Have You Had This Happen To You

[srobertson06]

I have just returned from a short break away from home, I accidentally left my medication behind - so I phoned a pharmacy who informed me to contact my doctor/surgery and get them to fax a script over for an emergency prescription to cover the few days - so I duly phoned my surgery who said 'NO' they do not fax anything to anyone.......... They informed me to find a doctors and complete a temporary patient form and then they would issue me the prescription - so I duly went along to a medical centre and completed the temporary patient form - the next problem they only had a doctor available until lunchtime - my surgery took so long to send the information across that by the time they got the 'summary' it was too late as no doctor - and then they were closed on Saturday's..........
The consequence of this is that I had to go the whole weekend with no medication - admitted it was not the end of the world or my life but it did make me wonder is this happening to everyone who runs out or forgets their meds............ would it have made a difference if the medication was more life threatening.

I am still in disbelief - thankfully due to keeping the carbs under control I managed to keep the blood glucose readings on the whole below 8.0 - although since returning home and getting back on the meds the readings are still around the 8's - hoping they will come down a little over the next couple of days.

I felt like I was given the run around and wasted half a day of my weekend away trying to get a few tablets - so I will try extra hard never to forget the tablets again - also to always take the tablet boxes away with me as they said they might have dispensed some if I had the original packaging - I always dispense them into a tablet box as I struggle to open the foil strips.

Moan over, lesson learnt, hope never to do it again!

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

It's happened to me more than once, forgetting or miscalculating.

Madeira - saw nice Italian doctor who had studied medicine in London, I had to get fax number and the doctor's admin people did the rest.

Maui, Hawaii - issued with no problem . . . . . . . except for doctor who my wife described as being as mad as a box of frogs telling me that I was having a heart attack. Spent 36 hours in hospital . . . . . . I have the heart of an ox, maybe that was her problem LOL

Barbados - saw doctor who said just go to the pharmacy and buy what you like (metformin).

My only suggestion would be to be very wary of US doctors who love it when you confirm you're insured. Speaking to an american couple on the way home there have been several court cases where MDs have referred people for unnecessary surgery. My "mad as a box of frogs" MD told me I needed a triple bypass, my GP back home disagrees.

 

[srobertson06]

It's happened to me more than once, forgetting or miscalculating.

Madeira - saw nice Italian doctor who had studied medicine in London, I had to get fax number and the doctor's admin people did the rest.

Maui, Hawaii - issued with no problem . . . . . . . except for doctor who my wife described as being as mad as a box of frogs telling me that I was having a heart attack. Spent 36 hours in hospital . . . . . . I have the heart of an ox, maybe that was her problem LOL

Barbados - saw doctor who said just go to the pharmacy and buy what you like (metformin).

My only suggestion would be to be very wary of US doctors who love it when you confirm you're insured. Speaking to an american couple on the way home there have been several court cases where MDs have referred people for unnecessary surgery. My "mad as a box of frogs" MD told me I needed a triple bypass, my GP back home disagrees.

It is a relief to know I am not alone in all this, so frustrating and thank you for the advice when abroad - I was in Cyprus earlier this year and needed more meds for another issue and they were really good.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

It is a relief to know I am not alone in all this, so frustrating and thank you for the advice when abroad - I was in Cyprus earlier this year and needed more meds for another issue and they were really good.

My present surgery was very good when I was getting the benefit of more heart tests than we routinely get here. I had sort of "smelled a rat" because the initial diagnosis was based on a blood test for troponin. Something that is only present when you have a heart attack. It was positive at the doctor's clinic and then negative at the hospital, twice, they even did the lab work rather than rely on the machine. As soon as I heard "triple bypass" I casually mentioned that I didn't think my insurance went as far as triple bypasses and I was discharged that afternoon. My GP was faxed 38 pages of notes and it broke their machine, I don't think it could take the strain. Saw GP as soon as I got back and her interpretation was different to original US MD having seen all my tests. Bit worrying as a friend of my spent 2 weeks in a US hospital followed by a further 2 weeks as the result of a **** up in the first two weeks. Total cost? US$500,000 to the nearest 10,000. Covered by his insurance who seem quite happy for him to travel to the US again.

 

[Enclave]

i did run out of my heart meds when away from home once. I am on a yearly repeat script, so just contacted my chemist who faxed the script across to the other chemist ... sorted

 

[Shar67]

I run out when I was at home, out of hours doctor was great, said it happened all the time