GP refuses to deal with online pharmacies

pickledmoose

I remember before the pandemic our GP surgery insisted someone come and collect prescriptions for controlled drugs, they couldn't send these electronically for security reasons as they needed to be signed for. So for five years, most of dad's prescriptions were sent electronically bar the four controlled drugs I had to physically collect paper prescriptions for and sign for them, then take to chemist.

Queue the pandemic now they have now been sending them electronically for the last 10 months because they don't want people to visit the surgery!

Undervalued

pickledmoose said:

I remember before the pandemic our GP surgery insisted someone come and collect prescriptions for controlled drugs, they couldn't send these electronically for security reasons as they needed to be signed for. So for five years, most of dad's prescriptions were sent electronically bar the four controlled drugs I had to physically collect paper prescriptions for and sign for them, then take to chemist.

Queue the pandemic now they have now been sending them electronically for the last 10 months because they don't want people to visit the surgery!

Well maybe the rules have been changed and / or the security of the online system upgraded?

tberry6686

Our GP is pretty much only doing telephone appointments and you cannot collect any prescriptions, they are sent electronically to the "local" pharmacy.  In reality this pharmacy is about 10 miles away from me, in a small village with limited opening times (mon-Fri, 11am-4pm)  My nearest pharmacy is 3 miles away in town and is in a health centre but the GP will not send prescriptions there.  Bit ridiculous really

ElizabethBaldwin

George Michael - many thanks for this. Very interesting! All my GP is willing to do is cause me to either collect my meds or the prescriptions for them in person from the surgery, during a pandemic when we are being urged to stay home and protect the NHS!!! I am hoping NHS England (the ultimate commissioners, to whom I have complained) will intervene.

ElizabethBaldwin

tberry6686 said:

Our GP is pretty much only doing telephone appointments and you cannot collect any prescriptions, they are sent electronically to the "local" pharmacy.  In reality this pharmacy is about 10 miles away from me, in a small village with limited opening times (mon-Fri, 11am-4pm)  My nearest pharmacy is 3 miles away in town and is in a health centre but the GP will not send prescriptions there.  Bit ridiculous really

I think you could tell them you want your ‘nominated’ pharmacy to be changed to the one nearer you and they would have to comply

pickledmoose

Undervalued said:

pickledmoose said:

I remember before the pandemic our GP surgery insisted someone come and collect prescriptions for controlled drugs, they couldn't send these electronically for security reasons as they needed to be signed for. So for five years, most of dad's prescriptions were sent electronically bar the four controlled drugs I had to physically collect paper prescriptions for and sign for them, then take to chemist.

Queue the pandemic now they have now been sending them electronically for the last 10 months because they don't want people to visit the surgery!

Well maybe the rules have been changed and / or the security of the online system upgraded?

I don't think so, since the chemist always told me other GP surgeries sent these kind of prescriptions electronically!

elsien

pickledmoose said:

Undervalued said:

pickledmoose said:

I remember before the pandemic our GP surgery insisted someone come and collect prescriptions for controlled drugs, they couldn't send these electronically for security reasons as they needed to be signed for. So for five years, most of dad's prescriptions were sent electronically bar the four controlled drugs I had to physically collect paper prescriptions for and sign for them, then take to chemist.

Queue the pandemic now they have now been sending them electronically for the last 10 months because they don't want people to visit the surgery!

Well maybe the rules have been changed and / or the security of the online system upgraded?

I don't think so, since the chemist always told me other GP surgeries sent these kind of prescriptions electronically!

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/electronic-prescription-service/controlled-drugs

So not something your GP could have done 5 years ago because the option wasn’t there. 

Murphybear

pmduk said:

I have to say I found Pharmacy 2U to be more trouble than they were worth, constantly stating inaccuracies. AIUI, under the terms of the latest GP contract your GP is expected to be signed up to EPS, it should be nothing to do with him who dispenses your medication. Personally, I'd switch GPS again, if at all possible,. 

We moved to a tiny village on the edge of Dartmoor where the nearest pharmacy was a bit of a trek.  We thought we’d try Pharmacy2U.  My meds were delivered to Exeter area then sent down to Bude in Cornwall, then back to Exeter before finally arriving at Okehampton.  I finally got them but one item was missing.  When I queried it I was told I had to sign for it as it was a controlled substance and I would have to go to a local pharmacy.  My husbands experience was possibly worse.  His meds arrived and when he opened the parcel found they were for someone else about 200 miles away   When he eventually got through on the phone he was told “this doesn’t happen very often”.  It took nearly a week to get his replacement meds.  I dread to think what the legitimate owner of the meds he got must have been thinking. 
we moved not long after that and Boots is next door to Waitrose so we do the shopping and collect the meds at the same time 

KxMx

I take a controlled drug and several of the online pharmacies (including Boots) won't post them.
I checked with Echo before signing up as their website indicated yes, happily they will post it and I've just had my 12th repeat of it yesterday.