Private prescriptions

modestbasin

Does anyone have any experience getting a private prescritption dispensed, either at a local pharamacy (e.g. Tesco) or online please?

The online shops (a) don't seem to sell everything I need and (b) want to do their own prescribing. I dont need that, I've got a prescription.

Converting the private script into an NHS one is possible, but is time consuming and I'm likely to run out before it's done.

Before you all pile in on the evils of private treatment, as happened on the previous thread on this subject; the NHS waitiing list for this surgery is 3 years, the consultant gave me 6 months to live.

If push comes to shove I'll have to pay whatever the local pharmacist asks, but I'd rather not be in that position or at least have some idea what it's likely to cost.

MyRealNameToo

All pharmacies, in my experience, do private and NHS prescriptions. The big difference of cause is that there are no set prices for private and what the pharmacy charges does vary significantly between providers.

NHS won't prescribe my wife the version of her medication she likes as for her lesser form of the condition they prescribe a cheaper/older version. On private prescription the cost can range from £120 to £180 per month for the identical item.

Companies generally advertise only the stuff they really sell, like ED meds, weight loss etc. If they are true pharmacies they will have access to everything else the NHS prescribes (and more) but won't be putting it on their site.

My experience is also that they are variable, they may be cheap for one medication but then expensive for a different one. Boots tended to be middle of the road, never tried Tesco, we use an online pharmacy who tend to be a bit cheaper, local pharmacies are all over the shop with prices.

marcia_

boots will take a private prescription

flaneurs_lobster

My local small-chain pharmacy filled a private prescription for me - tube of high-fluoride toothpaste, £22.

Available from online pharmacies for a third of that.

Guess the answer is to ask "how much" before you buy!

modestbasin

I suppose I could trundle round every pharmacy in town with my script asking for a quote. Physio would probably be very happy with that!

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81887401#Comment_81887401

There's this thing called a telephone, unless you do need the exercise…

Ms_Chocaholic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81887401#Comment_81887401

Just ring them.

Ms_Chocaholic

Does anyone have any online pharmacies that they would recommend please.

flaneurs_lobster

Used https://click2pharmacy.co.uk/ for odds'n'sods.

Seem diligent and prompt.

Spoonie_Turtle

I have used https://thehealthpharmacy.co.uk/ (for OTC only - never had any private prescriptions)

lr1277

In my family's case, the consultant suggested a pharmacy. They were some distance and very expensive but since we didn't know any better we got prescriptions filled there between 2 and 3 times.

Tried the Tesco pharmacy and I don't remember why but we didn't get the prescriptions filled there. Perhaps because they wouldn't accept prescriptions emailed to them. Or they couldn't get the drugs prescribed by the consultant. Like I said, I don't exactly remember. Edited to add: Perhaps one other problem with Tesco was that we could not contact them by phone. The given number went to a central call centre which was not open on Sundays or evenings even though the pharmacy was still open at those times. I mention this because the consultant usually visited on Sundays or evenings.

Found the pharmacy in Waitrose to be very good. They could get even the rare drugs normally by the next day or 2. Would accept emailed prescriptions if it came from a certain type of email address (which your consultant should have) and they were contactable on the phone. Also they were in the next town over so not far to travel. For example, the consultant's secretary would email them the prescription by noon to be ready later that day. I would ring them up about 4pm and find out if it was ready and it usually was. Then I would go and pickup before they closed.

Additionally either a paper prescription or an emailed prescription had to contain certain details. Though as this was over 3 years ago now, I don't remember the exact requirements. One or 2 prescriptions had to be redone because they did not contain the necessary details. If you contact any pharmacies, find out what details need to be on the prescription to be acceptable. Then ensure your consultant's prescription meets these requirements. Again I am hazy on this, but it is possible different pharmacies have different requirements. Once we settled on the pharmacy in Waitrose, we and the consultant knew what needed to be on the prescription.

3rd edit: If using paper prescriptions, ensure everything is legible. If the pharmacist can't read any part of it, they won't dispense the drug. That means legible: patient's full name, doctor's name, maybe GMC number, name of drug, strength of drug, dosage and any other clinically information. The doctor sometimes used abbreviations I did not understand but the pharmacist knew exactly what was meant.

If the prescription is emailed directly by the doctor or their secretary, that is for them to sort out.

Like I said, find out what information needs to be on the prescription for that particular pharmacy and ensure the doctor includes that information in a legible form.

Sorry 4th edition:

I suspect the pharmacy in Waitrose was independent and not part of a chain. Their suppler could get some of the rarer drugs where necessary.

We needed a meal replacement drink which we could get from Amazo, which we did a few times. But it was also available on the NHS. So the consultant contacted our GP who then made it available on repeats. That we could get dispensed by the Tesco pharmacy.

Hope that helps.