Prescription woes

[Joandollie]

Hi all

Hoping someone can offer some advice in relation to prescriptions for Metformin. I have been on 2000mg for about 2 weeks now. However, once again, my doctors have failed to send my prescription to my nominated chemist. This means that I have none left and will have to wait another 3 days for them to sort it out. They absolutely will not issue my prescriptions until the last minute so this is happening more frequently
How detrimental is this likely to be, given that I've only recently built my dose up to 4 tablets a day? TIA

 

[psignathus]

Hi all

Hoping someone can offer some advice in relation to prescriptions for Metformin. I have been on 2000mg for about 2 weeks now. However, once again, my doctors have failed to send my prescription to my nominated chemist. This means that I have none left and will have to wait another 3 days for them to sort it out. They absolutely will not issue my prescriptions until the last minute so this is happening more frequently
How detrimental is this likely to be, given that I've only recently built my dose up to 4 tablets a day? TIA

Go to your doctors and tell them you need your meds immediately. they will have to get you your prescription there and then. do not take no for an answer. I also now collect my own prescription for this very reason.

 

[Resurgam]

You might try pestering your chemist to find out if the prescription has arrived yet - tell them that you have run out or have only so many tablets left. In the past my chemist has been willing to give me tablets without the prescription which should have been sent to them so that I would not go off on holiday without enough tablets to last me - and they gave the surgery a real earful when they found that I'd put the request in on time and been back twice to try to sort it out.

 

[Johnjoe13]

I'd too would go to the surgery and tell them to issue the prescription right away, I'm on metformin too and I would not go without it for more than a day. I usually re-order on line at my surgery and do so at least 4 days before my prescription runs out, I also phone the chemist the day before I due to pick my prescriptions up to make sure they are there and if not then at least I've time to contact the surgery and get something sorted, I do have other medications as well you see. With all the best will in the world and the good intentions of the surgery & chemists I do think it's best to have plan b running I the background just in case.

 

[Joandollie]

Go to your doctors and tell them you need your meds immediately. they will have to get you your prescription there and then. do not take no for an answer. I also now collect my own prescription for this very reason.

Unfortunately I can't go in to collect as the surgery is only open during office hours and I work in a different town. I changed the chemist to one with better opening hours but I'm still having the problem

 

[Joandollie]

You might try pestering your chemist to find out if the prescription has arrived yet - tell them that you have run out or have only so many tablets left. In the past my chemist has been willing to give me tablets without the prescription which should have been sent to them so that I would not go off on holiday without enough tablets to last me - and they gave the surgery a real earful when they found that I'd put the request in on time and been back twice to try to sort it out.

The chemist hasn't had my prescription from the GP. I didn't find out until 530pm by which time my doctors was shut. My prescription was also put into the doctors in plenty of time.

 

[Joandollie]

I'd too would go to the surgery and tell them to issue the prescription right away, I'm on metformin too and I would not go without it for more than a day. I usually re-order on line at my surgery and do so at least 4 days before my prescription runs out, I also phone the chemist the day before I due to pick my prescriptions up to make sure they are there and if not then at least I've time to contact the surgery and get something sorted, I do have other medications as well you see. With all the best will in the world and the good intentions of the surgery & chemists I do think it's best to have plan b running I the background just in case.

You are probably correct to say I should have a plan b. I always put the prescription in at least 4 days ahead and have phoned in advance on previous occasions. I have other meds too (painkillers) but I can manage without those if I really have to but because I'm new to Metformin I have no idea what effect not having them will have

 

[Deleted member 308541]

My GP gives me my prescriptions when I am in his surgery, as it take less than a couple of minutes to print them out. I can then go to any pharmacy of my choice.

The UK health system has a bizarre way of working, when it is so easy to give the 'scripts to the patient while he / she is there.

 

[Joandollie]

My GP gives me my prescriptions when I am in his surgery, as it take less than a couple of minutes to print them out. I can then go to any pharmacy of my choice.

The UK health system has a bizarre way of working, when it is so easy to give the 'scripts to the patient while he / she is there.

My doctors surgery will only do this if I make an appointment. I guess that's what I will have to do but it's a pain having to go to work late or leave early regularly just to get my prescription when I need it . The facility to do this electronically is perfect for me but is sadly not working.

 

[Johnjoe13]

You are probably correct to say I should have a plan b. I always put the prescription in at least 4 days ahead and have phoned in advance on previous occasions. I have other meds too (painkillers) but I can manage without those if I really have to but because I'm new to Metformin I have no idea what effect not having them will have

Looks like you are getting a rough deal there, I think where any medication is concerned there is a danger it will not be as effective should there be an interruption in taking the prescribed dose. I know I'm not familiar with you G.P services but If I were you I would consider phoning them tomorrow as asking them what they suggest you do as it appears to be their delay. Ask to speak with the practice manager if you are not happy. There are some surgeries that send prescription electronically, mine does so if yours does it may be it can be done straight away.

