Prescription Drugs availability

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Daydream believer

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In a thread about tool kits it came up that a forumite has had his issue of drugs cut from three months to two.
He sails in Greek waters, so has to buy extra ones over the counter. I sail in near UK waters (France Belgium etc) & usually go for 10 weeks, then return home get the boat scrubbed ( coppercoat:ambivalence:) stock up with another 3 months supply & then go off again.

Being winter I would suspect that few forumites have had the problem yet, but have any been told that the issue period will be cut from 3 to 2 months? If so, will this cause problems & how will they manage that?
 
Daydream believer said:
In a thread about tool kits it came up that a forumite has had his issue of drugs cut from three months to two.
He sails in Greek waters, so has to buy extra ones over the counter. I sail in near UK waters (France Belgium etc) & usually go for 10 weeks, then return home get the boat scrubbed ( coppercoat:ambivalence:) stock up with another 3 months supply & then go off again.

Being winter I would suspect that few forumites have had the problem yet, but have any been told that the issue period will be cut from 3 to 2 months? If so, will this cause problems & how will they manage that?
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Last ordered my prescription, 3 months worth, back at the end of October. There was no change then but it could have changed in the meantime of course
 
This is being done by the Clinical Comissioning Group.... the unaccountable arm of the NHS who decide how money is spent.

Apparently it is to reduce drug wastage by people who get everything but don’t use all the drugs. All it does is cause a lot of trouble for people and treble the amount of paperwork for doctors pharmacies and the bookkeepers. So all in all. typical solution to a non probelem creating work for administrators and degrading the quality of service.
 
Nowadays I simply repeat my prescriptions online, the script is sent to my chosen pah Armani where I (or my representative) can pick it up in a day or two. I can’t imagine that its impossible to make a repeat request online and have a son/daughter/friend pick it up and post it.
Best check on the legality of that though!
 
My practice is still issuing 3 months at a time. They won’t do any more than that as, in theory, if you’re out of the UK for more than 3 months you loose your NHS entitlement. However, I’ve had visitors pick up prescriptions for me an bring them out to Greece when we’ve been away over 3 months (repeat request submitted on line). Nothing to stop you getting a package posted out to you.
That said, I’ve found that Greek pharmacies will sell most of my meds over the counter: I take the empty packet of whatever I need in and they simply sell me the new stuff. Only thing it doesn’t work for is some painkillers which are available in Greece but need a local doctors prescription.
 
For different travel reasons, I have had my prescriptions cut from 2 to 1 month, Scottish Health Board. I queried this and was told they just don’t want to issue so many drugs in one go. For me it was more a buffer and convenience, but now find I am always having to reorder between trips.
 
Sounds like very good stock control to me. When both my parents died we returned at least two black bags per parent of unused drugs to the pharmacist, in my late fathers case one bag was controlled drugs.
 
They have changed system in Bristol area to two monthly but now no automatic repeat for some people, or automatic requests from some pharmacies such as Boots. One has to login on line specifying every item

An absolute nightmare for my injured/disabled son who has needed to spend extended time away and takes two opiates, one muscle relaxant, one anti-inflamitory plus 3 drugs to mitigate side effects ( the latter as less vital short term). I can collect for him even though some of its controlled substances, but on one occasion I had to courier them abroad making sure prescription was on inside plus covering letter for customs while making sure exterior gave no indication of contents.
 
We're still on 3 months as standard here (Wales) and GP has always doubled up when heading off although that created argument with Boots pharmacy this spring as they said 6 months not allowed. Changed their minds when I said I would just go elsewhere with second script. Can get everything we need over the counter in Portugal and Spain anyway so won't create problems if stopped, cost of tablets less than posting from UK.
 
Graham376 said:
We're still on 3 months as standard here (Wales) and GP has always doubled up when heading off although that created argument with Boots pharmacy this spring as they said 6 months not allowed. Changed their minds when I said I would just go elsewhere with second script. Can get everything we need over the counter in Portugal and Spain anyway so won't create problems if stopped, cost of tablets less than posting from UK.
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We are in Wales too. Our pharmacy is attached to the surgery, which reduces our flexibility somewhat. At one time we could be issued with six months' worth but last year this was reduced to three. GP rang me up to explain! Yesterday we put in a scrip for three months to be told this is now not possible, two months max. However, they may allow three, will find out tomorrow.
 
vyv_cox said:
We are in Wales too. Our pharmacy is attached to the surgery, which reduces our flexibility somewhat. At one time we could be issued with six months' worth but last year this was reduced to three. GP rang me up to explain! Yesterday we put in a scrip for three months to be told this is now not possible, two months max. However, they may allow three, will find out tomorrow.
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It gets stranger. Picked up a prescription for 3 months supply of one tablet for wife last Friday from GP, pharmacy next door dispensed without question. Fortunately, our GP turns a blind eye to long absences whereas we've met a couple of folks who've been struck off from practices and hospital clinics.
 
