In the past year, everything has gone really bad. Prior to Sciensus running the show, I always got a 12 week supply (Healthcare At Home) and during the past year, its been reduced to a 4 week supply, which is never on time and I go short of injector pens. I also used to get contacted by phone, but now I'm the one doing all the contacting. Any concerns I have, are ignored.
In the past year, I've not had a single delivery, that is on my suitable terms. I can't take the risk and go anywhere on holiday. All the deliveries are when it suits them and at very short notice. Usually when I call them, I find myself having to converse with someone who can't understand me. I have to spell my Name, D.O.B. and Postcode.
I always get fobbed off with excuses such as "We are low in stock" and the latest is, "It's your hospital's to blame for us not receiving your prescription".
Well I finally contacted my hospital today and told them that Sciensus are blaming everything on them. I also mentioned that my delivery is always a 4 week supply. My hospital team were flaming angry, especially stating that they always send a prescription for 12 weeks. My doctor also stated that the latest prescription had already been sent to Sciensus. They don't think it is right, that I am getting treated this way and being told constant lies. They are really concerned with the fact that I haven't had my delivery for over 6 weeks and I no longer have any injector pens left, with my biologic drug that keeps me safe.
They are looking into this and taking it further, as they have heard other horror stories about Sciensus from other patients.
All I can say is Sciensus must be making/saving money, by cheating me out of my deliveries and making me go for weeks without my treatment.
Written by
Davymac1
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They are owned by a private equity company in Belgium.
According to the latest filed accounts at Companies House, Healthcare at Home reported revenue for the year to 31 March 2022 of £1,508.7 million (2021 £1.901.2 million), resulting in a post-tax profit of £12.4 million (2021: £20.2 million).InvestorsSciensus is a subsidiary of Halcyon Topco. Over 75% of Halcyon’s shares, however, are owned by Vitruvian Partners Llp, a European private equity firm.
Unfortunately until somebody explains bulk buying to the NHS - every area sorts out their own purchases…..& the result in every area results in waste in cash & dreadful service.
Years ago very successful business men did a survey…agreed with the NHS, not behind their backs& proved in most areas the NHS were throwing money away.
There was even a TV programme about it…..sadly nothing came of it….but why no action was taken to save our money was never explained!
Hi Davymac1. I've been where you are and it is very frustrating and annoying. I wrote to my MP and copied the letter to the Chief Ex of our NHS Board. I then contacted the Pharmacist at our hospital, where I see my Rheumatologist, who is responsible for overseeing the prescription. Within 7 days I had my responses but importantly I had my medication.
Your prescription is a contract agreed between yourself, your consultant, and your hospital but importantly between the NHS and this company. It's huge money. Not receiving your medication is a breech of contract - one that will inevitably impact on your health. Interestingly I now have the deliveries that I always had in the past without any failure at all!!
It takes so much energy to tackle none delivery and it impacts directly on your health and pain. I hope this is resolved quickly for you but please go to the top and keep banging on doors as this is unacceptable. Best wishes to you.
My medication is delivered by sciensus too. So far it has worked well 🤞. you mentioned phone calls, have you tried using the App? This is how I have communicated with them and it seems to work ok. I do hope you get things sorted quickly
I would advise also to try the app. I use it to register my current stock levels and you can arrange a date that suits you. They can only deliver to my area on a certain day but I do have a choice of the date.
Your Rheumatology department has to do the prescription for the amount you need and Sciensus should go by that prescription, check with Rheumy department first. Also how are you managing to store 12 injections at the 2-8 degrees with other stuff in fridge. Any tips are welcome please! I requested 4 every month for the reasons of not enough storage in my fridge. Tips please!
Hi thanks for replying, I got used to having the 3 boxes (4 injector pens per box) on the middle shelf of my fridge. This suits me fine and I have no problem keeping the fridge temp between 2-8 degrees. I always check each pen as I remove it for use. I look closely for the visible sign of a bubble (just like a spirit level). I also keep the boxes free from the sides of the fridge and my family know that the middle shelf is out of bounds. There was one time, when I had a different fridge and there was no bubble due to the pens frozen, thankfully it was only 4 pens. I contacted HAH immediately and they advised me not to use them and I got a replacement within a week.About the Rheumatology department, I was on the phone to them last Friday and they told me they always send a 12 week prescription. They are going to keep me posted as I have no more pens and I am approaching my 7th week without a delivery from Sciensus.
Also tried the app and it does not work on my android phone.
they need more than shaming, they were truly dreadful and like happened with you blamed the hospital pharmacy for non prescription. When I copied everyone in to my emails they back tracked quickly because the hospital pays them for this service or lack of it x
Thanks for all the super comments everybody. Just to let you all know, I finally got my Sciensus delivery today. However, it's still a very unpleasant experience, as it took more phone calls and worry to my hospital and the Sciensus switchboard. I got my pens delivered, as was treated as an emergency. It came in a large cardboard box packed with ice packs all around the pen boxes and it was restored to the 12 pens as per prescription. Must have cost a fortune, as it was a special delivery by Royal Mail.
If only they did their job properly in the first place.
Just to add i was constantly chasing sciensus , they would constantly say they hadn't received the prescription;This is a commonly used line,it's something they say to buy time. After complaining to my rheumatology department and their chasing with sciensus I received an email in error from one of sciensus employees saying "we've had this prescription for over 6 weeks,please can you sort delivery asap".
I was furious, I started a twitter thread including sciensus, the healthcare editor from the guardian and other disgruntled patients and since they've been contacting me way in advance to organise my deliveries 😁
Its disgusting we are treated like this, I ran out of medication because of sciensus, my rheumatology department work very hard especially in these difficult times, EVERYTHING has been a battle for me with RA from diagnosis to getting treatment. We shouldn't have to battle with a private company to het our medication.
Whole tender process for these drugs needs to be reviewed.
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Orencia and Sciensus !
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