THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

moneyistooshorttomention · 14 February 2018 at 4:44PM

In this day and age of computers - I would indeed have thought it was the "work of moments" to keep up with what one knows Ms X and Mr Y regularly have and will be wanting again soon.

It's part of good customer service for a small-ish business to know its "regulars" and, dependant on what type of stock it does, to be able to think "Oh it's him again - good morning Mr X - we've got so-and-so stock of so-and-so goods come in and it's just your taste. Would you like a look at it?"

If a small business selling consumer goods does it/should do it for its "regulars" - then I don't see why a pharmacy would take any different attitude (even without modern-day computers thrown into the equation).

GreyQueen · 14 February 2018 at 8:13PM

Picture this, the routine rigmarole of getting my repeat script about 9 times a year.

1. Go in person to GP practise and drop off completed script in the box on the wall.
2. Go back 48 hours later and queue to see the receptionist. They search through the pile of signed scripts and it may or may not be ready.
3. (about 50% of the time) repeat stage 2 after another 24 hrs.
4. Walk into the pharmacy attatched to the surgery. Queue. Among the heroin addicts waiting for their drinkable methadone. Nice.
5. Get to the top of the queue. Hand script over. Assistant says it will be a while, do I want to wait or come back later?
6. Wait. Anything up to 30 minutes. Only to be told that they haven't got the full amount and here's an owing note.
7. Variation of 6 - offer to return in 24 hours' time.
8. Return in 24 hours. Queue for several minutes among the drug addicts etc. Assistant goes looking for my script.
9. After several minutes of searching high and low, comes back to tell me that the pharmacist is just making it up now, will I take a seat?
10. Wait up to 30 minutes before getting the script. Sometimes still incomplete.
11. Offer to return in 24 hours, which would be about 5 hours after the time of their daily drug delivery. Do so. Script still not ready. Sit and wait again. Look at blood pressure monitors for sale and wonder how high all this timewasting is driving my BP.

Getting my prescription meds could take anything from 4-8 visits to the pharmacy. Which isn't open on a Saturday, and therefore those visits have to be fitted around my working hours. And, in the ELEVEN YEARS I was filling this same script every six weeks, I can count the number of times I managed to get it at first attempt on the fingers of one hand. Without using my thumb.:mad:

Can you blame me for nearly trampling them in the rush to move over the new method?!:rotfl:

Witless · 14 February 2018 at 9:19PM

Sounds scarily familiar GQ.

Karmacat · 14 February 2018 at 9:39PM

Sounds horrendous, GQ

the amount of energy that takes is absolutely insane.

Cappella · 15 February 2018 at 9:01AM

Getting my prescription meds could take anything from 4-8 visits to the pharmacy.

Speaking as someone who!!!8217;s going to be making her sixth visit to the pharmacist and surgery today to (hopefully) pick up the two missing items from this months repeat prescription dropped in 10 days ago I can!!!8217;t say the electronic system works either though. I now have to drop the prescription at the doctors and then pray that it turns up at Boots sometime within a week and that they manage to process it four days after they get it.
It!!!8217;s a repeat for 8 different heart drugs and I need all of them every day. This time I was told that I!!!8217;d not re-ordered 2 of them. Is that likely??? I hardly think so. I use Boots, as it!!!8217;s the only option where I live and am not impressed, so far it!!!8217;s taken nearly a fortnight to try to collect all of this bimonthly prescription, and if I hadn!!!8217;t had a small stash ( now used up) I!!!8217;d be in a real mess. What worries me is the delay between me physically dropping it in at the docs and being able to finally collect the tablets.
I!!!8217;ve come to the conclusion that the new system will soon be a LOT cheaper - as without vital drugs people are apt to die and in the long run that will save the NHS a fortune

moneyistooshorttomention · 15 February 2018 at 9:53AM

It all gets me wondering why the powers-that-be think it's okay to take so much time from being available for people to live Their Lives - even if they don't have to hold down a job to pay for said Life.

