Supply of meds problem

Ames

Thanks Gardenia. The six month thing probably wouldn't be allowed, I don't think I've had six months at the same level of meds for years, but that's mainly the Quetiapine that keeps getting increased. I don't especially want it for that long either because it would mean I'd get complacent and not tell my GP about changes - last year she spotted that I was manic when I didn't have a clue.

I've tried citalopram before but didn't get on with it.

I didn't realise that about the different wholesalers, I hope I haven't caused problems for the pharmacy now.

Owain_Moneysaver

Ames wrote: »

Owain, thanks for that - I didn't realise that the NHS board would know anything about pharmacies supply. I'll try and find an email address as I'm scared of using the phone. If I can't manage it I'll be seeing my GP next week anyway.

Email address on Leeds NHS webpage here

GlasweJen

Gardenia, the GP can prescribe on "dispense weekly/daily/fortnightly" if the patient is at risk of overdose which Ames states he is.

gardenia101

GlasweJen wrote: »

Gardenia, the GP can prescribe on "dispense weekly/daily/fortnightly" if the patient is at risk of overdose which Ames states he is.

Maybe I haven't explained it very well - the GP can prescribe weekly using post dated prescriptions or repeat dispensing eg: 4 x 7 days supply (for anyone), as they appear to be doing for Ames. What s/he can't legally do is issue 1 prescription for eg: "28 tablets 1 taken daily" then write on it to be dispensed weekly.

Pharmacies get paid for the medicine they supply (not always at the price they paid for it!) & a dispensing fee per item to cover the cost of packaging, producing the labels, payment for the time during the dispensing process, etc. Why should they be expected to lose 3 dispensing fees in the above example?

This is the major way they get paid - we don't get paid for giving advice/talking to patients or doing basic first aid - in fact, doing these things often cost us money as patients take their prescriptions (=cash) elsewhere as they never want to wait....

Can't say I blame any of them - you couldn't design a worse business plan than pharmacy is forced to work with!

spider125

Ask at your GP surgery if they have a named Medicine coordinator, I am doing this job and I am contacted daily by pts who are having problems with supply/pharmacies its my job to check locally for stock and assist pts with problems, I also am surprised you on Escitalopram due to cost !!!

gardenia101

spider125 wrote: »

Ask at your GP surgery if they have a named Medicine coordinator, I am doing this job and I am contacted daily by pts who are having problems with supply/pharmacies its my job to check locally for stock and assist pts with problems, I also am surprised you on Escitalopram due to cost !!!

Ames has already tried citalopram & didn't get on with it. The PCT I worked for request a patient had tried 2 different ADs (usually fluoxetine & citalopram) & not got on with either before escitalopram is tried, due to the big cost difference (& also a lack of evidence that escitalopram was much better generally than the others). But there was always the flexibility for the GP to prescribe whatever they preferred - these were just guidelines. I'm assuming Ames may have tried some other ADs in addition to citalopram.

I wish our surgeries had somebody doing your job - it sounds like an excellent idea. Here the surgeries seem happier to pass the troubles onto the pharmacies, but I think it is better to handle it at the surgery end if possible.

How long have you been doing this job? Sounds like you work for a progressive surgery....

vikki_louise

Hi, my old pharmacy said they couldn't get something in, so i rang boots and they had a huge stock of them! Try ringing round to see if anyone else has them x

seeya23

I have a history of overdoses as well i have bipolar but still get 28 days prescription for 3 meds and 56 day for lithium and that the i od on last year

fallen_angel_69

I work in a hospital pharmacy based in a mental health unit We are having terrible trouble getting that drug When we try to order it we get told manufacter can't supply so we have to ring them directly and then we can only get a couple of boxes at a time if we are lucky