Alternatives to Pharmacy2U?

muddlemand

Are there any rivals to Pharmacy2U? I can't use my local pharmacies and so far Pharmacy2U have kept letting me down.

My cousin swears by Pharmacy2U so I switched to them in September. I've had my repeat prescription delivered for fourteen years; I'm no longer housebound but it's still a big deal getting into town. Lately two of the three dispensing pharmacies local to me have become unreliable, and none can put my tablets into pots - which I need, as I find the card-n-plastic dosette boxes just as painful and difficult to open as the blister packs. (A pill popper doesn't help much, just in case someone thinks of suggesting that.)

As yet I haven't had a month without a glitch. Most months the GP has said they received no request, while Ph2U insisted they'd sent it and were chasing the GP for it to be signed off. There have been other errors too, some very complicated, and I've spent a lot of time phoning both Ph2U and my GP to sort it out. My GP office isn't perfect either, but most of the mistakes have been Ph2U's.

Ph2U are great at handling complaints *after* you've made a big stink and eventually reached someone senior. But I've put a lot of my own time into sorting out the same error over and over again. They told me (October-ish) that they'd expanded rapidly, which would excuse or at least explain a period of muddle, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

This time, again the GP office say they've had no prescription request. I have had the confirmation email from Ph2U when I placed the order, and then two emails saying they were chasing the GP as they hadn't had it authorised. I'm getting these emails, my dashboard shows that I ordered on 27th Jan, but I the order doesn't appear on the list when I go into order history. The GP receptionist let me order on the phone today so it will be done now, but I'll still have to call Ph2U to check they've received it and dispatched, because I can't take that for granted...

I haven't heard of anyone else offering the same service, but as I say, I pretty much can't use my local pharmacies. That is, they'd cost me just as much trouble as their system is at least as error-prone, and last I heard they (Lloyds and Boots) were going to start charging to deliver - and at least Ph2U do put the tablets in the pots as I need.

So anyone, do you know of any other options?

muddlemand

Just out of interest, does anyone know the law on dispensing pharmacies - have we any comeback when they send the wrong meds or the wrong quantity, or (for those that also place the order without me needing to do that step) fail to get it to me before the last lot runs out? Seems to me that people's health and even life depends on a pharmacy at least putting the right stuff in the pots but I don't know if they're legally held responsible for consequences.

And yes, so far I've had three different pharmacies get the actual meds wrong, let alone the admin side. All my life previously I'd never known any error, but accuracy has gone out of fashion or something.

pmduk

I had similar problems with Pharmacy2U. I'm currently using Echo without problems, but I'm intrigued by Pilltime and I'm considering giving them a go, mainly because of their medication-organising

muddlemand

pmduk said:

I had similar problems with Pharmacy2U. I'm currently using Echo without problems, but I'm intrigued by Pilltime and I'm considering giving them a go, mainly because of their medication-organising

I hadn't heard of either of those. Thank you, I'll check them out.

I have started ordering my prescription through the GP website, which at least is online and just as simple, and it gets to Pharmacy2U same as usual. The same experience as ordering through Ph2U but without having to keep my eye on the date and my emails, and phone the surgery to make it happen. I couldn't get Ph2U to believe anything was wrong at their end.

pogofish

Is discussion of online pharmacies not still forbidden on here. Or has that changed recently?

Pollycat

pogofish said:

Is discussion of online pharmacies not still forbidden on here. Or has that changed recently?

I've read MSE rules quite often over the years, I've not seen that.

The Health board is for discussion of all issues surrounding health, diet, nutrition and how they relate to MoneySaving. Discussing medical insurance policies, cheaper ways to see consultants, cashback for alternative health treatments, how to get specific medication cheaper (legally) are all perfectly acceptable forms of discussion.

Or have I missed something?

muddlemand

Pollycat said:

pogofish said:

Is discussion of online pharmacies not still forbidden on here. Or has that changed recently?

I've read MSE rules quite often over the years, I've not seen that.

The Health board is for discussion of all issues surrounding health, diet, nutrition and how they relate to MoneySaving. Discussing medical insurance policies, cheaper ways to see consultants, cashback for alternative health treatments, how to get specific medication cheaper (legally) are all perfectly acceptable forms of discussion.

Or have I missed something?

If I've broken a forum rule, I'm sorry - had no idea! I can't imagine a reason we'd be forbidden to discuss online pharmacies, given that it's fine to compare notes on experiences with all other kinds of businesses, by name? Especially when it's customer service we're talking about.
(UK-legal pharmacies and UK-legal medications, that is; obviously not the under-the-counter kind that you find on eBay etc.)

pmduk

I apologise if i have broken a rule, but we are talking about getting properly issued NHS prescriptions filled by registered pharmacies within the UK, so I cannot see a reason for any restriction on such a discussion.  

Pollycat

muddlemand said:

Pollycat said:

pogofish said:

Is discussion of online pharmacies not still forbidden on here. Or has that changed recently?

I've read MSE rules quite often over the years, I've not seen that.

The Health board is for discussion of all issues surrounding health, diet, nutrition and how they relate to MoneySaving. Discussing medical insurance policies, cheaper ways to see consultants, cashback for alternative health treatments, how to get specific medication cheaper (legally) are all perfectly acceptable forms of discussion.

Or have I missed something?

If I've broken a forum rule, I'm sorry - had no idea! I can't imagine a reason we'd be forbidden to discuss online pharmacies, given that it's fine to compare notes on experiences with all other kinds of businesses, by name? Especially when it's customer service we're talking about.
(UK-legal pharmacies and UK-legal medications, that is; obviously not the under-the-counter kind that you find on eBay etc.)

I don't think you have broken a forum rule.

I don't think my post said that at all.

It was the poster above me who asked if discussion of online pharmacies was not still forbidden on here.

I gave a link to MSE rules which seemed to indicate - at least to me - that how to get specific medication cheaper (legally) would include buying from on-line pharmacies. And therefore not against MSE rules.

pmduk said:

I apologise if i have broken a rule, but we are talking about getting properly issued NHS prescriptions filled by registered pharmacies within the UK, so I cannot see a reason for any restriction on such a discussion.  

Neither can I.

Maybe pogofish could provide a link that says such discussions are 'forbidden'.

muddlemand

Pollycat said:

I don't think you have broken a forum rule.

I don't think my post said that at all.

It was the poster above me who asked if discussion of online pharmacies was not still forbidden on here.

I know. I quoted both of you, for completeness. It doesn't seem logical that this would be against the rules.

Pollycat said:

Maybe pogofish could provide a link that says such discussions are 'forbidden'.

Seconded. But I hope it's crossed wires!