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Disaster - advice please

John_H

John_H

Active Member
Messages
38
Checked into my hotel, 60 miles from home and I have forgotten to pack my insulin - all of it - pens and vial to refill my pumped set up. I'm in a meeting for the next couple of days. Must I drive home tomorrow or can I get a vial of insulin, without a prescription from a chemist tomorrow am?
 
John_H said:
Checked into my hotel, 60 miles from home and I have forgotten to pack my insulin - all of it - pens and vial to refill my pumped set up. I'm in a meeting for the next couple of days. Must I drive home tomorrow or can I get a vial of insulin, without a prescription from a chemist tomorrow am?
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Not 100% sure but the pharmacy may be able to contact your doctor and ask them to send over a prescription for them to cover what they give you. The other option is go to the nearest hospital and they will give you insulin etc.
 
You are likely to need a prescription but your gp should be able to send (it was fax when I needed it but it may be email now) to a named pharmacy.
But with words like “likely to need” and “should be able to”, if it was me, I would take a deep breath and drive home to be sure ... just like I did when I got to Heathrow on a business trip and realised I had forgotten my passport. At least you won’t have to change your flight.

I had to drive home and back to my parents (70 miles each way) on Boxing Day once when I realised I had only taken enough basal for one dose. I got up early and was back to see everyone else eat their breakfast.

Not that I make a habit of forgetting things :rolleyes:
 
John_H said:
Many thanks Carlton both.
Can't believe I've actually done this!
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I've done it a few times, if it's not my pens when I was on the pens, it was my blood test stuff, if it wasn't them is was my glucose tablets etc...
 
John_H said:
Checked into my hotel, 60 miles from home and I have forgotten to pack my insulin - all of it - pens and vial to refill my pumped set up. I'm in a meeting for the next couple of days. Must I drive home tomorrow or can I get a vial of insulin, without a prescription from a chemist tomorrow am?
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John H - You could Google NHS Walk In Centre, plus wherever you are, and it should display your nearest centre. Most of those remain open until about 10. They could probably provide and interim prescription.
 
Not insulin but we went on holiday 2 weeks ago and forgot to take my son's meds - he takes meds for mental health and PTSD - I call 111 and a GP got back to me within 3 hours and did an emergency prescription for me to collect from an all night chemist - I didn't realise I'd forgotten them until I came to give him them at midnight! Had tablets he needed by 3 am.

If you haven't sorted it yet and you are going to call them do it ASAP - it's easier doing when the chemists are still open :)
 
John_H said:
Checked into my hotel, 60 miles from home and I have forgotten to pack my insulin - all of it - pens and vial to refill my pumped set up. I'm in a meeting for the next couple of days. Must I drive home tomorrow or can I get a vial of insulin, without a prescription from a chemist tomorrow am?
Click to expand...


I’ve done this kind of thing a few times over the years and have found that nhs walk in centres are great at providing some temporary meds and insulin pens, I’ve also had needles, blood test kits with strips, and glucose tablets from various walk in centres in the U.K. A local pharmacy could help too but it can take a while as they may need to contact your GP to get the prescription before they will actually give you anything!
Deffo give it a go before driving all that way home! And like suggested above if all else fails your local hospital is the best bet! Good luck!!
 
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