Repeat Prescription Nightmare

[donna255]

I get my prescriptions picked up by the local chemist.

Phoned surgery 22nd April ordered 3 items. Chemist pick up on a Tuesday and Friday from my surgery, called on Saturday and no meds as no prescription was in the surgery to collect. Phoned surgery Monday nightmare after the weekend, 50 minutes on the phone got through receptionist said it was picked up. Phone chemist, the girl said no not there but will get the driver who collects from my surgery. I phoned her mid-afternoon and no driver collection all the ready prescriptions and delivered to the different chemists. She phoned the other chemists on the route he did, and they did not have my prescription, so prescription getting reprinted. The driver called on Tuesday and no prescription printed for me, so today I ring chemist and again no prescription! Pharmacist phoned my surgery and told the prescription was printed but needed to be signed off with the in surgery pharmacist. So the chemist is sending the driver down again this afternoon to try to get my prescription. The original prescription was printed, but the surgery could not say if it had been cleared

Now, over the last few years this has happened to me, surgery insists prescription sent and the chemist saying no they log on their computer every prescription they receive before making it up. This will be the 3rd time, so I make sure to order any prescriptions well in advance. I actually thought my surgery had a grudge against at one point, as prescriptions seem to vanish into thin air, no one knows what happens. I remember talking to the surgery manager at point and just told they print XXX prescriptions every day and very rarely something can go wrong.

 

[PhaedrusR]

@donna255

Tldr your full post but:

If you can, use the e-prescriptions service. You register the nominated pharmacy. Then when you order your repeat prescription from the GP, online or via the NHS app or over phone, they automatically e-send the authorised prescription to the pharmacy, electronically.

The pharmacy does not have to collect a paper or other prescription from the GP. They receive the prescriptions authorised on their computer at the pharmacy, from the GP. No paper to lose/forget.

You can then just go to the pharmacy and pick up when ready. Usually within a day or 2 if items in stock. Very efficient.

More fiddly if you like to use different pharmacies and not a regular nominated one.

 

[Muttley]

I have a chronic health condition and get my medication from the hospital pharmacy. It's a bit of a faff because you have to leave an answerphone message (I hate leaving a message on a machine). A couple of years ago the nurse would ring you back saying the doctor has signed it off and it's been sent to the hospital pharmacy (they won't send it to a local one). They then stopped phoning you so I had to ring to chase it up as I had no idea if it had been done (often it hadn't been done, or the doctor won't sign it off).

I always ordered meds around 2-3 weeks early. Once I left it for ten days before ringing the hospital pharmacy who said they hadn't received it (they used to text to say it was ready but stopped doing that). I left another message and was pretty cross. And then when you do pick up the meds at the outpatients pharmacy there is always a very long queue even to just pick up what is waiting for you. They normally give me 3 months supply but if my blood results are not good I just get one month. So have to almost immediately order again.

But a couple of weeks ago I was ordering a repeat GP prescription online and saw they added my hospital meds to the list. I was almost due to order anyway so ordered that as well. It was signed off within 2 days, sent electronically and I picked them up at my nominated pharmacy. They only gave me 1 month but easy to order online. This will make a huge difference.

What annoys me is that my health condition is seriously affected by stress. No-one seems to care about the flare ups I get just trying to access the medication they want me to take.

Sorry, rant over!

 

[historymystery]

I have a chronic health condition and get my medication from the hospital pharmacy. It's a bit of a faff because you have to leave an answerphone message (I hate leaving a message on a machine). A couple of years ago the nurse would ring you back saying the doctor has signed it off and it's been sent to the hospital pharmacy (they won't send it to a local one). They then stopped phoning you so I had to ring to chase it up as I had no idea if it had been done (often it hadn't been done, or the doctor won't sign it off).

I always ordered meds around 2-3 weeks early. Once I left it for ten days before ringing the hospital pharmacy who said they hadn't received it (they used to text to say it was ready but stopped doing that). I left another message and was pretty cross. And then when you do pick up the meds at the outpatients pharmacy there is always a very long queue even to just pick up what is waiting for you. They normally give me 3 months supply but if my blood results are not good I just get one month. So have to almost immediately order again.

But a couple of weeks ago I was ordering a repeat GP prescription online and saw they added my hospital meds to the list. I was almost due to order anyway so ordered that as well. It was signed off within 2 days, sent electronically and I picked them up at my nominated pharmacy. They only gave me 1 month but easy to order online. This will make a huge difference.

What annoys me is that my health condition is seriously affected by stress. No-one seems to care about the flare ups I get just trying to access the medication they want me to take.

Sorry, rant over!

This seems pretty typical NHS, similar to what you hear time and time again - rarely any joined-up thinking and no consideration of the stress caused to the patient who has nothing better to do than keep ringing.

 

[PhaedrusR]

I have a chronic health condition and get my medication from the hospital pharmacy. It's a bit of a faff because you have to leave an answerphone message (I hate leaving a message on a machine). A couple of years ago the nurse would ring you back saying the doctor has signed it off and it's been sent to the hospital pharmacy (they won't send it to a local one). They then stopped phoning you so I had to ring to chase it up as I had no idea if it had been done (often it hadn't been done, or the doctor won't sign it off).

I always ordered meds around 2-3 weeks early. Once I left it for ten days before ringing the hospital pharmacy who said they hadn't received it (they used to text to say it was ready but stopped doing that). I left another message and was pretty cross. And then when you do pick up the meds at the outpatients pharmacy there is always a very long queue even to just pick up what is waiting for you. They normally give me 3 months supply but if my blood results are not good I just get one month. So have to almost immediately order again.

But a couple of weeks ago I was ordering a repeat GP prescription online and saw they added my hospital meds to the list. I was almost due to order anyway so ordered that as well. It was signed off within 2 days, sent electronically and I picked them up at my nominated pharmacy. They only gave me 1 month but easy to order online. This will make a huge difference.

What annoys me is that my health condition is seriously affected by stress. No-one seems to care about the flare ups I get just trying to access the medication they want me to take.

Sorry, rant over!

Great, so you can get all the meds you need via the GP and sent as e-prescription to the pharmacy.

It's only when an in-patient or at hospital when they prescribe something that you have to get it from the hospital pharmacy.

Everything regular for ongoing conditions should be available to be prescribed by your GP.