Medication blister packs

Showmino

Registered User
Feb 4, 2019
31
0
Hi. We picked up a months worth of medicine blister packs today for my mother in law and were told that the pharmacy was no longer going to provide them. Slightly panicked by this as her care agency require them. We visited another pharmacy near by and were told by the shop worker that the NHS has withdrawn funding for the preparation of these boxes. I’ve asked for a call from the pharmacist who isn’t in today but wondered if others are having this same issue? Anyone have any information on this? Thanks
 

silkiest

Registered User
Feb 9, 2017
865
0
Hi I spoke to my mum and dads pharmacist about their medication on monday and he did not say anything about them being stopped. I also talked to their GP yesterday and we were making long term plans re dosette boxes so the surgery doesn't seem to know anything.
 

CardiffGirlInEssex

Registered User
Oct 6, 2018
356
0
My Dad's pharmacy (in Cardiff) is saying they can no longer do blister packs but his care company says they can only give him his medication from a blister pack! Still trying to sort out a solution.
 

silkiest

Registered User
Feb 9, 2017
865
0
Hi @CardiffGirlInEssex, maybe its different in Wales. I know in England the pharmacies get their pay for this by the GP's doing weekly prescriptions instead on monthly - i.e they get 4 times the admin costs monthly to issuing a single prescription. MIL's and mums carers will administer any medications as long as the box or bottle has a label on it from the pharmacy. Is that a compromise your dads carers could make?
 

Muttimuggle

Registered User
Dec 28, 2021
710
0
I had to get some blister packs in an emergency when I started care for my Mum. She had been using a chemist which is attached to her GP surgery. They could not do them in a hurry but offered me no help about how or if I might get them. The care agency needed them in order to do the medication call. I rang a few chemists to ask. Small chemists- no luck but a big Boots near us was very friendly, very obliging and got the job done quickly. That was just before Christmas. I assumed it was because it was a bigger company.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,129
0
Southampton
can i ask, do you mean the box with tablets that are in foil in their packets or like dosset boxes, nomads whatever you call them? the carers should be able to do the dosset boxes as it has the name, quantity, dosage, the chemist address on it and the list of when they are taken. its the same information as the blister packs have on them.
i have mine in trays[dosset boxes, nomads] and are done weekly and delivered weekly.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
0
South coast
@jennifer1967 is right - carers should be able to give medication either from the packets/bottles, or from dosset boxes prescribed by the doctor and made up by the chemist. In both these cases there should be the pharmacy label stating the name of the person taking them, what they are and directions for taking them.

What the carers cant do is give drugs from the sort of dosset boxes that OH uses - I make them up myself putting the tablets into the right part of the boxes for the week, but it doesnt say OHs name, not dos it give any instructions. Its to protect the carer, because I might make a mistake, and the carer has no way of knowing.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,129
0
Southampton
@jennifer1967 is right - carers should be able to give medication either from the packets/bottles, or from dosset boxes prescribed by the doctor and made up by the chemist. In both these cases there should be the pharmacy label stating the name of the person taking them, what they are and directions for taking them.

What the carers cant do is give drugs from the sort of dosset boxes that OH uses - I make them up myself putting the tablets into the right part of the boxes for the week, but it doesnt say OHs name, not dos it give any instructions. Its to protect the carer, because I might make a mistake, and the carer has no way of knowing.
you are right. if it has no name, whats in there, dosage, name of medicine.
right name, right time, right method, right dose theres one more right and i cant remember but thats how they trained me for medication admin to residents. its the same in care homes, they have to have these things to check against to make sure they are doing it for the right person, i used to do the boxes like @canary did until my daughter stepped in and does them in the trays in the pharmacy she works in.
 

CardiffGirlInEssex

Registered User
Oct 6, 2018
356
0
Hi @CardiffGirlInEssex, maybe its different in Wales. I know in England the pharmacies get their pay for this by the GP's doing weekly prescriptions instead on monthly - i.e they get 4 times the admin costs monthly to issuing a single prescription. MIL's and mums carers will administer any medications as long as the box or bottle has a label on it from the pharmacy. Is that a compromise your dads carers could make?
So far they have not been willing but that may have to change. It won’t be only my dad that’s affected so they are going to have to find a way to manage it for all their clients I suspect.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,129
0
Southampton
from what my daughter whos a dispenser says, its very labour intensive and i know that pharmacies are short-staffed with both pharmacists and dispensing staff. whether its been because of covid as they are classed as frontline staff, i wouldnt know.
 

Showmino

Registered User
Feb 4, 2019
31
0
Thanks for all the replies. It seems that Cardiff Girl, you are in a similar position to us. If it’s not a more general issue though, I think we can look around for more pharmacies that might do it. I’m slightly nervous of the carers putting out all of the medicines from the individual medicine boxes rather than the dossette box, as we’ve had a number of mistakes on individual meds in the past.
 

Banjomansmate

Registered User
Jan 13, 2019
5,389
0
Dorset
Four or five years ago the pharmacy attached to the Banjoman’s GP surgery refused to put his meds in a dosett box until I spoke with his GP who told them they had to do it! I wasn’t very popular as it is a time consuming job.
 

Jessbow

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
5,677
0
Midlands
I thought - at least our helpful chemist told me- that it had to be on instruction from the GP, ie stated on the prescription.

It was the only way our carers would administer medication.

Problem with named ordinary bottles , is you have no idea if the PWD has already dosed themself- a Dossett box makes it perfectly clear
 

Bunpoots

Volunteer Host
Apr 1, 2016
7,342
0
Nottinghamshire
My dad’s carers would give him his medication from the original boxes but we had to keep it locked in a safe so dad couldn’t help himself.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,441
0
Kent
Problem with named ordinary bottles , is you have no idea if the PWD has already dosed themself- a Dossett box makes it perfectly clear

My mother could never be trusted with a dosette box. She had a compulsion to fill a space. Once she had taken the tablets from one day, she shared all tablets for the rest of the week with the empty space.

I do believe at a certain stage a log needs keeping of doses administered for all carers and all medication kept out of the reach of people with dementia who cannot be relied on to take their medication responsibly.
 

Showmino

Registered User
Feb 4, 2019
31
0
We talked with the care agency and they are very clear that they won’t give medicine unless it’s in the dossette boxes. Fortunately though we’ve found a pharmacy further away from my mother in law who will do the boxes for us, so we just need to contact the GP now to organise it. I hope this doesn’t happen with my mum too - it’s just another hassle that you don’t need!