Asthma

[jjraak]

A simple note.
Have just tried to renew my asthma meds.
Can get the preventer, but not the blue reliever.

Have some left, just wanted to avoid that last minute panic with this covid crisis.
For those who require these, I might suggest if not stockpiling to check you have sufficient, bear in mind covid may present as s cold or flu or indeed be just s cold or flu, which will cause some issues if you have asthma.

ABC report the use of inhalers is a go to for Covid..story here.

Nice for others, if it's needed but not so nice if supplies drop off for sufferers

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/criti...ooms-coronavirus-cases-soar/story?id=69759965

 

[PenguinMum]

Thanks for the heads up JJ just checked with Mr PM and he has a few months supply but reordering on repeat prescription each month. You wouldnt believe it but we have our own separate meds cupboards. Spoke to a very tearful friend this morning who has a very frail mum in a care home having respite care but as she and hubby both so ill they have separated and mum is now homeless. My friend could make her sitting room into bedsit but Mum has great needs, two nurses and a hoist to get her in and out of bed and she has dementia. They cant afford the £1300 a week to keep her in the care home much longer and cant be sure if they take her in they will get the help they need. Both work.
Has Steph recovered? Has Lauren stopped work? Thank God you didnt find yourself trapped in India. TIMING IS EVERYTHING ...listening Boris?
I have a little sympathy for him cos no administration anywhere in the world has ALL the answers. (don’t worry it wont last long!!). Take care young JJ.

 

[Pipp]

Seriously, folks? Have enough inhalers, not extra!
I would hate to think I had a couple of months supply, that would eventually go out of date and be thrown out, that could have saved someone’s life.

I have suffered severe attacks, and know how awful they are. The panic of the feeling of having your lungs crushed, but people are going through this right now.

 

[PenguinMum]

Sorry for the off thread chat above I thought I was on

Seriously, folks? Have enough inhalers, not extra!
I would hate to think I had a couple of months supply, that would eventually go out of date and be thrown out, that could have saved someone’s life.

I have suffered severe attacks, and know how awful they are. The panic of the feeling of having your lungs crushed, but people are going through this right now.

I am sorry if that caused offence but Mr PM has not been stockpiling them he has always had backup recommended by his doctor long ago because he wouldnt last long without them.

 

[Pipp]

@PenguinMum
My post above was not aimed at you, or anyone else, specifically, so not sure why you think you had to apologise for offence. I was not offended.
I am making a general comment regarding the need to ensure we all stay as well as possible. I would always have a reliever inhaler about my person, because asthma and allergy attacks strike at random. I have one in my sport bag, which I take out to sport centre. That will now be my spare, as I don't envisage going to the gym or pool in the near future. I keep one full one and one being used. That suits me. I appreciate the heads up from @jjraak that there is going to be a possible shortage. We each have to do what we think right for our own individual circumstances. For my individual circumstances I am not going to be panicked into getting extra 'just in case' when that could mean someone in greater need cannot have that need met.
Be well.

 

[Lamont D]

I need an inhaler every now and then.
My son has his inhalers all different. A back up in case he loses the one he carries around with him.
My grandson has his inhalers, and of course the same as my son.
The FIL has far too many inhalers because of his COPD. Boots the chemist kept on sending them wether he ordered them or not, put a stop to that soon enough!
My wife has underlying conditions including COPD.
Unfortunately asthma is in our families history.

If I needed to order another inhaler for any of my lot, my surgery website or a phone call to the pharmacy would sort it soon enough. (Usually within 24 hours!)

Register with your pharmacy, they will be only too be pleased to help.(U.K.)

 

[jjraak]

Agree on the stockpiling.
But in the current crisis, I fear the lead has not inspired confidence fro .the govt.
Chemist are already saying they are running low as prices are increasing dramatically.

I too have the odd ventilator, car home etc.
The prescription is due next week.

The advice I gave was really for those affected to confirm, if under the circumstances they might be better bringing that vital medicine forward by a few days.
I'm sorry if that came across to you as panic

It just seemed prudent , isn't that the entire idea of those at risk, to as much as possible not present with serious illness, during the current crisis and add to the workload of the NHS at this most critical time.

I am sure you can agree none of us can be sure the next attack will be mild, and for many the inhaler as you know can be the matter between life and death,

As to previous poster, the tone of your post gave me pause too.
I thought it was most gracious of her to apologise even though from her post, none was required.

Stay well all.

 

[DCUKMod]

I need an inhaler every now and then.
My son has his inhalers all different. A back up in case he loses the one he carries around with him.
My grandson has his inhalers, and of course the same as my son.
The FIL has far too many inhalers because of his COPD. Boots the chemist kept on sending them wether he ordered them or not, put a stop to that soon enough!
My wife has underlying conditions including COPD.
Unfortunately asthma is in our families history.

If I needed to order another inhaler for any of my lot, my surgery website or a phone call to the pharmacy would sort it soon enough. (Usually within 24 hours!)

Register with your pharmacy, they will be only too be pleased to help.(U.K.)

Lamont, since June last year, pharmacies can no longer order medication; even for those for whom they are the nominated pharmacy. There are a very small number of exceptions to this.

That change caused widespread hullabaloo, leading up to and through it's implementation.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I have a supply of inhalers both relievers and preventers that will keep me going for a while, they have a use by date into 2021 so no fear being out of date.

The Australian federal government has put a cap on purchasing Ventolin over the counter at pharmacy's without a script, you can only get one now.

