Prescription delays

[StayinLane]

Hi there,

I’m type 1 on Fiasp, Levemuir and Freestyle libre 2. My GP has a 5 day before due date notice period for repeat prescriptions but my Boots pharmacy can take up to two weeks to text me to say my prescription has arrived.

Obviously the maths does not equal survival. Is this a widespread problem and if so are there any tips out there.

Thanks

 

[Ushthetaff]

I’m quite lucky if I order (online)on a Monday for example I can get my medication on the Wednesday , I pick up my prescription from the surgery and put it into the chemist and collect medication myself , I’m in Scotland , if I order over the weekend my prescription is normally ready to collect on the Tuesday afternoon

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi there,

I’m type 1 on Fiasp, Levemuir and Freestyle libre 2. My GP has a 5 day before due date notice period for repeat prescriptions but my Boots pharmacy can take up to two weeks to text me to say my prescription has arrived.

Obviously the maths does not equal survival. Is this a widespread problem and if so are there any tips out there.

Thanks

Have you considered asking around in other pharmacies what their turnaround times are for electronic prescriptions?

Until recently, I could make a request before the surgery opened, and collect from the pharmacy later in the same day. The pharmacy has recently changed hands. They now have a 2 day turnaround for routine prescriptions.

Obviously, scripts for acute issues are done immediately.

 

[Westley]

I realise it doesn't help you in the short term, but as a long term strategy I try and keep a decent buffer of supplies, especially insulin, so even if there's an issue with one prescription, or a supply shortage, natural disaster etc. I'd have enough for quite a while.
I keep it in date order in the fridge and use the oldest boxes first (and anyway the use by date is usually a couple of years away), so none ever goes to waste.
I built up this buffer over many months of reordering at a slightly higher rate than I was using.
I figure I'm actually using fewer NHS resources in the long run this way, because once I have that buffer I use at the same rate, and I'm less likely to need the sort of complicated emergency support that totally running out would lead to. I guess just when I finally kick the bucket there'll be a few extra boxes left in the fridge. I should put a note in my will to pass them to some other diabetic who needs them!

 

[Sico]

My surgery won’t let me order until 7 days before I’m due to run out. Then they take 4 working days to process it. then it gets to boots that want 3 working days to get ready. Which granted is 7 day’s total but they don’t count Saturday Sunday so it’s really 9 days in total for them. Luckily (or not so) there is more than me in family that needs insulin and our prescriptions are a couple of weeks apart so we just use each others when needs be (same insulin pens etc).

As for boots texting you to say it’s ready I’m lucky if they bother. But they are good at emergency ones if the timing’s get messed up

 

[In Response]

My GP has a 2 day turn around for prescriptions.
My pharmacy depends upon delivery days (they only have deliveries on 2 days per week) and availability. I usually get my diabetes stuff within 3 days but it has been as long as 10 days. I always have enough stock at home for at least 2 weeks.

 

[becca59]

Interesting replies. I always order on line where it shows if I can reorder that item. Insulin is NEVER restricted as it shouldn’t be. Nobody has ever monitored what I am injecting and tied that in to how much I’m allowed. But obviously I do not abuse it. Order goes in first thing. Turn around depends on availability. Sometimes I get a text from chemist later that day. But usually one to two days. It’s a local village chemist about 5 mins walk, everyone knows me and if I’m desperate for some reason then the chemist will get straight on the phone and guarantee a delivery later that day or first thing the following day. Have had trouble just recently with needle availability, but he matched another make he had on his shelf and gave me that box. I am on sly lucky.
My advice @StayinLane would be to source another chemist that you can perhaps build a relationship with.

 

[EllieM]

I have had times when my chemist can't source my whole order, but as I get all my scripts from them they tend to keep some in stock for me. My GP has a turnaround of 48 hours for scripts (you can get 24 if you pay) but usually ut's done in 24 hours anyway and sent straight to my chemist (a small one next to the GP).

But I'm in New Zealand not the UK. ( Interestingly, I notice my insulin is much nearer its expiry date than when I lived in Australia or the UK. )

 

[StayinLane]

Thanks for the replies. It seems like I’m at the worse end of the experience scale but Boots may be a common problem. My GP is really good with most things so that would make sense. Before Christmas my delay was two weeks and they were waiting for one of the insulins. When I went in and asked, the penny seemed to drop that this stuff keeps you alive. But here I am again. This time I went in after almost a week and a half and they had the insulin but not the Freestyle Libre sensors. Today is day 12 and still no word. Before I went in I was on old insulin and I’m now still using testing strips off eBay. My plan is to pick up my sensors when they arrive then switch Pharmacies. Then order stocks for twice as long so I reduce my interactions by 50%. I’ll also order early and be ready with an explanation. I may buy a dedicated small fridge and try the buffer stores idea mentioned. This would be really useful if I have to jump on a plane for a work trip. It’s nice to know there isn’t a national shortage. It means the problem is local so fixable.

Thanks again

 

[Mungobean]

I spoke to the manager in my local Boots pharmacy. She advised me to ring them up if there is something I need sooner, rather than later. So for example today I had a script for my painkillers and I needed them today,so I rang and asked if I could collect ‘this morning’ and they said they would prepare my meds straight away. I collected them before 10 am. This works well for us both, but I don’t abuse it - meds that I don’t need urgently, I just let them go through the usual 7-10 days turnaround. With items such as my insulin, they don‘t keep it in stock, but if I ring and an item isn’t in stock, they will endeavour to have the item for me either later that day (If I have rung them before 10am) or the following morning. Saying that though, they seem unable to get my Abasaglar in at the moment - they have told me there is a manufacturer’s issue. They have tried to order from a different supplier and I am to ring them on Monday to see if it has come in - and if not, I can talk to my GP about an alternative. I am currently ok for about three weeks.

 

[DEBBIESCOTT]

I order my medication a week in advance & they text me when it’s ready, mostly in 1-2 days (they know I order in advance)
Fortunately my daughter is a pharmacist ( was our local pharmacist but on maternity leave) & they all know me, if I ever need anything they dispense it straight away
7-10 days is a long time to wait

 

[Outlier]

I don't take meds for diabetes but do take a blood thinner. With the current system between pharmacy and GP, it can easily take 2 weeks between me requesting more meds and actually getting them. I don't make the system and nor does the pharmacy, but it is what it is. Therefore I stockpile.

 

[Daphne917]

We used to have a 2 week turnaround but when I ordered a couple of days too early the surgery rejected the request without telling us and by the time we realised and reordered my husband was left for 2 days without one of his Parkinson’s pills which caused him some problems. In the end we changed to our local Tesco pharmacy - order goes to GP on a Thursday and my husband gets a text the following Monday or Tuesday to say the pills are ready.

 

[lovinglife]

I think for me the problems getting my prescriptions began when Boots stopped ordering the scripts from the GP for you. You now have to call your GP when your repeat run comes to an end, My surgery is quick but we live in a small town with only a small Boots who don’t stock a lot of even the most common drugs. I waited 7 days for my Metformin because they order it in and it comes from a bigger Boots store - it’s ridiculous