Hi Everyone,I just want to flag up the problems arising around getting a correctly prescribed script. I notice its in the news today.
I have spent a whole month getting a number of medications on my repeat list correctly prescribed even though these have been precribed for a while. It would appear doctors are struggling....... I have had a real problem getting the meds prescribed in sufficient quantities to last the period of time they state. I mean grossly out. A frequent error is prescribing for two months but only giving sufficient tablets for one month. My pharmacist tells me this occurs frequently and vulnerable patients run out of tablets but dont say anything. Am shocked!
My natural dessicated thyroid extract was prescribed as four per day but The number of tablets was 36 for a two month period. Go figure how the GP arrived at that number of tablets!
It also took me several attempts to get the meds all tied up so the repeats occur on the same date saving an awful lot of confusion/time for the pharmacist and repeat visits to the chemist for me.
Whilst I appreciate GPs are struggling to maintain a reasonable service and are under ridiculous amounts of pressure with extremely limited time with patients, its scary to discover that something as basic as correct prescribing is going so wrong.
Please check your medication prescriptions and ensure you are getting sufficient tablets to last!
Written by
waveylines
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Ive never come across this before! Its a sad state of affairs and yet another indicator that the NHS is underfunded and staff are being put under too much pressure.
No, I just order both a week before Liothyronine tablets run out. They aren't stupid about ordering a week or two early like some practices. When I've got a couple of months Levothyroxine 'in stock' I just order Liothyronine.
I don't know how your GP gets your prescription to the pharmacy. In the US it is common for the doc to electronically send my RX refills/new meds directly to my pharmacy. I've learned there are too many 'mistakes' on the doctor's end. Forgetting a refill. etc. so another way I make a pest of myself is to ask my doc to just give me the hard copy and I will bring it to the pharmacy. When I ask for this, they do it my way and it allows me to check that the correct info will go to the pharmacy. This way, I can catch problems before I leave the office. It's all a pain and we shouldn't have to do this but backtracking and trying to reach doctors and pharmacists to get errors corrected after the fact is too much time and trouble so I want to be sure info is correct the first time.
A lot of the prescriptions are sent electronically here too Irina. Consultations with GPs have dropped off due to over pressured surgeries with insufficent slots to see patients.
There is a big shortage of GPs here & the funding surgeries receive has also reduced compounding the problem. For a routine appointment I would have to wait three/ four weeks for an appointment. Telephone calls to the doctor are now rationed too. Face to face Appointments are limited to 10mins duration.
I fail to see how any GP no matter how devoted can provide a good service within these restrictions. For example at my last consultation my GP did not have time for a physical examination to check out a complaint I have. She had to ask me to make another appointment....I couldnt get one for a whole month so this delayed everything. So it took two months to be seen fully examined & finally referred me on to the specialist.
Re correct prescriptions I would also add that I NEVER leave the pharmacy counter without checking everything is correct. It may hold up the line but -too bad- in the US once we walk away the law says those Rx are ours and we have nochance of returning the rx or making corrections. Many pharmacies have a little area we can go to-behind the counter so as not to have to do this in front of a line of people-like an area where they would give me a flu shot. I began doing this after arriving home, opening my Rx bag and finding wrong medicines, wrong numbers (yes I count my Xanax before leaving the pharmacy,) and even receiving wrong insulin with another patient's name. Didn't catch this til home. I can't tell you how P***** I was.Also if something is wrong and I'm still at the pharmacy I can refuse the med and put the onus of the pharmacist to straighten things out with the prescribing doc. MUCH easier than trying to straighten out mistakes after I'm home. I'm not always their favorite customer but I leave with correct medicines, dosages, amts, etc. This is your right; don't allow them to dismiss you, and remember: The squeaky wheel gets the grease!' I usually ask to see my prescriptions to check them before paying. You have a better chance of being accommodated with less grief. I make my requests kindly and taking care not to infer it's anyone's fault. (ie.Just let me check my Rx in front of you to be sure everything is correct. It's just something I do. Thank you). They may think I'm a crazy OCD old lady but I go home with the correct meds.
Irina good for you!! Sensible course of action! 😊 We should all do this.
In the uk the pharmacy is often separate to the GP surgery and the pharmacist can only issue what is on the prescription. If the doctor has written it incorrectly we have to go back to the GP to tell them. Thas what I had to do -several times! Lol....
Hi waveylines. It's the same here. Pharmacists can only fill what the doc has written. But since there are so many pharmacists and we can choose who to give our business to, pharmacists will call the doctor and straighten out messes for us in order to keep our business. They collect our copays and the rest from our insurance. Money is a great motivator re service! LOL but true. My pharmacy and pharmacist are great but mostly when collecting our meds we deal with 'pharmacy clerks'-getting and paying for Rx. Most of them are really just sales clerks leaving the pharmacist free to mainly fill rx. They don't usually have special knowledge re meds, health probs, etc. Actually no med training. So it pays to check your meds before walking away. I can ask to speak to the pharmacist but sometimes have to wait which is fine. But I know not to expect the clerks to be responsible for checking my meds are correct. They just hand you the bag and collect your money. The pharmacists understand wanting to check your meds but the clerks sometimes get annoyed with my checking everything before leaving the counter. That's fine with me. My agenda is to leave with the correct meds.
I was in the wonderfully silly situation of having 100 microgram levothyroxine - 56 tablets - and 25 microgram levothyroxine - 28 tablets - on different dates... (I split the 25 tablets to give daily 112.5 - or as near as I can manage.)
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Short use by on T3. My email to MHRA and their response!
Refused prescription and referred to the CCG?
An interesting piece from the lancet 
T3 Hospital have refused to supply another prescription!!
