Repeat prescriptions and seeing doctor

DigForVictory

We're having fun trying to get the consultant in the hospital to communicate successfully with the GP. The youngling has enough new meds for three weeks - and it may take that length of time to get everyone working together as I may not get involved as (a) confidentiality & (b) I'm snowed under at work.

Most Frustrating!

My pills get reviewed annually by the practice nurse but I've been on them successfully for decades & would resist vehemently any changes. Youngling is a much faster moving target, biologically.

jenniewb

I've been on several medications over the years which have needed to be on repeat for years at a time (pain killers, antidepressants, vitamin/nutrients such as calcium/D3...etc) and they all have to get reviewed.


It has never been easy to find or get to a GPs appointment for me so on the one time I asked why I needed to do the review, why when I was under instruction to take the meds every day forever (for the rest of my life at least!) by the GP or consultant, that I had to review things.
I was told at that point that all medications needed to be reviewed, it is standard and good practice because they needed to check things didn't need to be tweaked or other conditions hadn't started to occur. Though I don't ever remember anyone asking me about any possible side effects, just agreeing to continue with the next batch of repeats.


I do think reviewing things is possibly a useful point- if only to ensure patients are taking the medications (could be useful to those not wanting to take things with dire side effects) as well as GPs being made aware if for example a patient walks in a looking very tired and doesn't realise this is part of the medication having a toxic effect yet the Doctor does. I don't know if this is the reason, but it would be a good opportunity to prevent things happening- I don't think a pharmacist would ever chat with a patient about how it's going when someone just wants to pick-up their meds and go or the pharmacy is busy or not private enough, the only person left to oversea this in many cases would be a GP.


In my case, for example, I keep forgetting to take one of my meds, (the calcium and D3) I had been meant to go to a review but hadn't been made aware of this because I hadn't requested a review for over a year The fact I hadn't been taking the meds was only made apparent because I'd not had a review.
In another case, I have a friend who is on an antidepressant and doesn't like taking it because of the side effects. She takes it but is struggling with carrying on taking it, she has no psychiatrist to check in with because due to cuts in mental health she has been discharged with the instruction to take medication. I worry about her, but I worry less when I know she will have to go for regular reviews with her medication (and so mental health) being the subject of this. I am very sure she would otherwise not see the GP about how things are going otherwise.

I can see it both ways though and know it must be frustrating to have to make appointments when you are time poor and appointments are hard to come by. I think many surgeries will allow phoned appointments for some but the review thing does have it's place for some people I think!

pmduk

jenniewb wrote: »

I was told at that point that all medications needed to be reviewed, it is standard and good practice because they needed to check things didn't need to be tweaked or other conditions hadn't started to occur. Though I don't ever remember anyone asking me about any possible side effects, just agreeing to continue with the next batch of repeats.

Why not suggest to the practice that this is an exercise that could usefully be undertaken in a phone call? Quicker and easier for both parties.

I found the calcium easier to take and thus less likely to be forgotten once I had been switched to a film covered version rather than the horrid crunchy chalky chewable ones,

KxMx

My surgery used to insist on medication reviews, which they were happy to do over the phone.

Lately i am finding when a requests goes in for the last repeat they are just being re authorised GP end and no review required. One of my meds was even extended from 6 to 12 repeats (this may be because i have everything else on 12).

The sole exception is the contraceptive pill, 6 months on 1 repeat, review mandatory.
Although last time when i went to book check up i had another repeat, so it was 18 months instead of 12 between checks.

Pun

Ask your GP if 'the system' can be changed to avoid wasting valuable time (you don't need to be precise about whose time - theirs or yours!).

Katiehound

I used to get these reviews regularly when I was just using lacrilube- which contains... nothing and until the review there were no more prescriptions!
Most recently (last year) I just had to book a phone call with chief pharmacist at the practice.

System

Katiehound wrote: »

I used to get these reviews regularly when I was just using lacrilube- which contains... nothing and until the review there were no more prescriptions!
Most recently (last year) I just had to book a phone call with chief pharmacist at the practice.

Lacrilube is available without prescription to save you running the gauntlet of the NHS prescription procedure.

Katiehound

avogadro wrote: »

Lacrilube is available without prescription to save you running the gauntlet of the NHS prescription procedure.

But for a medical condition of many years standing why would I buy it? I used to buy the prepayment card because the lacrilube is expensive enough especially if you use 3 or 4 tubes per month. I just thought it was on the foolish side to waste a doctor's time to ask for a review when needed.(and needless to say the GP agreed with me)If it had been a drug as such it would be understandable.

GlasweJen

I've only once had a polypharmacy review. The GP trainee took one look at my repeat slip and went pale.

She asked "who prescribed X", I said oh my

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ologist, repeat 28 times and she eventually put everything on a 5 year review having changed absolutely nothing