Oops, it's a bank holiday!

So I always order my repeat prescriptions on line from our gp’s surgery, which has its own pharmacy. I put my latest order in at the beginning of the week, and allowing the 3 days they ask for, we planned to collect them today. You see where this is going, don’t you?

I finished all my Baclofen last night, and am getting short of Gabapentin. So we are now engaged in the hunt for duty chemists. My spies tell me (I.e. Ruth) that the one in Towcester which should be open isn’t, and has a notice on the door saying ring 111. I’ve done that, and am now waiting for the out of hours doctor to call.

Sheesh!! Happy Easter!

1 Like

Right, this is going to turn into a bit of a rant against bl***y politicians and bean counters, sorry…

So I ring 111 and speak to a nice lady who puts me on to the out of hours doc. He phones 15 minutes later. So far so good.

Except this doctor is for South Northants, and is only able to find pharmacies open in Brackley or Northampton, either of which would involve a 90 minute round trip. Our surgery is in Hanslope, a village on the north edge of Milton Keynes and wholly in Bucks, as are we. However, our surgery is part of a group of four, and all the rest are in Northants. The doctor is unable to find pharmacies in Milton Keynes, and even if he could, he would not be able to send a prescription through. He apologises.

I get back onto 111. Another nice lady says she can’t put me through to a Milton Keynes out of hours doctor. She makes a special effort for me, but Milton Keynes won’t take it, because I’m registered to a Northants practice. That, remember, is a Milton Keynes resident registered to a practice with an MK address, but classed as a Northants practice. I can’t get a prescription sent through to where I live!

But… deep breath… I finally found a list of local pharmacies open today, not easy despite Googling all sorts of versions of ‘Milton Keynes’, ‘Easter’, ‘pharmacy’, ‘open hours’, ‘duty chemists’ etc etc etc

I rang Boots in Stony Stratford, their pharmacy is open and the pharmacist will dispense to Ruth on production of a repeat scrip or a meds box, although she really is supposed to see the actual patient. At last, common sense!!

None of this is the fault of the nice people at the sharp end. It’s bl***y politicians and bean counters. ARRGGHH!

rant over, sorry about that.

Kev

1 Like

Oh Kev it’s typical isn’t it? We’ve had those oops moments too. It’s a pity you live so far away, I’ve got loads of Gabapentin I could give you. Ever since I lost the plot and accidentally over dosed myself after forgetting I’d already had my tablets and took another causing me to become very dopey and confused (even more than normal, scarily), my pharmacist now puts all my tablets into blister packs and delivers them weekly. I don’t even have to submit repeat prescriptions, they do it for me, and its FREE!

I’m on loads of meds and it makes life so much easier, is this not something available or worth considering for you? One less thing to worry about.

Have a nice Easter, good luck with your medicine hunt, though most people prefer to hunt for eggs, you would be different.

Cath x

Thanks Cath. We have the meds now but it wasn’t an easy morning. I feel an after lunch snooze coming on. A cup of tea when I wake up and the world will seem a better place.

zzzzzz!

Well Kev, any day now you’re going to get a politician or two on your doorstep. If not, then go find them and TELL THEM!

They want your vote, so they’ll listen; NHS grievances are currently on the agenda.

Will they sort it out? Will they persuade neighbouring counties to make neighbourly arrangements that are helpful to patients? Well, don’t hold your breath, but do go and tell 'em - it’ll feel damn good to get if off your chest.

Ben

Yep, certainly will, Ben. In fact I was pondering on writing to our current MP, Mark Lancaster (Con) a typical bag of wind who has ingratiated himself hereabouts by lining up behind various nimby concerns. I doubt if he is aware of this boundary issue within our local NHS, though today’s incident is the third or fourth time we’ve run up against it in various ways.

Kev

Oh Kev what a bloody hassle!!! Honestly it’s like some sort of nightmare of bureaucracy that doesn’t work!!!

In a day when we can view stuff from all over the world and can speak to people via skype etc etc etc you’d think they could work out a pharmacy that can be open on a bank holiday!

Hope a snooze and a cup of tea sorted you out.

Happy Easter,

Pat xx

Hope you are feeling better now. I am home alone Heather has gone to help look after fifty screaming kids at a joint childrens birthday party. Asked did I want to go the answer was a resounding NO.

Glad you got them sorted. Don

Kev, don’t let it happen again - just arrange for your pharmacy to deliver every month all you require in a blister pack that has all your meds arranged at the time of day you need to be taking them. l live in a little rural village - and our little pharmacy will do this for anyone who needs it.

Over xmas/new year they send out a ‘double’ quantity to make sure you do not run out.

We also use this service for my elderly mum - 91 - as she is very forgetful - then aren’t we all!

l have a friend who works part-time delivering prescriptions - we call it his ‘drug run’. He says that several of his ‘customers’ do not see anyone apart from him. So, yes, he does quite a lot of light bulb changing and other errands.

1 Like

Hello Kev, my dad gets his prescription delivered automatically on a batch system. I’m looking to set up the same arrangement. You’d think that for people like us-those troubled by such an appalling debilitating illness would be served by a trouble free set up. No chance. My usual pharmacy is managed by a bloke who’ll never admit he’s wrong. Just imagine it-I coulds be on death’s door because he claimed that my medication was not changed despite written proof.

I’d better stop now as I’m beginning to get a bit red.

Best wishes, Steve.

Steve I get mine delivered, never drop in a repeat prescription or anything! I accidentally overdosed myself after becoming confused but was actually offered the service before I became dangerous to myself. If I’m prescribed any new drugs or need something I don’t get every week I can phone or call in to the chemist and they arrange and deliver that too.

And I take regular Morphine which is controlled, but even that gets brought here and whoever answers the door just signs to say it arrived. Once I was out and they posted everything through the letter box and I signed it later. I don’t understand why all chemists can’t be this helpful. Mine is brilliant though, it was my pharmacist who was concerned that I might not be well and arranged for blood tests that had me admitted to hospital as an emergency for a blood transfusion. My gp never checked. And our chemist is a tiny village one.

Can you not take your prescriptions to another chemist where this service is offered? Life is so much easier.

Cath x

Sorry, I’ve repeated myself here. Just goes to show how good my memory is. Sorry, I’m off to bed now!!

Cath x