More Excel help please

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Gers
Gers Posts: 12,032 Forumite
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Hi again

I'm trying to construct a spreadsheet which will ensure I can order my elderly DM's medicines on time.

They all have different dates so I need help to order the next batches on time and not annoy the surgery by asking them to do a script urgently.

My own amateur efforts have tried this where A2 is the date of the previous script (18/01/20) and 112 is the number of tabs dispensed.

=SUM(A2+112)

That seems to work as it gave me a date of 09/05/20 in B2.Is this simple method enough to be rigourous?

I also need a column with a date about 10 days before the 09/05/20 (for instance) date so I can order a new script.

I assume it would be another simple case of the first answer B2) minus ten?

Thanks
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  • Gers
    Gers Posts: 12,032 Forumite
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    My simple method is pants!

    I haven't taken into account the dosage. Back to my simple drawing board - any help appreciatd.
  • victor2
    victor2 Posts: 7,600 Ambassador
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    Why not just use repeating reminders in your email client or something like Gooogle Calendar. If a medicine lasts 2 months, make the reminder repeat every 2 months. If a prescription is only taken when required, and little used, look at its shelf life and put a reminder to reorder before it expires.
    Excel does sound a bit OTT and unsuitable for a relatively straightforward task.

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  • Gers
    Gers Posts: 12,032 Forumite
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    victor2 wrote: »
    Why not just use repeating reminders in your email client or something like Gooogle Calendar. If a medicine lasts 2 months, make the reminder repeat every 2 months. If a prescription is only taken when required, and little used, look at its shelf life and put a reminder to reorder before it expires.
    Excel does sound a bit OTT and unsuitable for a relatively straightforward task.


    Thanks for the suggestion, however I don't use Google calendar, there are six different medicines, all have different doses, none are synchronised and...I like tinkering with Excel!
  • unforeseen
    unforeseen Posts: 7,283 Forumite
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    Do all the medicines get issued on a 28 or 56 day cycle? That is the norm for most things
  • Gers
    Gers Posts: 12,032 Forumite
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    unforeseen wrote: »
    Do all the medicines get issued on a 28 or 56 day cycle? That is the norm for most things


    Both..with some she gets 112 and others 28.
  • Blackbeard_of_Perranporth
    Blackbeard_of_Perranporth Posts: 7,605 Forumite
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    I use my wall calendar to get my 84 day repeat prescriptions. No software and no google tracking me!
  • frugalmacdugal
    frugalmacdugal Posts: 10,077 Forumite
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    Hi,


    have you tried to synchronise them?
  • Gers
    Gers Posts: 12,032 Forumite
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    frugalmacdugal wrote: »
    Hi,


    have you tried to synchronise them?

    Yes, surgery won't let me! It's a real pain.
  • unrecordings
    unrecordings Posts: 2,017 Forumite
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    I'm on over a dozen meds now, mostly out of sync some 28 days, some 30 days (one 50 days ?!). Doses keep changing, so on my megaspreadsheet, my inventory tab is completely manual - I just update it every Tuesday (as one med is a weekly dose taken on the Monday)

    Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?
  • Timpu
    Timpu Posts: 310 Forumite
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    Your basic logic seems sound but does need to be run through with dummy data to catch any slip ups. Don't forget weekends, public holidays, any holidays you have booked too, delays at the surgery/pharmacy end. All will need a time buffer.

    Most pharmacies offer to take on repeat prescriptions. I have tried this with a few different pharmacy. I found the chain high street ones much less reliable than the local independent one. I currently use an online pharmacy who support the prescription requests and get meds to you on time. It's the one that advertises a lot. Go and chat to your pharmacist, see if they'll help.
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