Bit of thread drift and maybe non PC but... Why is it a UK citizen loses NHS entitlement just because they're out of the country for an extended period but it's given to illegals, visitors and just about anyone that shows up for treatment?

PW
 
PilotWolf said:
Bit of thread drift and maybe non PC but... Why is it a UK citizen loses NHS entitlement just because they're out of the country for an extended period but it's given to illegals, visitors and just about anyone that shows up for treatment?

PW
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Entitlement to free at point of access NHS care is based on 'normal residence' - you CAN be normally resident in the UK but be abroad for more than 3 months. BUT - from a clinical perspective supplying 6 months of a prescription only medicine seems to be asking for trouble. Your GP might not see you, might not check any bloods etc, but the very act of requesting a repeat suggests you are making a conscious decision to say this medicine isn't causing too many issues for you.

You could also be normally resident in Costa Del Spain and pop here for a 'holiday' every 3 months. You then technically aren't eligible for care other than through the E111/EHIC scheme. Although that may be almost impossible for the NHS to detect.

Clinically it may be legitimate to supply 6months because someone is going on holiday. Or it might not. If you are constantly going on holiday - you may be making them suspicious you are not ordinarily resident in the UK.

In England, treoeat prescriptions can all be handled electronically. Request supply via NHS App. Sent electronically to any pharmacy in England of your choice. Can be a mail order one if you want. They would only ship to your address normally. But if someone else can then post to you that is (mostly) fine in the EU. Some medicines are not so fine. Controlled drugs basically - some of which you may not know are controlled.

You could also get a paper prescription from the pharmacy and take it to any pharmacy in Europe and they will dispense it as a private prescription for you and charge you for the medicine. Could be a few pounds to thousands of pounds in some cases. This may change after brexit' as it may not be legal then. Also not likely legal outside EU.

Increasingly pharmacy won't be allowed to repeat request for you. Feeling is that some pharmacies requested everything even if not needed as they got paid to supply it. Feeling it doesn't get patients to take responsibility. The NHS's own App once you get past the initial security setup (justified as it lets you into your medical record) - requesting repeat prescription is easy. Getting it sent electronically - you ask the pharmacy you want it sent to to "nominate" you.

It's clear that there will be supply challenges when Brexit' happens.. supplying 3-6months sounds like stock piling. That risks supply for others. We are apparently all in this together.

Nothing stops you from clicking resupply when you have a month left. So you can have a buffer. Indeed the NHS would recommend you usually do have minimum 2 week buffer.
 
My point is I am. a UK citizen, albeit expat. I paid taxes, NI, etc. for around 26 years but now if I visit my parents and get ill I have to pay for th NHS treatment Joe Bloggs shows up from whichever country, walks into A&E and gets treatment (rightly so), then disappears either back home or into the vacuum of anonymity of being undocumented.

Is that fair? I don't know....

W.
 
PilotWolf said:
My point is I am. a UK citizen, albeit expat. I paid taxes, NI, etc. for around 26 years but now if I visit my parents and get ill I have to pay for th NHS treatment Joe Bloggs shows up from whichever country, walks into A&E and gets treatment (rightly so), then disappears either back home or into the vacuum of anonymity of being undocumented.

Is that fair? I don't know....

W.
Click to expand...
Emergency NHS treatment for illness is available for anyone, dependent on need. So if you’re in UK for a holiday you’re entitled to treatment for say a broken leg or an infection you pick up. But you’re not entitled to treatment for a long standing condition without payment. Same as anyone who isn’t currently normally resident in the UK. You no longer pay UK tax, so why should you be entitled to NHS treatment?
Anyhow, this isn’t the sort of topic for this forum. If you want to continue it, I’d suggest you start a new thread in the Lounge, which is where it belongs.
 
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