Is there a general shortage of Acular drops? Is there an alternative?

[Iona57]

Hello everyone, I was prescribed Acular eye drops by the hospital three weeks ago and was sent home with one bottle I'm running low so requested a new prescription from my GP. It didn't arrive, so I rang the pharmacy and was told they couldn't get hold of any and I needed to go back to my GP and request an alternative. Has anyone else had any experience of this recently, and if so, how was it resolved?Many thanks.

[gollygolly]

Hi Iona, I had the same issue before Christmas, my regular pharmacy couldn't get hold of Acular drops, I contacted my surgery who put me in touch with another pharmacy in town who had Acular and had agreed to keep a bottle for me to collect. I hope your GP surgery will be as helpful.

Brendan

[Iona57 in reply to gollygolly]

Hi Brendan, thank you! That is the exactly what has happened to me! I've just had a text from the pharmacist at my surgery to say he has located a bottle at another pharmacy which is available from this afternoon! Fingers crossed the system works!

Iona

[VerdiG]

You can buy them online if you have a prescription. I often have to top up my eye drops by buying online as I find they don’t last for the stated 4 weeks and I always like to have some extra bottles in the fridge, just in case.

[Iona57 in reply to VerdiG]

Oh, that's extremely useful to know!. It's so stressful wondering if the new drops are going to arrive in time. Do you have a prescription that covers several orders or do you need a new prescription each time?

[VerdiG]

I am not sure. Last time I just sent a copy of letter from eye consultant to my GP requesting that I continue with specified

drops. A quick google search and Acular eye drops came up as £12. Which is cheap compared to mine which are £35. Shop around and see.

[Iona57 in reply to VerdiG]

Thanks very much. I have a letter like that. I'll look into it.

[eye4thefuture in reply to Iona57]

Hi. Just to add to all your answers . When I couldn't obtain drops after my eye operation

I phoned the hospital on the number they had given me and they told me to come back to the Hospital and they gave me a few bottles. Just another possibility. Hope all goes well . Regards Geoff.

[Iona57]

Thanks Geoff, that's very useful to know! It hadn't occurred to me to do that.