 

[DCUKMod]

I have a supply of inhalers both relievers and preventers that will keep me going for a while, they have a use by date into 2021 so no fear being out of date.

The Australian federal government has put a cap on purchasing Ventolin over the counter at pharmacy's without a script, you can only get one now.

In UK, Ventolin is prescription only

 

[Pipp]

As to previous poster, the tone of your post gave me pause too.

@jjraak. I am not sure if this is a response directed to me?

If so, I respectfully request that you read my posts again, and I will gladly clarify anything not understood.

At a time when everybody, literally everybody, has highly charged emotions it is very easy to misunderstand, or misconstrue meaning, and I am aware that there will be different opinions expressed, often influenced by personal experience and worries. I don’t believe disagreeing with someone should become polemic argument. We all have our own perspectives. All valid, in my opinion.

From my own perspective, I have someone very dear to me in the frontline of NHS, trying desperately to keep people alive, with scant resources for patients, and scarcity of the PPE to keep staff safe. Whilst I want to stay as well as possible myself, with my underlying conditions, and age there is doubt I would survive Covid-19. I would still pass on my inhaler to someone in more desperate situation. Though I hope that is never tested.

 

[Pipp]

Lamont, since June last year, pharmacies can no longer order medication; even for those for whom they are the nominated pharmacy. There are a very small number of exceptions to this.

That change caused widespread hullabaloo, leading up to and through it's implementation.

@DCUKMod. Not sure if this is the same for others, but in my area, the registration with pharmacy means that pharmacy has better idea of stock needed and orders in advance in anticipation of next prescription their registered patients are going to present.
Much better than the previous system that allowed the pharmacy to regularly dispense repeat prescriptions, which mean waste of items a patient did not always require on a regular basis.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

In UK, Ventolin is prescription only

Bummer!

Do I need a prescription.

This medicine is available from a pharmacy without prescription. It is Schedule 3 : Pharmacist Only Medicine.

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/medicines/brand/amt,52411000168107/ventolin-inhaler#poisons

 

[DCUKMod]

@DCUKMod. Not sure if this is the same for others, but in my area, the registration with pharmacy means that pharmacy has better idea of stock needed and orders in advance in anticipation of next prescription their registered patients are going to present.
Much better than the previous system that allowed the pharmacy to regularly dispense repeat prescriptions, which mean waste of items a patient did not always require on a regular basis.

Pipp, if you Google "repeat prescription changes 2019", you will see it is far and wide.

The issue was allegedly that pharmacists were ordering everything on everyone's repeat menu, whether they needed it or not, leading to undesirable and unnecessary stockpiling, because once Mrs Miggins had her script dispensed, she could not return the meds not required.

It was discussed, at length, at our various PPG meetings, leading up to, and following the changes, because the pharmacies, and surgery were receiving some pretty "robust and special feedback" - aka abuse.

 

[jjraak]

@Pipp, the fact the previous postee, apologised, suggest the tone was perhaps just a little off.
Sure it wasn't your intention.

No need to iluminate
sure we all have more important things to be doing at this time.

I do hope the person close to you stays well.
This is an awful time for them.
My best wishes for them and yourself.

Let's hope none are ever placed in the position of choosing who lives or dies.

Stay well.

 

[Pipp]

Pipp, if you Google "repeat prescription changes 2019", you will see it is far and wide.

The issue was allegedly that pharmacists were ordering everything on everyone's repeat menu, whether they needed it or not, leading to undesirable and unnecessary stockpiling, because once Mrs Miggins had her script dispensed, she could not return the meds not required.

It was discussed, at length, at our various PPG meetings, leading up to, and following the changes, because the pharmacies, and surgery were receiving some pretty "robust and special feedback" - aka abuse.

Yes, fully understand that. Agree that was needed, too.
What my independent pharmacy does, for patients who have registered with them, is once a prescription has been dispensed, order for their own stock, in anticipation, the items you will need for the next prescription. If the patient does not submit a prescription the next month it is available to dispense to someone else. This way the pharmacy can be searching for scarce items a month before their registered patients actually need them. Makes sound business sense to me, and perhaps I am fortunate to have such a savvy pharmacy.

 

[Lamont D]

Lamont, since June last year, pharmacies can no longer order medication; even for those for whom they are the nominated pharmacy. There are a very small number of exceptions to this.

That change caused widespread hullabaloo, leading up to and through it's implementation.

I forgot about that!
Since mine are on repeat, any meds can be ordered through a website.

If you read my post, that is what was happening to my FIL at Boots.
Regardless of what he ticked on his prescription, they sent everything on the script.
He now gets his meds in monthly blister packs.
One of the items on his prescription was paracetamol, no wonder there is none in the shops because of this covid19!

 

[Deleted member 308541]

One of the items on his prescription was paracetamol, no wonder there is none in the shops because of this covid19!

The Indians have cut back on exporting paracetamol, we have a shortage here and it is being rationed this will help with the stockpilers from hoarding it and selling it on fleabay.

I get a generic homebrand variety and that has dried up, and all that is available is the top brand names

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51731719

 

[Norfolkmell]

Don’t know if this helps or not, it might just be me being peculiar but at my asthma review in November I was told I could use my preventer as a reliever?

 

[Deleted member 308541]

Don’t know if this helps or not, it might just be me being peculiar but at my asthma review in November I was told I could use my preventer as a reliever?

I knew a person that used a preventer as a reliever, she was using Symbicort 200.