Three-month Prescribing For Stable Patients

[helvella]

I emailed my PCT re their near-blanket 28-day prescribing rule (which does seem to grudgingly allow doctors to prescribe for 56-days if they think they need to).

This is their response:

Thank you for highlighting this report to us, as this is a very new report we have not yet had time to read and implement its contents. We still recommend 28 day prescribing for most situations, but there has always been discretion for GPs to give longer-term supplies for stable patients. The suitable length of supply depends on many factors especially how stable the patient is.

Since the wording of the report states

Levothyroxine should be prescribed and dispensed in quantities covering three months supply, where appropriate, in order to address issues of continuity of supply and also to improve convenience to patients

that each patient on thyroxine needs to be individually assessed by his GP. If a patient shows the report to their GP it seems likely that they will be able to persuade him to give longer term prescriptions.

Which I take as meaning they feel they cannot be seen to be imposing 28- or even 56-day prescribing on GPs for stable patients.

If you have a problem persuading your PCT, I suggest you contact them quoting the above and the MHRA report itself:

mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/pl-...

Rod

Picture is an Aztec calendar

[PinkNinja]

Brilliant! Thanks for that. My GP prescribes most of my meds for 56 days and I didn't need to ask. My Dad's prescribes some of his for 3 months. I know many people are stuck with the 28 day scripts so hopefully this will help then

[shaws Administrator]

Yes, thanks for that info. Mine doesn't prescribe more than 28 days for husband (chronic) too which is a nuisance if you have to go on holiday or somewhere when your prescrip is due.

It definitely costs the NHS more money to issue monthly only.

[Flowers2]

That's great. I have managed to get my GP to give me 56 days supply now.

[Poppy03]

I am on T3 only and was getting about 3 months supply but GP decided, without asking, to change it to 7 weeks. Why on earth do Drs, with years of training, still not understand that 28 tablets are not 1 month!! I order them from their online system and my chemist picks up the prescription and I just pick it up from the chemist when I am nearby so it is not a major problem. I have also built up a stock of about 4-5 weeks extra too. May ask GP to up the amount he prescripes but wont but until my review later this year.

They did try and put me on the monthly prescribing thing whereby I would have to go to my chemist once a month to get my medication. This way the chemist gets paid more as he gets paid per time he dispenses. I refused point blank as I have read about too many people being controlled by their chemist!

[carnation]

Hope my GP doesn't read this! I have been getting 3 x 28 day packs of thyroxene for a long time. Have also accumulated an 'emergency backup'.

But why can I only have 56 days of blood pressure tablets? I only have to be checked annually and it is not good to go without so it would make sense to have 3 months of those too.

[greenginger]

Hi I am hyper on carbimazole and they only prescribe that in 28 days at my GPs.

However quite a few months ago my endo put down my prescription from 2 tablets to 1 tablet per day and informed my GPs. They took no notice and so keep giving me 56 tablets to last 28 days. So I take one tablet per day for 56 days.

Ways and means people, ways and means.

[Stourie]

I also get 56 days supply of t3 tubs. 6 in all as I take 3 or 4 a day.

Jo xx

[JennyRay]

Thanks for this Rod. It is a constant battle, particularly when more than one medication is prescibed. I will print off the Report.

[Muffy]

They should prescribe for three months as per MHRA guide.