Advice re Online Prescriptions and Brands

[K8TE]

Hi all,

I wondered if someone could give me some advice?

My dr's have recently changed their processes and I now need to either order prescriptions directly with them or have it done by a third party online.

I've chosen to use Lloyds Online Pharmacy however they have sent me medication from a brand I can't tolerate.

When I called to arrange a specific brand each time, they told me this wasn't possible as it was all done by robots.

My question: does anyone know of an online pharmacy who I can deal with who will allow me to specifically name which brand/s I want?

Thanks, Kate

[MaisieGray]

Are you sure they said you have to have your prescription dispensed by an online pharmacy, as it's no business of theirs nor do they have the authority to force you to do that. However, what they can do is choose to no longer routinely give you a hard copy of your prescription; and instead ask you to nominate a pharmacy to whom they send your prescription electronically. But that doesn't have to be an online pharmacy, it can be any pharmacy - the one you've always used, or any other. It is only the electronic transmission that is obligatory, not that you use an online company. So for instance, for my T3 I use a High St pharmacy in the south of the country - I'm in the Midlands - which mails my tablets to me; and for all my other meds, I have the prescription sent to the pharmacy down the road, and I pick them up when I want to. And it's nothing to do with my GP. So if you have a favourite pharmacy that's always worked with you rather than against you, and dispenses your meds by humans, you can chose them, and certainly ditch Lloyds online.

[K8TE in reply to MaisieGray]

Hi, the letter they sent said I could no longer use the electronic service whereby it went to my local pharmacist for me to collect.

I have to either order my own repeats online on the surgery system (which I've consistently had problems with) or have it done electronically online

I too thought it off. And inconvenient

[MaisieGray in reply to K8TE]

How bizarre; but I'm obviously being obtuse because it seems contradictory to say you can't use the electronic service to your local pharmacy, but can have it done electronically online. However, have you tried the NHS Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) telephone service. I used it recently whilst my Patient Access a/c was down, the operator I spoke to was very on the ball, and you can still nominate your preferred pharmacy. The pro or con, depending on your viewpoint, is that they are trained to reduce medicine waste so will identify any anomalies. For instance he picked up that I have my Levo prescribed in 100 tablets ie more than 3 months supply; and my practice has set a max of 2 months. But I explained that I'd had Levo for 4 decades and was certainly going to die still being hypothyroid so I'm never going to be ordering Levo unnecessarily, he agreed to leave it as is. Just an option to consider.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Many on here find it best to pick up the real paper prescription and then you can choose where you get your prescription dispensed

Many, many patients struggle to get the brand of Levothyroxine or T3 they need

Many patients find Different brands are not interchangeable

Small independent pharmacies are often far more helpful

[Caroline888]

If you have online access to your surgery (SystmOnline), you can very easily order repeat prescriptions and, at least with my surgery, there is the facility for making any additional requests. Thus I am able to specify the particular brand of levo that I want. I can also place on record the pharmacy I prefer to use.

Hope this helps.

All the best

Caroline

[K8TE in reply to Caroline888]

Hi, yeah my surgery has an online system but I've repeatedly had issues signing in and then getting access to do certain things. My surgery is a bus journey away and you can never get through via phone or indeed make an appt with the same dr consistently- so I was seekin to get control without having to move surgeries. I suspect I'm going to have to move surgeries!!

[Caroline888 in reply to K8TE]

Hi K8TE

Sorry to hear you've been having difficulties with online access. Is the system universally faulty or could you perhaps involve the surgery in sorting out your problems with it?

I think there seems to be many issues with surgeries at the moment. Everyone seems to be complaining that doctors are much less available than in the past. I too find it difficult to make an appointment with any doctor, least of all the same doctor consistently. I have been unable to see my nominated, and preferred, GP for over a year.

Being able to order medication online is a blessing. I tick the relevant boxes and just fetch my levo at a time convenient to me. The pharmacy will also deliver to my home if required.

Changing surgeries might work, especially if the new one is much closer to you, but the problems involved due to shortage of doctors may well persist.

I do hope you manage to resolve the problem soon.

All the best

Caroline

[MaisieGray in reply to Caroline888]

Caroline888 SystmOnline is only one of a number of systems that patients can use. I use Patient Access but when I had to re-register recently after an IT glitch, I had the option to chose from Patient Access, Evergreen Life, Dimec, myGP, and digi.me for instance.

[Starlet97]

Hi there. I can only tolerate Zantac as a ranitidine medication, not generics so I get a separate prescription from GP and use Oxford Online Pharmacy and have found them excellent. If you are exempt it is the same as any pharmacy, you don't pay but you need to pay p&p which is £2.99 I believe. Your prescription needs to state brand/medication exactly or you will get generic. They were the only pharmacy I could find which could supply this drug. Such a pain when you cannot tolerate some brands I have a very helpful pharmacy where I live though who go out of their way to help. Good luck. Other thing is if you order online ask them if they can supply drug on a continuous basis. Oxford online pharmacy has a chat window on the website which I find very useful. Good luck.