GPs face crackdown on prescribing costs after million-pound overspends

[Clutter]

Not sure this bodes well for anyone wanting or on T3. I'm feeling a tad concerned that Haringey CCG might decide to enforce their prohibition on practices prescribing T3 except in exceptional circumstances. I wonder whether transformation from bedridden wreck to recovering well can be construed as exceptional?

pulsetoday.co.uk/commission...

[LouiseRoberts]

Pinned for a bit....

L

X

[Clutter]

Thank you, Louise

[Hidden]

Perhaps only if they start prioritising good health as a key performance indicator in budget-setting ...........

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Just saw pigs flying past my window!

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Yes they flew past here earlier

[HarryE in reply to Hidden]

That's a radical thought! Are you going to run for election??

[Hidden in reply to HarryE]

Well, if every under- or inadequately-treated patient voted, it would be an absolute landslide success, wouldn't it!

[HarryE in reply to Hidden]

It would if they could make it to the polling station!

[Hidden in reply to HarryE]

Postal votes count too

[HarryE in reply to Hidden]

Oh yes, of course!

[Clutter in reply to HarryE]

Postal votes?

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Free caramel eggs would clinch my vote.

[HarryE in reply to Clutter]

I'm easily swayed!

[waveylines]

Well am going to be seeing my GP this Friday about the problem I have being have with some of my Erfa......don't need pigs to fly to know what is likely to happen! Ouch! Hope he hasn't reading Pulse ( been too busy) or I will prepare my financial cost out lay to the GP over what happens if come off Erfa and go onto their 'gold standard treatment'. I have been going wrong all these years we don't need pub med and evidence just plain costings.......note to self to make price be the main conversation of our discussion -Erfa or the long list of additional meds needed, will do a balance sheet for easy viewing!....forget pubmed!....or discussion about my health!

I find it really sad that these days the focus is primarily on the budget and not really about patient care.....Pulse is a real eye opener! I have noticed the front page news is normally about spending/budgets/financial systems these days..I feel sorry for GP's they have turned into auditors....doubt any of them signed up for that when they trained!

Oh....and if some poor receptionist gets left with the decision making about what medications the GP can prescribe make sure Thyroid UK that we gen them up NDT's!!!! joke or am I?....can only laugh otherwise despair would set in!

[Clutter in reply to waveylines]

Because the receptionists will be overseeing GP prescribing there won't be any appts booked, so there'll be a reduction in GP workload and with no new prescriptions issued drug cost saving too. Brilliant in its simplicity but I'm sure there's a flaw somewhere.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Silly Clutter. You haven't factored in the redundancies within Big Pharma, and corresponding increase in unemployment benefits.

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Pffft! You're wearing your hypo head.They don't come out of CCG budgets so they aren't relevant.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Oops, no, I had my very very retro joined-up thinking head on, forgot for a minute that this was the brave new world. Wait a minute while I do an H.G.Wells-type time adjustment, and catch up ......

[waveylines in reply to Clutter]

Will we need GPs then?

[Clutter in reply to waveylines]

There are some GPs we could do without now. Read Grrr Dr. post.

[Hidden in reply to waveylines]

What happened to the call for joined up thinking, of the 80's? It's no good cutting back on health spending if the social care and welfare benefits spending goes through the roof when sick people can't work.

[Clutter in reply to Hidden]

Went the way of "Your NHS is safe in our hands".

[HarryE in reply to waveylines]

Well they could have saved 4 months full sick pay for me by giving me £10 worth of medication for a start!! How's that for NHS joined up thinking??

[Hidden in reply to HarryE]

I was going for a clever retort there HarryE, but decided the more appropriate response was to burst into tears ;-(

[HarryE in reply to Hidden]

Believe me, I've done it a few times while I've been off!

[silverfox7]

They should also be looking into companies who have a monopoly and charge the NSH ridiculous amounts for drugs! The shortage of T3 highlighted the fact that many were a able to source cheaper drugs elsewhere. They should get their own housekeeping in order before taking it out on the patient. We know from our own problems that being inadequately treated tends to send the drugs bill higher for all the side effects as does not doing the full bloods etc in the first place, ignorance or apathy?

