General Chat

as actors say 'resting'!
I usually temp, the last job came to an end at the end of February and, due to coronavirus, I'm not in any rush to work in an overcrowded, 'desk sharing' open plan office, so am, for the first time, on Universal Credit :-(

'Advice' is very confusing. 'Over 60's are recommended to interact as little as possible'. however 'Retired doctors and nurses may be called back to work in hospitals'.

I walked into town on Monday, to get my repeat prescription, only to be told they didn't have it, but to come back in half an hour - which I did. They still didn't have it - but could I wait (in a very small chemist, with 6 customers shoulder to shoulder?)
As it happens, I couldn't (I didn't want to, either) as I'd bought some shopping, had a heavy rucksack, and was going to 'risk' getting the bus back - if I missed this one, the next one was one and a half hours away.
Just as well I didn't wait. I phoned them yesterday - they still didn't have it - but did ask how many days medication I had left.
My worry is, the longer I/they leave it, the more coronavirus there will be about!

Strangely, I am aware of that - the chemist I use delivers - for free - but it's not much use if I'm not in (which would usually be the case, as I usually work).
They'd go to my nearest neighbour - who, is quite likely to have a 'nosey'.
This 'charmer' tried to sell the man who was fitting my satellite dish, his old one, on the grounds that 'It worked, and the workman could pocket the difference'.

Also, even if I had it delivered, considering the chemist hasn't got/has mislaid my repeat prescription, I still wouldn't have it, and it would probably take me longer to realise that fact.

Normally, I can just walk in to the chemist, say my name, and be given my prescription!

Well, this morning, I phoned the chemist - yes, the voice on the other end said, prescription came in 10 minutes ago - it will be ready to pick up in an hour.

Walked into town again, stood in the overcrowded chemist - finally got served - the assistant couldn't find it. She eventually asked the pharmacist, and found it - I was missing a medication.
The prescription from the surgery had omitted it.
So, I walked to the surgery, to see what was going on.
Apparently the doctor has to 'sign it off'.
This is a repeat prescription, not due for review until November.
I ask when it will be signed off.
Receptionist doesn't know, so I can look forward to yet another unnecessary trip into town.
So much for going out into crowded places as little as possible. :-|

Now funny you should mention repeat items being signed off AGAIN. I had exactly the same problem last month.

This ended with me making a written complaint to the surgery. I did get an apology and they promised to retrain their staff...lolol

It wasn't even one of my morphine items which made no sense whatsoever :-S

Mine's not a life or death drug - it's for reflux.
The doctor advised me to take 2 a day for a month when I first took it - which I did - but lowered it to 1 a day thereafter.
However the prescription was still for 2 a day, so a couple of times, I've given them back, as I had enough at home. At the last review, I asked for the prescription to be changed to 1 a day, which the doctor did - but it means I haven't got as many 'spare', for situations like this.
...and I'll have to avoid bread and pastry :-(

All our prescriptions, repeat or not, are signed by the doctor. They do them daily in the afternoon and the pharmacist then collects them. They can then be picked up the following day. The system usually works well.

Every so often the doctor will sign a repeat prescription, then ring up to say that it's about time I went in for a "chat" before the next prescription is due.

Strangely, I too had trouble when I last went to pick up a repeat prescription.

The system at our surgery is that a repeat prescription form is 'posted' in the surgery foyer and marked with personal choice of chemist.We tick items required.
When signed off, the scripts are collected by each pharmacy and are soon ready for collection, once they collect them.
Last time I went to collect from the chemist, out came a little bag.
"2 items,"? I was asked.
No, there should be 3, so I asked to open the stapled packet.
The doctor had sent a prescription for 2 items, which I have had in the past and very seldom require, but no sign of the essential medication, which is required.
I had ticked the 3 items, he sent the non-ticked 2 others.
It took 6 visits by daughter and myself to surgery or chemist,before I got the proper medication. In the meantime, I was about to run out of one I must have daily, so the pharmacy gave me 3 tablets as an emergency supply to make sure I had them.
All this although I had allowed over a week for prescription to be processed.

The system usually works well, so I don't know what happened.

It is weird, isn't it?
Daughter says asthma inhalers are difficult to get now.

She asked me to put my grand daughter's prescription (grand daughter has coeliac disease) in to a chemist in Winchester, as her local takes at least 2 days, and grand daughter could pick it up on her way back from college.
Both chemists I tried in Winchester gave a minimum of 7 days :-(
I phoned daughter to let her know - she phoned her local chemist - 2 weeks!

I expect the college will be closed soon, they've had 2 separate cases of coronavirus
.

We've got a POD system, phone and give the surgery and name, I use it to order Mum's medication.

I checked with her and she has about 10 days worth of tablets left, so tried to ring today - they were so busy I couldn't even get in the call queue!

Luckily she isn't reliant on them but will worry if there is a break in her routine.

I'm sure such an apparently sudden lack of drugs isn't caused by coronavirus - could it be 'Brexit' based?
Just had a look - there were worries and shortages last September!

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/brexit-and-medication-shortages-its-way-more-complicated-than-you-think_uk_5d760f0ce4b0fde50c29821f

I had to wait a few days for my renewal to be available, finally got it yesterday. There are shortages of some medicines due to the virus here because we get some of our base components from China!

I expect that's what's exacerbated the situation here.