Rather proves my theory (from watching my parents attempting to have A Life on top of being ill for many years) that there is little/if any official concern for the fact that people do still have Lives to lead (ie as well as being ill).

Being Ill seems to take a heck of a lot of unnecessary time in our society (ie over and above actually having the illness/any restrictions the illness brings per se).

fuddle · 15 February 2018 at 12:17PM

I just think it all boils down to the same thing... You cannat rely on nee boogar for owt.

I do think that we're better off just realising that nothing is a given, nothing is perfect and no one, really, cares. We have a clunky system that is extremely frustrating (tell me about it!) but we're all still here with enough energy left to moan about it. If we're moaning about things not being perfect, well we're ok really aren't we?

I'm no saint. I have to work at 'it's ok, I understand' but it's better for me as an individual if I just let it ride.

The problem comes when we pay a proportion of our earnings into something that is muddled with private companies, middle management and jobs worths. We all have a sense of entitlement because of that but we can't do a darn thing about the private pharmacies who get their cut of prescription payment whether we wait a day, a week, have a poor experience or struggle on. Mostly they know we'll go back because some of us have little choice.

I don't think it will never change and I think we're a society that is increasingly prescribed medication it can only get worse under more pressure. We're doomed I tell you, we're doomed!

DigForVictory · 15 February 2018 at 12:37PM

With a certain amount of trepidation, we handed over the 'sort your pills' over to the 19 year old. He's the unstable epileptic who does hit the deck if he skips a single dose & sometimes does Anyway.
I got a confident text - "submitted the chit! Collect Thursday" & thought good, step 1 in hand.
On Thursday, it transpired that not only had they not got his prescription sorted, he didn't have that night's dose. He explained, politely that he needs these pills, could he have his script to walk to another pharmacy? We've ordered them for you, they're coming, today.
The lad obediently goes off to class & en route texts me.
I phone & asked exactly what have they got in, what is on order & what do they plan to do if it hasn't arrived by 6? The have enough of drug A to stun a platoon of mules. They have ordered in drug B (he's only been on it 6 months) & it will be here for 6. I thanked them politely & ended the call. Range another pharmacy, asking after supplies of B (not carried though a standard anticonvulsant). A third, sister to 2nd, does carry but will want the entire prescription (checked, can, just, get enough A together). More polite thanks. At 4, son shows up - not all the pills & now he needs a prescription for the 'extra' B. He trundles through two doors (thank god the pharmacy & medic are on the same site) & is told no, the information has been sent. The pharmacy grudgingly "find" the paperwork, but not as yet the pills. I call again - to be assured all is in hand & point out that if an extra prescription has been needed, do they have the actual pills? The pharmacy offer to talk to the medics - but assure me my son will have some pills for tonight.
Eventually we both get home to find yes, son has pills for tonight, and for tomorrow morning but has to go back to get the rest...

And because every dose is calculated, he has no stash. This half term, I'm driving him to another county, claiming we're on holiday & he forgot & please can the local medics help. We may get just a week's grace but that will mean I can have a 24 hour stash in the car, husband amongst his meds & lad in his hideyhole.

I could almost wish he'd gone over at the pharmacy. Stress (& low blood sugar scampering up & down the valley between school & the pharmacy) being another trigger...

Karmacat · 15 February 2018 at 1:12PM

DfV, I'm so sorry to hear that. I'd no idea things were so bad, so generally

My only experience with medication at these levels is when my mum received her terminal diagnosis - the worst thing was the amount of admin coordinating between the various agencies, but there was never any issue with the meds simply not being available - occasionally had to wait a few hours, but nothing more

thriftwizard · 15 February 2018 at 2:40PM

I'm horrified by all your experiences, and realising that although I'm not personally on any regular medications (partly because I'm staying away from doctors for as long as statins are on the menu for all over-50s) DD2 needs her regular SSRIs for extreme anxiety or she goes cold turkey (not a pretty sight - and a horrible experience for her) and OH needs his BP medication, although he also needs to actually take the dratted things, which often doesn't happen. So I need to build up a stash, too... it had never really occurred to me, which is pretty selfish, really.

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THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

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