 

[Joandollie]

Looks like you are getting a rough deal there, I think where any medication is concerned there is a danger it will not be as effective should there be an interruption in taking the prescribed dose. I know I'm not familiar with you G.P services but If I were you I would consider phoning them tomorrow as asking them what they suggest you do as it appears to be their delay. Ask to speak with the practice manager if you are not happy. There are some surgeries that send prescription electronically, mine does so if yours does it may be it can be done straight away.

My GP surgery does send them electronically but I think it's falling down somewhere along the way. I can email or fax a request over, or do it in person at the surgery. Any one of these options as to be done 3 working days before you require the prescription. Despite the prescriptionsbeing electronic, the delay appears to be in getting the GP to sign them off first. I will be speaking to the surgery in the morning as soon as they open.
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to reply

 

[RosieLKH]

Does the GP surgery have online prescription ordering? I order mine online & can collect from a chemist I name. That way I am in control of when I order. If I forget though, then it's also down to me! I set a reminder to email me from my google calendar.

 

[miahara]

Is there no way you can get your surgery to issue a 'repeat prescription' a few days before you run out of pills?
I do it by filling in a form, dropping it into the surgery and then picking up the pills in the chemist 48 hours later. I could also do it by phone. Seems like your Doc needs a bit of 'encourgement'.

 

[PETER57]

Hi all

Hoping someone can offer some advice in relation to prescriptions for Metformin. I have been on 2000mg for about 2 weeks now. However, once again, my doctors have failed to send my prescription to my nominated chemist. This means that I have none left and will have to wait another 3 days for them to sort it out. They absolutely will not issue my prescriptions until the last minute so this is happening more frequently
How detrimental is this likely to be, given that I've only recently built my dose up to 4 tablets a day? TIA

raise the matter with the reception it may not be doctors fault it could be surgery admin fault

 

[BrianTheElder]

Hi, I see your original post was 3 days ago. How did you get on?
I think there is no substitute in these cases for putting in a personal appearance at the reception and letting them see how desperate you are. In general though, I think you have to 'play the game' and start requesting your meds a bit earlier than you need them.

 

[Joandollie]

Does the GP surgery have online prescription ordering? I order mine online & can collect from a chemist I name. That way I am in control of when I order. If I forget though, then it's also down to me! I set a reminder to email me from my google calendar.

This is what I do but its falling down somewhere. It's sorted now but the GPs 72 hours notice is sometimes extending to an extra 24 hours. I can't win with them because they won't issue them too far in advance of me running out so I feel like I'm having to leave it til last minute every time.

 

[Joandollie]

Hi, I see your original post was 3 days ago. How did you get on?
I think there is no substitute in these cases for putting in a personal appearance at the reception and letting them see how desperate you are. In general though, I think you have to 'play the game' and start requesting your meds a bit earlier than you need them.

My GP will not issue too far in advance, this is why I'm struggling to get what I need on time. i'm going to make an appointment to see if I can sort it out permanently

 

[Joandollie]

Is there no way you can get your surgery to issue a 'repeat prescription' a few days before you run out of pills?
I do it by filling in a form, dropping it into the surgery and then picking up the pills in the chemist 48 hours later. I could also do it by phone. Seems like your Doc needs a bit of 'encourgement'.

It's all repeat but as mentioned in another post, my GP seems reluctant to allow the prescription to be filled too far in advance and 72 hours becomes 96

 

[Japes]

I gave up on the prescription going straight through to the pharmacy as something went wrong every time. I had both sides blaming each other, and being utterly childish about itin the process after 18 months of me trying to do as requested by both sides and to understand the system. Also resulted in me ending up on at least three occasions within six months with no medication for a couple of days..

I ended up stating I would put my repeat in 10 days before I needed to, I would collect it 72 hours afterwards, and if it wasn't ready I would not leave reception until it was. If this was inconvenient, then I would change surgery. They also decided to put me on a 2 monthly repeat, rather than monthly and it's gone better since.

 

[Jay-Marc]

With electronic prescriptions the delays can be with the pharmacy as well as the GP - they can mysteriously get held up in the system, particularly with some of the big national companies that collect them all centrally and send them back out to the branches periodically. The problem I had was not them disappearing but somehow being duplicated.

My doctor gave a run down of the best to the worst but it would be unfair to repeat here as things have probably changed by now.