Furious with GP

[Sazntef]

My husband picked up my script and when he passed me my pills I noted that I had been prescribed half the usual amount of dihydrochodeine. Spoke to GP reception to be told there was nothing on my notes to indicate why. Got a phone appointment with a GP (free-range surgery, you get the next doc available than being registered to a specific one) who said another doctor had decided to half my dose, taking 4 tablets instead of 8 each day . I asked for the rationale for this decision by a doctor who has never spoken to me about my pain, nothing in notes. Why the sudden decrease to a med I've been on at this level of for years, rather than a controlled decrease. Nothing. Now need an appointment with the genius who made these decisions on an apparent whim. Can they really do this kind of thing for no apparent reason?

[rosewine]

It does seem very strange when you haven't had a consultation with anyone about it. I know when my original GP retired and a young GP came in his place he was trying to wean all the old GPS patients off anything with morphine or codeine in it. I had been on Dihycodeine for some years at that time. Could you go back to the original GP who prescribed them it would be such a shame to have to cut down if they suit your condition.x

[Sazntef in reply to rosewine]

Yes, completely agree Rosewine, even with good intentions to wean people off the morphine derivatives they could approach in a better way. All well and good for them, they don't have to endure the pain that comes with it all.

We have a bizarre set up where your script goes to the next available doctor, no sure way of not getting her again.

[rosewine in reply to Sazntef]

That's such a pity hope she is on a day off when you put in the next request.x

[Sazntef in reply to rosewine]

Fingers crossed on that one, definitely 🤞

[katieoxo60]

Hello Sazntef, yes they can and do do it as you have found. It is poor practice I agree. You should be seen or telephoned before changes of long term pain releif. I just went to collect my prescription a fortnight ago and there was no Tramadol, but do not know whose fault it was but I have managed without till I get my next prescription 1st of August, this is not the first time my prescription has been wrong or not there since they went electronic. My inhalers had to be renewed by nurse because my prescription had run out and nobody told me, I do not always get a copy of the prescription now it is electronic. Good job some of these drugs are not life dependent ones. Good luck with your appointment.

[cyberbarn in reply to katieoxo60]

Have you signed up for on line access to your electronic notes? I would highly recommend doing that as then you can see all your prescriptions, how much they are for, when you last renewed the repeating ones, when the repeating ones need to be reviewed, and when you can next renew. It is a really good way of keeping track.

[katieoxo60 in reply to cyberbarn]

I can track the prescription on line, it says it was dispensed.However was not at chemist with other drugs dispensed at the same time. I did report the matter to the surgery as it is a controlled drug. There was no other prescription dispensed on the 3Rd as the chemist said according to the records at the time I looked.

[Sazntef in reply to katieoxo60]

Thanks katieoxo60, I very much agree that it's a bad practice, would have been nice to have a consultation before trying to break me 😢

I hope your surgery can sort out your scripts. It's horrible having to do the order, script, pharmacy cycles constantly.

Sarah

X

[cyberbarn]

This may not just be the GP surgery behind this, there is a big push on right now from NHS England right down through the CCGs to the GP practices to make sure that money isn't being wasted on drugs, and to review and cut back on unnecessary prescriptions. For instance they are finding that some people have a prescription from a hospital and one from the GP surgery for the same thing and they also find that some people renew all their drugs every month whether they need them or not, and they end up with bags of unused drugs at home.

However, this should be done by the GP, pharmacist or other trained person talking to you, not just withdrawing something without telling you.

If you feel up to it what about talking to your Patient Participation Group or the practice manager about it. Not as a complaint, PPGs don't deal with complaints, but as an observation that might help them change things so that they don't get complaints.

[katieoxo60 in reply to cyberbarn]

Hi Cyberbarn, I am afraid I feel disinclined to speak to anyone after all the things that happened to me, evertime I discuss anything with anyone to do with medics it is construed as a complaint. They don't make mistakes or get let down by technology, or find they have to conform to rules that don't fit the patient. Only the patient gets it wrong. I used to just order the painkillers I needed each month including not having them one month every so often, but that caused problems too. I asked to be changed to a none controlled drug for pain but ended up with another illness due to side effects which they never even offered an alkternative painkiller just returned to the Tramadol. To juggle drugs and find the best for a patient takes time which Drs do not have or practice nurses come to that. My time is precious too just like our health. Your right if PPGs listened to some of us that are not just moaning, they might save an aweful lot of time from being spent on complaints. Or maybe they should try feedback like other places within NHS do. I have a list of drug reactions on my record so have to proceed with care, due to a past anapolatic type of reaction many years ago.

[Sazntef in reply to cyberbarn]

Hi Cyberbarn

Thanks for your suggestion, it is certainly an option for future experiments with my pain meds.

How do I find the PPG contract details?

Sarah

[cyberbarn in reply to Sazntef]

All GP surgeries have to have a Patient Participation Group now, so if they don't have information about it on your surgery's website, you can ask the receptionist. Some surgeries have really active groups, others don't. But if they don't, getting one going can be a good way of making sure that the surgery looks at things from the point of view of the patients.

[Sazntef in reply to cyberbarn]

Thanks so much for this, I'll go have a look on the website to see if there is something in place.

[Sazntef]

Well, spoke to the GP today who chose to decrease my meds. She said she was concerned about the addictive properties of the dihydrochodine and wanted to try and decrease the levels I am taking. She then asked how I was doing with the increase. Told her I hadn't done it as the pain levels are still too high even with the full dose. She suggested instead moving me onto the slow release version, starting out on a half dose of the regular equivalent, increasing to the same dose of they aren't controlling the pain. Due to speak with her again next week to see how it's going on the new meds.

Just scared as to the pain levels on a half dose. Really not looking forward to the next few days. 😕