[Hidden in reply to silverfox7]

I agree. Nobody cares. GPs have become glorified drug reps and slowly the public are becoming disillusioned with them, except us 'roidies who have been since our first visit where we were utterly failed.

The system stinks.

[Clutter in reply to silverfox7]

Any pharma co. can apply to MRHA for their drugs to be licensed in the UK. Unless they do there is nothing MRHA can do apparently.

[silverfox7 in reply to Clutter]

I was really thinking of MP who someone posted in the T3 shortage were the only ones around. I can't imagine anyone else wanting to come in as not many are prescribed T3 as we are well aware. I'm sure if GP's felt comfortable prescribing T3 then I'm sure the price would drop-heaven forbid-sounding like Mrs T now!!! or we routinely allowed imports

[HarryE in reply to silverfox7]

It's true though silverfox, market forces work! And it's something that is sadly lacking in the NHS. I keep getting accused of wanting the NHS to be privatised when I bang on about the sorry state of procurement within it, but I don't. I just want it to be efficient and make the best use of OUR money! It horrifies me that so many staff members just shrug and say 'well it doesn't matter, it's not my money'. Of course it's YOUR money, that's where the government gets it from! OK, soapbox rant over

[silverfox7 in reply to HarryE]

Very true. We are paying for it in more ways than one. Seems nowadays no one wants or is incapable of looking at the bigger picture.

[Clutter in reply to HarryE]

I'm 100% against privatisation but totally in favour of better procurement, cutting waste and continuing to make efficiencies. If MRHA hands are tied by no other manufacturers applying for licences to supply T3 perhaps the application process needs looking at or manufacturers should be invited to apply.

[HarryE in reply to Clutter]

It's endemic, across the whole organisation, not just in drugs. I run my procurement very tightly, but I can only influence a little bit, it drives me daft!

[galathea]

My doctor prescribes t3, which I don't take. I Save the prescriptions and never fetch the t3. Instead I self treat with NDT. I keep the t3 prescription going in case I ever cannot buy NDT.

My doc recently said he could no longer prescribe t3 and I challenged him that it was on cost grounds. The ccg came back and said as I had been stable on t3 for 10 years, I could have it.

Hmm. What a farce. Does anyone know when my doctor is charged? Is it when he writes out he prescription, or is it when I hand the prescription in to the chemist? And if I can find out how much the doc would be charged for NDT, I may have a case for getting him to prescribe on cost basis.

[Clutter in reply to galathea]

I think the prescription has to be fulfilled before costs are assigned to the GP's drug budget.

[silverfox7 in reply to Clutter]

I think I've heard that somewhere

[galathea in reply to Clutter]

Thank you.... I thought, or rather hoped this might be the case.... So its not costing him anything to write me prescriptions I don't use.. He can't complain when I take them all back then. :-).

[Clutter in reply to galathea]

He might complain that you're not following his line of treatment or you've wasted nanoseconds of his time in writing scrips Why would you take them back? Bin 'em.

[galathea in reply to Clutter]

I want to hand him back a pile of unused j prescriptions and then tell him that I am well because I take NDT. He has been doing yearly blood tests and has had no reason to complain.... (Apart from the last one where ft3 was a bit raised.). So that will prove I haven't taken his meds..... I might be able o get him to prescribe NDT......

Seems logical to me, but unfortunately my doctor doesn't use logic.

[Clutter in reply to galathea]

I understand. Walking, talking proof of the pudding. It worked for me with T3 so I hope it works for you getting NDT prescribed.

[jean21]

Mine stopped prescribing T3 nearly eighteen months ago, after being on for 2+ years. I didn't have the energy to fight the system. I have now ordered NDT and am going down that route, maybe if/when my symptoms improve my GP will take note (I know there are flying pigs down here too) X

[Clutter in reply to jean21]

I will buy on the internet if my T3 is stopped. It's made such a difference that I will not go back to how I was previously. I'm not recovered yet but I'm well enough to fight the CCG if necessary. I hope NDT helps you, Jean.