Need to get Byetta prescibed and cant - will this help?

[Trulee]

My diabetic consultant would like to try me on Byetta but has his hands tied by a PCT (BUcks) that will not allow it.

Someone said something to me earlier that made me think. Does anyone think it might work if I were to get my doctor to refer me 'out of area' (ie nine miles away to a hospital in Berkshire where Byetta is readily available)? If the consultants there were to prescribe, would my GP's hands still be tied or would he be able to prescribe for me??

Am getting to the end of my tether with this - am already trying to appeal to PCT but not getting very far at the minute - all suggestions welcomed.

thanks
Trulee

 

[Dennis]

Hi Trulee,

I have to say I am staggered that any PCT would dare to question a decision by a consultant as to what is the right treatment for a patient. Byetta is licenced and approved by NICE and is available throughout the country. If a consultant believes that it is the appropriate treatment for a diabetic patient then a PCT is not medically qualified and does not have the authority to challenge that decision. I'm equally surprised that your consultant hasn't hit the roof and read the riot act to them!!

Your PCT is acting well outside the bounds of it's authority and what you need to do is to write to the Sectreary of State for Health (Alan Johnson) at the House of Commons and explain what your PCT has done and ask him since when did any PCT have the authority to decide what treatments are right or wrong for a patient and to overturn the decision of a consultant.

 

[Trinkwasser]

Worth a try!

Something similar happened elsewhere, a friend's Endo was most annoyed that he was forbidden to prescribe Byetta as he had a bunch of potential patients lined up.

Eventually after much arguing the PCT permitted him to prescribe the Byetta *as long as he did not expect to be paid for his followup appointments*