Pharmacy Posting Drugs, Packaging

[Tarcwin]

I have had my drugs posted for some while now. However, the amount of packaging is starting to concern me and the cost. I am over yo so do not pay for my drugs or postage. Somebody does. I received my lates Teresita package this week in a big box (see image). I was amazed after unwrapping everything how much packaging there was. Large box, Sheep’s wool wrapping, 3 ice packs and one small box of insulin. Recycling most of it an issue.

so what is the alternative? A good question for the forum and industry I think. I understand that temperature is an issue with Insulin, but is there and alternative to all this packaging and waste?

let’s cut waste and cost.

 

[Jaylee]

I have had my drugs posted for some while now. However, the amount of packaging is starting to concern me and the cost. I am over yo so do not pay for my drugs or postage. Somebody does. I received my lates Teresita package this week in a big box (see image). I was amazed after unwrapping everything how much packaging there was. Large box, Sheep’s wool wrapping, 3 ice packs and one small box of insulin. Recycling most of it an issue.

so what is the alternative? A good question for the forum and industry I think. I understand that temperature is an issue with Insulin, but is there and alternative to all this packaging and waste?

let’s cut waste and cost.

Oh wow.!

Was all that for just 1 box of X5 Tresiba cartridges??

 

[becca59]

In the Uk? Chemist. Wouldn’t feel comfortable with that level of packaging.

 

[JenniferM55]

There's two in our house that has drugs delivered, for me it's in a padded envelope and my husbands is usually in a box, our medication doesn't need to be kept cold.

We do have frozen meat delivered (as a gift from our daughter) from time to time, that's packed in sheep's wool. Sheep's wool is the best insulator you can get, and the wool used is a bi-product. It's organic and probably costs as much as polystyrene but without 'THE' footprint. I love the wool, if you're handy you can do lots of things with it, so far I've lined hanging baskets with it, have used it as stuffing for many arty stuff, at the moment I'm thinking of making something similar to a 'hay box' to save on cooking power.

I guess if you add up the costs of personnel, including holiday etc., to serve you in the pharmacy, and compare that with packing and postage costs, there may not be much in it.

The company we use state on their website:

​

With 43% of the UK population currently receiving a repeat prescription, it currently costs the NHS £8 billion each year1. Here’s how ********* helps GPs and the NHS:

• 60 days a year1 are saved by each GP practice when patients use online ordering including with *********
• £155 million is saved by the NHS thanks to online ordering1
• ******* dispensing costs are 16% to 29% cheaper to the NHS than other methods2

 

[Tarcwin]

Oh wow.!

Was all that for just 1 box of X5 Tresiba cartridges??

It certainly was. I and my wife were amazed. Surely there is guidelines, but I cannot find them. Interesting that the Pharmacy have a statement that they post within 24 hrs. The Tresiba site says they can be out of the fridge for up to 28 days. They also state the can be put back in the fridge without degrading the drugs 56 day period. Curious!

 

[AndBreathe]

@Tracwin , is there a reason you can't use your local pharmacy? If you aren't able to be out and about easily, our pharmacy does a free delivery service.

During lock-down, they insisted on delivering to everyone, irrespective of age or ability. (Their rationale was to limit lots of people coming F2F with the staff. Obviously the driver was "disposable". )

Pharmacies are paid a fee to dispense prescriptions. If they are sending out more than 20 parcels a week, Royal Mail do discounted rates. Franked mail is also discounted. I imaging all the other delivery bods will do something similar in such a competitive world.

One thing you can be sure of is that it must still be profitable for you remote pharmacy to operate as they do, else they wouldn't offer the service.