didn’t resolve the problems or answer the questions but picked up on a few key words and re-issued a prescription, which is not what we wanted. It used to work so well before so I don’t know what’s going on. Like you say it is stressful keep trying to sort it out.

[Noodlesalad]

Very stressful for you! I get my meds delivered to my home via Lloyds because last year I got fed up of having to trawl various pharmacies to find all my medication.Lloyds works for me because they send me email reminders when I'm running low on my meds and I order what I need through them and they then contact my GP and two days later my medication is delivered by Royal Mail.

Hope you get sorted.

[Taviterry in reply to Noodlesalad]

Lucky you that you have a reliable Royal Mail service - as I do. I've just exchanged Christmas emails with a friend who lives eight miles away on the other side of my large town and gets very few daily deliveries. And out in the countryside there are stories of people having to collect their mail from the sorting office. My own small local pharmacy has only recently got its act together after Covid - I used to go in a week after re-ordering to find that my prescriptions had not been made up, so had to hang around for 15 minutes or so. One problem has been the shortage of pharmacists. Mine even had "refugees" travelling from a village three miles away because their chemist was so often closed.

On a couple of occasions my pharmacist filled the same order twice, and when in hospital for my TAVI in August I paused taking the pills, then I was given some to take home, so I have a small reserve supply, which I've resorted to very occasionally - the monthly re-ordering does seem to come around very quickly. And, of course, I get a 28-day supply so I have to bring forward re-ordering by two or three days each month.

[jaywolff in reply to Noodlesalad]

I agree - Lloyds is a pain-free experience, and I've never come close to running out with them. They will also let you know if there are any problems getting a response from the GP

[bee2]

Have you had a face to face with your GP or only phone calls to receptionists?

[Mdea1988 in reply to bee2]

I was told I needed to book a review which I have but in mean time could ask for meds if needed finally got one thru today!

[bee2 in reply to Mdea1988]

There was a time when these things were done as standard but now we have to beg.

[Cavkingcharlesdogs3]

I would ask to speak to the practice manager and explain what’s been going on and see if that can sort out your issues as this doesn’t seem good enough to me.

[marypw]

Annual medicines reviews are an absolute nightmare at our surgery - they forget to send blood test requests to the hospital, then you have to phone them (19th in the queue) to get an appointment, then it’s a tickbox phone call and then they decide they’re changing the system and the reviews take place on your birthday, not on the date it says on your prescription. But you can’t get your meds until you’ve had a review!

Hope you get sorted out!

[mariyn]

My husband was on Bisoprolol but it made him so fatigued that he asked to come off it .Good luck to you Marilyn

[Harefieldfan]

hi Mdea1988. I took bisoprolol for a couple of years. I took it in the evening to avoid any problems with it during the day. Luckily I tolerated it well as far as I know. I was recently told to stop taking it as it was slowing my heart too much. So I haven’t taken it for two months or so now and I don’t feel any different. Sorry I can’t be more help. I wish you well!