Medication or No Medication - Who decides these days?

[puppylover]

I recently requested a repeat prescription from my doctors. When I collected my meds from the pharmacy there was 1 item missing. I e-mailed my surgery to ask why the item was missing and received an e- mail back telling me the reception team had decided not to give this item as I had two packets the month before. I take two packets every month which the reception team obviously failed to check before stopping the medication. Is it just me that though medication had to be prescribed and stopped by a qualified doctor and was not dependant upon the whims of the receptionists. Surely this is taking cut backs too far!

[Hidden]

They can't just cut medications from you without weaning process or explaining why ....if you take 2 a month then it's your right to be issued with your scripts...maybe a computer error message or pop into surgery tomorrow morning and fire bullets 😁😁

[joke]

Did you tackle them on this? I would be interested in the reply and can't we the patient have a right of redress?

[Hidden]

Hi at every surgery there is a prescription person who goes through them, checks the screen against your name then follows the instructions on it. I presume there must be something on your notes which a doctor has written. A receptionist cannot make medical decisions, but they can make mistakes or maybe a doctor had written the wrong thing on your notes?

I would ring and ask to speak to your doctor. Good luck.

[Twoose in reply to Hidden]

There obviously isn't one at my surgery as the repeat prescriptions are full of things that I have never taken and have refused to take.

[skischool]

I am afraid they have adopted a similar practice in our surgery and most online repeat prescriptions are handled by reception staff,i found the only way to combat errors was to input my request a good 7 days before renewal and phone the surgery a day before the pharmacy picked up to ensure all was correct.Also a lot of prescriptions are sent electronically directly to the pharmacy under a relatively new initiative by the NHS so inevitably there are going to be the odd hiccups especially when the entire system collapses on occasions.Luckily you can communicate directly via e.mail with the surgery,something which our practise has not implemented on their website yet.good luck and hope ypu get a better service in the future.........skis p.s i think after a certain period of time you have to do a meds review with your GP to ensure repeats are continuous...........x

[puppylover]

Thank you all for your advise. I will contact the surgery again tomorrow. I was just so shocked at the response I received from the receptionist clearly stating that she had decided not to give me the medication and asking me how many tablets I took a day as she had clearly not checked. Hopefully I will get more joy from them tomorrow.

[puppylover in reply to puppylover]

Is that you Bev? If so I have sent you a couple of texts. Not sure if it's still your number?

[Hidden]

Hope you sort it out Chris. x

[Hidden]

obviously and supposed following surgery procedure without thinking my surgery was the same I need Zero cream to use as a soap substitute that means 2 x 500ml pumps a month, in the end, I had to get the doctor put down the am amount on my monthly repeat prescription list

[Time_2_drink]

I would not think it's in the receptionists duties to medal with your medication you need to speak to Doctor OT practise manager they sure don't make it easy for ill people do they .

[joke in reply to Time_2_drink]

Actually I think the receptionists forget they are dealing with sick people! I moved practice because three of them carried on gossiping infront of me while I fresh from a toilet laced with disinfectant had a serious breathing (not) episode three yards from them. Luckily my son saw me from the lift and came to my rescue

[Time_2_drink in reply to joke]

I'm now having a Battle with my Doctors they have decided I can't have 3 of the items without seeing Doctor nurse. The hospice contacted. The practise 2Weeks ago and said I still needed Oramorph and setraline anti depressants they then decided to withhold my nebuliser fluid. I got the nebuliser through community matron .The Matron was stopped about 4 weeks ago but hospice recommended I had one for a further few weeks today I was told at the hospice that they are looking to discharge me in 8 weeks really don't know how I will cope without a security Blanket hope your Meds Been sorted .

[Phil40 in reply to joke]

Hi, I had pretty much the same experience when I took my Mum into the GPs. They are simply disgraceful and should not be doing that job!

[Hidden]

Call practice.

Ask for call back from doctor re prescription problem.

Ask doctor why receptionist has stopped your medication.

Get prescription from doctor.

Expect frosty reception at next visit to surgery.

[joke in reply to Hidden]

WHY. Should be a welcome SORRy

[Hidden in reply to joke]

Receptionists are people too. If they get an ear bashing for making medical judgements that they are not qualified for then they may not be happy to see you.

[locheil]

You are very fortunate to have email access to your Surgery That said I would expect that the action taken by unqualified staff was well out of order if not actually illegal since it was putting your health at risk.I am inclined to cut the NHS slack where possible because the stress within the service is unimaginable.

[Hidden]

That's no right. I'd complain - You could have been travelling abroad for 2 months. Bet they didn't ask??????

[Phil40]

Between the surgery and pharmacy I always have a problem collecting my Mums meds. Always something wrong. But it is the GPs who are the main culprits. I have been advised to make an official complaint by the Community Matron but after reading the awful comments on the NHS website from patients for the surgery that go back years and the feeble apologies by the surgery I seriously doubt anything will change! I try to keep well in advance of anything Mum needs now so when they mess it up it gives me time to sort it out. Hopefully. And the Community Matron has contacted the GP when they have been at their worst. I am so tired of fighting the health system to get Mum the care she needs and is supposed to get according to the NICE guidelines and the NHS charter! I seem to know more about it than the 'professionals' alot of the time!

[puppylover]

Thank you everyone for your replies and advice. I am obviously not the only one that has problems with getting their medication. How hard can it be to check the medication requested is on your list of repeats, get it signed off by the doctor and send to the pharmacy? Anyway after contacting my surgery (waited in call que for twenty minutes), I was told the practice manager was at a different surgery. After another 20 minutes of waiting for my call to be answered at the other surgery, I was told the practice manager was too busy to speak to me but would call me back. This she did, several hours later. She asked me to forward the offending e-mail back to her, which I have done and am now waiting for a response. I am sure that no system is 100% effective but it seems to me that there are a worryingly large amount of errors being made that could have catastrophic effects on peoples lives and their health. Although it is difficult and time consuming I think we should complain when we are not satisfied with a service, otherwise nothing will ever improve.

[Phil40]

I read an article in one of the broadsheet papers about how people do not complain about doctors and I must agree that I am the same. I have even made a Subject Access Request and obtained my mums medical notes which show a catalogue of mistakes and oversight, but unless complaints are made nothing will ever change. Frankly, who has the energy?

[puppylover in reply to Phil40]

Hi Phil, yes I agree it is time consuming and tiring but the only other choice is to accept bad service as normal.

[Phil40]

I hear what you are saying I just do not believe my complaint will make any difference! I have spent so much energy battling with the medical community I feel exhausted! But I will reconsider because you are of course right. Thanks

[puppylover]

Hi all,

my doctor's surgery hope to respond to my complaint by 22nd September.

Part of my job is also working on an very busy reception desk and I am human and make mistakes too.

When this happens I apologize and try to put the situation right and that is what I expect from other organisations, particularly if the mistake could potentially affect another person's health and well being.