Response from Surgery re T3 prescribing!!!!

[Shelley1954]

Reply is in response to 2 letters from me regarding the GP Practice not prescribing despite endo recommending, along with other complaints.

"It is true that we are encouraged not to prescribe Liothyronine because of its cost and dubious efficay but we do have a small number of patients in the Practice for whom this is prescribed having been initiated by a consultant. Indeed, the recommendation is that any prescription for this drug should be initiated by your consultant and shown to be effective before we are asked to prescribe it in Primary Care. The "mix up" to which I referred, therefore, was that your consultant should have initiated the treatment, monitored your condition and only asked us to prescribe it for you when he was satisfied it was working."

What comes first the chicken or the egg?!!

My endo knows I am self medicating and is seeing e the end of April to see how I am doing, not sure whther to reply to the Practice, take it further or wait to see what endo says, assuming if he is happy, the surgery will prescribe?

Please let me have your thoughts.

[Clutter]

Shelley1954,

Weasel words in my opinion. My understanding is that consultants prescribe 1 x month of a medication and the GP practice is expected to prescribe subsequent repeat prescriptions. If the consultant concludes that the medication is not working it is up to the consultant to stop the medication or prescribe an alternative. I've never heard that a consultant has to prove the medication is working before the GP practice issues repeat prescriptions.

I would show the letter to your consultant and see what he thinks.

[Shelley1954 in reply to Clutter]

Will do, the endo told me at the beginning he did not prescribe it would be down to the Practice. I am tempted not to pursue my complaint, I was going to the Ombudsman, because I read the letter to say, if my endo is happy with my treatment in April then the Practice will prescibe?

What makes me laugh is that if an endo doesnt prescribe, & the Practice wont prescribe, then how do they think you can be treated and passed OK for T3?

[Clutter in reply to Shelley1954]

Shelley1954,

Catch 22 like being told that xyz is really rare so we won't test but by not testing xyz remains rare.

I think it's worth pursuing your complaint if your endo is NHS as that should be the only requirement your practice needs to prescribe T3.