Buying blue (ventolin) asthma inhaler

gwen80

Lily-Rose wrote: »

In answer to peoples questions, this isn't about me. I am asking on behalf of a friend whose son is going away (tomorrow) for 2 weeks. He only has a bit of his blue inhaler left, and she wondered if she could buy one over the counter for him to save bothering the doctor.

I think it makes far more sense to be able to pop into the pharmacy and buy a blue inhaler, than to waste the doctor's time (as well as hers and her son's.) We waste enough NHS funds as it is, surely it would make sense to just be able to pop into the pharmacy and buy one from over the counter.

Anyway, she rang the doctor's surgery this morning, and they are giving her son a prescription for one later today.

She is still interested to know though, if anywhere sells them, as she now has to finish work an hour early (and lose an hour's pay,) to go get it from the surgery, when she could have got it in her lunch hour from the town centre where she works if one of the pharmacists had sold them.

Thanks for your responses, but as I said, it would be handy if someone could suggest any pharmacy that sell them over the counter.

I'm sure it would be handy, but medicines are classified as prescription only for a reason.

I'm glad they got a prescription from the doctor in the end.

Anoneemoose

I bought my daughter one from Asda in Carlisle about 18 months ago. It was done as a private prescription, I believe, and cost about £9.

We had gone away for the weekend to the Lakes last minute and in the rush, forgot to take one with us. The pharmacist took lots of details first before deciding whether to do it as well.

heartbreak_star

Anoneemoose wrote: »

I bought my daughter one from Asda in Carlisle about 18 months ago. It was done as a private prescription, I believe, and cost about £9.

We had gone away for the weekend to the Lakes last minute and in the rush, forgot to take one with us. The pharmacist took lots of details first before deciding whether to do it as well.

I'm quite surprised they didn't charge you for the prescription as well...

HBS x

Anoneemoose

heartbreak_star wrote: »

I'm quite surprised they didn't charge you for the prescription as well...

HBS x

I paid £24 altogether (IIRC) and that included one of the tube things that kids use (forgot what they're called).

And my daughter was only 8 at the time, so don't know if that's why. Needless to say, we have never forgotten to take them since!

Hermia

Lily-Rose wrote: »

In answer to peoples questions, this isn't about me. I am asking on behalf of a friend whose son is going away (tomorrow) for 2 weeks. He only has a bit of his blue inhaler left, and she wondered if she could buy one over the counter for him to save bothering the doctor.

I think it makes far more sense to be able to pop into the pharmacy and buy a blue inhaler, than to waste the doctor's time (as well as hers and her son's.) We waste enough NHS funds as it is, surely it would make sense to just be able to pop into the pharmacy and buy one from over the counter.

My asthma nurse said they won't allow that because they need to ensure people are controlling their asthma. She said too many people just rely on their Ventolin and don't use their preventer inhaler properly (or at all) and don't make the lifestyle changes necessary. The next thing you know the person has had a serious asthma attack. There is a very good reason why they monitor your Ventolin use and haul you into the asthma nurse if you start wanting more and more prescriptions.

Does anyone remember an asthma thread similar to this about six months ago? There was some wonderful advice in it, but whoever posted the thread kept arguing with everyone and it got deleted. It was a shame as there really was some solid advice that could have been useful to refer to here.

Alwayspurple

Spain. Bit nearer ;-)
I can get my thyroxine too if I forget my medical card with prescription on