I have recently been switched from mtx tablets to injections, and the rheumy nurse told me a company called Healthcare at Home would contact me to arrange delivery. They called today...
It turns out they only deliver to my area on Mondays and Wednesdays, and you have to wait in for half-a-day to receive the delivery. I work. I am always working on Mondays and Wednesdays. I can't hang around at home waiting for them. It's much, much less convenient than just going to the chemists to pick up a prescription, but apparently that option isn't available for mtx syringes. It seems very unsatisfactory to have a system that assumes we're all housebound with nothing better to do than wait in all day for deliveries! Why aren't they handled like normal prescriptions? How do other people manage?
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flow4
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Mine are prescribed by my GP Surgery Flow, sent electronically to my allocated Chemist & 24/48 hours after requesting I collect them, depending if they're stock meds or specially ordered but no different from my other repeat meds. Is it down to cost? Some CCG's have really been hard on their Surgeries' prescribing budgets & have had to really cut back on the more expensive meds.
Many a post has been written about Healthcare at Home, lots had issues. If you do a quick search you'll see loads. Would it be convenient to have them delivered at work? Or could you arrange for them to be supplied & collected from your hospital pharmacy, though that probably wouldn't be that convenient.
Some good ideas here NMH, thanks. Mine is prescribed by the hospital rheumatology dept not my GP, and I wasn't given any other delivery option... I may have to try to get hold of the rheumy nurse...
When I resumed my meds on return to the UK I had to show my Rheumy nurse I was able to inject even though I'd been injecting my MTX for 4 years. The hospital supplied the demo one & the nurse oversaw I was doing it correctly then before I left he gave me another 4, after that my Surgery supplied my scripts. At first they told me they'd only be prepared to prescribe tablets (cost again). It was only after getting my Rheumy & nurse on the case to explain that under the shared care agreement it was their duty to prescribe & monitor they accepted responsibility.
I have HAH, and they're fine for me. They'll deliver anywhere you tell them to - work, family, friends. My brother in law, who's retired, gets them for me and just means I go visit them once very 8 weeks. And he gets a 2 hour delivery slot, which is usually adhered to. They used to be total rubbish, but now it's ok.
They told me I had to choose a half-day slot and a single address. I don't have anyone who's always in the same place on the same half-day, even every 8 weeks. Work is no good because the reception isn't always staffed and they don't like receiving parcels. But I think I'm going to call my GP practice manager and local pharmacy and see if they'll take delivery there...
Hi helixhelix I've had the same experience as yourself , and each time HCAH ring to arrange delivery they ask me which of the address's I'd like them delivered too.
Also with me it's happened a good few times were I've had to go out when delivery is due and they always leave it with a neighbour .
If they deliver to work, a neighbours etc for me tell then they will leave my biological injections in one of the cool bins & they collect it next time there around.
I have found this company very helpful so I suggest you phone them and explain your situation. Actually, I don't know if this is allowed everywhere but I leave a cool box in a secluded place for when I am out.
I have found h@home very good, they deliver my Humira, always on time if I'm not at home my neighbour takes it in and then puts it in my fridge, you do have to give permission for someone else to sign for it, just ring and speak to them and they will be able to help you.
I to have my injections delivered by health care at home, like the last few replies I think that they do a really good job. Very friendly people manning the phones and I agree they will deliver to anyone you nominate. You just need to give details and they need to sign for them. I work so they deliver to one of 3 neighbours who ever is in. Linda
Not allowed, unfortunately. The building has several hundred staff in it, and if they allowed one, they'd end up taking dozens of deliveries every day. In any case, the reception isn't staffed full time, so there's no guarantee there'd be anyone there...
The company I worked for also had the same policy of not accepting deliverys for staff, however they viewed the medical supplies in a different way and my employers were willing to allow me to have deliverys especially as it was that or allow me half a days holiday once a month so I could be in for my delivery.
Really hope you get it sorted , I've found HCAH amazing and they've even delivered to my caravan once for me.
That's great! I have no particular criticisms of H@H - it sounds like they're helpful when they can be - I just think it's inconvenient and odd to have a system that assumes you can always arrange to be in on a fixed day that is specified by them not you!
I have Enbrel delivered by HaH. When I was working they delivered them to my place of work, who agreed to accept delivery. Since retiring they have occasionally delivered them to my pharmacists.
I have had lots of frustration caused by HAH with failed deliveries or Deliveries not arriving on the arranged date. phone call follow up for non delivery on the arranged day leads to telephone conversations full of implausible excuses? HAH don't deliver to my home, the box is delivered by Royal Mail special delivery due to my rural location so they only have to take it to a post office.
They have now given me no option of delivery date and say it can only be delivered on a Thursday. This gives them Monday to Wednesday to pack it and deliver to a post office, who will deliver to me within 24 hrs. Utter nonsense. Deliveries used to be monthly but now are bimonthly, so they have halved their delivery costs but still haven't improved their service to patients. In the past I was given a choice of Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and I was not notified of the change until my expected delivery didn't arrive.
I think I will ask the rheumatologist if it is possible to arrange delivery to a chemist as I too was not given an option.
Well, I contacted the rheumy nurses and I've found the only workable solution... They have cancelled the H@H delivery and I will collect my MTX from the hospital pharmacy...
Well at least you've found a way that will work for you. May the injections work brilliantly for you after the trouble you've been through to get them!
That's v good to know, Atroc. I've just spoken to our practice manager, and they've never done it before so she is a bit nervous... Currently, I'm seeing the rheumy at my local hospital just 3-4 miles away, so it's easy enough for me to pick up a prescription there, but if my care transfers to the regional centre (I'm seeing a consultant there next week) then I may need to talk to our practice manager again!
I've been having Simponi injections delivered by HaH since last September. Never had an issue with them until now. They appear to have changed the rules in the last month on Saturday deliveries. Out of 9 deliveries, I've had 7 delivered on a Saturday and the other 2 had to be delivered on different days because either they left it too late to ring or it hit the Easter weekend when they weren't working. While I was told this time initially that Saturday deliveries were only for emergencies, when I pushed about it because of previous experience, I was told the rule had changed in the last month but they have at least this month agreed I can have it delivered on a Saturday. Up until now I couldn't fault the service, only time will tell from now and I just hope they don't try and stop me having saturday deliveries. I suspect its down to cost. Interestingly last month's was delivered out of Bristol when previously they've all been delivered from Tamworth. If they do stop unfortunately I'm possibly looking at having to have it delivered to parents which is a 70 mile round trip to collect unless I can get a pharmacy to accept delivery.
I believe that the injections are not available from your GP or the chemist in England. I have to collect mine from the Hospital which is nearly 15 miles away! I try to time the collection with with my blood monitoring appointment so I dont have to make so many journeys. I did work full time until last Oct 15 and it was a nightmare fitting the journeys and working in but because I get such fantastic care from the hospital I dont mind. My blood monitoring ladies collect my prescription from the hospital pharmacy and they hav them there for me when I go of army bloods, they make it easier for me. Have you asked the Hospital if they could do this for you?
Hi flow4, when my rheumy nurse told me about H@H, I explained that I work full time, have no family nearby, my friends and neighbours all work and I can't have deliveries at work. GPs in my area don't prescribe injectable mtx and pharmacies don't dispense them. Sounds the same as you 😩. My nurse has supplied me with a "passport" to the hospital pharmacy which means I can pick up my mtx when it suits me as its ready 2 weeks before I run out - I don't have to put in a request either. Is there any chance you could check with your rheumy team whether they operate a similar scheme?
Hi Jacey, yes, it sounds like we're in similar situations. I don't work full time, just 25 hours, so I have some flexibility, but unfortunately the H@H deliveries are only on days I work! I have now had a message from the rheumy nurses saying that I can collect from the hospital pharmacy after all. They didn't explain the system to me, just said "We'll refer you to H@H", and I didn't ask any questions, because it didn't occur to me the system would be as limited as it is. It seems to assume everyone on mtx is housebound... But we're all trying to live the fullest lives we can, aren't we?!
I'm one of those awkward patients that asks loads of questions 😊I'm so pleased that you will be able to pick it up at your convenience now - its so much easier fitting things round your life rather than your life fitting around every aspect of RD.
They can deliver to another address. Maybe you have a kindly retired neighbour or parent that could take in the medicine for you. You would have to pass on their name to healthcare at home, and only they will be able to receive it, from that address.
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Mine is prescribed by the hospital rheumatology dept not my GP, and I wasn't given any other delivery option... I may have to try to get hold of the rheumy nurse...
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